The crow mercilessly tore apart the canaries' splendid plumage with its claws and beak, shattering what little pride they had left.
In the end, those beautiful birds could only huddle trembling in the corners of their cages. Not one of them dared meet the predatory bird's reddened eyes again.
"Long Yi, come back."
The bald old man beckoned slightly to Long Yi below the platform, his voice steady and his expression kindly.
"Yes."
At the call, the white-clad youth sheathed his sword, seeming to cast off all the sharpness surrounding him.
After giving the Yatogami Family disciples around him one final glance, taking in their varied expressions, he expressionlessly held the hilt of his sword and walked forward at an unhurried pace.
The black-clad disciples voluntarily made way, watching Long Yi ascend the platform once more.
They were not wholeheartedly convinced, but their hearts were filled with awe.
He was a fearsome outsider they could not suppress!
Yatogami Soshu and the representatives of the branch families on the platform looked embarrassed, but there was a faint sense of relief in their eyes.
He knew when to advance and when to retreat, and he understood proper boundaries.
No blood had been spilled, yet it was more intimidating than bloodshed. Even Yatogami Soshu, who was the most protective of his own, had no grounds to lash out. That alone showed how shrewdly the youth handled things.
Was he really a boy who had only just turned fourteen?!
For a time, many people thought the same thing.
Yatogami Jingxue remained silent. For the first time, her blue eyes truly regarded that white-clad youth. For some reason, she felt an inexplicable, strange familiarity from him.
It was a feeling she had never experienced before.
The odd sensation made her delicate brows furrow slightly, but