Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time-Chapter 617: A Plan To Mold Qing Luan
Han Yu's mind sifted through thoughts quickly.
He needed her to distrust her clan deeply.
He needed her to see him as the only person who understood her and protected her.
He needed her to feel gratitude.
He needed her to feel safe when near him and unsafe when away from him.
He needed her to think independently, yet rely on his judgment for key decisions.
He needed her to see him as an unpredictable but reliable force.
He needed her to grow.
He needed her to hate selectively.
And, eventually, he needed her to turn her blade against her own clan.
'That'll take time...' Han Yu suppressed a sigh.
The complicated part was that he actually felt sympathy for the girl. He was not a heartless person, not truly. But sympathy alone would not protect him. Sympathy would not save Xuan Qing or Meng Jueyan. Sympathy would not get him home.
He had to balance his heart with his mind.
Qing Luan trembled slightly when she noticed him watching her. She lowered her head like a frightened deer.
Han Yu shifted slightly, adjusting his expression into something colder but less hostile.
"You fear your clan," he said slowly. "That is normal. They want you dead."
Her shoulders tightened.
"But fear alone will not save you," he continued. "Weakness will only invite more attempts."
Qing Luan swallowed hard. A faint thread of violet fear Qi and greyish red surprise mixed with anger energy rose from her.
"There is a saying," Han Yu said. "Once a clan decides you are a threat, they do not stop. They will hunt you to the ends of the land if needed."
He watched her reaction carefully.
The words sank in. Her pupils trembled.
'Good.' He thought.
Her fear would help shape the mindset he needed.
"But…" Han Yu continued, voice low, "there are always ways to turn the situation around."
Qing Luan lifted her head slowly. Hope flickered faintly in her gaze.
Han Yu leaned forward slightly, allowing the cold presence of Ju Fan to loom over her like a shadow.
"But first, you must know something."
Her breath caught.
"You cannot go back as you are now. If you return weak and frightened, they will kill you before you walk through the gates."
Her lips trembled. But she nodded.
Han Yu held her gaze.
"You need strength. You need allies. You need control. You need to learn to strike first."
He let the words sink in.
He could feel her heart shifting ever so slightly. Trust grew in a thin pale green strand. Determination mixed with anticipation flickered in a faint orange wisp.
'Perfect.' Han Yu leaned back.
"Reach White Peacock Town. Search for clues about your mother. When we learn the truth, then we decide how to deal with your clan."
Qing Luan stared at him, wide eyed. Her voice was small.
"You… you will help me?"
Han Yu answered with the tone a blood sect disciple would use for a child beneath him.
"If you continue to be useful." He stated. "And you can ask me questions now unless I tell you not to." He added.
The relief that washed over her was overwhelming. A flood of Joy energy came rolling from her.
Han Yu felt it settle in his core.
'Yes. This would work.'
He would help her.
And in return, she would help him.
A foothold in the Qing clan. A blade waiting to bloom. A storm waiting to be unleashed.
All he needed to do now was guide her gently toward the hatred she already carried.
The rest would follow.
Qing Luan kept staring at Han Yu after he revealed that she could ask questions unless he said otherwise. That tiny permission, spoken with the cold authority of a Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect disciple, made something brighten in her expression. It was faint, timid, and unsure, yet it was genuine.
She let out a breath she had been holding and whispered, "Really?"
Han Yu gave a small nod. Just enough to count as permission, but not enough to seem soft.
Qing Luan hesitated for a moment, then gathered her courage. Her fingers twisted the fabric of her dress, a nervous habit she probably never had the chance to fix.
She asked, "Why is Honored Disciple helping me?"
Han Yu closed his eyes briefly.
This question was expected. In fact, he had been waiting for it.
She was not stupid, a bit naive, but that was just her age. No one with her talent could be that stupid. If anything, she was too perceptive for her age, which made her more valuable but also riskier to manipulate incorrectly.
He needed an answer that would explain his actions without breaking the Ju Fan persona. Helping out of kindness would destroy the image he had built. Helping out of interest would make her suspicious. Helping for no reason would be unbelievable.
So he chose the path that carried risk but promised enormous reward.
A shared enemy.
Han Yu opened his eyes and let a faint coldness seep into his gaze.
"I have my own hatred for the Qing clan."
The carriage jolted slightly as the horses stepped over a stone, but Qing Luan's reaction was much more dramatic. Her eyes widened, and her breath was caught halfway in her throat.
She stared at him, lips parted, confusion and shock swirling inside her eyes.
Her voice was barely above a whisper. "May I… may I know why?"
Han Yu studied her a moment longer, then decided it was time.
He spoke clearly.
"Because I am Ju Fan of the Ju Clan."
Silence filled the carriage.
Qing Luan blinked at him as if she feared she had misheard. The confusion in her eyes deepened rather than turning into fear. She leaned forward slightly.
"The Ju Clan? But I… I never heard of anyone named Ju Fan. I only know a little about the Ju Clan itself. There was something about them… something that happened but no one told me properly."
