Rebirth Of The Urban Immortal Cultivator

by Stayrr

Chen Fan, the great cultivator, failed to transcend the Tribulation of Heaven: the final stage of his cultivation. Little did he know that this accident would bring him back to Earth and turn back time to five hundred years ago when he was just a teenager. 'I had once reached the precipice of power in the known universe and could look down on the ten thousand realms with pride; I

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Rebirth Of The Urban Immortal Cultivator #Chapter 97 - Every Dog Has Its Day - Read Rebirth Of The Urban Immortal Cultivator Chapter 97 - Every Dog Has Its Day Online - All Page - FREEWN

Chapter 97: Every Dog Has Its Day

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"What?" Wei Zipin was taken aback for a second. Thinking that he was being fooled, his face was contorted by anger as plunged his fist into Chen Fan.

Suddenly, a wave of commotion came up from the entrance.

"The tycoons are coming?"

"That's The Third Lord Wei, that's Xu Ao, Liu Guodong. Where is Master Chen? Which one is Master Chen?"

"I don't see Master Chen. Did he miss this event?"

The arrival of the Jiang Bei's Magnates stole everyone's attention immediately. Compared to the fight among the few teenagers, the magnate's agenda was the real show of the night.

Wei Zipin stopped his attack, took a deep breath and gave Chen Fan a deadly glare.

"Asshole, it's not over yet. I will settle the score with you later!"

After he gave his threat, he walked away from Chen Fan.

Chu Minhui furrowed his brows and caught up with Wei Zipin. Wan Jun smirked at Chu Minhui and said lightheartedly, "You are ballsy to piss off Wei Zipin."

"I will pray for you."

Then, he turned around and sauntered away.

The conflict between Chen Fan and Wei Zipin was of trivial matter to Wan Jun, his focus was on the bigger picture, of the future of the Jiang Bei region.

Li Yichen straightened his eyeglasses and walked away. Although no blood was spilled, he had already achieved his goal.

After most of the teenage boys were gone, Jiang Churan said coldly: "Master Chen is so powerful. Not even the Wei and the Wan family could do anything to him. I wonder if there is anyone in the Jiang Bei region who could be your equal?"

"Master Chen? Where is Master Chen?" Zhang Yumeng asked confusedly.

"He is right here in front of us." Jiang Churan held her chin up and remarked sarcastically.

"He had admitted it himself at the Thousand Lake Resort. No wonder he dared to rile up Wei Zipin and Wan Jun."

By then, everyone had sensed the sarcasm in Jiang Churan's words. Zhang Yumeng covered her mouth to hide her sneer; however, her eyes were filled with contempt.

"If you are Master Chen, I am Sheng Ronghua!"

Chen Fan shook his head.

"Haters are gonna hate." He thought to himself.

"Chen Fan, who was on the phone? Why did you tell him that it was his dad?" Xu Rongfei asked.

"It was Third Lord Wei; I didn't lie to him." Chen Fan said readily.

"Haha!" Xu Rongfei burst out laughing. She punched Chen Fan's shoulder with her soft hand and said, "Chen Fan, stop it."

"Humph!"

"He is in big trouble right now; it's not the time to joke around." Jiang Churan flung at Chen Fan. "You better think about how to deal with Wei Zipin's anger."

"He is not someone you want to mess with. He beat up one dude so badly that his victim was permanently paralyzed from the waist down."

"Really?" A cold light flashed across Chen Fan's eyes.

"Then he should think about how to deal with my anger."

Zhang Yumeng rolled her eyes at Chen Fan.

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Han Yun stood at a corner and watched the incident unfold. She lamented the impending doom of Wei Zipin as she doubted even his father was able to save his hide this time.

After the magnates entered the meeting hall, the banquet was about to start.

Employees of the hotel lead each and every one of the guests to their seats. The seats were arranged from the VIP section to the door based on the prestige of the guest. The more important the guest was, the closer he or she was to the VIP section.

The girls got into the event due to their connection with Yang Chao and therefore they got assigned seats in a corner right next to the door.

Wei Zipin and his companions were assigned seats at the second row away from the VIP section.

"Young Lord Wei, without you, we won't be sitting this close to the top dogs!" Li Yichen said respectfully.

He was shocked when he noticed that people of his father's status were sitting right next to him.

Meanwhile, he was enthralled by Master Chen's influence as so many powerful figures traveled miles to see him.

Wei Zipin's face softened a little after hearing the compliment.

"That asshole has no idea who he is dealing with. No one talks to Young Lord Wei like that."

One of Wei Zipin's companions said vehemently.

"Humph!" Wei Ziqin snorted as the anger came back to him. "If not for the occasion, I would have already beaten him up. He had my sister's protection, but so what?"

"Your sister seemed to be very protective of him." Chu Minhui put in.

"So what? I am not afraid of Wei Ziqin!" Wei Zipin raised his voice as fire sprout from his eyes.

"Easy, easy. Your dad is going to hear you." Wan Jun said lightheartedly.

Wan Jun was not only the oldest of all the boys but also the most influential. He was the de facto leader of the pack. Wei Zipin's face turned red. He poured some wine into his mouth and swallowed it down with his anger.

"Young Lord Wei, where is Master Chen?" Li Yichen changed the topic.

"Yea, Young Lord Wei, when are you going to show us, Master Chen?" The other boys chimed in with equal enthusiasm in their eyes.

Before the banquet, they never took Master Chen seriously; however, after seeing the guests of the event, they knew he was a force to be reckoned with.

If they could befriend Master Chen, they would instantly gain massive bragging rights in front of their friends.

"Hehe, my dad told me that he would arrange a private meeting for Master Chen and me." A smug smile broke over Wei Zipin's face "I will bring all of you along with me."

"Aye! " Everyone cheered for Wei Zipin and some gave him the thumbs up.

Wei Zipin's smile turned into a guffaw.

A smile also hang on Wan Jun's face; however, a nagging troubling thought had made his eyes lose focus.

He wagered that Master Chen had already mustered enough influence to challenge his uncle, Sheng Ronghua's position.

"Uncle will need to prepare and be ready sooner than later."

So thinking, he watched as The Third Lord Wei walked to the stage where the VIP section was.

Everyone in the audience section became quiet.

The Third Lord Wei had never felt more prestige being bestowed on him before. There were at least a few dozen guests whose influence, and power surpassed him, yet he was the center of attention tonight.

"This was all thanks to Master Chen!"

With that thought in mind, he doubled down the decision to introduce his son to Master Chen.

"I know that no came this far to listen to me, and you might be asking yourself, where the heck is Master Chen. I assure you that he is already here. "

"So without further redo, let's welcome Master Chen!"

A wave of cheers and applause rose from the audiences.

"Master Chen is here? Where is he?"

"Old Din, haven't you been to the tournament? Did you see him?"

"Oh? Let me see... I ... I... I don't see him."

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The audiences looked around them as they clapped their hands; they were eager to see what Master Chen looked like.

Only the top dogs sitting at the first and second row were able to keep their calm and waited patiently.

"It's so exciting! We are going to see Master Chen soon!" Zhang Yumeng shouted. "They said he is in his twenties, and I bet that he is a stud!"

"Maybe." Xu Rongfei blushed.

Jiang Churan was able to keep calm as she was still angry with Chen Fan for his foolish act.

Suddenly, she saw Chen Fan stand up and was about to walk to the stage.

"What's wrong with you? Do you really believe in your own lies? They asked for Master Chen, not Chen Fan."

"I have already told you many times. I AM Master Chen."

Chen Fan pushed his seat back and cracked a smile at the girls before he sauntered toward the stage.

"Hey, Chen Fan, what are you doing? Come back!"

Everyone was dumbfounded by the development. Yang Chao whisper shouted at Chen Fan.

This was not at school. All the rich and powerful men and women are here, and it was perhaps one of the most important events for Yang Chao's father, owner of the venue. He would not let Yang Chao get away with bringing in such a troublemaker.

Chen Fan pretended that he didn't hear anyone as he walked toward the stage.

"Chen Fan!" Xu Rongfei gasped.

"Chen Fan!"

Jiang Churan shouted out at Chen Fan, trying to stop him.

She thought that her sarcastic remark had triggered Chen Fan to prove her wrong.

Chen Fan kept on walking. As he got closer to the stage, some people thought that he was a waiter.

However, most people didn't notice him at all until he finally arrived at the stage under countless pairs of expectant eyes.

"Young Lord Wei, look!"

A teenager shouted out.

Wei Zipin tuned his head over his shoulder and was shocked by what he saw.

"What is he doing up there? He is courting death."

Li Yichen shook his head and lamented, "What an idiot. This is not a place to crack a joke. The tycoons on the stage are not in the mood of joking around, if they want you dead, you won't live till tomorrow."

By then, the security was ready to pull Chen Fan off the stage.

Suddenly, a magnate sitting at the VIP section stood up and walked up to Chen Fan.

"Master Chen!"

Everyone was taken aback by the turn of events.

Another tycoon stood up and greeted Chen Fan the same way."Master Chen!"

By then, everyone in the VIP section had stood up.

"Master Chen!"

"Master Chen!"

"Master Chen!"

Wei Zipin was at a loss for words by the development.

He looked to his father, and saw his father bowed to Chen Fan respectfully and said: "Master Chen!"

Under the watch of countless audiences in disbelief, Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and walked to his seat.

Jiang Churan was frozen in place. Despite the clamor around her, she heard nothing of it as she turned her thoughts inward.

She saw a young boy, walking pass the stage, and up, up until he reached the sky.

"Master Chen... Master Chen Fan"

Never in her life had she felt being the fool more than this time.

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Chapter 98: The Revelation

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"He is Master Chen?"

"He is so young. "

"He looks like the same age as my high school son. "

Most people who attended the banquet had never seen Chen Fan before. They had heard that he was young, yet, seeing him in person, they were shocked by his age.

However, seeing the VIP guests bowing to him respectfully, everyone kept their doubts to themselves.

Even if Master Chen was useless, the magnates' support would have made him the most powerful man in Jiang Bei.

Chen Fan might look young and inexperienced on the outside; he had reached the precipice of power, and only a handful of people in the Jiang Bei region were his equal.

Jiang Churan and her friends were so shocked by the development that they were at a loss for words.

So surprised was Zhang Yumeng that she didn't even realize her chopsticks had dropped to the floor. Her lips quivered as if she wanted to say something.

"Chen Fan?"

"Master Chen!"

A moment ago, those two people belonged to two different worlds, but now, they turned out to be the same person.

One was from an average family, was of average looks and talent. The only thing that might have made Chen Fan stand out was his above average martial arts skill.

The other person dominated the Jiang Bei region and was as powerful as the richest tycoon of Jiang Bei.

The merging of the two identities seemed not only surreal but also frightening.

Thus it was, Zhang Yumeng was taken over by fear and her body quivered. Her mind raced as memories of her sneering at Chen Fan played in her mind like a movie.

Beside her stood Yang Chao and he was in no better shape as life had already drained away from his face. Xu Rongfei covered her mouth as surprise and joy were written all over her face.

At the table where Wei Zipin was sitting, everyone was so dumbfounded by the turn of events; they didn't even have any mental capacity left to comprehend the fear.

Of all the teenagers, no one spoke a word. The table had fallen pin drop quiet. Wei Zipin's eyes lost focus as he murmured under his breath.

"How could it be? It's impossible! They must have mistaken... They must have."

The other teenagers who sneered at Chen Fan smiled wryly, "Young Lord Wei, that is him. Your father is there too; they wouldn't have made such a mistake."

However, Wei Zipin repeated his words as if he didn't hear his friends.

Li Yichen sat in his chair and felt many strong emotions roil inside of him. He clenched his fist to suppress those feelings but to no avail.

"So this is your trump card, isn't it?"

"Master Chen. Bravo, bravo!"

"You have hidden the identity from all of us for over half a year, and no one was able to see through your cover."

He closed his eyes and curled his lips into a sad smile. "You won Chen Fan. I had thought that you are a nobody and with my family connections and talent, I should be able to defeat you many times over. But I couldn't be more wrong."

Right beside him, Chu Minhui froze in his chair as he fixed his gaze at the boy on the stage. He shouted in his mind: "I don't believe this! It's not over yet."

"You are Master Chen, but so what?"

"One day, I will surpass you. One day!"

Wan Jun was the only person who could remain calm. After all, he didn't have any bad blood with Chen Fan. However, he couldn't help but gasp: "He had claimed Jiang Bei's seat of power at such a young age. I think even Sheng Junwen will fall short in comparison with him."

The first person he thought about was his talented cousin.

Wan Jun had thought that he would never find anyone who could surpass his cousin's talent and ability. Then and there, the person was standing right in front of him.

"Junwen, it will take you at least twenty to thirty years to catch up with Master Chen. He is already as powerful as your dad."

With that thought in mind, an ugly grin appeared on his face.

Suddenly people at the first row of tables stood up.

It turned out that Master Chen had already finished his speech and started to greet and give a toast at each and every table.

"Long time no see, Master Chen."

"Master Chen, I am so glad to see you again."

"Master Chen, my restaurant is opening soon, don't forget to pay a visit."

Everyone heaped praise onto Chen Fan as the latter greeted each and every one of them. No one held back in drinking as even the most powerful man at each table emptied the cup in one go.

Li Yichen was shocked to see that despite everyone's enthusiasm, Chen Fan's lips barely even touched the rim of his glass. However, those tycoons and magnates didn't seem to mind such an aloof action.

Finally, Chen Fan reached Wei Zipin's table.

"Master Chen, this is my son; his name is Wei Zipin."

The Third Lord Wei waddled behind Chen Fan and introduced his son with a half-drunken voice.

"I know him." Chen Fan said readily.

Chen Fan examined the overwrought face of Wei Zipin, and then he said calmly: "Do you still remember what I told you?"

Chen Fan's words drained the life out of Wei Zipin's face. His hands trembled, and he let fear rob him of words.

The Third Lord Wei noticed something was amiss, and right away he knew that his delinquent son must have offended Master Chen earlier. He shot Wei Zipin an accusatory glance which frightened his son so much that the boy nearly spilled his wine.

Chen Fan didn't say much more after his question. He looked bored and started to look around him.

The teenagers who had been on their high horses scarcely dared breathe much less say a word. They waited until Chen Fan raised the cup before they poured the contents in their cup down their throats as fast as they could. They started and finished in unison as if no one wanted to stand out and attract Chen Fan's attention.

Li Yichen moaned in his mind as he noticed that Chen Fan didn't even pay any attention to him. He simply glanced over him.

"Am I just a worthless clown to you?"

Li Yichen was suddenly taken over by a fit of anger, but the anger quickly turned into despair.

He knew that he had little to no chance of catching up with Chen Fan. Even if he did, he could have been in his forties if not fifties. How powerful would Chen Fan be when he was at that age?

That was a question that Li Yichen didn't even dare to fathom.

Chen Fan also ignored Chu Minhui which didn't sit well with the half-drunken brute. He managed to suppress the anger sprouting out from his gut, and drunk the cup of strong wine down to his belly.

"You might have your victory today, but this is far from over!"

"Every dog will have his day, and mine will come sooner or later."

Chen Fan didn't care a wee bit about their feelings. The likes of them he had seen over his hundred years of cultivation were in the trillions. However, only he, Chen Beixuan, the North Mystic Celestial Lord would out last mortality and time itself.

After a round of toasts, Chen Fan had made a personal connection with all the elites of the Jiang Bei region.

Finally, Chen Fan arrived at Jiang Churan's table.

"Dad... Brother Chen Fan. " Xu Rongfei stood up and stared happily at Chen Fan and her father next to the boy.

"Fei-Fei." Xu Ao replied with a warm smile.

Chen Fan also cracked a loving smile and said, "Fei-Fei, me and your dad will have a meeting later. Can you hang out here by yourself for a while?"

"Yea." Xu Rongfei nodded.

The intimate exchange between Chen Fan and Xu Rongfei caught many people's attention.

"It seems that Xu Ao is going to make a move. Damn, I wish I had such a lovely daughter as well. "

The development filled The Third Lord Wei with regret and remorse. Unlike Xu Ao's daughter who was already in Master Chen's good books, his son had offended the only person he needed to be friendly with. It occurred to him that he was bound to lose the competition with Xu Ao.

So thinking, Third Lord Wei gritted his teeth frustratedly.

Chen Fan broke eye contact with Xu Rongfei and immediately noticed Zhang Yumeng and Yang Chao. Both of them hunched over and looked much shorter than they really were.

Yang Chao prayed to the gods that Chen Fan would not notice him.

From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of his father, owner of this five-star hotel, standing next to Chen Fan as if he was at his beck and call.

Chen Fan's eyes didn't pause for more than a second on the couple; he looked over them and saw Jiang Churan.

Her face looked troubled, but she managed to hold Chen Fan's gaze. There were many strong but contradicting emotions in those wide eyes: shock, doubt, anger, and remorse.

Chen Fan cracked a smile and said: "I told you I am Master Chen, but you never believed me."

"Do you believe me now?"

Without waiting for Jiang Churan's answer, he finally drank up the wine in his cup that he had kept so far. It was not wine he was drinking; it was a lifetime worth of feelings and memories.

After he had finished, Chen Fan put down the cup and walked away.

Jiang Churan stood still next to the table; her eyes were filled with regret and loneliness.

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Chapter 99: The Most Powerful Man of Jiang Bei

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

After Chen Fan had finished the toast, he returned to his seat with Xu Ao and the other VIP magnates. Those who accompanied Chen Fan were the very few most powerful businessmen in Jiang Bei. Only a couple of those were from Chu Zhou City.

The other tycoons were not ruffled by not being selected to accompany Master Chen, after all, those who did were way out of their league.

Most of the guests started to enjoy the banquet while praising Master Chen's achievement at such a young age.

Jiang Churan's table had been quiet ever since Chen Fan's identity was revealed. After a while, Zhang Yumeng finally gathered herself, and shouted: "That's Chen Fan! How could it be?"

"I totally didn't see that in him. I mean, for god's sake, we have been staying in the same school with him for three months!"

Indeed, if she only looked on the surface, she would never make the connection between Chen Fan and Master Chen Fan. Compared to the stereotypical tycoon such as Zhou Tianhao or Xu Ao, Chen Fan seemed like a meek and helpless lamb.

He always sat in the corner and was quickly forgotten by the people around him. When he walked down the street, he blended in so well that even his classmates might not notice him.

"A wise head makes a closed mouth." Yang Chao heaved a sigh and smiled wryly.

He felt fortunate that ever since the minor run-in with Chen Fan at the KTV, he hadn't had any more bad blood with the boy. Otherwise, his father would have beat him up to quell Master Chen's anger.

"Ran-Ran, say something." Zhang Yumeng gave Jiang Churan a worried look.

Of all the teenagers, she was hit the hardest by the reality.

Everyone looked to Jiang Churan, waiting for her response. Some of them glared at Jiang Churan gloatingly.

They had watched as Jiang Churan scoffed at Chen Fan with contempt. However, little did she know that she was loading a gun aimed at her own feet.

Jiang Churan pulled a taut face and kept her silence.

Han Yun lifted a cup of win and sipped on it. She lamented in her mind, "Ship had sailed, Ran-Ran."

.. ...

Wei Zipin wasn't able to breathe normally until both Chen Fan, and The Third Lord Wei were gone. Afterward, he finally heaved a big sigh of relief and grunted: "Fuck. The joke is on me!"

He felt anger and fear mixed in his mind. He was surprised by the turn of the events but regretted that he might never be able to avenge today's humiliation.

"Humph! I will let you have your victory for now. But remember where you come from. Without my family, you would never achieve a fraction of what you have achieved so far." Wei Zipin uttered bitterly. Although Chen Fan was younger than him, he had become much more popular and reputable than he could ever be.

No one at the table said a thing.

Wei Zipin was protected by his mighty family, and therefore he had the audacity to curse at Master Chen behind his back. But not everyone had the same level of backing as Wei Zipin had.

Suddenly, Uncle Lin came up to Wei Zipin and said: "Young Master, Third Lord wants you to accompany him."

Wei Zipin's face paled.

He had thought the crisis had been averted, but it seemed that he had ranted too early. He looked around the table for help, but none of his friends offered to help him.

"Fuck it! Fine, I will meet him."

Wei Zipin cursed under his breath as he stood up to join his father.

After Wei Zipin was gone, a teenager cracked a relieved smile and said, "Damn, I was scared shitless there. Luckily he only wanted to see Wei Zipin; I hope he will be alright."

"I don't think it's that simple." Li Yichen said with a gloomy face. "He is a very revengeful person."

Wan Jun nodded in agreement.

At Chen Fan's level, he could not dither about the decision. If he said he would punish us, then he will, one way or another.

Suddenly, Chu Minhui pushed himself up from the chair and stormed out.

"Where are you going?" Li Yichen asked in surprise.

"I am going back to the camp." Chu Minhui said.

"I won't come back until I became an official member of Cang Dragon!"

Wei Zipin followed Uncle Lin through an elevator which led them to the top floor of the Tian Shen Hotel.

The Tian Shen hotel was built to the standards of a five-star hotel. It's top floor was a rotating restaurant that was walled by giant glass panels. From here, one could have a fantastic view of the sprawling city below.

The rotating restaurant had always been a big draw for dinners; however, there was only a handful of people sitting inside the quiet dining room.

After Wei Zipin was through the entrance, he saw a group of people sitting on a sofa. Liu Guodong, Zhou Tianhao, Xu Ao and his father were among them. One person stood by the window, hands linked behind him and was looking toward the entrance.

Wei Zipin gritted his teeth and walked in.

He glanced at his father and the latter glared back at him with anger burning inside of his eyes.

"You little shit! How dare you affront Master Chen! Come here and apologize this instant!" The Third Lord Wei stood up and shouted vehemently at his son.

Wei Zipin's face flushed red, and he carefully closed in. The Third Lord Wei yanked his arm and gave his unwitting son a backhand slap in front of everyone. Indignation and a grudge flickered in the teenager's eyes.

The Third Lord Wei hurried to bow to Master Chen and said, "It is my fault to let my son do whatever he wants. I apologize for his foolishness. He will apologize right way."

The Third Lord Wei then gave Wei Zipin a threatening stare. Wei Zipin lowered his head and finally uttered a few words.

"Chen Fan... Master Chen, I am sorry."

He looked down at his feet for a while as he waited for Chen Fan's forgiveness. After a few silent moments, he braved to look up and heard Chen Fan's voice. "I asked you if you remember what I said earlier."

"What did you say?" Wei Zipin was taken aback and then suddenly, his face was contorted by fear, and he shouted, "I have already apologized, what do you want from me?"

"I have said if you didn't kneel; I will break your legs." Chen Fan reminded him lightly.

"YOU!" Wei Zipin's face blackened as he looked to his father for help.

The Third Lord Wei was made uneasy by the development. He managed a consolatory smile and said, "Master Chen, he is just a foolish child, let him go; he will learn his lesson."

"I, Chen Beixuan never make empty promises, nor threats."

The Third Lord Wei felt anger sprout out inside of him after hearing Chen Fan's coldhearted rejection. However, that anger was quickly dulled by helplessness.

Although he was a member of the Wei Family of the North Bank, even the combined might of the entire Wei Family of the North Bank Family would not compare with a fraction of Chen Fan's power.

He looked around and saw only gloating smirks on the faces of other tycoons. The Third Lord swallowed down his pride as well as the last shred of hope in saving his son.

With that in mind, The Third Lord Wei became quiet.

Seeing his father's reticence, Wei Zipin's heart sank. He shouted, "You asshole, you only rose to power because of my family. You are worthless without my family's help!"

"Shut up!"

The Third Lord Wei's face turned as pale as a piece of paper.

Before the third lord's panicked voice faded, Chen Fan lifted a finger and suddenly, Wei Zipin's left leg was dealt a heavy blow and made a terrifying crunch before it bent inward.

"AHRR!"

Wei Zipin howled painfully. He collapsed to the ground and rolled around while holding his injured leg.

"Zipin!"

The Third Lord Wei gasped. He wanted to check on his son, but then he thought better of it.

"For the sake of your father, I will only break one leg of your son. Do you think it's fair?"

The Third Lord Wei clenched his fist and said with his head low: "Yes."

When the Third Lord looked at Chen Fan again, he had already turned his back on him and was looking out of the window at the city beneath him.

However angry and frightened The Third Lord Wei was, he couldn't help but think one thing.

"From today on, no one will be able to challenge him ever again."

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Chapter 100: I Don't Believe You!

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

After Wei Zipin was carried out of the room by the paramedics, the group of tycoons sat down to continue the meeting.

"Master Chen, your Spirit Water is incredible. I have sent it to the lab for some testing, and they told me that the mineral content and water quality were no different than that of normal water, yet it has miraculous healing effects." Baldy Liu slapped his thigh and exclaimed.

Chen Fan cracked a faint smile.

Spirit Qi was not something that a machine in the lab was able to detect.

"Master Chen, how much of that Spirit Water can you produce a day?" Xu Ao asked thoughtfully.

For most of the magnates of Jiang Bei region, the biggest draw of the event was not only to see Master Chen but also the billion-yuan industry he had created. The Spirit Water could rake in over ten billion yuan a year in pure profit—a number that would entice even the richest man on earth.

Chen Fan gave Third Lord Wei a look, and the latter quickly overcame grief for his son and presented the details of their business plan.

"Two to three hundred bottles a day, and Master Chen would take only fifty thousand out of the sale?" Some businessmen gasped as yuan signs glinted in their eyes.

The price of a hundred thousand per bottle was recommended by The Third Lord Wei. If the businessmen played their sales tactics right, they might even be able to get a much higher price than that.

"This is a profitable business." Old Man Zhen nodded approvingly.

Once everyone was on board with the plan, the attendees started to iron out the final details.

They knew that Chen Fan wouldn't give away the Spirit Water freely; in order to get it, they would have to exchange the product with the resources they possessed. Before they went in length to negotiate the payments, Xu Ao put in seriously: "Master Chen, nearly all the bosses from Jiang Bei attended this meeting except for Lord Wu of Jiang Zhou City."

"Lord Wu?" Chen Fan furrowed his brows.

He remembered that Zhou Tianhao had mentioned this name to him before. Lord Wu worked under Tang Yunaqin of the Jin City.

"Traitor! Does he really think that Jiang Bei is still the same place as it used to be?" Baldy Liu cursed with a cold sneer.

"I will handle this matter myself." Chen Fan nodded and said.

Chen Fan's words caught everyone off guard. They wagered that Chen Fan was going to punish Lord Wu personally. Many businessmen already started to gloat over Lord Wu's imminent fall from grace.

The meeting at the top of the Tian Shen hotel wasn't over until midnight.

By then, the guests in the dining hall, such as Jiang Churan had long since returned home.

Jiang Churan knocked on the door with drowsiness in her head. When Auntie Tang answered the door, she was taken aback by Jiang Churan's frightened and shaken look on her face.

"Ran-Ran; what happened to you?"

Jiang Churan managed a smile, but she had kept her silence.

On the Sofa, Jiang Haishan was reading Milton Friedman's A Monetary History of the United States. When he heard his daughter at the door, he looked up and noticed something was off about Jiang Churan. He furrowed his brows and asked: "Ran-Ran, what's up with that face? Haven't you gone to the Tian Shen Banquet?"

He suddenly remembered something, so he continued with an angry voice: "Did Chen Fan get on your nerves again?"

Jiang Haishan shook his head and lamented, "He is so arrogant. I have said it before, and I will say it again, Li Yichen is much better than him."

"Excuse me? What has Xiao Fan done to you? I don't see anything bad about him!" Auntie Tang flung back at her husband hotly.

Seeing her parents were at it again, Jiang Churan finally broke her silence.

"Dad, Mom, do you believe that someone could rise to prominence overnight?"

"What do you mean?"Jiang Haishan asked with a solemn face.

"Well... like, say your good friend, who you think is just an ordinary student. And one day, you realize that he had risen to power overnight and now you can only admire him as his inferior." Jiang Churan chose her words carefully.

"However, you have no clue how or why this was happening.

"Let it be his ability, talent, temperament or intelligence, nothing about this friend suggested that he was extraordinary. So how could he have achieved so much so quickly while at the same their achievements would take others decades of hard work?"

"Situations like that are indeed very rare. But it is not impossible." Jiang Haishan shook his head. "Working hard is one way to success, but it was not the only way. Your friend could have met a powerful protector who had helped him to achieve success overnight."

"A powerful protector?" Jiang Churan's eyes lit up. "What kind of protector does it take to lift my friend's status from a normal high school student to that of Sheng Ronghua? The Wei Family? Could they do that to my friend?"

"Sheng Ronghua?" Jiang Haishan's voice broke into a laugh. "Ran-Ran, you think too little of the Shen Family."

"Shen Ronghua was one of the most powerful men in the Hu Dong province; his power was even greater than most city mayors. It was outright impossible to bestow so much prestige onto a high school student. The Wei Family won't be able to do it, and neither does anyone in the Hu Dong Province. Only those top dogs from the Yan Jin City might have a chance."

"Ok..." Jiang Churan replied confusedly.

"Did Chen Fan somehow gain support from those big wigs in Yan Jin? That's impossible."

"Ran-Ran, what exactly is going on?" Auntie Tang was baffled by all the questions.

"It's nothing."

Jiang Churan plastered a smile on her face and then walked straight to her room, leaving her parents bewildered by her strange actions.

She laid on her bed for a few hours and couldn't fall asleep as the image of Chen Fan turning his back on her at the dining table kept on appearing in her mind.

"Chen Fan... Master Chen?"

How was that even possible?

The more she thought about it, the more difficult it was for the rational side of her to come to terms with reality.

In the end, she got up and sneaked out of her house and headed toward the mansion at the top of the mountain. It was the middle of the winter close to the Chinese new year, and she was only wearing a thin layer housecoat. The chilly air slowly drained the color from her face; however, she was determined to reach the top.

When she finally reached the mansion, it was already four o'clock in the morning and dawn had just broken.

She tried the mansion's gate, and to her surprise, it opened with ease. Once she was through the entrance, she was surrounded by white mist; it was as if she had walked into the land of immortals. However, Jiang Churan didn't waste time wandering around, she carefully sneaked up along the stairs and arrived at the third floor. There she found Chen Fan sitting in a wicker chair on the balcony; eyes half closed as if he was waiting for her.

"You knew I would be here?" Jiang Churan asked coldly.

"Why does that matter?" Chen Fan said slowly. "What do you want from me?"

Jiang Churan pondered the question for a second and then mustered as much courage as she could find. "You asked me if I believe that you are Master Chen, now I want to give you the answer."

"I don't believe you!"

She looked at Chen Fan straight in the eyes and announced each word loud and clear.

"Oh? Why not?" Chen Fan asked interestedly. "More than half of the elites in the Jiang Bei region believe me, why couldn't you?"

"Because I have a brain!" Jiang Churan held her chin up as pride flashed across her face. "The Third Lord Wei, Xu Ao, and Liu Guodong all believed that you are Master Chen, but I don't. I simply don't see it in you.

"Chen Fan, you looked humble at first sight, but you are the most arrogant person I have ever seen. Everything you do goes against the grain of what is accepted by society.

"Your networking skills couldn't even compare with Li Yichen, much less elite business executives.

"You have zero knowledge and skills in either business or politics.

"Have you ever read the books written by Daniel Kahneman or Finn Kydland?

"You lacked personality, family background, social abilities, and knowledge.

"You have nothing. So tell me, what made you Master Chen?"

By the end of her ranting, she nearly lost her voice and tears welled in her eyes.

She had spilled out her frustration, doubts, and remorse that she had bottled up inside throughout the entire night.

Jiang Churan went through elite education ever since she was a child. Her upbringing gave her the ability to pinpoint a person's family background and degree of success based on observations such as the dress style, mannerisms, depth of knowledge.

She had never misjudged anyone until she met Chen Fan.

She had been convinced that Chen Fan was just another ordinary high school student who would continue to live an unexciting life at the bottom of society.

However, he had pulled the rug from under her and rose to power overnight.

"You came here just to tell me this?"

Chen Fan shook his head and said indifferently. "Jiang Churan, I have told you while we were at the bar to not to measure my power using your worldly knowledge."

"You have no idea who you are talking to."

He paused a second, stood up and then walked to the edge of the balcony, looking into the vast sea of clouds.

"Very well, still have doubts, don't you? I will convince you today once for all that I am Master Chen."

So saying, Chen Fan stomped the floor and shouted: "Arise!"

Suddenly, countless rays of golden lights shot up from the ground; it covered the entire swath of area from the Yun Wu Mountain to the Yan Gui Lake. The massive blanket of white mist rolled down from the peak and covered half of the mountain. Even as Jiang Churan tried to make sense of what was happening, she saw a misty white snake writhing among the clouds while humming a heavenly tune.

The snake looked exactly like the Yin Snake that was killed by Chen Fan at the pond, except for the addition of two horns on its forehead.

She looked around and found out that she was surrounded by boundless mist. Then she realized that it was not just her; the entire mountain was wrapped up in the misty shroud.

"This is... What?" Jiang Churan was rendered speechless.

The misty snake rose to the balcony and wrapped itself around Chen Fan as a pet would to its owner.

