"Greetings, Uncle Han."
Yan Qingshan bowed respectfully. Han Yue's father nodded with an approving gleam in his eyes, smiling as he invited Yan Qingshan and his companion into the hall to be seated.
"Young Yan must also be a student of Jia Nan's Inner Academy! Their admission standards are quite strict—to be accepted there, you must truly be a rare talent!"
Han Chi, Han Yue's father, spoke warmly. As the head of the Han Family, his power neared the Dou Zong level, yet he could sense a faint threat from Yan Qingshan. Upon closer inspection, the young man before him seemed like still waters—deceptively deep and unfathomable.
"You flatter me, Uncle Han. Qingshan is merely an ordinary student in the Inner Academy, hardly deserving of such praise."
Yan Qingshan replied modestly.
"Father, don't believe his lies! He loves deceiving people—you can't trust his sweet talk!"
Han Yue snorted, shooting Yan Qingshan a displeased glance before turning to Han Chi. "This guy held the top spot on the Inner Academy's Strength Ranking for two straight years before graduating. And from enrollment to graduation, it took him less than four years—the fastest record in the academy's history..."
Han Yue briefly outlined Yan Qingshan's background. She didn't want some clueless clansmen provoking trouble due to his humble demeanor.
Hearing this, the expressions of the Han Family members in the hall shifted. They were quite familiar with Jia Nan Academy and knew most students there were exceptionally gifted. To rank first in the Inner Academy's Strength Ranking for two years? He was undoubtedly a genius among geniuses. Add to that the record-fast graduation Han Yue mentioned—none would have guessed the unassuming youth before them had such credentials.
...
Late at night, within a courtyard of the Han Family estate.
Yan Qingshan and Zi Yan were lodged in this courtyard. After settling the seemingly drunk Yan Qingshan on the bed, Zi Yan let out a soft sigh and dismissed the maids assigned by the Han Family.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Zi Yan poked Yan Qingshan. "You... clearly didn't want to drink with them, yet you went along... They were obviously taking turns filling your cup on purpose!"
Yan Qingshan, who had appeared intoxicated, suddenly sat up. He ruffled Zi Yan's silky purple hair, leaning against the bedpost with a faint smile. "Zi Yan, in social situations like these, sometimes you can't avoid it. They're still Senior Han Yue's family—I can't embarrass her."
"Hmph! I still don't get it!"
Zi Yan grumpily dodged Yan Qingshan's hand playing with her hair, yet her petite body snuggled deeper into his embrace, finding a comfortable position.
"Heh..."
Yan Qingshan chuckled, gently pinching Zi Yan's delicate nose. The pouting girl swatted his hand away and turned her back to him.
Holding Zi Yan, Yan Qingshan retrieved a folding fan from his storage ring. With a brush in hand, he began painting on the fan's surface. Beside the existing ink-wash portrait of Han Yue, a lively, bright-eyed Han Xue came to life, her beauty radiant.
Unable to stay still, Zi Yan turned back after a few minutes. Her small hand waved in front of Yan Qingshan's eyes—no response. Seeing him still engrossed in painting, she grew annoyed. "Little Yan! Little Yan!"
"You little rascal..."
Yan Qingshan frowned at the address. She was definitely doing it on purpose—of all names, she had to call him 'Little Yan'. He leaned down and mussed her hair; the pouting Zi Yan immediately broke character, lunging at him fiercely—only to be easily subdued.
"Y—... actually, I've been meaning to ask, why did you make another fan?"
Zi Yan tumbled in Yan Qingshan's lap, pointing curiously at the fan in his hand. She envied the vivid, beautiful girls painted on it—Yan Qingshan always refused to paint her, claiming she wasn't grown up yet.
"I plan to use this as a weapon. Don't you think it looks dashing?"
Yan Qingshan smiled, finishing Han Xue's portrait before gently fanning himself. Once the ink dried, the portrait seemed to come alive—Han Xue on the paper, with her cool aura, wore a faint smile, her eyes sparkling as if gazing at her beloved.
"Tch! You're just like Mu Yun! Using something like this as a weapon, how ridiculous..."
Zi Yan disapproved, citing Mu Yun—the former #2 on the Strength Ranking whom Yan Qingshan had defeated—as a cautionary example.
"This isn't a real weapon, just for style!"
The fan in Yan Qingshan's hand flicked open and closed, exuding an air of effortless elegance. Zi Yan claimed to dislike it, but her eyes betrayed her interest, gleaming brightly. "Zi Yan, do you know what kind of people use fans as weapons?"
Zi Yan shook her head.
