“Psst, hey kid, over here. Come here for a second,” Han Rui said, beckoning to an unassuming young man walking across the crowded streets. He had once again assumed a new appearance; this time, taking on the guise of a middle-aged man with a long scar across his face.

The young man spared Han Rui a glance before hurriedly walking away, anxiously checking over his shoulder the further he got. Han Rui, on the other hand, wore a wry smile as he leaned against a wall. He exhaled deeply. “That's the eighth one today,” he muttered softly, staring at the blue skies.

[No one in their right senses would want to do anything with someone with a face like that!]

The corners of Han Rui’s eyes twitched as he perused the system’s notification. “And whose fault do you think that is?”

The system panel disappeared as soon as it appeared, leaving Han Rui seething in his position.

“Damn shitty…” Han Rui paused. I almost forgot how spiteful that guy can be. Damn it! I can’t even curse him without any repercussions.

Han Rui focused on the crowded streets once more, his gaze wandering from one person to the other.

Unsurprisingly, the number of cultivators in town had increased massively since the incident three days ago.

Although no one knew the official cause of the heavenly phenomenon, many theorized that a cultivator with heaven-defying potential had emerged. Without sparing any resources, nearby sects and homogeneous clans dispatched their disciples to search for the mysterious cultivator. However, there were also those seeking the cultivator with ulterior motives. On the other hand, a different group believed the phenomenon was due to the entrance of an immortal-level treasure into the world, and they pledged to comb through every inch of the city to find its whereabouts. Despite the diverging theories, most cultivators, and even mortals, maintained an open mind in their search for answers.

Han Rui sighed, crouched under the piercing noon sun. This is getting tedious... It's been two days, and I haven't been able to sell jack shit. It would have been a lot easier if I could get Grandpa and the elders to handle it for me.

He subconsciously that about Meixue, curious if she had awakened her immortal physique. Zhanghuo also filled his mind, but he knew the bull needed a lot of time to get acquainted with the shy scholar.

Lost in his thoughts, Han Rui occasionally stared at few beautiful damsels, but no one caught his attention.

It seems I’ll have to try another part of town. I can’t waste all day waiting… Han Rui paused mid-thought, noticing a group of men in tattered robes escorting a young man in equally tattered robes, with remarkable silver hair.

“Hmm… this could be an opportunity,” Han Rui muttered as he stood up, and without hesitation, he silently followed the group.

The group walked for over one hour, passing through a series of abandoned and popular alleys before reaching an abandoned farm on the outskirts of the city.

“This is far enough,” the man leading the group said while raising his left hand. The procession stopped in their tracks, and at that same moment, someone violently struck the young man across the face, sending him plummeting to the ground.

“Sun Wei, you don’t listen to us at all,” the leader said, casually adjusting his robes while spitting to the side. “How many times do we have to tell you not to encroach on our territory? Or do you think we’re pushovers?” The man asked as he towered over the young man.

Taking a closer look at the young man, one couldn’t help but notice his remarkable looks, even under the layer of filth covering his face. His features were only further highlighted by his slender physique and unusual silver hair.

“Boss Hu, I’m sorry, but I had no choice. I needed a few coins to help my younger siblings get into a good sect. I know I’m not talented enough to join one, but they are and…” A slap cut off Sun Wei’s statement, sending the young man crashing against the dusty road.

“Don’t give me that crap,” Shan Hu said as he wiped his palm on his robes. “Everyone's got a sob story. Why do you think we're beggars? You're nothing special, okay?”

Shan Hu kicked the stomach of the young man while nodding toward his companions. They instantly searched the inner robes of the young man, retrieving a heavy sackcloth.

“You're lucky those eyes of yours aren't working. If not, you would have suffered a whole lot more. This is your last warning, stay out of our territory. If you need money that badly, you should sell yourself to some brothel. I'm sure some rich old hag would pay a hefty sum for a pretty boy like you.”

Shan Hu kicked a ball of dust toward the blind man, and the beggars erupted into laughter as they slowly left the area.

Sun Wei lay on the ground, tears streaking down his face as the footsteps of his assailants faded into the distance. He struggled to a sitting position; his face raised toward the clear skies. Even as piercing as the sun’s rays were, it did nothing to his eyes, which had already lost their light.

The young man cried for a few more minutes before bursting out into an expected bout of laughter. He slowly removed his left sandal, peeling off the sole, and three neatly tucked-away sacs fell on the dusty ground with a thud.

