Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time-Chapter 616: How To Take Advantage

Qing Luan lifted her chin slightly. A faint determination flickered in her eyes.

"My mother was from that town. Her family has an old estate there. It has been empty for years, but I believe she might have gone there. Or someone in the town might know something. I thought… if I reached there, I might find clues. Or at least survive long enough to understand what happened."

Han Yu remained silent.

Qing Luan lowered her head.

"That is why I asked you to travel with us. Not because I expect charity, but because it is the only way I can live long enough to find answers."

She raised her eyes to him.

"If honored disciple wishes, once I am safe, I will do anything required to repay this kindness. Even if I might not have my clan's resources I'll still try." She stated. "Forgive me for not stating it clearly before." She added with a flare of fear energy.

Han Yu looked at her for a long, silent moment.

In that moment, he made his decision.

He would travel with them.

Because this story was far too unusual.

A talented girl hunted by her clan.

A mother who vanished in a scandal that made no logical sense.

A father who did nothing but believe lies.

And enemies who used mockery to stir fires from the shadows.

There was more here. Something dangerous. Something hidden.

And Han Yu would uncover it.

"Very well," Han Yu said at last. "You told your story. I will accompany you to White Peacock Town."

Qing Luan sagged in relief, tears of gratitude filling her eyes.

"Thank you… honored disciple."

Han Yu closed his eyes and leaned back, pretending not to notice her trembling shoulders.

But inside, he was already preparing for whatever storm lay ahead.

Han Yu leaned back into the carriage seat, eyes half lidded as Qing Luan finished speaking. Her voice faded into a quiet, trembling hush, and the gentle rocking of the carriage filled the silence.

But his mind was anything but calm.

In fact, sparks of calculation flared behind his eyes.

There was something deeply suspicious about this entire story. Disappearances, clan politics, children being pushed from balconies, poisoning attempts, forced exile. None of it lined up with the usual patterns of a small scale clan dispute.

Han Yu had traveled across the great continent. He had seen and heard of disputes that looked similar, yet the more he thought, the more he felt the entire situation stank of manipulation.

There were too many openings, too many loose threads, too many possible motives that did not align.

'This can work in my favor...' But amid the fog, he saw opportunity.

A very large one.

Qing Luan belonged to the Qing clan.

The same Qing clan that was one of the three enemies of the Ju Clan. The same Qing clan which most likely had a hand in the confiscation and destruction of Ju Fan's inheritance. Han Yu knew enough now to guess that the government offices that stripped Ju Fan had not acted alone.

Clans were always involved. Especially clans like the Qing, Wen, and Zhao.

Han Yu tapped his thumb rhythmically against his thigh.

He had several ideas on how to use this situation, and all of them glittered with potential gains.

The first idea was to send Qing Luan back to the Qing clan after restoring order to her situation, clearing her mother's name, and proving her worth. If she returned with power, influence, and perhaps even evidence proving a plot against her mother, she could uproot the entire balance of power within her clan.

If she owed him for that, she could become his planted blade inside the Qing clan.

The second idea was darker and potentially far more rewarding. He could weaponize her.

Bring her to the Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect.

Let her talent bloom under their cruel cultivation methods. Her talent was undeniable. Early stage Qi refining at her age was terrifying even by the sect's standards. If he brought her to the sect and nurtured her growth with small pushes and whispered encouragements, she would eventually rise to the Nascent Soul realm.

And once she saw the truth of her own clan and how they treated her mother, it would not be difficult to turn her hatred into a dagger pointed at their backs. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

But this plan was long term. It would require patience.

The third idea was the most chaotic. Spread rumors in the region, twist the scandal of her mother into something far larger. Let the Qing clan scramble under a flood of public shame and suspicion. He could strike from the shadows, killing their envoys, taking their wealth, and sowing conflict between the three enemy clans.

But this idea was far too unpredictable. Too many factors were outside his control. Too many variables could ruin a careful plan.

He would not risk something so unstable when he had more reliable paths available.

Han Yu closed his eyes briefly.

He was Han Yu. He did not create chaos just for the sake of destruction. He used it to build his path.

Unlike Ju Fan, who would have chosen cruelty and chaos for entertainment, Han Yu made measured decisions.

He cracked open one eye and studied Qing Luan again.

She sat stiffly across from him, her small hands gripping her dress tightly. The softness of her voice earlier had masked the fact that she had not slept, likely in days. Her eyes were rimmed red. But beneath the fear and exhaustion, her Qi fluctuated with suppressed talent.

'This girl would grow strong. If guided correctly, she would be fearsome.'

Yet she was also fragile. A little spark in the wrong direction and she could break completely. He could not push her too harshly, nor manipulate her recklessly.

If he sparked hatred carelessly, she might direct it at him instead. He had seen many cultivators twist under emotional pressure, lashing out blindly.

If he wished to wield her potential, he needed to foster a controlled flame, not a wild inferno.