Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time-Chapter 680: Disturbance In The Night

Snow Reed, in particular, seemed to look at Han Yu slightly differently now.

She was still gentle, still warm, still playful in her words, but there was also a new layer of respect in her gaze, as if she finally realized that the man sitting beside her was not merely a wandering cultivator, but someone who walked on a path far more dangerous than most.

"You are not an ordinary messenger," she said softly at one point, as she handed him another cup of tea.

Han Yu smiled faintly.

"No," he replied, meeting her eyes, "I suppose I am not."

She did not ask further, and he did not explain, and in that quiet understanding there was a kind of peace.

The hunters continued to drink, laugh, and boast about their hunt, occasionally pulling Han Yu into their stories, telling others how he had burned down wolves like fireworks and crushed beasts that would have taken ten men to handle.

Every such story brought more waves of surprise, admiration, and excitement, and Han Yu felt the Eight Emotions Energy gather steadily, like a quiet harvest that required no blood.

By the time the night grew deep and the performances began to slow, Han Yu felt satisfied, not only from food and drink, but from the strange comfort of human company after so long among beasts, cliffs, and death.

He leaned back slightly, listening to Snow Reed’s flute, to the laughter of the hunters, and to the murmurs of the hall, while in his mind he replayed his meeting with Madam Cold Fang again and again, knowing that this encounter would not be meaningless.

Two dangerous people had recognized each other.

Neither had acted.

And in that silence, a new line had been drawn, unseen by the world, but heavy with consequence.

The night had grown quiet again after Han Yu and the hunters left the Frost Lily Pavilion.

Laughter still echoed faintly in the streets behind them, mixed with the drifting smell of alcohol and roasted meat, but the farther they walked, the more the town returned to its usual stillness. Lantern light flickered weakly along the roads, casting long shadows that stretched and twisted across the stone.

When they reached the counter to pay, Changli slapped the table cheerfully and called for the bill, already counting out coins in his hand.

The attendant blinked, checked the ledger, then bowed.

"It has already been settled," she said politely. "Madam has waived the cost for your group."

For a moment, the hunters just stared.

Then the noise exploded.

Changli let out a loud laugh and slapped Han Yu on the back so hard it nearly made him stumble.

"Brother Chen," he shouted, eyes shining, "you really are something. Even Madam Cold Fang has taken a liking to you."

The others joined in, laughing, teasing, and praising him endlessly, fully convinced that whatever had happened in the inner chambers had earned him extraordinary favor.

Han Yu only laughed with them, shaking his head lightly as if embarrassed, though inwardly he knew that the truth behind the courtesy was far colder and far more dangerous than their cheerful guesses.

Snow Reed followed them to the entrance, standing beneath the lantern light with her hands folded before her.

She looked at Han Yu for a long moment before speaking softly.

"Travel safely," she said. "I hope you return someday."

Han Yu nodded.

"If fate allows," he replied.

She smiled faintly, then turned back inside, her silhouette slowly swallowed by the warm glow of the pavilion.

Han Yu left with the hunters, who soon split off toward their own homes, still laughing and talking loudly about the night.

He found a simple inn not far from the main street, paid for a room, and went inside.

The room was small but clean, with a single window, a wooden table, and a thin mattress. Though at least they provided a thick blanket for the cold.

Han Yu sat down, closed his eyes, and began to meditate, though his mind did not sink fully into rest.

The presence of Madam Cold Fang in the same town made true sleep feel foolish.

He kept part of his awareness spread outward, like thin threads of silk stretching into the darkness.

Hours passed quietly.

Then he felt it.

A faint wave of energy moved across the night, subtle but sharp to his senses, like a ripple through still water.

His eyes opened instantly.

Without hesitation, he moved to the window, pushed it open silently, and slipped out.

He climbed the outer wall, reached the roof, and stood still for a moment, letting his senses trace the fading trail.

The energy was moving fast, heading out of town.

Han Yu summoned his halberd, stepped onto it, and rose into the night sky, keeping low and hidden among the darkness and clouds.

WHOOSH

The town lights shrank behind him as he followed the trail for nearly half an hour, flying over frozen fields, bare trees, and dark stretches of forest.

Then, suddenly, the energy vanished.

"Hmm? Already gone?"

Han Yu slowed, hovering silently above the treetops.

The trail was gone, but something else reached him.

’There’s something else...’

A scent.

Not of blood, not of beasts, but of fear.

It was thick and heavy, lingering in the cold air like smoke that refused to disperse. He could only sense it due to his rising affinity with the Eight Emotions Energy. Even if it was not directed towards him, he could sense it.

Of course, this was only possible when it was strong enough... and the fear he was feeling was quite dense.

Han Yu followed it, descending carefully until he reached a secluded part of the forest where moonlight barely reached the ground.

He landed silently in a tree and looked down.

"Corpses?"

There were bodies.

Five of them.

They lay scattered across the snow, limbs lying limp, eyes wide and frozen in expressions of terror.

Han Yu narrowed his eyes.

He dropped down, approached cautiously, and turned the first body over.

It was the burly Hall Master of the Black Horse Escort Group.