As the two of them walked out, the fake smile on Lin Tianyou's face slowly faded away.
He looked toward the stage with eyes full of greed and lust.
On stage, the Black Lotus got back into her act and started preparing for her song.
Su Han walked out of the Blue Phoenix Pavilion and stopped near a quiet, deserted alley.
His cold eyes were fixed on the main gate of the pavilion.
He was waiting for that bootlicker, Zhao Mang, to show up.
Su Han wasn't as worried as before because he now had an idea of what happened to Chu Yao.
He didn't trust Lin Tianyou, but he remembered what the waiter had told him.
The waiter said Lin Tianyou had arrived here about an hour and a half ago.
He was so desperate to see the Black Lotus perform that he probably hadn't done much to Chu Yao yet.
Su Han was sure she was okay for now, but he had locked this grudge deep in his heart.
He wasn't just going to pay him back a hundred times; he was going to make it a million times worse.
His first priority was to find his sister, but then Zhao Mang stepped out of the gate.
He came out with his chest puffed out, full of pride, and spotted Su Han instantly.
He walked toward Su Han slowly, holding his head high and looking down with his eyes.
He looked at Su Han like he was just a tiny ant that he could crush under his feet.
"You still haven't bowed? Hurry up! I don't have time to waste!"
He pointed his finger at his shoes and looked at Su Han with a face full of arrogance.
"Rub your nose on the ground and apologize. Maybe then I'll leave a few of your bones unbroken."
He was sure that as soon as he spoke, Su Han would fall to his feet and beg for mercy.
But Su Han just looked at him with cold eyes, as if he was watching a dead man.
Zhao Mang frowned in anger and took another step closer.
"Did you not hear me, or do you still think you're that same top genius from before?"
Su Han had no intention of listening to his garbage or putting up with his attitude anymore.
Swish!
Su Han moved like a flash and grabbed Zhao Mang's throat with a iron grip.
Zhao Mang was completely stunned; he never imagined this "trash" would dare to lay a hand on him.
He couldn't believe someone could grab the neck of a 7th Level Body Refining fighter like him.
He quickly reached out to break Su Han's grip and twist his arm back.
But suddenly, his breath stopped, and his whole body went stiff from the pressure on his neck.
Su Han's eyes were now blood-red, and he lifted Zhao Mang completely off the ground.
Even though both were at the 7th Level of Body Refining, Su Han had the Supreme Dragon Bloodline.
His raw physical strength was far beyond a normal human's, putting him on par with the 8th Level.
On the other hand, Zhao Mang had only reached this level by using expensive drugs and pills.
His strength was just for show, and any real 7th Level fighter could have beaten him easily.
He only acted tough because he thought Su Han was still a loser with a broken Dantian.
Su Han lifted him even higher, until Zhao Mang's feet were dangling in the air.
Zhao Mang grabbed Su Han's arms and tried his best to break free, but those hands were like solid iron.
It was impossible for him to escape, and waves of pure terror started hitting his heart.
He realized that the cold, deadly look he saw in Su Han's eyes earlier was the real deal.
Sweat started pouring down his forehead as he realized Su Han's cultivation was back.
"You... how? Your cultivation was gone! How can you be this strong?"
He spoke with trembling lips. "You're supposed to be trash... this can't be happening!"
Su Han's cold eyes met his, and a cruel, jagged smile appeared on his face.
"Zhao Mang, I had no grudge against you, but you kept insulting me again and again."
"You even came out here to kill me because you thought I was still weak."
Thud!
Su Han slammed a heavy punch straight into Zhao Mang's stomach.
The hit was so fast and hard that Zhao Mang's breath stopped, and blood sprayed from his mouth.
Su Han twisted his neck slightly, causing the blood to spray in the other direction.
"Big brother... Big Brother Han! Forgive me! I was blind, I made a huge mistake!"
He started begging now, all his toughness completely gone.
"I was just listening to that bastard Lin Tianyou! You know how much I respected you!"
Slap!
A hard slap landed on his cheek, turning it red and swollen instantly.
Su Han looked at him with pure disgust. "Don't think I'm a fool. I know exactly what's in your head."
"I don't care about your excuses. Tell me what I want to know."
Su Han narrowed his eyes, and his grip on Zhao Mang's throat became even tighter.
Zhao Mang's eyes started to bulge out, and he could feel death standing right in front of him.
