Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time-Chapter 768: Protection

Finally, Han Yu spoke.

"What this disciple wants," Han Yu said, "is a simple thing. Something many within the sect desire, but few ever truly obtain."

The Peak Head raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?" he said. "And what would that be?"

Han Yu met his gaze fully now.

"Protection."

The word echoed softly through the frozen warehouse.

The Peak Head stared at him for several heartbeats, then let out a low chuckle.

"Protection," he repeated. "You aim high for an outer disciple."

Han Yu did not flinch. "This disciple does not believe the Peak Head would consider such a request unreasonable, given the circumstances."

The Peak Head studied him carefully. His small eyes seemed to peer straight through Han Yu's flesh and into his soul.

"You are not asking to become my disciple," the Peak Head said slowly. "Nor are you asking for resources, techniques, or cultivation guidance."

Han Yu nodded. "This disciple knows his place."

"And yet," the Peak Head continued, "you dare to bring me the key to my future and ask only for protection."

A pause.

"From whom?" the Peak Head asked.

Han Yu did not hesitate.

"From those who would silence this disciple for knowing too much," he said. "From those who would take without repaying. From those who believe an outer disciple should remain nothing more than a disposable piece."

The Peak Head's gaze turned cold.

"You speak of internal matters," he said. "Dangerous ones."

Han Yu bowed slightly. "This disciple has already walked a dangerous path. He merely seeks assurance that it will not end abruptly."

The Peak Head laughed again, this time softly.

"You are either very clever," he said, "or very foolish."

"Perhaps both," Han Yu replied honestly.

The old man's laughter faded. His expression grew serious.

"You have given me something invaluable," the Peak Head said. "Something that cannot be measured in merit points, blood crystals, or favors."

He took a step back, frost receding slightly.

"In return," he continued, "I will grant you what you seek."

Han Yu's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained calm.

"From this day onward," the Peak Head said, "as long as you remain within the bounds of reason, no one from the Kidney Peaks or of other peaks will move against you. Any who try will answer to me."

Han Yu bowed deeply. "This disciple thanks the Peak Head."

"But," the old man added, his voice sharpening, "do not misunderstand this as unconditional protection. There will be conditions."

Han Yu stiffened slightly.

"You are under my gaze now," the Peak Head said. "If you become a liability, if you overreach, or if you betray the interests you have aligned yourself with… I will be the one to deal with you."

Han Yu did not hesitate.

"This disciple understands."

The Peak Head nodded.

"Good," he said. "Then our conversation is only beginning."

The frost around them shifted once more.

"And now," the Peak Head continued, eyes gleaming faintly, "tell me, Ju Fan… what else are you planning?"

Han Yu did not rush to answer.

He let the silence stretch for a breath longer than was strictly comfortable, not as a challenge, but as proof that he was weighing his words rather than reacting out of fear or greed. When he finally spoke, his tone was calm, stripped of any grandiosity.

"This disciple is not planning anything glorious," Han Yu said. "Nor does he harbor ambitions of shaking the foundations of the Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect."

The Peak Head listened, arms folded behind his back, his expression unreadable.

"I know this sect," Han Yu continued. "Peace is a fantasy here. It has never existed and never will. Blood breeds conflict, and conflict breeds blood. That cycle is the core of this place."

A faint glint appeared in the old man's eyes.

"But," Han Yu said, "stability within chaos is still possible. Limited, fragile, but possible. That is all this disciple seeks."

The Peak Head said nothing, so Han Yu pressed on.

"As long as there are people actively working against me, stability will remain out of reach. I have already experienced this once, clearly enough to understand the lesson."

He paused, then added evenly, "Zhao Liumen."

At the name, the temperature in the warehouse did not change, but something subtle did. The Peak Head's attention sharpened.

"He is an Inner Court disciple with deep connections," Han Yu said. "Using those connections, he destroyed my pill business without ever touching me directly. He sent me away from the sect for over a year under the guise of a mission, and during that time he consolidated the market, seized the suppliers, and made sure there would be no path for me to return."

His voice remained steady, but the implication was sharp.

"When I came back," Han Yu continued, "the Blood Flood Pill market no longer existed for me. Even if I had tried to reclaim it, the cost would have been exposure. I could not risk that."

The Peak Head tilted his head slightly. "And so you turned to puppets."

"Yes," Han Yu replied, nodding. "Puppet Artisan work is clean. Skill-based. Difficult to monopolize or sabotage directly. It allowed me to survive without stepping into Zhao Liumen's shadow again."

"But that is not all," Han Yu said, before the Peak Head could speak.

The old man's brow lifted a fraction.

"Zhao Liumen is not merely an Inner Court disciple," Han Yu said. "He is the young master of the Zhao Clan."

Now the Peak Head's eyes narrowed.

"One of the old enemies of the Ju Clan," Han Yu continued quietly. "While my ties to the Ju Clan have ended, and the clan itself no longer exists, blood grudges do not disappear simply because a banner falls."

He met the Peak Head's gaze directly.

"Zhao Liumen does not want me dead," Han Yu said. "Not yet. He wants me stagnant. Powerless. Trapped at the outer court, forever one step away from advancement."

The Peak Head let out a soft breath through his nose. "You believe he intends to block your promotion to the Inner Court."