Su Wen's expression was icy, yet he deliberately avoided looking at Kael's headless corpse again, afraid the sight would make him nauseous.
Even though he had killed before, it had always been out of necessity.
Still, as someone who had transmigrated from the peaceful modern Blue Star, taking a life so directly was not something he had grown accustomed to yet.
Back at Sunrise Academy, he had fought others on more than one occasion, but those controlled sparring matches had never escalated into true life-and-death battles.
And with his status as an academy student, very few outsiders had ever dared provoke him openly.
However, after facing countless enemies since beginning their journey, Su Wen had gradually come to understand one cruel truth of this world:
If you wished to survive, sometimes you had to kill.
Even so, he refused to abandon his conscience as he adapted to this ruthless cultivation world.
Meanwhile, silence descended upon the guild hall.
The mercenaries drinking in the tavern area and the cultivators gathered around the notice board all froze where they stood, staring in stunned disbelief.
Moments later, hushed whispers began spreading throughout the hall.
"He actually did it... inside the guild grounds?"
"Who the hell are those two?"
"Tsk, throwing his life away for a pretty face. Reckless brat won't survive the week."
Du Yue ignored the murmurs entirely. Instead, a faint light bloomed within her icy blue eyes.
Warmth spread through her heart, and the usual coldness in her gaze softened into a gentle smile.
She knew her husband was gentle by nature.
But for her sake, he would kill without hesitation, even over the slightest insult.
Being protected and cherished by her husband filled her heart with pure happiness.
At the same time, the last traces of colour drained from Thane's face.
He stood rooted to the spot like a statue, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.
Su Wen slowly turned his gaze toward him. The moment those cold black eyes locked onto Thane, an icy chill shot down his spine, as though death itself had set its sights on him.
He staggered backwards in terror.
Yet because of the stiffness in his facial muscles, his expression remained twisted and ugly, which only further fuelled Su Wen's anger.
Without another word, Su Wen stored his sword inside his spatial ring before charging forward like a ferocious beast.
His fists slammed into Thane's face one after another, each impact loud enough to shake the hall.
"You dared bully my innocent wife with that disgusting face of yours..." Su Wen said coldly, his fists never slowing. "Let me help loosen it before you die."
Slam! Slam! Slam!
He no longer cared where his punches landed. He struck relentlessly, giving Thane no chance to breathe.
Finally, after several seconds of merciless beating, he stopped.
Thane's face had swollen beyond recognition. Blood poured from his nose and mouth, and the unnatural stiffness in his features had been beaten away entirely, leaving his face loose and slack.
Grabbing Thane by the collar, Su Wen slowly raised his fist once more...
But at that moment, a terrifying pressure descended upon the guild hall like a collapsing mountain, forcibly halting his movements.
A calm yet authoritative middle-aged voice echoed throughout the hall.
"Young man... that is enough."
The pressure suddenly intensified.
"This is the Central Guild Hall. Regardless of grievance or status, fighting and killing are forbidden within these walls."
A brief silence followed before the voice spoke again, colder than before.
"You have already crossed the guild's bottom line once."
The pressure sharpened faintly.
"Do not take further action... unless you wish to offend the guild itself."
Guild Master Aldren Pike finished speaking as he unleashed the oppressive aura of a Peak Golden Core cultivator directly onto Su Wen.
Su Wen's fist froze mid-air.
His body trembled beneath the overwhelming pressure, yet his back remained perfectly straight. Slowly, he turned to face the middle-aged man behind the reception counter.
A trace of surprise flashed across Aldren's face when he saw Su Wen still standing.
Aldren wore the formal brown robes of the Central Guild's Guild Master, his aura completely unrestrained. He carried himself with the calm confidence of someone long accustomed to standing above others.
At that moment, Du Yue stepped forward.
A wave of icy spiritual qi erupted from her body, instantly dispersing the pressure suppressing Su Wen.
Aldren's expression immediately changed.
He swept his spiritual sense across Du Yue, only to discover that she was merely at the Early Golden Core Realm.
Shock stirred within his heart.
'An Early Golden Core cultivator actually pushed back my aura?' His gaze shifted towards Su Wen. 'And this young man, only at the Foundation Establishment Realm, endured my aura without kneeling... neither of them are simple.'
