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

5. 129-160

Rebirth Of The Urban Immortal Cultivator #Chapter 129 - A Hundred Million Dollar Race - Read Rebirth Of The Urban Immortal Cultivator Chapter 129 - A Hundred Million Dollar Race Online - All Page - FREEWN

Chapter 129: A Hundred Million Dollar Race

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"What did you say?" Chen Xu asked incredulously. "You want to race ME? What makes you think you can do that?"

"Why not?" Chen Fan said lightly.

"Haha, Xiao Fan. Don't say I didn't warn you." Chen Xu laughed out loud and said: "You might think that I am good for nothing. But I used to compete in the Jin City's equestrian competition, and I even made it to the quarterfinals.

"Plus, have you seen my horse? He is called Caesar and he is one of the most expensive horses you can find in this stable. Twenty thousand yuan per hour of saddle time.

"You have neither the skills nor a good horse, what made you think you can compete against me?"

Chen Xu chuckled and then shook his head.

A few cousins surrounding Chen Xu also laughed at Chen Fan.

"Indeed. Mr. Chen Xu is right." Paul put in.

"Caesar is one of the most expensive horses in our stable. He is purebred and is worth over fifty thousand US yuan. His parents were champion horses from Coolmore and used to win the first place in short distance galloping. He was born to be a winner.

"Plus, Mr. Chen Xu is a trained rider and used to partake in competitions. You have no chance of winning the race. "

Hearing paul's expert opinion, everyone was convinced that Chen Fan would lose.

An Ya tugged at Chen Fan's sleeve and said worriedly: "Xiao Fan, forget about it. Don't let him get to you."

To her surprise, Chen Fan insisted: "So what? Even if you are the Olympic champion, I won't be afraid of you."

"You are full of yourself." Chen Xu sneered. "Well, if you really want a race, let's up the stakes."

So saying, he fished out a car key and said: "This is the new Lamborghini Gallardo my dad had bought for me. If I lose, you can keep my car. If you lose, you will buy me a Porsche 911, how's that?"

Everyone gasped after hearing how high the stakes were. Even some bystanders who had overheard the conversation were shocked.

The stakes in this race were luxury cars that were worth over three hundred million. Never once had the guests of the Zi Yun Club seen such outrageous bet for any races since the club's conception. If the match really followed through, it would be sensational news for not only the club members but also the elites of the Jin City.

"Bah! What am I thinking, you are not old enough to have a driver's license yet? What's the point in racing you?"

Chen Xu pretended that he had regretted his choice as he put the car keys back into his pocket, however, his face wore a smug smile even as he did so.

He never expected Chen Fan to agree to the race, and he only wanted to show off his new car in front of everyone.

To his surprise, Chen Fan nodded and said: "Very well, we have a race."

"What?" Chen Xu was taken by surprise.

"Although I don't own a car, my mother will for sure fulfill my obligation for me. She will buy you a Porsche 911." Chen Fan shrugged.

Members of the Chen family looked to Chen Fan as if he was looking at a crazy person.

How could a newbie without a good horse challenge a recreational league rider with a champion class mount?

Since not even the professional riding coach thought that Chen Fan would win, no one would put their money on Chen Fan.

"Xiao Fan?" An Ya exclaimed. However, after seeing the determination in Chen Fan's eyes, she became quiet.

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Ever since they were kids, she had spoiled her brother. Regardless of how stupid Chen Fan's decisions were, she never stopped him once. However, she would come to Chen Fan's rescue whenever her little brother got himself into trouble because of his decisions.

"So be it. If we lose the bet, we will just have to earn that Porsche back." An Ya thought to herself.

"Very well, we have a race"

As the reality started setting in, Chen Xu was elated.

He knew that her auntie would fulfill her son's obligation for him. She was not in the habit of owing other people money.

The promise of finally owning his dream car, the Porsche 911 gave Chen Xu a rush of exhilaration.

"When I get the car, I will give it to her as a gift. I wonder if a Porsche is enough to make her spread her legs for me." Chen Xu thought pleasedly.

He was charmed by an actress lately and the girl had refused all of his gifts so far. However, he doubted that there was any cold heart that a million yuan gift could not unlock.

Once both parties had agreed to the race, they started to prepare for the match.

The news of the match shocked all the guests of the club. They gathered around to watch this high stake race.

"I know Chen Xu. He was not a professional, but he was able to handle himself well in the recreational league. That league was created by a bunch of spoiled brats, but their riding skills are far superior to most people.

"His mount is called Caesar and was the fastest horse in running a short distance, plus, he was of a champion lineage.

"Let it be skills or the horses, the other boy had no advantage whatsoever. He is going to lose the race."

The onlookers chatted with each other about the outlook of the race.

Some of the onlookers even started a pool and the rates for Chen Fan's victory was 100 to 1. In other words, no one was betting their money on Chen Fan.

"Brother, who do you think will win?"

Chen Ning asked interestedly.

She was wearing a custom tailored riding outfit with black riding boots and a red vest. The tightly fit clothes brought out the womanly curve but also gave her a touch of masculinity.

Half of the male onlookers glanced at her surreptitiously.

"Chen Xu was not a professional rider like us but was skillful in his own right. As for Chen Fan..." Chen An furrowed his brows. He conceded that the boy puzzled him.

Ever since Chen Fan showed up at the gathering, he had been making arrogant and conceitful remarks. He either has strong backing, or he had become an outright idiot.

"He is just bluffing. Trying to be a tough guy." Chen Ning sneered.

"Little shit! This is a multi-million yuan bet. It is no joke. I can't wait to see you get owned." Chen Ning gloated at Chen Fan's impending defeat.

She never had any quarrel with Chen Fan, and she wanted Chen Fan to be defeated simply because she enjoyed watching that.

"Mr. Chen Xu is ready for the race, Mr. Chen Fan. Where is your horse?"

Paul volunteered to be the referee, and he asked Chen Fan confusedly.

Chen Xu looked like he was in a real championship. He wore protective gear from head to toe over his riding outfit. While waiting for Chen Fan, he started to do warm-up exercises. However, Chen Fan was still in his casual jeans and a T-shirt and had not yet even picked his horse.

"This is a race, not a child's play."

Paul shook his head.

"My horse?" Chen Fan pointed to Mrs. Andreas and said: "There she is."

Paul was shocked by Chen Fan's choice. He said incredulously: "Mrs. Andreas was a young warm-blooded mare, she was good for beginner's training but was not a racehorse."

The horses could be roughly categorized based on their temperament into three categories: hot, warm and cold-blooded horses.

Hot blooded horses were the most aggressive and were bursting with energy. They were mainly used for races. The warm-blood horses were the most tamed and docile and they were mostly used as day to day mount. The cold-blooded horses were huge in size and had an extremely tough build, they were usually used as beasts of labor.

Paul had been riding horses for twenty years, and never once had he seen a warm-blood horse enter the race track.

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"I have made up my mind. I will choose her."

Chen Fan said calmly, however, his voice was confident and sure.

Paul was going to insist Chen Fan choose another horse, but Chen Fan had already mounted onto the mare. He was sitting behind the saddle, where An Ya was.

"This is ridiculous!"

Paul bemoaned in his mind disdainfully. He was an amateur through and through! He didn't even have the right horse, what made him think that he could win the race?

H might as well drive a tractor to an F4 formula race. Even the best riders in the world would not be able to win a race like this.

The other guests of the club were more or less versed in horse riding and therefore, they were convinced that Chen Fan was going to lose the race as soon as they saw his choice of horse.

"You are going to race me with that?" Chen Xu gave Chen Fan a sidelong glance.

Chen Fan straddled on the rear of a warm-blooded horse with her attractive sister in front of him. He looked more like a tourist than a racer.

Chen Ning and her brother both heaved a sigh of disappointment. Without the right horse, what's the point of racing? He might as well concede defeat.

A twelve years old girl on a Shetland pony rode toward Chen Fan. She said kittenishly: "Brother Chen Fan, I bet all of my allowances on you, don't let me down!"

"Don't you worry Guoguo. I will make them pay you a hundred times your bet." Chen Fan said with a smile.

The young girl was called Chen Guoguo, he was the daughter of Chen Fan's fourth uncle.

"Guoguo, your allowance will be gone." Chen Guoguo guffawed.

Paul waved the flag in the air, signaling the start of the match. Chen Xu and his horse darted out with a gust of wind. So powerful was Caesar that he covered half of the 400-meter track in a blink.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Andreas and Chen Fan remained still at the starting line.

"Chen Fan, move!" Chen Guoguo shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Don't worry, I will let him have a head start." Chen Fan said calmly.

"Humph! You did this because you know you will lose today. I think you are afraid." Chen Ning chortled as the thought of Chen Fan making a laughing stock out of himself amused her.

Chen An shook his head and lamented the stubbornness of Chen Fan. He had thought that Chen Fan would have a trick up his sleeve, but it turned out that all he got was empty talk and bluffs.

An Ya smiled wryly while sitting on the horse. She was already contemplating which dealer to choose to buy the Porsche for Chen Fan.

The onlookers sneered at Chen Fan, and none of them thought the boy had a chance. Seeing she was going to lose her allowance, tears welled in Chen Guoguo's eyes as she was about to break down into tears.

"Haha! The Porsche is mine!"

Chen Xu was only twenty meters or so away from the finish line. He loosened the rein and slowed down as he laughed out loud.

Even as everyone thought that Chen Fan was going to lose the race, Chen Fan let out a word in a deep voice.

"Halt!"

Suddenly, Caesar paused cold in his tracks. He was only ten meters away from the finish line.

"What is going on?"

The turn of event confused everyone. They looked toward the finish line, trying to figure out what had happened.

"Why did he stop? Is he waiting for Chen Fan to catch up?"

It wasn't long before the onlookers knew they were wrong.

They watched as Chen Xu jumped off the horse and pulled the reins as hard as he could. However, Caesar didn't move an inch. It was as if he was paralyzed by some magical spell. Chen Xu was so close to the finish line, yet he was so far away.

"Sister An, it's our turn now." Chen Fan squeezed the horse with his thigh and brought the mare into a slow trot.

The mare picked up some speed but was still nowhere nearly as fast as Caesar was.

Everyone watched the development unfold incredulously. Chen An knotted her brows and was dumbfounded. Everyone else could only stare at Chen Fan and the slow mare.

Slowly but surely, Mrs. Andreas passed pale-faced Chen Xu and reached the finish line at her own pace.

The bet at the equestrian club turned out to be a total victory for Chen Fan!

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Chapter 130: Young Lord Wei

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

A surprised silence fell throughout the entire stable.

Chen Fan had pulled the rug from under everyone and won the match in the most unexpected way.

"Is he a horse whisperer?"

"He is a real badass, and he had been hiding his strength all the while."

"I think this young fellow is a much better equestrian coach than the ones at the Zi Yun Club."

Hearing everyone's words, Paul felt embarrassed, and his face felt hot. He had forecasted Chen Fan's defeat as a professional, yet, Chen Fan proved him wrong right away. Suddenly, he felt that he was surrounded by jeering remarks toward him.

"But how did Chen Fan do that? However skillful a coach was, no one can stop a horse cold in his tracks."

Paul wondered.

"Interesting." Chen An unfurrowed his knotted brows. "Looks like my little cousin is not an average person after all."

"Hump! He is just lucky!" Chen Ning said bitterly.

"Xiao Nin, being lucky is also part of his ability." Chen An shook his head.

Despite his praise, he didn't change his estimate of Chen Fan's overall ability. He was convinced that Chen Fan had used a small trick that once discovered, would discredit his victory. Of all the third generation Chen family, only one person was his worthy opponent, and it wasn't Chen Fan.

Suddenly, he heard a voice: "Looks like a lot of fun here!"

Everyone looked toward the speaker, and they saw a man and a woman that rode abreast toward the crowd.

The man was tall and handsome, and his extraordinary appearance was matched only by the girl beside him. The two rode together like a pair of god and goddess.

"Uh, isn't that the club owner Yin Wanqin?

"Boss Yin always remained at a distance from her customers, why does she look so intimate with that man?"

The person who recognized the woman was puzzled by the sight.

Chen An's face tightened slightly and quickly plastered on a smile before he went for the two riders.

"Young Lord Wei, I didn't know you are here as well."

"Nice to see you, Xiao Chen. Don't be so formal; you can just call me by name." The man was of similar age with Chen An. However, he sounded much more mature and seasoned.

"Yes, yes. You are right Young Lord Wei. " Chen An nodded and said, respectively.

Seeing Chen An's unctuous act, the other guests quickly guessed out who the male rider was.

"Young Lord Wei, two of my cousins are having a race. Whoever loses will have to pay the winner a sports car."

Chen An explained.

The club owner was shocked after hearing the outcome of the race. "Really? Now I have to meet your young cousin! I have never seen a real horse whisperer ever."

"No problem, I will call him over if Sister Wanqin wants to meet him." Chen An announced.

As he spoke, Chen Fan had returned from the finish line.

Chen Guoguo rode her Shetland Pony before Chen Fan. She lifted up the key to Lamborghini and waved it in the air. "Hooray! I am going to have a ride in the Lamborghini, Shotgun, Every one!"

Chen Xu trailed behind Chen Fan; his face was as pale as a piece of paper.

"Xiao Fan, come over here, I want to introduce you to the two lords." Chen Fan commanded.

Chen Fan furrowed his brows at first and didn't move. However, after An Ya's urging, he rode toward Chen An.

