Ryu didn't need to hear another word, he had already decided. The moment he found a Clan or Sect that participated in the creation of such a system, he would tear them out by the roots.
It took a long while for the rage in Ryu's eyes to subside. He had actually been branded like he was some sort of cow to be herded obediently into its pen. Even compared to kneeling, this sort of humiliation was on another level. It was completely intolerable.
The old-young man watched silently.
Most would feel uncomfortable upon this realization. However, this sort of fury that Ryu was displaying was unique.
It wasn't as though Ryu was being publicly scrutinized. The only ones who knew of the mark were himself and Ryu. And, clearly, he wasn't making any attempt to lambast or humiliate Ryu.
Under normal circumstances, in such a situation, the person in question would feel a little discomfort, maybe a little unhappiness, but without anyone else to witness their humiliation, they would be able to, more or less, deal with it. It wouldn't take them long to calm down at all.
However, the old-young man could tell that Ryu's pride was bone deep. It didn't matter whether others were here to witness his humiliation or not. The standards he had for himself were far beyond what others could possibly expect of him. In such a situation, did he need to words of others to feel humiliated?
This debt, he was already planning on paying it back a hundredfold. So long as he had the opportunity, he wouldn't hesitate to make them pay.
This sort of arrogance… It couldn't be taught.
On the one hand, it would get you into all sorts of trouble others would never have to deal with. But, on the other hand… Wasn't it exactly this kind of mentality one needed to reach the pinnacle? If you didn't have confidence in yourself bordering on and surpassing obnoxiousness, was it even possible for you to even lay eyes on that peak? Let alone stand on it?
The old-young maa through something over that Ryu subconsciously caught. Ryu, who was still feeling infuriated, didn't know how to react when he felt the soft cloth in his hands. Despite the fact it was in his palm, it still felt fleeting, and though it felt soft, he could subconsciously tell that no matter how hard he pulled, he wouldn't be able to cause even the slightest tear.
"Wrap that around your forehead, it will hide the aura of the tag. If you're lucky, those Hegemonic Clans will fight amongst themselves and kill one of their own before they can find you. But, I wouldn't hold out hope.
"Those people, even while being branded like cattle, all have noses higher than the skies above their head, but tails tucked firmly between their legs. Rather than risking fighting so many powerful enemies at once, they would probably rather pour all their resources into finding you instead."
Ryu's roaring blood slowed to a crawl, his rage being buried deep within his heart. There was no point in continuing to feel such emotions, they would only distract him. His Grandpa Tatsuya's words still stuck with him, he just wasn't very good at following through on them yet.
"Who are you?" Ryu asked without immediately accepting the gift.
He knew he didn't have anything as good as this. The treasures of his Sacrum world weren't up to standard. Even his grandfather's bow, which was originally classified as Half-Step Origin Grade didn't even garner any attention as he walked around with it. Clearly, it wasn't something that people of this world thought very highly of.
Well, this was also partially because his Grandpa Kunan's bow was a bit unique. It didn't originally have such a great, but rather rose to this level after experiencing so many Tribulation Shrine trials by his Grandpa's side.
Originally, it was just an Earth Grade bow and didn't look very special.
Interestingly enough, by the standards of Sacrum, it was still Earth Grade now.
This aside, Ryu didn't like accepting gifts and favors from others, even if he needed them. He couldn't very well walk around with such a mark on his head and didn't know if he had the means to hide it away.
"Me?" The old-young man laughed. "My friends call me Old Wan, so you can too."
"That isn't what I mean."
"Hoho," Old Wan chuckled. "I'm just an old man, how could I understand the slang of the youth?"
Ryu was speechless. What did he say that could be considered slang?
Ryu was a language specialist. He had already mastered hundreds of languages. After just a few months in the True Martial World, he had already grasped their mannerisms, cadences and dialects. He sounded no different from someone born in this prefecture when he spoke.
Old Wan chuckled, realizing that Ryu didn't seem to be the jokester type.
Well, it wasn't that Ryu couldn't be a jokester, it was more accurate to say that he didn't spare this part of himself for people he didn't know. And, even those he did know only received this piece of him sparingly. He clearly didn't trust this Old Wan enough.
"Strictly speaking, the Patriarch of the Radiant Star Sect is my little brother. So, as an older brother, I have to take advantage of my position whenever I can. It's a shame, though, that the Immortal Cave that little brat gave me has been destroyed by you."
Ryu remained silent. So this person was related to the Radiant Star Sect, then it wasn't a coincidence that he was saved. However…
"You're too powerful to be related to the Radiant Star Sect," he said bluntly.
"Hoho," Old Wan chuckled again. "I'm flattered, I'm flattered, really. This old bag of bones is only so-so."
Ryu frowned. Even though he couldn't see Old Wan, he knew for a fact that if he could, he would see a young man who looked no older than 30 years old at worst. He might even look like a teenager on the more exaggerated side.
Realizing that he wasn't going to answer straightforwardly, Ryu asked another question.
"Why did you save me, then?"