At the same time, Su Wen paused briefly before releasing Thane's collar and throwing him aside.
Thane crashed miserably onto the floor, blood and tears smeared across his swollen face. The unnatural stiffness twisting his facial muscles had been beaten away entirely by Su Wen's merciless punches.
Su Wen glanced at Aldren calmly before speaking.
"Since Senior has spoken, I will refrain from taking action within the guild premises."
His gaze then slowly fell upon Thane once more.
"But if I see you again anywhere outside..."
A faint killing intent seeped from his body, causing the surrounding temperature to drop slightly.
"...then you can only die."
Ignoring Thane completely, Su Wen walked towards the notice board and casually pulled down one of the wanted posters.
He then returned to the reception counter and smiled calmly.
"Senior… we would like to register as mercenaries and also claim this bounty."
As he placed the poster onto the counter, everyone's gaze immediately shifted towards it.
D-Rank (Mid): Capture 'Golden Teeth' (Peak Foundation Establishment); Reward: 40 mid-grade spirit stones.
Once again, murmurs spread throughout the guild hall.
"Isn't that Golden Teeth from the Hungry Bandits?"
"Did he just kill the vice leader of the Hungry Bandits?"
"He's even bold enough to publicly claim the reward."
Aldren raised an eyebrow before speaking indifferently.
"You do not seem to be from around here. Are you certain you wish to offend them? They are notorious throughout this entire region and will surely seek revenge."
Su Wen glanced at Kael's corpse lying nearby before replying calmly.
"The moment he tried to lay his filthy hands on my wife, we were already destined to become enemies."
His eyes turned cold.
"As for revenge... let them come."
Aldren remained silent for a brief moment before waving his hand, casually storing Kael's corpse away. He then turned and left the reception area.
Tina looked at Su Wen curiously, though a trace of admiration was visible in her eyes.
"Sir, the Hungry Bandits have been rampant throughout this region for quite some time," she said softly. "Ever since the new City Lord took power, they've only become more arrogant. Female cultivators, especially, have suffered greatly because of them."
"Why? Hasn't anyone taken action against them yet?" Su Wen asked.
A trace of helplessness appeared on her face.
"Despite the growing number of complaints and the increasing bounty rewards, the city guards have done very little to suppress them."
Su Wen narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Oh?"
Seeing his calm expression, Tina continued,
"They frequently rob, kill, kidnap, and extort innocent people. The darker districts of Greenstone City are practically lawless and almost entirely under their control."
Her expression gradually became more serious.
"You witnessed it yourself just now. Even with bounties on their heads, they still dared to openly cause trouble inside the guild hall. They fear no one at all! Once word spreads about today's incident, they will definitely seek revenge."
Su Wen merely smiled and looked at her name badge on her chest.
"Thank you for the warning, Miss Tina. In that case, could you provide me with all available information regarding the Hungry Bandits?"
Tina looked towards Su Wen's calm expression.
The image of him killing Kael without hesitation while protecting his wife resurfaced in her mind, causing her heartbeat to quicken slightly. She found herself staring at him for a moment longer than necessary before quickly regaining her composure.
'So dashing...'
Her bunny ears twitched as she quickly lowered her head, no longer daring to meet his gaze.
Hurriedly, she took out a jade slip along with several wanted posters, all related to the Hungry Bandits.
"Please take these," she said softly, her cheeks faintly flushing pink. "They contain all the information the guild currently possesses regarding them. There will be an additional fee."
Su Wen looked at her strangely.
'What's with that expression?'
Just as he was about to speak, Du Yue suddenly stepped forward.
She placed her hand against Su Wen's chest and gently pulled him behind her before calmly looking at Tina.
Acting purely on a wife's intuition, Du Yue suddenly felt as though a little rabbit was secretly eyeing her sweet carrot.
Du Yue stood in front of Su Wen, staring at Tina as though shielding a child from a bad influence. Tina met her gaze without retreat, her expression faintly annoyed, as if saying she could at least be allowed to look.
Sparks flew between the two women.
'What...? Why are they staring at each other' Su Wen thought bewildered as he looked at them.
Tina turned to Su Wen, who was standing just behind Du Yue, and offered him a warm, composed smile. Reaching beneath the counter, she produced a smooth, blank spirit token no larger than the palm of a hand.