I would have lost everything if I hadn’t predicted something like this could happen, Sun Wei thought as he tucked away the sacs into his robes. It’s getting dangerous visiting the west street now. I wouldn’t even dream of messing with those jerks if not for the fact that it was the place teeming with those rich aunties.

The young man sighed as he staggered to his feet. I still need over three thousand coins to pay the enrollment fees.

He cautiously turned left and then right. From the footsteps earlier, it seems they went this way. Judging by how far we walked and how quiet and dusty this place is, it’s likely this is the farm on the outskirts of the city.

Lost in his thoughts, a voice filled the ears of the beggar, “Not many people would hide their coins in their sandals. That’s brilliant.”

Sun Wei froze as he heard the unfamiliar voice.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“Don’t worry, I have absolutely no intention of robbing you or anything similar. In fact, I come bringing opportunities, my handsome friend,” Han Rui said with an unseen smile.

However, Sun Wei cautiously took a step back while trying to figure out Han Rui’s position. “What do you want then? Please, those coins are for…”

“Yeah, I heard you earlier. Like I said, I’m not really interested in it, at least not all of it,” Han Rui interjected.

Sun Wei silently cursed his rotten luck. The unknown person had initially said he wouldn’t rob him, but now he had changed his stance.

“How much do you want to leave me alone?” Sun Wei inquired. Although he didn’t believe the man, he knew there was nothing he could do either. They were in a remote place, and there was nothing stopping the unknown assailant from snatching all the sacs and killing him too.

“You’ve got the wrong idea about me. I only want to sell you some of my product,” Han Rui said as he inched closer.

Sun Wei frowned a bit. “What sort of product are you selling?”

“Drugs… I mean supplements,” Han Rui corrected himself after a slight cough. “I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation earlier. I guarantee you my supplements would go a long way to ensure your siblings get into the very best sect, and not just as helper disciples either.”

Sun Wei’s skepticism grew the more Han Rui spoke. There’s no way something like that is remotely real. He’s probably trying to sell me some fake stuff just because I’m blind.

He opened his mouth to speak, but Han Rui cut him off before he could utter a word. “I know what you’re thinking. A random guy coming from nowhere to sell something of remarkable quality to a dashing young man like yourself who is visibly challenged. It’s too good to be true, right?”

“Well, you said it yourself,” Sun Wei commented. “Why should I believe you? As you can see, there’s no way for me to tell if what you say aren’t lies.”

Han Rui chuckled softly while rummaging through his robes. Then he retrieved a tiny cylindrical jar filled with multicolored pills. He shook it gently, and a faint jingle filled the area.

“What’s that?” Sun Wei asked as he heard the unfamiliar sound.

“The supplements,” Han Rui said. “How about I give you a free sample? If you’re not satisfied with it, then you don’t have to pay. How does that sound?”

Sun Wei frowned. Who the hell is this guy? Can’t he take a hint? I’m not interested in buying his useless supplements. A free sample isn’t going to change my mind, damn it.

Unable to vent his inner frustrations, Sun Wei silently weighed his options, and an awkward silence brewed between the two.

“What exactly does this supplement do again?” Sun Wei asked, breaking the silence. “How is someone like me supposed to test its value? And please don’t even bring up the idea of asking me to take you to my siblings. That’s never going to happen; that much I can promise you.”

“No worries, I respect boundaries,” Han Rui chuckled as he continued. “Like I said earlier, I’ll give you a free sample. It’s up to you whether to use it or not. I really can’t force you to do something against your will. I’m a dignified businessman.”

Han Rui placed his thumb on the jar’s seal, then he continued. “Although I’m willing to offer you a free sample, please note that the quantity I would be able to sell to you afterward would be vastly limited. However, should you choose to trust me, then I don’t mind selling the entire collection to you. All five of them will be available for you to use or disburse as you please.”

Sun Wei frowned. He had met a lot of people looking to take advantage of his disability, and he honestly believed Han Rui was one of them too. But he couldn’t shake off the fact that something was odd about the mysterious peddler.

“So, what’s it going to be?” Han Rui asked.

“I’ll take the sample,” Sun Wei said after a momentary pause. He didn’t believe for one second that Han Rui’s supplements would be anything out of the ordinary. Then, there was also the fact that he would rather conserve his resources to finance the enrollment fees of his siblings.

