The four servants strutted into the room, their gongs and drums making an ungodly racket that could wake the dead. The leader, a tall, wiry man with a face that looked like he chewed on lemons for a living, grinned with all the malice of a cat cornering a mouse.
"Well, well, if it isn’t our favorite charity case, Lin Xuan!" Lemon Face sneered. "Word is, you’ve been playing dead for days. Guess Brother Hao’s little *tap* taught you a lesson, huh?"
Lin Xuan leaned back against the wall, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. This was the famous Lin family hospitality? He didn’t know whether to laugh or start charging them admission fees for this comedy routine.
"So," Lemon Face continued, "Brother Hao sent us to remind you. Protection fees don’t pay themselves, and wasting his time? Not smart. You’ve got two options: hand it over, or we—"
"Bang a gong and sing me a lullaby?" Lin Xuan interrupted, his tone light and mocking. "Honestly, I’ve seen scarier pigeons."
The other three lackeys looked at each other, confused. Was this the same Lin Xuan they had humiliated before? Where was the trembling? The begging? Lemon Face, however, was less amused.
"Big talk for a cripple," he snapped, stepping closer. "You forget your place?"
Lin Xuan’s lips curled into a smirk. "My place? Oh, I know my place. It’s just miles above yours."
Before Lemon Face could respond, Lin Xuan made a show of stretching. "You know, I was planning to let bygones be bygones, but since you’re so eager to play…" He paused, his eyes glinting dangerously. "Let me show you what a *real* lesson looks like."
The air around Lin Xuan seemed to shift. A faint, otherworldly aura began to emanate from him. His newly acquired Sacred Heart of Wenqu worked overtime, processing combat strategies at lightning speed. His swordsmanship instincts surged to the surface, sharp and precise as a blade.
Lemon Face hesitated. "What are you—?"
"Bang!"
With a flick of his finger, Lin Xuan released a gust of energy that sent the gong flying straight into the lackey holding it. The man yelped as he tumbled backward, crashing into the others like bowling pins. The drum followed shortly after, slamming into another servant’s head with a resounding *thud*.
Lemon Face managed to avoid the chaos and stared at Lin Xuan, now very aware something was different. "W-What the hell? You were a cripple!"
Lin Xuan chuckled, taking a step forward. The pressure of his aura made Lemon Face stumble back involuntarily. "Oh, that was the old Lin Xuan. This Lin Xuan? Let’s just say I’ve upgraded."
"You think you’re tough now?" Lemon Face growled, desperation creeping into his voice. "Brother Hao won’t let you get away with this!"
Lin Xuan’s smirk widened. "Brother Hao? Sounds like someone who enjoys *showing off.* Guess I’ll have to teach him a lesson about staying humble."
He leaned in close enough for Lemon Face to feel the heat of his words. "Now, do yourself a favor. Take your circus and get out of my sight before I decide to really flex."
Lemon Face, thoroughly spooked, scrambled to his feet and dragged his groaning comrades out of the room.
As the door slammed shut behind them, Lin Xuan dusted off his hands and chuckled to himself. "Well, that was fun. Next stop: Brother Hao. Time to see if this 'Super God Pretending System' lives up to its name."
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