The room did not return to normal.
Even after the man left, the atmosphere remained tense.
Xu Tian could feel it.
The subtle shift in attention.
More eyes.
More caution.
"…So it starts," he thought.
He remained seated, unmoving.
The children rested quietly.
The boy's breathing was steady.
The girl still watched.
Always aware.
Xu Tian closed his eyes briefly.
Not to rest.
To feel.
The energy around him moved differently here.
Not wild.
Not chaotic.
But layered.
Controlled by many different people.
Some weak.
Some not.
"…Too many variables," he thought.
This place was more complicated than the mountain.
There, strength decided everything quickly.
Here, things moved slower.
More carefully.
Xu Tian opened his eyes again.
At that moment-
Another presence entered.
He felt it immediately.
Heavier than most inside the room.
Not overwhelming.
But clear.
Xu Tian didn't turn right away.
He listened.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Measured.
Then a voice.
"You're sitting in the wrong place."
Xu Tian lifted his gaze.
A large man stood a few steps away.
Broad shoulders.
Scar across his cheek.
Rough clothing.
But his presence was solid.
Stronger than the others nearby.
Xu Tian studied him briefly.
"…This is intentional," he thought.
Not random.
Not coincidence.
The man stepped closer.
"This spot is taken," he said.
Xu Tian didn't move.
"…By you?"
The man's eyes narrowed.
"…Now it is."
A few people nearby shifted.
Watching.
But not interfering.
Xu Tian understood immediately.
A test.
Simple.
Direct.
He adjusted the children slightly in his arms.
Then looked at the man again.
"…Then take it."
The answer was calm.
But it wasn't surrender.
The man's expression hardened.
"…You think I won't?"
Xu Tian didn't respond.
He simply remained seated.
That was enough.
The man stepped forward.
His hand reached out.
Fast.
A grab.
Not a strike.
Xu Tian moved.
Not fast.
Not aggressive.
Just enough.
He shifted his body slightly.
The man's hand missed.
Barely.
The movement was small.
But precise.
The man froze for a moment.
Then his eyes sharpened.
"…Not bad."
Xu Tian said nothing.
The man tried again.
Faster this time.
Xu Tian moved again.
Same result.
Missed.
A faint murmur spread through the room.
People were watching now.
More openly.
The man's expression darkened.
"…You're making this difficult."
Xu Tian's voice remained calm.
"You started it."
Silence fell again.
The man didn't attack immediately.
He was thinking now.
Measuring.
Xu Tian could see it.
"…Good," he thought.
The man stepped back slightly.
Not retreating.
Thinking.
"…You're not from here," he said.
Xu Tian didn't answer.
The man let out a slow breath.
Then gave a short nod.
"…Fine."
He turned away.
Just like that.
No fight.
No escalation.
The tension broke.
But not completely.
The room slowly returned to its previous state.
Quiet.
Watchful.
Xu Tian remained still.
"…So this is how they test newcomers," he thought.
Not direct conflict.
Small pressure.
Probing.
Looking for weakness.
Xu Tian adjusted the children again.
The girl's grip remained steady.
The boy rested.
Unaware.
Xu Tian leaned back slightly.
His eyes half-closed.
But his awareness didn't drop.
Because now he understood.
This town wasn't about strength alone.
It was about control.
Patience.
Timing.
And those who failed to understand that-
Would not last long here.