“All right then. You have made your—” a series of footsteps cut off Han Rui’s words, and he instinctively turned toward the origin of the noise.

There, a group comprising three fat men with bald heads approached with boisterous steps.

“What’s going on? Who’s coming?” Sun Wei asked, unable to hide his anxiety. “Are they with you?”

“No,” Han Rui said softly.

“Who are they then?” Sun Wei asked, cautiously taking a step back.

“I guess we’re about to find out,” Han Rui said with a soft smile as he turned toward the approaching men.

“What do we have here?” the leader of the group muttered, stopping a few meters away from Han Rui and Sun Wei. “You guys don’t seem to be from these parts, so do you mind telling me what you’re doing here?”

“What’s it to you? It’s a free city. We can do whatever we want,” Han Rui replied with a smile.

The faces of the men behind the leader soured, but they quickly regained their composure.

“You’re right,” the leader said. “However, we have had several encounters with thieves over the last couple of months. I personally lost three goats and two sheep in that period. So, you can’t really blame us for being suspicious of you two.”

“Do I really look like a livestock thief?” Han Rui asked.

“Yes,” all three men answered without pause. The fact that Han Rui would even ask such a question with a face like that made the trio somewhat amused.

Han Rui gritted his teeth, forcing a smile as he sized up the trio. “I’ll take that as a compliment. As you can see, we’re in the middle of nowhere, and there’s no indication of us doing anything suspicious. In fact, my friend over there is blind, while I suffer from a drinking problem. So, it’s impossible for either of us to be the thieves you’re searching for.”

The men cast a glance toward Sun Wei, a somewhat shocked look flashed across their eyes. They didn’t know he was visually impaired. That Han Rui would compare a drinking problem to blindness left the trio stumped, and even Sun Wei.

“Boss, there’s no need to keep up this charade any longer. We should just beat ‘em up and take their belongings,” the tallest of the trio said.

Han Rui instantly burst into laughter. “So, you guys were the thieves. No wonder your stomachs are three times larger than your heads.”

“You ugly bastard, what are you trying to say? There’s nothing wrong with our stomachs! This is the peak male physique,” the leader retorted, his oily face trembling along with his caustic remark.

“Sure. Whatever you say,” Han Rui said sarcastically, giggling while the men seethed.

“Enough of this nonsense,” the tallest of the trio roared as he reached into his robes, retrieving an oddly shaped, curved rod with a serrated edge. “Hand over your possessions now! If not, don’t blame us for being ruthless.”

The other men retrieved their own weapons. The leader held a butcher’s knife, while the shortest of the trio wielded a mace.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Han Rui said. All traces of his previously jovial demeanor had disappeared, and he exuded a somewhat dominating aura. “You don’t even know if either of us is a cultivator, yet you recklessly draw out your weapons. Aren’t you afraid of death?”

“There’s no way in hell that wimp over there is a cultivator,” the leader said, pointing his knife at Sun Wei.

The young man had been shaking nervously for a while now, and it looked like he was on the verge of collapsing from fear.

“Then, there’s you. There’s no way you would have spent all this time talking so much nonsense if you were a cultivator. You might think we’re idiots because of our looks, but I’d let you know that our brains are our best asset. I’m confident that you’re bluffing. Ask around, the Po brothers never lose a wager.”

Han Rui sighed while shaking his head. Wordlessly, he reached into his robes to the delight of the armed robbers.

“I see you have a bit of sense in that ugly head of yours. As long as you give us all your belongings, we won’t make things difficult for…” Po Ming, the leader of the trio, paused midway through his statement, his eyes bulging in stupefaction.

Han Rui removed a polished metal baseball bat from his robes. The men instantly burst into laughter as Han Rui swung the metal bat.

“What’s that thing supposed to do? Are we supposed to be scared of that?” Po Ming cackled while leaning on his brothers.

Han Rui swung the bat for the umpteenth time, and a devastating explosion tore through the air. The Po brothers turned toward the origin of the explosion, and their jaws remained slack. Far in the distance, the towering mountain peak that symbolized the path to the city had disappeared, almost as if it had never existed.

The three men exchanged glances; disbelief evident in their trembling eyes. Then, they turned toward Han Rui, who wore the same nonchalant expression as before. They swallowed several mouthfuls of saliva as soon as they locked gazes with the man.

“So, who’s first?” Han Rui said, swinging the bat one more time. This time, a raging wind dispersed all the clouds for over a three-kilometer radius.