The atmosphere inside the Golden Palace was deathly silent.
Date Xingyun, the proud Star King, had been carried away like a broken sack of rice. Blood stained the entrance where he had crashed.
In contrast, Ryuzaki Haruto stood in the center of the hall, his white robes spotless. Not a single wrinkle marred his perfection. He held a cup of tea, looking as if he had just finished viewing a flower arrangement rather than crushing a top-tier prodigy.
It wasn't a duel. It was bullying.
"The Divine Son... is terrifying," a guest whispered, a chill running down his spine.
An old Daoist with a white beard—the Sect Master of the Way of the Void—stroked his whiskers and sighed deeply.
"A great era is dawning. The Ryuzaki Divine Son is the Morning Star. He is destined to be recorded in the annals of history."
Hearing such high praise from a legendary figure shocked the crowd. But it was the Princess of the Great Shang Dynasty who spoke the thought on every woman's mind.
She stared blankly at Haruto, her eyes glazed over.
"One glimpse of the Divine Son ruins a lifetime..." she murmured. "How can any other man catch my eye now?"
The sound of shattering hearts echoed among the male guests. The Princess had just declared that Haruto had effectively ruined her standards for men forever.
The Aftermath
Haruto ignored the stares. To him, defeating Xingyun was like swatting a fly—necessary, but not memorable.
"Thank you for your mercy, Divine Son," Uncle Fu, the Date Clan servant, bowed deeply, sweating profusely. "Our Young Master was... impulsive. He didn't mean any harm."
Uncle Fu was terrified. He had to de-escalate the situation before the Ryuzaki Clan decided to wipe out their delegation.
"Heh," Haruto smiled, a perfect, polite, yet distant smile. "Of course. It was just a friendly exchange of skills."
Friendly exchange?
The guests looked at the bloodstains on the floor. You almost beat him to death!
"Your Highness is magnanimous," Uncle Fu forced a smile, his face twitching. He quickly signaled his subordinates to drag the unconscious Xingyun away.
Once the "trash" was taken out, Haruto turned to the guests.
"I apologize for the disturbance," Haruto said, raising his wine cup. "I will drink to apologize."
He downed the wine in one elegant motion.
"Not at all! Your Highness is too kind!" "It was a magnificent battle!"
Every guest—Kings, Sect Masters, Elders—stood up to return the toast. No one dared to remain seated. Even Ryuzaki Kenji and Ryuzaki Yukino stood up out of respect.
Only one person remained seated.
In the corner, Ryuzaki Raijin (Sequence 5) sat alone. He swirled his drink, his eyes dark and brooding. Deep within his pupils, blue lightning flickered.
He stared at Haruto with a serious expression.
'He is strong,' Raijin admitted to himself. 'Far stronger than the rumors. At age ten... he is already a monster.'
Haruto noticed the solitary figure.
'Ryuzaki Raijin... Sequence Five,' Haruto analyzed. 'Born into a branch family. bullied and neglected. Found a Supreme Technique, the [Tribulation Transcending Heavenly Skill], awakened the Thunder Tribulation Battle Body, and slapped the faces of the main family to rise to power.'
Haruto smirked internally.
'This script... it looks familiar. The classic "Rags-to-Riches Counter-Attack" Protagonist. A bit older than the "Grandpa in the Ring" trope, but still a classic.'
Haruto didn't care. As long as Raijin didn't provoke him, Haruto wouldn't crush him. A strong clan needed strong pillars, even if they were brooding edgelords.
The Loli's Attack
"Brother Haruto!"
A sweet, cloying voice broke his train of thought.
Minamoto Ruri (Jiang Luoli) hopped over, her big eyes sparkling with stars. She stared at him as if he were a piece of limited-edition candy.
"That move just now was so cool!" Ruri gushed. "You were like Bam! and he was like Splat!"
"It was alright," Haruto said, sipping his tea to create a barrier.
He really wasn't interested in little girls. Especially ones that barely reached his chest. His Kidney Divine Treasury was powerful, but he wasn't a criminal.
Lady Shizuka (Jiang Rou) laughed, watching the scene.
"You little rascal," Shizuka teased Ruri. "Are you interested? Why don't you make a decision now? My son is very popular."
Ruri blushed a deep crimson. She twisted her fingers together shyly.
"M... Mother..."
PFFT!
Haruto sprayed his tea.
He coughed violently, wiping his mouth with a silk handkerchief.
"Mother?" Haruto looked at Ruri in disbelief. "You're moving a bit fast, aren't you?"
"Xiaoyao! Be nice," Shizuka scolded him, though she looked proud. "I think Ruri is perfect."
Haruto sighed. He looked down at the petite girl.
"Mother," Haruto said deadpan. "There is a saying in the mortal world."
"What saying?"
"The Heavenly King towers over the Earth Tiger..." Haruto recited poetically. "...and Minamoto Ruri is 1.5 meters tall."
Silence.
Ruri froze.
"What?!"
Her pretty eyes widened. She stood on her tiptoes, trying to look imposing, but she still had to crane her neck to look at Haruto.
She was twelve. He was ten. But he was tall for his age, and she... was essentially a garden gnome.
"Brother Haruto!" Ruri screeched, her face puffing up like a bun. "You... you actually called me short! I am still growing! I will be tall like Sister Sayaka one day!"
"Is that so?" Haruto raised an eyebrow skeptically.
Ruri ground her shiny little tiger teeth. Her humiliation turned into a strange, possessive rage.
'He mocked me! He will remember me!'
"I'll show you!"
Ruri lunged forward. She grabbed Haruto's arm and opened her cherry-like mouth.
CHOMP!
She bit down hard on his forearm, intending to leave a permanent mark. A mark that said, Property of Ruri.
CRUNCH.
A sickening sound of enamel hitting diamond echoed.
"Owww!"
Ruri recoiled, covering her mouth. Tears welled up in her eyes instantly.
"It hurts! It's so hard!"
"Are you a dog?" Haruto looked at his arm. Not even a red mark.
"I have the Ancient Sacred Body," Haruto explained, looking at her like she was an idiot. "My skin is harder than a Royal Artifact. You tried to bite me? Did you want to lose your teeth?"
Ruri sobbed, holding her jaw. She had tried to be a Yandere and failed miserably.
"You naughty brat," Haruto sighed. "You need discipline."
He reached out and grabbed Ruri by the waist. She was light as a feather.
"Hey! Let go! What are you doing?!" Ruri flailed her short legs.
Haruto flipped her over his knee.
SMACK!
A crisp, loud sound rang through the hall.
Haruto spanked the Little Princess of the Minamoto Clan.
Ruri froze. Her brain short-circuited. Her watery eyes widened in total disbelief.
Minamoto Sayaka dropped her chopsticks. Lady Shizuka covered her mouth, her eyes twinkling with amusement. The guests quickly looked away, pretending to admire the ceiling architecture.
'He... he hit me there?' Ruri thought, her face turning steam-engine red.
Somewhere, miles away, the unconscious Date Xingyun probably felt a disturbance in the force. If he saw his goddess being spanked over Haruto's knee, he would likely die of anger on the spot.