"I didn't use talents nor money to subdue the tycoons of the Jiang Bei region. I only used real strength.

"The strength that commands life and death."

Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and turned his head to look at the girl as if he was looking at a pathetic insect.

Standing before the unimaginable sight, Jiang Churan suddenly had a moment of epiphany. "No wonder everyone called him Master Chen. With such power, he might as well be an immortal."

After that final thought, her mind was claimed by overwhelming regret and remorse.

January 28, 2008, the Misty Mountain Array was completed!

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Chapter 101: Wei Family's Invitation

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Jiang Churan left the mansion confused and scared. She came for an answer, yet she left with more questions.

"Who is Chen Fan? Where does his powers come from? Is he an immortal?"

However, what really upset Jiang Churan was the discovery that she and Chen Fan belonged to two different worlds and they would never be together.

So thinking, more and more regret sprouted out inside of her heart.

Chen Fan didn't even seem to care Jiang Churan when the latter left the mansion. He gently stroked the head of the misty snake.

The snake was entirely made out of the mist and was about thirty meters in length. It writhed in the sky, ramming its horn against the clouds like a dragon in the ancient scroll paintings.

"This is the real reason that I killed the Yin Snake and absorbed its soul into the Jade Marrow." Chen Fan thought to himself.

The Misty Mountain Array consisted of four main components.

Spirit Channeling Array, Spirit Gathering Array, Mist Array, and the Array Spirit.

Only the souls of powerful cultivators or Spirit animals could have enough power to sustain the immense power of the array. The Heretic and the Demon Schools would use mass sacrifice to create an Array Spirit from the lives of thousands of innocents.

Chen Fan had even witnessed a perfected immortal from the Demon School blow up an entire populated planet and harness the life force of all sentient beings on the planet to create an Array that spanned an entire galaxy.

However, in the end, the savage cultivator from the Demon School was defeated by an alliance of five other cultivators. Chen Fan was one of the five righteous cultivators that brought justice to the Demon School cultivator.

"This Yin Snake had cultivated for over a hundred years and had reached Ethereal Enlightenment. Although it was not an ideal Array Spirit material, it should suffice for now."

He watched as the giant snake leaped above the clouds and disappeared. As soon as the Misty Mountain Array was turned on, the mist in the array merged seamlessly with the natural mists formed around the mountain.

Looking at the mountain from far away, the mist that used to cover the mountain peak had grown in size and covered the entire mountain.

The mist not only served to confuse an intruder, but it also provided a perfect hiding spot for the misty snake. Although the snake was formed from shapeless mist, its power was not any less than when it lived in the pond. In addition, it's new form made it nearly indestructible, since hitting it was more or less like hammering a nail into a puff of clouds.

Its life was linked to the endless supply of Spirit Qi from the lake and the Mist from the Mountain, and therefore it could regenerate itself indefinitely.

Chen Fan watched as the Giant snake disappeared in the sky. He cracked a smile and then said: "Since you look so much like a real dragon, I will call you White Drakeling."

'As its recorded in the ancient text, Drakelings were juvenile dragons. In five hundred years they will grow into Drakes, and after another five hundred years, they will finally become real dragons that could soar into the heavenly realm.

As if the white drakeling had heard Chen Fan's words, it echoed him with a long joyful hum.

Although this white drakeling only existed in the form of a soul and lacked any substance, once Chen Fan upgraded the array, he would be able to help the white drakeling regain its body.

Chen Fan stayed in the mansion for another few hours to finalize the array.

After the array was finally ready, he was about to leave for home. Suddenly, he got a phone call from Wei Ziqin.

"Chen Fan, are you still in Chu Zhou City? I can't get into your mansion at all! What's up with all the mist?" Wei Ziqin complained over the other end of the line.

"Is there anything you need from me?" Chen Fan furrowed his brows.

He was planning to leave Chu Zhou City and return Si Shui County for the Chinese new year.

Wei Ziqin paused a second and then said in a serious tone: "My grandfather wants to see you before you leave for your home."

She then said hesitantly:"... and my dad is here too, he wants to meet you as well."

"Your dad? Wei Changgeng?" Chen Fan was taken aback.

The oldest son of the Old Man Wei was called Wei Changgeng, and he was a high-level official in the province; his second son was the leader of the local military unit.

"They want to revenge for Wei Zipin?"

Chen Fan thought to himself. However, he was not afraid of retribution at all.

Half a year ago, when he first met Old Man Wei, he had only been at the Foundation Establishment level. Even a shot from a handgun could have threatened his life.

However, half a year later, he had nearly completed the Foundation Establishment level and gained two deadly Dharma Artifacts. With the help of his Immortal Will, he was practically invincible as long as he was not facing up against an entire army.

"Fine, what's the harm in seeing them anyway?"

So thinking, Chen Fan left the mansion.

As soon as he was through the threshold of the array, he saw Wei Ziqin was waiting for him with a big frown. She complained, "This mist is annoying. I can't even find the path."

"It's just an array." Chen Fan said lightly.

He sneaked a peek at Wei Ziqin's face and didn't find any displeasure nor vindictiveness. He said with surprise, "I thought the Wei family is coming to get me."

Wei Ziqin covered her mouth and giggled.

"Don't worry. I know you have broken my cousin's leg, but he got what he deserved. Over the years, he had ruined our family reputation, and if not for his overprotective father, I would have broken his leg myself."

"When grandpa first heard the news about what happened to his precious grandson, he was angry for a while. However, after a long talk with my dad, grandpa is in a much better mood now; otherwise, he wouldn't want to see you." Wei Ziqin gave Chen Fan a sidelong glance.

"Master Chen is so powerful now that you probably didn't even care about the reaction of the Wei family any longer."

"He asked for it. I give neither empty promises nor threats, ever." Chen Fan said calmly, however, his eyes were brimming with pride.

Wei Ziqin rolled her eyes, but she didn't blame Chen Fan. It was her cousin's fault from the outset.

Chen Fan followed Wei Ziqin into a quiet courtyard; it was the same place where he had first met Master Wu and Xin Zhong.

"Mr. Chen, long time no see!"

Elderly Man Wei cracked a smile and stood up to greet Chen Fan.

He looked in much better health than six months ago. His steady steps carried such gusto that it could mean only one thing: the old man had finally perfected the internal force.

"Long time no see." Chen Fan nodded and then looked over the shoulder of the elderly man.

In addition to Xiao Qi, the old man's bodyguard, he also saw a middle age man in a military uniform standing upright like a tall spruce tree. His face was hard and indifferent, on his shoulder, he carried marks that displayed four stars sandwiched between two horizontal strikes.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Wei?" Chen Fan asked lightly after he sat down.

"Just wanted to chat with you." Old Man Wei said with a smile. "It had only been six months, and you have made a name for yourself. You already forgot your old friends, haven't you?"

Chen Fan smiled but didn't respond. He could tell the bitterness in Elderly Man Wei's voice.

However delinquent Wei Zipin was, he was the old man's grandson. Breaking Wei Zipin's legs was the same as slapping the elderly man in the face; an act that would greatly reduce the prestige of the family.

However, since Elderly Man Wei had invited him over, it meant that he had already got over it.

"What could have made him forgive me for harming his grandson?"

Chen Fan couldn't help but look to Wei Changgeng behind the old man.

Elderly Man Wei's smile disappeared from his face; he said heavily, "I have a favor to ask you."

"Do tell." Chen Fan nodded.

The Elderly Man Wei kept his silence, but he turned his head over his shoulder and looked to Wei Changgeng.

Wei Changgeng nodded and gave Chen Fan a sharp glare.

"Master Chen, everyone has been talking about your martial abilities, of how invincible you are. I wonder if the rumors are real?"

Chen Fan furrowed his brows, and he looked to Elderly Man Wei. However, the old man ignored his stare. Chen Fan was amused by the show they put on for him. He looked back at Wei Changgeng and then said, "Yes, it is true. But what are you getting at?"

"Can you demonstrate please?" Wei Changgeng's eyes glinted.

Chen Fan cracked a smile. He was planning on showing the Wei family a display of strength to deter them from harboring any intent of harming him. He asked Wei Changgeng, "Have you brought a gun with you?"

Wei Changgeng was taken aback and knotted his brows, "What does it have to do with your demonstration?"

Chen Fan pointed to him and then pointed back at himself. "Try your weapon on me."

"What?" Wei Changgeng thought his ears had played a trick on him.

Wei Ziqin and Old Man Wei were also shocked by what they heard.

"I said, try your weapon on me." Chen Fan repeated.

"As you wish!"

Wei Changgeng was a man of no-nonsense. He would oblige, if shooting the boy was what it took to get what he wanted.

"Very well. Are you ready?" Wei Changgeng held the gun in both hands and asked heavily.

"Do it." Chen Fan sat still and said proudly.

"Dad!"

Wei Ziqin gasped. Even the Elderly Man Wei was at a loss for words.

Although he had heard that a Transcendent Master did not fear modern weapons, he had always believed that those were simply high tales.

Wei Changgeng fired. Suddenly a spark erupted violently in front of Chen Fan. It was as if the bullet had struck a piece of metal. When Wei Ziqin looked closer, he saw Chen Fan had caught the bullet in his hand, and the boy was unharmed.

"He did it!" Wei Ziqin exclaimed.

The Elderly Man Wei heaved a sigh of relief. He also felt lucky that he didn't insist on butting heads against Chen Fan for his grandson's injury.

A joyful smile brake over Wei Changgeng's face.

"So the rumors are true! You are indeed as powerful as they said you were."

Wei Changgeng saluted to Chen Fan and said: "Master Chen, the reason I invited you here today was to ask you to become the head sergeant for the Cang Dragon Unit."

"Head sergeant of Cang Dragon?"

Chen Fan was taken aback as he had no idea what it meant.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 102: Head Sergeant of Cang Dragon

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Chen Fan finally fully understood what Cang Dragon was after Wei Changgeng's explanation.

In China, every military unit had its disciplinary team; each consisted of over a thousand people.

Cang Dragon unit were the elites selected from these law enforcement units. Each and every one of its members were the cream of the crop. Equipped with the most advanced weapons, they underwent systematic training to ready them for the most difficult tasks.

Due to the extreme risk involved in their tasks, their casualty rate could be as high as 10%. Every member of the Cang Dragon was a valuable asset to the team. The head sergeant of the squad was the highest rank officer of the Cang Dragon that was in charge of organizing the training and leading the combat.

"Mr. Chen, the official rank of the head sergeant is high since he is the absolute leader of the unit. Due to your young age, the military will wait a year to award you with the rank. When they do, you will get at least the rank of Senior Colonel."

Wei Changgeng said jealously.

He was about forty or fifty years old, and thanks to years of hard work and his family's fame, he had eventually earned the rank of Senior Colonel.

On the other hand, Chen Fan was only sixteen years old and was going to reach the same rank as his in a matter of a couple of years. Plus, Chen Fan's rank would not stop there; it was not impossible for him to be promoted to the rank of general."

Wei Changgeng was certain that once the news about Chen Fan's attainment got out, many people were going to share his jealousy.

The surprise was written all over Wei Ziqin's face. A seventeen-year-old Senior Colonel who was destined to become a general in his early twenties. Such a feat was unprecedented.

All of a sudden, her eyes were filled with admiration as she gazed at Chen Fan.

"The elite law enforcement unit?" Chen Fan nodded and then asked curiously, "If this position is important, why do you want me to fill the role?"

Wei Changgeng smiled wryly and then said, "The previous head sergeant has resigned."

He paused a second and said, "There was a martial arts tournament a few weeks ago, and Cang Dragon failed miserably in the competition. Of the ten elite units, Cang Dragon was ranked seventh."

"Seventh out of ten?"

Even Elderly Man Wei and Wei Ziqin were shocked by the revelation.

Wei Ziqin asked incredulously, "Of the ten elite units, three were from the marines. And we all know that the Marines' law enforcement units are not particularly strong. So..."

"Indeed." Wei Changgeng's face hardened and said: "So that means Cang Dragon is the worst of all law enforcement units."

Everyone was shocked by his words.

It was such a humiliating failure no wonder the head sergeant would resign.

The military was very much like a school, not only the students would compete with each other for the best marks, so did the teachers.

"But that doesn't explain why you want me to take over." Chen Fan said.

"The head sergeant will have to be an expert at modern warfare and weaponry. I can't tell a real gun from a fake one; what can I teach your soldiers?"

Wei Changgeng paused a second and said, "You don't have to worry about that, Mr. Chen."

"The head sergeant is only in charge of training. The other matters will be taken care of by the military experts."

"The Cang Dragon had a very comprehensive support team. There were experts for training every aspect of their ability."

He paused and locked his eyes with Chen Fan: "As a head sergeant, your main duty is to improve their personal combat ability."

"Personal combat ability?" Chen Fan furrowed his brows and said.

"That's right." Wei Changgeng confirmed.

"After the failure at the tournament, we have taken a long hard look at our training program. We quickly noticed that the shortfall lies in the combat capability of individual soldiers."

"The Cang Dragon carries out very risky surgical operations. Each task team consisted of less than a dozen members. They often had to face danger coming from not only their enemies but also the harsh environment. The effectiveness of their weapons at many times were irrelevant; it was their personal abilities that mattered."

"I see..." Chen Fan nodded.

It finally made sense to him why the Military had thought of him. He wagered that his name had already spread far and wide to the ears of the military higher-ups.

"I don't have time for training a bunch of kids."

Chen Fan shook his head, and even as he was about to reject the offer, Wei Ziqin asked excitedly.

"Dad, which team took the first place? Was it the "Falcon" from the southwest military unit? Or the "Battle Wolf, from the Northwest?" She paused as her eyes gleamed, "It's the "Blades, Isn't it?"

Being the daughter of Wei Changgeng, Wei Ziqin was not only an avid martial artist but also a military enthusiast.

"It was none of them." Wei Changgeng said heavily.

"Blades, were number two."

"The first place belongs to the "Dragon's Fang."

He said it in a jealous and angry tone.

"Ever since the Dragon's Fang started to partake in the tournament, they had been taking the top spot for fifteen years."

"Fifteen years in a row?" Wei Ziqin gasped. Even Elderly Man Wei was taken aback by the feat.

"Indeed." Wei Changgeng nodded and said, "Dragon's Fang was the strongest of all the Disciplinary Units. They were top elite units even compared to similar units around the world."

"The leaders of the military were determined to improve the quality of the Cang Dragon unit and therefore they had decided to invite Master Chen as the head sergeant."

He didn't give Chen Fan time to reject as he hurried to continue: "Rest assured that the duty won't affect your school. The training base is very close to Chu Zhou City, and as the head sergeant, you don't need to stay at the base all the time. You only need to advise them on their training for two to three days a week."

Wei Changgeng said as he stared pleadingly at Chen Fan.

"Master Chen, the military is sincerely in need of your help."

"I was sent here to make you aware of my higher-ups intentions. If you think this is something you might be interested, my supervisor will come here to greet you personally. By then, we can talk about the details, such as your parents..."

Hearing his words, Wei Ziqin could only stare at Chen Fan.

She had never thought that Chen Fan had such prestige that even her father's boss would have to greet him personally.

Chen Fan gave Wei Changgeng a knowing glance and said, "Fine, let me think about it."

Afterward, he pushed himself out of the chair and was ready to leave.

"Elderly Man Wei, I am going to leave for home, sorry that I won't be able to stay here for too long."

Elderly Man Wei stood up with a smile, "You have been away from home for more than six months, you must miss your parents..."

After Chen Fan was gone, Wei Fu shook his head and lamented "Changgeng, if not for the last thing you said to Chen Fan, he would have rejected your offer right away."

"Which thing?" Wei Ziqin asked curiously.

"His parents." Wisdom gleamed in Elderly Man Wei's eyes as he spoke.

"It seems like the key to persuading this Master Chen is with his parents."

"Yes, father!" Wei Changgeng nodded.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 103: The Second Ye Nantian?

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Dad, Grandpa, I still don't understand this. Chen Fan is the perfect candidate for this job; why wouldn't he be interested."

Wei Ziqin asked perplexed.

"This is a directive from the military leaders. I bet he is the only young man at his age to have received such honor."

"It doesn't make sense to you because you haven't fully understood the power of a Transcendent Master." Elderly Man Wei said slowly with a loving smile.

"Your grandpa is right." Wei Changgeng nodded. "In fact, I didn't tell the complete story about the last head sergeant. During the tournament, my boss and two other big wigs had come to watch Cang Dragon's combat. After the defeat, my boss was so pissed off that he fired our last head sergeant on the spot in a fit of anger."

"Oh? Li Wuchen also went to watch the tournament?" Elderly Man Wei was taken aback.

He didn't expect the military leaders at such a high level would have paid any attention to law enforcement units. Lu Wuchen was one of the highest-ranking officers that the Old Man knew.

"Indeed. After the tournament, Li Wuchen rushed to Zhong Hai and invited Mr. Hua to be the new head sergeant. However, Mr. Hua refused." Wei ChangGeng lamented.

"You are talking about Hua Yunfeng?" Old Man Wei furrowed his brows and said: "He is about the same age as me, no wonder he is not interested."

"Who is Hua Yunfeng?" Wei Ziqin asked curiously.

"Mr. Hua of Zhong Hai. He used to be a famous playboy when he was young in the 30's." Wei ChangGeng said wistfully." He rose to power about the same time as the other now-legendary heroes. He had stayed in Zhong Hai for his entire life in order to ensure the stability of the city."

"Not a lot of people know that Hua Yunfeng was also one of the most powerful Transcendent Masters. He was undefeated in China for a couple of decades." Elderly Man Wei shook his head and said: "He had already achieved everything he wanted in his life; therefore, he no longer had any drive to get involved."

"Indeed." Wei ChangGeng nodded."That's what Mr. Hua told Li Wuchen."

"There are other Transcendent Masters in provinces and cities such as Dong Jiang, Hu Dong, Zhong Hai; however, they are either too old or too difficult to find. That is what made Master Chen a real gem."

"I didn't think Li Wuchen would invite Hua Yunfeng personally." Elderly Man Wei said abruptly.

"If I knew that they wanted Chen Fan so badly, I would have to pay a visit to him myself to apologize for Zipin."

"What happened to Zipin?" Wei Zipin just came back, and therefore he was not aware of what had happened.

"Zipin offended Chen Fan and Chen Fan broke one of his legs. He said if not for grandpa, he would break both of his legs."

Wei Ziqin said indignantly.

However annoying he was, Wei Zipin was her cousin and hurting Wei Zipin was the same as slapping her face.

"Humph! Someone needs to teach that idiot a lesson. If my brother had given his son to me to look after, I would have beaten his arrogance out of him by now."

Wei Changgeng scoffed. He never liked Wei Zipin.

"Dad!" Wei Ziqin rolled her eyes at her father and then complained: "Grandpa, although Chen Fan is powerful, you shouldn't have to go to him and apologize. He had hurt Zipin, not the other way around."

"Silly girl, hehe. You have no idea how important Chen Fan is." Elderly Man Wei shook his head heavily. "Changgeng just came back, and he was in a hurry to see Chen Fan, so he didn't explain everything to me. I thought he was just looking for a head sergeant for the normal units, but little did I know that the position was for Cang Dragon."

"If he fills up the role, he would have more power than you could ever imagine."

"Really? I think he is powerful already. People call him Master Chen of Jiang Bei." Wei Ziqin exclaimed.

"That's nothing."

Old Man Wei cracked a smile.

In the eyes of the retired veteran, Chen Fan's influence at this stage was laughable. Most people were simply afraid of him because of his personal strength.

"However, if he could become the head sergeant of Cang Dragon and lead the Cang Dragon to defeat Dragon's Fang, he would become as reputable as Ye Nantian." Elderly Man Wei said heavily.

"The next Ye Nantian?" Wei Ziqin was shocked.

"Yes." Elderly Man Wei said: "Ziqin, do you know what happened to the person who first recommended Ye Nantian to the military?"

"What happened?" Wei Ziqin asked.

"He rose to the top rank of military overnight."

"Top rank over night?" Wei Ziqin gasped.

If the person who helped Ye Nantian at an early stage of his career were able to garner so much respect and honor, then exactly how much prestige does Ye Nantian himself possess?

"Indeed, Ye Nantian is so powerful that sometimes I doubt if he is a warrior god." Wei Changgeng said with a solemn face. "Although we are rivals, I respect him for his strength and abilities."

"If Master Chen could achieve what Ye Nantian did, he would be way out of our league."

"Indeed." Old Man Wei lamented. "Your older brother is getting older by the day, and I don't think he had much potential left in him. Your younger brother, well... acts like your younger brother. You are the backbone and the hope of our family.

"If Master Chen is really going to become the next Ye Nantian and rise to power, we can then count on our connection with him to grow your influence. There is nothing more important to me than making sure that you are on the right track."

"Dad." Even though Wei Changgeng was a battle-hardened warrior, tears welled in his eyes.

"That's it for today." Elderly Man Wei rose from the chair and said: "When Mr. Chen returns from his trip, I will visit him personally.

"Tell your younger brother that don't blame others for his fault. He should have been more strict to his own son."

"Yes, father." Wei Changgeng rose from his seat and answered.

Wei Ziqin stood quietly as her mind raced.

She could never have thought that the Wei family would have to bend their knees before Chen Fan.

Chen Fan knew nothing about the Wei family's plan.

Although he was taken aback by how attractive the employment terms were, he was not convinced that he should fill the role.

The position might seem tempting to others, but it was nothing in the eyes of Chen Fan who used to look down at the universe like it was his plaything.

The head sergeant was nothing but a little ant standing on a two-inch tall sandhill in a desert that had no bounds.

"On another note, I am very impressed by the power of my Immortal will. I had practically entered bullet time." Chen Fan cracked a smile.

He had thought of disabling the gun first, but then changed his mind and decided to stop the bullet with bare hands.

Chen Fan would not have been able to pull the bullet time off three months ago.

However, with the immortal will, Chen Fan was able to predict the movement of the bullet and catch it.

Without the Immortal Will ability, Chen Fan wouldn't be able to pull this act off until he reached Divine Sea Level.

"I think I am done here. Time to go home and meet my parents."

Chen Fan looked into the distance wistfully as memories of his hometown flooded his mind.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 104: Back To Home

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

In recent years, more and more people were returning back to Chen Fan's home county from the city.

Chen Fan politely refused a few magnates' invitations of giving him a ride home as he preferred the quietness and secluded time on a bus.

"Six months ago, I was reborn on the bus operated by Golden Dragon Travel Group. However, I was traveling in the opposite direction." Chen Fan lamented.

When he first woke up on the bus, he was nothing but a normal student. Six months later, he had already become a household name in the Jiang Bei region.

"I wonder if my mother and Sister An had returned home or not. I hope father is still doing all right. What about my childhood friends? I wonder if they have changed at all?"

Chen Fan thought to himself.

As the winding country road took him closer toward home, he felt slightly scared.

He would be lying to say that he didn't feel guilty for ignoring his parents in the six months.

After the bus pulled into the station, Chen Fan walked off the bus; he didn't bring any luggage with him. As soon as he was through the exit, he got a phone call from his father's administrative assistant.

"Hi, Brother Sun. Are you coming to pick me up? No, you don't have to..."

Before Chen Fan could finish his words, he saw a young man waving at him across the street. That was his best friend Jun Jie. Chen fan cracked a smile and then spoke to the phone: "Thank you, Brother Sun, Jun Jie is already here to pick me up. Thank you anyways. Stay in touch."

He hung up the phone and watched as the young man darted towards him and then threw a punch at his chest.

"Asshole! Why have you been ghosting me for six months! I thought you have traveled outside of China."

A light-hearted smile broke over Chen Fan's face. He thought to himself.

"I have traveled much further than just outside of China. I was five hundred years away, and now I am back."

"Stop it, Jun Jie. Xiao Fan must have kept himself busy with school. Gaokao is in just a few months." A young man wearing a black-rimmed glasses spoke calmly.

Hearing the words, Jun Jie shook his head and unclenched his fist.

Despite the teenagers' accusatory tone, Chen Fan knew that their intentions were good. Chen Fan felt warmth rose inside of him.

The boy who rushed to Chen Fan was called Wu Junjie while the boy with the black rimmed glasses was called Xu Haoxuan. Both of them were Chen Fan's best friends ever since childhood.

The three walked alongside each other and arrived at a car. Chen Fan plastered on an impressed look and then said: "Holy shit! Young Lord Wu, it's only been six months, and you can afford a BMW now?"

"Hehe, it's just a 320 series, the most affordable line. Only two hundred thousand, one of my friends gave me a discount on it. "Wu Junjie put on a smug smile and then said: "I have met a lot of rich and powerful young people while I was at Jin City.

"You have to see their wealth for yourself. They drove million yuan race cars such as Ferraris and Lamborghinis. Their house built along the river is worth over ten million. One of them, the Young Lord Wei was particularly close to me. We are planning to open a business together in the future. When I am finally rich, I will ditch this BMW and get a Maserati or what have you."

The longer Wu Junjie went on, the more imaginative his story became.

"Young Lord Wei? The Wei Family of Chu Zhou City?" Xu Haoxuan asked with two raised eyebrows.

"You bet. Who else do you think I am talking about?" So saying, he plastered on a smug smile, but a gloomy concern flashed across his face.

Chen Fan recalled what Wei Zipin had said about Wu Junjie. He reckoned that his friend had stomached a lot of humiliation when he was away from home.

Wu Junjie was the son of the richest man in the county. He never had been school material and skipped classes every day to hang out with his rich and spoiled friends. When he moved to a big city, his advantage from his family background suddenly disappeared into thin air. This amount of wealth his father amassed in the little county couldn't compare with the rich city magnates.

On the other hand, both of Xu Haoxuan's parents were ordinary government employees, but Xu Haoxuan's grades were high, and he was vying for top universities such as Qinhua.

The Number One Middle School at the Chu Zhou City used to fight over him with the Sishui County High School. But in the end, the boy decided to stay in the county.

"Bah, let's talk about something else." Wu Jun Jie patted Chen Fan's shoulder and said: "Everyone is waiting for you at the Deng Yin restaurant. I even invited your dream girl."

"The Deng Yin restaurant? Damn, did you strike it rich while you are in the city?" Xu Haoxuan asked with surprise.

Deng Yin restaurant was one of the oldest restaurants in China, a banquet there would cost at least two thousand yuan per table.

"Hehe, I just thought that we should go all out and celebrate." Wu Junjie said as he pounded his chest. "Don't try to save money for me when you are there, order whatever you want. "

When the three arrived at the Deng Yin restaurant, they saw two girls and a young man were already waiting for them by the entrance.

The young man hung an amiable smile on his face while the two girls looked dazzlingly attractive.

One of the girls was tall in stature; a pair of short pants barely covered her and revealed much of her elegant curvy thighs. The other girl was slightly shorter than the first one and had well-defined features that made her look much more sophisticated.

"Wei Wei, Wen Jin! look who is here?"

Wu Jun Jie got off the car first, and he dragged Chen Fan out of the back seat.

Before Chen Fan could say a word, fire spill out from the tall girl's mouth."Hey, you dipshit! Where have you been? I will teach you a lesson today so that you won't disappear like that again!"

"Indeed. Brother Fan, you should have not been ghosting us." The plump teenage boy said.

"Quit it, you two. Chen Fan had just come back; let him take a rest." The girl with an elegant face said lightly.

The plump boy was called Yan Xiaobai. His family runs a textile company in the county.

The tall girl's name was Lin Weiwei. Both of her parents were martial artists. She had a hot body and an even hotter temper.

The girl with refined features was Yu Wenjin, the dream girl of all boys in the county high school.

Yu Wenjin, Lin Weiwei, Xu Haoxuan, Wu Jun Jie and Xu Haoxuan were all friends with Chen Fan ever since they were kids.

Chen Fan looked to his group of friends, and the first he saw was Yan Xiaobai. He didn't change at all: friendly and plump like he always was.

Lin Weiwei remained the same as well; her temper didn't improve at all. However, Chen Fan's eyes lingered on Yu Wenjin's face for a while as he found something was different and strange.

"Uh?" Chen Fan was taken aback as he felt strange and otherworldly energy flowing around Yu Wenjin.

"She came to our county at the grade seven, and since then she had captivated the hearts of all boys at the school."

Chen Fan recalled.

Yu Wenjin was even more attractive than Jiang Churan. Chen Fan conceded that she was one of the most beautiful girls he had ever met in the first thirty years of his past life. Not only was she drop dead gorgeous, but she also had exceptionally good grades.

It was not a secret to Chen Fan and his other friends that Wu Junjie and Xu Haoxuan were competing with each other for the girl's attention.

Memories of Chen Fan's past life surfaced in his mind, and his look grew increasingly wistful.

"No wonder things were so awkward in my past life, it all makes sense now."

"Let's go in."

Wu Junjie hurried everyone to enter the Deng Yin restaurant. He had booked a VIP room that was decorated with traditional style Chinese furniture. A few waiters stood in the corner of the room and were at the guest's beck and call.

"Stop staring at me." Yu Wenjin protested. She never liked the attention, and Chen Fan's insistent gaze started to creep her out.

"Pervert! Why are you ogling Hottie Yu?" Wu Junjie said bitterly.

"Don't call me that." Yu Wenjin flung back at Wu Junjue with a frown.

"Fine, fine, I will call you sister Wenjin, how about that?" Wu Junjie said as he raised both hands in surrender.

Chen Fan watched as the two threw lighthearted banter at each other and felt a strong sense of nostalgia.

"They are my real friends! I have made it back just to hang out with you guys again because our friendship was the best thing that ever happened to me."

To Chen Fan, the relationship with his friends weighed more than the entire planet. Without them, the earth was just another grain of sand in the desert.

Everyone chatted with each other as they enjoyed the meal. Yu Wenjin glanced at Chen Fan curiously from time to time.

She could sense that Chen Fan had changed a great deal over the six months; however, Yu Wenjin could not put a finger on exactly what had made the boy different.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 105: Friends Of Past Life

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Chen Fan sat quietly as he studied his friends.

"In my past life, Yan Xiaobai brought a girl home after graduating from university. Together, he and that girl took over his father's business.

"Lin Weiwei was able to get into The Institute of Aviation in Jinlin City. She always wanted to be a pilot; however, her training eventually led her to become an air stewardess. Later, she married a successful officer in the military.

"Xu Haoxuan was able to get into the Qinhua University. After graduation, he became an executive director of a foreign-investment company and married a rich-white-beautiful girl.

"Wu Jun Jie quit his university only a few years after he was admitted. After a decade of rough tumbles, he was able to strike it rich and eventually became a tycoon that owned over a few hundred million in assets.

"Yu Wenjin on the other hand..."

Chen Fan regarded the girl's alluring yet distant face as he fell deep into thought.

He scrapped the memory of his past life, but he could not find any traces of Yu Wenjin. Any information about this girl ceased to exist after this new year gathering. He only vaguely recalled that she and her grandmother left the county in a hurry without leaving any contact information.

After taking a deep dive into memory lane, Chen Fan recalled that a few years later, Wu Junjie told Chen Fan his version of the story with tears in his eyes.

He revealed to Chen Fan that a few days before Yu Wenjin left the county, he had asked Yu Wenjin out, but he was rejected. To rub salt in the wound, Yu Wenjin left the boy with a cold remark. "We are not from the same world."

"In my past life, I thought she was looking down on Wu Junjie. However, it seemed that I might be wrong, and she was telling the truth."

Chen Fan shook his head.

He noticed that Yu Wenjin had the cast of a cultivator about her. Chen Fan wagered that she had not yet reached the entry-level or the so-called Dao-Reaching Level based on the categorization of spellcasters on earth, but neither was she very far from it.

"However, her energy seemed... strange. It's not only ancient and primordial, but also uncanny and ghastly, yet it was different than the ghostly Yin Qi of Wu Shanhe. Her Yin Qi was much more imposing in nature and extremely powerful compared to that of other cultivars on earth.

"Her physical condition was very peculiar as well; a natural affinity with the Yin energy, no doubt. Such natural affinity was rare even among the immortal cultivators, much less the cultivators on earth. Such inborn affinity not only would help with her cultivation, but it will also unlock some Heretical Art for her. Nonetheless, the particular variant of the Yin Qi she possessed seemed only to strengthen her existing power but did not affect progressing through the levels of cultivation. Otherwise, she should have already reached the Dao-Reaching Level."

Chen Fan thought to himself.

Yu Wenjin's power and abilities were fully exposed to Chen Fan under his Immortal Will.

In the realm of cultivation, there were many arts that leveraged natural affinities such as the method of Tripod Cauldron, Human Elixirs, Grand Pills, Soul Honoring, and many more.

"I hope I am wrong."

Chen Fan shook his head.

Suddenly, Wu Junjie patted his shoulder and said: "Join me for a smoke."

"Sure thing."

Chen Fan said quietly.

They left the VIP section and walked to the smoking area on the balcony.

Wu Junjie leaned against a rail and looked down at the crowd in the streets below him. He asked abruptly: "I lied, Xiao Fan. I lied to all of you."

"About what?" Chen Fan asked calmly.

