CHAPTER 898: CHAPTER 898: REGRETTED SO MUCH I WANTED TO SLAP MYSELF

"Stop, I’m going to call for help..." Aunt Xiu shouted in panic and fright.

"Keep quiet!" The leader of the ruffians covered Aunt Xiu’s mouth with his hand, cursing viciously.

Aunt Xiu struggled desperately, but being physically weak and lacking any cultivation, she couldn’t break free, and tears streamed down her face in distress.

"Stop!" Just when Aunt Xiu was filled with despair, Han Yan finally revealed himself.

Upon seeing Han Yan suddenly appear, the group of ruffians showed signs of alertness. They dared to act because they assumed no one was around, not expecting a hidden observer like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the imminent danger. Feeling guilty, they were unavoidably anxious.

However, upon seeing clearly who had come, they relaxed slightly.

Han Yan’s figure was somewhat slender compared to the average male, he was not very old, and his face was delicate with a harmless smile often gracing it. Unless he showed a stern expression, it was hard for anyone to feel a sense of awe towards him.

In the Capital Region, a place full of hidden talents, they dared to commit misdeeds in the capital likely because they had some power, and thus didn’t pay Han Yan much attention.

"Who are you?" the leader of the ruffians asked with contempt.

"Just a meddler," Han Yan smiled and replied.

"Meddler, with you? Your skinny arms and legs would probably get blown away by a gust of wind, hehe... hehe." The ruffian looked Han Yan up and down as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world, and if it hadn’t been for fear of drawing attention from the neighbors and ruining their robbery plans, he’d have laughed hysterically.

"Little brother, listen to an advice from an old chap, go home and have some milk, come out to meddle when you’re grown. Obey, okay?" another ruffian teased with a laugh.

Han Yan shook his head; being too delicate was indeed not advantageous, no deterrence at all.

"Brat, there’s no place for your meddling here, be sensible and scram, or else..." the leader of the ruffians threatened.

"Or else what?" Han Yan, uninterested in their nonsense, said coldly as his expression darkened.

"Or else, don’t blame us for being ruthless when you end up with broken arms and legs," the ruffian said viciously, fearing unforeseen consequences, losing interest in wasting time with Han Yan.

"Well then, I’d really like to see what broken limbs feel like." Han Yan sneered and walked towards them.

"Attack, waste him for me." The leader, provoked by Han Yan’s disdainful gaze, ordered fiercely.

As soon as the words were spoken, the henchmen drew their longswords and surrounded Han Yan.

Seeing the flashing sword edges, Han Yan felt an inexplicable excitement. As her reputation rose in the capital, chances to engage in combat became fewer. Though Lady Mu never considered herself violence-prone, the lack of action inevitably made her eager.

These few were quite skilled, with several Seventh-Order Swordsmen, the leader was even a Ninth Rank Swordsman. Their teamwork posed a modest threat, perfect for practice.

Han Yan took a deep breath, preparing to act.

"I, Zhao Yifeng, don’t harm the nameless under my sword. Brat, state your name," one ruffian boasted as he pointed his sword at Han Yan.

"Mu Family, Han Yan," Han Yan replied instinctively.

With that reply, Han Yan instantly regretted, wanting to slap himself.

A dead silence enveloped the surroundings, even the air turned icy cold, as if winter had set in.

"Mu... Mu... are you Han Yan?" The leader of the ruffians trembled, his hand slackened, and his longsword dropped with a clang. Without waiting for Han Yan’s reply, he turned tail and fled. Not even ten yards away, he crashed into a wall, stumbled, then continued running in a daze.

The other ruffians turned pale, dropping their swords and fleeing.

In a blink, those who had arrogantly disregarded Han Yan were nowhere to be seen.

Han Yan wore a distressed expression, clapping his forehead: finally finding a chance to act, and it vanished again!

The capital’s top playboy, truly intimidating.

"Aunt Xiu, are you alright?" Han Yan stepped forward, supporting the still-shaken Aunt Xiu, and asked with concern.

"Yes... yes, I’m fine." Aunt Xiu took a deep breath, calming considerably.

"Young Master, why are you here?" Aunt Xiu asked curiously.

"If I wasn’t here, you’d have been in trouble," Han Yan smiled, "I was at the Nanyan Commerce earlier, saw you bought a Blood Cleansing Pill, worried it might attract unscrupulous attention, so I followed along, turns out my guess was spot on."

"Sorry to have troubled you." Aunt Xiu said apologetically.

"By the way, who did you buy the elixir for?" Han Yan asked, glancing into the courtyard, he hadn’t intended to probe further, but since he was there, he casually inquired.

"Let’s leave first, I’ll tell you later," Aunt Xiu said anxiously, scanning the sky.

"If it’s inconvenient, don’t say it," Han Yan speculated some unspeakable secret, understandingly said.

"No, you misunderstood, I didn’t want to hide it, just don’t want him to know," Aunt Xiu worried Han Yan was angry, hurriedly explained.

Hearing this, Han Yan’s curiosity piqued, following her out of the alley.

"Actually, besides Yunyun, I have another son," Aunt Xiu impatiently confided as soon as they emerged from the alley.

"Oh, then the Blood Cleansing Pill is for him, why haven’t I heard about another son before?" Han Yan asked puzzled.

"It’s a long story," Aunt Xiu began. "My husband’s family was originally a renowned household, decades ago they fell into decline, pursued by enemies, they fled to the Capital.

My husband was injured during the pursuit in his youth, had a weak constitution, after I gave birth to Yunyun, he soon relapsed, incurring huge debts for treatment, yet ultimately the illness remained unhealed.

After my husband’s death, to repay debts, I sold myself as a slave to the Mu Residence. You know, social hierarchy is strict in the Holy Court Continent, once I became a slave, my son would never have prospects.

Being a descendant of a prestigious family, burdened with deadly vengeance, fearing impeding his future, I severed ties with my husband’s family upon entering the Mu Residence, choosing to bear the burden of abandoning my family rather than letting him know about my servitude.

Fortunately, the Young Master and Madam were aware of my situation, assisting me throughout the years. Occasionally, I secretly returned to leave some money for him. He was ambitious, sought mentors for martial arts, now reached the Seventh-Order Swordsman.

Soon the Long Yan Academy selection approaches, his cultivation remains slightly lacking, hence I used my savings for this Blood Cleansing Pill, hoping it would elevate his power and enable him to fulfill his father’s final wish if chosen by Long Yan Academy," Aunt Xiu spoke wistfully, face filled with pride and happiness as she mentioned her son.