466: Chapter 466 Qin Han Appears

[You glanced at him but didn't respond.]

[He didn't take offense, sitting down beside you on his own accord and handing you the wine bottle again:]

["Have a little drink; I specifically went to buy it for you."]

[Only then did you reach out to take the bottle, your gaze falling on his face:]

["Why come to find me all of a sudden? Aren't you afraid your superiors will blame you?"]

[Wen Tao sighed and waved his hand:]

["Sigh, matters of the higher-ups aren't for small fries like us to worry about. Anyway, let's drink while there's wine today; why think so much?"]

["And that Heavenly Palace... it's not exactly a good thing either."]

["I've heard about the things you did; it's damn satisfying."]

["If I had even ten percent of your courage and strength, Big Brother, I wouldn't have ended up stuck here."]

[You smiled and didn't reply, tilting your head back to take a sip.]

[As the wine hit your throat, there was no special feeling.]

[You savored it carefully—no poison.]

[Instead, you felt a bit disappointed.]

[To be honest, you were hoping he would poison it.]

[Unfortunately—poison is useless against you; at most, it might just make you feel uncomfortable for a while.]

[Wen Tao looked at your expression, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes:]

["Big Brother, you seem to... have something on your mind?"]

["Do you know who I am now?" you asked back.]

[He chuckled and scratched his head:]

["In the past, I was ignorant and failed to recognize your greatness. You're a magnanimous man, Big Brother, so please don't take it to heart."]

[You said nothing.]

[He sighed again, acting like a chatterbox:]

["Actually, I had no choice."]

["You might not know, Big Brother, but in our line of work, how can we survive on just the pittance of an annual salary from the Family and the Heavenly Palace?"]

["Without making some extra money on the side, I can't even gather enough resources to Cultivate."]

[He paused, his voice turning a few degrees colder: "I used to have a Dao Companion."]

[You looked at him but still didn't respond.]

["She thought I was useless and ran off with someone else," he said, his face gradually darkening:]

["In a fit of rage, I came here."]

["Even though this place is a remote corner, at least I can squeeze out some profit."]

["I thought that once I saved enough resources and my strength increased, I'd go back..."]

[He didn't finish, but the meaning was clear—he'd kill that woman and her lover.]

[He suddenly turned to look at you and said seriously:]

["Big Brother, don't blame me either. You know how this world is; it's dog-eat-dog..."]

[You waved your hand, interrupting him: "I understand."]

[His eyes lit up: "Then Big Brother... do you forgive my previous rudeness?"]

[You smiled: "Do you think I'd even care about that?"]

[He grinned widely, his face full of joy:]

["Big Brother is truly magnanimous!"]

[Following that, Wen Tao seemed to have opened a floodgate, rambling on incessantly.]

[He talked about his childhood, his Cultivation, and the grievances he'd suffered over the years...]

[It was all trivial matters.]

[You didn't find it annoying, listening while slowly sipping the spiritual wine.]

[The sunlight was warm and cozy, and the wine was starting to go to your head, providing a rare moment of comfort.]

[In the distance, the miners were sweating profusely, clanging away as they chiseled at the ore.]

[From time to time, someone would look over with eyes full of envy—]

[Why could you lie there drinking while they had to work themselves to death?]

[Why?]

[You didn't know why either.]

[You only knew that this was just how the world worked—]

[The kind fear the wicked, the wicked fear the ruthless, and the ruthless fear those who don't care for their own lives.]

[You were the one who didn't care for his life.]

[Just then—]

[The sky suddenly darkened.]

[It wasn't the darkness of dusk, but an overwhelming, suffocating darkness that blanketed everything.]

[Buzz—]

[A low hum vibrated from the sky, making people's eardrums tremble.]

[Countless people looked up.]

[Then, they saw a giant beast.]

[It hovered in the sky, its body so massive it almost blotted out the sun.]

[The giant beast's eyes were blood-red, looking down coldly; wherever its gaze landed, no one dared to move.]

[It was Qin Han.]

[A faint halo surrounded its body, and with every breath, two streams of white mist snorted from its nostrils, as if even the air was being frozen.]

[That aura descended, making people feel a chill from the very marrow of their bones.]

[From all directions, over a hundred figures took to the air—]

[They were the patrolling guards.]

[They hovered in mid-air, looking up at the giant beast, their faces deathly pale.]

[Tens of thousands of miners also stopped their work, their eyes wide and mouths agape, not even noticing when their pickaxes dropped to the ground.]

[Steward Tu's figure flashed as he appeared in mid-air.]

[He forced himself to remain calm, but his voice carried an unmistakable tremor:]

["Wh-what manner of monster dares to—"]

[He didn't finish his sentence.]

[Qin Han's blood-red eyes narrowed slightly, and it raised a front paw, swiping it casually.]

[Fast.]

[So fast that it was impossible to react.]

[Steward Tu's pupils constricted as his hands quickly formed seals, and he let out a low shout:]

["Void Shield!"]

[A grey-gold light shield condensed in front of him, Void Power flowing within it.]

[However—]

[Just as the Void Shield took shape, Qin Han's sharp claws had already descended.]

[The moment the claws touched the shield, the Void Shield was torn apart silently, as if it were made of paper.]

[The light shield shattered, dissipating into specks of grey light.]

[Steward Tu's body froze in place.]

[He looked down at his own body.]

[Starting from his waist, a thin line slowly emerged.]

[Then, his upper body slid off.]

[There was no blood, no screams.]

[His body dissipated inch by inch in mid-air, turning into nothingness.]

[In his final moment,]

[His gaze fell upon Qin Han, his eyes filled with horror—at those blood-red eyes full of disdain, and that slowly retracting claw.]

[Finally, everything returned to nothingness.]

[One move.]

[Just one move.]

[Steward Tu's Clone was torn into nothingness.]

[Qin Han's gaze moved from where Steward Tu had vanished and landed on you.]

[In that instant, those blood-red eyes suddenly became soft.]

["Daddy!"]

[A crisp voice rang out, filled with joy and playfulness, like a child finding a long-lost relative.]

["I've come to save you!"]

[As soon as the words fell, Qin Han raised its front paw, and a blade-like silver light streaked across the sky, once again enveloping this part of the world.]

[This terrifying aura blanketed a radius of ten thousand miles, making it hard for people to breathe.]

[The Soul Transformation, Golden Core, and Foundation Establishment guards were all pale-faced and trembling.]

[Just then—]

["Qin Han!"]

[Your voice rang out, not loud, but very clear:]

["Don't kill them!"]

[Qin Han paused, looked at you, and nodded vigorously:]

["Sure thing, Daddy!"]

[It retracted its giant paw, and the terrifying aura that had blanketed the world suddenly vanished.]

[It was as if the dark clouds had scattered and the sunlight had reappeared.]

[As the pressure dissipated, the Soul Transformation, Golden Core, and Foundation Establishment guards felt a wave of relief, gasping for air.]

[After a moment of being stunned, they all bowed to you, their voices trembling with the feeling of having survived a disaster:]

["Thank you, Senior!"]

["Thank you, Senior!"]