"I told you that I went to Jinlin City and met with the Young Lord Wei. That part is true." Wu Jun Jie took a drag on the cigarette and said: "But I didn't tell you that he had slapped me and told me that I am not worthy of being his friend.

"When I saw his slap coming for my face, I wanted to dodge, but I was so afraid... I... I couldn't even stand up for myself." Tears welled in Wu Jun Jie's swollen eyes. "If I dodged or Fought back, even my father would be in trouble.

"Xiao Fan, you are the only person I could talk to. I can't let them know." Wu Jun Jie said under his breath.

"Haoxuan only cares about his studies. You know him, he doesn't really want to hang out with us anyways, because we are a bunch of losers.

"Yanmo is only interested in girls. He is an idiot.

"Lin Weiwei is not much better, a typical blond, but as for Hottie Yu..."

Wu JunJie managed a wry smile and then shook his head. "She said we are from two different worlds. She is only interested in rich city boys.

"Therefore, you are the only person I could talk to." Wu Jun Jie heaved a sigh.

Chen Fan listened and didn't interrupt. He knew that Wu Junjie was only looking for a listener.

As Chen Fan expected, Wu Junjie continued: "I have since become disillusioned of the bubble I had lived in. If I don't catch up with you guys, I will fall behind, and no one will take me seriously."

Seeing Chen Fan was about to reply, Wu Junjie hurried to cut him short: "Don't say anything."

"Haoxuan is a straight-A student; he is the most likely to become successful among all of us. As for you, we all know how well your mother's company is doing. You won't even need to worry about money in the future."

"But for me..."

"My father will retire after another term in office. After that, he will become a nobody even in our small county, much less in the city such as Chu Zhou.

"Therefore, I can only rely on myself and work twice as hard to pave a path for my future. Damn! I wish I could one day stand before Wei Zipin and return that slap back to him."

So saying, Wu Junjie flicked the cigarette but on the ground and pressed it hard under one heel.

After the boy finished ranting, Chen Fan finally said slowly: "I have already avenged you by breaking one of his legs. Are you happy with that? If not, I can break the other one for you too."

"Awesome! Thank you, bro! I feel much better now." Wu Junjie nodded.

All the while, he thought Chen Fan said it just to make him feel better.

Wei Zipin was not an average joe; his father was Third Lord Wei. The thought that Chen Fan really meant what he said had never crossed his mind.

"There is something I do need to tell you." Chen Fan furrowed his brows and said: "You should let Yu Wenjin go. You two are too... different."

Displeasure flashed across Wu Junjie's face; he asked: "You think so too? You are just like the others."

Chen Fan shook his head and knew he should drop the matter then and there.

Regardless of what he said to him, Wu Junjue would not completely give up chasing after Yu Wenjin.

They changed the topic and chatted for a while until Lin Weiwei called them back into the room.

Even when they arrived at the VIP room, Chen Fan registered that Wu Junjie still couldn't get over what he said about him and Yun Wenjin. Nonetheless, Chen Fan didn't mind the slight awkwardness between him and his friend. They had been friends since childhood, and honest words should not damage their bond.

"Why aren't you talking with the others?"

When their food arrived, Yu Wenjin leaned toward Chen Fan and asked quietly.

Yu Wenjin had always been the quiet one; however, Chen Fan had joined her rank today.

Chen Fan cracked a smile and then told her that he felt so different than his friends that he couldn't find anything to talk about with them.

They loved novels, movies, games, yet, Chen Fan in this lifetime was interested in none of them.

"Wenjin..." Chen Fan paused a second and then continued: "Are you leaving us soon?"

"What are you talking about?" Yu Wenjin's eyes flickered as panic flashed across her mind. "I am doing just fine here. Why would I leave?"

"Is that right?" Chen Fan looked into her eye and asked gravely: "I just want you to know that no matter what kind of problem you have, I can solve them for you."

"Really, there is nothing to worry about."

Yu Wenjin plastered on a tired smile and shifted her eyes left and right to avoid Chen Fan's gaze.

"Xiao Fan, Hottie Yu, what are you two murmuring about?" Wu Junjie shouted.

"Nothing, what are you guys talking about?"

Yu Wenjin replied right off the bat, trying to change the topic.

Seeing everyone joyfully exchanged lighthearted banter with each other, Chen Fan sat quietly and tapped the table with his finger.

He might not be able to do anything about his friends being bullied in his past life, but this time around, he had incredible power at his disposal and would not allow anyone to take advantage of his friends.

"I don't care if you are a demon or an angel if you harm my friends; I will make you pay."

Two golden flames sprouted out in his eyes, burning brighter by the second.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 106: Mysterious Yu Wenjin

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Dinners over, Wu Junjie suggested giving the two girls a ride home. Although he was talking to both girls in the group, his eyes were fixated only on one of them: Yu Wenjin.

Yu Wenjin refused the ride politely.

To everyone's surprise, Chen Fan had refused the ride as well and insisted on walking home with Yu Wenjin.

As soon as Chen Fan made his decision, suspicion flashed across his friend's face for a brief second. Wu Junjie was not only shocked by Chen Fan's decision but also confused by it. In the end, he decided to let the matter slide and drove away for old times sake.

Chen Fan and Yu Wenjin quietly walked on the sidewalk.

"You looked so different after staying in Chu Zhou City for six months." Yu Wenjin's voice was laced with agitation.

"Everyone changes given a different environment for so long." Chen Fan said quietly.

After his friends were gone, Chen Fan put away the rare smile he had and returned to his cold and aloof normal-self.

Yu Wenjin kept her silence and continued walking alongside Chen Fan. Many pedestrians on the sidewalk stared at the young girl with amazement. She was only sixteen years old, yet her budding beauty was noticeable. Her radiating skin was particularly fair in complexion and was impeccably smooth. It was as if an anime princess had walked off the silver screen. In comparison, Chen Fan looked nothing extraordinary if not below average.

After a while, Yu Wenjin could no longer bear the awkward silence and finally broke the spell. "Chen Fan, is there anything you want to tell me?"

She stopped walking and stared at Chen Fan with a pair of sparkling eyes. "If you want to ask me out, then forget it. We are in the final years of our high school; we barely have time to sleep, much less dating."

"You thought I was going to ask you out ?" Chen Fan asked calmly.

"Aren't you?" Yu Wenjin was taken aback by the turn of events.

All the boys that approached her in private, they had only one goal. Let it be Wu Junjie's honey words, Xu Haoxuan's passive-aggressive confession, or Yan Xiaobai's surreptitious glances... they all meant to tell her the same message. It's not their fault either; after all, her beauty would be exceptional even in the Chu Zhou City.

Appearance wise, she was not that much prettier than Jiang Churan and Xu Rongfei; however, there was a unique quality about her that could catch everyone's attention immediately.

Only Chen Fan knew that her ability to attract attention was a benefit of her cultivation.

"Do you still remember what I told you at the dining table?" Chen Fan asked somberly.

"You mean..." Yu Wenjin panicked again.

She thought Chen Fan was just playing hero to attract her attention; however, it seemed that Chen Fan was serious about what he said.

"Yes. No matter what kind of trouble you are in, come find me and I will sort it out for you." Chen Fan's eyes pierced into her pools of innocence.

Yu Wenjin could only hold his gaze for a brief second before she wrenched her eyes away. As she looked over Chen Fan's shoulder, she saw a middle age man across the street. The sight nearly paralyzed her, and she hurried to say: "My uncle is here to pick me up. I will be off now."

She darted across the street in a few steps, turned around and then cracked a smile at Chen Fan. "Thank you, Chen Fan. I appreciate it."

She then turned around and rushed toward the middle age man.

Chen Fan looked across the street and saw a scrawny man with tanned skin.

When the scrawny man held Chen Fan's gaze, Chen Fan registered a deadly coldness in his beady eyes: it was a warning.

"An Internal Force use of phenomenal success?

"I knew Yu Wenjin was not an ordinary person."

Chen Fan was taken aback by the development; nonetheless, he turned around and started home.

Unknown to neither Yu Wenjin nor the scrawny man, Chen Fan had cast a spell on Yu Wenjin that protected her with magical inscriptions.

Althgouh Chen Fan's Immortal Will had only a few hundred meters of effective range, Chen Fan should be able to detect the girl from miles away with the branding.

As long as Yu Wenjin was in the county, he would be able to monitor her safety.

After Chen Fan had disappeared in the street, the middle age man grunted and said: "Just an Average Joe. If I was not worried about attracting attention, I would drive him away myself."

He then turned toward Yu Wenjin and castigated her: "I told you to stay away from boys from your school. If I see his sorry ass again, I will do away with him."

The man's voice was laced with malicious intent and was a far cry from any normal conversation between an uncle and a niece.

Yu Wenjin shivered slightly and replied: "Yes."

Then the man left the street with Yu Wenjin in tow. Yu Menjin glanced back at Chen Fan's back and bemoaned in her mind: "Xiao Fan, I am so sorry. I can't tell you the truth. This is beyond your capability, and I don't want to drag you into this mess."

After Chen Fan finished casting a spell on Yu Wenjin, Chen Fan returned to his home.

His father was a well-off upper class in the town and owned a small two-story house in the county. Although life in the countryside was not as exciting as that in the city, it was much quieter and more relaxing here.

On the way to home, Chen Fan was greeted by many neighbors. Chen Fan smiled back at them. All of them had known him ever since he was born.

When he was finally home, Brother Sun opened the gate and scolded him right off the bat.

"Your dad waited for you to join him for lunch, but you never showed up!"

"I had lunch with Junjie." Chen Fan said with an apologetic smile. He looked into the room and saw a middle-aged man sitting on a sofa.

He was scholarly looking with a touch of grey on both sideburns. He looked more like a professor than a local leader. He was absorbed by the content in the newspaper in front of him.

"Dad..." Chen Fan's words held the emotions that had been festering inside of him for five hundred years. Hearing the words coming out from his mouth gave Chen Fan a chill.

"You are back?" Chen Ge put down the paper and looked toward his son with a severe but loving expression on his face. "You have already met with Junjie?"

"Yea." Chen Fan nodded.

He sat on the sofa and Brother Sun hurried to prepare tea for the two of them.

"How did your studies go during the half year you were in Chu Zhou City?" Chen Ge asked.

"It was fine." As a Celestial Lord, Chen Fan was able to gather himself from the sudden outburst of emotion quickly.

He studied his father that he hadn't seen in five hundred years.

He remembered that when the news of his mother's car accident reached father, half of his dark hair turned grey. From then on, he was no longer the hard working and spirited local leader he used to be. Chen Fan remembered hearing many times that his father regretted ever letting his wife go to Zhong Hai City all by herself.

"I have let you down in my past life, but this time, I will not repeat my failure, even if it meant that I have to butt heads against the entire world."

Resolution glinted in Chen Fan's eyes.

"Very well; I trust you that you have been focusing on your studies." Chen Ge was taken aback by his son's unusual behavior since his son had never been so obedient before. "When your mother is back, I will ask her to test you. Don't say that I didn't warn you."

"No problem." Chen Fan said with a smile.

If not for the unwanted attention at school, he could easily take the number one spot in the final exam. Not only he had already done all of the tests in his past life, but he had also gained tremendous knowledge in the five hundred years.

Brother Sun sat in a corner and watched the father and son converse with each other with a smile.

Chen Fan's parents rarely had time for him. The lack of attention had somewhat affected his personality. Although he looked quiet, he was a very defiant and unruly child.

However, after staying in the Chu Zhou City for half a year, he seemed to have matured a lot. Personality wise, he might as well be a completely different person.

"Boss, you remember that meeting in the afternoon? Do you want me to push it?" Brother Sun hazarded.

"It's OK." Chen Ge got up and was ready to leave for work.

Before Chen Ge left, he said: "Both your mother and sister won't be home for another five or six days. Stay away from trouble, will you?"

"Roger that."Chen Fan said with a smile.

When Chen Fan was alone in the house, he furrowed his brows as he registered that the signal coming off from Yu Wenjin was moving further away.

"Is she leaving now?"

Chen Fan thought for a second and decided to investigate.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 107: Granny Snake

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Yu Wenjin followed the scrawny man to a two-story house just outside of the village.

From the way the house looked, it used to be a mansion of the local gentry. It was surrounded by tall fences, and its roof was covered with green glazed tiles. Two human-sized stone lions were set by the entrance. In the courtyard, a white-haired woman sat in a rocking chair and was enjoying the afternoon sun that came through the grape vines above her. It was supposed to be a cozy country scene.

However, the peace and serenity of the scene were disrupted by a large green snake that coiled itself by the old woman's feet.

"Granny." Yu Wenjin was not disturbed by the eerie scene as she readily greeted the old woman.

The white-haired woman opened her eyes and cracked a loving smile.

"Have you bid farewell to your friends?"

Her voice was a stark contrast with her appearance; it was like a wailing of a night owl. Her voice and the snake completed a ghostly portrait of the old woman.

"Yes." Yu Wenjin scurried toward the old woman; it was as if she felt safer being closer with her.

"Granny Snake, your granddaughter is getting too close to other boys. It makes things very difficult for me." The scrawny man said as he leaned against the door.

"Rightfully so! My granddaughter is pretty, and boys are attracted to her. That's just how it is." Granny Snake's smile disappeared, and then she refuted in a stern voice: "Zhang Ben, you are sent by Young Master to protect Xiao Jin, not to micromanage her."

Zhang Ben snorted. He didn't want to argue with the old woman. Instead, he glared at Yu Wenjin and said: "You must remember at all times that you belong to the young master. If anyone else touches you, I will make sure they won't be able to touch anything else again."

His eyes held the savage luster that threatened to kill. It was obvious that it wouldn't be the first time for him to take someone's life.

"Yes..." Yu Wenjin lowered her head and replied reluctantly.

She had heard the same old thing from everyone she knew: her granny, father, uncles, aunties, and elders of the village. They all told her the same thing: she belonged to the young master.

"But I have never met him before. Why me?"

Yu Wenjin thought indignantly.

The thought was less unbearable when she lived in the village in the middle of nowhere with her own people. However, ever since she moved to the county town, and met with her classmates, she started to change. She wanted to open herself up to her friends, but whenever she tried to do so, she always got a stern warning from Zhang Ben.

Even Granny Snake nodded in agreement with Zhang Ben. She said to Yu Wenjin: "Xiao Jin, Young Master is a powerful man. It is your honor to be married to him. Your marriage will bring immeasurable prestige and wealth to our family.

"Young Master is coming for you soon. You won't have to be stuck here forever."

"Ok, granny. I got it."

Yu Wenjin managed a calm expression to hide her disappointment.

Without support from her closest and the most trusted person in the world, she couldn't find it in her to rebel.

Everyone from her hometown knew that the young master was a powerful cultivator. He could kill from miles away, and control hundreds of ghosts at one time. If she denied his blessing and ran away from the marriage, what would happen to her family?

With that thought in mind, a wave of despair rose inside of Yu Wenjin.

Suddenly, a string of chortles came up from outside the door.

"You guys are still waiting for the Young Master?"

"Who is that?"

Zhang Ben sprung up from his chair and readied arms. He tensed up his back as he gazed at the entrance. Meanwhile, Granny Snake remained still, but the commotion had stirred up the green snake by her feet. The snake rose up and hissed at the entrance while the forked tongue slithered in and out of its mouth.

"Granny Snake, Brother Zhang, long time no see!"

They watched as a man sauntered in.

The man was wearing a Manchurian horse riding vest, a pair of cotton shoes. Half of a pocket watch poked out from the chest pocket of the vest. On his face rested a pair of bronze-rimmed round glasses. Although he dressed as if he was cosplaying a young playboy of the last century, the man was well in his forties.

"Lord Bai?" Granny Snake was taken aback. "What are you doing so far away from your home, Bai Wuji?"

"Hehe." Lord Bai linked his hand behind his back and replied to granny with a silent smile.

He scanned around the house, completely ignoring Zhang Ben in the process. In the end, his gaze rested on frightened Yu Wenjin behind Granny Snake.

"So this is the girl hand picked by Young Master? She has the body of a pure Yin element?"

"So what? She is also my granddaughter. Is there is a problem, Bai Wuji?" Granny Snake asked cautiously.

"Your granddaughter... Haha! What a nice granny. You are pushing your granddaughter to her own grave." Bai Wuji glanced at Yu Wenjin pitifully and said: "Little girl, do you know why the young master chose you?"

"Why?" Although she didn't like the intruder one bit, curiosity drove her to ask.

The question was rooted in her mind for a while now. As the young master, he could be with any woman he wanted to, why would he chose her before she even came of age?

"Shut up!" Granny Snake shouted, and her face turned pale.

"Haha! That is because your body contained Arcane Yin Energy." Bai Wuji laughed out loud. "Being the Vessel of the Arcane Yin Energy is a blessing to a cultivator; moreover, the energy inside of you can be used by others to improve their cultivation."

"I have heard that the young master had a secret art which he would plant a seed in other people's body that will feed on its host's energy. Once the seed was fully grown, he would reap the product and use it to improve his cultivation. They say that such a method can bring a Dao-Reaching Level Master straight into the level of Dharma Cultivation."

Bai Wuji shook his head as he explained.

"That was the young master's plan. His father had achieved his level of attainment through the same process, and now his son is trying to do that same thing. If that happens, the balance of power will be disrupted, so we will have to stop him."

"Granny, is that true?" Yu Wenjin asked Granny Snake incredulously.

Granny Snake's wrinkled face twitched slightly and then she replied under her breath: "That is the only way. The Young Master is mighty and powerful; he is not someone the Yu family wants to get in the way of. Plus, Young Master's secret art will only draw the Arcane Yin Energy out of your body, but he won't hurt you. The Young Master had promised to us that once he had finished using the art on you, he will marry you as his wife."

She went on excitedly: "Xiao Jin, no matter how difficult and painful it will be, it is worth it to have Young Master as your husband.

"By then, no one would dare to defy you, nor the Yu Family."

"Granny!" Yu Wenjin moaned ruefully as her heart sank to the bottom.

"That's enough talking!" Bai Wuji bellowed "Get out of my way, I am taking her with me."

"Bai! How dare you! Aren't you afraid of the Young Master's wrath?" Granny Snake Shrieked.

"I didn't come alone. I know that you Granny Snake reached the mid-stage of the Dao-Reaching Level. With the help of Zhang Ben, you can kill me with ease." Bai Wuji laughed.

Behind him, a few more shadowy figures emerged.

They had scaled the wall and entered the house from the back door, blocking Granny Snake's way out. All three fighters moved nimbly in the darkness, only revealing the glint from their eyes. It was obvious that all three of them were internal force users.

"The six families forged an alliance; In addition to the Bai Family, there are the Li, Yuan, Gong..."

With every name that came out from Bai Wuji's mouth, surprise flashed in Granny Snake's eyes.

However, she was unfazed by the development. She snorted and then said: "Six families, so what? You are no match against the Young Master. When the Young Master arrives, you will all be dead."

Bai Wuji laughed again and replied: "Don't you find it strange that only I am here but not the other five families?"

Granny Snake's face paled.

Bai Wuji continued: "The grandmasters of the other five families were already on their way to meet the Young Master. Although they might not be able to kill him, they could at least slow him down for another three days. That should be enough time for me."

Hearing that, Granny Snake could no longer keep her calm.

Suddenly, she pushed Yu Wenjin toward Zhang Ben and shouted: A"Take her and leave. Find the Young Master. I will stop them."

Before she finished her words, the green snake by her feet shot out at Bai Wuji. Granny's eyes turned green as she recited a spell. She stomped the ground with one foot forcefully and summoning a cloud of green smoke.

"Poison!" Bai Wuji and the other three assassins backed away.

When the green smoke dissipated, they saw only Granny Snake standing in the courtyard; Both Zhang Ben and Yu Wenjin were gone.

When Chen Fan saw the two, they were running on the high way. Zhang Ben carried Yu Wenjin with one large arm while running like there was no tomorrow.

"What is going on?"

Chen Fan was confused. This was not what he had expected at all.

"Is she going to run away with her uncle?"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 108: Bai The Fire Bender

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Move away!"

This road had been closed for construction for a few weeks; therefore, the sight of a dark shadow standing in the middle of the road scared Zhang Ben.

He didn't slow down; instead, he closed in as he shouted at the stranger.

As a master in using Internal Force, Zhang Ben was able to run with incredible speed while carrying a girl under his arm. When he saw the stranger in front of him, he thought it was someone sent my the Bai Family.

However, once he got closer, he realized that it was Chen Fan.

"Interesting, why is he here?"

Zhang Ben was not alone in his confusion; the sight of Chen Fan also caught Yu Wenjin by surprise.

Chen Fan furrowed his brows and stared into the distance.

Once he had obtained the Li Fire Golden Eyes, his vision was improved tenfold. He was able to discern even the smallest movement ten kilometers away like a falcon.

He looked over Zhang Ben's shoulder and registered a jeep coming this way fast and furious.

It was not long before Zhang Ben also sensed the rumbling of the jeep's engine. Knowing he wouldn't be able to outrun the vehicle, Zhang Ben stopped and let go of Yu Wenjin. He breathed heavily and said: "Go now! Go as far as possible. They are coming, and I will slow them down!"

And then he turned to look at Chen Fan and then said: "Aren't you Yu Wenjin's classmate? Someone wants to harm her, take her away from here. NOW!"

Yu Wenjin glanced at Zhang Ben; her eyes were filled with strong yet complicated emotions.

She hated the Young Master and his lackey for ruining her life. However, during this time of life and death, Zhang Ben turned out to be the one who saved her.

"Let's move, Chen Fan."

Yu Wenjin gritted teeth and darted toward Chen Fan. She got hold of Chen Fan's arm and was about to run off the road into the field.

"Run? Why?"

Chen Fan stood still and didn't move.

"It's not the time for questions." Despite Yu Wenjin's reticent and calm demeanor, she couldn't help but yell at the top of her lungs, and she stomped the ground in frustration. "Those people behind us are after me. Uncle Zhang is saving us time. Let's go. We don't' have much time."

"Don't worry, I am here, and I will protect you." Chen Fan cracked a smile.

He had already gotten a number on the situation. The scrawny man was here to keep a close watch on Yu Wenjin. However, the group of pursuers also wanted Yu Wenjin.

Since he had shown up, he would not allow their pursuit to continue.

"You!" Yu Wenjin shouted anxiously.

Zhang Ben was also taken aback by the boy's words.

Anyone with a brain could tell that the situation was going downhill and running away should be the top priority. However, this foolish boy seemed to have gotten carried away with playing a hero.

"Are you stupid? Do you know who is after her?" Zhang Ben refuted. "They are not ordinary rascals; they are cut-throat assassins."

"Just forget it. Yu Wenjin, your friend, is as dumb as an ass, just let him be. He is courting death."

"But..." Yu Wenjin was so frustrated that words evaporated from her mouth.

Her bond with Chen Fan was much more personal and stronger than that with Zhang Ben. They had been classmates and friends for years, and she couldn't just send him to his death.

"Don't worry about me, Xiao Jin. I told you that I would protect you. I won't let them harm even a hair on your head." Chen Fan said calmly with a placid expression. He looked into the distance and then said: "Plus, I think it's already too late or us to run away."

The girl and the middle-aged man looked back, and they saw a black jeep, the size of a small dot appeared at the end of the road.

"Fuck it! Bring it on! Death means nothing to me." The sight of her pursuer robbed Yu Wenjin of her last sliver of hope. She remarked with a wry smile.

Zhang Ben's mind was about to snap. In his mind's eyes, he saw himself breaking the boy's neck for wasting precious time.

Whatever small chances they had in escaping, Chen Fan had ruined it. Right now, the best Zhang Ben could do was to recuperate as much as he could and prepare for the battle.

"Kacha!"

The jeep turned and broke abruptly, letting the rear end drift forward until the vehicle came to a full stop across the road.

"Why don't you keep running? Go on. I want to see if you are faster then my car."

Bai Wuji emerged out from the car and looked at the three people in the middle of the empty road with an eerie smile.

In his wake, a few other Internal Force users appeared from the car. One of them held a white-haired old woman with an iron grip.

"Granny!"

Yu Wenjin shouted.

Although her grandma had hidden the truth from her all the while, she had looked after Yu Wenjin ever since she was a child.

"She had fooled us. I thought it was poison smoke, but it was just a common smokescreen." Bai Wuji smirked. "What's the use in fighting back anyway? You have just reached mid-stage of the Dao-Reaching Level, haven't you? Even your Young Master wouldn't be able to handle three Internal Force users at once, much less you."

"Humph! Don't compare yourself with Young Master." Zhang Ben snorted.

"Yea, yea. Young Master is a genius. He had reached the peak of the Dao-Reaching Level and is only half step away from the Dharma Cultivation level. I agree that I am not his worthy opponent." Bai Wuji nodded and said with a rare approving tone.

"But don't you see that is why we have to stop him? He is already powerful, with the girl, he would break the balance of power."

"Young Master? Who are these guys?" Chen Fan asked abruptly.

"You are..." Bai Wuji finally noticed the sixteen years old boy holding hands with Yu Wenjin. Suddenly, Bai Wuji burst out laughing: "Are you Yu Wenjin's boyfriend?"

"What a shame. Young Master's talents and power won't stop him being cheated on. Haha! That is... rich!"

Bai Wuji and the three fighters behind him sneered at the girl.

"Shut up!"

Anger contorted Zhang Ben's face. The Young Master was a god-like existence in his mind; he could not let anyone taint the Young Master's name.

He snarled at them and opened up both arms like an angry bear. He then threw himself at Bai Wuji, stirring up a strong gust in his wake. Zhang Ben had achieved phenomenal success in his Internal Force cultivation. With the power he harnessed over the decades, his charge would be able to break a tree with a girth that was wide enough to wrap one's arms around.

"Courting death!"

Bai Wuji seemingly ignored the attack. He curled his lips as he produced a paper talisman.

As Bai Wuji waved the piece of paper in the air, it caught fire by itself and quickly grew in size until it was as big as a basketball. Bai Wuji held the flaming ball and hurled it at Zhang Ben.

"What?"

Zhang Ben was caught off guard, but he dodged quickly. The fireball missed him by a hair.

The fireball passed Zhang Ben and smashed into a large tree.

"Kaboom!"

The ten-meter tall tree suddenly caught fire, and in a blink, it turned into a giant torch.

"Shit!" Zhang Ben felt a chill running down his spine. He could no longer muster enough courage to attack again.

The power in the fireball attack was overwhelming. If it had landed on Zhang Ben, he would have been reduced to ashes.

"Such power! The Bai Family are worth their salt."

Granny Snake whimpered.

"Hehe, this is nothing compare to your Young Master's ability to rein ghost and spirits." Despite Bai Wuji's humble words, his expression had betrayed his true feeling.

"Of course! Young Master could rein a hundred ghosts at one time and turn a large swath of area into the ghost realm. The Bai family and their little tricks couldn't-compare."Granny Snake remarked.

"Humph! Old Crone just won't shut up! Well, where is your Young Master now?" Bai Wuji pulled a taut face and flung back at the old woman.

He turned toward Yu Wenjin and gave her a greedy glare. "Little bird, your grandmother is in my hands. Come to me if you don't want to see your granny die."

Although the alliance of the six families lacked the select art to draw out the girl's power, they had other plans for her. Yu Wenjin had Arcane Yin Energy inside of her; it would be a shame to waste the energy on the Young Master.

If the six families could guide her and teach her cultivation, she would become one of the most powerful cultivators in southwest China in less than twenty years. Her power would be even superior to that of the Young Master since she had earned every bit of it through hard work and raw talent.

With that plan in mind, Bai Wuji didn't harm Granny Snake. He designed to use the life of the girl's granny to coax her into submission.

"Fine... Just don't hurt granny. I will go with you."

Yu Wenjin took a deep breath, trying to stop her body from shaking. He eyes gleamed with determination to save her grandmother.

Seeing Zhang Ben had lost the will to fight, Granny Snake lowered her head and sighed.

Even as Bai Wuji thought it was over, he heard a voice come up behind the girl.

"Have you ask me what I think about you taking her away?"

Everyone looked to the speaker: it was Yu Wenjin's boyfriend, an average country boy.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 109: Squash You Like A Worm

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Xiao Fan!" Yu Wenjin's face darkened, and she urged Chen Fan to stop.

However, her last ditch effort to stop the boy came too late. Bai Wuji narrowed his eyes and regarded Chen Fan displeased.

"Who are you?"

Most people would have been frightened by the sight of his fire throwing abilities. However, this young boy didn't flinch at all. Instead, he bravely and foolishly stood up for Yu Wenjin. Bai Wuji couldn't find any explanation for the boy's behavior other than that he was driven by the valor of ignorance.

"Kiddo, it's neither the time nor the place to play the hero."

Bai Wuji sneered at Chen Fan.

"Me?" Chen Fan asked. Under Yu Wenjin's concerned gaze, Chen Fan took a step forward and said: "My name is Chen Fan. My father is one of the richest men in Si Shui County. Yu Wenjin is my classmate as well as my best friend. You are on my turf, and you want me to stay out of it?"

"Your father is the richest man in Si Shui County?"

Bai Wuji was amused by Chen Fan's words.

It was the funniest threat he had ever heard.

As the lord of the Bai Family, a powerful Dao-Reaching caster, never had he be afraid of any businessman.

"Haha... Wow, tough guy. I am scared." A brawny bald man standing behind Bai Wuji burst out laughing.

"What a fool."

Granny Snake cursed.

Except for Yu Wenjin, everyone here was Internal Force users, and even the weakest of them had reached at least initial success. Anyone of them could have dominated an entire city if they wanted to; therefore, they never thought any ordinary people could have posed the slightest threat to them.

"What a joke!" Bai Wuji shook his head with a grin.

When he first saw Chen Fan, he registered that the teenage boy possessed a stately and imposing manner. However, as soon as Chen Fan opened his mouth and started to speak, the charm was broken. He turned out to be another rich kid who thought that he could do whatever he wanted because his dad has money.

"Fine, fine... For the sake of your father, just fuck off."

Bai Wuji waved a dismiss at Chen Fan annoyingly as if he was waving away a fly.

He cared little about Chen Fan's father; he spared the boy's life because he didn't want to further distress Yu Wenjin by killing her friend. If he wanted to control the girl in the future, he should at least make the girl believe that he is friendly to her.

"Xiao Fan, leave now." Yu Wenjin tugged Chen Fan's hand and urged him to leave.

She was convinced that she had dragged Chen Fan into this mess, and therefore she was at least somewhat responsible for his safety.

"Very well. For the sake of your good will, I will spare your life." Chen Fan replied readily.

"You!" Bai Wuji rounded his eyes as fire sprouted out from within.

He had never seen anyone so arrogant before.

"Kid, I want you to know that my patience has limitations." Bai Wuji said vehemently. "I won't kill you. But, if you don't leave right now, I will kidnap you to somewhere far away. You will never be able to return home. "

"Take me away?"

Chen Fan took another step forward and chuckled.

"Are you supposed to do that with your laughable tricks? You even need a Talisman Inscription to use the art, that's just pathetic. You didn't even reach Dharma Cultivation, but you talk to me like you are my superior?"

"Who the hell are you?"

Hearing Chen Fan's remark, Bai Wuji's face tightened.

The other fighters also sensed the threat, so they fixed their eyes on Chen Fan.

The boy knew the fire-art, and he even knew about Dharma Cultivation. He was not an ordinary boy; he must be a cultivator as well.

"Xiao Jin, your classmate is in our field as well?"

Granny Snake furrowed her brows.

She had met with Yu Wenjin's classmates and knew that none of them were related to spellcasters. However, seeing Chen Fan's confident look on his face, she wagered that he must be one of the casters.

Bai Wuji scanned Chen Fan from head to toe and couldn't find any trace of using spells or Internal Force.

"Either he is just an ordinary person who happened to know a spell caster, or he is a hidden grandmaster."

Bai Wuji calculated in his mind as he quickly raised his guard.

"Who am I?" Chen Fan tilted his head to one side and gave Yu Wenjin a sidelong glance: the girl was in shock. "I have already told you. My name is Chen Fan, and I am Yu Wenjin's classmate ."

"Ah! right." Chen Fan clapped his hands abruptly and said: "I have a nickname. People call me Master Chen."

Chen Fan announced with a smirk.

"Master Chen?"

Everyone was shocked.

Although anyone can call themselves a master, to make other people call him 'master' was an entirely different story. People called Bai Wuji, Master Bai, but he had to work really hard to earn that title.

The fact that people called the young boy 'master' confirmed Bai Wuji's nagging suspicion that the boy was a powerful spellcaster in disguise.

Both Bai Wuji and Granny Snake searched in their memory to find someone named "Master Chen."

"Hold on... Master Chen?" The brawny bald man suddenly shouted out incredulously: "You are Master Chen of Jiang Bei?"

"That's it. He is young, and the last name is Chen. He had to be the Master Chen of Jiang Bei!"

The bald man murmured to himself.

"Master Chen of Jiang Bei?"

Bai Wuji furrowed his brows.

He was unfamiliar with the name. As was an active member in the field of Dharma Spells, yet, he had never heard of a Master Chen in the Jiang Bei region.