Zhao Mang tried to say something, but only a strange, rattling sound came out of his throat.
He was struggling to breathe, his face turning a dark shade of purple.
After a few seconds, Su Han loosened his grip just a little bit.
Zhao Mang gasped for air, his chest heaving as he gulped down the oxygen.
"Big brother... Big Brother Han! I'll tell you everything! Please spare my life!"
He looked at Su Han with eyes full of terror, shaking like a leaf in the wind.
"From now on, I'll be your dog! I'll bark whenever you want and wag my tail behind you!"
Slap!
Another hard slap landed on his face, sending two of his teeth flying out of his mouth.
"I'm going to ask you one last time," Su Han said, his voice cold and steady.
"I don't need a smelly dog who wags his tail for one person today and someone else tomorrow."
Looking into Su Han's blood-red eyes, Zhao Mang felt a chill run down his spine.
He realized that the Su Han standing in front of him wasn't the same person from a year ago.
Back then, if someone made a mistake or crossed a line, Su Han would eventually forgive them.
But now that his cultivation was back, he had become much more ruthless and dangerous.
"I know! I know where she is!" Zhao Mang blurted out, fearing for his life.
"The girl, Chu Yao... she's being held in a mansion nearby that belongs to the Lin family."
"It's just on the outskirts of Linkshan Town. I can show you the way!"
Su Han's eyes narrowed as he stared at him. "What's the situation there?"
"Who is guarding her? Are there any strong fighters I should know about? Give me the truth."
A small, dark smile appeared on Su Han's face, making Zhao Mang shiver even more.
"Big Brother, I'll tell you! There are Lin family warriors there," Zhao Mang stammered.
"It's a mansion they use for storing trade goods. Since it's close to the Blue Phoenix Pavilion, Lin Tianyou kept her there."
"There are several Body Refining warriors guarding the place."
"Is there anyone at the Qi Refining level?" Su Han asked sharply.
Zhao Mang shook his head quickly. "No, no. Just two or three warriors at the 9th Level of Body Refining."
"The rest are at the 8th Level. Big Brother Han, my advice is... don't go there alone."
Before he could finish his sentence, another slap landed on his other cheek.
His remaining teeth flew out, and his mouth was now a bloody mess.
Su Han grabbed his neck and slammed him hard against a nearby stone wall.
Crack!
Blood started trickling down from Zhao Mang's head as he hit the ground.
Su Han delivered a heavy kick to his back, making him scream in pure agony.
"Stop talking garbage. Get up and show me the mansion. Now."
Zhao Mang scrambled to his feet, stumbling and shaking as he led the way.
He didn't dare to look back or complain anymore.
Su Han followed closely behind, his fists clenched tight and his eyes glowing with focus.
'Chu Yao, don't worry. Your Young Master is coming for you,' he thought to himself.
'Whoever did this to you... I will make sure they suffer a fate worse than death.'
After about fifteen minutes, they reached a grand mansion on the edge of the town.
From a distance, Su Han could see several guards stationed at the entrance.
There were about eight to ten of them, all wearing the Lin family uniforms.
Su Han frowned as he hid in the shadows, calculating his next move.
If he just rushed in, he might get surrounded, and that would be a death trap.
Zhao Mang had mentioned there were three 9th Level Body Refining warriors inside.
Against one, Su Han could win, but against three plus the guards? It was too risky.
"Brother Han..." Zhao Mang's shaky voice broke his thoughts.
"I've shown you the place... can I leave now? Please?"
Before he could even finish, a punch landed squarely on his nose, making his head spin.
Thud!
A follow-up kick to the stomach sent Zhao Mang flying against a wall.
He heard the sound of his ribs cracking as he slumped to the ground, unconscious.
"You think I'd let you go after everything you've done?" Su Han muttered.
"I'm in a hurry to save Chu Yao, so I don't care if you live or die right now."
"I'll deal with you properly when I get back."
He turned his attention back to the mansion, his mind working fast.
He knew he couldn't just walk through the front gate; he had to jump the wall and sneak in.
This was a rescue mission, and he had to be smart about it.
Just as he was about to move, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in his head.
Ding!
What was this sound? What kind of trouble—or reward—was the System bringing this time?
"Your Power Stones are the fuel for my daily updates. If you liked this chapter, drop a few stones to support the grind!"