After a long week battling demonic beasts, Yu Han finally savored the comfort of a warm bath:
"Ah... It feels so good to be home."
He then looked at the palm of his hand, covered with scars.
"I still don't understand why, but my wounds healed much faster than when I meditated...
Is it the flow of my spiritual energy that allowed me to regenerate so quickly?"
The question swirled in his mind without any concrete answer.
"Oh, whatever! I'm finally home—the least I can do is relax a little."
He sank into the warm bath, keeping his head above the water with a wet towel resting on his forehead.
---
Once he was in his room, Zhao Chen Li was already there, waiting for him.
"Chen Li? What are you doing here?"
Yu Han asked, surprised and confused by the sudden and unexpected presence of his servant in his bedroom.
"Well, I'm here to help you get dressed, Master!"
She said, a wide smile forming on her face.
"Uh..."
They looked at each other, and Chen Li realized that the young man was only covered by a towel wrapped around his waist. His upper body was completely bare.
Chen Li's face turned bright red as she realized this. She immediately turned around, covering her burning cheeks with her hands.
"E-Excuse me!"
"I figured as much..."
Yu Han muttered.
---
Shortly after, the young noble was already dressed in a white robe adorned with light blue patterns. He allowed Chen Li to tighten his robe, but her attempts were clumsy, forcing Yu Han to take over and fix it himself.
"Oh, right! Master, Mistress Xiu Baok wanted to see you in her chambers," Chen Li informed him.
"Why?"
"She said she wanted to discuss something with you."
Yu Han nodded and headed to the door.
"Ow!"
"Oof!"
As soon as he opened it, two children tumbled to the ground. It was Tien Mei and Tien Yuan, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation from behind the door.
"Tien Mei, Yuan, what are you two doing here?"
"Big brother Yu Han! You're back!" Mei cried, tears streaming down her face.
"Yes, I'm back... Don't worry."
He patted Mei's head gently before glancing at Yuan, who stood a bit to the side, trying to hide his emotions.
"Did you miss me?" Yu Han asked.
"N-No..."
"Come on..."
"Fine! Just a little! But only because I didn't want to see Mei cry!" Yuan's face turned red with embarrassment.
Yu Han smiled warmly.
---
In one of the Ha estate courtyards, YuXiang Jun was training diligently.
"Ah!"
"I have to get much stronger!
If I don't, then..."
He halted his exercise, his mind consumed by thoughts.
"Ha Tie Xong... I'll make you pay, I swear," he muttered, gripping his sword tightly.
A familiar voice interrupted his brooding.
"YuXiang Jun!"
Turning around, he saw Yu Han waving at him from a distance.
"So, the one I downgraded to nothing, who trains day and night for nothing..."
His face softened slightly, his expression shifting from rigid determination to calm indifference, even arrogance.
"At least he's fighting—that's something," Jun thought.
"So, is it true? Did you pass all your strength to me so I could survive?" Yu Han asked, his eyes wide.
"What are you talking about?"
"Yang Fang Li told me everything! Honestly, I thought you were just a jerk, but you're a real stand-up guy!"
Yu Han's admiration for Jun was so palpable it embarrassed and confused him.
"What nonsense did she tell him now?"
In the shadows, Yang Fang Li was watching them with a devilish smile.
"Fufu... And this is just the beginning," she mused, fantasizing about a romantic scenario between Yu Han and YuXiang Jun.
"A tender romance between two enemies who become friends, then lovers...
The perfect story."
"Why were you looking for me? Was it really just for that?" Jun asked, annoyed by Yu Han's warmth.
"Oh, right! My sister wants to see both of us," Yu Han said.
"Mistress Xiu Baok?"
Yu Han nodded.
"And why does she want to see us?"
"No idea."
---
In Xiu Baok's chambers, she was seated, reading a book, flanked by two guards standing by her side. There was a knock at the door.
"Come in!"
"Hey, Xiu Baok. You wanted to see me?" Yu Han greeted her casually.
"What an entrance," YuXiang Jun thought.
"Wait, is that the second-rate master, Ha Yu Han, the son of a peasant woman?" the guards thought in disbelief.
"He's the important guest Mistress wanted to see?"
"Hehe, did you have a good rest?" Xiu Baok asked.
"As you can see!"