Yan Qingshan smiled. "To be precise, fans aren't suitable as weapons. For slashing, they're inferior to swords; for projectiles, they're worse than throwing knives or darts; for agility, they can't match iron brushes or spikes. Too light—strikes lack impact; too heavy—they become cumbersome."
"Using one as a weapon only invites trouble. Except in one scenario: when you possess absolute power, especially against young maidens. With a fan, you appear dashing and refined."
"So, fan users are either pretentious fops putting on airs, or cunning scoundrels hiding hidden weapons. Which one do you think I am?"
Yan Qingshan's words weren't baseless. In tales, fan wielders like Chu Liuxiang or Lu Xiaofeng were charming rogues, while others like Huo Du or Ouyang Ke were villains pretending to be elegant. No sane person used a fan as a weapon!
"Ooh... no wonder Mu Yun back then..."
Zi Yan drew out the syllable, then gazed playfully at Yan Qingshan. "I think..."
As she spoke, her hands and feet pushed off—whoosh—she leaped from Yan Qingshan's embrace. "...with all your cunning tricks, you're definitely the latter!"
The little girl ran off laughing. Yan Qingshan merely shook his head, not pursuing her. Zi Yan's words held some truth—he never intended to be a 'good person.'
In the real world, being good might only cost you some benefits. But in a fantasy world, lacking cunning could cost your life. So he'd rather be a principled villain than a virtueless 'good man.'
"The night grows late, the wind rises. Tian Bei City... it's time for a change..."
Yan Qingshan stepped into the courtyard, gazing northward—toward the stronghold of the Hong Family, the other major power in Tianbei City. It would be his first target on this journey to Central Plain.
...
"Father, at the banquet earlier, you seemed troubled. Did the Hong Family cause trouble again?"
In the Han Family leader's residence, Han Yue soaked a towel to wipe her father's face. Han Xue stood nearby, her face flushing with anger at her sister's words.
"Alas...!"
Han Chi sighed. "In Tian Bei City, the Hong Family's strength has always slightly surpassed ours. They've long desired to monopolize the city and have always viewed our family with disdain. While our powers were comparable, it was manageable."
"But this time, it's complicated. A few years ago, the Hong Family's young master, Hong Chen, broke through to the Dou Wang level and was accepted into the North Wind Lightning Pavilion. Since then, the Hong Family has grown increasingly aggressive. Just days ago, they ambushed our merchant convoy outside the city—if not for Han Lin arriving in time..."
Han Yue furrowed her brows. "The Wind Lightning Pavilion! Hong Chen hasn't even broken through to Dou Huang—he's just an ordinary outer-pavilion disciple. The Pavilion wouldn't dare openly support them. Where does the Hong Family get such audacity?"
Among the Four Great Pavilions, the Wind Lightning Pavilion had risen prominently in recent years. Divided into East, West, South, and North branches across the Northern Region, the East Pavilion served as the headquarters, led by the Lei Zhun Zhe, one of the Four Venerables.
The North Wind Lightning Pavilion stood on Qifeng Mountain, a thousand li north of Tia Bei City. Though its master wasn't a Dou Zun, he was a long-renowned high-level Dou Ancestor. The Pavilion's strength was far beyond what the Han Family could challenge.
"Perhaps they're accustomed to bullying, and now feel their strength surpasses ours, growing impatient to control Tianbei City."
Han Chi smiled bitterly, yet his eyes sharpened. "But if they truly believe the Han Family is weak and easily bullied, they're mistaken. We've no interest in provoking conflict, but we won't wait for death. In a few days, I'll pay the Hong Family a visit..."
"Uncle Han, why trouble yourself? Since the Hong Family dares overstep, wouldn't wiping them out be simpler?"
A voice came from outside the room. The three inside saw a blur—Yan Qingshan appeared, folding fan in hand, swaying gently as he stepped forward with effortless grace.
"Young Yan, what... what do you mean?"
Han Chi stared at the suddenly materialized Yan Qingshan. Though Han Yue's earlier account had prepared him, facing Yan Qingshan directly still stunned him.
Such mysterious movement—the voice came from the courtyard, yet the man arrived before the sound finished. More crucially, had Yan Qingshan not spoken, he wouldn't have noticed anyone in the courtyard. If such an expert closed in unnoticed...
Yan Qingshan walked before Han Chi, smiling at Han Yue and Han Xue before sitting. "My meaning is literal: wipe out the Hong Family."
Han Chi shook his head bitterly. "Young Yan, your strength is formidable. With your aid, dealing with the Hong Family wouldn't be difficult. But Hong Chen is a disciple of the North Wind Lightning Pavilion, currently on Qifeng Mountain—that's the tricky part!"