"Sir, may I have your name and cultivation realm for the registration?"
Du Yue's eyes narrowed at once.
"Du Yue."
Her voice cut in before Su Wen had a chance to open his mouth.
"My name is Du Yue. I am his wife."
She released a faint pressure toward Tina
"And I am in the Golden Core realm."
The ownership in her voice was anything but subtle. Her words carried an open warning, thick with territorial intent.
Tina blinked.
She looked up at Du Yue, momentarily caught off guard by how openly and directly she had asserted her claim.
Du Yue had marked her territory without the slightest hesitation.
Tina instinctively parted her lips to smooth over the situation, but the moment her eyes met Du Yue's, the words quietly died in her throat.
There was no anger in that gaze.
No visible emotion at all.
It was calm.
And somehow, that made it far more intimidating.
Tina swallowed whatever she had intended to say and, with admirable professionalism, regained her composure as though the awkward exchange had never occurred.
"Du Yue," she repeated smoothly, engraving the name onto the token with an inscription pen. "Golden Core realm."
Soft spiritual light flickered across the token's surface as glowing characters appeared one by one.
When she finished, Tina set the pen aside and folded her hands neatly atop the counter.
"With your cultivation level, you are qualified to accept C-rank missions immediately."
Du Yue remained silent, though her eyes stayed fixed on Tina with quiet authority, as if ensuring the receptionist had not forgotten her place.
Tina continued carefully.
"However, first-time registrants do not receive a formal colour designation straight away. You will only qualify for Bronze status after successfully completing your first mission at this rank."
She slid a thin guild pamphlet across the counter.
"For now, you are considered an unranked C-rank candidate. Once you complete a verified C-rank commission, the guild will formally issue you with a Bronze C-rank token."
Tina lightly tapped the blank token resting on the desk.
"What you will receive today is merely a provisional registration."
"A recognised Bronze C-rank mercenary gains access to Grade 3 contracts, guild support privileges, and partner benefits through affiliated merchants."
Now that the tension had eased, her polished smile returned naturally.
"That includes discounted pricing on Grade 3 items and below. Bronze members receive five per cent off, Silver ten per cent, and Gold fifteen per cent."
Du Yue stared calmly as if waiting for her to finish.
While standing behind Du Yue, Su Wen gently placed a hand on Du Yue's shoulder before speaking.
"Thank you for explaining it so clearly," he said calmly. "So the rank itself is tied to a cultivator's realm, while the colours reflect their standing within that rank?"
Tina nodded, visibly more at ease speaking to him.
"Exactly."
She straightened slightly, settling into the explanation with the practised confidence of someone who had delivered it countless times.
"The cultivation realm determines the rank for which you qualify. The colour tiers reflect your reputation, reliability, and overall contribution within that rank."
She gestured lightly to one of the diagrams in the pamphlet.
"A Bronze C-rank and a Gold C-rank are both Golden Core cultivators. However, a Gold-ranked mercenary has completed more contracts, earned greater trust from the guild, and accumulated more guild merits."
Su Wen gave an approving hum.
"Hmm. That is actually quite a sensible system."
Tina smiled faintly at the compliment.
"The colour tiers also come with increasing privileges, better discounts, higher-priority contracts, and access to restricted commissions."
She paused briefly before adding,
"But advancement is not automatic. To receive a colour rank, you must first complete a mission appropriate to your realm. After that, further promotion depends on accumulated guild points and performance evaluations."
Su Wen chuckled softly.
"So strength gets you through the door, but reliability determines how far you go."
Tina smiled sweetly.
"That is an excellent way to put it."
She picked up the prepared token once more and presented it respectfully with both hands.
"Lady Du Yue, if you would place a drop of blood onto the token, the registration will be finalised."
Du Yue accepted the transparent, colourless token.
She pricked the tip of her index finger.
A single drop of crimson blood fell onto the smooth surface.
The token lit up instantly.
In the blink of an eye, Du Yue's name, cultivation realm, and rank were etched across its face in crisp, permanent characters.
Name: Du Yue
Realm: Golden Core
Rank: Provisional C-rank Mercenary
Tina dipped her head in a polished bow.
"Registration complete."