The chemistry between them was familiar, like two members of the same family, a stark contrast to the usual animosity among half-siblings.
"Sit down. I have something important to discuss," Xiu Baok instructed.
Yu Han sat across from her. A long moment of silence passed before she finally spoke, sipping from a glass of wine.
"Yu Han, I called you here to tell you something important."
Everyone in the room fell silent, waiting to hear the revelation.
"You will participate in the family banquet."
"What?! The banquet?!"
"But Mistress! He has never participated in any banquets!" one of the guards protested.
Xiu Baok raised her hand to silence them.
"Yu Han will participate in the family banquet."
"This bastard must be keeping his cool even after such a shocking announcement—"
Yu Han's expression betrayed him entirely; he was more shocked than anyone else in the room.
"Never mind what I just thought..." YooXiang Jun admitted to himself.
"Are you aware this isn't just any banquet?" Xiu Baok asked.
"Yes... The family banquet is not only a meal but also an event attended by elders, cousins, and allies. It concludes with a tournament where all the children must participate."
"Excellent! You know your big sister has won it nine times in a row, right? Don't even think about losing!"
"But Mistress, this child doesn't even master the Five Principles—"
"He will master them!"
"How?" everyone except Yu Han and Xiu Baok asked.
"Because he has obtained fragments of souls. He will master the Five Principles," Xiu Baok declared.
"What? Ha Yu Han, that spoiled brat, managed to defeat demonic beasts?" Jun thought, scrutinizing Yu Han with newfound seriousness.
A faint smile of approval appeared on Jun's face.
"Maybe I was wrong. He really has changed," Jun admitted to himself.
"It's utterly impossible, Mistress! There's no way an idiot like him could—"
"Silence!"
Xiu Baok's voice cut through the air, her aura radiating power and authority. Everyone except Yu Han and YooXiang Jun fell to their knees.
"Show them your scars, Yu Han. Show them how much you've endured to reach this point," Xiu Baok commanded.
Yu Han stood without a word and removed his tunic.
Everyone stared in stunned silence, including YuXiang Jun, who struggled to maintain his composure.
"Good grief! You let him go through such torture?" Jun exclaimed.
"Jun, I wanted to go. None of this is anyone's fault but mine," Yu Han replied firmly.
"You idiot! You should feel grateful to be alive!"
"And so I am. I'm proud of my actions!"
"Tsk."
Xiu Baok interrupted their argument with a hearty laugh.
"You two are unbelievable. I didn't expect this, but you're like cats and dogs—yet still the best of friends!"
"We're not friends!" both Yu Han and YuXiang Jun retorted simultaneously.
"It's decided!" Xiu Baok announced.
The two young men looked at her, intrigued.
"In five months, the banquet will begin. Until then, Yu Han, you will train to awaken one of the Five Grand Principles!"
A wide grin spread across Yu Han's face.
"Five months? Don't worry—I'll master it in three days flat!"
"Keep dreaming. Even for an expert, it takes a full month to awaken a principle," Xiu Baok and YooXiang Jun replied in unison.
---
Five months later...
On the evening of the family banquet, as Xiu Baok had predicted, all the members, cousins, allies, and friends of the Ha family had gathered.
Laughter, conversations, and clinking glasses filled the air until the host of the event finally made his entrance.
Ha Zhan Feng III, the current head of the Ha family, commanded both fear and respect. Allies and enemies alike viewed him as the embodiment of pure strength, a man who never backed down. His mere presence could overwhelm the weak.
"Head of the family."
"Head of the family."
"Well, Yu Han hasn't shown up yet, as usual!"
"Yeah, he's just a failure, the son of an old peasant woman. Of course, he wouldn't come."
Some of Yu Han's half-siblings mocked him as they always did.
Yu Han's mother, seated among Ha Zhan Feng's other wives, looked as uneasy as ever. Despite the years, she still hadn't grown accustomed to the disdain directed at her son.
There was a moment of silence before Ha Zhan Feng was about to speak to announce the start of the tournament.
But before he could, the doors to the grand hall burst open.
Everyone turned to look, stunned.
Standing at the threshold was Yu Han, accompanied by YuXiang Jun, whose face was flushed with embarrassment.
Yu Han, however, wore a broad grin.
"So, did I keep you waiting?" he announced confidently.