"Lord Bai... I think maybe we should call it for the day."

The bald man squeezed a smile from his face. His eyes were filled with fear.

"Is this Master Chen very powerful?"

Bai Wuji gave the brawny man a surprised look.

The brawny man was one of the toughest fighters he had brought with him. He had achieved phenomenal success in his Internal Force cultivation and was as powerful as Zhang Ben. In addition, he had extremely tough physic, which boosted his defense and offense capabilities.

"He is... beyond powerful..."

The brawny man smiled wryly and then started to tell what he knew about Master Chen.

Bai Wuji's furrowed brows quickly unknotted. He said contemptuously: "He is here alone. Why are we afraid of him?"

"Worst comes worst; we will just bug out."

Even as he brushed over their situation, fear flickered in his eyes.

However powerful he and his fighters were, they were on Chen Fan's turf. It would be foolish of him to butt heads against Chen Fan when the odds were stacked against him.

"He had made a name for himself at such a young age. What an impressive young lad!"

Bai Wuji exclaimed.

"What are they talking about?"

Yu Wenjin asked curiously.

She noticed the fear in her pursuers as soon as Chen Fan told them his nickname.

"Well... think of it this way... The Jiang Bei region is my turf." Chen Fan shrugged his shoulders and then turned to Bai Wuji."Since you know who I am, what are you waiting for? Come kneel before me and apologize!"

"You little shit!"

Bai Wuji was riled up by Chen Fan's demand.

"Even if you are the leader of the Jiang Bei region, I am not afraid of you. I can reduce you to ashes right now!"

Suddenly, he shot an arm out and started a spell.

A fireball appeared in his palm out of nowhere. The flame gave off immense heat that turned the air into liquid. Those who stood too close to Bai Wuji got their brows and beards seared by the sudden burst of heat.

With the belligerent fire in his hand, Bai Wuji's confidence surged inside of him. He felt that he was powerful enough to kill even the Young Master, much less the boy in front of him.

"AHRR!"

Yu Wenjin covered her mouth to suppress a scream. It was the first she saw a real spell being cast in front of her, and she was terrified.

A cold smile hung on Bai Wuji's face, and he said: "The Bai family had killed countless people with this ball of fire. Do you want to have a taste of death as well?"

Before Chen Fan said anything, the brawny bald man cut Bai Wuji short and warned him: "Lord Bai, be careful what you say. Master Chen is not an ordinary person."

"Oh?"

Bai Wuji paused a second and turned around to give the bald man a chilling glare.

The warning didn't sit well with him, and the displeasure in Bai Wuji's eyes was a stern warning that if one more word came out from his mouth, the fireball would melt his baldy scalp quicker than melting butter.

However, the bald man pressed on: "This... Master Chen is said to be a powerful internal force master. He had killed the disciple of Lei Qianjue from the Hong sect with only three punches. They said that... he had already reached Transcendent Master and is the youngest person ever to do so."

"Internal Force Master? Killed a grandmaster with three punch?"

Everyone was shocked by what they heard.

An immeasurable wave of regret and embarrassment shot through Bai Wuji's mind.

"Oh for fuck sake, why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Although he was at the late-stage of Dao-Reaching Level, he was no match against a Transcendent Master. A single thought of the Transcendent Master could have snapped his neck from miles away.

That was why Chen Fan could have said to Lin Hu that without becoming a perfected master, he could kill him as if killing a worm.

Bai Wuji slowly turned his head toward Chen Fan.

When he saw Chen Fan, he noticed that Chen Fan had already closed in on him and was gazing at him with a creepy smile.

In such a close distance, a Transcendent Master could kill him with a snap of their fingers regardless of what kind of spell used to protect himself.

"Oh fuck me!"

Bai Wuji froze in place and was suddenly not sure what to do with the fireball still burning in his hand.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 110: Commemorate My Immortal Enlightenment

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

However, as a Dao-Reaching Level master, Bai Wuji didn't give up. Instead, the sudden setback spurred his will to fight. Bai Wuji shouted hotly: "I don't believe that you can be a grand master of Internal Force at such a young age."

"Master Cui, NOW!"

As he re-started the spell, the fireball in his hand suddenly stretched on both sides and became a fiery dragon. The dragon slithered its flaming tongue in and out of its mouth as it withered toward Chen Fan.

Bai Wuji's attack was an incredible display of strength that could only come from a late-stage Dao-Reaching Level master.

He had tamed the belligerent fire with his bare hands and wielded it as if it was one of his arms. After seeing Bai Wuji's real power, both Granny Snake and Zhang Ben realized that Bai Wuji had been holding back his power. With such a high level of attainment, Bai Wuji could have killed them with ease.

"Such fire bending skill! Bai Wuji is worth his salt."

Granny Snake gasped.

"Fine, fine. This fight is unavoidable ever since I already took the payment."

The brawny bald man named Master Cui heaved a sigh and grunted under his breath. When he looked up again, poisonous fire danced in his eyes.

As he drew a large gulp of air and his body increased in size. He used to be one meter and ninety centimeters or so, but suddenly, his height grew to over two meters and ten centimeters. Veins covered his iron body, made him look like a vascular bull.

After decades of hard work, Master Cui had perfected his technique in combat.

His skin was so tough that even a blade could only leave a white mark on it.

Everyone watched as Master Cui stomped the ground like a giant, making the earth tremble. When the trembling was over, everyone was shocked to see that he had created two large depressions on the concrete pavement. Then, the hulking frame threw himself at Chen Fan with as much force as a semi truck at full speed.

The two disciples of Master Cui who had just achieved initial success also started to channel out their energy, preparing to attack at any moment.

Suddenly, the situation turned around on Chen Fan who was brimming with confidence just seconds ago.

"Watch out!"

Yu Wenjin let out a cry.

Everyone thought that Chen Fan looked scrawny and thin, his smooth unmarred skin on his cheek suggested he had never lived one day of rough and tumble. It was impossible for such a green babe to ward off the brutish attack of Master Cui.

"He is dead meat unless he really is a grand master of Internal Force."

Zhang Ben remarked with a great measure of certainty.

Zhang Ben's words uneased Yu Wenjin. She looked at Chen Fan concernedly.

However, she saw Chen Fan curled his lips into an airly smile, and then he extended both arms in front of him as if he was holding an invisible ball.

"What is that? Taichi?"

Even as Bai Wuji was speculating what he had just seen, the development took a dramatic turn that stunned him.

The firey snake threw itself at Chen Fan as if a toddler had seen his parent at the end of daycare. The three-meter or so long fire huddled tightly against Chen Fan's chest as it was embraced in the crook of Chen Fan's curled arms.

Chen Fan held fire as if he was holding the moon and the sun. With one twist of a thumb, Chen Fan sealed the firey energy within the little space between his chest and his forearm.

The fire snake curled into a ball and rolled around at the command of Chen Fan's fingers. It was as if Chen Fan was the fire bender that had given it life.

True Martial Thirty-Six Forms, first form, Skyfall Hammer!

"Impossible!"

Bai Wuji shouted.

He had never once lost his control over the fire he had summoned.

"Is this some kind of martial arts or Dharma Spells? How is this even possible?"

Bai Wuji murmured to himself as his eyes slowly lose focus.

The Skyfall Hammer took the best of both Dharma Spells and Martial arts and merged them into something new. Such immortal martial arts was beyond the mortal's comprehension. It looked like a simple martial arts move, yet the magnitude of its power was on par with that of a Dharma Spell.

"Arise!"

Master Cui stormed across the road and charged at Chen Fan like a raged bull. When he was close enough, Chen Fan gave the fireball a gentle push, sending it on a collision course with Master Cui.

"AHRR!"

Master Cui saw the attack coming; however, it was already too late.

With no time to evade, the best Master Cui could do was to forcefully charge up his energy and punch back at the fireball. The punch carried the momentum he had built up in the charge, and Master Cui was confident that it should be able to pulverize a mini-van.

"Kaboom!"

When the fire and the fist collided, an explosion erupted, sending down a shower of sparks.

Everyone quickly covered their eyes instinctively for a fraction of a second, and then they hurried to see what had happened. In the bright flash, They saw a giant frame was sent flying back like a lifeless ragdoll. It landed on the pavement with a thud, crushing the hard pavement underneath its massive weight.

"Master!"

The two young disciples howled.

The hulking frame that got sent flying was Master Cui. By then, he had already returned to his original size. His arms bend outward unnaturally, and blood welled in all holes on his face. His chest area turned to a bloody mush, and no one was certain if he was still alive.

The place suddenly became pin-drop quiet.

In less than ten seconds, Bai Wuji had already lost a powerful fighter.

Chen Fan had only "borrowed" Bai Wuji's Dharma Spells, condensed it into an energy ball before he hurled it at Master Cui. He didn't even use a fraction of his full power.

"Do you believe me now?"

Chen Fan stood three meters away from Bai Wuji. He hitched both thumbs in his pants pocket and glanced at his opponent with a great measure of levity.

By then, everyone realized that he was a force to be reckoned with. Even the renowned Master Cui who had achieved phenomenal success, failed to withstand his attack. His power ought to be one of a kind even among grand masters of the Internal Force.

"When did Xiao Fan become so powerful?"

Yu Wenjin felt as if a weight on her mind was finally off. She covered her gaping mouth while staring at the boy incredulously. She couldn't believe that he was the same person that had been friends with her ever since they were children.

Zhang Ben and Granny Snake were both taken aback by Chen Fan's power.

Nonetheless, the person who felt most shocked was Bai Wuji.

He would never have thought that a young man could have possessed such abilities. Chen Fan's used only two simple movements: a tug and a push. But was it Martial arts or Dharma Spells? Bai Wuji had no clue. All he knew about this boy was this: there was more to him than what meets the eye.

"Since when did Jiang Bei produce such a freak?"

Bai Wuji bemoaned in his mind.

After a while, he heard Chen Fan speak up again: "Do you want to try my power as well? We can have a race, you try to hit me with your spell, and I will try to twist your head off your neck and play with it like a football."

Bai Wuji held Chen Fan's eerily calm gaze and felt sweat dripping down the middle of his back.

Crafty and seasoned as he was, Bai Wuji knew right away that it was not his fight. He lowered his arms and smiled wryly: "Master Chen, you won."

"I will leave right away."

Bai Wuji waved at the two disciples of Master Cui, willing them to release Granny Snake.

Yu Wenjin scurried toward the white-haired women and steadied her before she collapsed to the ground. Seeing the pained expression on Granny Snake's face, a mix of complicated emotions flashed across his face.

"I have underestimated the Young Master after all. I didn't expect him to find such a powerful helper."

Bai Wuji said bitterly.

To his surprise, Chen Fan furrowed his brows and asked: "Who is this Young Master?"

"You don't work for Young Master?" Bai Wuji asked with surprise.

"No. I have told you that I am Yu Wenjin's friend."Chen Fan said lightly.

Bai Wuji felt that someone had pulled the rug from under him. After all this, he finally realized that his opponent was not even his enemy. The development pleasantly surprised him, and he hurried to speak: "If that's the case, you must know nothing of Young Master's secret Art then."

"What is that?" Chen Fan's interest was piqued.

Zhang Ben and Granny Snake had just heaved a sigh of relief, but the two's conversation unnerved them again.

They watched as Bai Wuji explained everything to Master Chen, in the end, he ranted about how he was vilified.

"I just wanted to take Miss Wenjin as my own disciple and guide her throughout her cultivation. It's much better than being used by the Young Master."

"Humph, Young Master?"

Chen Fan grunted as something sharp and cold glinted in his eyes.

This was the first time he had really wanted to kill someone ever since he was reborn. He was more riled up even than when Wu Junjie told him that Wei Zipin had slapped his best friend, Wu Junjie.

Based on his knowledge on Dharma Spells, Chen Fan conjectured that the secret art would not only steal the Spirit Qi but also would rob the girl of her vitality. After the art was completed, Yu Wenjin would fall ill for the rest of her remaining short life. She probably wouldn't even live past fifty.

"Young man, don't listen to his nonsense. The Young Master is my family's savior." Granny Snake announced.

Chen Fan was the only reason they were still alive; if Bai Wuji were able to persuade Chen Fan to switch sides, they would be doomed.

"Savior?" Chen Fan snorted, the light in his eyes grew sharper.

"You and the Yu family threw your own granddaughter into a fire pit in exchange for personal gains. This is unforgivable. You are as accountable as the young master."

Chen Fan's voice was devoid of any emotions; however, Granny Snake couldn't stop trembling.

Memories of Chen Fa's past life flooded his mind. He moaned for the girl who was robbed of her life and freedom at the colorful age of seventeen. She would not live long once she was in the hands of the Young Master. The girl's fate reminded him of his own misfortune in his past life. The vivid memory brought back the pain of being as helpless and angry as being Yu Wenjin.

An uncontrollable intent to kill rushed into Chen Fan's mind.

Feeling he was being carried away, Chen Fan closed his eyes and heaved a sigh.

"So it is the Young Master and his backers that I have to deal with this time isn't it."

"If he dares to kidnap Xiao Jin and rob her of her freedom and happiness, I will have to do away with this asshole. I will send a message to the world: Don't mess with my friends!"

Chen Fan spoke in an even tone; however, every word that came out of his mouth carried the chilling intent to kill. After the full sentence, the listeners could almost smell the stench of blood and death.

"How dare you! You are no match against Young Master!"

Zhang Ben could no longer hold back his anger, so he flung back at Chen Fan.

"He might be right, Master Chen. Young Master not only knows powerful spells, but he is also very close to the Dharma Cultivation level. Plus, he had powerful Dharma Artifacts at his disposal. He was too powerful for ordinary fighters. Just a few months ago, he slaughtered an Internal Force grand master using his Dharma Artifact." Bai Wuji remarked. "We should meet up with the warriors of the other five families first. Only working together could we have a chance to deal a killing blow to the Young Master."

Bai Wuji was pleasantly surprised to see Chen Fan had changed his perspective. He hurried to offer an alliance with the powerful fighter.

"Sham!"

Chen Fan yanked his arm and delivered a backhand slap at Zhang Ben's face.

Zhang Ben stumbled back. When he finally gathered himself, everyone noticed a red mark in the shape of five fingers was branded on his face.

Chen Fan treated an Internal Force master with phenomenal success as if he was a defenseless child.

No one dared to speak again as they were aghast at Chen Fan's overbearing power.

"I wager he is very close to the Transcendent State, if not already there." Bai Wuji exclaimed in his mind. "With his help, we should have a chance of fighting the young master face to face."

Suddenly, his cellphone rang. Bai Wuji answered the phone and the news delivered from the other end of the line made his face turned pale.

"What is it?"

Chen Fan asked faintly.

"Young Master had already broken the encirclement of the other five families, and he is on his way to here. He should be here in less than two hours." Bai Wuji said in a trembling voice.

The promise of fighting against the Young Master made robbed him of his newfound courage and determination.

Zhang Ben kept his silence, but the news brought an ugly grin on his face.

"You are dead when the Young Master finally arrives."

"Good timing!" Chen Fan said as two ghostly flames danced in his eyes.

"I will take his blood as the sacrifice to commemorate my Immortal Enlightenment!"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 111: The Young Master

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Yu Wenjin's house, outside of Si Shui county...

A black Audi pulled over quietly in front of the house, and a young and refined-looking man emerged from the car.

This young man looked like he was in his twenties. He was wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and his pale smooth skin suggested that he never worked one day in the field. Although he looked polite and well-mannered, he carried a repulsive eerieness about him.

"Young Master, Zhang Ben had just sent us a message. He said that Master Chen kidnaped him and Granny Snake to here." A ghostly looking old man said in a husky voice.

"Humph! Master Chen?" displeasure flickered in the young man's eyes. "He is just a country hill billy from Jing Bei. He stood no chance against the Ghost Witch Sect. I will let him taste the pain of ten thousand ghosts gnawing at his heart."

"Such an arrogant fool. He would never imagine your power, my lord."

The ghostly old man replied as fear flashed across his face.

He had seen the art of Gnawing of Ten Thousand Ghosts in action, and it was more terrifying than watching the cruelest punishment on earth.

Although the old man had never met Master Chen before, the promise of seeing the sadistic art again filled the old man's heart with regret and pity for Master Chen.

"Tong Shan, Let's go."

The young man waved at someone inside the car, and a brawny brut emerged out from the back seats. Even the extra large size suit the man was wearing didn't seem to be able to encase his enormous muscles fully. The fabric of the suit was stretched out so much that it was going to rip open at the seem. The man was about two meters tall, and his arm was one size bigger than the average human's thigh. His hulking frame made him stand out like an iron pagoda.

The suit he was wearing was blotched with stains from blood; some were still fresh.

The brute's face was expressionless and eyes lifeless. He grunted a reply and trailed behind the Young Master.

The three walked slowly toward the house. When they were only five meters away, the young master suddenly announced.

"Master Chen, Lord Bai, we are here. Come out and meet us."

Yu Wenjin's house was located outside of the town and was surrounded by only farmlands and bushes. Therefore, there were no onlookers that the crowd had to worry about. They watched as the red gate of the house cracked open, and Zhang Ben emerged from the other side. As soon as he saw the young man, he lowered his head submissively and said: "Young Master, they are all inside waiting for you."

"Humph. Conceited fools! " The Young Master grunted.

Although he looked like he was in his twenties, he is actually in his forties. However, he had never been looked down upon once in his entire life, except for today.

As fire sprouted out inside of his heart, the Young Master walked past the gate and arrived at a large courtyard. He was greeted by Granny Snake, Yu Wenjin, Bai Wuji and the two disciples of Master Cui.

The crowd surrounded a table and two chairs. Chen Fan was sitting in one of the chairs while sipping on a cup of tea.

The Young Master closed in, and the first thing he did was examine Yu Wenjin from head to toe. Satisfied with what he saw, he sat down in the other armchair. He cracked a smile and then said:

"I wager you are the Master Chen of Jiang Bei? What a strapping young lad!

"I believe there is a misunderstanding between us. I have no quarrel with anyone in the Jing Bei region. If you hand over the girl and the white-haired one, I will offer my alliance. I have heard that Master Chen is a smart man, and you must know which one is more important to you: a useless girl or a powerful ally?"

Yu Wenjin's tightened her body at first sight of the Young Master. Hearing his cold-hearted bargain, she felt fear shoot through her mind. She held onto Chen Fan's sleeve and squeezed it to overcome her terror. Bai Wuji furrowed his brows and looked concernedly at Chen Fan.

Chen Fan said, really: "Who told you to sit down?"

"Excuse me?" The Young Master's smile was frozen on his face.

"I might spare your family's life if you kneel before me and accept your punishment." Chen Fan said lightly as he rubbed a finger playfully along the surface of the clay teacup.

"Your are courting death!" Before the Young Master could say a word, the ghostly old man shouted.

"Master Chen!"

The Young Master pulled a taut face and then said coldly.

"I respected you, and I was hoping you would do the same. Who do you think you are? You are not even worthy of sitting at the same table with me!

"You are just a country hillbilly from Jiang Bei. Do you think you are so tough with that Martial Arts skill? I have lost count of how many martial artists I have killed."

"Well, if you say so. I will have to do away with you." Chen Fan shook his head and lamented.

"Humph!"

The Young Master could no longer hold back his anger. He slammed the table and shouted: "Tong Shan!"

The hulking frame that had been standing lifelessly behind him all the while suddenly moved with nearly mechanical efficiency. He opened up his arms and then closed it around Chen Fan's head like an iron clamp. His hands were the size of a basketball, and if his strike landed on Chen Fan's head, it would smash through Chen Fan's brain like through a watermelon.

"How dare you!"

Bai Wuji shouted.

He murmured a spell as a flame burst into life on his palm. The flame quickly turned into a longe whip as it flew at the brute. Bai Wuji's strike had hit home, and the falling whip set the brut on fire, turning him into a giant human torch.

The black suit that wrapped around Tong Shan's body was quickly burned away, and the fire started to eat the man's flesh. However, Tong Shan didn't seem to mind the pain. He formed a fist and punched at Bai Wuji.

Despite his ponderous weight, Tong Shan's attack had the same efficiency as that of a grandmaster. His fists sprung into action like a loaded spring being released. Bai Wuji gasped and bent backward to roll away from the danger.

"What is going on?"

Yu Wenjin exclaimed.

The brawny man was still engulfed by flame. Fire ate away his shirt and hair; however, when it met the man's bronze colored flesh, it quickly died out due to lack of fuel. It was as if the brutish man's skin was made out of implantable metal.

When Tong Shan reemerged from the fire, he looked more like a lifeless killing machine than human.

"This is the Young Master's secret cadaver-refining art: Bronze Armored Cadaver. It was one of the three deadliest Cadaver-Refining art in China, along with the Iron Cadaver and the Blood Cadaver."

Bai Wuji managed to pick himself up and said heavily.

"Bingo."

The young master stood up and said: "Tong Shan used to be a powerful martial artist in southeast Asia. Years ago, he offended me, and in return, I have made him into a Bronze Armored Cadaver using my secret art."

"Do you see his muscles? It's not flesh under the skin, its pure bronze. I gave him immeasurable strength and nearly indestructible body. He knows no pain nor exhaustion and can fight for me forever. No ordinary martial artist can stand a chance against him. He would be a headache even for a Transcendent Master."

So saying, he linked his hand behind his back and looked to Chen Fan."What do you think now, Master Chen?"

Everyone's heart sank after hearing the power of the giant freak.

He had poured melted bronze into a body and turned the cadaver into a walking killing machine.

This was the most morbid and terrible thing the crowd had ever heard.

Even Granny Snake started to doubt her decision of handing Xiao Jin over to such a sadistic man. Yu Wenjin leaned against Chen Fan to support herself as her legs trembled uncontrollably.

"What do you think, Master Chen?"

Bai Wuji was getting anxious. The fire bending skills were all that's under his disposal. Since it was useless against the metal freak, he suddenly was not sure what to do next.

"It's just a worthless cadaver-refining art. You are so full of yourself."

Chen Fan snorted and then shook his head disdainfully.

He gently lifted his left arm, and suddenly a giant bone whip appeared out of thin air. Every section of the whip was made out of white jade. The bones wheezed in the hair as the whip-lash rolled over and withered like a python toward the Young Master.

In the blurred shadow of the sweeping whip, people could vaguely see a giant snake snarling at the sky.

"Dharma Artifact!"

The Young Master's face paled.

He tapped the ground with the tip of his toe and flipped backward to get out of harm's way. The ghostly old man was not so lucky before he knew what was going on, the whip had caught and sliced through his waist.

Tong Shan didn't evade the attack either. He growled like a beast and crossed his arms to cushion the frontal blow.

"Kaboom!"

Tong Shan's giant body flew into the air like baseball during a home run. It rammed into and through the wall, leaving a giant hole behind.

Everyone was stunned by the development.

Half of the courtyard was turned into rubble by Chen Fan's one sweeping attack.

After the dust settled, everyone saw a large crack on the ground extending from under Chen Fan's feet to the outside of the courtyard wall, where the Bronze Armored Cadaver was laying on the ground. Both arms of the Bronze Armored Cadaver were broken off from its body, and a large wound cut deeply into his metallic flesh from head to toe. However, the spell that bound the sorry soul to the bronze armored husk spurred the monster to get up but failing at each trial.

"This. This.."

Bai Wuji was rendered speechless.

Wasn't Master Chen just an Internal Force user? How on earth could he have gotten such a powerful Dharma Artifact?

Tong Shan weighed over a few hundred kilos, and he was blown away by Chen Fan's attack as a baseball would by a baseball bat. He estimated that the amount of force in Chen Fan's attack should be enough to cut a big bus in half.

Zhang Ben eyes rounded and gaped at Chen Fan in disbelief. He watched as the Young Master who he had revered so much got his ass kicked. Granny Snake started to wonder if she had placed her loyalty in the wrong place.

After a while, the Young Master finally gathered himself and seeing how badly his fighter was beaten, he threw his head back and shouted at the top of his lungs: "I will CRUSH you!"

Then he produced a bone flute and started blowing it.

"Shit, stop him. right now!"

Bai Wuji's face paled. He wanted to throw himself at the Young Master, but it was already too late. A long and archaic note came out from the flute, evoking a wave of howlings from countless phantoms in its wake.

Suddenly, dark clouds blotted the sun, and the courtyard was quickly engulfed by the Ghost Realm.

There they were: the March of a hundred Phantoms and the Gnawings of Ten Thousand Ghosts on full display.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 112: Primordial Ghost Flute

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"This is—"Life drained away from Granny Snake's face as she recalled the horror that she had tried to buried under her old memories.

"This is it; it is the power of the Young Master's Primordial Ghost Flute. It has the ability to blot the sun and unleash the Ghost Realm into this world." Bai Wuji put on a hopeless smile and said: "No wonder the combined force of the five families failed to slow him down. I had forgotten about his artifact."

Granny Snake's body started to tremble uncontrollably after hearing Bai Wuji's words.

"Is this Primordial Ghost Flute really that powerful?" Chen Fan sat calmly in his chair and didn't seem to be disturbed by the danger around him.

Chen Fan's assuredness calmed many people's minds, helping them to get ready to fight.

Bai Wuji had no time to reply to Chen Fan; the ghostly phantoms were already coming after him. He hurried to produce a handful of paper talisman and spread them around himself. As soon as the yellow paper talisman were out of his hand, they froze in mid-air and didn't continue to fall to the ground. All the while, the red inscriptions on the paper started to glow brighter by the second.

"Eight Gate Immortal Fire Array!"

Bai Wuji stomped the ground as he charged up his Dharmic powers. When his power reached the peak, he snarled at his enemy.

"BOM! Kaboom!"

The eight paper talisman caught on fire and burned into ashes in the blink of an eye. In their place, stood eight columns made out of two-meter long flame that formed a protective octagon firewall. As the vengeful ghosts slammed themselves onto the firewall, they were burned to crips and were quickly reduced to ashes.

"Hew!"

After Bai Wuji had completed the spell, he collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. Two of Master Cui's disciples hurried to help him to his feet.

"Bai Wuji, What an impressive array! You are really worthy of being called the top caster among the six major families."

Youg Master's voice came to everyone inside the protective shield in fits and starts, at the behest of the hot air.

Sometimes the voice came to them from all directions, and other times it came from only one direction. The sun had completely gone out, and through the burning fire, they could only see elusive phantoms whizzing through the air, but could not discern the location of the Young Master.

"What a shame that your Eight Gate Immortal Fire Array was supported by only the paper talisman, but not the powers of the Heaven and the Earth that belong to a real cultivator. How long do you think that your array can last? Three minutes, or five minutes? Haha! As soon as your array is spent, you will have to face your own demise."

The Young Master laughed out loud with a contemptuous expression on his face.

Surrounded by flying ghosts and darkness, fear slowly found its way into everyone's mind as the octagon shaped firewall shrunk in size by the second.

Yu Wenjin held tightly onto the only thing that could offer some comfort at such a distressing moment: Chen Fan's shoulder. Without its solid support and warm touch, Yu Wenjin might have already fainted.

Bai Wuji wiped the sweat off his forehead and managed to get on his feet again.

"Master Chen, he is right. My array won't last long. We have to think of ways to break out of this Ghost Realm. Once we are out, his power will be greatly diminished."

"Oh?" Chen Fan didn't seem to care about their safety at all. His interest was piqued by something else: "What is that Primordial Ghost Flute all about?"

Everyone was shocked by how nonchalant he sounded.

This was not the time to care about anything but getting the hell out of here.

Bai Wuji was a leader of a household, and therefore he had more forbearance than most people. He reined in his anxiety and explained quickly:

"The Primordial Ghost Flute is Young Master's one of three Dharma Artifacts. Rumor had it that it was made out of the rib bone of a ghost-cultivator that died right before he was about to make the immortal ascension. This flute was further refined by generations of perfected cultivators until it was passed down to Young Master.

"The Ghost Flute contained the spirit of over a hundred vengeful ghosts. Playing one simple note on this flute would turn a swath of area into a Ghost Realm. Young Master used to trap Transcendent Masters in the ghost realm for over half an hour. According to the legend, if the flute was used by a powerful perfected cultivator around an ancient battleground, it would awaken ten thousand ghosts to fight for their master."

Bai Wuji breathed heavily and said: "I wager that the Young Master is not powerful enough to summon anything beyond what's already in the flute. Therefore, as long as we can break out of the Ghost Realm, we should be safe from the power of the flute."

"Hehe, Bai Wuji, you know me well. But do you really think that you and your band of misfits could break through my spell? Dream on!" The Young Master announced maliciously.

"Is that so?"

Chen Fan cracked a smile and then waved his right arm, summoning the Bone Whip of Malicious Yin once again.

The long whip made out of jade-like bones swept across the air. This time, the apparition of the Yin Snake was much more visible than last time. The Yin Snake had hidden under the pond for over hundreds of years and had long since reached the Ethereal Enlightenment. It could swallow even the angriest ghost and tear apart the most malevolent phantom.

Lo, and behold, only after one loud cracking of the whip, the swarm of ghosts broke apart with countless ear-piercing shrieks. Those who reacted fast got away and those who were too slow or too stubborn were swallowed whole by the spirit of the Yin Snake.

In one fell swoop, Chen Fan had cracked open the dark sky and let a ray of sunlight into the otherworldly dimension they were trapped in. The sunlight improved the visibility of their surroundings significantly.

"Your Dharma Artifact can swallow spirits?"

The Young Master gasped, his eyes were brimming with disbelief.

Everyone looked around and thanks to the sunlight, they quickly found the Young Master hiding in a corner while holding a slightly curved bone flute.

It's appearance matched the description. Its curve and the color both suggested that it was made out of a human rib. It looks almost beautiful with its smooth surface and excellent craftsmanship. No one would have suspected that this flute would have contained over a hundred malevolent spirits.

"I told you that your spell is just a child's play for me. Without moving a finger, I can easily crush you."

Chen Fan put away the bone whip and remained seated calmly.

"I will give you one more chance. If you come to me and accept your own death, I will not harm your family; otherwise, I will make sure that your bloodline will end with you."

The Young Master shut his eyes in anger and surprise. Blood rushed into his head and eyes.

He had never endured such humiliation. Rage spurred him to attack with abandon. He pointed the pointy end of the flute at himself and plugged it through his chest.

The bone flute was as sharp as a dagger, and it pierced his flesh with ease.

Suddenly, the bone flute was covered with blood. To everyone's surprise, the flute sucked in the blood, and its color of mutton-fat-jade started to gain a crimson hue.

"Overcharging his weapon with blood?"

Chen Fan cracked a light smile.

He had seen such an inefficient primitive technique on some planets he had visited during his space travel. This technique was a huge waste of the user's vitality and therefore had long since gone out of love with the cultivators.

"You are right; I will do away with you today! I must!"

The Young Master let out a burst of wry laughter. His lifeless face was turning greyer by the second.

Even if he could kill Chen Fan using this sacrifice technique, his cultivation should take a toll and set him back at least ten years. There would be no winner at the end of this fight.

Bai Wuji was frightened by the development. He had never thought that the Young Master would go all out. Granny Snake shouted at Chen Fan. "Master Chen, leave with Xiao Jin and protect her. We will hold him back for you."

Bai Wuji was not entirely happy with being voluntold to stay back. However, he plastered on a smile and said: "Master Chen, he is going to attack with abandon. Let's pull back for now."

"Too late!"

The Young Master laughed deliriously.

After absorbing Young Master's blood, the ghosts increased their size drastically. Every one of those a hundred or so ghosts were as powerful as Master Wu's "Seasoned Spirits" that he so preciously held in the Ghost Growing Urns.

Chen Fan was able to destroy the Ghost Growing Urns with a blow of lightning strike. However, there were over a hundred malevolent ghosts around here, could he unleash over a hundred lightning strikes at once?

Young Master's blood had increased the power of the spirits, and they were no longer afraid of the fire and bone whip. They rammed their bodies onto the fire column without taking too much damage.

"Ban... Ban... Ban!"

The columns of fire reduced its brightness and size after each impact. The array was supposed to last a few more minutes, but at this rate, it would be put out in less than thirty seconds.

"Master Chen?"

Bai Wuji looked to Chen Fan desperately.

Bai Wuji wasn't the only one that looked to Chen Fan, so did everyone else.

By then, no one knew what was going on nor did they know how to deal with it. Their only hope of getting out alive rests on the shoulders of Master Chen.

"Haha! Even if he is a Perfected Cultivator who had reached the level of Dharma Cultivation, he won't be able to escape the spell in one piece." The Young Master laughed. Blood dripped out from the corner of his mouth, but he didn't seem to care. His mind had long since consumed by rage. "I hope you enjoy the taste of my power. I will tear you apart piece by piece and feed your soul to the spirits."

Everyone's heart sank to their stomach after hearing the Young Master's threats.

However powerful Master Chen was, he wouldn't be a Transcendent Master at such a young age.

Yu Wenjin gazed at the young man before him; suddenly, she felt she was finally at ease.

"It will be worth it if I can die with him, "

After a few suspenseful moments, Chen Fan finally made a move.

"Stubborn fool."

He shook his head and stood up slowly under many pairs of desperate eyes. He looked up at the Young Master and announced: "You brought this onto yourself. Don't say that I didn't warn you.

