Chapter Two Get Lost, or Die

For Chu Han, he had never loathed anyone as much as he loathed her.

In his previous life, he was taken away by the Realm of Primordial Chaos and never had the chance to utter these words. Later, when he had traversed the universe and returned here, intent on seeking Tang Orange and demanding this answer, she had already vanished into the traces of time.

This had always been a thorn in Chu Han's heart.

He had thought the chance would never come, not in this lifetime or any other, yet here he was, returned to this precise time and place.

So without a moment’s hesitation, Chu Han shouted, “Tang Orange, have you fed your conscience to the dogs?”

“Useless wretch, what nonsense are you spouting?!” Tang Orange’s pretty face darkened, her eyes cold and glinting with frost.

“Nonsense?” Chu Han laughed. “Twelve years ago, your own father and mother abandoned you, left you helpless and alone, nearly sold to a brothel. It was my father and me who snatched you from the hands of the kidnappers, gave you a home, fed and clothed you. After that, my father took you in as his adopted daughter, letting you use all the resources for cultivation, making you the darling of Jingyuan City, envied by all.

“When you were ten, you secretly practiced my father’s ‘Black Iron Palm’ technique and nearly crippled your hands in a single night. My father, risking his life and wielding only a knife, fought his way into the Beast-Ravaged Hundred-Broken Mountains to gather herbs to heal you, saving your hands!

“When you were twelve, you told my father you wanted to cultivate. He waited outside the Eternal Spring Palace for ten days and nights, begging for a spot just so you could enroll!

“At that time,” Chu Han’s fists clenched, a barely restrained killing intent flickering in the depths of his gaze, “you also told my father that when you grew up, you wanted to be my wife. I said you were only like a sister to me… But my father thought I was scorning you, scolded me harshly, saying marrying you would be the blessing of several lifetimes.

“Not wanting to let Father down, I agreed.

“But today, now, in this very moment, you, Tang Orange, have colluded with outsiders to destroy my father! To ruin the Tang Family’s smithy that my father poured his life into!

“Your conscience is gone to the dogs!

“Did I say anything wrong?!”

Chu Han’s voice grew ever colder, echoing through the hall, chilling the air itself.

A sinister laugh came from beside Tang Orange as the middle-aged man at her side looked over, his eyes fixed on Chu Han. “Young man, when you encounter obstacles, you should know when to advance and retreat. Don’t bring calamity upon yourself for the sake of winning an argument. Some people are simply meant to be beyond your reach.”

“Uncle Wu Mo is right. People like you, all talk and no talent—if I’d been wiser back then and realized you had no aptitude for cultivation, how could I ever have thought of marrying you?!” Tang Orange sneered coldly, her anger transforming into disdain and scorn. “I’m here today to sever all ties with the Tang Family. From now on, we’ll go our separate ways. Do not claim any connection to me ever again.”

“My father raised you, sheltered you, and this is how you repay him?” Chu Han’s face was utterly devoid of expression.

“Repay? What a joke. I never asked you to rescue me from the kidnappers. My hands—if he hadn’t carelessly left that violent cultivation technique lying around, how would I have been tempted to practice, or endured the agony of shattered bones? As for cultivation, I only mentioned it in passing, yet he begged for me, making others think I had no talent and needed an old man’s pleadings to be pitied into Eternal Spring Palace. I lost all face because of you.

“It’s thanks to you that I had to work twice as hard as anyone else to become the Holy Maiden of Eternal Spring Palace. Fine, so be it. But from now on, keep your distance. Don’t come near me or tarnish my name.”

Hearing this, Chu Han was so furious he laughed.

How could a person be so shameless?

He had slaughtered his way across the cosmos in his past life, seen countless despicable souls, yet never someone like Tang Orange.

“Fine, I agree. But there is something you must return!”

“What?”

“I want your hands!”

With these words, Chu Han wasted no more time. His foot slammed against the stone floor, and he shot straight at her, intent on crippling Tang Orange’s hands. She had stolen his father’s Black Iron Palm, the very foundation of his father’s lifelong cultivation—he would not let this ungrateful wretch walk away with it.

But just as he moved, Wu Mo, standing behind Tang Orange, strode forward and blocked his path. “Boy, you think to harm Miss Tang in front of me?”

He was the weaponsmith of the Mo Family Armory, his strength at the fifth level of Body Refinement. Every movement of his held the force of a thousand pounds.

“I kill those who stand in my way. You dare block me? Get lost!”

Chu Han’s body had not yet finished integrating with the system, so all his previous cultivation had been absorbed as fuel for the system, leaving him with no strength.

But who was he now?

He was reborn—one who, even in the wrong era, had reached the rank of Heavenly Lord, almost surpassing even that.

So, without any flourish, Chu Han met Wu Mo’s fist head-on. Even before Tang Hao could react to intervene, there was a deafening crack.

Wu Mo, the fifth-level Body Refiner and armory master, was sent flying, smashing through the wooden table behind him and crashing into an iron pillar, vomiting blood.

“How… how is this possible?”

Tang Orange’s shock was beyond words as she saw Chu Han, with one punch, send Wu Mo—fifth-level Body Refiner—flying, his entire arm twisted grotesquely.

Even Tang Hao and the old steward behind him looked on in disbelief.

They knew Chu Han’s condition all too well.

He had been weak and frail since childhood, never even allowed to do heavy work.

And yet, right before their eyes, he had overpowered a fifth-level Body Refiner—almost crippling him with a single punch!

At that moment, everyone was rubbing their eyes, even pinching themselves, fearing this must be a dream.

Glancing at Wu Mo, who struggled but could not stand, Chu Han looked down at him with contempt. “You were right about one thing—some people are destined to be admired from afar. And that person is me.”

Hearing this, Wu Mo could not contain his last breath and fainted from the pain.

“Tang Orange!” Chu Han’s gaze swept over her, undisguised hatred making Tang Orange tremble. She hurriedly shouted, “I am now the Holy Maiden of the Eternal Spring Palace. You have injured my escort, Wu Mo—this is an offense against the Palace! If you dare harm me, both the Tang Family and you are finished!”

In an instant, she seemed to regain her confidence, lifting her chin arrogantly and glaring at Tang Hao. “Shopkeeper Tang, I advise you to control your son and consider how you’ll explain this to the Eternal Spring Palace…”

Her words were a clear threat to Tang Hao.

Especially as he saw Chu Han approaching, Tang Hao’s eyes widened in alarm. “Han’er, come back!”

Neither child was his by blood, yet even if Chu Han could not cultivate, he had never given Tang Hao a moment’s worry.

Chu Han’s overwhelming anger faded as he stopped, and he looked back at Tang Hao with a complicated expression. “Father, why do you still protect this heartless wretch?”

“Useless fool, how dare you insult me? I’ll make you—”

Her shrill curses were cut short before the word “die” could escape her lips.

Smack!

A resounding slap echoed through the hall. Tang Orange’s face swelled as she was sent flying, crashing down upon the groaning Wu Mo, who awoke in pain, coughing blood and broken teeth.

“Get out. If you dare show your face anywhere near the Tang Family smithy again, not even the Palace Master of Eternal Spring can protect you.”

Chu Han turned his back on them, hands clasped behind him.

The two cast venomous glances at his retreating figure but dared not utter a word, dragging each other out of the hall in disgrace. At the doorway, Tang Orange turned, her voice dripping with malice, “Chu Han, I hope you’re just as arrogant when you face the wrath of the Eternal Spring Palace!”

She had barely finished her threat when, seeing Chu Han start to turn, both their faces changed and, without another word, they fled in panic.