The Grand Hall trembled.
From behind Matriarch Meiling, a shadow emerged. A presence so vast it pressed down like a mountain.
In an instant, elders staggered, their knees slamming onto the fractured stone floor. Servants spat blood, their bodies twisting as if crushed by invisible chains.
Even Matriarch Meiling's body bent under the weight, her knees striking the tiles with a sharp crack.
Only Jiang Mingshi and Mu Yunyao remained standing, though even they felt the crushing weight.
Gasps broke through the suffocating silence.
"He's… Mission Hall Master of the Supreme Heaven Sect…"
"Zhao Wuhen… has come himself!"
"A Mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator…"
"We are going to die!"
Hall Master Zhao's black robes swirled like storm clouds. His gaze was sharp and cold, piercing through flesh and soul alike.
"A third-rate family dares to harm the heir of the Supreme Heaven Sect?" His voice rolled through the hall like thunder. He snorted. "Hmph. Then pay with your death."
He raised his hand. Behind him, a giant phantom avatar formed, towering to the ceiling. When he pointed his finger down, the avatar mirrored the gesture.
The finger descended, blotting out all light, pressing toward Matriarch Meiling's skull.
"HALL MASTER, PLEASE SPARE HER!"
Her sons cried out in despair.
"PLEASE! IT WAS NOT HER FAULT!"
One of them pointed at the elder who had earlier begged for Mingshi's death. "It was Elder Han! He said it himself!"
Faces turned toward the trembling elder. He raised his hands weakly. "Th-that was only words spoken in anger. I never meant—"
Before his plea could finish, a streak of golden light flashed. The Hall Master's finger flicked through the air.
A single cut.
The elder's body split apart, scattering in a mist of blood. Not even a scream escaped before his remains splattered across the ruined hall.
Mingshi's eyes widened, his lips trembling. Cold fear crawled through his chest.
Hall Master Zhao lowered his hand. The phantom avatar dissolved.
He descended onto the shattered tiles, lifted Meiling with his qi, and slid her body forward, stopping at Jiang Mingshi's feet.
Mu Yunyao darted forward, bowing deeply. "S-Senior Brother, why are you here?"
Hall Master Zhao's hands remained clasped behind his back. His voice was calm but edged with steel. "I had matters outside the sect. The Sect Leader ordered me to check on the Young Master."
He turned, his gaze settling on Mingshi. His tone softened, yet carried weight. "Young Master, how should we deal with her?"
The hall fell silent.
Jiang looked down at Meiling's pale face. His eyes narrowed, outwardly calm. Inwardly, his heart pounded against his ribs, shaken by the bloody scene.
He steadied himself. Just as he opened his mouth, a broken sound cut through the air.
"P… please…"
Every head turned.
From the rubble at the far side of the hall, a figure limped out. Bai Yulian, her robes torn and soaked in blood, one arm pressed against her abdomen. Her steps wavered, but her eyes held stubborn light.
"Please… do not kill… my mother…"
Her voice cracked, trembling. Blood streaked her lips. Yet her plea rang through the silence.
Matriarch Meiling's body shook. Tears welled in her eyes. The word "mother" pierced deeper than any sword. For countless years, she had not heard it from her daughter's lips.
Around them, even hardened elders and cowardly family members bowed their heads, moisture glimmering in their eyes.
But Hall Master Zhao's jaw tightened, his gaze turning cold. "Young Master, may I kill them all?"
The fragile moment shattered.
Mingshi's face stiffened. 'Are you emotionally challenged? Learn to read the room.'
He coughed once, then forced his voice steady. "Let us return to the sect."
Hall Master Zhao's eyes glowed with golden qi. "We are not killing anyone?" His voice was sharper, darker than before.
The pressure in the hall thickened once more. Now everyone's lives depended on Mingshi's response.
Mingshi did not answer. He was frozen in fear by the lunatic's question.
But to all eyes, his figure looked unbending. He seemed cold and aloof, as though sparing their lives was beneath his notice.
For a heartbeat, silence reigned.
Then Hall Master Zhao's lips curved. A faint smirk touched his face. "As you command. Let us return, Young Master."
With a sweep of his sleeves, Mingshi turned, his steps echoing like thunder. 'I need to get out as quickly as possible, before this lunatic changes his mind.'
Mu Yunyao hurried to Mingshi's side, her expression shining with pride.
Together, they left the hall.
The silence they left behind was deafening.
At last, one of Meiling's sons exhaled, his face drenched in sweat. "Finally… they are gone."
Elders collapsed onto the ground, breaths ragged, as if they had been holding them for an eternity. Servants crawled to their feet, dragging away the unconscious and the paralyzed.
Meiling pushed herself up, her body trembling. Yulian stood beside her, supporting her mother's arm.
"I am sorry." Meiling's lips trembled. "All of this happened because I was powerless."
Yulian shook her head. "It was inevitable."
Her gaze turned toward the fading footsteps beyond the shattered doors. Her cheeks flushed red.
"And… not everything was bad."
Her words hung in the air, leaving the Bai Clan in silence.
The carriage swayed gently as it drifted across the clouds. Below it, a massive green dragon carried them, its door-sized, jade-like scales gleaming beneath the sun.
Inside sat Jiang Mingshi, Mu Yunyao at his side, and Hall Master Zhao standing opposite, gazing through the window, hands folded calmly behind his back.
Silence filled the carriage.
Jiang sat rigid, his thoughts stirring. 'The Hall Master kills elders like swatting flies. Yunyao smiles at blood like it is spring rain. And me? I am their Villainous Young Master.'
He raised his hand, brushing an imaginary speck of dust from his sleeve. His posture remained composed, but inside he was exhausted.
'Oh my ancestors in the heavens. Please save your poor descendant, before these lunatics kill me.'
He couldn't even sigh or cry properly, forced to maintain his image.
A soft chime broke the silence.
[First Quest Completed]
A translucent screen appeared before his eyes.
[Initiating Reward…]
[Analyzing Performance…]
Jiang blinked. His heart skipped.
[Performance Result: Exceeded Expectation.]
His face lit up.
The system's analysis was basically saying he had done an excellent job as an actor. Something he hadn't heard for a long time.
'Maybe this system is not that bad.'
[Searching for the perfect reward…]
His gamer instincts stirred. For the first time since his transmigration, he felt excitement.