Chapter 125: Learning from Adversity


    With no pressing matters at hand, Han Ming decided to stay in the small tavern, enjoying a quiet drink while waiting for nightfall. This brief moment of relaxation was a rare luxury for him.


    A simple meal and a jug of cheap, strong liquor were all he needed.


    Sunlight filtered through the glass window, warming his face. Han Ming closed his eyes, savoring the familiar hum of human voices and the comforting scent of society. The sunlight, no longer dulled by the black mist, filled him with a long-lost sense of peace and tranquility. For a moment, he felt as though he had returned to Earth, to the human world he once knew.


    But life, whether on Earth or in this otherworldly realm, often had a way of disrupting such moments.


    A jarring voice shattered Han Ming''s brief respite.


    "We''re taking over this tavern today. Anyone not with us has two minutes to leave," bellowed a burly young man standing at the entrance.


    Disturbed, Han Ming frowned slightly and turned toward the source of the noise.


    A strikingly beautiful woman entered, flanked by a group of men. The loudmouth was one of her entourage.


    Judging by their attire, they were clearly not from the Monte Empire.


    Han Ming smiled faintly and ignored them.


    This was Fila City, the capital of the Monte Empire. The saying went, "Under the shadow of the imperial city, there are no weak soldiers." Not to mention the descendants of high-ranking officials and generals, the city was home to several of the empire''s top magic and martial academies, attracting talent from across the world. Acting arrogantly in such a place was far from wise.


    As Han Ming expected, after the burly man''s loud proclamation, only a few timid patrons left the tavern. The rest continued drinking and chatting, paying no heed to the newcomers.


    The beautiful woman covered her face with one hand, frowning slightly as she saw that most of the patrons remained. Clearly, she was unaccustomed to such a rowdy atmosphere.


    She had hoped to find a quiet place to dine, but with the Tri-Nation Tournament approaching, Fila City was packed to the brim. Even the high-end restaurants had been fully booked. She had thought this small tavern might offer some respite, but it seemed even this dingy place was filled with coarse individuals.


    The woman''s group consisted of six people. Aside from her and the loudmouthed man, there were four others. Three of them seemed ordinary, but one caught Han Ming''s attention—a slender, cold-eyed young man who had kept his eyes closed since entering the tavern.


    Upon closer inspection, Han Ming realized this man was a fifth-tier water-element battle master. Such strength would make him a top-tier expert even at the Imperial Military Academy. If not for his water affinity, his power would rival that of the academy''s renowned figure, Senior Sister Fei''er.


    As for the woman, she was a fifth-tier fire-element grand mage, while the noisy burly man was a fourth-tier earth-element battle master. The other three were third-tier battle masters.


    Han Ming smiled to himself. The Tri-Nation Tournament had indeed attracted many powerful individuals from across the lands. Even this unremarkable little tavern was now hosting such formidable figures.


    The loud fourth-tier earth-element battle master, seeing that most patrons had ignored his demand and noticing the displeasure on the beautiful woman''s face, burst into laughter.


    He strode over to a table and announced, "Folks, we''re taking over this place today. Please find somewhere else to drink."


    The group at the table, deep in their cups, was visibly annoyed by the interruption. They glanced at the burly man disdainfully and continued their conversation.


    The man laughed even louder and repeated, "Seems you didn''t hear me the first time. Let me say it again—"


    "Shut up! Get lost, you idiot! Can''t you see we''re drinking?" a red-faced drunkard interrupted, slurring his words.


    The burly man paused, then nodded with a grin.


    Thinking the matter was settled, the drunkard turned back to his drink. But the burly man suddenly flipped their table, sending food and drink flying everywhere.


    Not satisfied, he grabbed the man who had spoken out by the collar and hurled him out the door. The man''s companions at the entrance stepped aside, and the drunkard landed in a heap on the street.


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    The commotion drew the attention of everyone in the tavern.


    The tavern owner hurried over, trembling, and pleaded, "Please, everyone, let''s not cause trouble—"


    The burly man grabbed the owner and tossed him out as well, spitting, "Who the hell do you think you are? Spare you? Ha!"


    The group whose table had been overturned, already flushed from drinking, turned even redder with anger.


    "You... you''re going too far! Do you know who my father is?" a pampered-looking young man shouted indignantly.


    With a whoosh, he too was thrown out the door.


    "I don''t give a damn who your father is! Today, I''m your father!" the burly man roared with laughter.


    The rest of his group, however, was growing impatient.


    "Just clear these people out already," the beautiful woman said, covering her nose with a delicate white handkerchief.


    Some of the more timid patrons, realizing these people wouldn''t listen to reason and that name-dropping wouldn''t help, decided to cut their losses and leave.


    The burly man scanned the room and noticed three tables still occupied, one of which was Han Ming''s.