"This is Young Lord Wei, and this is Sister Wanqin."Chen An then asked condescendingly: "Sister Wanqin wanted to know how you stopped the horse from running."

His question sounded more like a command, every word from his mouth urged Chen Fan to answer.

"I used to study under an equestrian master who was an Olympic gold medalist. But even he couldn't make a horse stop in its tracks, can you please tell me your method? "Yin Wanqin asked curiously.

"It's just a little trick, isn't worth mentioning."

Chen Fan answered lightly.

After he said so, he nodded at the two, bringing their conversation to an end. Then he turned toward Chen Guoguo and said: "Guoguo, let's have a race!"

"Awesome!" Chen Guoguo spurred her pony and darted out.

Chen Fan squeezed the saddle and followed the little girl, leaving the other three dumbfounded by the sudden end of the conversation.

Everyone gasped after having witnessed this development.

"Holy shit! Does he know that was the Young Lord Wei he was talking to?"

Someone exclaimed.

"That young man is too arrogant for his own good."

Shock and disbelief were written all over Chen Ning's face. Even her father had to talk politely to Young Lord Wei much less she herself. Father of Young Lord Wei was one of the most influential people in Hu Dong Province, and even the most reputable members of the Chen Family couldn't compare.

"My brother is going to be so mad."

Chen Ning thought to herself.

She knew that her brother had spared no expense to befriend the Young Lord Wei. Chen An was never that interested in horse riding, however, ever since he heard that Young Lord Wei was dating the owner of the Zi Yun Equestrian Club, exercising at the Club had become his weekly routine.

"Lord Wei, my cousin is too arrogant... Would you like me to..." Chen An said embarrassed.

"Forget it." Young Lord Wei waved a hand. However, a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes.

Yin Wanqin's face was as pale and cold as winter snow. No one had talked to her so arrogantly ever since the conception of her club.

"Well, I think I'm done here. Ziqin doesn't visit here often, so let's spend more time with her."

Young Lord Wei brought his horse around and rode off.

Chen An was left alone, his face was bleak, and anger danced in his eyes.

Meanwhile, Chen Guoguo was riding around the stable with Chen Fan and An Ya.

Surrounded by a large swath of forests, the club was huge in size and small streams and creeks coursed through it. Chen Fan and his companion brought the horse to a halt beside a small creek. They got off the saddle and sat on the lush green grass to watch the riders in the distance.

"It's been a while since I was this relaxed."

An Ya finally gathered herself from the shock. Sitting on the ground, She hugged her legs close to her chest and murmured.

"You don't say! Ever since I got into junior high, my dad won't get off my back about my study. I have Zero chance of coming out and having fun, Z-E-R-O!" Chen Guoguo pouted and complained.

Her comical reaction was too cute for An Ya not to reach out and squeeze her chubby face. Chen Guoguo furrowed her brows and threw herself at An Ya while trying to squeeze An Ya's cheek back.

Seeing his sister and cousin having such a good time, Chen Fan's lips finally curled into a content smile. It had been a while for him not to have to think about anything else other than to enjoy the time with his family.

In his last life, he had devoted all of his time in cultivation, and this time, he swore to make it up to his family.

As the three were enjoying their time alone, a surprising voice drifted from afar.

"Mr. Chen, what are you doing?"

Chen Fan turned his head over his shoulder and saw a handsome lady on a strapping stud call out to him.

The girl was wearing a black helmet and a long ponytail in the back of her head. Under her belt, she was wearing black riding pants and black riding boots. A belt made out of supple leather hugged tightly around her tiny waist, making her ample bosom look like they were going to pop out of her shirt. The most attractive part of her body was the pair of long and elegant thighs that were bursting with energy.

"Wei Ziqin?"

Chen Fan was taken aback by the sight of his old acquaintance.

"Ziqin, do you know him?"

A man asked with knotted brow.

Chen Fan noticed that Wei Ziqin was accompanied by two people on each side. They were none other than Young Lord Wei and Yin Wanqin who he had just met a moment ago.

Yin Wanqin looked to him with a curious face. He didn't expect Chen Fan and Wei Ziqin to know each other. On the other hand, Yin Wanqin's gaze was filled with animosity; It was evident that Chen Fan's arrogant remark didn't sit well with her.

"It makes so much sense now; I was wondering why Chen An called him Young Lord Wei. He and Wei Ziqin are from the same family. "

Despite the realization, Chen Fan didn't change the indifferent look on his face. He and the Wei Family no longer owed each other anything. He didn't have to talk to them even if Elderly Man Wei himself showed up.

"Brother, this is Chen Fan, Mr. Chen."

Wei Ziqin answered her brother. She hopped off her horse gingerly and apologized to Chen Fan: "Mr. Chen. I am sorry for what had happened last time. My grandfather kept on saying that he wanted to say sorry to you in person."

"There is no need. I have cured Elderly Man Wei, and in return, he had given me a mansion. We don't owe each other anything." Chen Fan cut Ziqin short with a wave of the hand.

By then, Young Lord Wei had caught up with his sister and he said with a smile: "Sorry for the cold shoulder earlier. My name is Wei Zifang, I am Ziqin's brother, and this is my girlfriend, Yin Wanqin."

"Wanqin, Come, and apologize."

Yin Wanqin's face tightened as soon as she heard the words. She lowered her head reluctantly and then apologized to Chen Fan.

To everyone's surprise, Chen Fan said readily in a cold and matter-of-fact voice.

"No need to apologize. You have done nothing wrong."

Chen Fan reached out to An Ya and pulled her up. Then he turned around and said: "I have other business to attend to; I will take my leave now."

"But, Mr. Chen..."

Wei Ziqin's face soured a little as she was taken aback by Chen Fan's distant remark.

However, Chen Fan didn't mind the displeasure on Wei Ziqin's face. He rode away with An Ya and Chen Guoguo without saying one more word, leaving Wei Ziqin embattled with embarrassment.

Then and only then, Wei Ziqin finally understood why her grandpa told her that she was wrong. Chen Fan was already determined to sever the ties with the Wei Family during his last visit. However, the Wei Family failed to grasp the last chance they had in bettering the relationship. Judging by his cold and distant look, Wei Ziqin wagered that Chen Fan no longer wanted to talk to anyone from the Wei Family.

"Ziqin, your friend is an arrogant asshole." Yin Wanqin grunted.

Standing beside Yin Wanqin, anger flickered in Wei Zifang's eyes.

At their level, they had lowered themselves to accommodate Chen Fan, yet, they had gotten nothing but arrogant remarks in return. Although Wei Zifang was a tolerant person, he felt anger sizzling in his belly.

"Well, it was the Wei Family's fault, we can't blame him."

Wei Ziqin shook her head and grinned. "Plus, he had full rights to treat us the way he did."

"Oh? Who is he?" Yin Wanqin asked incredulously.

Who could have ignored the members of the Wei Family of the North Bank? She scraped her memory to search for such a person but failed.

However, Wei Zifang's face suddenly paled as realization finally dawned upon him.

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Chapter 131: Doesn't Recognize Mount Tai

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Ziqin, is he the Mr. Chen you mentioned to me who had cured grandpa?"

Wei Zifang asked in a deep voice.

"Indeed." Wei, Ziqin nodded.

"Although he was able to cure grandpa at such a young age, that doesn't mean that he has the right to look down on us." Wei Zifang shook his head. He had seen many talented young people with incredible skills, and none of their lives met a good end. He needs to be humble."

Despite his incredible medical skills, his fortune was still at the mercy of the Wei family.

Yin Wanqin's face softened a little; however, she still couldn't get over what had happened.

"In addition, he has another identity." Wei Ziqin added. "In Chu Zhou City, he is called Master Chen."

"Master Chen? The Master Chen of Jiang Bei?"

Yin Wanqin exclaimed incredulously.

As the owner of an Equestrian Club, she watched as countless guests come and go and leaving many information and news behind. Therefore, she had heard many times people talking about this Master Chen.

However, she found it difficult to make the connection between the ordinary looking Chen Fan and the famous Master Chen.

"Master Chen of the Jiang Bei region?" Wei Zifang was taken aback by the name.

He had never imagined that Chen Fan was someone who had as much clout as Tang Yuanqin. Worse, he was at least ten years younger than him.

However, the revelation didn't rein in his conceit.

"Humph! Even if he is Master Chen, the Wei family is not going to be afraid of him." Wei Zifang sneered.

As the son of the most powerful family in the Jiang Nan Province, Wei Zifang had all the rights to feel proud of himself and not take Chen Fan seriously.

"Indeed." Yin Wanqin replied after she finally gathered herself.

However, powerful Master Chen was, he would not be able to rival the Wei Family of the North Bank.

"I wish that's all to it. But why do you think even grandpa wanted to apologize to him personally?" Wei Ziqin heaved a sigh. "You might not have heard of this news: he was recently invited by the military to fill the role of the head sergeant of the Cang Dragon unit."

"Head sergeant of the Cang Dragon? What is that?" Yin Wanqin was confused.

What position could have given the boy so much prestige and power that even the old man had to bend over backwards to please him?

She had stayed abroad for the most part of her life, and therefore, she was clueless of the situation in China. Although the news shocked Wei Zifang as he had heard of the name of the Cang Dragon unit, he was not sure what the title "Head Sergeant" meant.

"The head sergeant of the Cang Dragon was as high as one could get in the law enforcement units. It belongs to the rank of generals." Wei Ziqin paused a second to let her words set in. "If he accepted the offer and performed his duty, in three years, he would be promoted to the rank of general."

"Be a general in three years?"

Hearing this revelation, even Wei Zifang who had worked in government and rubbed shoulders with some of the highest-ranking officials was shocked.

"He looks no more than seventeen years old, and even in three years, he would be at most twenty. Yet, you said he would have been a general by then?"

Yin Wanqin covered her mouth to suppress a gasp with her eyes wide open in surprise.

However clueless she was in terms of the military ranking, she knew that generals were of the highest rank since it was the case in nearly all counties.

To be a general in a country as big as China was, in particular, not a small feat. Being a general at the age of twenty would garner much more respect than being a billionaire.

"How is that possible? Even the youngest general in China is in his forties."

Wei Zifang tried to hold back his disbelief and asked.

"He is exceptional, and his talents are unknown to many." Wei Ziqin said lightly.

Wei Zifang gasped.

The more one knew about the military system in China; the more surprised one would be after hearing the news. Being a general in the law enforcement unit wielded even more authority than that of an ordinary unit.

"So we were looking at a twenty-year-old general!" Wei Zifang gasped, the pride in his voice had evaporated.

His Second Uncle was already in his forties when he finally reached the same level. Even without becoming the general rank, Chen Fan would have secured as much power and authority as his father had. Plus, he was so young, and only god would know what the future had in store for him.

Even though he was from the Wei Family of the North Bank, he conceded that he would have to put away his pride before such a mighty power.

Even the collective might of the entire Wei family would not give him the courage to offend such a powerful young man.

"I can't even believe what I am going to tell you, but here it is: he refused the offer." Wei Ziqin shook her head with a wry smile.

"He refused?"

Both Wei Zifang and Yin Wanqin could only stare.

The conversation about Chen Fan turned out to be a rollercoaster ride to the two. A sixteen years old boy was not only a skillful doctor, the famous Master Chen but also was offered the position of the Head Sergeant. Worse yet, he refused the offer!

The position was of general rank; people would fight to the death over the job.

"The Wei family had affronted him because of Ziqin; therefore, he is still on the fence." Wei Ziqin heaved a sigh. "My father said the military is sending four delegates to talk to him personally. I bet those delegates were of the same rank as my father."

Wei Zifang was utterly speechless.

How was this possible, and who the heck was this boy?

Wei Zifang's family heritage, Yin Wanqin's attractive look and her club all seemed like a joke in front of Chen Fan's attainment.

"Compared to him; I seemed to have achieved nothing, even in my thirties. What right do I have to be so proud."

Wei Zifang heaved a long sigh.

Yin, Wanqin nodded. She could not fathom how an ordinary looking boy could turn out to be a candidate for a general position; a diamond in the rough.

He had the right to be cold and aloof like all other powerful figures were.

"Brother Zifang, Sister Wanqin." Wei Ziqin paused a second and then said: "If you can befriend him, I think you should be able to contribute to grandpa's cause."

"Really?"

Yin Wanqin asked with surprise as hope also gleamed in Wei Zifang's eyes.

Wei Zifang and Yin Wanqin were classmates at the university when they fell in love. Yin Wanqin was from a middle-class family and was deemed unworthy to be Wei Zifang's girlfriend in the eyes of his parents. The old man also stayed out of business and remained indifferent to both sides. In the end, Yin Wanqin left China and stayed at Y country for many years before she finally returned to China. With the financial support from Wei Zifang, she opened up the Zi Yun Club.

Most guests who came to Zi Yun were here under the influence of Wei Zifang.

"Of course! We need his favor and support, but his run-ins with Zipin had ruined our chance of mending the relationship. Even the old man wanted to apologize to him personally. If you can gain Mr.Chen's support and help the old man, grandpa would definitely stand on your side in terms of your marriage."

"Sounds like a plan to me!"

Wei Zifang held Yin Wanqin's expectant gaze and agreed as he gritted his teeth.

What was pride before the love of his life? He would befriend Master Chen even if he had to kneel.

When Wei Zifang returned the stable, they could no longer find Chen Fan.

Soon they saw Chen An and his sister accompanied by their cousin Chen Xu. Wei Zifang came up to them and asked with a smile: "Chen An, where is your other cousin?"

