Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time-Chapter 737: No Abnormalities

Meng Jueyan paused briefly before continuing.

"There were a few occasions where people passed near the cave. I could hear footsteps and voices outside, and once there was a commotion further down the peak. But I remembered Master's orders and did not investigate."

Han Yu nodded again.

"That was correct."

She inclined her head slightly, then went on.

"The cave formations remained stable. I checked them daily according to the schedule Master left behind. No interference was detected."

Of course, these were just surface level checks as she could not use her spirit sense. But the runes would still appear and show damage if something happened to them. As long as one could read them, they would know it was damaged.

Han Yu's gaze flicked briefly toward the formation nodes embedded in the walls, then back to her.

"And the supplies." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Meng Jueyan hesitated for a moment.

"At around the ninth month after Master departed, when it became clear that you might be delayed, I began rationing the food more strictly," she said honestly. "I reduced portions and limited usage to essentials only."

Han Yu glanced toward the storage corner.

Only one box remained.

He calculated quickly.

If rationed properly, it would have lasted another month.

No more.

A quiet breath escaped him, though he did not let it show on his face.

"Well done," he said evenly. "You handled it competently."

The praise was mild, almost casual, but it hit Meng Jueyan harder than any grand commendation.

Her eye widened, and she froze for half a breath before bowing her head deeply.

"This slave merely did what was necessary," she replied, though her voice carried a faint tremor.

Han Yu noticed it.

He noticed a lot of things now.

Her posture was more stable than before. Her fear, while still present, was no longer overwhelming. There was discipline in her movements, a quiet endurance that had been forged through months of isolation and uncertainty.

He studied her more closely.

She had changed.

She sensed it too.

For a brief moment, Meng Jueyan dared to look up at him directly, and something flickered in her gaze.

Confusion.

Curiosity.

He was different.

His presence felt sharper, clearer, like a blade that had been honed to a finer edge. There was a subtle pressure to him now, not overt, but unmistakable. His eyes felt deeper, more piercing, as if they could see through layers she herself did not understand.

She could not explain it, but it unsettled her.

Han Yu broke the moment by speaking again.

"Have you experienced any discomfort. Pain. Abnormal sensations."

Meng Jueyan shook her head. "No, Master. I took the pills according to your instructions and performed the given exercises daily. Other than weakness from the crippled cultivation, I have felt no new issues. Your experiments have been well."

He nodded, satisfied.

"And Xuan Qing."

Meng Jueyan hesitated, then spoke carefully.

"She has not shown any abnormalities either. Though… it is difficult to tell. She does not express discomfort, nor does she react to most stimuli."

Han Yu turned his gaze briefly to Xuan Qing.

She sat perfectly still, eyes forward, as if the conversation did not involve her at all.

Han Yu already knew the answer, but he checked once more.

"She is stable," he said. "The her state not degraded."

Meng Jueyan nodded slowly.

Han Yu leaned back slightly, folding his arms.

"Continue following the same regimen," he instructed. "I will begin the next stage of 'experiments' soon, but not immediately. Your body needs to remain stable for a bit longer."

"Yes, Master," Meng Jueyan replied without hesitation.

Han Yu glanced at the remaining food supplies once more.

"You did well," he said again, his tone unchanged. "If I had been delayed much longer, things would have become… unpleasant."

Meng Jueyan lowered her head, but relief washed through her.

She had endured.

They both had.

And now, he was back.

Han Yu turned slightly, his gaze sweeping over the cave that had held them in stasis for so long.

"This place will not remain quiet for much longer," he said calmly. "Things are moving again."

Xuan Qing did not react.

Meng Jueyan felt a chill run through her spine.

But beneath it, there was also something else.

Hope.

Han Yu remained inside the cave for a few minutes longer after finishing his checks, mostly to make sure there were no lingering issues he had overlooked as well as check what supplies he needed to get.

Once he was satisfied, he stood up slowly, adjusted his robes, and glanced one last time at the two women who remained seated inside.

Xuan Qing sat exactly as before, unmoving and expressionless, as if time itself had no meaning to her. Meng Jueyan, on the other hand, straightened a little when she sensed him preparing to leave, her posture respectful and alert.

"Remain here," Han Yu said calmly. "Do not leave the cave unless I personally instruct you to do so."

"Yes, Master," Meng Jueyan replied immediately.

Xuan Qing did not speak, but her head dipped by the smallest margin, acknowledging the command.

Han Yu turned and left, the stone doors sealing shut behind him with a low, grinding sound. The formations reactivated instantly, isolating the cave from the outside world once more.

As he stepped out onto the familiar stone path of the Fifth Rib Peak, Han Yu inhaled deeply.

The air was thick with blood Qi, just as it always had been. The metallic tang lingered on the tongue, oppressive yet familiar. For the first time since returning, he truly felt that he was back in the Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect.

His expression hardened naturally as he slipped fully back into the role of Ju Fan.

Cold. Fierce. Detached.

He did not head straight for the Mission Hall. Instead, he walked a short distance along the peak toward two nearby caves, ones belonging to disciples he had interacted with before leaving.

They were not friends, not even allies, but they were practical people. Before his departure, Han Yu had given each of them a few pills, nothing extraordinary, but useful enough that they had agreed to keep an eye on his cave in exchange.