"If you say so, then this short sword is priceless to you," the old shopkeeper said with a look of disappointment, watching Ye Han.
"Heh, I didn't expect you to have such thoughts too," Ye Han said with a hint of helplessness as he placed the short sword back into the brocade box.
"In this world where commoners are as common as dogs, if one can't even protect oneself, then what is there to protect others? To protect those around me, those who kill must be prepared to be killed."
The shopkeeper's hand, reaching for the brocade box, trembled slightly in mid-air.
"Have you considered those at the eighth, ninth, or even holy ranks, who look down on ordinary people as if they were ants or dogs? Were they born to be high above others?"
"Those without power, born to be enslaved by nobility, live a life worse than dogs, enduring humiliation without a means to defend themselves."
"Enough, stop talking," the shopkeeper said, trembling, anger apparent on his face.
"Take the sword. Go on," he added.
"This..." Ye Han couldn't believe the shopkeeper's reaction and stood there, stunned.
"You're right, every person has the right to fight for their survival," the shopkeeper said, no longer paying attention to Ye Han as he walked through the back door.
Ye Han watched the old man's retreating figure, nodded slightly, picked up the brocade box on the table, and walked out.
"Well, if it isn't our Seventh Young Master Helian," said a handsome young man with a smiling face as Ye Han looked up.
Ye Han frowned and ignored the call, continuing to walk towards the Helian residence.
Seeing Ye Han walk away without paying him any attention, the handsome young man's anger surged, and his followers quickly stepped forward, surrounding Ye Han.
Blocked, Ye Han turned around, his eyes emitting a cold light as he stared at the young man quietly.
"Master Kay, is there something you want?" Ye Han asked coldly.
Kay, the second young master of the Patrickley family in Kelth City, was pampered by his family from a young age. With decent talent for cultivation, he had always been arrogant.
"Heh, nothing. I was just curious when I saw the Seventh Young Master coming out of the weapon shop."
"What's there to be curious about?"
"Well, it's just that you are a known waste, and everyone knows it. It seems a bit odd for a waste to enter a weapon shop."
"So, what you mean is that I shouldn't have gone in?"
"I can't say you shouldn't have gone in, because you don't have the right to. You understand, haha," Kay said loudly, drawing the attention of nearby civilians who gathered around to watch the commotion.
Ye Han looked up and smiled, "Then, Young Master Kay, tell me, who has the right to enter? Is it someone like you, who has no mother to teach him, and doesn't even know his own origins?"
Although Ye Han spoke softly, everyone heard him clearly. The civilians knew enough about the lives of the nobility to understand Ye Han's insinuation.
"Beat him up! I'll take responsibility for any trouble," Kay said darkly to his followers.
"Young Master, he is from the Helian family," one follower reminded him.
"He's just a waste, and besides, a small family like the Helian family wouldn't dare to fight with our Patrickley family," Kay said with a sneer.
Hearing their master's words, the seven or eight followers surrounding Ye Han rushed at him with ferocious expressions.
Seeing such arrogance and disrespect, Ye Han's eyebrows knitted together. He chuckled coldly, lightly tapped the ground with his left foot, and lunged forward, kicking fiercely at the oncoming follower. The follower had no time to react to the swift movement.
With a "crack," the follower flew back even faster than he had come, the sound of breaking bones reaching everyone's ears.
The surrounding mercenaries and civilians sighed softly. Everyone knew Ye Han's situation; the followers' strength was around the second tier of swordsmanship. But when the follower who had been kicked by Ye Han lay on the ground, clutching the broken bones and wailing, it was clear who had suffered the break.
Those with keen eyes in the crowd could tell that the injury was caused by a powerful kick and gasped in shock.
Silence fell. The noisy crowd quieted down, and the followers surrounding Ye Han looked at him fearfully.
Kay looked on in disbelief, "Impossible, he's a waste, this can't be... there was no aura of battle qi, right, none. It must have been a sneak attack," he muttered to himself.
"Don't be afraid of him; he has no battle qi aura. He succeeded with a sneak attack. Go on, all of you together,
take him down!" Kay shouted at his followers.
Encouraged by their young master, the followers believed it. How could someone who had been a waste without any cultivation a year ago defeat a third-tier swordsman with one kick?
The followers clenched their fists and charged at Ye Han with fierce yells.
Watching the followers come at him again, Ye Han's feet sank slightly, and he stomped on the ground, causing a muffled sound. His body shot out rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of the followers.
Without unnecessary movements, he kicked out again, striking a follower's chest. The body flew like a cannonball, rolling a distance on the ground and crashing into a street stall, not getting up again.
Attacks came from behind. Ye Han slightly adjusted his left foot, bending his body at a 90-degree angle, hands on the ground, and kicked out in an instant with a "thump, thump."
In a moment, Ye Han had defeated three followers. Sweat broke out on Kay's handsome face.
"Move!" Kay shouted. His sword emitted a faint blue glow as he slashed towards Ye Han.
Ye Han slapped the ground with both hands, his waist powered up, and his inverted body moved rapidly to the side, dodging the slashing sword. Kay shouted lowly, stomped on the ground, and his body shot out towards Ye Han, his sword vibrating slightly, producing several blue sword blooms.
The sword turned into a blue shadow, stabbing towards Ye Han's throat with a tricky and vicious attack. Facing Kay's venomous attack, Ye Han retreated quickly. Kay's speed could not match Ye Han's. They were quickly a dozen feet apart.
Ye Han tapped the ground with his right foot, advancing instead of retreating, and approached Kay. Seeing Ye Han charging even faster than before, Kay's heart leapt with joy, "Seeking death." He too tapped the ground with his toes, his battle qi surged, and he shot towards Ye Han like an arrow, the blue sword glow exploding once more.
Watching the approaching sword, Ye Han's heart stirred, and he leaped.
"Direct Strike to the Heart!"
With a shout, his right leg left a trail of afterimages.
"Thump!"
Leg and sword collided, causing a massive crash. The enormous force from the sword made it impossible for Kay to hold on, and the sword flew out of his hand. He felt his hand go numb, and in his moment of shock, Ye Han seized the opportunity. Tapping the ground with his toe, his speed increased once more, and he moved in close to Kay.
"Weren't you acting so arrogant?" Ye Han said in a low voice, his right fist filled with immense power, whistling through the air, and smashed towards Kay's chest.
The fierce energy from the punch made Kay's face change drastically. His battle qi surged, gathering at his chest in an attempt to block Ye Han's punch.
Just as the battle qi gathered, Ye Han's fist smashed into Kay's chest.
"Thump!"
The dull sound of the punch's impact echoed through the silent street. The fierce force made Kay's blood churn, and he spewed out a mouthful of blood. But Ye Han did not intend to let him off easily.
His body leaped up, spinning and rising rapidly. After reaching the height of a person, he descended sharply, his left foot stomping down on Kay's body.
"Crack!" Kay was crushed under Ye Han's foot. His chest bones broke under the impact, causing excruciating pain that twisted Kay's face. But Ye Han kept pressing down, immobilizing him.
"How does it feel, my Young Master Kay, to be trampled underfoot by a waste?" Ye Han said indifferently, looking down at Kay beneath his foot.
"Our Patrickley family will not let you get away with this," Kay threatened.
"Ah," he screamed as Ye Han applied more pressure with his foot.
"To tell you the truth, the moment I decided to act, I never thought you would let me go. So..." Ye Han's eyes filled with intense murderous intent, and Kay's face turned deathly pale.
"What... what are you going to do?"
"Me? Guess," Ye Han said, leaving Kay to his fear.