Chen An was surprised by Wei Zifang's warm smile, plus, the son of the Wei family never called him Chen An, instead, he always addressed him as Xiao Chen in a patronizing manner.

Feeling pleasantly surprised, he replied: "Young Lord Wei, my cousin had already left."

Chen An paused a second and then asked cautiously: "I want to apologize for his actions earlier. He is from a little county in Jiang Bei and didn't know better. "

"He is an uncouth little shit. Lack of discipline, I say," Chen Xu hissed.

Chen Ning and Chen An quickly agreed with their cousin.

Wei Zifang furrowed his brows and felt he had miscalculated the relationship between Chen An and his cousin. He always liked the young man and wanted to take him under his wing to become one of his assistants in the future.

However, it occurred to him that Chen An was oblivious of Chen Fan's real identity; worse, he seemed to dislike his powerful cousin.

"Mr. Chen is not on good terms with his cousins." Wei Zifang shook his head and lamented in his mind. He hoped that Chen An could have introduced him to Chen Fan, but the turn of events made him keep his plan to himself.

As he thought so, the warm smile on his face evaporated.

He made up his mind to keep a distance with Chen Fan's cousins, in order to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.

Yin Wanqin stood beside her boyfriend and was amused by Chen An's remarks.

"What a fool. He has eyes but doesn't recognize Mount Tai."

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 132: You Don't Deserve My Apology

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Chen Fan sat in the silver-grey Lamborghini Gallardo with the windows down. In the driver's seat was a drop dead gorgeous, the sight had attracted many attentions.

An Ya asked abruptly as she drove the vehicle.

"Xiao Fan, how did you make Chen Xu's horse stop?"

"It's just a little trick." Chen Fan shrugged. "I am the famous and revered Master Chen of Jiang Bei. I can pick a star out of the sky with ease much less control a horse."

"Brother Chen Fan is at it again... Pick a star out of the sky? Do you think you are an immortal?" Chen Guoguo asked sarcastically.

"That's nothing. Your big cousin used to travel through the universe and completely destroyed an entire galaxy. " Chen Fan said readily.

He was not lying. The perfected immortals who had reached the Dao Reunion could catch the moon and steal the stars or outright swallow the sun. The cultivators who reached Tribulation Transcendence possessed even more terrifying power than that of Dao Reunion. To them, the stars were nothing but marbles in their pocket.

However, neither An Ya nor Chen Guoguo believed him. They both rolled their eyes at Chen Fan, thinking he was bluffing again.

Although An Ya didn't get her answer, she decided not to press on. He was always a very understanding sister to Chen Fan and knew that her little brother like to keep some secrets of his own.

"Ah, right, Sister An, I forgot to tell you that this car belongs to you now." Chen Fan said lightly. "Chen Xu had just got this car, so it's in mint condition. The color and interior deco looked feminine. I think it's better suited for you. You will need one when you go to work."

"Uh? You are not going to return it back to Chen Xu?" An Ya asked incredulously.

"Why should I? Chen Xu wanted a race, and he lost it. Could he be shameless enough as to ask for it back from me?" Chen Fan sneered.

An Ya didn't agree with Chen Fan since she knew the true colors of her Second Uncle's family much better than Chen Fan. However, seeing Chen Fan had already made up his mind; she kept her concern unspoken.

They drove the race car around the Jin City and didn't return the East Mountain mansion until it was dark outside.

By then, the mansion was lit up by lights from inside. The adults of the family had gathered in the living room.

Chen Gexin kept a somber face and wasn't pleased to see Chen Fan. However, Wang Xiaoyun nodded at Chen Fan with a great measure of approval.

"Dad, mom, grandpa." Chen Fan greeted them.

"Hi."

Chen Huaian nodded and looked hesitant. He was not sure where to begin.

The Second Auntie spoke first. She piled a large smile on her face and then said: "Xiao Fan, did you enjoy the ride in your cousin's Lamborghini? Since you had fun, it's time to give it back to your cousin."

Chen Fan looked over toward second auntie and saw an embarrassed Chen Xu hiding behind his mother. Chen Fan cracked a smile and then said: "Cousin had lost this car to me in a race. Is he going to regret his words?"

Second Auntie paul a taut face and managed to say: "Your cousin was just... joking with you. It's all just a joke."

"A joke?" Chen Fan shook his head. "I wasn't joking even if he was. If I had lost, my mother would buy a Porsche 911 and give it to him, wouldn't you mom? "

Wang Xiaoyun was going to reply, but Chen Gexin tugged her elbow, willing her to keep quiet.

"You... You cheated!" Chen Xu shouted.

"Oh? How so? Can you tell me how I could have done that?" Chen Fan asked curiously.

Chen Xu was suddenly at a loss for words.

Even a professional coach such as Paul had no clue how Chen Fan had done that much less an amateur such as him.

"What's the big deal? It's just a race. Do you really need that car?" Chen Fan's Great Uncle announced annoyedly.

"But..."

Chen Xu was becoming anxious. He begged his father countless times in order for him to buy the car for him. He hadn't even shown it to his friends yet, and he had to give it away. Chen Xu moaned the promise of his great loss in his mind.

Although Chen Qianxin was in charge of a large corporation, he was not the sole owner of the company. The most amount of money Chen Qianxin could get out of his company was just a few dozen million.

The Great Uncle was one of the main arbitrators of the family dispute, and since he had taken Chen Fan's side, the Second Uncle knew he should keep quiet now.

Sensing the matter had been settled, Chen Fan walked toward his seat and was going to sit down. Suddenly, he heard Chen Ning speak up.

"Grandpa, dad, can you guess who we met at the club?"

"Who?"

The question piqued all the adults' interest. Even Second Auntie who was still trying to overcome her anger, looked towards Chen Ning.

Chen Ning announced: "Wei Zifang!"

"Wei Zifang?"

Everyone was shocked by the revelation. Chen Zhenxin furrowed his brows and asked: "Is that Xiao Wei from the Wei family?"

"Indeed." Chen Ning nodded.

"What's the big deal with him?" One Auntie asked.

"He is more than just a big deal." Chen Zhenxin heaved a sigh. "He is of similar age as Chen An, but he had already been promoted one rank higher than my son. Rumor had it that he will be promoted once again soon. He is very popular among the big wigs."

Everyone was astonished by what they heard. Even Chen Huaian's face showed a hint of surprise.

Chen An was one of the elites among people of his generation. However, Wei Zifang seemed to be even more capable than Chen An. There had to be more than what meets the eye about that young man.

One of Chen Fan's uncles suddenly realized something, so he shouted: "His last name is Wei, could it be that this boy was from the Boss Wei's family?"

"What Boss Wei?" Another uncle asked confusedly.

"He is my boss's boss's boss. The real boss!"

Everyone gasped.

"A child from the Wei family?" Fourth, Uncle lamented.

The Wei's were a super-rich family and ranked in the top five wealthiest families in the province. Even the richest man in Jin City couldn't compare with the Wei's in terms of financial power. It made so much more sense after knowing that Wei Zifang was the son of the Wei family's figurehead.

"That's right. The Zi Yun Club was owned by Wei Zifang's girlfriend. My brother joined the club and practiced horse riding in order to befriend Wei Zifang." Chen Ning said.

The adults in the room nodded in approval, and Chen Zhenxin looked to his son with a supportive and proud glance.

The so-called "Guanxi" was crucial to success in China. Even a man of mediocre talent could become powerful if he had strong connections with the right person.

To befriend a young and talented man such as Wei Zifang would be beneficial for the rest of Chen An's life.

"However, someone had ruined my brother's plan." Chen Ning said vehemently.

She looked to Chen Fan with an angry glare. "The girlfriend of Young Lord Wei asked Chen Fan how he won the race, Chen Fan acted like an arrogant fool and left with the question unanswered. Young Lord Wei looked pissed, and ever since then, he refused to speak a word to my brother."

"Xiao An, did Xiao Ning speak the truth?" Chen Zhenxin asked heavily.

"Yes." Chen An nodded as disappointment flickered in his eye. "Young Lord Wei's attitude toward me took a 180 turn after the conversation. I wagered that I might have done something wrong."

Despite him blaming himself, everyone knew the real reason for the change of Wei Zifang's attitude was Chen Fan's arrogance.

Chen Zhenxin's face turned black, and his wife was so angry that her hands started to tremble.

That was Wei Zifang! The most renowned and influential person in Hu Dong Province. Yet, because of Chen Fan, Chen An had missed the chance of forging a relationship with him.

Second Auntie gloated at their loss and nearly screamed: "Look at your son, look what has he done!

"Even though my son Xiao Xu spent a lot of time on useless things, he never got in the way of serious business such as this."

Chen Gexin's face was tight, and he remained silent. He knew the importance of befriending Wei Zifang to his son. He could be his son's benefactor, a protector that could safeguard him along with his career.

Wang Xiaoyun was the only person who remained calm. As a descendant of the Wang Family, she barely considered Wei Zifang a big deal.

"I have told you many times, only Xiao An, Xiao Ning, and Xiao Xu are good kids." Grandma suddenly put in. "Chen Fan, give the car keys back to your cousin, and apologize to Xiao An now!"

"Yes, apologize!" Second Auntie agreed.

"Xiao Fan, apologize now." Another uncle urged.

Seeing the demanding glares of all adults in the room, and the gloomy look on Great Uncle, no one stood up for Chen Fan this time.

Even Chen Huaian hesitated to intervene. In the end, he heaved a sigh of resignation and kept his silence.

"Xiao Fan, this is really your fault. My Lamborghini is nothing; you can have it if you want. But you might have just ruined our big cousin's future. A few million yuan and a car couldn't compare."

Chen Xu heaved a sigh and pretended to lament the loss of Chen An.

The adults looked at the young man; some were laughing at him; some were angry. Chen Gexin felt furious at his son and also disappointed. Even Wang Xiaoyun was not sure how to protect her son this time; after all, Chen Fan had made the mistake in the first place. An Ya stood closely with Chen Fan and looked at her little brother concernedly.

It was as if the entire family had turned on Chen Fan.

To everyone's surprise, Chen Fan lifted his chin and sneered at the people who demanded an apology.

"You want me to say sorry? What makes you think you deserve it?"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 133: Annual Family Clan Gathering

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"What did you say?"

Chen Xu tightened face as he was shocked by Chen Fan's sudden burst of anger.

The room became pin drop silent. The adults were rendered speechless by what they heard. They had been used to castigating their children for their mistakes and never once had their children talk back.

"Chen Fan, respect your elders!" Great Uncle Chen Zhenxin pulled a taut face and rebutted hotly.

"Great Uncle. You are my elder, and therefore, I respect you." Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and said with a smile.

"I am your nephew, and my father is your brother, so yes, theoretically you are my blood kin. But are you doing what blood kin are supposed to do? What if Wei Zifang wanted you to sever ties with me? Are you going to disown your nephew?"

Chen Fan's remarks didn't sit well with Chen Zhenxin, Great Uncle's face crumpled right away. Chen Fan's Great Auntie hurried to her husband's aid.

"That's not what we meant."

"Well what do you mean?" Chen Fan snorted. "Wei Zifang could be the benefactor that you tried so hard to gain, but count me out of your shameful ingratiating act. Why should I apologize to you because I didn't want to talk to him?

"Can you please explain why?"

Hearing Chen Fan's sharp words, Chen Ning and Chen An both were both speechless.

They had never thought that the usually meek Chen Fan had such courage to refute his elders in such a confrontational way.

Chen Ning felt anger and regret seething inside of him, she was angry at Chen Fan for disrespecting the elders and making things much more difficult than it should be; meanwhile, she regretted ever spilling the beans about what had happened at the horse riding club since it had led her parents to this embarrassing confrontation with Chen Fan.

There were many things that should remain unspoken, such as shamelessly seeking connections with the rich and the powerful at the expense of one's relatives dignity.

"Good. Very good!" Great Uncle's hands trembled in anger. He looked over Chen Fan and glared at his brother. "Brother, I never imagined that you would have such an uncouth and unruly son."

Many elders of the family looked toward Chen Fan's father. They outright ignored the boy and only sought justice with the parents.

Chen Fan stood still; he was confident that his parents would be on his side.

His father was a man of virtue and hated the sycophants that cozied up to the rich and powerful for selfish needs. If he couldn't uphold his moral bearing, he would have become another lapdog of the Wang family.

Lo and behold, despite Chen Gexin's troubled look, he lowered his voice and defended his son. "Brother, I agree that Xiao Fan was disrespectful to the elders, but I also see his sense. Xiao An needs to focus on working hard and work his own way up to the top, instead of using connections and shortcuts. Even if he were able to befriend one or two influential people, their help could only go so far. "

"How dare you!"

Chen Zhenxin felt his heart was going to burst out of his chest.

What kind of relatives are they, no wonder they were still piss poor and looked down upon by the other family members.

"That's enough!" The old man slammed the tabled and growled: "We are all blood kin, are you waiting for outsiders to laugh at us?"

Seeing the dispute had riled up the old man, everyone became quiet.

Most of the third generation dared not even take a breath much less utter a word. Chen Fan, however, was the only young person who stood confidently with his chin up.

The old man gave Chen Fan a long glance and then said slowly: "Gexin was right. Although building a network of friends was important, improving personal skills and abilities should be the priority. The rich and powerful wouldn't need as much effort to make connections with others, wouldn't they?

"That being said, the fault was on Xiao Fan as well. They are your elders, and you need to show respect."

"Yes, grandpa." Chen Fan bowed slightly.

