At dusk, outside the main entrance of Ge Pin Steakhouse.
Wade Wang was only a lower-tier Martial General. To maintain composure in front of a Peerless Martial General was already an extraordinary feat.
At this moment—
Seeing Andrew Han’s cold, piercing gaze, Wade trembled inwardly; his legs shook uncontrollably.
As a Martial General, Wade Wang was privy to certain Defense Formation news. He was well aware of Andrew Han’s reputation—the prodigy who blocked a Martial Lord-class Demon, famed across the north and south.
“Xingjie.” He turned to his nephew Jason Wang, urging anxiously, “Is there some kind of misunderstanding here? Hurry up and apologize to Mr. Han.”
The last rays of dusk shone down as the biting winter wind swept through.
Jason Wang’s expression was a spectacle in itself.
“How is this possible?”
He swallowed a dry lump in his throat, as if caught in a waking dream.
His second uncle, Wade Wang—almost the supreme figure in Riverford—had just been ruthlessly slapped across the face?
It was utterly unbelievable.
And not only was his uncle not angry, he was actually telling him to apologize? Even a fool could sense how the situation had changed.
Thump.
His heart weighed heavy; Jason’s face shifted several times before he finally clenched his teeth and squeezed out a sentence: “I... I’m sorry.”
As soon as those words left his mouth, Zoe Li breathed a sigh of relief.
Her pale cheeks flushed slightly—at once ecstatic and shaken... The uncle Jason relied on so arrogantly was now silent as a cicada before Andrew Han!
The contrast was absurd; the change, far too abrupt.
It was as if Zoe, plummeting into a dark abyss, had suddenly seen a gentle, radiant light—so dazzling it filled her vision and warmed her frozen heart.
“Andrew Han?”
“Martial strength determines destiny?”
She gazed at Andrew Han’s calm face, almost entranced—not by infatuation, but by overwhelming gratitude and wholehearted agreement.
So this is the path you insisted on—the right one all along.
Perhaps the one who couldn’t tell right from wrong was herself.
“Heh, Andrew, it’s all just a misunderstanding.” Wade Wang forced a smile, patted his nephew’s arm, quietly channeling Internal Power to steady Jason’s trembling muscles and meridians.
Gulp.
Jason Wang’s face was deathly pale as he stood, terrified, beside his uncle Wade.
“A misunderstanding?”
Andrew Han frowned, fixing his gaze on Wade Wang.
“Sigh, Xingjie is still young—who hasn’t made mistakes?” Wade said with a forced chuckle, his eyes pleading. “He’s my nephew, still immature, with his whole life ahead of him.”
“Mr. Han.”
“Please, show mercy.”
Such heartfelt pleading moved Andrew Han a little—and terrified Jason so much his heart nearly stopped. He hung his head, trembling.
The more this happened, the more it proved Andrew Han’s terrifying power.
Even facing Riverford’s top officials, his uncle Wade would only nod in greeting. Yet before Andrew Han, he was groveling for forgiveness.
Jason felt chilled to the bone; his teeth chattered, his guts quaked.
He trembled, gripped by fear, unable to speak.
“Sigh.”
Andrew Han looked at Wade Wang and sighed, “Do you know what you’re pleading for?”
To be human is to have a bottom line!
Even under Sinovera’s laws, what Jason Wang has done would warrant life imprisonment.
But leaving aside these arguments, the moment he pointed at Andrew Han with those crazed eyes, his fate was sealed. No one could change it.
Does one need a reason to kill a man?
Of course, you do.
But to kill an ant, you need no reason at all.
"Andrew Han, I beg you," Wade Wang said, taking a deep breath and stepping in front of his nephew. "He’s still just a child. Isn’t there any mistake he can’t be forgiven for?"
"Oh."
Andrew Han nodded faintly, then turned and left with Zoe Li.
Spectators crowded every direction. If Wade Wang tried to block Andrew, he might expose the truth of Andrew’s unfathomable strength.
For now, the iron law of the Martial Arts World could not be defied.
"Soon."
