Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time-Chapter 710: A Surprise Reward And The Clever Madam
"I will not mention anything about what happened here," Han Yu continued. "Not the Evil Mountain Spirit, not Danqing Xun, and certainly not you."
He met her gaze directly.
"This place has nothing to do with me anymore."
For a brief moment, the two simply looked at one another, the silence stretching between them like a taut wire.
Then Madam Cold Fang spoke, her tone carrying a faint hint of amusement.
"And you will not claim the reward of reporting my existence to your sect?"
Han Yu could not help himself. He let out a short chuckle, shaking his head.
"Even if I did," he replied, "the first thing the sect would do is imprison me for conspiring with an enemy to kill a High Elder."
He glanced back toward the mountains.
"They would not care that he had turned into a Wraith. They would only care that I was involved."
Madam Cold Fang’s eyes glimmered faintly behind her veil.
"So you understand," she said.
Han Yu nodded.
They shared an unspoken understanding in that moment. Each of them held a weakness over the other. Han Yu knew who she was and that she had survived repeated attempts by the Blood Sect to hunt her down. Madam Cold Fang knew his sect affiliation and his involvement in the death of Danqing Xun.
Neither of them would benefit from breaking that balance.
Han Yu felt a faint chill that had nothing to do with the cold air as he realized just how calculated her actions had been.
From revealing Danqing Xun’s identity to choosing what information to withhold, she had guided the conversation precisely where she wanted it to go.
She truly thought far ahead.
This was the difference between a cultivator who had lived for centuries and someone like him, who was still climbing upward step by step. The gap was not merely one of power, but of experience, perspective, and patience.
Han Yu turned slightly, preparing to leave, unwilling to linger any longer than necessary in her presence. Just being near her made him feel as though he was standing on thin ice that could crack at any moment.
But before he could take off, something whistled softly through the air toward him.
His instincts reacted instantly.
Han Yu caught the object without thinking, his fingers closing around a small pouch that landed solidly in his palm. He glanced down at it, then back up at Madam Cold Fang with a puzzled expression.
"What is this?" he asked.
"A reward," she replied calmly.
Han Yu frowned.
"I did not expect one," he said honestly. "Why give me anything at all?"
Madam Cold Fang’s gaze drifted briefly back toward the empty battlefield.
"Even if we may become foes in the future," she said, "you still helped me kill that cockroach. Without your ’cursed’ techniques, he might have escaped again."
She looked back at him.
"I repay debts. Whether they be benevolent or malevolent."
Han Yu hesitated for a moment, then loosened the pouch and checked its contents. Inside, he found a small vial, carefully sealed and etched with faint formation patterns. Within it rested a single pill.
The pill was pure white, almost translucent, with delicate pale blue patterns resembling snowflakes etched across its surface. It radiated a cold, pristine aura that made Han Yu’s fingers tingle even through the vial.
His brows furrowed as he studied it.
"I cannot identify this pill," he admitted. "What is it?"
Madam Cold Fang’s voice was calm when she answered.
"A Frost Bane Guardian Pill."
The name struck him like a thunderbolt.
Han Yu froze, his eyes widening as the information surfaced from the depths of his memory. His breath caught, and for a moment he forgot to maintain his composure.
"You are giving me this?" he demanded, barely restraining himself. "This pill can only be refined by Grandmaster Alchemists. Are you serious?"
The shock in his voice was unmistakable.
The Frost Bane Guardian Pill was legendary even within the Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect. It was regarded as one of the most powerful ice resistance pills within the Spirit realm. Not only could it negate extreme cold and ice based attacks, but it could also absorb excess ice energy and form protective barriers around the user.
It was the absolute bane of ice cultivators, frost beasts, and any existence that relied on cold based arts.
Han Yu had never even seen one before.
He only knew of its existence from fragmented records and secondhand accounts. The resources required to refine it were absurd, and the success rate was notoriously low even for Grandmaster Alchemists.
This single pill was worth more than everything he currently possessed combined.
Madam Cold Fang regarded his reaction with mild amusement.
"Think of it as insurance," she said. "Against me, if nothing else."
Han Yu stared at the vial for another moment, then carefully sealed the pouch again and stored it away. He took a deep breath before bowing slightly.
"Thank you," he said sincerely. "This is no small gift."
Madam Cold Fang said nothing more.
The snow around her thickened suddenly, swirling violently as her figure blurred. In the span of a single breath, she vanished completely, leaving behind only the cold wind and drifting flakes.
Han Yu did not linger.
WHOOSH
He took to the air immediately, flying away from the battlefield and deeper toward the outer regions of the Harrow Mountains. His mind was already turning toward his return to the sect, toward distance, safety, and putting this cursed place behind him.
What he did not notice was the faint mark that appeared on the back of his neck for a brief instant.
It resembled a fang piercing through a snowflake.
The mark faded almost as soon as it appeared, leaving no trace behind.
High above, concealed within the falling snow and clouds, Madam Cold Fang watched his retreating figure until it disappeared into the distance.
Her lips curved faintly beneath her veil.
"An interesting pawn has appeared," she murmured softly. "But will he remain a pawn... or become a stronger piece?"
The wind swallowed her words, carrying them away into the endless white of the mountains.