Although he didn't fully agree with the old man, he respected him unconditionally.

The Great Uncle snorted and said nothing. He glared at Chen Fan's family with a great measure of displease.

After the gathering was over, Chen Fan and his family in an unprecedented moment were allowed to stay in the mansion for the night. The old man's overly lenient attitude toward his third son rubbed against the jealous grains of the other two sons.

"Humph! Who the hell does he think he is? "Second, Uncle cursed under his breath as soon as he was through the exit.

"Let it be. The gathering is near; we will kick back and watch as they make themselves into walking laughing stocks." Great Auntie said.

Hearing her words, everyone flashed a gloating smile on their face. The annual gathering would be the time that reality taught their young brother and his family a lesson.

Although Great Uncle didn't speak a word, the promise of seeing his younger brother's embarrassment brought a smile onto his face.

"My brother, you always insisted that the personal connection is not important. I can't wait to see how you will fare during this years family gathering."

The next day morning, Chen Fan went to the East Mountain park first thing in the morning.

Ever since he returned home, he found less and less time to spend on cultivation. Therefore, he decided to make time by waking up a bit earlier in the morning.

When he arrived at the park, there had already been many elderly people exercising and practicing Tai Qi.

He found an empty area and started to practice the fist forms. He curved both arms and rested them in front of him as if he was hugging a tree. His form was steady and unshakable like a pillar in the dragon temple that supported the sky. Then he started moving. His movement was smooth like silk and the connection between each move was seamless. The forms infused the energy about Chen Fan with a grand and nearly boundless quality.

"Xiao Fan, what are you practicing? Why have I never seen that before?"

An old man came over to Chen Fan and asked incredulously.

"Grandpa." Chen Fan paused and then gathered himself. "This is called True Martial Thirty-Six Forms. A grand master taught it to me. I can teach you if you'd like to learn."

"There is no need. I am in my seventies, so Tai Chi is good enough for me." Chen Huaian waved a hand and said: "Come walk with me, will you?"

The two of them walked along the lake shore.

Chen Huaian said heavily: "Xiao Fan, you know that although your uncle could have handled things better than he had, his intentions were good.

"Your father had been stubborn for his entire life and failed to understand the importance of blending in.

"In the Dream of the Red Mansion, there is a famous sentence; it goes like this: 'A grasp of mundane affairs is genuine knowledge; Understanding of worldly wisdom is true learning.' It is always righteous to uphold moral standards, But sometimes, it is wise to accept the ugliness of reality and learn to work around it."

The old man generously offered his life lesson to his grandson.

He had lived a rough and tumble life that eventually led him to Jin City. There he planted his roots and made a fortune for himself. His achievement should have been a good foundation for his sons to develop further. However, the fall out between Chan Fan's father with the Wang family had halted the growth of the family power. Even so, the old man never complained once to his youngest son.

"Both your Great and Second Uncles are of mediocre talents. Your father, on the other hand, was very talented but was as stubborn as an ass. Of all the third generation youngsters, only Chen An is capable of handling himself. However, he is too materialistic, and... selfish for lack of better words." Chen Huaian said as he heaved a sigh.

"After I leave the world, I bet the family will quickly crumble in their hands."

"Grandpa, you are going to live a long life. Don't say things like that." Chen Fan put in.

"Hehe, I know better than anyone about my health."

Chen Huaian shook his head and then turned over to Chen Fan.

"Xiao Fan, you are my favorite."

"You have what it takes to become a good leader; you just need good guidance. What you need is a big set back in your life. That should shake things up for you and force you out of your comfort zone, and release your potential."

Chen Fan was stunned by the old man's words. He had never thought that the old man had such high expectations of him.

"Even in my last life, my grandpa believed in me too. However, I was not able to pull myself together until I was 30 years old after having tasted riches, poverty, and everything in between. After I embarked on the journey of cultivation, I worked day and night, hoping I could right the wrongs in my life."

With that thought in mind, he said firmly: "Grandpa, be rest assured, I won't let our family fall apart."

"Good, very good!" Chen Huaian nodded pleasedly.

A final content satisfaction gleamed in the old man's eyes.

The spring festival had been torture. Although everyone pretended to get along well, they could feel that Chen Fan's family and the rest of the two families were drifting apart. No one came to hang out with Chen Fan, and even Chen Guoguo was grounded by her parents.

Chen Fan didn't mind the others ignoring him. He spent most of his time with the old man, strolling in the park and exercising with him. It was fun to Chen Fan just the same.

Soon, the new year's eve was over, and the entire Chen family clan was to gather at the old family estate in the countryside.

The annual gathering of the Chen Family clan was about to draw back its curtain.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 134: Start The Gathering

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The Chen family estate is located at the outskirts of Jin City, and it was called the Chen's Village.

Although it was labeled as a village, it had been modernized a long time ago. Nowadays every family lived in bungalows or two-story houses with beautiful lawns and white picket fences, making it look like a small community of the developed world. Most of the young people living in this village work at The Chens Group.

Every year after the Spring Festival, all branches of the Chen family would gather here to reflect on last year's work and to plan next years tasks. Nonetheless, the gathering was also a cesspool for things from braggings to conceit and anything in between.

Inside the main courtyard, a table full of food was set up before the group arrived.

"Is that Chen Xiao?"

Chen Ning and Chen An had been the center of everyone's attention until a ghostly looking young man walked into the courtyard, instantly stealing the attention of all the young men and women.

His appearance even caught the attention of many adults who sat inside the meeting hall.

"Chen Xiao of the Jin City! He was the most outstanding young member of the Chen family."

Many people exclaimed at his arrival. Even Chen Fan started to furrow his brows in curiosity.

The Chen family is not an extremely prolific family in Jin City and it never produced anyone super-rich. However, Chen Xiao was the exception. He was born from an offshoot of the main branches of the Chen family, and therefore lacked the proper support of the clan. However, what he lacked in support, he made up for it in courageousness. In the end, his ability was noticed by the richest man in Jiang Nan province: Tang Yuanqin and the latter became his benefactor. From then on, the young man became one of the most influential people in Jin City.

He ran a construction company and owned over hundreds of millions of assets. Even Chen An paled in comparison with him.

Lo and behold, Chen Xiao walked past the teenagers, and into the meeting hall where the important members of the clans were at. He picked a seat that was closer to the head of the table than Chen An was and sat down.

Based on the Chen Family clan's rules, only the elder generations or those who had proved themselves worthy could have a seat in the main hall and could partake in the discussion with the grown-ups. To be able to attend the meeting in the main hall meant a coming of age to the young members of the Chen family.

Of all the members of the Chen family, only Chen Ning, Chen Ning, and Chen Xiao were able to sit inside the main hall before they reached thirty.

"Xiao Fan, if you would like to sit in those seats, you need to get into at least the Jin City University. Or, if your dad got promoted and secured a position in Jin City."

Chen Xu noticed Chen Fan's long glance toward the meeting hall, so he said with a sneer.

"I can attend even the national congress meetings if I want, much less a family gathering. "Chen Fan said lightly.

"Humph. Keep bluffing. I can't wait to see you embarrass yourself in front of our guests. "Chen Xu shorted.

Hearing his words, An Ya felt concern rise in side of her.

The Chen family clan gathering was an important event for the family members to garner respect from fellow clansman. Therefore, many family members invited prestigious guests to attend the meeting, turning the event into a showdown of each family's social connections.

Over the past few years, the Old Man and Great Uncle Chen Zhenxin were able to bring in the largest number of reputable guests.

The old man started his career with nothing. Although he was retired, many of his former subordinates now sat on powerful positions. As for Chen Zhenxin, his high rank in the government meant many sycophants or lobbyists wanted to cozy up to him, and there was no better opportunity to do so than the family clan gathering.

Chen Fan's family was a completely different story. Chen Gexin worked at the bottom level of the government in a small county, and most of Wang Xiaoyun's connections were located in Yan Jin or Zhong Hai. Worse, none of her family members at Yan Jin would attend this gathering since her fallout with her family. Her company had just started up in Zhong Hai, and therefore she knew no one who would be willing to travel to Jin City for this event.

"That's enough."

Chen Ning said with furrowed brows.

Although she disliked Chen Fan, she and An Ya were tight friends, so much so that she even gave up her privilege of sitting in the main hall just to sit with An Ya.

"This is what you are counting on to embarrass me?" Chen Fan laughed. "Even if my family invited no one, so what? As long as I sit here, no guest would outshine my importance."

"You are so full of yourself!"

Chen Xu, along with many other third generation relatives, looked to Chen Fan as if he was a nut job.

If he were as rich and powerful as Chen Xiao, they might listen to Chen Xiao's claims and take it with a grain of salt. However, since he was no more important than a seventeen-year-old high school boy, they outright disregarded his words as nonsense.

"Hehe, very well. Let's wait and see."

Chen Xu sneered again.

Meanwhile, inside the main hall, many elders of the Chen family and the second generations were having a discussion.

The oldest man was Chen Fan's great-great uncle. He was in his nineties and sat at the head of the table; below him was Chen Huaian's grandpa and a few of Chen Huaian's brothers.

Further down the table were Chen Fan's uncles and his father.

Chen Zhenxin had put on his bureaucrat mask and listened aloofly to the discussions around him.

He knew that the Chen family relied on him, and if he were to be promoted to a higher position, the fame of the Chen Family clan would also reach new heights.

"Brother, I think everyone is here."

Chen Qianxin swept the sweat off his forehead and managed a smile.

Just a moment ago, he was embattled by castigations from other members of the Chen Family for his ill-management of the company. If not for the support of his elder brother, he would have lost his CEO position at The Chens Group a while ago.

"Almost." Chen Zhenxin nodded.

Chen Zhenxin glanced at his younger brother and his wife; as he expected, neither one of them looked very happy.

Every year around this time, while other families were busy greeting visitors who came to pay tribute, only a couple of visitors would even so much as to acknowledge the two. Chen Fan's parents were humans after all, and they were also bound by earthly sentiments such as vanity. Seeing they were practically ignored, disappointment and embarrassment started to creep onto their faces.

Suddenly, someone shouted from outside the courtyard.

"CEO of the Reed Construction Group, Mr. Li is here!"

A few men and women filed through the entrance, and the leader of the group was dressed in expensive business suits.

"I bet the seventh uncle invited him." Chen Fan murmured.

Lo and behold, the oldest son of the seventh uncle, stood up immediately and walked over to the businessman.

"Wow, Mr. Li, thank you so much for coming all the way!"

"It is my honor to be invited to your family gathering. Plus, I didn't get a chance to wish you a happy new year before you left."

"Thank you, thank you! Come on in."

Chen Fan's uncle smiled broadly as he led Mr. Li into the main hall. Most people inside the hall stood up at the sight of such prestigious guests, save for Chen Zhenxin and a few other leaders of the clan.

As soon as Mr. Li entered the hall, he saluted the family leaders and said: "Greetings Elder Chen, Big Brother Chen. My name is Li Youcai. On behalf of the Reed group, I wish you a happy new year."

"Thank you, Mr. Li."

Chen Zhenxin nodded aloofly. This multi-millionaire had barely caught his attention.

Mr. Li didn't mind the cold tone of Chen Zhenxin. He plastered on a toady smile. It was a rare chance for him to meet someone as high up as Chen Zhenxin. Thanks to the invitation, he got the opportunity to rub shoulders with him.

Many other guests arrived soon after Mr. Li.

"Boss Zhang from Wu Zhou Minerals"

"Qian Fuhao from the Jin City, Dinhu District."

"CEO Mr. Jiang of the Imperial Entertainment."

"Boss Xu from Jiang Zhou City."

Some guests were invited by Chen Fan's second uncle; some were by Chen Xiao. However, the old man's former subordinates and Chen Zhenxin's coworkers make up the bulk of the guests.

The most prestigious guest was a billionaire from Hai Zhou. His arrival even caught the old man's attention, and Chen Zhenxin walked to the entrance and received him personally.

The businessman's last name was Yang. Although he was not a government official, he controlled most of the resources in his local city. His appearance had even taken Chen Zhenxin by surprise.

Guests kept on pouring in for the entire morning. Most families were surrounded by their guests.

Even some of the in-laws were accompanied by their guests; however, seats around Chen Fan's parents remained empty, making them feel increasingly self-conscious.

Wang Xiaoyun finally regretted. He wagered that he should have at least invited her business partners. Looking around them, not only they had turned into laughing stocks in the eyes of Chen Fan's Great Uncle and Second Uncle, but also that of other family members.

"What about now, Xiao Fan. Do you still think connections are overrated?"

Chen An walked over to Chen Fan and asked.

By then, most of the guests had arrived, and he figured that it was about time to teach Chen Fan a life lesson.

"didn't you hear him, brother An? Our cousin claimed that he is the most important person here, and could trump any guest you bring. I think he fancies himself to be the prince of the mighty Wang family." Chen Xu said sarcastically.

Chen Fan furrowed his brows; he hated people mentioning the Wang family in front of him.

Even as he was going to rebut, a voice came from the outside.

"CEO of the Yans Textile Group from Chu Zhou City, Boss Yan is here!"

Even as the announcer announced the name, he was taken aback by the appearance of anyone from the Chu Zhou City.

Chu Zhou City was located in Jiang Bei region; far away from Jin City. However, the guest's name was familiar to everyone in the main hall. Everyone had heard of the Yan Group; it was a multi-billion yuan company. However, no one knew who invited the owner?

"Maybe he is here for me."

