Huang Yi looked at the three men blocking her way. She backed away, knowing she had no weapon to defend herself.
If she had one, her mastery could easily overpower them, but in a battle of physical strength, she had no chance because she was just a normal human, not a cultivator.
"You should stay away, or you can't imagine the consequences," she warned, slowly walking backward.
"Oh, consequences? We'd love to see what you mean by that," one of them sneered.
Huang Yi wanted to cry. First, that masked fool refused to accept she was the princess, and now these thugs were cornering her.
She kept moving back until she bumped into a wall, realizing she had nowhere else to go. In such a situation, she could only hope for someone to come and save her. But she wouldn't go down without a fight.
As the men closed in, Huang Yi used all her strength to deliver a swift blow to a vital spot on one of the skinny men, knocking him down.
But before she could run away, her vision went blank as someone struck her, rendering her unconscious.
Hun Yu arrived just in time, having sensed trouble. Seeing the three thugs, he quickly assessed the situation.
One was already knocked out by Huang Yi, leaving two more. He had come back because he had a feeling the princess would cause or encounter trouble.
"Hey, get out of here and leave the girl,"
"Yeah, if you don't want to die, leave quickly. Can't you see the boss is at Tempering Body stage 1?" the second thug threatened.
Hun Yu, unfazed, thought killing these men might not be a bad idea.
He moved swiftly, piercing the chest of the so-called boss, killing him instantly. The other one met the same fate, and Hun Yu didn't forget to kill the one who was unconscious.
He looked at the princess, who was knocked out by him. He couldn't leave her there, so he carried her on his shoulder, intending to take her to a safer place.
A unique scent entered Hun Yu's nose, but he ignored it and entered his room through the window. He gently placed the girl on his bed and looked at her closely.
Though he had seen her from a distance, she was indeed very pretty. Despite being only 19, her features were mature.
Why was she so interested in him after seeing him just once?
"What do you think, system?" he asked internally.
{This is because of the effect of the title. Since she is not a cultivator, she was affected by it at the maximum level.}
Sounds reasonable. Since she wasn't a cultivator, the title's effect would work on her fully. Hmm, maybe he could get some intel about the imperial family from her.
But why wasn't she a cultivator if she was from the imperial family? Did she lack talent or something?
Setting these thoughts aside, he fetched a glass of water and poured some on her face in an attempt to wake her.
As he did, her eyes suddenly opened. She panicked upon seeing the unfamiliar roof, quickly standing up only to meet Hun Yu's gaze. Recognizing him instantly, she asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I was the one who saved you," he replied.
Huang Yi fell silent as she remembered being cornered by those three men. "Are you really the one who saved me?"
He nodded.
Taking a deep breath, she glanced around the room. "Thank you," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
"But why did you help me? Didn't you say I was a fraud, trying to impersonate the princess?"
Hun Yu's expression remained unreadable. "I help those in need, regardless of who they are. You were in danger."
Huang Yi's eyes softened, though suspicion lingered. "I see. But what do you want in return? No one helps for free."
"I want nothing," Hun Yu replied calmly. "Your safety was my only concern."
Obviously, he couldn't let her be harmed because he would be in a lot of trouble if this princess got hurt.
She studied his face, trying to discern any hidden motives but found none. "If what you say is true, then I owe you my life. How can I repay you?"
"You don't owe me anything," he said with a faint smile. "Just stay safe and avoid getting into trouble."
Huang Yi nodded slowly, still wary but grateful. "Thank you, Masked Guy. I will remember this."
For some reason, this masked man gave her very different vibes.
"Since you are awake now, you should leave," he said to her.
Huang Yi was stunned. This was the first time someone had told her to get out. "Alright, don't think too much of yourself.
My room is much better," she said as she stood up and walked towards the door. But before she could reach it, Hun Yu suddenly stopped her.
"What?"
"Leave through the window," he said, pointing towards it. "I don't want to be in any trouble. Just don't come to find me next time."
Huang Yi stared at him, disbelief and annoyance flashing across her face. "Are you serious? Why the window?"
"I have my reasons," Hun Yu replied, his tone brooking no argument.
Frustrated but with no other choice, Huang Yi climbed out of the window. She landed gracefully on the ground below, her mind racing with thoughts.
"I will remember this," she muttered under her breath. "You won't get away with treating me like this."
As Huang Yi left, Hun Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief. He collapsed onto the bed.
"System, why can't I increase my cultivation using Energy Points?"
{Host needs to stabilize his cultivation and get used to the power of the Malefic Heart Physique.}
"Oh," he thought. He stood up, closed the window, and got ready for bed. Although it was currently daytime, he was exhausted. He soon fell asleep.
Just as the sun was about to set, Hun Yu finally woke up. He got dressed and walked out of the inn, yawning as he made his way outside the city. Within minutes, he arrived at a safe distance from the city.
"Perfect location," he thought.
He loaded his punch with full power, eager to test his strength. He released his punch, and it landed on a nearby tree.
The entire trunk of the tree was blown apart, and it fell to the ground with a resounding crash.
Hun Yu looked at the tree, now reduced to splinters and fragments scattered across the ground.
His eyes widened with a mix of astonishment and satisfaction. "I didn't expect it to be this strong," he muttered to himself. "The Malefic Heart Physique is truly formidable."
After practicing for about an hour, he finally managed to control the power. He sat on the ground and started running his cultivation technique. After some time, he opened his eyes.
"System, do you think my foundation is stable?"
{Yes.}
"Good." He looked up and saw that it was already night. The stars twinkled above, casting a serene light over the forest. He stood up, dusting himself off, and turned back to head to the city.
Hun Yu entered the city with ease, blending into the bustling crowd.
{Host, the person you asked me to mark is in this city.}
Hearing this, he remembered the person he had once asked the system to mark, the one who wanted to catch a glimpse of his Sect Master.
"Good timing," he thought, as a mental map appeared, pinpointing the location.
Within minutes, he reached the spot and hid nearby, observing the group. "Must be in this group," he mused.
The city lights illuminated the streets, and while it wasn't as crowded as during the day, there were still enough people around, along with city guards.
He waited patiently for the right moment. Finally, he saw the group heading into a dark alley.
"Hey, take out the item. This one must be very strong," one of them said, pulling out a pouch of green powder.
Hun Yu recognized the intoxicating substance.
He quietly drew the sword and moved with silent precision. The group noticed him too late. In a swift, deadly motion, he cut them down before they could react.
The last one standing was the man who had wanted to look at his Sect Master.
"Who are you?! Why are you killing us?! Someone help, there's a killer!!" the man shouted, panic in his voice.
Hun Yu watched him try to flee and then threw his sword with deadly accuracy, piercing the man's back and dropping him instantly.
As he retrieved his weapon, he felt nothing—no remorse, no hesitation.
"System, do you know why I feel nothing?"
{The Malefic Heart Physique doesn't let you feel negative emotions when you kill someone.}
Hun Yu nodded, accepting the explanation.
"Use Cultivation Harvest"
He raised his hand and activated the Cultivation Harvest technique. Energy flowed from the bodies of the fallen men into him, filling him with a surge of power.
"System, how much more do I need to absorb to reach the next level?"
{You need to absorb 1500 more units of energy to advance to the next level.}
{Cultivation Level: Tempering Body 9 (1000/2500) - (+)}