The inn was quiet as Jin pushed open the door to their room. Lana looked up from the window, her eyes softening the moment she saw her son. He was covered in dust and a faint trace of dried blood, but there was something else a calm, heavy stillness in his expression.
"You're back…" she whispered, rising to her feet.
"I'm fine, Mother," Jin said gently, embracing her. "We ran into a beast den, but it's over now. I helped them finish the job."
He didn't mention that he'd saved them all. He didn't speak of the Wolf King, the system, or the strength that now flowed through his limbs. Not yet.
"I'll tell you more over dinner."
They made their way to the inn's main hall a modest but cozy space filled with warmth, firelight, and the clinking of bowls. The aroma of lotus beef stew filled the air as they found a corner table and ordered.
Just as the meal was set on their table, the calm shattered.
A group of overdressed, cocky young men strutted in, flanked by lackeys and servants. Loud laughter, arrogant posture they were clearly used to attention. One, in garish violet robes, pointed at Jin and Lana's table.
"You! Peasants. You've taken our table. Move."
Jin glanced at him once, eyes blank. Lana gently rested her hand on Jin's.
"We'll finish quickly and be on our way," she said politely.
But they didn't come to talk.
With a flick of the wrist, one of the lackeys swept the steaming bowls of food off the table, sending them crashing to the ground. Jin's fists clenched.
The coachman stood nearby but did nothing. He knew who these brats were.
"We are the sons of the Council Elders," sneered the one in violet. "And if you know what's good for you, you'll show some respect."
Jin's jaw tensed. His aura was shifting. The air seemed to distort around him.
But he held back.
"Let's go, Mother," he said. "We'll eat somewhere else."
They turned to leave.
"Stop," the violet-robed boy snapped. He reached out and grabbed Lana's wrist, his lips twisting into a filthy grin. "She's not going anywhere. You should be honored to serve us tonight. Especially this pretty one. Such… fine skin."
He shouldn't have touched her.
He touched Jin's reverse scale.
There was a blur.
A flash of light.
And screams.
The boy hit the ground with a thunderous crack bones shattered, teeth scattered like rice. Two others were flung across tables, crashing through wooden chairs.
It was over in seconds.
The hall fell silent.
Jin stood there, his eyes dark and emotionless. The aura around him was terrifying.
He took Lana's hand.
They walked out without a word.
Outside, under the moonlit lanterns of the city street, Lana said nothing. She kept glancing at her son confused, concerned, curious.
He knew the look.
"I'll explain everything," he said. "Let's sit first."
They passed a storefront lined with silks and trinkets. Lana paused before a display window.
Inside sat a single pair of jade bracelets, resting on velvet, glowing faintly in the lantern light.
"They're beautiful," she murmured.
"I'll buy them for you," Jin said immediately.
"You've done enough. Save your money—"
"I want to."
A short exchange followed. Jin insisted. Lana resisted. In the end, he handed over three gold coins, and the storekeeper placed one of the bracelets into a polished box.
Lana wore it instantly. It fit perfectly.
Then—
[System Notification: Danger Detected – Host is being watched]
[Source Identified: 4 Assassins in Vicinity – Target: Host and Lana]
[Threat Level: High]
Jin stopped walking.
"Mother… wait here. I'll be right back."
"What is it?"
"Just saw someone I know. Won't be long."
He walked into an alley.
His tone was calm. His blood, not.
[System: Would Host like to access Shop and browse Stealth Equipment?]
"Yes."
[Item: Silver Cloak – Level 1 – Invisibility for 30 minutes. Cost: 1 Essence Loan]
[Essence will be deducted after next breakthrough. Proceed?]
"Yes. Load it now."
The cloak materialized around his shoulders, shimmering once then vanished completely. His breath slowed. The world sharpened.
Using the system's detection, he found each assassin one on the rooftop, one near the cart, another inside a tea shop, and the last one... close to the store Lana was in.
"Let's begin."
He struck silently.
One after another, necks snapped. Blades flashed. Blood spilled in silence.
No one saw anything.
Each elite assassin sent by Second Queen Molana never even saw their killer.
Thirty minutes later, Jin returned to the front of the store.
Lana was admiring earrings now, completely unaware.
"Back already?" she asked, not even turning.
Jin smiled faintly.
"You know how women forget everything when shopping," he teased.
"Watch your tongue, young man," she said with a smirk, tapping her bracelet.
As they walked back to the inn beneath the quiet night sky, far away in the capital…
Inside a cold chamber beneath the palace, Captain Roger stood before a shelf of glowing soul tablets.
One by one, four of them flickered then burned to ash.
Roger's knees buckled.
He coughed blood.
"Impossible…" he growled. "Those were my best men…"
He underestimated the boy.
[System Notification: Assassins Eliminated – Elite Threat Neutralized]
[EXP Gained: 200]
[Level Up Achieved → Level 5]
[Demon Bloodline Activated – Awakening Level: 1%]
[Skill Unlocked: Fury]
For a limited time, double your cultivation level. Cooldown: 24 hours.
[Equipment Unlocked: Silver Cloak – Level 1]
[Equipment Tab Added to System]
[Attribute Points Gained: 10]
[Cultivation: Body Refinement Stage 5]
[Combat Power Equivalent: Stage 5]
Jin walked beside his mother quietly, the city lights reflecting in his eyes.
But in the dark corners of the kingdom, whispers of his presence had already begun.
And the world… would never be the same again.