Chen Fan's Second Uncle said as he hurried to the door.

Everyone watched as a chubby middle-aged man walked into the courtyard. His beady eyes scanned the courtyard left and right before he scurried toward Chen Fan's table while outright ignoring Chen Qianxin, who was coming at him.

"Master... Mr. Chen. I finally found you!"

To everyone's surprise, Chen Fan looked up at the chubby man and said with knotted brows: "You are... Xiao Yan?"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 135: One After Another

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The guest was Boss Yan, who Chen Fan had encountered when he first met Third Lord Wei and Master Wu. Ever since Boss Yan witnessed the power of Chen Fan's lightning wielding ability, he was utterly enthralled by Chen Fan's power. He had helped Chen Fan a great deal by offering numerous precious materials while the latter constructed the Misty Mountain Array.

Boss Yan was called Yan Shigao. He often called himself Xiao Yan or Fatty Yan and refused to be called Boss Yan while he was in front of Chen Fan.

"Yes, it is me. Master... Mr. Chen." Boss Yan smiled unctuously turning his eyes into two slits.

"Why are you here?" Chen Fan asked curiously.

He was not surprised that Fatty Yan could have traced his footsteps to his family estate. The Chens were a reputable family in the Jin City, and therefore, as soon as he revealed his identity, anyone could have deduced that he was from the Chen family of the Jin City.

"I came here to wish you a happy new year." Boss Yan said with a smile.

Chen Fan's fame had surged in the Jiang Bei region. Since sales of the Yun Wu Spirit Water were solely under his direction, many people wanted to get on his good side. Fatty Yan was a smart man, and he had been planning this visit a while ago and wished to be the first person to show up to wish Chen Fan a happy new year.

By then, Second Uncle had finally reached Chen Fan's table. He shouted: "Boss Yan, Boss Yan! Wait for me."

When Second Uncle arrive at the table, he gave Chen Fan a disdainful look before he turned over to Yan Shigao and said: "Boss Yan, come with me to the main hall. These tables are for youngsters. You are our honored guest and deserve a better seat."

To his surprise, the previously amiable Fatty Yan straightened his back and put on his usual overbearing look. He gave Chen Qianxin a sidelong glance and grunted.

"Who the hell are you? Didn't you see that I am speaking with Mr. Chen?"

Second Uncle was taken by surprise by the reply. He paused a second and then said: "I am the CEO of The Chens Group. Didn't you come here to see me?"

"Humph!" Fatty Yan nodded haughtily without sparing Chen Qianxin a glance. He lowered his body and asked Chen Fan with a smile: "Mr. Chen, do you think I should pay tribute to your grandpa and father?"

"Yea, yea. Go now." Chen Fan waved a hand impatiently.

Fatty Yan spun around and scurried past Second Uncle toward the main hall.

Second Uncle was left dumbfounded. The corner of his eyes twitched in a fit of anger. The other youngsters at the table were also shocked by the development.

"That fat man is here for Chen Fan?" More than one people felt the rug was pulled from under them.

"The Yans Group was not any smaller than The Chens Group. Why was Boss Yan giving Chen Fan so much respect?" Chen Xu and Chen Ning asked the same question in their minds.

Chen An furrowed his brows and wagered that the guest had nothing to do with Wang Xiaoyun. After all, Jin Xiu Group was a real estate company, and the Yans Group was a textile firm, it was unlikely that the two would know each other.

By then, even the adults sitting in the main hall felt something was amiss.

"Did Boss Yan came here for Chen Fan?" An Auntie of Chen Fan asked curiously.

"Could it be one of the third brother's friends? He is from Chu Zhou City close to third brother." Fourth Uncle asked confusedly.

Everyone looked toward Chen Gexin in unison.

Chen Gexin was not any less confused than the others at the table. He was a middle-class man from a remote county, yet, Yan Shigao was a renowned billionaire in the big city. He knew of Yan Shigao since he had met him many times at public events, but he didn't think that Yan Shigao should have known him.

"If he really is Third Lord Chen's friend, we all had to reevaluate Third Lord Chen's resourcefulness. It might appear that he didn't waste his life in the small county after all."

Some people calculated in their mind.

The Yans Group were a reputable firm in the Chu Zhou City. There were less than three people at the table whose wealth had exceeded Yan Shigao. His name could be heard across the entire Hu Dong Province.

However, what happened next shocked everyone.

As soon as Boss Yan entered the main hall, he walked past Great Uncle and everyone else and straight to Chen Gexin. He bent double when he was close and bowed deeply.

"Mr. Chen and Mrs. Chen, I, Xiao Yan, wish you a happy new year."

Everyone watched in surprise as a billionaire bowed to Chen Gexin and his wife as a child would to his elders.

The development caught Chen Fan's parents off guard. Chen Gexin hurried to grab Boss Yan and helped him to stand up. "Boss Yan, you are a much more respectable gentleman than me. Oh, you."

"No, no, no... Compared to you and Mrs Chen, I am nothing." Yan Shigao shook his head vigorously.

He fished out a delicate gift box from his bag and handed it over to Wang Xiaoyun with both hands. He announced that it was a small new years gift for Mrs. Chen. Being put on the spot, Wang Xiaoyun had to accept the gift despite the confusion.

"Well, I have wished you a happy new year, and my business here is done. I shall not disturb your family reunion any longer and take my leave right now."

Despite everyone at the table insisting Yan Shigao stay for the banquet, Yan Shigao left the room.

Even after Yan Shigao was gone, people were still dumbfounded by the sudden development. What was going on? They felt that Yan Shigao was not a powerful magnate at all; instead, he looked more like a contractor trying to build a client relationship.

Chen Fan nodded pleasedly.

He appreciated that Fatty Yan was smart enough to take his leave as soon as he dropped off the gift. It was just enough time to leave a good impression for Chen Fan's parents without getting on Chen Fan's nerves.

"Are you sure he really is that Boss Yan from Chu Zhou City? Why does he look like a hired actor?"

Second Auntie murmured to her husband.

Although she tried to speak quietly, everyone in the main hall heard her remark.

Chen Gexin pulled a taut face while Wang Xiaoyun snorted. "Gexin had worked near Chu Zhou City for two decades. It's impossible not to recognize him."

"What kind of boss acts like him? It seemed that he thinks Third Brother is the tycoon, not the other way around." Second Auntie refuted.

"That's enough." Chen Zhenxin announced somberly.

Even Great Uncle had many questions. Chen Gexin was the only person who had met Yan Shigao before, so he saw where the suspicion were coming from. However, even if the guest was a hired actor, it was not the right time to find out the truth.

"Xiaoyun, what did Boss Yan give you? Let's see." Fourth Auntie asked.

Everyone looked at Wang Xiaoyun expectantly.

Doubts suddenly sprouted in Wang Xiaoyun's mind. She had never met Yan Shigao either, but she believed her husband's judgment. However, what if Boss Yan was up to something else and gave a poor gift to make her a laughing stock?

"Indeed, Xiaoyun. He is a billionaire; we all want to see what kind of gift he could afford." Second Auntie chimed in.

Seeing the conversation had caught more and more people's interest, Wang Xiaoyun knew she had to oblige.

"Fine, so be it." Wang Xiaoyun gritted her teeth and opened the box.

Inside the delicate gift box was a pair of semi-transparent jadeite bracelets wrapped in gold foil.

The bracelets were green in color and were unmarred by imperfections. Wang Xiaoyun gently lifted the two bracelets and clanked them together, making them sing a musical note. She then raised the bracelet to look at them against the sunlight; it was perfect emerald green.

"These bracelets..."

Everyone at the table were upper-class elites and knew the ins and out of jewelry very well. Seeing the supreme quality of the bracelets, many gasped.

"It's a pair of authentic semi-transparent green jadeite bracelet of the highest grade. It's worth over ten millions at least." Boss Li from the Reed group exclaimed.

"More than that. It is devoid of any imperfections. I say it would cost at least twenty million." Another tycoon put in.

"Hold on. I remember now! This was the pair that got auctioned off at Christie's. a few weeks ago. It was called Spring in a Mansion." One of the guests who happened to be a jeweler exclaimed.

"This pair of Spring in a Mansion was in the display case of Lao Fengxiang Jewelers for centuries. It had fetched over fifty million HK yuan. Rumor had it that the buyer was a tycoon from Jiang Bei.

"The green of spring filled the mansion with crisp musical notes. That was the meaning behind its name."

"Spring in a Mansion!"

"Fifty Million HK yuan!"

"Tycoon from Jiang Bei!"

Surprise was written all over everyone's face. Who would have thought a small gift would be worth ten Ferraris. Such wealth, and such generosity!

By then, no one doubted that the guest really was Boss Yan since no one else could have afforded such a gift.

However, another question quickly rose inside of everyone's mind. Fifty million was not a small number, even for Yan Shigao. Why would he purchase such an expensive gift for Wang Xiaoyun?

Second Auntie and Fourth Auntie's eyes were green with envy.

Pretty Jewelries were the soft spot of every woman. Second Auntie unconsciously pulled her sleeve over her wrist to cover up her own bracelet that was worth only seventy thousand yuan.

"Gexin, we need to return it." Wang Xiaoyun turned to Chen Gexin and said.

Chen Gexin shook his head with an expression that read: "not now." Later, when the gathering was over, he would visit Boss Yan in person to find out why would he gave such an expensive gift.

Chen Gexin was also confused why Boss Yan didn't come to see him first; instead, he stopped by Chen Fan's table for a while. Could it be that he was here for Chen Fan?

The thought amused Chen Gexin. He shook his head and disregarded the possibility. He knew his son better than anyone else.

The rest of the guests all acted as everyone expected. Second Uncle heaved a sigh and was convinced that Boss Yan was a rare exception.

Sensing the flow of guests were about to stop, Chen Xu regained some confidence, and he said with a smug smile:

"Xiao Fan, not bad! Your family finally scored a guest. A huge improvement from last year."

Everyone could tell the contempt in his words.

Chen An furrowed his brows. Although Boss Yan was the only one who came, he was more influential than most of the gusts of other families.

"I might have underestimated my Uncle Gexin."

Chen An thought to himself. Despite the appearance of Yan Shigao, Chen An was confident that he and his father's positions were unchallenged.

Even as he thought so, the doorman announced another guest.

"Zhen Jiulin, Owner of the Zhen De Group from Chu Zhou City, arrives!"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 136: Gathering of Tycoons

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Who is Boss Zhen?"

"The one who owns the Zhen De Group?"

"Zhen Jiulin of Chu Zhou City? Old Man Zhen! Why is he here?"

Before the youngsters outside the main hall realized what was going on, the adults sitting inside were agitated by the announcement. Compared to Yan Shigao whose influence only exerted out as far as the Chu Zhou City, Zhen Jiulin was a household name in the entire province. No doubt he was on the list of top fifty wealthiest men in the Hu Dong Province.

If not because of the Wan Rong Group who happened to reside in the same city, he might as well be the richest person in Chu Zhou City. No wonder his nickname was Half-City since he literally owned half of the city's properties.

Surrounded by his companions, Zhen Jiulin walked into the courtyard. The old man was wearing traditional Chinese dress and by the look of his silver hair, he ought to be in his seventies. However, he was as energetic as a young man.

"He is indeed Zhen Jiulin! I can't remember anyone in our family having any connection with him."

Chen An was surprised by the appearance of a tycoon from Jiang Bei in his family clan's gathering.

Chen Ning felt a nagging suspicion that this old man came here for Chen Fan just as the other strange guest from Chu Zhou City.

"Old Man Zhen, welcome! What brings you here?"

Second Uncle hurried to greet the old man at the door.

No one who attended the gathering could rival the wealth and power of Zhen Jiulin, therefore, Fourth Uncle, Fourth Auntie, and many other guests trailed behind Second Uncle to meet the old man.

The only people who remained in their seats were Chen Zhenxin, Billionaire Yang, Chen Xiao and a few other elders of the family.

"Hello, Boss Chen." Zhen Jiulin nodded.

Both Zhen Jiulin and Chen Qianxin managed large considerations in the province and therefore they had met each other during business conferences. However, unlike Second Uncle, Zhen Jiulin made his fortune from a humble beginning and eventually achieved greatness. He was much more respectable that Chen Qianxin, who simply inherited wealth from family.

"I am here to wish Mr. Chen a happy new year." Zhen Jiulin said in a deep and earnest voice.

"Mr. Chen?" Chen Zhenxin was confused. "But which one? Are you talking about my brother Chen Zhenxin?"

In Chen Qianxin's mind, Chen Huaian and Chen Zhenxin were the only two who command enough prestige to attract the attention of Old Man Zhen. However, Chen Huaian was already retired so it had to be Chen Zhenxin.

Inside the main hall, Chen Zhenxin started to get ready to meet the guest.

As he gathered himself, it occurred to him that the old man might have been here to give him a heads up about some of Zhen De Group's project proposals. After all, at Chen Zhenxin's level, it was not uncommon to have powerful men seeking a favor from him.

"It's true that our Big Brother is going to get promoted. Look! Even the billionaires from the Jiang Bei want to visit him." Fourth Auntie said jealously.

Hearing Fourth Auntie's words, Boss Yang congratulated Chen Zhenxin. "I have heard of Old Man Zhen's name and know he is a force to be reckoned with. He never easily visits anyone in person unless he believes it was worth his time."

"You think too highly of me." Chen Zhenxin said with a calm expression and a fake humbleness.

Meanwhile, a smug smile already bloomed on Great Auntie's face.

