Chapter Five: The Majestic Presence of the Celestial Sovereign

In the morning, after finishing the meal prepared by the servants, Chu Han stepped out the door. He could no longer remember how long it had been since he had wandered idly like this. In his previous life, he had to suppress the system and could only immerse himself in relentless cultivation, constantly enduring tribulations, leaving himself no time to pause.

Now, returning to Taixuan Star, everything was both familiar and yet so changed; he merely cast a fleeting glance at the transformed world.

“This endless stream of people is so much like the bustling market streets back on Earth. It truly makes me nostalgic.”

As Chu Han walked through the streets and alleys of Jingyuan City, watching the vendors hawking their wares, he gradually rediscovered a trace of joy in simply being human.

“These taverns and teahouses are all furnished with ironworks my father crafted a year ago… I used to love their tofu pudding.”

“This security company uses only weapons made by my father.”

“And here…”

Strolling and pausing along the way, Chu Han moved like a stranger, stopping from time to time to eat or drink a little, searching carefully for the feelings tucked deep within his memories.

But just as he was about to turn back, a mocking voice sounded behind him:

“Well, if it isn’t Chu Han from the Tang family smithy, our famous good-for-nothing!”

Chu Han turned, following the voice. He soon saw a youth in blue finery, about his own age, his face dotted with acne, walking with two girls. The youth was pointing and laughing as he spoke.

“You… you’re Lin Yan?” Chu Han studied the boy for a moment before recalling who he was.

Lin Yan, the eldest son of the Lin family in Jingyuan City.

Despite his youth—only sixteen—he was already a prodigy, having reached the third tier of the Body-Refining techniques. His flesh alone commanded a terrifying strength of five hundred catties. He was expected to break through to the tenth tier before the age of twenty, possibly even transcending the mortal realm to step into the level of divine abilities—a peerless genius.

Memories from his past life flooded back—how Lin Yan would often come to bully him, seeking to heighten his own sense of superiority as a genius.

At that time, because of the system, Chu Han had been unable to cultivate, and so he had come to despise Lin Yan. Yet now, after a thousand years, seeing Lin Yan again, he regarded him as nothing more than a brash child.

“Haha, Chu Han, you must have lost your mind! You don’t even recognize me, Lin Yan?”

Lin Yan cocked his chin, his face full of pride. “Come, Ruoxi, Yuyan, let me introduce you. This is Jingyuan City’s infamous Chu Han—the illustrious Young Master Chu!”

“Chu Han?”

Hearing the girls’ puzzled voices, Chu Han noticed the pair for the first time. They were clearly twin sisters, each lovely, with bright eyes and white teeth, skin as fair as snow, dressed in flowing gowns—one in violet, the other in white.

Yet Chu Han had no memory of these sisters, and so he lost interest and prepared to leave.

But Lin Yan stepped in front of him, intent on keeping him there, and sneered, “Chu Han, you’re called useless and you still take offense?”

“Do you know who Ruoxi and Yuyan are? They’re genius disciples of Yongquan Palace. Even compared to Tang Chengcheng, the Holy Maiden who broke ties with your Tang family, they’re not far behind.”

“And I heard that Tang Chengcheng not only severed all relations with your family’s smithy, but also leaked the armament blueprints of the Lantian Garrison. The Mo family is not to be trifled with. But if you beg these two ladies, perhaps they’ll put in a good word for you or even grant you a favor, and your family’s smithy might survive this calamity.”

By the end, Lin Yan wore an expression of utter sincerity, as if he were genuinely offering advice to Chu Han.

But a boy remains a boy. Chu Han had already spotted the anticipation in Lin Yan’s eyes—just as before, he was waiting for Chu Han to embarrass himself so he could ridicule him savagely.

Blueprints for military arms were no small matter; how could two young girls’ kind words resolve such a crisis? Moreover, even if Yongquan Palace was powerful, what could these two—who couldn’t even compare to Tang Chengcheng—possibly achieve?

They just wanted to see him make a fool of himself.

“Your act is over. Step aside—I have no time to play your games,” Chu Han said, lifting his foot to leave, but Lin Yan grabbed his clothes.

“Useless wretch, I’m giving you a chance and you don’t appreciate it? Don’t you know what’s good for you?”

“Lin Yan, I’ll give you one last chance—now, at this very moment, take your hand off me!” Chu Han’s face turned cold, a glint of icy light flashing in his eyes.

The majesty of a Celestial Lord brooked no insult.

Lin Yan might be a boy, but if he insisted on pestering him, Chu Han would make sure he never forgot the lesson.

“Heh, you threaten me? What can a useless wretch like you do to me?” Lin Yan grinned, his smile dazzling.

A sickly, talentless fool who’d only been spared because of the Tang family’s smithy dared threaten him in return?

“What can I do to you?” Noticing that Lin Yan took his words as a joke, Chu Han’s lips curled. “Let me show you.”

With a flash, Chu Han’s hands shot out, seizing Lin Yan’s wrist and shoulder with lightning speed.

There was a crisp crack and snap as Chu Han’s grip tightened. The two girls beside Lin Yan hadn’t even had time to react.

A scream of agony burst from Lin Yan’s mouth, and with a thud, this so-called genius of Jingyuan City fainted dead away, his arm grotesquely twisted.

Chu Han cast a cold glance at the two girls, sneering, “You’re disciples of Yongquan Palace? Good. Go back and tell your Palace Master: there are people and affairs one should never meddle in, or disaster will surely follow.”

With that, Chu Han strode past the pair and the unconscious Lin Yan, his departing figure leaving behind only an inscrutable, terrifying impression for them and the onlookers.

It was a long while before the two girls came back to themselves, both faces pale and ashen.

“Sister, is that really the useless one Tang Chengcheng spoke of? With just one move, he crippled Lin Yan’s arm.”

“It’s him, no doubt. He even sent gifts to Tang Chengcheng once. We must report this—yesterday, I heard he even slapped her!”

“What? Their Tang family smithy is already on the verge of ruin for leaking the blueprints. Now, not only have they offended the Lin family, but he dares strike our Yongquan Palace’s Holy Maiden? Is he courting death?”

“Hmph, naturally we won’t let him off. First, let’s take Lin Yan back to the Lin family.”

The girl in white stared coldly in the direction Chu Han had gone, a mocking smile curling on her delicate face.

For a useless wretch from a humble smithy to threaten a disciple of Yongquan Palace—he clearly had no desire to live.

Just as she thought.

When they returned Lin Yan to his family, the atmosphere in the entire Lin household became grim and murderous.

“Father, is my arm truly beyond saving?” Lin Yan wailed in despair.

The Lin family patriarch, Lin Xiao, face dark as thunder, glanced at his younger brother, a lower-grade apothecary, who shook his head bitterly. “Brother, Lin Yan’s arm is completely ruined. Every bone and tendon is shattered and fused together—there’s no hope. If we don’t amputate soon, dead blood may spread and claim his life as well!”

“No! I can’t lose my arm!” Lin Yan screamed, struggling like a madman.

Only after Lin Xiao knocked him unconscious with a slap did his brother begin treatment. Lin Xiao himself left the room to question the steward, who was waiting anxiously outside.

“Well, well, the Tang family smithy, Chu Han… To dare do this to my son—I’ll see them all dead with no graves to be found!”