disrespect the supreme lord

After Xin Tan's surprise at the mention that Hao Lin had been subdued by a strange man, she spoke up, perplexed:

"Excuse me…? May I have your names?"

Fan glanced briefly at Xin Tan, then ignored her and looked down at Saha, focusing on the little girl's face. Caught off guard, Saha blushed deeply. Fan's voice softened:

"You truly have something special about you… little one."

He then stood, and Saha's gaze lingered on Fan's mask, curiosity painted across her face. Xin Tan watched him, puzzled by his words. Then Fan directed his attention to Xin Tan:

"So, where are you headed now?"

Xin Tan hesitated, then answered, "Actually, we are far from Lotus Love City. It would be dangerous to travel at this hour, but we must. Night is falling, and that will make everything more difficult."

Fan turned to Hao Lin and stated bluntly, "Hao, we'll change course. We are going to Lotus Love City."

Hao Lin froze in surprise but dared not refuse. He bowed his head and replied, "Very well. There's no issue changing direction, but sir… we shouldn't help Tower Love any further. Otherwise, we risk breaking our neutrality—or worse, people might think we're siding with the Black Alliance that includes the Four Evils."

At this, Fan kicked him hard in the face, sending him crashing into a tree.

"Who allowed you to speak up, you fool? You're a shameless lackey."

Xin Tan gasped, stunned. (Who is this masked man…?)

On the Road

Fan strode ahead, Xin Tan behind him, and Hao Lin following with Saha in his arms—evidence of their growing bond, Saha clearly comfortable with him now.

Saha looked up at Hao Lin, her eyes bright.

"Uncle, you're amazing—sending away that scary man like that. But I'm sure you're not stronger than my mother. She's the strongest person in the world."

Hao Lin laughed and ruffled her hair gently:

"That's good to hear. But you should also become strong, Saha—strong enough to protect Xin Tan and your mother."

Saha beamed:

"Of course! I'll become the strongest person in the world—stronger than Mom and even Uncle Jang Fan!"

Hao Lin blinked, thinking:

(Sword Demon? That implies the Mother of Lust and Demon Sword share good relations if she calls him "uncle.")

Xin Tan, listening to their chatter with a soft smile, then looked forward at Fan and spoke:

"Thank you again for accompanying us all the way to Lotus Love City. I will make sure the Tower's Lady rewards you generously."

Fan remained silent, walking on ahead, frowning slightly as Xin Tan finished speaking. She thought:

(They must be Supreme Court men. Fan's mention of neutrality—implies they're judges. But the masked man—who controlled Hao Lin so completely, even drove away Zao Nan, one of the strongest of the Red Tiger sect—that must be some sort of enforcer.)

At the Gate of Lotus Love City

They soon reached the city gate of Lotus Love City. The entrance was modern and elegant, made of red wood. Guards in white and purple Tower Love uniforms stood watch, with banners waving gently above. They could hear the lively clamor of horses and merchants entering and exiting.

Fan paused, surveying the city with interest. This was the first time he'd seen a real city beyond the walls of the court. They approached the gate; Fan scrutinized the crowds—children running, elderly resting, nobles and peasants mixed together in daily life.

From afar, a woman emerged—dressed in fine white and purple garments, adorned with majestic jewels. She was surrounded by fierce guards in all-black, brandishing long purple swords. Clearly, she was the Lady of this branch of Tower Love.

Without warning, she slapped Xin Tan violently, toppling her to the ground, and shouted:

"You foolish whore—how dare you endanger the precious Lady? You deserve to die a thousand times over!"

Saha jumped forward, shielding Xin Tan. She glared at the Lady and retorted:

"Xin Tan did nothing wrong. Rather, she protected me from wicked men. I left Lotus Love City on my own, not Xin Tan leading me astray."

The Lady of the branch narrowed her eyes, thinking (Wicked men?), and snapped again—though this time, with more restraint:

"You servant of the Lady, your mistake is in letting your mistress wander without a guard. Arrest this fool and take her to Abyss Prison below!"

She gestured, and the guards began to seize Xin Tan.

At that moment, Hao Lin raised his voice:

"There's something deeply unfair going on here."

One of the Lady's guards sneered:

"What do we do with this provincial fool, sir? Shall we execute them?"

He also looked toward Fan:

"A rough country bumpkin—should we kill them too, Lady?"

Silence fell—so heavy that it felt like a stone descended on every soul present, sucking the air from their lungs.

Then a deep green aura pulsed around Hao Lin as he drew his blade from its emerald sheath—until now, hidden under his cloak. With each inch pulled from its hilt, a fierce green energy poured out.

Saha fainted, and many guards were overcome by the oppressive force.

Hao Lin spoke in a low, terrifying voice, his eyes radiating dark green energy:

"Line 16 of Page 3: To disrespect the Chief Judge is to disrespect the Court—and to disrespect the Court is to demand immediate execution."

To Be Continued…