"Can you look at me in my eyes?"

"Why not?" The Young Master cracked a contemptuous smile.

It wasn't long before his smile froze on his face. His eyes were brimming with disbelief as he watched Chen Fan's eyes turn into two glowing golden flames.

The flame was tiny in the beginning, but it quickly grew in size and became as large as the ever-expanding universe.

"With one look, I shall reduce the world into ashes."

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 113: Burn The Universe

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Yu Wenjin's house, at the outskirts of the Sishui County...

This large courtyard style mansion was engulfed by a dark shadow and heart wrenching howling drifted out from the shadow by fits and starts. The sight would have frightened any passer-by, spurring them to hurry and pass the building without looking at it more than they needed to.

Inside the courtyard, a few Yin Ghosts swirled in the air, stirring up waves of gusts. They looked at Chen Fan and his companions from above as a vulture would to its prey. The ghostly notes of the bone flute had always brought them a feast.

Human's aether and vitality could be used to strengthen the spirits. The cultivators, in particular, was much more nutritious than their normal counterparts.

The Young Master thought his victory was already in the bag; however, the sudden turn of events stunned him.

Bai Wuji and Granny Snake had also witnessed the scene that they would never forget.

They watched as the two sparkly dots in Chen Fan's eyes materialized in the real world as two flaming balls of fire. At first, the flames were contained in Chen Fan's eye socket, and as it grew in size and intensity, a ray of light burst out from the fire and shot at the ghosts. The ghosts caught on fire just by being grazed by the fire.

The golden flame ignited the Yin Qi that permeated the air and gave the sky a bloody color of dusk. In a blink, all those overcharged ghosts were reduced to ashes by Chen Fan in one fell swoop.

The Li Fire Golden Eyes could burn through everything.

"It. It.."

Bai Wuji was stunned; words evaporated from his mouth.

Those were ancient ghosts summoned by the Primordial Ghost Flute. Even a Perfected Master of Dharma Cultivation Level would have trouble dealing with them in less than thirty minutes. However, Chen Fan had eliminated all the threats with just one move. How powerful exactly was he?

The fire that shot out from his eyes were able to burn through malevolent ghosts. It looked very much like the legendary Samadhi Fire.

"Compared to Master Chen. The fire bending ability of my family was like a child's play."

Bai Wuji lowered his head and was deeply shocked.

Granny Snake and Yu Wenjin could only gape.

They could comprehend the power of the Young Master, deciding his strength and weakness. However, Chen Fan's ability to shoot fire out of his eyes was straight out of fiction. It reminded them of the Monkey King and Nezha.

"Could it be that he is an immortal?" Yu Wenjin murmured to herself.

Granny Snake's heart was filled with remorse. If she knew Chen Fan was so powerful, she would never have given her precious granddaughter to the Young Master; instead, she would bathe her and dress her up and deliver her to Chen Fan's bedroom personally.

If she could seal a deal with Chen Fan, no one, not even the Young Master would dare look down on the Yu family.

The fire kept on burning in Chen Fan's eyes, making him look like a warrior god walking straight out of the legends. He looked straight into the Young Master's eyes.

The Young Master felt cold sweat trickling down his back. His mind was taken over by an overwhelming sense of threat.

He knew that his life was hanging on by a thread.

At this time of life and death, the young master shouted at Chen Fan.

"Hold on, Master Chen. I have something to say.

"I apologize. I don't want Yu Wenjin any longer, just let me go. If I can find more Vessels of the Arcane Yin Energy, I will hand them over to you. You and the Ghost Witch Sect never had any bad blood in the past, why start now?"

Chen Fan stood still; however, the fire in his eyes seemed to have diminished slightly.

Sensing his words had worked, the Young Master continued: "There are many like me in my sect. We have three elders who have already reached the peak of Internal Force cultivation. In addition, our sect leader had reached the Dharma Cultivation Level. Master Chen, I believe that you are smart enough to know your best option."

"Are you threatening me?" Chen Fan's voice was placid.

"No, no! I am simply weighing your options for you." The young master gathered himself and said: "We live in a modern society now; there are plenty of fish around. Why do we have to fight over this particular one? We have money and power, we can enjoy any kind of woman we want. You, in particular, are young and capable and were able to dominate the Jiang Bei region at such a young age. You have nothing to worry about. However, if you kill me today, my father and the sect elders are bound to avenge me. If you are not worried about yourself, aren't you worried about your family and friends?

"My sect excels at three kinds of arts: Cadaver Refining, Ghost Reining and Curses. Of the three, my sect had nearly perfected the Art of Curse. It's easy for us to take an ordinary person's life without even getting close to the target."

"He is right, Master Chen. Just let him go."

Shaken with fear, Granny Snake hurried to put in.

She grew up in the southwestern part of China: the homeland of the Ghost Witch Sect. Fear toward the powerful elders and the sect leader were tattooed into her brain ever since she was a child.

Bai Wuji held back his surprise and urged Chen Fan with a knotted brow: "Master Chen, the leader of the Ghost Witch Sect, has deep roots at the southwest region. He had reached the Dharma Cultivation Level a long time ago and achieved the status of Perfected Master. There is no point in crossing him unnecessarily."

Hearing Bai Wuji's words, even Yu Wenjin looked to Chen Fan worriedly.

Chen Fan and the Young Master barely knew each other, and therefore, he didn't have to do this if not for her. She wouldn't be at ease with herself if Chen Fan killed Young Master and caused the sect leader to harm Chen Fan's family.

Zhang Ben lowered his head and let out a cold smile: "Master Chen, our sect leader is not any less powerful than you. If you kill our young master, I guarantee you that you will pay for it."

Zhang Ben and the Young Master played the typical good cop bad cop game with Chen Fan, trying to coax him into submission.

The Young Master heaved a sigh of relief and got up to his feet.

He knew the cowardly nature of man and was convinced that Chen Fan would not put his life on the line. He wagered that as long as he could get through this crisis, he could recuperate and plan his revenge.

Suddenly, Chen Fan let out a peal of faint laughter. "Oh? Have you forgotten what I said earlier?"

"What did you say?"

Panic surfaced once again on Young Master's face.

Chen Fan said lightly: "I told you that if you didn't kneel before me and accept your judgment, I would kill not only you but also your entire family.

"Do you think I, Chen Beixuan, have time to crack a joke with you?"

Everyone watched as two rays of golden flame shot out from Chen Fan's eye sockets once again and they quickly surrounded the Young Master.

"You won't do it!"

Young Master panicked as he hurried to back away. Meanwhile, he charged up his energy and summoned a puff of grey cloud behind him. However, his resistance was futile.

The elegant golden flame had surrounded him in an instant.

Young Master started to scream. The fire licked him clean of his clothes, hair, and nails before it started to gnaw at his flesh and bone. Every inch of his skin was on fire, and the heat brought his blood to a boil, evaporating it into thin air.

This gruesome scene terrified everyone.

Even after the young master's body had been reduced to ashes, the fire still kept going. In the dancing flames, people could see an apparition that was struggling in agony.

"That's... his soul?"

Bai Wuji's body trembled uncontrollably as fear gripped his heart.

Chen Fan's golden flame could not only burn away flesh, but it could also devour souls. Wasn't it called the Total Annihilation?

After a few more horrid moments, even the soul disappeared, and the fire finally died down. Chen Fan turned around to look at the crowd behind him.

"Urhh!"

Bai Wuji and Granny Snake dropped to their knees involuntarily and kowtowed to Master Chen. They scarcely dared to look Master Chen in the eyes, fearing that they would meet the same fate at the Young Master.

He used to be the infamous Young Master of the Ghost Witch Sect, yet he was brutally annihilated by Chen Fan. What else was Chen Fan capable of doing?

Yu Wenjin and Zhang Ben stood still and didn't bend their knees.

Yu Wenjin managed to stand still and regarded the young man who shot fire out of his eyes and had the power of a Godfiend; she felt she didn't know Chen Fan at all.

Zhang Ben let out an ugly grin and said: "You have killed the Young Master. Our sect master will not let you get away with it."

"So?" Chen Fan asked coldly.

Before Zhang Ben could say one more word, a golden fire shot out from Chen Fan's eye and buried itself into Zhang Ben's body.

Zhang Ben gritted his teeth and was ready to meet his demise. However, after a while, he was not harmed; instead, he heard a voice in his ear: "Give this gift to your sect leaders. Tell them that Chen Beixuan will come for them and kill them all."

"You will let me live?" Zhang Ben opened his eyes and was ecstatic.

"Now get out of my face." Chen Fan waved dismissively.

Zhang Ben turned on his heels and started running. All the while his eyes held a poisonous luster that threatened revenge."You are making a mistake, young man. We will crush you one day!"

Yu Wenjin was surprised by the development.

"Chen Fan... Master Chen, are you just letting him go like that?"

"It's fine." The fire in Chen Fan's eyes finally disappeared. He said thoughtfully: "He will have to deliver my gift to the sect. I hope they like it."

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 114: A Gift

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

A few hours after the Young Master's death, Bai Wuji and Master Guo's disciples finally clean up the mess in the courtyard, and everything was back to normal.

Chen Fan sat in a chair and was playing with a jade-colored flute made out of bone.

Chen Fan's Li Fire Golden Eyes had burned through the Young Master's core until even his soul had vanished. Somehow, the Ghost Flute survived the ordeal. However, it wasn't without losses as the malevolent ghosts had disappeared. The fire had returned the Dharma Artifact back to its original state.

Nonetheless, Chen Fan was still taken aback by the quality of the flute.

The Li Fire Golden Eyes were a superior-grade Immortal Enlightenment Art. Therefore, it should have melted even the superior-grade Dharma Artifact. However, the bone flute had stood against the test of fire.

By then, Chen Fan had already gotten a number about the true nature of the material.

"This is a piece of Connate Bone."

With that thought in mind, Chen Fan furrowed his brows and fell deep into thought. Could it be that there were living Connate beings that used to walk the earth? Bai Wuji said that this bone flute was first discovered in an ancient tomb of bygone ages, hence its name: the Primordial Ghost Flute.

"If the earth had abundant Spirit Qi during the ancient time, it was not impossible to see an ancient civilization centered around cultivation. This could also explain the origins of various spells I have seen so far, including the usage of Internal Force." Chen Fan murmured to himself.

After pondering on it for a while, he was elated by the conclusion.

If a cultivation culture did exist at some point during earth history, those ancient cultivators must have left some treasure behind, such as Dharma Artifacts and Spirit Pills. If he could locate those artifacts, his cultivation progress would take a few leaps and bounds.

Chen Fan was certain that there was little to no chance that the ancient cultivators would have survived the test of time and were still living among ordinary humans.

Regardless of how ancient the civilization was, the lack of Spirit Qi on earth as of now would have diminished the ancient cultivator's chance of survival. Even if one or two cultivators had stood the test of time, they would have been hiding in their Grotto-heaven and avoid the real world at all cost.

The world to the cultivators was as a fish pond to fish.

If the pond dried out, even the most ferocious predator fish such as shark would have perished due to lack of oxygen.

However, Chen Fan was an exception. He had learned numerous useful secret arts that could help him to not only survive but also thrive in even the ninth level of Hell. The lack of Spirit Qi was not a problem for him whatsoever.

"Humph! What a waste of good material."

He studied the Connate Bone bone as a smile surfaced on his face.

He had refined the giant spin of the Yin Snake into a Bone Whip of Malicious Yin, making use of this much workable material shouldn't be a challenge.

A cultivator of the Connate Spirit level would have transformed his vitality into a much higher existence. Every drop of blood and every fragment of bone would be fused with Spirit Qi. Therefore, the bone flute was as good a medium for artifact crafting as the numinous treasures.

"I can finally make a Spirit Artifact with this Connate Bone."

Chen Fan exclaimed.

The Spirit Artifact was one step above the Dharma Artifact, and only a cultivator of Connate Spirit level would be able to wield such an artifact. Its power was much greater than that of Dharma Artifacts.

Yu Wenjin walked over to Chen Fan, and her appearance interrupted Chen Fan's reverie. Chen Fan looked up at the girl. Shyness was written all over her face as if it was the first time she met Chen Fan. Chen Fan jested: "What's up with that look on your face. Don't you recognize your old friend?"

Chen Fan's lighthearted joke relieved Yu Wenjin. She stuck the tip of her tongue out and said kittenishly: "You looked scary. Plus, you have burned a person alive. I don't know if I know you anymore."

"You are wrong Wenjin." Chen Fan said somberly: "Have you ever thought what would happen to you if I let the Young Master take you away with him?"

"Kind of? "Yu Wenjin paused a second and said: "Lord Bai said he was going to draw out my Dharmic powers and sow... seeds in me? Whatever that means."

"Hehe." Chen Fan shook his head and then said: "It's not that easy. Primitive arts used by the young master are well known for their brutality. The art will steal not only your Dharmic powers but also your vitality. Such as blood, bones, and what have you. Eventually, it will turn you into an empty husk."

"Ah!" Yu Wenjin gasped, fears lit up in her eyes.

"For such a vile man, even burning him alive was too light of a punishment." Chen Fan sneered and then asked: "Have you made up your mind yet?"

"Yes." Yu Wenjin nodded resolutely. "I am ready to go home and visit my homeland. I have been away for many years."

"Lord Bai told me that only one family of the six major families could take me in. He had agreed to introduce me to them."

"Very well. You are lucky." Chen Fan nodded. "Your unique power is a double-edged sword. If you learn to use it to aid your cultivation, you should be more powerful than even the Young Master in less than ten years."

Bai Wuji came over to Chen Fan and asked for instructions.

Chen Fan became much more serious when he talked to Bai Wuji. "I am going to trust you with Wenjin's safety. If one hair falls off her head... you know what will happen to you."

Bai Wuji's body trembled and hurried to reply: "Yes. Yes!"

The sight of the young master being burnt alive was permanently tattooed in his brain that he would never forget.

Chen Fan nodded lightly. He wagered that since Bai Wuji knew of his power, he would not betray him without thinking about the consequences.

He turned to Yu Wenjin and gazed at her for a few moments as he contemplated for the last time whether he should ask her to stay with him. In the end, Chen Fan decided to keep his silence.

If Yu Wenjin had his guidance, she would have improved much faster than if she stayed with other masters. However, he didn't want to get involved in too many worldly matters in this life. He was on the agenda and had no time to waste.

Plus, Chen Fan was a firm believer that the best way to help someone was to enable them to help themselves.

If Yu Wenjin could prove herself worthy and achieve Dharma Cultivation level or beyond, he wouldn't mind offering her some help to make a proper cultivator out of her. However, if she gives up improving herself, Chen Fan could only wish her good luck.

Everyone bit farewell to Chen Fan before they left. Granny Snake didn't dare look Chen Fan in the eyes when she walked out of the courtyard with Yu Wenjin.

After everyone was gone, Chen Fan was left with the Bronze Armored Cadaver who was still struggling to get up.

"Hehe." Chen Fan cracked a half smile. "These puny sects on the earth knew nothing about the art of Cadaver Refining. Very well, I will teach them the proper way.

"I can't wait to see their faces then Tong Shan smash open their gate."

Five days later, somewhere in a secluded village...

This village looked normal from the outside; however, all the other villagers regarded this place as sacred ground. This was the headquarters of the Young Master.

At the highest ground of the village stood a stone temple. Within it was a three-meter tall statue of a Demon God. The Demon God wore a savage mask revealing only a pair of hideous eyes that shone red. From the mask down, its entire body was covered with black tar.

Beneath the altar, a group of elders in black robs gathered around the Demon God statue.

The youngest of the elders looked in his forties. The oldest had waxen skin with dimples and bumps covering the entire face. He looked ancient, probably over a hundred years old. Each elder was surrounded by chilling energy that continuously spiraled around them. It was obvious that these elders possessed powerful Dharmic Powers.

"Sect Master, the death of the Young Master, is a blatant insult to our sect." An elder said sinisterly.

"Indeed. Ever since the Heavenly Master Sect broke our headquarters, we have never experienced such humiliation." Another elder said hotly.

"He is just a puny human who calls himself Master Chen; how dare he kill one of us! I bet people have forgotten our methods." A cold voice said.

After a while, the elder who sat cross-legged before the Demon God said slowly: "Bring Zhang Ben here. Let's ask him what exactly had happened."

The old man could be mistaken as a lifeless statue if people didn't know his heart still made a beating once in a while. He was the Sect Master. He was over a hundred years old and looked like he could die at any moment.

However, no one dared to disrespect him; he was a Perfected Master that had reached the Dharma Cultivation.

After Zhang Ben entered the temple, he bowed to the elders and the sect master and then started to retell what he had seen.

"You said he is only sixteen or seventeen years old and he can already shoot fire out form his eyes? And he had not only destroyed the Young Master's spell but also burned him alive?" An elder asked incredulously.

"If he really is that powerful, how did you survive?"

"He spared my life to give you a message. He said he would soon come here to kill all of us." Zhang Ben said begrudgingly.

"Preposterous!"

The message had riled up the elders; a swell of angry curses rose from the temple.

"A fledgling from Jiang Bei dared to claim that he will kill me?"

"Hehe, we have been here over a hundred years, and the only setback was at the hands of the Heavenly Master Sect when they were in their hay day. When they finally die out, we will be the dominant power once again."

"Sect Master, let us teach him a lesson. However powerful he is, he is no match against the ten of us."

Some people cursed, some snorted disdainfully, and some were outright mad.

The Sect Master kept his silence for a while and then asked: "What else did he say?"

"He said he wants me to bring a gift to you." Zhang Ben shook his head and cracked a smile: "I thought he was just joking, but here it is..."

"AHRR!"

Suddenly, Zhang Ben let out a painful howl.

Many angry elders lose their words at the sudden turn of event as if an invisible hand had strangled their throat. They looked at Zhang Ben, eyes brimming with fear.

They watched as a red lotus marks appeared on the forehead of Zhang Ben. Then golden flames poured out from every pore on his body, burning his skin, and then the flesh off of his bones. Zhang Ben rolled around on the ground in painful agony, trying to put out the fire, but to no avail.

After a few agonizing moments, Zhang Ben was reduced to ashes and the flames were gone.

Zhang Ben disappeared from the temple; it was as if he had never made it back.

The room suddenly became pin-drop quiet.

All the elders were rendered speechless.

Even the Sect Master was stunned by the scene, as fear crept into his mind.

This was an amazingly terrifying art that could embed the flame inside of one's body and trigger it at a later time. Even the greatest fire bender from the Bai Family was not able to pull off such a feat.

This opponent would be a challenge for even the Sect Master, much less the elders.

"Are we... still going to Jiang Bei?" After a while, someone broke the silence.

No one answered the question, not even the Sect Master.

Everyone looked at each other fearfully and decided never to mention this even ever again.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 115: Wu Mountain Hot Spring Resort

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

When the drastic turn of events happened at the temple, Chen Fan was sitting in the

back of a BMW.

After he registered the releasing of his spell, he looked through the car window into the distance.

Thus it was, the real power of Immortal Enlightenment meant that he had control over anyone's life and death. Zhang Ben was an arrogant fool for thinking that he would have a chance of defeating Chen Fan one day. Unknown to him, Chen Fan had planted a Fire Lotus inside of him and triggered the spell only after he arrived at his sect.

Chen Fan's spell killed two birds with one stone. When the fire consumed Zhang Ben, it also triggered another spell that will mark the locations of the elders so that Chen Fan could detect them from even miles away.

When he was finally there knocking on their doors, he could track them even when they were fleeting.

"This is one of the many variations of the Li Fire Golden Eyes: Transformation of The Red Lotus. I have shown them the power of Immortal Enlightenment."

Chen Fan cracked a cold smile.

"What's going on, Xiao Fan?" Wu Junjie asked. He was driving the BMW with a cigarette between his lips.

"It's nothing. I have just killed a bug." Chen Fan said readily.

"Ok." Wu Junjie replied. Then he suddenly shook his head and said: "What a shame that Wenjin went back home early this year. Otherwise, I would invite her over to the hot spring this year. You should have seen her body in a swimming suit!"

"Humph! Xiao Jin knew you guys are a bunch of perverts, and that's why she decided to leave early." Lin Weiwei refuted.

She has crammed in the back seat with two others, and in order to stretch her legs, she straightened them in between the two seats in the front, extending them all the way to Chen Fan's lap. Fatty Yan was not sure where to rest his gaze, as he shifted his eyes left and right, stealing a glance of Lin Weiwei' sexy legs from time to time.

"Wenjin is back in her hometown, and Haoxuan was a homebody so only four of us could make it today." Wu Junjie lamented.

So saying, he gave Chen Fan a sidelong glance and said apologetically: "Xiao Fan, I got too carried away that night. I hope you can forgive me."

"You mean about what I said about Yu Wenjin?" Chen Fan said calmly: "That's nothing, no harm done. I walked home with her just to ask her some questions."

"Oh? Are you getting jealous because of Xiao Fan?" Lin Weiwei tsked and said: "You are lame, don't you trust your brother? If Xiao Fan really wanted her, he could have made a move on her a while ago."

"Hoosh hoosh, this is a man's only talk." Wu Junjie was slightly embarrassed, and so he hurried to change the topic.

"The Wu Mountain hot spring had just become popular recently. Everything is brand new in there; it's not any worse than the one near Jin City.

"That place is packed during this time of year with people who return home for the Spring Festival. I managed to get four tickets, thanks to one of my friends."

The teenagers decided to take a trip together before the family obligations tie them down during the Spring Festival.

Chen Fan had nothing to do other than waiting for his mother to return home. After his friends' persistent invitation, he was persuaded to join them.

The Wu Mountain Hot Spring Resort was located in between the Chu Zhou City and Tian He City. It became a tourist attraction spot as soon as it was opened. Many tourists from Japan and Korea visit the resort every day.

By dawn, they arrived at Wu Mountain. Since Wu Junjie had booked the hotel rooms through a friend, therefore they were not in a hurry to check in. They found a parking spot in the hotel parking lot and then walked across the street to have dinner.

Wu Mountain was a famous ancient town in the Jiang Bei Region. Many old buildings from the Ming and the Qin dynasty were preserved in the town. The new addition of the world-class hot spring had furthered its popularity.

"Damn, there are so many foreigners ." Lin Weiwei exclaimed.

"Silly girl, don't ogle! You better get used to it." Wu Junjie said disdainfully.

"Who are you calling, silly?" Lin Weiwei narrowed her wide eyes and was ready to punch at Wu Junjie. Wu Junjie rose both hands in surrender. Although he had a sharp tongue, he was no match against Lin Weiwei's savage girl power.

Wu Junjie glanced back at Tong Shan and marveled: "Xiao Fan, where did you find this bodyguard? He is as big as those MMA players I saw on TV."

By then, Tong Shan's wounds were healed. Other than his lifeless eyes, he looked just the same as a normal living person. However, his shiny bald head, two meters and twenty centimeters tall stature, barrel-sized legs and arms, and the bronze-colored muscles that looked as hard as metal gave him a belligerent demeanor that kept people away from his hulking frame.

"Ah, you are talking about Tong Shan. He is one of my distant cousins. He is not all there, and my uncle wanted me to take him out on a trip." Chen Fan lied.

Tong Shan was given five Arcane Pills, and therefore not only his wounds were healed, but the pilled had also further strengthened his body. Once Chen Fan finished his secret cadaver refining art on him, Tong Shan would be as deadly as a grandmaster.

"Shame on you! Bringing such a plus-sized freak with us, and he nearly crushed me to death in the back seat." Lin Weiwei complained.

Yan Xiaobai winced indignantly.

"Sister, at least you have a spot to rest your legs. I have been sitting on this freak's lap all the while. His legs are so bony; I felt that my ass is going to be bruised tonight."

Seeing his friends argue with each other lightheartedly, Chen Fan's eyes were lit up with joy.

Isn't this scene that he missed the most during his lonely cultivation? When Wu Junjie asked him out, he only hesitated a few seconds before agreeing to join them.

"But I kinda like having him here. It made us look so badass." Lin Weiwei giggled.

Tong Shan was a skinhead over two meters tall, and he stood out among the average people as a rock star in the street.

"Hehe. We can finally have fun this time. No one would dare to cause us trouble while we are under the protection of our big cousin!" Wu Junjie let out a smug smile.

They found a restaurant decorated in traditional style. It was called "Wei Quan Hall." Wu Junjie's local friend had recommended this restaurant to him and told him that the chief of the joint used to be a master in creating Lu Style dishes.

"Shit, it's expensive here." Lin Weiwei exclaimed. Wu Junjie nudged Chen Fan and said under his breath: "Xiao Fan, look! left!"

"What is it?" Chen Fan looked over his shoulder and saw a woman wearing sunglasses was sipping on a bowl of soup.

Half of her face was concealed behind the fashionable large shades, revealing only a pointy chin and two small and curled lips. From her dress and overall demeanor, one could tell that this woman was exceptionally beautiful.

"Perverts!" Lin Weiwei castigated hotly.

"That's not why I am staring. Don't you think she looked very familiar?" Wu Junjie defended himself and asked.

"Familiar?" Chen Fan was taken aback by the questions.

"Yes. She is hiding something for sure. Who the hell wears sunglasses while eating food? Her face looked very familiar. I felt I had seen her somewhere."

"Humph! Why do you even care what she wears when she eats?" Lin Weiwei flung back at the boys.

"I have nothing to say to you! You savage ... woman!" Wu Junjie refuted hotly. "But who the hell is she? Why does she look so familiar?"

Chen Fan's face became serious as he initiated his Immortal Will.

His Immortal Will could see through objects, and therefore, he saw the girl's face right away. As he expected, she was exceptionally beautiful. She was in her late twenties and was wearing very light makeup. Her sparkling eyes were as dreamy as the starry night.

"She is..."Chen Fan paused a second as a girl from his distant memory appeared.

"Ah-ha! I know who she is!" Wu Junjie slapped his thigh and exclaimed: "She looked exactly like the superstar Yun Qianqian!"

"Get out of here. Yun Qianqian was an A list actress. Why would she visit such a dingy joint?" Lin Weiwei asked doubtfully.

Seeing Yan Xiaobai was not convinced either, Wu Junjie was frustrated for no one believing him.

However, Chen Fan knew that Wu Junjie was right. The girl was indeed Yun Qianqian.

In his past life, Chen Fan saw her on Tv all the time. When he finally became the manager at the Jin Xiu Group, he had met Yun Qianqian in person a few times during banquets. He was not particularly interested in dating actresses, and therefore, he didn't pay much attention to her even then.

"Interesting, what is Yun Qianqian doing here?" Chen Fan's interest was piqued. "She could have gone to any world-class resort she wanted to, why would she choose the Wu Mountain?"

Suddenly, a group of people entered the restaurant.

They scanned the customers and then walked straight toward Yun Qianqian.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 116: Super Star Yun Qianqian

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The group of men arrived at Yun Qianqian's table, and the leader of the pack said something to Yun Qianqian. The latter shook her head vehemently. A few moments later, the girl and the group of men started arguing with each other. A perverted man of small stature tried to grab Yun Qianqian's arm, and the latter waggled her arm forcefully to break free.

"What's going on there? He is taking advantage of a girl!"

Lin Weiwei was raised in a Martial Arts family and had a very short temper. Seeing the girl being assaulted, she slammed the table and shouted at the top of her lungs.

The group of men turned their heads over to her. The sight of a high school girl emboldened them, but even as they were about to come over to Li Weiwei, they noticed Tong Shan sitting beside the girl. He was about two meters tall, and his chest was as wide as two people. Even while sitting down, he was a head taller than most of the people in the room.

They paused a second to recalculate their odds. After they noticed that Tong Shan's arm was even bigger and thicker than their thighs, the group grew quiet.

The leader of the pack smiled apologetically and said: "Miss Yun. We didn't want to harm you. But Boss really is waiting for you."

"I told you that I am not interested." Yun Qianqian said coldly.

After Chen Fan gave Tong Shan an order, the hulking frame rose from his seat. His head almost touched the ceiling and blotted out the light, projecting a large shadow into the room.

At such a terrifying sight, the small man dared not to say a word and ran away in fear.

"Thank you." Yun Qianqian nodded to everyone and thanked them.

Her voice was smokey, like that of a girl who stayed at the bar until midnight alone.

"You are welcome." Lin Weiwei answered ardently. "If I were you, I would knee bash them in the groin so that they will remember never to mess with me again."

Yun Qianqian was taken aback by the girl's hot temper.

Wu Junjie said: "Why don't you join our table? We can escort you home once we are done. They might still be around, waiting to strike again after we leave."

The women pondered a few moments and then accepted the offer.

She walked over Chen Fan's table. Since there was only one empty seat beside Chen Fan, she sat down to the right of him. Suddenly, a faint fragrance drifted into Chen Fan's nose. Although the smell was light and subverted, its alluring quality was obvious. No doubt that it was a high-quality luxury brand perfume.

After she sat down, everyone could finally have a good look at the girl.

She wore her hair back in a simple ponytail and was wearing a beige-colored peacoat. Since it was not cold inside the room, she took off the coat, revealing a white sweater that clung snuggly onto her curves. Below the waist, she wore a pair of slim-fit jeans that accentuated her luscious upper body even more. She wore no jewelry save for a string of Buddhist beads on her delicate wrist. She looked like an elegant city girl from head to toe and from the inside out.

The clothing on her was worth only a few thousand yuan, but the yellow-rosewood beads were worth over a hundred thousand.

Seeing her wood bracelet, Chen Fan furrowed his brows but kept his silence.

Yun Qianqian's charm dominated the table; after she sat down, no one spoke a word.

Chen Fan was the only person who could keep calm and eat on. Yun Qianqian gave Chen Fan a surprised glance and then said with a smile: "Why don't you eat? Don't stop because of me."

"Well, you are too charming. It's a bit... too much for us to handle." Wu Junjie half-joked and half stammered like an idiot.

Even Wu Junjie was taken aback by his own shyness. He had seen all kinds of girls in his life, why did he felt so disabled in front of her?

Lin Weiwei nodded and then gave Yun Qianqian an admiring glance. Every woman dreams of being like Yun Qianqian, to charm everyone with only some casual clothes and a pair of oversized sunglasses.

"Ah-Why, are you wearing sunglasses while eating?" Lin Weiwei asked curiously.

Yun Qianqian was surprised by the question. She hesitated for a few moments and then answered: "I am sort of special. I can't take my glasses off."

"How so?" Lin Weiwei asked readily, "That rascal over there said you looked like the movie star Yun Qianqian, and therefore you wore a pair of sunglasses to avoid paparazzi."

"Hey! don't give away my nickname!" Wu Junjie rolled his eyes. Rascal was his nickname ever since he was a little boy.

Yun Qianqian cracked a smile but decided to keep her silence.

After a short conversation, the group and Yu Qianqian hit it off quickly.

Yun Qianqian was originally from Tian He City. The recent sect back in her career spurred her to come back home and be away from work for a while. However, as soon as she was back, she was asked to attend a banquet with a few rich and powerful businessmen. At the banquet, the local tycoons tried to flirt with her, but as an A list actress, she would have none of it. She asked her manager to deal with the men at the banquet table while she ran away to find a quiet place to clear her mind.

Since she had grown up at Tian He City, she knew of the quiet Wu Mountain village. After she got here, she unexpectedly befriended this group of friendly yet strange teenagers.

Yes, they were strange, indeed.

Yun Qianqian's keen observation made her a good judge of characters. She knew that this group of boys and girls were from pretty well off families. However, they were not from the most opulent households. They lacked the kind of signature aloofness that tainted every member of the real powerful families she had seen.

Although she was convinced that most of them were from average families, there were two of them that she just couldn't get a handle on.

One of two sat motionlessly in his chair. Every ounce of his hulking muscles screamed danger to her; she wagered that even her best bodyguard wouldn't match his deadliness.

The other one was a refined young man who so far had not even glanced at her once.

Chen Fan's appearance was nothing to boast about. It was boringly ordinary in the eyes of an expert in the entertainment industry. However, deep in his eyes were a playful conceit that dared to defy anything and anyone in the world.

"Yes, that is self-assuredness in his eyes." Yun Qianqian told herself.

She had only observed such self-assuredness in the eyes of the real top dogs of China who were capable of changing the lives of millions.

However, even those tycoons' confidence were no match against Chen Fan. Chen Fan was so sure of his power that he might as well be arrogant.

"Interesting. What kind of family could produce such a child?" Yun Qianqian thought curiously.

However, she quickly brushed aside the idea of acquainting herself with a man from a powerful secret family. She shook her head and laughed at her own naivety.

When everyone had finished their food, they started to plan their trip to the hot spring. They insisted that Yun Qianqian should tag along.

Yun Qianqian was going to refuse; however, the thought of meeting those local gentries again changed her mind.

The Wu Mountain Hot Spring resort was huge in size and came with all different kinds of facilities. There were outdoor hot springs, buffet restaurants, resting areas, and hotels. There were also luxury VIP hot springs if one wanted to go above and beyond the normal experience.

After everyone changed into their swimming suit, they gathered at the outdoor Hot Spring.

"Oh my god!"