Wang Xiaoyun's eyes were filled with envy. She looked to her own husband and felt frustrated. Chen Gexin was a righteous man, but he was too stubborn upholding his values going against his own good. If he knew when to bend the knee, he would have already reached a much higher level in the government.

"Brother Chen An's family is going to take off!" Chen Xu exclaimed enviously.

Seeing someone who possessed much more respect than the Chen Family as a whole had come to visit Great Uncle, Chen Xu suddenly felt that gap between his family and that of Chen An was nearly unbridgeable.

Chen An said nothing, but the light in his eyes betrayed the rising pride in him.

However, Chen Ning felt increasing uneasy by the second.

"I recall that fatty Yan called Chen Fan , Mr. Chen as well."

She looked to Chen Fan and saw that the boy was sipping on a bowl of soup and wasn't paying any attention to what was going on around him.

"Could I be wrong?"

Even as Chen Ning lowered her guard ever so slightly, she watched as the old man shook his head and said:

"I am not here for your older brother. I am here for Mr. Chen Fan."

"Who? Chen Fan?"

Chen Qianxin's smile froze on his face and so did the others. Chen Xu gaped in surprise while Chen An dropped his chopsticks in shock.

Chen Ning bemoaned her premonition in her mind, she wished she had been wrong.

Many rich and powerful guests murmured to each other as they heard the old man's announcement.

"Who is Chen Fan? I have never heard of such a person in the Chen family."

"Could it be Old Man Chen's distant cousin? It make sense since Old Man Chen and Zhen Jiulin were of similar age."

A kid put in sheepishly: "Chen Fan is my third brother, he is in high school."

"Get out of here. Why would Zhen Jiulin the Half-city travel all the way from Chu Zhou City to Jin City just to wish a happy new year to a high school kid?" Many guests out right disregarded the kid's comment.

However, what they saw after made their jaw dropped.

They watched as Zhen Jiulin pushed people away as he made his way to Chen Fan's table. He then saluted respectfully and said: "Mr. Chen, Jiulin is here to wish you a happy new year."

Despite the silver in his hair, Zhen Jiulin talked to Chen Fan as a student would to his teacher.

"Oh, you made it."

Chen Fan nodded without any sense of surprise.

The moment he saw Yan Shigao, Chen Fan knew that the other tycoons wouldn't leave him alone today.

"I wager that I won't be able to hide my cover for too long." Chen Fan lamented in his mind.

However, he didn't mind his cover to be blown at this moment. His parents had suffered enough humiliation at the hands of their family, and it was about time to make them pay. Plus, what's the harm in revealing his real identity anyways. He was already planning to tell everything to grandpa since the old man's days seemed to be numbered.

"Grab a seat."

"Yes."

Zhen Jiulin sat down as he was told.

Chen Xu sprang out of his heat, to make room for the old man. All the while, his incredulous glare didn't leave Chen Fan for a second.

"What the heck is going on? Am I dreaming?"

The old man was supposed to be here to see Great Uncle, why is he talking only to Chen Fan?

Chen Qianxin was clueless of what's happening as well. He asked incredulously: 'Mr. Zhen, are you here for my... nephew?"

"Of course. Mr. Chen is venerated all over Jiang Bei. What's wrong with paying him tribute during the spring festival?" Zhen Jiulin answered readily.

"Him? Mr. Chen? Venerated?"

Second Uncle looked to Chen Fan and tried as hard as he could to find anything extraordinary about this boy; he failed while conceding that the boy's face was still as annoying to look at as it always had been.

He never believed that Chen Fan could achieve anything. He was not alone in his lack of confidence in Chen Fan; everyone in his family, save the old man felt the same as he did. They watched Chen Fan grow up and knew that Chen Fan was no more than a spoiled brat.

"Xiao Fan, what is going on?" An Ya was dumbfounded.

Although she was not familiar with Boss Yan who came earlier, Zhen Jiulin was a household name. An Ya had seen him many times on TV. Why would such an influential person have anything to do with her no account brother?

"Mr. Chen is my savior, my benefactor. I, Zhen Jiulin will forever remember his help." Zhen Jiulin said somberly.

Zhen Jiulin's remark answered less questions than it caused. What did he mean by savior? Chen Fan was just a high school student, how could he save a multi-billionaire?

Everyone was suddenly at a loss for words. Little did they know that ever since Zhen Jiulin witnessed Chen Fan's Dharma Power, he was utterly enthralled by the young master. Later, Chen Fan gave him a Dharma Artifact and Spirit Water which greatly improved the old man's deteriorating health. Ever since he started to use the Spirit Water, he felt as energetic as a youth. There was no gift more valuable than youth itself.

By then, everyone in the main hall looked back and forth between Chen Zhenxin and Chen Fan with muddled expressions on their faces.

Boss Yang wished he could take back his miss-placed congratulation, but he resorted to keeping quiet.

Chen Zhenxin managed to keep calm, however, the questions in his mind started to fester like a wound.

"How was the third brother's family connected to Zhen Jiulin? By the look of it, Zhen Jiulin wasn't even here for Chen Gexin, he was here for his son. This is outright madness. What would make a tycoon bow to a high school kid?"

Chen Gexin and Wang Xiaoyun's hearts were also filled with surprise and questions.

Chen Fan was their son, and they knew better than anyone about his ability, yet, they were not any less clueless of what was going on than the others.

"Zhen Jiulin has gone crazy. Why would he pay so much attention to a high school kid instead of the leaders of the family?" Great Auntie announced indignantly.

She was not as patient as her husband, by then, her face was already flushed red with anger.

"Maybe he really is here just for Xiao Fan." Grandpa said slowly.

Chen Huaian always had a nagging feeling that his grandson's seemingly outrageous claims were not entirely unfounded. He wagered that today would be the moment of truth.

"He is here for Chen Fan? For that little shit? " Great Auntie guffawed.

She was not alone in his disbelief, since even Chen Fan's parents found it hard to grapple with reality.

However, before Great Auntie could say any more, the door man's announcement drifted in again.

"Boss of the Chu Zhou City Tian Hao Entertainment, Zhou Tianhao arrives."

"CEO of Hua Sheng Realestate from Qin Shui city, Liu Guodong arrives."

"Yuan Gang Group from the Tian He City, Han Tianshen arrives."

"Owner of the Dong Wan Group of the Hai Zhou City, Xu Ao arrives!"

The crowd boiled over after hearing the names of the last guest, Boss Yang sprang out of his seat and shouted: "Why did Xu Ao come here?"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 137: Half Of Jiang Bei's Wealth

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Xu Ao of Hai Dong! That was such a powerful name!

Before the rise of Master Chen, he was the head of all tycoons in Jiang Bei. Even without his strong backing from his in-law, his power could have rivaled Tang Yuanqin at the other side of the province.

Even a billionaire such as Boss Yang dared not to compare himself with such a mighty figure.

People in the courtyard as well as in the main hall boiled over once they heard Xu Ao's name. Even Chen Zhenxin was taken by surprise and hurried to the door. By then, only Grandpa and Great-Great Uncles still remained in their chairs, everyone else stood up to welcome Xu Ao.

"Xu Ao?"

Chen Xiao's eyes lit up and the smug smile on his face evaporated. He worked for Tang Yuanqin and therefore knew his boss's rival, Xu Ao, very well.

In a few seconds, a large group of people strode through the entrance to the courtyard.

All of them carried overbearing demeanors; one would only need to look into their eyes to see the shadows of their illustrative achievements. The leader of the pack was a scholarly looking middle-aged man. Without knowing who he was, people might as well have mistaken him as a professor.

"That really is Xu Ao!"

Boss Yang could no longer remain in his chair, so he hurried to greet the visitor.

"Brother Xu, why are you here?"

Boss Yang beamed from side to side.

"It's new year, I am here to pay tribute to Mr. Chen and wish him a happy new year." Xu Ao said readily.

Having heard the word Mr Chen for the third time, everyone knew right away that he was here for Chen Fan instead of Chen Zhenxin. So people looked to Chen Fan with great interest.

Chen An was so shocked by the development that he spilled half of the drink in his cup. Chen Xu on the other hand was stunned again. His ego was dealt such a heavy blow that he felt the sky had fallen onto his head.

Chen Ning was rendered speechless.

Yan Shigao, Zhen Jiulin, Xu Ao...

So many multi-billionaires came to visit Chen Fan. Why? Was Chen Fan really the cousin she used to know?

She watched as Xu Ao saluted to Chen Fan and then walked into the main hall.

"Great Lord Chen, Lord Chen and Boss Chen."

Xu Ao greeted all the important people in the room. As the top dog of the entire region, he carried himself with great measure of confidence and assuredness. Even Chen Zhenxin with his bureaucratic demeanor seemed to command less authority than him.

"You are welcome, Boss Xu. You came all the way from Hai Zhou and we feel terrible for not rolling out the red carpet for you ahead of time."

In the end, Chen Huaian managed to break the silence and replied with an even tone.

"Haha. It's Mr. Chen's family gathering, of course I had to come and pay tribute." Xu Ao laughed out loud and then turned toward Chen Gexin and Wang Xiaoyun. He bowed deeply.

"Mr. and Mrs Chen. I wish you a happy new year."

"Long live the Chens!"

The group of tycoons that accompanied Xu Ao bowed toward the Chen Family and announced in unison like a group of disciplined trade members

They possessed such overwhelming and over the top manner that they out right scared many people in the mansion. A pin drop silence fell over the entire estate as no one dared to speak a word. Since the Jin City was not part of Jiang Bei region, not a lot of people in the estate knew Zhou Tianhao or Baldy Liu. However, their greasy pudgy faces and dangerous looking beady eyes were tell tale signs of their dominating positions in Jaing Bei.

Chen Zhenxin managed to appear calm on the surface, however, veins popped on the back of his hand as he clutched the armrest even tighter to overcome the strong emotions.

Xu Ao only greeted him with a perfunctory wave, however, he bowed deeply and wholeheartedly at Chen Fan's parents as if he was their child. The differential treatment was too conspicuous

Standing before the renowned successful businessman, Chen Fan's parents hurried to stand up from their chairs. Wang Xiaoyun urged: "Boss Xu, there is no need for such unduly respect. We have only met after all."

"Haha. Mrs Chen, don't be a stranger. We might have just met you, but everyone in Jiang Bei knows and respects your strapping son." Xu Ao cracked a smile and then shook his head.

"Chen Fan?"

Everyone was stunned.

Although everyone had expected it from him, they still couldn't believe what they heard as the words tumbled out from Xu Ao's mouth.

Chen Fan was just an ordinary teenager. How was he able to spur so many rich and powerful men from Jiang Bei to pay tribute to him?

"Are you sure you have the right person? Chen Fan is a delinquent teen brat..." Chen Fan's Second Auntie uttered without much thought.

"Lady, be careful now." Xu Ao's face hardened.

Baldy Liu who stood behind him said threateningly: "If you try to throw that out there while you are in Jiang Bei, you would definitely get hurt."

Although no one knew who Baldy Liu was, his menacing face screamed loudly of his illicit methods. Second Auntie had never experienced such vile threats before and she quietly lowered her head.

"Boss Xu, tell your subordinates to stop scaring my wife."

"Mr. Chen was venerated by everyone in Jiang Bei. Those who disrespected him were disrespecting me." Xu Ao said haughtily, not giving in.

No one in their right mind would dare to openly disrespect Xu Ao. However powerful the Chen Family was, its power was a far cry compared to Xu Ao, much less the combined might of all the top dogs that accompanied him.

"Uncle Chen, Auntie Wang, I wish you both a happy new year."

A young girl wearing white parka and a wool toque emerged from behind Xu Ao. She was tall and attractive, the smile on her face made her look prettier than ever.

"I wish you two one great year, that you be forever together as two, a happy family of three, a joyous four seasons, the showering of the five blessings, to hit on all six, to be in seventh heaven, to have fortune bestowed onto you by the eight ball, to always be on cloud nine, and to always be a perfect ten."

The girl's musical voice echoed in the hall and her cute and innocent eyes instant grew on Wang Xiaoyun.

Wang Xiaoyun came over to her and held her hand.

"Hello, Miss, what is your name? Do I know you?"

"My name is Xu Rongfei and Xu Ao is my father." Xu Rongfei blushed. "Chen Fan and I are classmates. "

"Auntie Wang, this is a gift I bought for you using my allowance. Please accept it." Xu Rongfei produced a small gift box from her purse.

Wang Xiaoyun accepted the gift and opened the box under the girl's expectant gaze.

In the box was an exquisitely made watch from Channel. Wang Xiaoyun knew that this watch would cost at least a few hundred thousand. Wang Xiaoyun gave Xu Rongfei a knowing glance and accepted the gift with a smile.

Seeing this subtle exchange, some guests in the main hall had finally got a handle on the situation.

"Chen Fan is dating Xu Ao's daughter!"

"It makes so much more sense now. No wonder Yan Shigao and Zhen Jiulin would come here to visit him. They are here because of Chen Fan's connection with Xu Ao."

"Hey, do you think Xu Ao is here to arrange a marriage for her daughter. "

Someone said with a snicker.

Although Chen Fan and Xu Rongfei were only seventeen, it was not uncommon to see young men and women getting engaged at this age. Some families arranged a marriage for their children as early as grade ten.

Everyone from the Chen family looked to Chen Gexin and his wife.

Chen Gexin's face looked troubled. He was a man of conservative values, and never had he thought that his son would start dating while in high school. On the other hand, Wang Xiaoyun wore a pleasant smile. She was happy for her son to have found such an attractive girlfriend.