"Once Universal Martial Practice begins, even the iron law will be abolished."
...
Night fell over Yongshi Martial Arts School.
Creak.
Wade Wang sat in his leather office chair, spun halfway around, and looked at Jason Wang. "If you walk by the river often, your shoes will get wet. You’d better be more careful from now on."
"Your fondness for women isn’t really a problem."
"But there are plenty of women you could have with money alone—why stir up trouble? And if you want to use power to coerce people, you’d best investigate their backgrounds first."
He was not stingy with his blunt advice.
In Wade’s eyes, it didn’t matter how many girls his nephew hurt—they were all just ordinary people. His only worry was how close Zoe Li and Andrew Han might actually be.
Hmph.
Jason Wang sat on the sofa, sullen and frustrated.
Smack.
Wade Wang slapped his desk and scolded, "You’re leaving Riverford for the next two days. That way Andrew Han won’t come looking to settle accounts with you."
"Why? Why should I?" Jason Wang snorted coldly.
"Even I don’t dare offend Andrew Han, and you still ask why?" Wade Wang leaned back in his chair and sighed. "He’s Andrew Han—his name shakes all of Southvale Province. How can you still hold a grudge?"
Of course, he knew the name Peerless Andrew Han.
Last November, Andrew Han became the top martial student in Sinovera during the ranking battle. He then joined the Defense Formation and single-handedly stalled a Lord-class Demon, earning fame across Southvale.
But no matter how strong Andrew Han was, Wade Wang wasn’t afraid.
In the Martial Arts World, disputes and violence between martial artists are normal. But among Martial Generals, killing is forbidden—that’s the Martial Arts Alliance’s rule.
"Enough."
Wade Wang narrowed his eyes and said, "I’ve already booked your ticket. You leave for the Imperial Capital tomorrow morning. In two months, you can come back to Riverford."
What?
Two months?
Bruised and battered, Jason Wang leapt up angrily. "Uncle, he nearly beat me to death in broad daylight, and we’re just letting it go?"
Creak.
Wade Wang spun his office chair halfway around and said sternly, "Don’t provoke him again. Today, I lost all face just to save you."
His voice carried a hint of resentment.
He knew Andrew Han possessed Inspiration and could sense malice, but so what? Would Andrew really kill him over a little ill will?
Impossible.
In Wade Wang’s eyes, Andrew Han was a prodigy with a sense of justice so strong it bordered on naïveté—an idealist obsessed with fairness and righteousness.
"Uncle!"
Jason Wang’s eyes lit up and he snorted, "Andrew Han may be a martial artist, but I don’t believe all his friends and family are. I swear, if I ever get the chance, I’ll make him know what true regret feels like."
Sigh.
Wade Wang sighed.
He rubbed his brow twice, then snapped, "You’re asking for death."
Jason Wang didn’t care at all; he curled his lip and a mad glint flickered in his eyes. "He’s a Southland University martial student—he still has to go to class."
"Drop it." Wade Wang seemed tempted, but quickly suppressed his urge for revenge. "Instead of plotting schemes, you should focus on your training."
Nothing mattered more to him than reputation.
Last time, Andrew Han defeated him with two punches, leaving him bitter for an entire month. Now, his resentment was even harder to contain. His nephew was just a little forceful—was it really worth all this trouble?
If anyone should be allowed to bully others by relying on martial strength, it ought to be Andrew Han!
Hmph.
Jason Wang glanced at Wade Wang’s expression, licked his lips, and whispered, "Uncle, the ancients said…A gentleman’s revenge is never too late, even after ten years!"
Just then—
Crash.
The office’s dark glass window split with several cracks, then shattered completely, raining fragments onto the composite floor with a thunderous crash, ruthless and unstoppable.
"Sigh."
"Isn’t it better to just live your life well?"
With a quiet sigh, Andrew Han gripped the window frame with his right hand and vaulted into the office, his black windcoat swirling. He was like an ancient beast awakening in the night, radiating killing intent that plunged the room into utter silence.
Andrew Han!?