Everyone looked toward Tong Shan. He was wearing a tight speedo, revealing his bronze skins that were ridden with scares. A large ugly scare ran from under his chin to his belly. It was as if something sharp attempted to slice him in half.

"Xiao Fan, what does Big Cousin do?" Wu Junjie gasped.

"He used to be a mercenary overseas. After a mission, his brain got damaged." Chen Fan shrugged.

Tong Shan's bodybuilder shape attracted a lot of attention. He walked to the center of the pool and scared away a large group of the crowd. His body was a magnet for the girl's attention. However, the terrifying scars and his lifeless expression deterred many girls from coming over to admire his impressive body in close range.

By then, the two girls also appeared from the locker room.

"Holy shit! Savage Girl. Where did you get that body?"

Lin Weiwei was wearing a traditional one-piece swimming suit that covered her whole upper body. However, her tall and thin frame looked attractive with the pair of surprisingly fit legs. However, her beauty was a far cry from Yun Qianqian, who was still in her sunglasses.

Yun Qianqian was in her fabulous late twenties. She wore a three-piece bikini that showed off her spinner body. Her perky bosom was sublime under the sun. Lin Weiwei simply couldn't compare.

Even though her attractive face was still covered by the sunglasses, her top quality assets had overshadowed all the girls in the pool.

Although Wu Junjie enjoyed the view, he scarcely dared to make a comment about her beauty.

The outdoor Hot Spring was divided into many pools. Thanks to Tong Shan's frightening appearance, the group had an entire pool to themselves.

Suddenly, Chen Fan asked a question: "Miss Yun, can I take a look at the beads on your wrist?"

Yun Qianqian was taken aback by the abrupt question.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 117: A Cursed Bracelet

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Yun Qianqian hesitated. Although this bracelet looked nothing extraordinary, a well-respected Buddhist had blessed it for her, and therefore, this bracelet was worth at least a hundred thousand yuan.

She had just met him, yet Chen Fan asked to see the most expensive piece of jewelry she was wearing. Anyone would have hesitated if they were in her shoes.

"Sister Yun, is it made out of yellow rosewood?" Wu Junjie asked. "I saw one of them on a rich teenager's wrist in Jin City. That one was worth over two hundred and eighteen thousand, and it didn't look half as pretty as yours."

Lin Weiwei and Yan Xiaobai both were shocked by the value.

They were both from middle-class families of a county town. They had never dreamed of seeing a bracelet that worth over a couple hundred thousand.

Ever since they learned of the girl's last name, they started to joke that she was a sister of the superstar Yun Qianqian.

Since Wu Junjie had spilled the beans about the value of the bracelet, Yun Qianqian no longer hesitated. She removed the bracelet from her wrist and handed it over to Chen Fan and said: "The price is not the most important. This bracelet meant a lot to me because it was a gift from one of my best friends. She went through a great deal of trouble asking for a blessing on it before she gave it to me. She told me to keep it with me at all times, and never let it leave my sight."

Chen Fan didn't say a word. He held the beads in his hand and started to examine it.

Under the scrutiny of his Immortal Will, the beads revealed its true colors. Each and every one of the wooden beads were surrounded by dark Malice Qi. From time to time, some of the flowing energies formed a hideous skull.

"A curse?"

Chen Fan fell into deep thought.

Curses were widespread among many different cultures' legends. There were called incantations in the west and in the east, they existed in the form of numismatic charm, voodoo dolls, and Gu.

However, this was the first time Chen Fan saw a curse in real life on earth. Out of curiosity, he probed deeper into the beads using his Immortal Will.

"KOM!"

He felt a shock as his Immortal Will went through the barrier, revealing a scene.

He was inside of a dark and dank temple, where robed priests worshiped a sinister looking demon god with four hands, four head, and four faces. Under the statue stood a monk with a shaved head. He was wearing a string of necklace made out of bone and fangs.

The monk took a bracelet off the altar and handed it over to an attractive looking girl kneeling on the ground. He murmured something to the girl, and the latter kowtowed to the monk appreciatively.

The picture disappeared, leaving Chen Fan with more questions than answers.

"Who was that woman? Was she Yun Qianqian's friend?"

He recalled the news of Yun Qianqian in his past life and felt that things suddenly made much more sense.

He returned the bracelet to Yun Qianqian and paused a second before he said heavily: "You better throw it away or burn it."

"What?"

Wu Junjie was rendered speechless.

Yun Qianqian was also taken aback; her eyes were lit up with caution and suspicion. "What... what do you mean?"

"No kidding, Xiao Fan. This yellow-rosewood bracelet was worth over a few hundred thousand. Plus, it was a gift from Sister Yun's best friend who spent a great deal of effort to obtain it. You are out of your mind to ask Sister Yun to throw it away." Wu Junjie said with deeply furrowed brows.

Chen Fan didn't mind the protest. He said faintly: "You have been meeting tailwinds in your career and have been down on your luck. You can't even sleep well, and the lack of sleep further exacerbated your work performance. You feel trapped. Am I right?"

"How did you know?" Yun Qianqian's voice was filled with suspicion.

As an actress who had to rely on herself to make a living, she was much more protective of herself than most people. Chen Fan's truthful remarks had spurred her to raise her guard. She wondered it was a setup, and the teenagers were conspiring against her.

The entertainment industry was a battleground, and she had seen all kinds of sordid methods from even the most trustworthy looking people. On the set, she always brought her own water bottle and never trusted anyone else's water.

Chen Fan cracked a smile and then kept his silence.

He had thought to offer some help to her since fate had brought them together for this brief encounter. However, if Yun Qianqian didn't trust him, he wouldn't care less about her wellbeing.

Seeing Chen Fan didn't say a thing, Yun Qianqian was even more certain that something was amiss. Suddenly, an awkward silence fell into the pool.

After a few moments, Yun Qianqian stood up and said: "I have other things to attend to. Please enjoy yourself. "

She turned around toward the exit, ignoring Wu Junjie's invitation to stay.

"Ah. Sister Yun?" Lin Weiwei hurried to get up and was going to persuade her to stay.

Suddenly, a large group of people entered the pool.

The leader of the group was the short man who harrassed Yun Qianqian earlier. However, this time, he was accompanied by a woman in fashionable cloth.

Surprise flashed across Yun Qianqian's face as soon as she saw the woman.

"Sister Qin, why are you here?"

"Oh my little princess, are you trying to kill me? Why did you abandon me in the middle of the banquet, only to show up at this place?" The woman was in her thirties. She was of average looks but well dressed nonetheless. She looked like a shrewd and confident businesswoman.

She started ranting as soon as she entered the pool area as she gave Yun Qianqian a wink.

"Miss Yun, your agent is here, can you come with us now?" The small man said impatiently. "My boss and Mr. Tang are both waiting for you."

"Mr. Tang is there too?" Yun Qianqian's face paled.

"Sister, are you really Yun Qianqian?" Lin Weiwei asked incredulously.

Wu Junjie also jumped out of the pool in surprise. Seeing her cover was blown, she finally removed her sunglasses revealing her gorgeous and famous face.

"I am sorry for lying to you all the while." Yun Qianqian gave everyone an apologetic smile. Then she turned around toward her agent and said: "Sister Qin, I told you I want to spend some time alone. Please say sorry to Mr. Tang for me."

Sister Qin hesitated and said: "Qian Qian, Mr. Tang came all the way to Tian He just to see you. Don't you think you should at least meet him once? Plus..."

"What?" Yun Qianqian asked.

"Plus my boss had been waiting for you for hours. Do you really think you can get away with fooling my boss?" The small man said sinisterly. "In Tian He City, no one dares to mess with my boss."

"Who is your boss?" Yun Qianqian furrowed her brows and asked.

Before she got an answer, Lin Weiwei exclaimed excitedly.

"Sister Yun said she doesn't want to go. What's wrong with you people?"

As a fan of Yun Qianqian, the sight of her idol had robbed her of any reason in her mind.

The small man cracked a sneer and said: "Listen to me, kiddo, I had let it slide because I didn't want to cause trouble. But now, I have twice as many men than you do, so mind your mouth and stay out of this."

A group of bodyguards in black suits appeared behind him. They all wear the same buzz cut and looked angry and deadly. Lin Weiwei and Wu Junjie were frightened by the sight.

They were ordinary high schoolers and had never experienced such a terrifying moment.

Wu Junjie managed to speak: "hey... Bro. I'm friends with the Young Lord Din of Tian He. Can we sit down and talk this out?"

"Young Lord Din? Who is that?" The short man asked as caution flickered in his eyes.

"Din Youwei." Wu Junjie said.

"Oh, for fuck, sake!"

The short man spat. Disdain and contempt were written all over his face.

"You call him a Young, Lord?"

"Even his dad dares not to cross my boss, much less that little shit."

Wu Junjie's face turned green as he was at a loss for words.

The man he was dealing with was even more powerful than Din Youwei's father. Wu Junjie established that he really couldn't do anything to help.

The short man put on a smug smile and then extended his scrawny arm to grab Yun Qianqian's wrist.

"Go away!

Fire burst out from Lin Weiwei's eyes, and she delivered a roundhouse kick at the little man, sending the latter flying back.

"Manager!"

Seeing the little man was dealt a serious kick, the bodyguards' faces became overwrought. Although even the bodyguard agreed that the short man is a dip shit, he was their boss's inlaw. His sister was their boss's second wife, out of all the wives and mistresses, the boss loved his sister the most. If they returned with the short man injured, everyone would be reprimanded by the boss harshly.

"Fahhhk!"

The little man managed to pick himself up, and he glared at Lin Weiwei vengefully. "Don't let her go! Take her to my bed; I will tame this wild B with an itch. "

The bodyguard threw themselves at Lin Weiwei at the same time.

Lin Weiwei's face paled at the development. Despite her martial arts training, she was ill-equipped to handle a dozen professional bodyguards at the same time.

"STOP!"

Yun, Qianqian shouted. Lin Weiwei got into trouble because of her; she couldn't just stand and watch her being beaten up.

However, the bodyguards didn't stop. Yun Qianqian looked to Sister Qin for help.

Sister Qin replied to her with a wry and helpless smile.

The man who wanted to meet with her was a top dog in the Tian He City. He had his skin in nearly all businesses in the city. Although Yun Qianqian didn't have to worry about him in other cities; she was on his turf, and she better oblige his demands.

Wu Junjie and Yan Xiaobai were trembling with fear; however, they stood before Lin Weiwei to protect her.

They grew up together, and they couldn't just watch her being hurt.

Suddenly, Chen Fan growled in a deep voice: "Tong Shan!"

Tong Shan stood up, casting an enormous shadow before him. His hulking frame rose in front of the bodyguards like a mountain.

"Oh. Fuck me!"

Someone shouted out in panic.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 118: Broken

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Honcho, what should we do now?"

Stunned by the enormous frame of Tong Shan that rivaled NBA players, the bodyguards wavered and looked to the short man for instructions.

The short man was considered the underboss of the group simply because he was the inlaw of the boss. Without the sweet pillow talk his sister offered to the boss, he was just an arrogant simpleton. Despite the fact that the odds were clearly stacked against him, the short man shouted at the bodyguards.

"Hit him! What are you afraid of? He is all by himself, and there are a dozen of us!"

Urged by their honcho's command, some of the bodyguards mustered their courage and rallied their teammates. "YEA! He is fighting by himself. Let's gang up on him!"

However, their newfound courage was very short-lived.

The first two bodyguards who rushed toward Tong Shan were knocked to the side by the giant's sweeping hand. They collapsed on the ground as blood spilled from their mouths. Judging by the way their chest looked, the attack must have broken a few of their ribs.

"Shit!"

The sudden turn of events terrified the other bodyguards and robbed them of the will to fight.

Lin Weiwei patted Tong Shan's back and exclaimed excitedly: "You are awesome, Big Cousin! Fighting them is like fighting kids from kindergarten."

She looked to the short man and lifted her chin proudly.

"Did you say that you are going to tie me to your bed? Come on. What are you waiting for?"

The short man's face was contorted by anger. He shouted hotly at the bodyguards: "Why don't you go after him at the same time?"

The bodyguards looked at each other and hesitated.

Although none of them liked the short man, his sister had the boss wrapped around her little finger. She just needed to sneak one poisonous word into the boss's ear; all of them would have to bear grave consequences.

The thought of their boss's wrath made the bodyguards shiver and spurred them forward.

Suddenly, Tong Shan was surrounded by a dozen fighters. Seeing the situation escalated out of control, the other guests of the resort rushed to get out of harm's way. In a blink, the entire outdoor hot springs section was empty except for the two parties that were fighting with each other.

Seeing the bodyguards started to attack all at once, Lin Weiwei's face tightened. She looked to Chen Fan concernedly.

Chen Fan was still in the pool and was not at all perturbed by the development. He said nonchalantly: "Don't worry, Tong Shan will handle them."

Despite Chen Fan's reassurance, Lin Weiwei felt distraught with the situation. However, strong Big Cousin was, he was fighting by himself. Could he really ward off the attack from a dozen men at the same time?

"Sister Qin!" Yun Qianqian finally called out.

She felt at least half responsible for the confrontation between the two parties, and therefore she felt that she should help, in whichever way she could.

Sister Qin ignored her and pulled her to the side. She refused her hotly: "Qian Qian, grow a brain, please! Can't you see what is happening right now? Are you really going to tick off Boss Han and Boss Tang for some little shits that you barely know?

"Maybe later you can plead for them, but not now."

"They saved me." Yun Qianqian said with knotted brows."Who is that Boss Han anyways? What a jerk."

During the banquet, she only briefly greeted the local gentry and didn't make an effort to remember their names.

"He was the tycoon of the Tian He City." Sister Qin said with a wry smile. "He owns a few hundred million assets and a successful shipping fleet; one of the richest men in Tian He City. Otherwise, why do you think I would insist on you meeting him?"

Yun Qianqian pulled a taut face.

Her decades of experience as an actress told her that she wouldn't be able to get away with it easily.

Yun Qianqian was an A-list star, and therefore if she really didn't want to meet with the local tycoon, she might be able to get a pass. However, it was not wise to offend him while she was on his turf.

So thinking, Yun Qianqian shut her mouth and gave up the thought of helping the teenagers.

Sister Qin was right, she just met these kids, and they were barely even friends.

As she thought so, the two parties were already at each other.

The leader of the bodyguards called Bao Bian, was at the very front of the line. As he approached the Tong Shan, he didn't dare to lower his guard until he was close. He punched at the giant with abandon.

"DIE!"

His punch was so powerful that it made a wheezing sound through the air. It was one of the most perfect executions Mr. Bao had ever done in his life. Bao Bian was confident that he should lay the giant low.

"Big Cousin, dodge!"

Lin Weiwei let out a muffled shout. Wu Junjie and the others watched with colorless faces. They were all from ordinary mid-class families and never had they imagined that they would get caught in a fist fight.

Tong Shan ignored the warning and remained motionless like a massive log.

"Dong!"

To everyone's surprise, Bao Bian's forceful punch did nothing. It made a loud clank as if the fist had landed on a piece of metal. At the impact, Bao Bian felt Tong Shan's flesh return a sharp force back at his hand. He then heard a loud crunch: his bones were broken.

"Oh my god!"

Everyone was shocked.

Tong Shan was wearing only a swimming trunk, much less any other protection.

Everyone watched as the fist landed squarely on the giant's naked shoulder; however, not only was Tong Shan unscathed, the attacker had also broken his fingers. How did that even make sense?

"Is it the art of Golden Shield, Iron Shirt or is it the legendary Martial Arts Of the Thirteen Sons?"

A string of tropes in martial arts novels that border-lined myth surfaced in everyone's mind.

"I don't believe it!"

Bao Bian rubbed his injured hand while staring at Tong Shan who still stood motionless. "I must have hit the wrong spot. I don't believe that your body is made out of metal!"

Before he finished talking, he threw another punch at Tong Shan.

This time, Bao Bian used both hands and attacked with all he got. He used the hammering attack that he had perfected after decades of practice, boring his fists down on the hulking frame.

It was evident that this attack was much more powerful than his last one.

"Just DIE!"

He snarled as a burst of satisfying laughter, let out from his mouth.

A fraction of second later, his last hope disappeared.

"Bang!"

"Kacha!"

The clank was loud this time, and it was followed with an even louder noise of bones snapping apart. Bao Bian's punch had hit home; however, his arms were unable to withstand the shock, and they snapped.

"It. It.."

Bai Bian's arms drooped under his shoulder. He breathed heavily, trying not to wince. He then looked at Tong Shan fearfully, as if he was looking at a devil.

Tong Shan didn't even move a finger, and his opponent had already two broken arms. They were clearly not fighting on a leveled ground. It was as if a group of medieval soldiers had to face off with a modern tank.

Silence fell into the hot spring pool.

Everyone stared at Tong Shan's giant body with disbelief.

"Could it be that his body really is made out of iron?" Someone murmured.

Chen Fan kept his silence and didn't reply.

Tong Shan had been a Martial Arts master even before he was turned into a Bronze Armored Cadaver. After his skin was infused with molten metal, he was practically invincible and could not be harmed by any weapon. He was revived by Chen Fan using Arcane Pills after he was brutally disabled by Chen Fan. After taking in the beneficial effects of the Arcane Pills, his defense and offense abilities were further improved.

Lin Weiwei and her friends could only stare.

Yun Qianqian and Sister Yun were shocked as well. Yun Qianqian was involved in many martial arts films, and she had read many show scripts that described unimaginable marital arts abilities. However, she had never thought that she would see such abilities in real life.

"Honcho, what should we do?"

The other bodyguards turned toward the short man and asked.

The short man was stunned by the turn of the event, so he finally hesitated.

However, he knew that he couldn't panic since the bodyguards were still counting on him. He managed to pull himself together, and said: "What else could we do? Call Boss!"

"Yes! Yes!" Everyone agreed eagerly.

They were convinced that even though this large man possessed exceptional physical strength, he would not get away with it once their boss showed up.

With that thought in mind, the little man's eyes lit up again. He sneered at Chen Fan and said: "We will see who would be laughing when my brother in law comes."

Sister Qin's face paled after hearing his words.

"Shit, they are going to call Boss Han."

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 119: Tian He's New Royalty

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Boss my ass. Do you think that we are afraid of you?" Lin Weiwei announced bravely.

She gave Wu Junjie a backhand slap on the shoulder and said curiously: "Junjie, why don't you call your friend? Didn't you say that he is some kind of hotshot in Tian He City?"

"Young Lord Din?" Wu Junjie hesitated. Based on what the little man said, even Young Lord Din wouldn't be able to save them.

However, under Lin Weiwei's insistent urge, he dialed Young Lord Din's number.

"Hehe." The short man didn't stop Wu Jinjie from dialing. He glared at the boy with a contemptuous look on his face.

"Sister Qin, maybe I should talk to Boss Han and Mr. Tang. It's going to get out of control." Seeing how quickly the situation had escalated, Yun Qianqian furrowed her brows.

"Are you sure you want to be beholden to Mr. Tang because of a bunch of kids?" Sister Qin said wryly.

Yun Qianqian was suddenly at a loss for words.

Mr. Tang was one of her longtime supporters. He generously donated to every show production she was involved in, and she knew very well what he wanted in return. Yun Qianqian never lacked supporters, and therefore, Yun Qianqian had been ignoring his pursuit until now.

In recent years, she was transforming from a TV star to that on the silver screen. The first two movies she was in were complete flops, so much so that the failures threatened her status as an A-list actress. During this critical time of her career, she couldn't afford to lose any supporters.

If she turned to Mr. Tang now, the latter would very likely oblige and forgive the teenagers. However, that would also put her into a position where she couldn't refuse any of Mr. Tang's requests.

With that thought in mind, Yun Qianqian dithered again.

Meanwhile, in a secret VIP club somewhere in Tian He City...

The VIP hall was huge and well-lit. A giant round table was set at the center of the hall where a group of people was drinking.

Beside each and every man at the table stood tall and attractive waitresses who wore tight traditional outfits. They all wore their hair high up in a bun.

All of the waitresses' looks were above average; some of them were drop dead gorgeous and could be worshiped as a goddess by desperate men who were eager to serve them. However, inside the VIP hall, it was their job to serve.

Any local person from Tian He City would have recognized the men from rich and powerful families. Even the poorest of them owned over a few hundred million assets.

These top dogs didn't pay any attention to the attractive waitresses beside them; instead, their attentions were on two men sitting at the head of the table.

The scholarly looking one on the left was in his thirties and was wearing gold-rimmed glasses. The custom tailored Italian suit encased his slim body and brought out the stately old-money style in him.

The other man on the right was a middle age man who had greasy, shiny hair and an even greasier round face. He was wearing a flashy Armani outfit. On his waist rested a belt buckle made by Hermes. The Patek Philippe watch sparkled under the bright lighting in the room. It was evident that he had struck it rich overnight from nothing.

"How do you like everything, Mr. Tang."

The middle age man asked with a smile.

"Everything is superb. Thank you." Mr. Tang nodded. However, a hint of contempt flickered in his eyes.

He was from a prominent family and was used to riches and luxury ever since he was a child. Boss Han's club was too tacky to his taste. It might pass as a luxury VIP club among the gaudy new riches, but it was laughable in the eyes of someone from an old and powerful family.

"Haha. I am glad you like everything." Boss Han laughed smugly.

Mr. Tang was a tycoon from Zhong Hai. He was from a large family whose power was no less than that of the Wei. Mr. Tang also had more respect in his family than Third Lord Wei. Although he never claimed to be a businessman, he was the vice president of two public companies and the sole owner of a large entertainment firm. Han Tianshen simply couldn't compare.

However, Han Tianshen was not nervous before him either.

He had recently just earned the number one position in Tian He City. That put him in the same club with other top dogs in the Jiang Bei region. However, influential Mr. Tang was, he was on his turf right now, so he had a home advantage.

The thought gave Han Tianshen a rush of good feelings. He plastered on a regretful look and sighed: "This club used to belong to Boss Xin, and I was only one of Boss Xin's associates. However, Boss Xin had ticked off the wrong person and perished, leaving this huge mess unattended. I had no choice but to take up the responsibility."

Hearing the words, Mr. Tang furrowed his brows and asked.

"I have heard that you have acquired Xin Zhong's Yuan Gang Group and you have become the new CEO? That was a hell of a deal and will add at least a few billion into your asset pool. Way to go!"

"I used to just be a board member of the Yuan Gang Group. Boss Xin is the one who called the shots. Truth be told, I was quite happy and content even back then and never had I imagined that I would be the one in charge."

Despite Boss Han's humble words, the smug look on his face had betrayed him.

Catching the drift of the conversation, the other tycoons at the table quickly followed suit and praised Boss Han in twenty-two different ways.

Mr. Tang wore a fake smile on his face as a wave of contempt rose inside of him.

Han Tianshen used to be one of Xin Zhong's lapdogs, and his wealth was worth at most a hundred million.

However, right after Xin Zhong's death, he took over his former boss's company and acquired the Yuan Gang Group that Xin Zhong had worked his entire life for.

However, Mr. Tang was here to ask him a favor, so he decided to play along. He carried on: "Boss Han is even more influential now since you have the sale rights of the Yun Wu Spirit Water. Many rich and powerful people would have to beg you to get a drop of the Spirit Water."

"You have heard of the Yun Wu Spirit Water as well?" Han Tianshen's face became serious, and he asked.

"I am quite well connected and have heard of it before the news hit the masses." Mr. Tang said calmly.

Chen Fan had coined the name Yun Wu Spirit Water for the spirit water he created.

Although the Spirit Water had just arrived in the market, its magical effects had shocked the upper-class elites of the entire province. Even someone who lived far away in Zhong Hai such as Mr. Tang had heard of the Spirit Water and came to investigate.

"To be honest with you, Mr. Tang. The sales rights are at the discretion of Master Chen. I am relatively new to the top level, and therefore got the least amount of quota: only ten or twenty bottles a day. I mostly just sell them among my family members. By the end of the day, I have not a lot to spare." Han Tianshen shook his head and said.

Mr. Tang didn't believe him a wee bit but decided to play along.

"That truly is a tough spot for you."

Suddenly, he asked curiously: "So, you were saying that the Spirit Water is made by Master Chen?"

"Indeed. No natural spring water could cure all the ailments." Han Tianshen said respectfully: "These spring water are infused with Master Chen's power. Why do you think people will pay hundreds of thousands of yuan for it?"

Mr. Tang furrowed his brows and said: "I have heard of Master Chen even in Zhong Hai. The rumors tend to exaggerate things. In my opinion, he is not any more powerful than you."

"You can't compare him with me." Han Tianshen shook his head as fear rose inside of him. "Master Chen is an ... immortal. I am nothing but his lapdog, a content one while at that."

He had watched as Chen Fan killed his boss with one jab of a finger. He would never forget that terrifying day.

He had learned his predecessor's lesson and knew that in order to secure his power, he needed support from Chen Fan and his Yun Wu Spirit Water.

Therefore, Han Tianshen had always revered Chen Fan ever since he took over the city.

"You are too humble." Mr. Tang shook his head with a smile. He was still not convinced. "You are the richest man in the city, one day you will replace him."

Han Tianshen kept his silence while he laughed at his guest's naivety in his mind.

"Even the leader of your house, Tang Jianfen was no match against Master Chen, what do you know about replacing his power?"

Suddenly, Han Tianshen's phone rang, so he answered it.

After he hung up the phone, his face looked annoyed.

"What's going on ?" Mr. Tang asked.

"Some little shit is stirring up trouble." Boss Han said as anger flickered in his eyes. Then he asked abruptly: "Mr. Tang, should we go to Wu Mountain right now and invite our superstar over personally?"

"Very well."

Mr. Tang rose from his seat readily.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 120: Master Chen's Lapdog

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Wu Junjie's friend Young Lord Din happened to be near the resort, so he arrived before anyone else.

Before he got there, the owner of the resort had invited both parties to a large meeting room. They were seated on either side of a large table. Yun Qianqian had changed into normal clothes and put her sunglasses back onto her face.

Chen Fan sat cross-legged and was enjoying the fruits on the table. Tong Shan stood behind Chen Fan like an iron pillar.

As soon as Young Lord Din entered the hall, he couldn't help but look toward Tong Shan. He turned toward Wu Junjie and asked: "What is going on, Junjie?"

"My friend had some quarrel with these guys. I hope you can help out. "Wu Junjie said with a sheepish smile.

"No problem. Everyone in Tian He will have to give me some face." Young Lord Din pounded his chest and reassured his distraught friend.

Suddenly, he heard a sneer from a short man beside him. "Hey kiddo, since when did I have to give you face?"

"Second Lord Pan?" Young Lord Din furrowed his brows as soon as he saw the short man.

Although Second Lord Pan lacked any talent, he had a powerful brother-in-law. Just recently, Han Tianshen had risen to power and took over Xin Zhong's number one spot in the Tian He City. Ding Youwei did not have sufficient power to fight back against such new royalty of the Tian He City.

However, Young Lord Din was dealing with Second Lord Pan instead of his powerful brother-in-law, and therefore, he still had some room for maneuvering. "Second Lord Pan, are you getting horny again? These are my friends, don't you dare touch any one of them."

Young Master Din had already got a handle on the situation.

Although Yun Qianqian's face was covered by sunglasses, her body and demeanor suggested that she was drop-dead gorgeous. Lin Weiwei was leggy and young. Her damp hair clung tightly to her budding bosom, and her smooth skin glistered tantalizingly under the sunlight. Second, Lord Pan had an infamous appetite for women, and Young Lord Din knew that he would easily clash with others for such beautiful things.

"Hehe, Din Youwei, who the hell do you think you think you are?" Second Lord Pan cracked a smile.

"So you are not going to give them a pass?" Din Youwei pulled a taut face and then asked.

Young Lord Din was a reputable figure in Tian He City. Most people would oblige him by now for the sake of his father. Young Lord Din believed that he and Second Lord Pan were equal in power, and his words should have carried some weight to the short pervert.

"Piss on you!" Second Lord Pan suddenly hurled a wine cup at Young Lord Din.

Din Youwei ducked and evaded the cup. His face turned black, and even as he was going to rush to his attacker, Wu Junjie stopped him and said under his breath. "He has a dozen people on his side. Be careful."

"Humph! I doubt they will harm me." Din Youwei grunted. However, fear had already crept into his mind.

"I am not afraid of that clown; I called you here because he said he is going to call his boss."Wu Junjie said.

"His boss?" Din Youwei's face twitched slightly.

He never remembered Second Lord Pan having ever called anyone boss except for one.

"I am not sure."Wu Junjie hesitated. "Sister Yun said that she ran away from a banquet with someone called Boss Han. That's why Second Lord Pan is after her."

"Boss Han, Han Tianshen?" Din Youwei's face paled.

"Indeed. That is my boss. What now, Din Youwei? Do you really want to offend my boss?" Second Lord Pan asked contemptuously as he sat in a chair cross-legged.

Din Youwei was shocked.

Han Tianshen was the richest man in the Tian He city, and his assets were worth over two billion yuan. Even his father couldn't compare with Han Tianshen's might.

"Bro, you didn't tell me that you are facing off against Han Tianshen."

Din Youwei looked to Wu Junjie and exclaimed.

"Young Lord Din, what do you mean?" Wu Junjie was taken aback, and he asked perplexedly.

"What I mean is that you better apologize now. Otherwise, when Boss Han shows up, you won't even have the opportunity to do just that." Din Youwei paused a second and provided his honest two cents for old time sake.

"Apologize for what? He is a pervert, not me!" Lin Weiwei refuted.

Din Youwei kept his silence, but a hint of disdain flashed across his face.

"She is right; they should apologize to us." Chen Fan said with his mouthful of fruit.

Encouraged by Chen Fan's endorsement, Lin Weiwei puffed her chest and doubled down on her position.

"Do you know who Boss Han is?" Din Youwei asked impatiently. "Even Lord Wei from the Chu Zhou City had to address him respectfully much less you."

"Yes, Weiwei, let's just apologize." Yun Qianqian finally wavered.

She had decided to apologize on behalf of the group when Mr. Tang and Boss Han arrived. When Mr. Tang was finally here, she will beg him to spare these teenagers. After all, if not for protecting her, these teenagers would not get into this mess.

"Sister Yun!" Lin Weiwei's face flushed red.

She was a simple girl and saw the world only in black and white. Therefore the concept of compromise didn't sit well with her.

"It's for your own good. Don't worry; I will make sure that Boss Han will not harm you guys." Yun Qianqian said softly yet determinedly.

Yun Qianqian's words took the wind out of Lin Weiwei's sail. She lowered her head disappointedly and kicked the ground in frustration.

"Hehe, finally you have made the right choice. Very well, for the sake of Miss Yun, I will spare you as long as you apologize to me and call me boss. What do you think?" The short man let out a smug smile. "Otherwise, when my brother-in-law gets here, things are going to get much more complicated than just an apology."

"Are you Yun Qianqian?" Young Lord Din asked abruptly as realization finally down upon him. The conflict was because of the superstar.

He looked at Chen Fan and shook his head. She was a superstar and probably had a million different ways to get her out of a sticky situation like this; however, Chen Fan and Wu Junjie were just high school students. Yun Qianqian might be able to get away with it, but not a bunch of kids.

"Are we really going to apologize?" Tears welled in Lin Weiwei's eyes, as she had never experienced such humiliation before.

Wu Junjie clenched his fist as the memory of his run-ins with came back to him. This time was even worse; not only he couldn't protect himself, but he had also failed his best friends.

He bemoaned in his mind for his uselessness.

Even the constant smile on Yan Xiaobai's happy go lucky face had evaporated.

Chen Fan finally put down the fruit in his hand and rose from the chair. "Apologize? Why? Wei Wei was right; we didn't do anything wrong."

"You ARE wrong because you are weak." Din Youwei didn't pass up the opportunity to take a jab at Chen Fan. "In this world, only the strongest, most powerful and resourceful are always right."

"Boss Han has money and power; what are you? You are just a kid."

"Xiao Fan?" Lin Weiwei looked to Chen Fan as a drowning man would to the last piece of floating plank.

Chen Fan walked over to the girl and patted her head gently. He smiled at her and said: "You are my friend, so I will make sure you will never have to apologize for anything."

He paused and then said: "I have the strongest fists in the world. If you want me to apologize, then you should first ask my fists."

So saying, Chen Fan closed in fingers into a fist and waved it in front of his opponents Lin Weiwei was amused by Chen Fan's callous knuckle. As frustration and amusement clashed in her mind, she punched Chen Fan in the chest, willing him to stop the comical act at this least comical moment.

Seeing the two's friendly exchange, Yun Qianqian felt guilty beyond measure. Wu Junjie and Yan Xiaobai were so touched that their eyes turned red and were on the brink of tearing up.

Suddenly, a hoarse voice that was out of sync of this touching moment came up.

"Hey kid, you have my respect. But let's see if you are still a hero after my inlaw is here."

Chen Fan turned around and sank back into his armchair. He looked at the short man and said: "When your inlaw is here, he wouldn't say a thing even if I order him to throw you into the sea."