    He took two steps toward Han Ming but then hesitated, noticing that Han Ming was a fifth-tier water-element grand mage. He decided to approach another table instead.


    Though brash, he wasn''t stupid. While he looked down on water-element mages, a fifth-tier grand mage was not to be trifled with, especially one who was likely a student of the Magic Academy. Provoking such a person could lead to a swarm of mages descending upon him, leaving him no escape.


    The burly man understood the pride of mages all too well.


    Han Ming glanced at the man out of the corner of his eye and continued drinking. He noticed that the fifth-tier water-element battle master, who had kept his eyes closed, had now turned his body toward him.


    "Well, aren''t you all brave? I''ll give you ten seconds to leave. After that, you''ll have to crawl between my legs," the burly man said, pulling over a stool and placing one foot on it, leaving just enough space for someone to crawl through. He leered at the table of three women and two men, his gaze particularly lingering on the women.


    Han Ming sipped his drink, watching the scene unfold through the rim of his cup. He shook his head slightly.


    The two men at the table were clearly out of their depth. Their faces were flushed, their breathing rapid—signs of fear mixed with a reluctance to lose face in front of their female companions. They were putting on a brave front.


    The third table was occupied by a mysterious figure dressed entirely in black, their face concealed.


    Han Ming''s attention was mostly focused on this person.


    He glanced at the figure occasionally but couldn''t discern their strength. Clearly, they had some method of concealing their power, not wanting to reveal themselves.


    "Ten, nine, eight, seven..." the burly man counted down, his grin growing more sinister as the table remained unmoved.


    "Three, two, one! Time''s up," the man said, slapping his thigh. "Alright, start crawling."


    Finally, one of the men stood up, about to speak, but the burly man didn''t wait. He punched the man before he could utter a word.


    The man''s face paled in terror as he released his battle aura, revealing himself to be a fifth-tier warrior. While this would normally be considered impressive, in Fila City during these extraordinary times, it was merely average.


    The burly man laughed as a thick layer of earth-element armor covered his body, spikes protruding from it. He didn''t bother to dodge, letting the man''s punch land on his armor.


    The man staggered back three steps from the impact.


    With a sinister grin, the burly man stepped forward, grabbed the man''s arm, and lifted him high into the air before slamming him down onto the floor.


    The man hit the ground with a loud thud, coughing up blood and clutching his chest, his face turning purple as he struggled to breathe.


    The three women at the table burst into tears at the sight.


    The other man, seeing his companion so easily defeated, dropped to his knees in fear.


    The burly man nodded in satisfaction and placed his foot back on the stool.


    Han Ming watched the scene with a faint smile but made no move to intervene.


    He understood that these people were likely sheltered, having grown up pampered and privileged.


    As the saying went, "A wise man knows when to yield." Their inability to grasp this basic truth meant they needed to learn the hard way. Under normal circumstances, Han Ming might have stepped in to help, but these were not normal times. With the demon invasion looming, no one knew how dire the future might become.


    If these individuals continued to act like spoiled nobles, they wouldn''t survive. This was a lesson they needed to learn—that life wasn''t always fair. Han Ming suspected that if Fila City fell and they were thrust into danger, they wouldn''t last a day. Raised in comfort, they had no idea how to fend for themselves. If their parents were gone, who would protect them? They would have to learn to protect themselves.


    "Learn to assess the situation. Learn to endure setbacks. Learn to bear humiliation. Learn to survive."


    Han Ming spoke these four sentences softly, his voice carrying to everyone in the room.


    All eyes turned to him. The black-clad figure in the corner, who had remained silent until now, turned their head toward Han Ming and gave a slight nod. They raised their cup in a silent toast.


    The beautiful woman, however, had lost her patience. She shot Han Ming a glare that clearly said, "You''re next!"


    The man on the ground, his face red with shame, began to crawl between the burly man''s legs.


    When he was halfway through, the burly man suddenly sat down, pinning the man beneath him. He then slapped the man''s rear and burst into laughter.


    The rest of the group joined in, even the previously impatient woman letting out a soft, amused giggle.


    Only the fifth-tier water-element battle master, the black-clad figure, and Han Ming remained silent.


    The humiliated man, tears streaming down his face, had never experienced such disgrace.


    "Ugh, crying? How pathetic!" the burly man said, rolling his eyes.


    "Get out of here!" He kicked the man, sending him sprawling out the door.


    "Please, spare us! We''ll leave!" the three women begged, their faces pale with fear as they sobbed quietly.


    The burly man grinned. "You''re women, so I won''t make you crawl between my legs."


    The women looked relieved and began to thank him.


    "But..." the man added with a lewd smirk, undoing his belt and dropping his pants to reveal his hairy thighs and indecent parts.


    "You''ll have to ''serve'' me first, and then I''ll let you go."