Great Auntie and Second Auntie's eyes were filled with envy.

Why Chen Fan? What was so good about Chen Fan that such an attractive girl from powerful family would fall for him?

Grandpa and Chen Zhenxin's minds were still filled with unanswered questions. Even if Chen Fan was indeed dating Xu Ao's daughter, that wouldn't explain Xu Ao and the other magnates' seemingly unduly respect toward Chen Fan.

"Plus, he said Chen Fan was venerated across Jiang Bei. What does that mean?"

Chen Zhenxin mulled over the questions but failed to find an answer.

What was so special about his nephew? Why could he have earned the absolute respect of Xu Ao?

However, his thought was quickly disrupted by more and more commotion outside of the courtyard.

"Kai Long's Boss Hu arrives, Wan Xiang's Boss Ru arrives, Qin Bei's Boss Zhang..."

As more and more tycoons of the Jiang Bei region filed in, people noticed that none of them owned less than a hundred million yuan. Among them were three CEOs of public firms, and two of the richest men in the city.

They did the exact same thing as soon as they showed up: they walked over to Chen Fan and bowed, and then proceed to the main hall and greeted Chen Gexin and Wang Xiaoyun.

In less than ten minutes, over half of the tycoons in the entire Jiang Bei region showed up in the Chen Family estate.

Everyone's eyes were on the boy who sat in the courtyard with a great measure of levity. Many gazes were filled with complicated feelings: shock, doubt, envy, disbelief and anger. However, Chen Fan didn't care to pay attention to anyone's feelings.

He sat steadily in his chair like he always had, and wore a calm and placid expression. It was as if the arrival of these powerful magnates didn't perturb him the slightest.

Chen Xu studied his cousin, and felt Chen Fan looked the same yet very unfamiliar.

Suddenly, he realized what Chen Fan meant by "the most important person in the gathering."

Chen An lowered his head and sipped a cup of tea. As he tried to steady his trembling hand, he bemoaned in his mind: "What ever! Regardless of how many rich men you could invite, you are still nothing but a high school kid; and your father is still useless.

"This is the Chen Family, and our family name was built on hard earned respect and influence. Money and external help can only go so far. I am still the most capable one out of all of us, and my father and I are the only hope of the Chen Family."

Resolution flickered in his eyes as he thought.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 138: So Many Luxury Cars!

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Chen Zhenxin sat in the middle of the main hall; although the situation was on the brink of spiraling out of control more than a few times, he was able to hold back his urge to get involved each time that happened.

He simply didn't want to acknowledge his nephew's newly revealed power. He still remembered Chen Fan's disdainful expression when he said that he denounced his request for an apology.

"I am an elder of the family, the backbone of the Chen Family of the Jin City. I will not be bested by a high school student."

With that thought in mind, he refrained from standing up to receive any of the prestigious guests from Jiang Bei, instead, he simply nodded at them to acknowledge their attendance.

"Boss Lu from Wan Xiang Group. Boss Zhang from Jiu Din Group, Xu Ao from Dong Wan Group..."

These three were CEOs of public firms. There were only over a few dozen public firms in the entire Hu Dong Province.

Luckily for Chen Zhenxin, they were in the Jin City, the provincial capital where Chen Zhenxin's influence ran deep and far. Therefore, his home advantage had lent him the courage to sit still in his chair and didn't have to be alerted by the appearance of multiple tycoons.

"Ah! Boss Zhang, nice to see you here!"

"Nice to meet you Boss Xu!"

"Please, here, grab a seat Boss Lu."

Chen Zhenxin was an influential figure in his home province and therefore he could afford to be aloof before Jiang Bei's magnates, the same could not be said about his younger brother. Chen Zhenxin moved about from the courtyard to the main hall to receive the guests. Every guest managed a company that was no smaller than The Chens Group, if not bigger. A lot of them ranked much higher in the top manager list of the Hu Dong Province's business guild.

If he left them with a bad impression, he would never be able to survive in the field of business.

That being said, he also had helpers. Fourth Uncle, Fourth Auntie, and the in-laws all plastered on welcoming smiles and greeted the guests with him.

However, these tycoons barely spared them a glance. Once they were through the entrance, their routine was the same: they would bow to Chen Fan, and then to Chen Gexin and Wang Xiaoyun to offer their gifts. These multi-billionaire's gifts were also getting increasingly more expensive.

Vacheron Constantin's watch; Bugatti Veyron; a mansion by the creek that ran through Jin City, an estate in a foreign country, they just kept pouring in.

By then, Chen Gexin was dumbfounded and so was Wang Xiaoyun. They simply stood there speechless and dared not to accept any of these outrageously expensive gifts.

Xu Rongfei stood beside Wang Xiuaoyun and helped the couple deal with the tycoons as a daughter-in-law would. She accepted each and every gift from the tycoons and gave them a sweet smile. Most people who came to pay tribute to Chen Fan knew that she was Xu Ao's daughter, and some were even aware of the intimate relationship between her and Chen Fan.

"Xiao Fei, why do you accept these gifts? It's too much. I will have to return them back anyways."

Even though Wang Xiaoyun was from a prominent family and a self-made multi-millionaire, she was scared by the amount of wealth offered freely to her.

The combined worth of these gifts was in the hundreds of millions, enough to create another Jin Xiu Group.

"That's alright, auntie. These gifts were their appreciation for Brother Chen Fan. Don't worry, go ahead and take them." Xu Rongfei said cheerfully.

"Xiao Fei, can you please tell me the truth? What happened to Chen Fan?" Wang Xiaoyun seized a break in the flow of guests and asked while holding Xu Rongfei's arm.

She was concerned that if Chen Fan had misused her less-than-amicable relationship with the Wang Family.

The Wang family of Yan Jin was one of the top families in China. If Chen Fan so much as hinted his connection with the Wang family, all the rich men and women would flock to him to pay tribute. However, neither Wang Xiaoyun nor Chen Gexin wanted anything to do with the Wang family, otherwise, they would have stayed in Yan Jin and became an elite.

"Um.. My dad forbids me to say anything about it." Xu Rongfei stuck the tip of her tongue out and said sheepishly.

"Auntie Wang, I can only tell you that Brother Chen Fan is super bad-ass. He is the most powerful man in Jiang Bei, not even Sheng Ronghua, the richest man of Jiang Bei could rival his position."

"Sheng Ronghua?" Wang Xiaoyun gasped.

Sheng Ronghua was a household name in the Hu Dong province. He used to be number thirty on the Hurun Wealth List. His real estate company, the Wan Rong Real estate even had a branch in Zhong Hai and was Wang Xiaoyun's main competitor. Having dealt with Sheng Ronghua for many years, Wang Xiaoyun knew his methods and clout every well.

Her company was nothing but child's play before the mighty Wan Rong Group.

However, never had she thought that her son would have already surpassed the main competitor that she had tried so hard to catch up with and failed.

"That's impossible! Xiao Fan is not even eighteen, he is a high school student!"

Wang Xiaoyun could not wrap her mind around the situation.

However powerful Chen Fan was, even if he was a genius, a prodigy, he would not be able to make a few billion dollars in less than half a year. She had never heard of any unimaginable feat such as what her son had pulled off.

"Could it be that he opened an IT firm?"

Nearly all the startup unicorns that could earn over a billion dollar revenue in less than half a year were IT-related firms.

"No, Chen Fan is much smarter than those nerds." Xu Rongfei covered her mouth and giggled.

She remembered that when her father said that Master Chen had turned ordinary water into a billion dollar industry, she was shocked. She worked so hard at the production sets for an entire year and was only getting paid a million yuan. She had spent all that money on the Channel watch she gave to Wang Xiaoyun.

Chen Fan could just sit home, kick back and wait for billions of yuan fell onto his lap. That was unheard of and amazing!

Quickly, Wang Xiaoyun's doubt turned into shock and surprise.

At the entrance of the Chens Village, on a tall hill...

An old man sat on a rock and was surrounded by many kids.

This old man's skin was wizened and weather-beaten. He was wearing an old army uniform and was drawing smoke from a tobacco pipe.

The kids around him know him as Old Bone Chen. Rumors had it that he used to work in the city and eventually became the chauffeur for a powerful man. However, due to one reason or the other, Old Bone Chen returned home and worked at The Chens Group as Chen Huaian's chauffeur.

When the old man retired and came back to his family village, so too did Old Bone Chen.

Old Bone Chen's children were all working in the city and spent little time with him. Therefore, he mostly hung out with the kids of the village.

Everyone knew that Old Bone Chen had a brilliant party trick. He remembered all the tycoons and their rides by rote. One only needed to tell him the car and the license plate, Old Bone Chen could fill out the rest of the information about the owner: name, age, wealth and status.

Old Bone Chen's trick worked every time and was fun for the kids. Therefore, during the Chen family's annual gathering, a group of kids would carry him to the top of the hill and ask him to perform his trick by looking down at the vehicles parked in the parking lot.

"Those days, I drove for the richest man in the city. It was good times. Most businessmen didn't dare to ignore me when they saw me."

Old Bone Chen bragged about his past wistfully.

"You are bragging again, Old Bone Chen. The richest man in the city had at least a few billion yuan of wealth. If you drove for him, how could you be so poor?"

A bypasser jested.

Old Bone Chen stuck his neck out and murmured indignantly: "You don't know anything! I ... I got into trouble, and therefore had to quit."

Such conversations happened almost every day, and if anyone pressed him about what kind of trouble he was in, Old Bone Chen would usually become quiet all the sudden.

"Looks like the Chen family is doing better every year!"

"Just look at that! Their cars are becoming better and more expensive each year. Two years ago, everyone was driving Audis if not a Volkswagen Passat, now there are Mercedes, BMW, Cadillac, and even Lincoln."

Old Bone Chen exclaimed.

"Old Bone Chen, look there, the logo is two letter R's and the plate reads J88888. What car is that?"

A kid shouted at the old man.

"That's Rolls-Royce. It costs five million each. The Rolls-Royce company makes plane engines and so making a car is a walk in the park."

Old Bone Chen drew some smoke from the pipe and murmured: "Interesting... Why are there so many powerful tycoons from Jiang Bei this year?

"Maybe Lord Chen is going to get promoted and therefore even the businessmen from Jiang Bei would have to come and pay tribute?"

Old Bone Chen mulled over the question.

Suddenly, a kid shouted at him.

"Old Bone Chen, there is an old and beat up looking Audi A6. Must be a less important person, lame."

"But why is the license plate 00001? There is a parking pass on the dashboard as well. Old Bone Chen, Who is that?"

Old Bone Chen didn't reply, so the kid turned around to look at his wizened face.

Old Bone Chen was frozen in place. He moved the pipe away from his lips and murmured: "Audi A6, 00001, parking pass... That's Wei Fu's car!"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 139: Elderly Man Wei Arrives

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Chen Fan, who the hell are you?"

Chen Ning could no longer hold back the frustration and finally uttered the question that had been festering inside of her.

As one of the most outstanding members of the Chen Family, pride would not allow her to let others threaten her position.

She had always been the straight-A student and attended the best schools from primary school to University. She was admitted into the HF's business school program and once she graduated, she would be highly sought after by Wall Street companies. It would be easy for her to make a seven-figure income a year.

What really made her stand out was her exceptional beauty. As a talented and beautiful girl with a solid family background, she was the dream girl of many rich young men from Jin City all the way to Wu Zhou.

There was no doubt that she would be praised as a goddess in the future.

However, then and there, Chen Ning felt she was a nobody before Chen Fan. It occurred to her that the only thing that supported her remaining confidence was her better academic achievements.

"Mr. Chen, I am Xiao Dong."

"Mr. Chen, I am Old Wu from Hai Zhou."

"Nice to see you again, Mr. Chen. "

Chen Xu watched as tycoons whom his father had to plaster on the ingratiating smile for, spoke to Chen Fan with the uttermost respect and admiration. Chen Xu found it harder to maintain the smile on his face by the second.

"Why? He was just a useless highschool kid. Why are you guys bending over backwards for him?

"Was it because of the Wang family?"

Among those who knew Chen Fan's family background, many thought the same thing.

Great Auntie and Second Auntie murmured to themselves: "That's shameful! You claimed that you won't live at the mercy of the Wang family, yet your son used the Wang family name to attract attention all the same."

"If the Wang family figures it out, I wager you that your name will be outright eliminated from the family tree."

Chen Gexin stood quietly and he could hear all those humiliating comments. His face turned bleak.

Meanwhile, after having received Xu Rongfei's reassurance, Wang Xiaoyun gained more confidence in her son.

"But what could Xiao Fan have done to attract the attention of Xu Ao?"

"Brother Huaian! Your grandson is quite a successful young lad!" Chen Fan's Seventh Great Uncle exclaimed.

"I had no clue about this. Why is he so popular among magnates from Jiang Bei?" Chen Huaian said confusedly, however, his voice was laced with joy and pride.

"Great uncle, what could these tycoons do for the Chen Family anyways? Uncle Zhengxin is still our backbone as long as we live in Jin City. "

Chen Xiao said lightly with a menacing look on his face.

"True that! Zhenxin is the backbone of our family." Seventh Great Uncle nodded. "And his little boy too, Chen An! He is the hope of our family. I bet that he is going to outdo even his father and grandfather."

Hearing Seventh Great Uncle's words, the old man remained silent.

Chen Zhenxin took his father's reticence as acquiescence, which made his overwrought face soften a little.