Second Lord Pan was angered by Chen Fan's words. Before he could rebut the boy, Din Youwei put in: "Keep bluffing tough guy. Who do you think you are to order Boss Han around? Do you think you are the Elderly Man Wei from the Wei Family of the North Bank?"

"I am not Elderly Man Wei." Chen Fan said lightly "However, Han Tianshen is nothing but one of my lap dogs. I am his master, and he will not defy me."

Everyone was shocked when they heard Chen Fan's words.

"Clank!" "Clank!"

The bodyguards rose at once. If not because of their fear toward Tong Shan, they would have ganged up on Chen Fan and beat him up for dissing their boss.

Din Youwei gasped as he was shocked by how pompous Chen Fan was as far as a dying man goes.

Wu Junjie was also frightened by Chen Fan's remarks. He pulled Lin Weiwei's sleeves worriedly as he looked to Second Lord Pan. The short man's eyes were bloodshot, and his contorted face made him look so angry as if he wanted to swallow the teenagers alive.

Even Yun Qianqian furrowed her brows disapprovingly. This was not the time nor the place to be arrogant; the boy was putting his life on the line.

Sister Qin sneered and said: "Qian Qian, do you see how stupid these kids are? It might appear that they are fighting for you, but they are actually dragging you down with them. Even if you save their hide this time, their stupidity will bring them down again. You can't cure stupid.

"If I were you, I would just leave them be."

Yun Qianqian heaved a sigh, as disappointment rose inside of her.

Suddenly, a wave of commotion rose from outside. A group of people entered the meeting room. The leaders were a middle aged man and a scholarly young man.

They were Han Tianshen and Mr. Tang.

Second Lord Pan's eyes lit up with joy. He walked over to the group and greeted them: "Brother, you are finally here!"

He then turned around to Chen Fan and snorted. "My brother is finally here. I wonder how your life is going to end."

However, before he had finished his words, he watched as his brother in law's body started to tremble.

Boss Han then scurried to Chen Fan as a dog would to its master. Boss Han bowed deeply; his head was almost touching the ground. He then greeted Chen Fan with the most respectful voice he could muster: "Master Chen!"

Chen Fan lolled lazily in his chair, peeling the skin off a grape. He waited until the skins were completely peeled off the grape before he uttered a brisk reply to Boss Han.

"Hi."

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 121: Blue-Blooded Youngsters

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Master Chen?"

Everyone watched in surprise as the tycoon from Tian He that had just rose to power kneeled in front of Chen Fan as if he was kneeling in front of the statue of a god.

"He is Master Chen?"

Din Youwei was shocked. The bodyguards were also frightened by the sudden turn of events.

Mr. Tang's eyes glinted as he watched the development unfold. He had never expected to meet the mysterious Master Chen in person during his trip.

He noticed that Chen Fan looked ordinary and did not have the imposing demeanor one would find in powerful figures. He found it hard to make the connection between the average looking boy with the man who subdued Xu Ao, Han Tianshen, and many other tycoons of the Jiang Bei region.

Yun Qianqian and Lin Weiwei were perplexed by what was going on.

Wasn't Chen Fan, their childhood friend? Since when did he become Master Chen? Why did Boss Han treat him so respectfully?

Yun Qianqian was a superstar who mainly lived and worked around Zhong Hai and Yan Jin City; therefore, she had never even heard of Master Chen. Neither did Lin Weiwei nor Yun Qianqian hear of Master Chen since news among the elites rarely trickled down to their level of class.

Wu Junjie was the only person who had heard of Master Chen. While hanging out with many other rich teenagers from powerful families, he overheard about Master Chen's rise to power. However, never had he made the connection between the Mysterious Master Chen with his childhood friend Chen Fan.

Even then, Second Lord Pan still didn't realize his situation. He shouted at the top of his lungs: "Brother, what are you doing? This is the dip shit that hit me, and he even talked down to you! Tell him to kowtow and apologize!"

Han Tianshen stood still and pretended he didn't hear the little man's rant. He asked Chen Fan under his breath.

"Master Chen, how would you like me to handle this?"

Chen Fan peeled the skin off of another grape, put it in his mouth and swallowed it. He then said lightly: "I don't want to ever see this clown again."

Han Tianshen's body quivered slightly. He gathered himself and answered: "Yes."

He turned around and commanded a bodyguard in a cold voice: "Xiao Qi, take him away."

Xiao Qi was one of the bodyguards that came with the short man. Hearing his boss's order, he didn't hesitate and carried the short man out of the room with the other bodyguards.

Second Lord Pan was still delusional about the situation. He shouted: "What the heck are you guys doing? Let me go! I am Boss Han's brother-in-law!

"Brother, brother! Are you out of your mind? You should punish that little shit, not me!"

Han Tianshen turned his back on Second Lord Pan and pretended he didn't hear a word. Hearing Second Lord Pan's disrespectful words toward Master Chen, he felt cold sweat slide down his back. If he had a needle handy, he would sew up Second Lord Pan's mouth.

One sharp minded bodyguard quickly got a handle on the situation. To help his boss, he punched at Second Lord Pan in his belly and silenced him with a threat. "Second Lord Pan, shut your trap! You are going to drag our boss down with you. You have ticked off the wrong person. The boy is Master Chen, Master Chen of the Jiang Bei region!"

Then and only then, Second Lord Pan finally had a moment of epiphany and the life quickly drained from his face.

One of the bodyguards even took a jab at the short man: "Do you think Master Chen is going to order Boss to throw you into the sea?"

The words sent tremors into Second Lord Pan. His eyes were brimming with despair as he gave up struggling.

Silence returned the meeting hall after the short man was carried out.

Han Tianshen dare not to speak a word before Master Chen did so first. Yun Qianqian and Lin Weiwei were still trying to make sense of what had just happened. Mr. Tang fixed his gaze on Chen Fan and studied the boy carefully. Many other businessmen who came with Han Tianshen were trembling in fear.

"Well, that's it for the hot spring vacation. It's time for us to leave."

So saying, Chen Fan rose from his seat and waved at Wu Junjie, willing them to leave with him.

Although Wu Junjie's mind was filled with questions, he decided to keep his silence considering the circumstances. Before Lin Weiwei left the room, she bid farewell to Yun Qianqian. She was the actress's fan, and therefore saying goodbye with her was difficult.

Han Tianshen bowed at Chen Fan as the latter walked passed him. The tycoon didn't rise until Chen Fan, and his friends had disappeared. When he did so, sweat slid down his back and wet his shirt. Despite the calm expression on his face, his heart was gripped by fear.

"Boss Han, that that boy was Master Chen?"

Mr. Tang asked. He barely even glanced at Yun Qianqian.

"Indeed. He is Master Chen." Han Tianshen said with a hollow voice.

"So this is it?" Mr. Tang asked curiously. He was dumbfounded when he saw Chen Fan left without making any fuss.

Han Tianshen said nothing; however, he let out a long sigh in his mind.

This was definitely not the end. Chen Fan's order was clear: he didn't want to see Second Lord Pan ever again.

However, that was a task that he had to carry out in secrecy.

Even as Mr. Tang was going to ask more questions, Yun Qianqian came over to him and said: "Boss Han, Mr. Tang, I am sorry. I didn't know you would come here. It's all my fault."

"That's fine, Qian Qian. You are stressed out of late. I understand that." Mr. Tang cracked a warm smile.

Even as Mr. Tang spoke to the actress, his mind was preoccupied with Chen Fan. Compared to a plaything such as Yun Qianqian Master Chen was much more important to Mr. Tang. Plus, he was also eyeing on the multi-billion yuan Spirit Water business controlled by Master Chen. Mr. Tang conceded that it was paramount to get on Master Chen's good side.

The promise of selling Yun Wu Spirit Water and the thought of the huge profit made Master Tang's mind race.

Seeing both Mr. Tang and Boss Han were preoccupied with other thoughts, Yun Qianqian decided to keep her silence.

Greetings over, Mr. Tang, offered to give Yun Qianqian a ride back to the hotel. After Yun Qianqian and Sister Qi arrived at their hotel room. The actress kicked away her high heels and collapsed onto the king size bed. She could finally be herself after wearing the mask of a refined city lady for the entire day.

"Urhhh... The bed is so comfortable! What a day! There was Tang Jianfen, and then there was Han Tianshen. I can't do this anymore!"

"Qian Qian, as a superstar, you should mind your manners and appearance at all times. "Sister Qin scolded her for lying on the bed spread eagle.

"Fine, fine." Yun Qianqian waved her hand annoyingly. She sat up and asked with sparkling eyes: "Sister Qin, do you know who the hell Master Chen is? Why did Boss Han respect and fear him so much?"

"I have no clue either. Maybe he belongs to a powerful family?" Sister Qin said with knotted brows.

She was not familiar with the power dynamics outside of her hometown: Tian He City. Since Chen Fan had just recently risen to power in the Jiang Bei region, Yun Qianqian had never heard his name before.

Yun Qianqian was not alone since not a lot of people outside of Hu Dong province knew him yet.

"He looks sixteen or seventeen; however, he is able to earn the respect of Mr. Tang and Boss Han. Does that mean he is more influential than even Tang Jianfen?" Yun Qianqian asked incredulously.

The Tang family was one of the biggest families in Zhong Hai.

It was also the highest social class that Yun Qianqian could be exposed to.

Anyone who was more powerful than the Tang Family was so out of Yun Qianqina's league that she would have never heard of them. They would have to be some of the richest men or women in the entire province.

With that thought in mind, Sister Yun and Yun Qianqian looked at each other knowingly. They both could register the doubts in each other's mind.

"Shoot! Qian Qian, you just missed a golden opportunity!" Sister Qin lamented.

"He could achieve such a level of attainment at seventeen, how powerful do you think he will be when he is fully fledged. I bet that by then, even the owner of our entertainment company would have to talk respectfully to him.

If we can gain his support, your position in our firm will be secured. Heck, you could even get married to a rich and powerful family through connections with him."

Hearing those words, regrets flashed in Yun Qianqian's eyes.

The revelation of Chen Fan's identity had really caught her by surprise. She had never thought that an ordinary boy she met at an ordinary restaurant could have turned out to be a member of the elite class. It was as if she was in a soap opera.

While deep in her thoughts, her gaze drifted on her bracelet unconsciously; suddenly, she remembered something and was shocked.

"What's going on?" Sister Qin asked curiously

"Nothing..." Yun Qianqian managed a bitter smile.

Chen Fan's words about this bracelet came back to her and festered inside of her mind. She tried to stop thinking about it but failed.

"She was my best friend... She couldn't have done that..."

Strong and complicated emotions roiled and clashed inside of Yun Qianqian's heart.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 122: Tang Jianfen's Visitation

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Lin Weiwei was excited on the whole way back to the hotel.

"That's insane! Not only did I meet Sister Qian Qian but I also saw Big Cousin's powerful performance. Ah right, Xiao Fan, why did they call you Master Chen?" Lin Weiwei asked as she batted her lashes.

"Maybe they mistook me as someone else." Chen Fan shrugged.

No one bought Chen Fan's excuse, and Lin Weiwei insisted on him telling her the truth. Chen Fan knew that she was just being a child, and she would eventually give up in the end. She did not know who Han Tianshen was and therefore she didn't quite understand what it meant to have Han Tianshen bow to Chen Fan respectfully.

Wu Junjie was reticent on the way home.

There were many questions in his mind; however, all the answers so far seemed implausible. Therefore, Wu Junjie decided to ask around among his friends in Jin City before he drew a conclusion.

After they arrived at the hotel, they didn't return to their own room until they had chatted with each other for a while.

An hour later, someone knocked on Chen Fan's door. Chen Fan probed using his Immortal Will, and he furrowed his brows after he recognized the person outside.

He was that Mr. Tang, who accompanied Han Tianshen.

"Do I know you?"

Chen Fan cracked open the door and asked, pretending he didn't recognize him.

"Master Chen, I apologize for visiting you at such an hour." Mr. Tang said with a smile on his face. "I had met you with Han Tianshen at the Wu Mountain hot spring resort."

"I remember now." Chen Fan nodded.

He had seen Mr. Tang standing behind Han Tianshen. However, he had paid very little attention to him at the time.

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

Chen Fan said quickly.

"I want to discuss with you an opportunity regarding the Yun Wu Spirit Water." Mr. Tang then praised Chen Fan. "The Yun Wu Spirit Water is amazing! I felt like a brand new person after drinking one bottle. It's a hundred times better than the best supplement I have ever used."

"Ok... What are you getting at?" Chen Fan urged.

Mr. Tang didn't mind Chen Fan's unenthusiastic voice. His eyes twitched a little and then said: "I think you have underestimated the value of the Yun Wu Spirit Water. The current distribution channels cannot live up to the product's full potential.

"If you halt the sale and starve out the market to drive up the demand, meanwhile, investing heavily in the advertisement, the price of these water could be increased significantly. It's a command marketing strategy used by luxury brands such as Hermes and Ferrari."

Mr. Tang paused a second and continued: "I think Yun Qianqian would be the perfect candidate in the advertisement for Yun Wu Spirit Water. "

He looked at Chen Fan knowingly: "I keep a good relationship with Yun Qianqian. If you want to discuss this opportunity with her, I can talk to her about this. She is quite a cold and aloof girl, and to persuade her might take some time."

"However, she is a woman, after all. No woman can withstand the combination of sweet words and expensive gifts."

Mr. Tang said it as if he was in an intimate relationship with the girl already.

In his mind, Yun Qianqian was nothing compared to the multi-billion yuan industry. If he could control the sales of the Spirit Qi Water, or even better, get the recipe for the Spirit Qi Water, he would rise to the top twenty if not top ten list of the wealthiest men in China. By then, he could date any attractive actress to his heart's content.

What that thought in mind, Mr. Tang felt even more eager to solidify a deal.

"Oh?" "Is that so?" Chen Fan was unmoved by the proposal.

Sensing Chen Fan's disinterest, Mr. Tang furrowed his brows, but he quickly unknotted them.

"Master Chen, you might not believe my words because you don't know me well." Mr. Tang said seriously: "My name is Tang Jianfen and I am from the Tang family of Zhong Hai. I am also the vice president of Hong Yuan Real estate and Jiu Zhou, a pharmaceutical company. On top of that, I manage Hua Yu Media, an entertainment firm."

He paused a second, letting his illustrious achievements sink in. He then said with a smug smile: "The Tang family collectively owns three public pharmaceutical companies that take up thirty percent of China's pharmaceutical industry.

"If we join forces and develop the Yun Wu Spirit Water. We can dominate the entire supplement market.

"You can be our technical advisor, and I will be responsible for the sales. At the end of the day, You can take home thirty percent of the profit, while I take seventy."

Chen Fan kept his silence and didn't reply.

"Do you think thirty percent is not enough?" Tang Jianfen asked. "You need to understand that in the current market situation, the sales department will always outweigh the production. The Titanium Brain supplement that went viral a few years ago and we spent over a few hundred million on marketing before they had achieved a massive figure in sales."

Seeing Chen Fan was unwavering, Tang Jianfen paused again; he gritted his teeth and further sweetened the deal for Chen Fan.

"Of course, if you really think that thirty percent won't do, I can live with sixty percent, but no less. How's that?"

He looked to Chen Fan confidently.

Tang Jianfen was convinced that he already had a deal.

If Chen Fan wanted to promote the Yun Wu Spirit Water to the entire Chinese market, working with the Tang family would be his best option due to their matured channels for funding the aggressive ad campaign.

"As soon as I bring you on board, I will demand you to publish your recipe in the name of safety inspection and quality control. Once I get your secret recipe, I will find an excuse to kick you out of the company. Or, I would just make my own Spirit Water and give it a different name."

The Tang family were quite good players in the game of "big fish eats small fish."

They had acquired a few lines of supplement products on the market right now using the exact same method. With the aggressive acquisition tactics, Tang Jianfen had made a fortune for himself. Tang Jianfen was convinced that this time was no different.

In his view, however powerful Chen Fan was, he was only a sixteen-year-old boy. What would a boy know about business tactics?

"You take sixty percent?"

Chen Fan sneered at Mr. Tang and asked abruptly: "Compared to the Zhen Family from Hong Kong and The Wei Family of Jiang Bei, how powerful is the Tang Family?"

Tang Jianfen was taken aback by the question. He hesitated at first and then said: "I think our powers are on par with each other. Both Old Man Zhen and Elderly Man Wei are tremendously influential. However, the Tang Jianfen also controlled a number of public companies and our power were not any less than their at least in Zhong Hai."

"What about you? Are you the one who calls the shots in your family?" Chen Fan pressed on.

Tang Jianfen's face tightened. Nonetheless, he managed to reply: "Although I am not the one making the decision, I have a five percent share of my family business. You don't have to worry about it. I assure you that once we reached an agreement, the Tang family will follow through the deal."

"That's not what I am worried about."

Chen Fan shook his head and burst out laughing."What I am getting at is that you need to figure out your rank before you talk nonsense to me. Even Elderly Man Wei would have to speak respectfully to me, much less you. You are not even in charge of your family business, yet you dare tout your presumptuous business plan with me?

"If you want to work with me, ask your family leader to see me in person."

Chen Fan shut the door after he finished his words, blocking Tang Jianfen outside of the room.

Standing in the hallway, Tang Jianfen's face turned black. He couldn't believe that Chen Fan had shut the door on him.

He couldn't imagine what had given Chen Fan so much confidence to shut him out.

As the heir of the Tang family and the leader of multiple public companies, he had never endured such humiliation before.

"Arrogant! He is so arrogant!" His body trembled in anger, as his eyes gleamed with bitter vindictiveness.

Chen Fan didn't mind Mr. Tang's anger at all.

Tang Jianfen was nothing but a worm. He could have squashed the entire Tang Family with ease if he wanted to.

"Does he really think I am a sixteen-year-old fool?" Chen Fan shook his head and smiled wryly.

"I alone created the Spirit Qi Water, and no one else could do that. Yet, he asked for seventy percent?"

The Spirit Qi Water was different than regular supplements in the way that it actually worked. Therefore, Chen Fan would never have to worry about demand, which rendered the investments in marketing useless. Tang Jianfen was out of his mind to ask for seventy percent of the profit for something that people just couldn't get enough of.

In Chen Fan's mind, he would be generous if he let the Tang Family take ten percent.

He shook his head and quickly forgot about this event.

The next day, everyone returned home.

Chen Fan stayed home and waited for the spring festival to come.

A few days later, he finally got the message that his mother and Sister An were already on their way to Si Shui County.

"Mom, Sister An, it has been a while." Chen Fan looked into the distance wistfully. It was as if he was looking at his life five hundred years ago.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 123: Sister An

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Chen Fan stood near the entrance of the house and waited quietly.

Half hour... one hour... two hours... finally, a black VW appeared at the end of the road and was closing in.

The VW pulled over near Chen Fan, and two women emerged from it. One was an attractive middle-aged woman, and the other was a coy looking girl in her early twenties.

The middle-aged woman wore only very light makeup and custom-tailored black business dress. On her face, she wore black-rimmed glasses, eyes glinting, and chin up. She gave off the energy of a strong and capable businesswoman.

The moment she saw Chen Fan, her eyes grew soft and a pleased and surprised expression emerged on her face.

"Xiao Fan, why are you waiting here?"

She was Chen Fan's mother, the CEO of Jin Xiu Group. Her name was Wang Xiaoyun, the future Queen of Jin Xiu.

"Mom." Chen Fan's voice was trembling and was laced with anticipation and fear.

He gazed at her familiar face and felt the motherly love in her eyes. Five hundred years of longing and expectation had all turned into this one silent look.

"What is it?"

Wang Xiaoyun came up to Chen Fan and rubbed his forehead and asked.

"Are you afraid that I am going to talk to you about you skipping school at Chu Zhou City? Humph, Auntie Tang had told me everything. Exchange Student at Qingang Middle School, wasn't it? Those lies could only fool Auntie Tang but not your mom."

"Of course. Mom is right; mom is great; mom is the big boss of a big company." Chen Fan gathered himself and jested like a child.

However, he didn't move his gaze away from his mom.

She was as pretty as he remembered. The tiredness on her face made Chen Fan feel sad.

Chen Fan had spent most of his past life with his father. By the time he left the world at the age of thirty, his father had been mostly overcome with grief and was ready to live peacefully for the rest of his life.

Both Chen Fan and his father were reticent and were not very good at talking about their feelings.

Chen Fan was in the fourth year of university when his mother died in a car accident; he felt as if the world was falling down on him when that happened.

His mother had always been the backbone of the family. Although she only returned home once a year and didn't stay long even during her visit, both Chen Fand and his father relied on her mother's income. The tightly knitted family had lived happily and peacefully for over twenty years.

Therefore, when Chen Fan met Wang Xiaoyun again after five hundred years, his mind was overtaken by poignant emotions.

"Mom, aren't you tired of running the company all by yourself? Why don't you come back and live with us?" Chen Fan asked out of the blue.

"We haven't traveled as a family for a while. I really want to see the grand canyon and the tropical jungle. It would be so much fun!"

"What are you talking about?" Wang Xiaoyun pulled a taut face. "Who is going to put the bread on the table if I give up the company? Can you eat fun? Your dad's wages are not even enough to pay the mortgage, do you want to be homeless?

"And you! With your grades, you will never get into a good university. You will even have a hard time finding a wife. So tell me, how could I not work hard?"

Wang Xiaoyun pointed her finger at Chen Fan's forehead and refuted.

"Mom, don't put him down. I bet he already knew what you are going to say."

The coy looking girl covered her mouth to suppress a giggle.

"For your Sister An's sake, I will let it slide." Wang Xiaoyun glared at Chen Fan and said hotly.

Despite her angry voice, her gaze on Chen Fan was soft. Chen Fan laughed in his mind and felt her hard words warming his heart.

In his past life, he hated his mother's preaching. However, when he wanted to hear it again, his mother was no longer alive. He had to carry the guilt and regret for the rest of his short-lived life on earth.

Sister An was his and his father's only solace after the accident. Chen Fan knew his father was in as much pain as he was, but his father had proven to be a much stronger man of the two. He had devoted the rest of his life into his work and became a renowned government official.

The thought of Sister An, made him turn to look at the kittenish girl.

The girl looked back, and the two held each other's gaze for a second. The coy girl's lips curled softly into a smile, and her eyes gleamed with affection and fondness.

"Sister An."

Chen Fan was at a loss for words as old memories flooded into his mind.

An Ya was not Chen Fan's biological sister. Her mother and Chen Fan's mother were BFFs ever since childhood. Although the An family was not as powerful as the Wang family, it was reputable in Jin City.

Sister An's biological mother fell in love with a man at university and had a baby before they were married.

In the early eighties, having a baby before marriage was a huge taboo. Big families such as the Ans were particularly intolerant of such a scandal.

Under intense pressure, Sister An's biological father eventually ran away, leaving his pregnant girlfriend to her own devices. Despite the pressure, An Jinxiu insisted on delivering the baby and thus baby An Ya was born. Right before An Ya turned five years old, her mother killed herself in a bout of depression; little An Ya became an orphan.

No one in the An family wanted to look after the poor girl because she had sullied the family name. In the end, Wang Xiaoyun had persuaded her family and took An Ya under her wing and brought her back to Chu Zhou City.

Later, when Wang Xiaoyun founded her real estate company, she named the company after An Ya's mother: An Jinxiu.

Since then, Chen Fan's close family included his parents, Xiao Qiong, and Sister An.

The memory of their first meeting softened Chen Fan's face. She was a shy little girl wearing a white overall.

"I was pretty bad when I was a kid, and every time I got myself into trouble, you always blamed it on yourself.

"When my parents were both busy with their work, you were the one that looked after me. You patted me with your little hands and tell me bedtime stories.

"When I had spent my allowance, you always gave me yours.

"Even when we were adults, and after my mother passed away, you were the one who took up the huge responsibility of the crumbling Jin Xiu Group. You were only twenty-five at the time, and already, you have to run a multi-billion yuan firm.

"In the end, I failed to heed your advice and eventually ruined Jin Xiu Group. I left the battered company and came back to hide from my failure, yet you were there at the front line, saving the situation as much as you can.

"I owed my parents a lot, and owed Xiao Qiong a lot, but I owe you the most."

Chen Fan bemoaned in his mind.

Although Sister An looked quiet and meek, she was much stronger than he had thought.

After their mother's death, their father was paralyzed by pain; however, she worked full time while keep on encouraging her father and brother.

"Without you, the family would have fallen apart right after my mother's death."

He looked in the distance wistfully as old memories came back to him. It was as if he had turned back time.

When he left the world to become a cultivator, he worried about Sister An the most. He was afraid that she would buckle under the weight and the pressure. He relied on Sister An as much as she relied on him. She had no other family left, and the Chen Family was all she got.

Therefore, even during his cultivation, he wanted to go back to earth and visit. However, when he finally made it there, it was a hundred years later.

The world had changed, and the people he missed had been buried six feet under.

However powerful he was, he could not turn back time.

"Xiao Fan, why are you staring at me?"

Sister An asked softly.

"He knew he was in deep trouble, and he is asking for help." Wang Xiaoyun grunted.

An Ya covered her mouth as she giggled. Chen Fan wrenched his mind out of his reverie as a broad smile broke over his face.

"Well, because I think you looked much prettier than last time I saw you six month ago. Same goes with mom. "

"Save your pretty words. I'd rather you have good grades than me becoming the prettiest woman in the world." Wang Xiaoyun rolled her eyes at Chen Fan.

The three of them chatted and laughed with each other as they walked toward home. When they got there, they were surprised to see Chen Gexin had already returned home from work. It was a rare sight to see his father come home early on a workday.

His wife's homecoming was the most important thing on his mind. He hadn't seen his beloved wife for six months, and he missed her greatly.

Greetings over, Chen Fan, started to make tea for everyone.

Even Secretary Sun was taken aback by Chen Fan's initiative in helping out with the chores, much less his parents. Despite the shock, his parent's faces were lit up with joy.

Chen Fan had always been the ladies in the family. He often sat around and wait for others to do things for him. However, after spending six months away from home, he had changed.

"Ok, ok. You are freaking me out. You must be up to something. You better save your energy and spend it on your sister. Only she can persuade me from punishing you." Wang Xiaoyun waved her hands at Chen Fan.

"You two go somewhere else. I have something to discuss with your dad."

Sister An cracked a smile and then left the house with Chen Fan in tow.

As Chen Fan walked on the familiar county road with a familiar girl beside him, he was suddenly hit by a deja vu.

He had waited five hundred years for this moment, but when it finally came. He couldn't say a word.

"Xiao Fan, are you really in trouble?"

An Ya asked softly.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 124: Protective Talisman

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Don't worry, if there really was trouble, I would be able to handle it with ease." Chen Fan said lightly.

An Ya turned her head back and gave Chen Fan a surprised look.

She could feel that something had drastically changed inside of Chen Fan. He was brimming with confidence, and even his plain face seemed to gain a unique charm.

"That's enough talk about me. Sister An, how are you and mother doing in Zhong Hai? How is Jin Xiu group?" Chen Fan asked.

"Same old, same old. I am in my last year of university now, so I am doing my internship at mom's office as her assistant."

An Ya pulled back a loose strand of hair and answered softly. She wore a grey slim fit peacoat and a small wool fascinator. Under her belt, she wore tight jeans and beige boots. Her style brought out the goddess in her.

An Ya had her mother, An Jinxiu's beauty. She was only in her early twenties, but she had already possessed incredible charm.

Chen Fan's mother used to tell him that An Jinxiu was one of the prettiest girls in Jin City, and was the pride of the An Family. Her family had planned to marry her off to a handsome boy from a prestigious family. However, a no-account acted one step ahead of time and captivated An Jinxiu's heart with his talent in poetry. It was a shame that their story had such a tragic end.

"Jin Xiu Group is growing pretty fast. However, the overall economic environment is not great. The financial market had been volatile, which drove a significant slide in the price of real estate and major comedies. The monetary leverage is shrinking by the day. Many real estate companies in Zhong Hai had started to aggressively acquire land and assets to avoid a sudden break in cash flow." An Ya explained.

Once she started to talk about business, she transformed from a girl next door to shrewd business analyst. Her analysis was thorough and precise, and her observations keen and detailed.

"The City of Zhong Hai is planning to auction off some of their vacant public lands.

"Of all the bidders, we are the smallest fish. Initially, we were vying for the smallest plot, but because of the recent economic downturn, no one was taking a bid yet. Everyone was afraid that a real estate winter is coming. Mom is still on the fence as well."

So saying, An Ya furrowed her brows.

Chen Fan did recall an economic crisis in 2008 when housing prices fell drastically. Soon the country tabled an economic stimulus plan, and after 2009, the housing prices had skyrocketed to the point that it made people lose hope of ever owning a house.

China had since become one of the only countries whose economy had weathered the financial crisis unscathed.

The vacant lands that were going to put on auction were located in the city center and in the newly developed districts. They were both high-value properties and had great potential as investments.

Jin Xiu Group had hesitated in the beginning; however, in the end, Wang Xiaoyun decided to take a gamble and went all in. The investment quickly paid off after the subsequent rise of housing prices in China, and Wang Xiaoyun became the Queen of Chinese real estate.

"There is no need to worry, Sister An. The housing price in China will soar in the next ten years. The real estate business will be the most profitable industry in China."Chen Fan said lightly. "If I was running the company, I would not only put all the money in it but also take as big of a loan as I could to buy all the vacant land."

"The value of this property is going to grow to at least ten times its current price."

"Xiao Fan, how do you know all of this?"

An Ya asked curiously.

"Because I am Master Chen!" Chen Fan plastered on a look that could pass for a religious conman."I know things that happened five hundred years in the past and into the future."

"That's a lame name. Master Chen... makes you sound like a fortune teller on the street."

An Ya cracked a smile and then punched at Chen Fan with her small and soft fist.

"Fine, fine. I am sorry. I came to that conclusion because I believe in China's economic potential. At this growth rate, China will not slow down in the next ten years. The current housing prices are too low; therefore, it will rebound sooner or later."

"Really?" An Ya asked incredulously.

She gave Chen Fan a curious look as Chen Fan's knowledge in the economy had taken her by surprise.

Chen Fan cracked a smile and didn't press on.

It didn't matter if An Jinxiu or his mother listened to his suggestion. It wouldn't be a big deal even if Jin Xiu Group went bankrupt.

"I am not the same person any longer. I was useless before opponents such as the Sheng Family, but not anymore" A cold light glinted in Chen Fan's eyes. "If you want to defeat Jin Xiu Group, you better exchange your victory with your life."

The thought of the Sheng family made the light in his eyes shine even brighter. He planned to deal with the Sheng Family right after the new year celebration.

Even if his mother lost the battle again and lost all of their money, they would still stand a chance as long as Chen Fan was alive.

Chen Fan's Spirit Qi Water alone was a multi-billion business, and Jin Xiu Group wouldn't be able to rake in so much profit even during its heyday.

Therefore Chen Fan didn't need to care about how well his mother's company was doing. However, the company was everything to his mother, and therefore, he wished that it could do well all the same.

Sister An seemed to have taken Chen Fan's advice seriously as she fell into deep thought.

"Sister, stop thinking about that for now." Chen Fan said: "I have a gift for you."

"What kind of gift?" An Ya batted her lashes and asked expectantly.

Her little brother had finally grown up and had learned to treat other people nicely.

Chen Fan produced a jade talisman. The talisman was made by the highest grade mutton fat jade. It was pure white in color and had an incredibly smooth texture. Upon closer look, one could even find fine cloud-like patterns in the jade,

The talisman was carved with ancient symbols, making it look mysterious.

"Is this for me?" Sister An gaped and asked incredulously.

She knew that without even considering the master craftsmanship, the material to make this jade talisman would cost over a few million yuan.

"Xiao Fan, where did you get the money?" An Ya pulled a taut face and said: "I hope you didn't do anything bad while you are away from home. Otherwise, I will not let you get away with it."

"Of course not. Look at the jade, how nice it is. It's made from mutton fat jade. I bought it from my friend for only a few thousand."

Chen Fan lied.

An Ya was not convinced; however, she let Chen Fan string the talisman around her neck.

Chen Fan went behind her and was tying the red string around her neck. She felt Chen Fan's hot breath on the nap of her neck. For some reason, her heart skipped a beat, and her face flushed red.

The jade talisman rested on her chest, and she could feel the heat it gave off. Although the winter air was chilly, she didn't feel cold at all.

An Ya didn't pay much attention to the sudden change of her mood. She blamed it on the stress from work.

"Xiao Fan is just a kid, what the hell is wrong with me?" She thought to herself.

"Here you go."

Chen Fan clapped his hands and gazed down at the girl.

Her face was blushing, turning as red as an apple. Chen Fan didn't pay much attention to her sudden shyness; he said seriously: "Sister An, never ever take this off. You need to wear it at all times. I have asked for a blessing from a monk, so this talisman can protect you from evil and keep you safe."

"Really? "An Ya asked with surprise. "Not even while I'm showering?"

"No!" Chen Fan said firmly."You must promise me."

Holding Chen Fan's gaze, An Ya felt her heart was going to jump out of her chest. She lowered her head and nodded."Yes."

Then she heard Chen Fan heave a sigh.

