Despite the turmoil in his heart, El stood elegantly. That smile remained on display, masking the inner turmoil he felt.
Ironically, this was one of the strong emotions that Rinnegan's possession effect was unable to completely suppress.
However, El accepted the compliment with his head held high, even though inside, he just wanted to disappear from everyone's sight.
Yuri watched the crowd with a faint smile full of pride, stepping a few steps away to give El space, while ensuring the crowd remained orderly.
With graceful movements, Yuri guided some of the people to line up, occasionally calming the nervousness of those who wanted to deliver poems.
Among the fans who were busy creating or even looking for inspiration, some of them were seen hurrying to the nearest bookstore.
They were trying to get the best poems, hoping to touch the heart of the graceful figure before them.
Others, meanwhile, gazed in inspiration, instantly composing beautiful verses in their minds.
However, in the distance, a man stood without distinguishing himself. His black hair was neatly flowing, enveloping a delicate face with a lazy smile.
His eyes glittered pitch black, like a deep ocean reflecting starlight.
There was a mysterious calmness in the man's gaze, as if the world around him didn't really affect him.
His all-black outfit harmonised with his slender body, giving the impression of being free and unbound.
Although the crowd attracted many people's attention, the man remained standing where he was, watching from afar with quiet curiosity, but seemed reluctant to approach.
Yuri, who was busy guiding the crowd, suddenly stopped short. The threads of fate seemed to speak to her, whispering through a dimension that only she understood.
Yuri glanced at the black-haired man with a meaningful gaze. A small smile spread across his face, almost invisible to anyone around him.
In a low voice that was almost drowned out in the crowd, she murmured, "Xiao Yan..." A faint greeting, like the wind gently blowing through the crowd.
After that, Yuri returned her attention to the crowd busy composing poetry, but in her mind, the presence of the man in the distance kept ringing.
An elderly couple suddenly approached Yuri politely, their faces radiating genuine hope. They made an attractive offer, asking Yuri's "big brother" El to work as a theatre dancer at their bar.
Without hesitation, Yuri smiled faintly and accepted the offer without consulting El first, of course.
However, Yuri set a condition: El would only dance twice a week in the afternoons, or the offer would be rejected outright.
After looking at each other quizzically, the old couple finally agreed to the condition, albeit reluctantly.
While Yuri was busy negotiating, El remained focused on hus task, assessing the poems that kept coming in from admirers.
The day began to shift from afternoon to evening. Although the long queue of fans had not diminished, Yuri decided that the day's performance was enough.
Politely, El announced that they had to retire, leaving the admirers to swallow their disappointment without daring to protest.
After all, they are reluctant to act impudently towards the "goddess" they admire. However, there are always exceptions.
Among the slowly dispersing crowd, a man with a revealing upper garment and long amber hair stood out.
His body was slender, yet muscular with pale skin, and his eyes conveyed unbridled lust. With leisurely steps, he approached El, his face filled with arrogance.
From a distance, Xiao Yan, who was still scanning the crowd, recognised that figure. His eyes narrowed as he muttered softly, "Liu Xi... Jie Li Clan, damn it..." Dou Qi began to flow into his body, preparing for the trouble he suspected would happen.
Liu Xi steps closer, his hands reaching out to El's shoulders in a casual manner. "Miss, accompany me to drink tonight. I'll give you the best poem you've ever received."
Then turned to Yuri, a sly smile etched on his face. "And this little lady can come too. This brother will be nice."
Before the man could continue his indecent act, El, who was still smiling under his veil, calmly took Liu Xi's hand.
In an instant, El's smile faded away, replaced by a sharp cold expression. The Demon Slayer Mark activated momentarily, making a distinctive mark appear on his body.
The STR, VIT, and AGI attributes increased drastically, but with the current VIT value, the momentary effects would not be too taxing on his body.
Purplish-coloured Dou Qi began to rush from El's body, enveloping him like a mist that glowed softly yet intensely.
The energy seeped into his muscles, strengthening every fibre of his body until it reached the peak of power.
The violet aura pulsed in time with his breathing, creating subtle vibrations in the surrounding air.
Without warning, with movements so fast that it was hard for the eyes to follow, El grabbed Liu Xi. In one short pull, she slammed the man's body into the ground with tremendous force.
Boom!
A loud bang echoed out, shattering the road beneath them. Dust and debris floated in the air, making passersby jerk back in surprise.
Xiao Yan, who had rushed towards the scene, stopped his steps for a moment, watching El's actions in awe.
Liu Xi was lying on the ground, his body convulsed with extreme pain, while El stood calmly, still hiding her face behind the veil.
His face remained calm, but the air around his conveyed a clear warning: don't mess with his.
With a graceful hand gesture, El waved her hand, stuffing the table, paper, brush, ink, ink bowl, and large wooden board into the Sky Pearl Poison. All the equipment disappeared without a trace, as if swallowed by empty air.
"Xiao Bai, let's go," El said in a soft voice, his tone calm yet firm.
He turned around and began to walk away, leaving Liu Xi who was still whimpering in pain in the middle of the broken road.
Yuri, who followed behind her, smiled a little. "Yes, Big Sis!" she replied cheerfully, while matching his pace with El.
Without turning around, they walked at a fast pace, leaving the crowd still stunned.
Gazes full of awe and fear were left behind them, along with the dust that was slowly settling down.
In the distance, Xiao Yan was still standing, his eyes fixed on the scene. His face implied deep confusion.
Xiao Yan's lips moved softly, muttering to himself, "Master, you said Liu Xi is a 6-star Dou Zhe, while that young lady is only a stage 2 Dou Zhi Qi. You are not wrong, right?"
A calm yet experienced telepathic voice answered from the ring on his finger. Yao Chen, the master who had always accompanied Xiao Yan, responded. "I am not wrong, Xiao Yan. That young lady is indeed only a stage 2 Dou Zhi Qi."
"However, there is definitely something special about her." said Yao Chen, with an increasingly serious tone. "The ability she just demonstrated could not have come from someone at such a low level."
Xiao Yan frowned, his mind filled with question marks. "It is not that simple..." he muttered, repeating Yao Chen's words to himself, while his gaze followed El and Yuri's figures that were getting further away.