This jade talisman was not an ordinary jade pendant. It was a talisman made from the supreme-grade jade collected by Third Lord Wei, and Chen Fan had worked countless day and night to refine it.

As long as the wearer kept the talisman close, the magic in the talisman could counter the bad luck of being hit by trucks three times in a row. Plus, this talisman would never expire, and therefore was superior to those that lasted only once.

It's immense power meant that Chen Fan could only create four of such talismans. He planned to give them to his parents, Xiao Qiong and Sister An.

Chen Fan then fished out another two talismans, and he told An Ya to give them to mother and father as a new year's gift from her. He reminded her not to tell them that it was from him since he worried that if his parents wouldn't take his words seriously.

An Ya's mind was filled with questions; however, considering Chen Fan's good intentions, she nodded and agreed to do as she was told.

When the two returned home, they had a great meal, and after dinner, they kept talking with each other until late in the night.

The next day, Chen Fan's family was going to go to Jin City to celebrate the new year. Ever since his family fell out with the Wang Family, they spent every new year at the house of his grandfather on his father's side.

"Jin City, here I come!"

Chen Fan looked out of the car window wistfully.

"I wonder if my old friends had changed at all?"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 125: The Chen Family

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Waterways coursed through tens of miles of fertile land, reflecting the sparking lights and excitement of the Jin City.

The Chen family's residence was located at the foothills of the East Mountain, away from the noisy streets of the city. It was a perfect location for seniors to enjoy their slow-paced retirement.

Ever since Chen Fan's grandfather Chen Huaian retired from work, he had been living here and taking care of his small garden. Almost all of his children were successful and were working in big cities, except for his youngest son who ran away with his life to a small county.

The Chen Family might be nearly unheard of in the Jiang Nan Province; however, the family was deeply rooted in the Jin City and had connections in all areas of the city. Chen Huaian's brothers were spread across the city, and together they formed a tight-knit family clan: the Chen Family of the Jin City.

Chen Huaian stood in front of his mansion and looked toward the end of the road while waiting for his family.

His stubborn third son was coming home today.

The thought of Chen Gexin made him heave a sigh. He was his favorite son, talented and smart ever since he was a little boy. Chen Gexin was admitted into the Qinhua University in the 80s and became the pride of the entire family clan. However, he was as stubborn as a donkey. His mind was clouded by the ink he drank at the university, in a fit of delusion and anger, he ran away with the Wang family's daughter to the countryside just to prove himself right.

"Grandpa, we don't know when Uncle Gexin is going to come eyet. Let's just wait inside." An attractive girl said.

"It's alright, really. I exercise my old legs and arms with Tai Chi every day. I will be fine." Chen Huaian waved a hand. "I haven't seen Xiao Fan and Xiao Ya for a while. I wonder if they have grown taller?"

The old man murmured to himself. The older he got, the more he found himself talking to himself.

Chen Ning stood aside and listened to the old man's murmur with a smile.

She was An Ya's friend. They were both of the same age and went to the same university, and even their major was the same: business. Therefore the two had a lot of common interests. They both appreciated each other's talents and enjoyed each other's company.

However, she had little love for the son of Uncle Gexin.

"Stubborn, cold, naive little spoiled dip shit!" Chen Ning cursed in her mind and gritted her teeth.

Chen Fan's parents rarely had time to look after him, and therefore, he used to be a savage little nightmare for the people around him. His temperament didn't improve until he went to Chu Zhou City for school.

However, Chen Ning's impression of Chen Fan remained the same as that when he was a little boy, and therefore, she didn't have anything good to say about him.

"Uncle Gexin was exceptionally talented, and Auntie Yun was one of the toughest women in business I have ever seen, even An Ya has a lovely personality, how come their son turned out to be such a black sheep?" Chen Ning shook her head as she lamented.

As she thought so, a black VW pulled over to the entrance.

The Chen family emerged from the car.

"Dad!"

Chen Gexin and Wang Xiaoyun shouted.

Chen Huaian nodded. Chen Huaian and his sister came over to the old man and greeted him. "Grandpa."

Chen Huaian was very pleased with his step-granddaughter. No one in the Chen family could rival An Ya's talent and appearance. From time to time, he even attempted to set her up with his oldest grandson Chen An. However, An Ya resisted the idea and ended up upsetting the old man even till this day.

The old man shifted his gaze to Chen Fan; right away, he noticed something was amiss.

Chen Gexin and Wang Xiaoyun were still young in the eyes of Chen Huaian, who was already in his eighties. His rough and tumble life had given him a pair of keen eyes to pick up even the smallest details.

However, there and then, he suddenly felt that he knew practically nothing about his little grandson.

"Interesting. It's only been half a year, how come Xiao Fan had changed so much?" Chen Huaian asked himself.

In other people's view, Chen Fan had not changed at all. He was still reticent, and average in his looks and talent. However, in the eyes of Chen Huaian, the little grandson was full of unexplored latent talents. His sharp mind and iron-will were like that of an unsheathed blade, ready to take action.

Under Chen Fan's ordinary appearance, he harbored a sense of pride that set him apart from everyone else.

The old man had only seen such an imposing manner in people who were at the top of the food chain. Plus, there was something more than just dignity in Chen Fan; in his eyes flickered a cold light that was indifferent to anything around him. Not until his gaze met with his father and sister An Ya did a small emotion ripple on his face

"This feeling is... very familiar..." Chen Huaian's heart thumped heavily in his chest as he finally realized where he had felt the feeling before.

It was when he went to the temple and saw the statues of gods and buddhas. Chen Fan held the same indifferent expression as those immortals who viewed the earthly creatures as nothing but ants.

"Xiao Fan is only sixteen years old, how could he have such a transcendental demeanor? I am already in my eighties and yet, far away from becoming disillusioned with the earthly world." Chen Huaian was rendered speechless.

As he thought so, his other children and grandchildren came out of the house to welcome the new arrivals.

They were Grandma, Families of the Great Uncle, the second and the third Uncles, the great auntie, and the second auntie.

Chen Huaian had four sons and two daughters, and Chen Gexin was his third son. Chen Ning was the daughter of Chen Fan's great uncle.

He looked in the great hall of the family residence; it was packed with relatives who worked at key positions of various industries.

Needless to say, a family gathering like this was no match with that of the Wei family or the Tang family, much less the almighty Wang family of Yan Jin.

Chen Fan's attention was elsewhere, and therefore, he didn't notice the judging and jealous gaze of his uncles.

Of all the family members, the old man only rolled out the red carpet for Chen Fan's family. Even when his most powerful son, the oldest one arrived, the old man merely stood up from the sofa to receive him. When any other offspring had arrived, he only nodded at them to acknowledge their presence.

Chen Gexin had been his father's favorite ever since he was a child. As the most talented son of the old man, he married the princess of the Wang family. At the time, their marriage was the envy of all other family members.

However, their marriage soon took a dark turn, and Chen Fan's father fell out with the Wang family. Chen Gexin suddenly fell from grace, and his marriage turned out to be a curse in disguise. He gained nothing from the marriage; worse, the Wang family tried to bring him to his knees in every way they could.

The jealousy of Che Gexin's brothers and sisters turned into resentment. They started to alienate their younger brother and his wife, and the alienation eventually drove Wang Xiaoyun to leave for Zhong Hai to start her own business.

"OK, let's catch up upstairs. Leave the kids here."

Greetings over, Chen Huaian, rose from the seat and walked up to the stairs.

The adults in the room followed him, leaving their kids in the hall by themselves.

The third generation of the Chen Family was a much bigger crowd than the second generation. The dozen or so teenagers filled up the meeting hall.

They wore brand name clothing on their body and aloofness and pride on their faces. Chen Fan looked quiet and unassuming among his cousins.

The teenagers surrounded a pair of attractive looking boys and girls.

The boy was in his early twenties. His handsome face wore a golden rimmed glasses and held a steadfast expression. He was sitting at the center of the table. The boys and girls around him spoke to him in ingratiating tones.

The girl was elegant but aloof. Her beauty made her look like a forgotten orchid blooming alone in the hearts of forest.

They were the son and daughter of Chen Fan's great uncle: Chen Ning and Chen An.

Chen An was the oldest among the third generation. He was graduated from the Transportation Institute of Zhong Hai and was regarded as the most talented person in the Chen family.

Chen Ning was not any less talented than her brother. She was studying as an Economics Major at Jin City University. She had already been admitted to the HF Business School. HF Business School was one of the most renowned business schools in the world. Its graduates were highly sought after by the investment banks at the Wall Street.

Compared to these two, the rest of the Chen Family had much less to show for.

Everyone except for Chen Fan sat around the two. Chen Fan sat in a corner, waiting for his tea to be steeped.

Except for Chen Fan, the other members of the third generation of the Chen Family grew up together in the same City. Therefore, they knew each other ever since childhood. Chen Fan, on the other hand, lived in a far away county and only met with the rest of the group once a year; he barely knew his cousins. Neither did his cousins make an effort to include Chen Fan in their clique.

An Ya could have been his companion; however, she was dragged away by Chen Ning to chat with her.

Compared to Chen Fan, An Ya was much more popular. She sat beside Chen Ning, and the two looked like two goddesses on a painting come alive. Her beauty and refined demeanor even rivaled that of Chen Ning.

A voice came to Chen Fan abruptly: "Xiao Fan, why don't you join us?"

Chen Fan looked up and noticed An Ya was looking at him.

The army of cousins around An Ya looked to Chen Fan; their eyes were filled with all kinds of emotions: jealousy, mocking, judging, and indifferent.

Chen Fan and his parents were too special in this big family, so much so that his cousins didn't know how to converse with this boy.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 126: A Bet

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Sure." Chen Fan rose from his chair and walked over to the crowd.

An Ya hurried to make room for Chen Fan to sit beside her. Chen Ning furrowed her brows and moved away from Chen Fan's spot slightly. Chen An had noticed her slight movement, and a hint of displeasure flashed across his face before it disappeared completely.

Chen Fan slid into the spot on the bench. His body pressed against An Ya, and he noticed a faint smell of perfume.

"I thought Sister An never liked to use scented products." Chen Fan recalled. "She said she would get sick of even the most expensive perfume since they were all made out of chemicals."

"Maybe I should refine a bottle of cultivation perfume for her using natural ingredients. She will love the refreshing and natural fragrance."

All cultivators used to be human and therefore, the female cultivators adored pretty clothing and perfumes as much as when they were mortals. However, once a cultivator reached the Connate Spirit level, her body would give off a natural fragrance that was similar to the scent of a newborn baby. Therefore, the cultivation perfumes were only popular among low-level cultivators.

"Chen Fan, I have heard that your mother had made a few hundred million this year, why didn't she buy you a Porsche?"

A young man sitting across Chen Fan asked mockingly.

He was the oldest son of Chen Fan's second uncle. His name was Chen Xu.

His father was the manager of the Chen Family's company: The Chens Group. The Chens Group owned over a few billion yuan assets and offered positions to most of its family members.

Every family member of the Chen family would get a certain amount of dividend from the company's profit. However, Chen Fan and his parents never accepted any of the easy money.

Chen Fan furrowed his brows and pondered.

His Second Uncle had never liked his father. He thought Chen Gexin was too stubborn and too proud of himself. Not only did he fail to forge an alliance with the Wang Family, but his failure had also forced the old man to retire early after trying to protect his stubborn son and daughter in law.

Chen Xu inherited his father's displeasure toward Che Fan's family and took it to the next level. He often bullied Chen Fan when the latter was just a little boy, and the bullying didn't stop until they were both much older.

"Why would he need a sports car? Xiao Fan is not you; he is still a student."

An Ya protested.

"Give me a break, An Ya. Chen Fan's grades are not any better than mine. Auntie will end up spending loads of money and send him off to some community college outside of China."

Chen Xu said spitefully.

Chen Xu was the typical spoiled rich brat. He hung out with a bunch of rich teenagers who were as rotten as him. He only managed to score 200 marks out of a total of 700 during the national university entrance exam. He was sent immediately overseas for college; however, he couldn't stand the boring college life and snuck back to China every so often.

"Hehe."

Hearing Chen Xu's jeering remark, many people around him chuckled rudely.

Everyone knew that Chen Fan did not have a single academic bone in him.

As the young generation of a prominent family, they would be measured in the other two categories other than grades: social skills and resourcefulness. If someone lacked all three, he would be regarded as a complete failure. The best hope for such a family member was that he would not cause trouble for the clan.

The typical spoiled rich brat was of the third kind. However, as for those cream of the crop such as Chen Ning and Cheng An, their family had already planned and paved the way toward success for them. They were usually too busy with their own careers or studies to live a decadent life.

However, in everyone's eyes, Chen Fan was the first of a kind: a rotten spoiled brat.

"What do you mean community college, Xiao Fan will get into Jin City University."

Despite the confidence in An Ya's voice, concern flickered in her eyes.

She knew better than anyone Chen Fan's grades. Chen Fan's mediocrity was what drove her to work harder so that even if Chen Fan was not able to achieve anything in his life, she would be able to look after him.

"Jin City University?"

Chen Xu guffawed. "If he could get into Jin City University, I would have already entered HF."

Jin City University was on the top ten list of the best universities in China. Among all the third generation of the Chen Family, only Chen Ning had high enough grades to be admitted into it.

Everyone shook their heads in disbelief. Unless Chen Fan's mother donated a new library to the university, her son would never have a chance in attending the Jin City University through his grades.

"Is that right? What if I make it to Jin City University?"

Chen Fan asked abruptly.

"You? Jin City University?" Chen Xu raised his eyebrows and said: "If you can make the cut, I will call you Second Big Brother for the rest of my life, how about that?"

Chen Xu was the second child in his family, and therefore, people gave him the respectful nickname: Second Big Brother.

"Xiao Fan..." An Ya tugged at Chen Fan's elbow.

"It's OK, Sister An." Chen Fan shrugged. "You don't have to call me Second Big Brother if I win the bet, you just have to call Sister An Big Sister."

"What if you lose?" Chen Xu narrowed his eyes and asked gloatingly.

"If I lose?" Chen Fan pitched his head and felt lighthearted by the question. "Whatever you want."

"Very well, we have a bet!"

Chen Xu slammed the table and answered excitedly.

He was convinced that Chen Fan would not be able to get into Jin City University by himself. He was not alone as none of the cousins of Chen Fan believed in his claim.

Seeing Chen Fan had already sealed the bet, An Ya heaved a sigh. She planned to talk to her mother and use her connections to save Chen Fan's face. She couldn't let Chen Fan lose face in front of his cousins.

"Quit it; we are all from the same family. It's just a joke, don't take it personally."

Seeing Chen An had risen to put a stop on this, Chen Xu sat down quietly.

"But I have to say that your Second Big Brother is right, you know. At your age, studying is the utmost important task for you. With a degree from a good university, you would open so many doors. You can either work in the government or take over your mother company; a degree will help you either way." Chen An preached patronizingly to Chen Fan.

"A degree not only means your academic achievement, but it is also a testament to your abilities. If you can graduate business school from the HF with a master degree, you will instantly gain much more support from your subordinates compared to if you graduated from an unheard-of university."

Chen An had spoken truthfully. A master degree from a renowned university was the dream of nearly all parents in China. Therefore, even those who were born with a silver spoon in their mouths were sometimes forced by their parents to attend a reputable school.

Chen Fan cracked a smile and kept his silence.

Chen An's words might be useful to ordinary people; it had completely missed the point when used on Chen Fan.

He was the North Mystic Celestial Lord, how much did a degree mean to him? He would be a laughing stock among his fellow cultivators if he had to make a living using his degree.

Seeing Chen Fan's indifferent expression, a disdainful expression flashed across Chen Ning's face. In her mind, Chen Fan was just an arrogant brat, and one day, he would learn his lesson the hard way.

"Big Brother, what is our plan tonight?" Chen Xu asked impatiently. "One of my bros opened up a pub. Would you like to have some fun there?"

"Quit it, Second Big Brother. That bunch of delinquent friends of yours are only interested in debauchery and decadence. Brother Chen An works for the government, do you think it's a good idea to take him to your friend's place."

"Well, you guys can decide then." Chen Xu turned his palms up and gave up.

"Well, why don't we go to THAT place?" A boy asked abruptly as light flickered in his eyes.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 127: Dinner At The Chens

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Even as the young cousin was going to reveal the location, the adults filed down the stairs. The banquet was about to start.

Second Uncle had booked a VIP section in the best restaurant in the Jin City; however, the old man said he didn't want to go out of his house, so the Second Uncle had to cancel the reservation in the end.

The banquet would be hosted in the great hall of Chen's residence. They had hired a team of cooks from a five-star hotel.

The first course was a series of cold dishes: caviar salad, calamari, and scrambled eggs, rice cake and vegetables, cold rice noodles, steamed tofu with gravy sauce. Although these dishes were commonly found in most restaurants, the chef's fantastic skill had turned these ordinary dishes to the next level by giving them a fresh look and a better taste.

The next was western appetizers: Iberian cured beef, cheese plate, shrimp cocktail, smoked salmon, and the airdropped caviar from Russia. Everything was so fresh and delicious that they further increased everyone's appetite.

After appetizers came the main courses. The culinary culture of Jin City was close to the Jinsu Style. Therefore, most of the local dishes would be too sweet for the northern Chinese people's pallet. However, the cooks were able to skillfully tune down the sweetness but retained the dishes' original flavor.

After everyone had finished their food, the old man put down his chopsticks first. The room became quiet; everyone knew that the old man had something to say.

"The reason for this small gathering before we return to our family village was to reflect on what we have achieved this year and what we could do better next year." Chen Huaian said somberly.

Everyone's face became serious. Some of those who didn't do well this year started to feel uneasy.

The Chen Family was a large family clan, and Chen Huaian represented just one branch on the enormous family tree. The old man's brothers and cousins spread throughout the Jin City and even cities in Dong Hu province. Many of them were doing very well in their own right. One of Chen Fan's great grand uncles still lived in the Chens Village.

Every year during the spring festival, the Chens would gather at the family residence. They exchanged information they gathered during business endeavors and to laud their own achievement in front of the entire family clan. Although the Chen family hadn't produced any prominent tycoons of late, the family as a whole had been moving forward steadfastly and was becoming stronger each year. By then, it was already one of the most influential family clans in the Jin City.

"Let's start with your oldest brother." The old man said slowly. "I have heard many good things about him this year. His superiors even praised you in front of me and said after a few more years of practice; he would be promoted to a higher rank."

Chen Fan's Great Uncle was called Chen Zhenxin. Having helped the family clan gain at least half of its current influence, he was considered the backbone of the family.

Hearing his father's praise, Chen Zhenxin remained stoic; however, a large smile had surfaced on his wife's face.

Everyone looked toward Chen Zhenxin's family with eyes filled with jealousy. He had gotten his boss, Qin Hua's approval, that meant that he would increase in rank soon.

"Big brother is well known for his steadfastness and carefulness. He had been working diligently and quietly for so long; it's about time to be promoted." Chen Fan's Second Uncle praised his brother.

"Yea, if Big Brother keeps at it, there might be a big wig in our Chen Family in the future." One of Chen Fan's uncles siad enviously.

"Once Big brother got promoted, he would push our reputation to a new height. I can't wait to see the faces of other family branches. I dare them to question my husband's position in the company again." Second Uncle's wife said bitterly.

The Chens Group was owned collectively by everyone in the Chen Family Clan, although Chen Huaian's branch owned the majority of the shares. The leaders of other branches had complained about Chen Qianxin's mismanagement. On more than one occasion, Chen Huaian had to step in and help his son out.

However, Chen Zhenxin's promotion could dial down the complaints about his younger brother's incompetence.

"We can't blame anyone for my second son's mistakes. He needs to improve." Chen Huaian castigated coldly."You manage over a few hundred million assets, yet where is the growth and profit? The other companies that opened up around the same time as the Chens Group had either become public or established HQ in the big cities. Only The Chens Group still remained in Jin City. If I were them, I would be pissed as well.

"You can't even compare with Xiaoyun. Wang Xiaoyun had gone to Zhong Hai all by herself and started the Jin Xiu Group without any help. Look at the size of her business now; it's nearly at the same level as The Chens Group. If you keep on letting me down, I will swap you with Xiaoyun. She would be a much better manager than you!"

Sweat ran down from Chen Qianxin's bald head. He was an obese man and had oily skin. Having been drenched in sweat, he looked as if he had just gone to a sauna.

"That's enough. Qianxin had no choice. It's not an easy job to make all of your unruly family leaders listen to his opinion. His job is not easy." Chen Fan's grandmother stood up to save her beloved little boy's face.

So saying, she gave Wang Xiaoyun a stone cold look.

Grandma had silver hair and looked kind and warmhearted. However, Chen Fan was never fond of her, and the feeling was quite mutual.

He recalled that during every Spring Festival, grandma would give each and every kid in the family a treat. She always gave the best treats to the children of his Great and Second Uncle, but never to him.

Grandma had always disliked Chen Fan's mother. In her mind, Wang Xiaoyun was the reason that her son had to move to the countryside.

"Whatever... You better be careful." Chen Huaian waved a hand helplessly.

His wife had spoiled her second son; otherwise, the position of CEO at The Chens Group would never fall into Chen Qianxin's lap.

"Gexin, how's your work lately?" The old man's face softened significantly when he spoke to Chen Gexin, his third son.

"I was in charge of the construction of the new Agriculture Industry Zone in our county. It was part of the nation's five-year plan for... " Chen Gexin explained his job to his father in great detailed while the latter listened attentively, nodding in approval from time to time.

After Chen Gexin finished his report, the old man praised him for his dedication and encouraged him to work harder in the year to come.

The old man's approval didn't sit well with the other families. Wife of the Second Uncle murmured: "That's not fair. The old man never praises his other two sons."

Despite her effort to speak under her breath, most people around her had heard her words.

Chen Fan and An Ya sat right beside the woman. An Ya furrowed her brows while Chen Fan's face remained placid.

"If I were you, I would just join everyone at Jin City. Si Shui County is such a backwater countryside, what is so good about that place? Come join your Second Big Brother and me. You will make a fortune here, I promise!" Chen Qianxin said.

"My dad is right, Third Uncle. You have worked for two decades, but you are still at the bottom. Uncle Gexin had been working for only ten years, and his position is much higher than you already." Chen Xu put in.

Chen Gexin sat still; however, he could not hide the embarrassment on his face.

The old man also stopped talking.

Despite his earlier praise of Chen Gexin's work in the county, he hoped that his third son would one day return to his side.

Displeasure flickered in Wang Xiaoyun's eyes. She couldn't stand other people diss her husband. When she was about to protest, she heard a voice.

"Although my dad's position is insignificant right now, he is accumulating a lot of valuable experiences. In a few years, he would be assigned to manage a much larger project in big cities."

Chen Fan's words had shocked everyone.

"What are you talking about? No one can earn a ticket out of the small town so easily, not even the richest man and woman in the county." Second Uncle said with a smirk.

"Yes, you are still very young, Xiao Fan. You don't understand how difficult it is to make a living in the real world."

"Don't interrupt the grown-up's conversation!" Chen Fan's great uncle refuted hotly.

Great Uncle was a cautious and slow-paced man, just like his old man. Therefore, he hated empty talk and cheap promises more than anyone in the room.

The other family members also shook their heads. Chen Fan's grandmother even sneered at Chen Fan.

Chen Gexin and Wang Xiaoyun felt they were sitting on pits of fire. Their face blushed as they were embarrassed by their son's ridiculous remark.

"Dad, haven't you heard? Xiao Fan said he is vying for the Jin City University. Well, I say Third Uncle has a better chance of getting a promotion than Xiao Fan achieving his goal."

"Jin City University?"

Many adults in the room were taken by surprise.

It was the best university in the Hu Dong Province, and everyone knew that with Chen Fan's grades, his odds of getting into that university was a long shot.

"Brother, I think you need to pay more attention to educating your son. He is going to make a laughing stock out of us if he doesn't learn to keep his mouth shut during the family meeting." Chen Fan's grandmother said displeasedly.

"Yes, mother." Chen Gexin said as he squeezed a smile out of his overwrought face.

Hearing people talking down on his son in front of his family was more embarrassing to Chen Gexin than people talking down on him since he believed that his own actions were justified. However, he was not so sure that his son was as right as he thought he was.

Seeing Chen Fan was embattled by his families' doubts, Chen Ning smiled in her mind.

"Little prick! Now you finally learn to keep your arrogant mouth shut."

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Chapter 128: Equestrian Club

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Facing everyone's gloating smirks and disappointed head-shaking Chen Fan remained calm. However, he laughed at these people in his mind: "They had been living under a rock, how will they ever grasp the full extent of my power."

However, he didn't bother to refute these self-important relatives.

Chen Fan's family had never received much help from the family clan. He recalled that when The Chens Group nearly bellied up a few years later, his mom had saved The Chens Group using funds from the Jin Xiu Group. However, later, when Jin Xiu Group was in trouble, Chen Fan didn't get much support from the family other than a few cheap sympathies.

To Chen Fan, only his grandfather out of all the family members really cared about him.

"Grandpa died only two years after this gathering; he was diagnosed with late stage cancer. If he had lived longer, my family would never have come to such a tragic end." Chen Fan heaved a sigh and looked to his grandpa. The old man had lost a lot of weight, even compared to last year.

The Chen family managed to keep its head above water while the old man was still in charge. As soon as the old man fell ill, Chen Qianxin gained unbridled control over the family company, and the power spurred him to embezzle company funds for his personal use brazenly. The Chens Group quickly fell apart, and even his brother Chen Zhenxin got into trouble because of his illicit actions.

"However, I will not let this happen this time around. I will not let you leave the world with disappointments." Chen Fan thought to himself.

Later stage cancer was not incurable if treated by a cultivator.

Although cancer was a terminal illness on earth, it could be uprooted completely after using one Essence Enhancing Pill.

"What a shame that I still haven't gathered all the herbs I needed for making the real Essence Enhancing Pill." Chen Fan furrowed his brows. "I will need to find an excuse to let grandpa use the Spirit Qi Water and the Arcane Pills. The combined effect of the two should give the old man another three to four years of life. By then, I should be able to come up with a cure."

Chen Fan was engrossed in his own thoughts, and he didn't notice the surprise expression on Chen Huaian's face.

Everyone else except for Chen Huaian thought Chen Fan was simply bluffing. Only the old man registered the genuineness in his grandson's tone. Chen Fan could not have faked that self-assuredness in him.

"However, where did he get that confidence from?" Chen Huaian wondered as he fell into deep thoughts.

The old man's reticent behavior quickly brought the banquet to an end.

After the banquet, Chen Gexin's gaze rested in Chen Fan for a while, but in the end, he simply heaved a sigh of resignation and left the party with a headshake.

Deep down, he was disappointed at his son. He had hoped that the half year of studying at the Chu Zhou City would have changed his attitude to some degree, but Chen Fan was still the same irresponsible adolescent brat.

Wang Xiaoyun came over the Chen Fan and padded the boy on his shoulder: "Don't listen to your dad; he is old and bitter. I like what you said, and I have wanted to say the exact same things to them for a long while. Bunch of losers, and how dare they diss your father when they have nothing to show for it."

Chen Fan was light-hearted by his mother's remark.

This was his mother's personality in its truest form. Hate or love, she never mixed the two.

For love, she had betrayed her entire family and endured unimaginable humiliation.

After the adults were gone, the third generation started to discuss their after party again.

"I have heard that there is a new Equestrian Club at the Din Hu district. It was owned by a hot chick just came back from Country Y. She had invested over a hundred million yuan and bought up a huge swath of land to build the club."

The young boy who made the suggestion was the son of Chen Fan's fourth uncle. He was young, but his little head was full of strange and witty ideas.

"I have heard of that club. The owner was trained at an equestrian school at Country Y called Wimbledon. Rumor had it that the coach was an Olympic bronze medalist in the category of dressage." The daughter of the Great Uncle exclaimed. But then, she knotted her brows and lamented: "But we need a membership to get in. It's very difficult to become a member because you need at least three references from three current members. Even with the references, the applicant won't be able to join the club without the owner's approval."

"We should be fine. Both Chen An and Xiao Nin were enthusiasts of horse riding. They must have a membership."

Chen Xu said airily.

Everyone looked toward Chen An expectantly.

Under normal circumstances, they would never be able to get into such high profile clubs.

Chen An nodded and said: "I know the owner, so I should be able to let you guys into the club."

"Hooray!"

The teenage boys and girls cheered with great enthusiasm.

The proposal had even piqued An Ya's interest. She had been focusing on her study and work and haven't had the time to relax for a while. Chen Fan didn't want to join them; however, after seeing Sister An's interest, he changed his mind.

"It has been a while we spend some quality time together." Chen Fan lamented.

Jin City, Zi Yun Equestrian Club...

When they arrived at the entrance, Chen An showed the security staff a membership card. After a minute or so, an attractive manager wearing a black business skirt came out to greet everyone.

"Our club charges based on the time you spend in saddles; starting at 5000 yuan per hour. The price would be higher if you chose better horses. The fee also excludes the coaching fee.

"In addition, every new member will have to purchase a new set of gear for thirty thousand."

Everyone tsked at the steep price. One hour in the saddle translated roughly to 45 minutes. In other words, it cost 5000 yuan to ride a horse for 45 minutes. Although the teenagers were from middle to upper-class families, they could not afford such extravagant fees.

"What's the big deal. I will pay for everyone once we are inside." Chen Xu announced.

His father was in charge of The Chens Group, and therefore, he would have no problem paying for everyone.

"Xiao Fan, it's so pretty here."

An Ya walked on the grass and looked at the sprawling landscape of the horse range.

It was unimaginable to most people the amount of money required to buy such a large chunk of land in Jin City. However, Chen Fan didn't pay any attention to the surroundings.

He looked at An Ya with a content smile.

He would buy this entire range if it made Sister An happy.

Everyone followed their coach to pick their mount. Chen Fan and An Ya were assigned a strapping young man as their coach. His well-defined face and straight and high nose ridge suggested that he was mixed with European blood.

He greeted Chen Fan and introduced himself. His name was Paul.

Paul's eyes lit up as soon as he saw An Ya. Ever since he was hired by Zi Yun and became a coach, he had flirted with many rich and beautiful young ladies thanks to his handsome looks. However, he had never seen any girl as gentle and attractive as An Ya.

"She is the embodiment of beauty in the fertile land of Hu Dong Province," Paul exclaimed in his mind. So thinking, a broad smile broke over his face.

"She is called Mrs. Andreas. She is the most docile mare in our entire stable. Since you, my beautiful lady are new to horse riding. She will be your perfect choice. When you finally get a handle on it, we will change to another mount for you." Paul said.

All the while, Paul's eyes didn't leave An Ya.

An Ya had changed into her riding gears. She wore a black vest on the top and white riding pants and a pair of beige riding boots. She strapped a protective helmet on her head, making her look astonishingly handsome.

She regarded the chestnut colored mare with great interest, and then she reached out to stroke her mane.

Mrs. Andreas was indeed a tamed beast. Seeing the horse didn't mind her stroking, An Ya picked up a handful of feed and put her hand under the mare's mouth. The horse gulped the feed down her throat after gently licked it away from the palm of An Ya.

"Sir, would you like to choose a mount as well? We have smaller Mongolian horses specifically bred for beginners." Paul said.

"No need."

Chen Fan waved dismissing him.

He was here to spend time with Sister An, plus, these earthly horses was far from adequate as his mount. He had tamed giant celestial beasts that can swallow a planet, what are these earthly horses?

Paul was taken aback by Chen Fan's refusal.

What kind of teenage boy would not want to ride a horse?

He decided to press on: "Sir, our horses are very docile, those Mongolian horses in particular. I promise you will be fine."

"I said I don't need it."

Chen Fan repeated lightly.

This time, Paul decided to keep his silence. However, a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes.

He was born in Country Y, the homeland of modern equestrian sport. His heritage had given him a unique sense of superiority over anyone who was too afraid to get on a horse.

Under Paul's instructions, An Ya got into the saddle. She clamped her legs tightly on both sides of the horse and held onto the mare's mane. She felt a mix of fear and excitement shoot through her mind.

"Xiao Fan, I am afraid."

An Ya winced.

"Don't worry; I am here."

Chen Fan said. He would see to it that An Ya would not fall from the horse.

Paul pulled the reins and led the horse out of the stable until they reach a clearing.

Suddenly, a few large horses galloped toward An Ya.

"An Ya!"

The two riders shouted at her. They were Chen Ning and her brother Chen An.

Both of them were avid horse riders, and they even had their own horses. Closely following the two was Chen Xu riding a dark purebred horse. He seemed to have handled himself on the saddle pretty well. When he saw Chen Fan, he asked him with a fake surprised look on his face.

"Chen Fan, where is your horse?

"Don't tell me you are afraid. Come on, even your sister is doing it. What are you afraid of?"

"Xiao Fan is too young for this." Despite her nervousness, An Ya tried to explain for her little brother.

"He is almost eighteen. He is no longer a kid!" Chen Xu pouted and stopped talking altogether. However, contempt was written all over his face.

Chen Fan furrowed his brows at first, but then a smile broke over his face.

"Well, since you said that, why don't we have a race?"

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