The Seventh Great Uncle was right. He alone carried the weight of the Chen Family of the Jin City. As long as he remained in his position, the Chen family could weather any kind of storm. Even if The Chen Group went bankrupt, the Chen family would quickly rebuild its wealth under his protection.

"Chen Fan, I don't know what you have done, neither do I understand your popularity among the tycoons.

"However, you have to understand this: the fortunes of a family clan always depend on personal prowess. However many connections you have, without personal capability, you are still useless to the clan.

"At the end of the day, you and your father both made the same mistake: being weak."

With that thought in mind, Chen Zhenxin shook his head and regained his confidence. The aloof bureaucratic look returned to his face.

"Bring Xiao Fan to me. I have questions for him about these guests." Chen Zhenxin sat steadily in his chair and ordered.

"Yes." Husband of one of Chen Fan's aunties, i.e. Chen Fan's Gufu replied readily and hurried to fetch Chen Fan.

Chen Zhenxin was not the only one who had questions, as the minds of nearly everyone in the main hall were filled with them.

"Hey Chen Fan, your Great Uncle wants to talk to you." Gufu walked over to Chen Fan and commanded.

Zhen Jiulin and the other tycoons who sat beside Chen Fan furrowed their brows after hearing the condescending tone. Who did he think he was and how dare he speak to Master Chen so disrespectfully?

Chen Fan sat still, he rubbed one finger over the rim of the teacup and said calmly: "Ask him to come to see me if he wishes to speak."

"How dare you? He is your elder!" Gufu was a direct and simple man.

He rounded his eyes in anger and thought that his nephew would succumb to his rage.

"Hehe." Chen Fan kept quiet.

"You are such a rebellious little shit!" A fit of anger shot through Gufu's body. Chen Zhenxin was his main benefactor in his career and he could not stand seeing a boy talk so disrespectfully about Chen Zhenxin.

Gufu shot an arm out and was about to yank Chen Fan out of his chair.

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes as a cold and deadly light glinted in them.

Chen An interrupted before things got out of control. "Gufu, we are all one family. Let's talk it through."

Hearing Chen An speak, Gufu pulled his arm back. However, animosity burned belligerently inside his eyes as he gazed at Chen Fan.

"Chen Fan, my father is your elder and the main breadwinner of the family. If he wants to talk to you, you should go to him." Chen An spoke firmly.

"If you are really capable and can support the family better than my father could, then yes, he would come out and see you.

"However, you are just a high school student, what makes you think that my dad would have to come to you instead?"

Hearing Chen An's words, Chen Xu slapped his thigh and put in coldly: "Exactly! Chen Fan, why don't you tell us what you are really capable of in front of all these tycoons you have invited."

"I would love to hear—"

Before Chen Xu could finish, a wave of commotion drifted into the courtyard from outside.

A boy shoved his way through the crowd and announced: "The Elderly Man Wei! Elderly Man Wei is here!"

"What?"

"I have never heard of that name in Hu Dong Province, who is that?"

Many guests asked each other in confusion.

Zhen Jiulin and his companions looked to each other knowingly. Their eyes were filled with surprise and shock.

"Could it be THAT Elderly Man Wei?"

"He is called Wei Fu."

The boy announced.

"Wei Fu? The Wei Family of the North Bank?"

After a few moments of surprised silence, the crowd boiled over.

"Elderly Man Wei is here?"

"Elderly Man Wei is here!"

The guests and hosts alike murmured to each other expectantly. The Elderly Man Wei was a legend in Hu Dong Province. Not only was he himself one of the last surviving tycoons of the past generation, but his sons and daughters were also exceptionally capable.

The guests in the main hall were taken aback by the news at first, but quickly, one after another, they stood up to receive the honorable guest. Even grandpa felt the urge to stand up.

"Elderly Man Wei.. why is he here?"

Chen Zhenxin asked himself incredulously.

Chen Fan's Gufu nearly jumped up after hearing the announcement. The Elderly Man Wei was the father of his boss's boss's boss's boss's boss. One good or bad word from Elderly Man Wei could have determined the rest of his life.

"Quick! Zhenxin! Greet Mr. Wei!"

Chen Huaian urged.

"Yes, father."

Chen Gexin could no longer hold on to his mask, and scurried out of the main hall toward the entrance, many of his family members trailed behind, including Chen Gexin and Wang Xiaoyun.

"That's Elderly Man Wei from the Wei family? What an honorable guest! I never thought I would live to see him in person! "

Third Great Uncle exclaimed.

"I wager he is here to see Huaian."

Seventh Great Uncle looked toward Chen Huaian enviously.

He was the most reputable member of the family, and therefore, the Elderly Man Wei could come here only for him.

The new development had made everyone quickly forget about Chen Fan and his guests. A boy and his business companions could not compare with the mighty Elderly Man Wei. The lord of the Wei family and the father of the powerful Wei Changsong.

"I doubt he is here for me."

Chen Huaian said with furrowed brows.

He never met Elderly Man Wei before, and even during the peak of his career, Elderly Man Wei was at least a couple ranks higher than him. Why would such a powerful figure visit him when he was already retired.

"Could it be Chen Fan again?"

Chen Huaian felt a nagging suspicious rise in his mind.

By then, Chen Zhenxin had reached the entrance. He watched as a stately looking old man walked into the Chen family's courtyard while accompanied by an attractive young couple.

"Young Lord Wei, Lady Wei!"

Chen An stood up and exclaimed.

The pair of teenagers were Wei Ziqin and Wei Zifang he met at the Zi Yun Club.

"That is Elderly Man Wei! No doubt about it! I have seen his pictures."

"The young man next to him must be Wei Zifang! His father is unimaginably powerful, so I have heard."

"Impressive, IMPRESSIVE! The entire family was a breeding ground for successful figures. No wonder the Wei Family of the North Bank was so famous."

People murmured to each other, their eyes were filled with envy and marvel.

"Welcome, Lord Wei! If we knew you were coming, we would have rolled out the red carpet for you."

Chen Zhenxin plastered on a humble smile and said.

Wei Fu linked his hands behind his back and didn't even spare him a glance. The old man scanned the courtyard and his gaze finally rested at a table.

Under many surprised eyes, he walked over to Chen Fan and saluted. "Mr. Chen. I am here to apologize to you in person."

"Uncle Chen!"

Chen An could not believe his eyes nor his ears. He watched as the cold and distant Young Lord Wei took a knee before Chen Fan and called Chen Fan in a low and obedient voice.

The room suddenly became pin-drop quiet.

Everyone's gaze was on the boy who lolled in his chair with a great measure of levity. Great Uncle was frozen in place, turning into a statue.

Second Auntie rounded her eyes, shock and disbelief were written all over her face.

Chen An's teacup slipped out of his hand and shattered on the ground. However, the boy didn't seem to have noticed it at all.

Gufu was so fear stricken, that he collapsed to the ground, unable to get up.

Chen Gexin and Wang Xiaoyun were also dumbfounded by development. Their eyes were filled with disbelief.

Chen Ning slowly shut her eyes and finally conceded her misjudgment of Chen Fan. The former little-shit had turned out to be unimaginably powerful.

"Is this your true colors, Chen Fan?"

Everyone waited for Chen Fan's reply for a few cautious moments. To most people, it was the longest few moments in their lives.

Chen Fan put down the cup and nodded and said: "Thank you, Mr. Wei. No harm is done."

Under everyone's astonished watch, the legendary Elderly Man Wei heaved a sigh of relief and straightened his back. He knew that Chen Fan had forgiven the Wei family, and was willing to restart a relationship with them.

"Changgen, this is the most dad can do for you."

Elderly Man Wei lamented in his mind.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 140: The Real Top Dogs

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Lord Wei, what's the meaning of this?"

Chen Zhenxin managed to ask.

Lord Wei didn't pay any attention to him, instead, he looked to Chen Gexin and his wife knowingly. Then he exclaimed: "You two have such an outstanding son! In time, he will achieve unprecedented greatness."

When Zhen Jiulin and Xu Ao told him the same thing, Chen Gexin didn't take their words seriously.

However, after they heard them again from Elderly Man Wei, they had to come to terms with reality.

"Did my son really achieve some great deeds unbeknownst to me? So much so that even the Elderly Man Wei thought he was praiseworthy?"

Chen Gexin finally conceded that he had to re-evaluate his son. It occurred to him that his son had suddenly risen to power in these short six months.

"Lord Wei, why didn't you tell us that you would be here?"

Chen Huaian walked over to Elderly Man Wei and asked with a welcoming smile.

It was evident to him that Chen Zhenxin could no longer handle the situation, and it was his time to shine.

"Ah-Ha! It's young brother Chen!" Elderly Man Wei nodded slightly.

He was older and more respectable than Chen Huaian; to call him a young brother was an extremely polite thing from someone so influential.

Lo and behold, Chen Huaian was startled by the Elderly Man Wei's friendly gesture. He shot a hot glance at Chen Zhenxin and hurried to bow before Elderly Man Wei. "Lord Wei, please join us at the main hall. "

"There is no need. I am here to apologize to Mr. Chen and I will leave as soon as I share a couple more cups of tea with him."

Elderly Man Wei shook his head and said.

Chen Huaian gave his grandson a long look and then nodded. "Very well, I will accompany you two as well."

Seeing Chen Huaian sit down beside Elderly Man Wei in the courtyard, everyone filed out of the main hall to join him.

Chen Ning and Chen An stood up from their seats as soon as they noticed that even Wei Zifang had stood behind Elderly Man Wei. By then, there were only An Ya, Elderly Man Wei and Chen Huaian sitting at the table with Chen Fan.

Chen Fan dragged his parents to the seats beside him. The couple looked at their son as many strong yet contradicting emotions roiled inside of them: surprise, confusion, and shock. However, doubt was not among those emotions.

"Second Auntie, this is Wei Zifang right here."

Chen Fan pointed to Wei Zifang and said. "Why don't you ask him if he had given your son the cold shoulder because of me?"

"No... of course, not... " Second Auntie answered with a fake smile.

Of course, she would not ask Elderly Man Wei's grandson: the son of ChairMan Wei.

"Great Uncle. I asked you earlier why should I apologize since it was you who wanted to befriend Wei Zifang. Do you remember that?

"If so, can you answer that question please?"

Chen Fan looked right into Chen Zhenxin's eyes.

Everyone watched as Chen Zhenxin's face turned pale and embarrassment crawled into every hard wrinkle. After a few moments, he finally swallowed down his pride and answered: "Yes. It was my fault. I apologize."

Chen Zhenxin was a proud person and it was about as bad as killing him to make him apologize to a youngster.

Chen An lowered his head and clenched his fists, He felt Chen Fan might as well have ruined the rest of his life.

The embarrassment didn't make Chen Fan even consider going soft on them.

When Chen Zhenxin chided his father for his lack of resourcefulness, he never thought about his younger brother's feelings?

When Chen Fan finally stopped talking, Elderly Man Wei spoke up: "Young Brother Chen, you have eyes, but how could you fail to see the true dragon right before you? "

Chen Huaian could no longer hold back his curiosity, so he asked: "Why do you say so, brother? Would you please shed some light on the situation? Since when was my household become worthy of the Wei family's attention?"

"Hum..." Words suddenly caught in Elderly Man Wei throat as he hesitated.

Chen Fan's cover had not been fully blown yet, and Elderly Man Wei would not want to become the one to do that in public. In addition, Chen Fan's attainment was already so great that it might not be easily taken in by ordinary people such as his family. He was not only a Transcendent Master but also going to be the Head Sergeant of the Cang Dragon Unit if he wished.

Chen Fan's family knew nothing about martial arts and would know nothing about Transcendent Masters. The Head Sergeant of the Cang Dragon was also a top secret, and therefore, the old man decided to keep his words unspoken.

Seeing Elderly Man Wei hesitated, doubt and questions started to sprout in everyone's minds.

Many members of the Chen family wondered if Elderly Man Wei vied to use Chen Fan's connection with his mother's side of the family to establish a connection with the mighty family of Wang.

Even as Elderly Man Wei continued his pause, a wave of commotion drifted into the courtyard.

"What's the ruckus about?"

Chen Huaian asked annoyingly.

Everyone watched as a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses stormed into the courtyard and announced hastily:

"Chen Zhenxin, Qin Hua is going to arrive soon, come out and receive him."

"Secretary Zhang?"

Chen Zhenxin was taken aback when he saw the visitor, it was the administrative assistant of his boss.

That meant Chen Zhenxin's boss was here as well! The thought gave Chen Huaian a rush of elation. He turned to his father and said: "Dad, my supervisor is here. I will greet him right now."

Without waiting for a reply, Chen Zhenxin rushed toward the entrance and was through the gate in a blink.

Chen Huaian's face tightened slightly as the development took him by surprise. "Qin Hua is here too?"

"What? Qin Hua is Chen Zhenxin's boss?"

"What is he doing here?"

"I heard that Qin Hua used to be Elderly Man Chen's subordinate. I wager he is here to visit the old man for old time sake."

The crowd boiled over.

Compared to Elderly Man Wei, whose influence seemed distant and insubstantial in the Jin City, Qin Hua's clout could be felt everywhere in the Jin City. Everyone in Jin City had heard of his name.

Therefore, nearly everyone, host and the guests alike hurried to the entrance to greet the honorable guest.

Although Elderly Man Wei was not any less influential than Qin Hua, he had already retired. Meanwhile, not only did Qin Hua have a more immediate impact on the Chen family, but it had also been difficult to get an audience with him of late. The Chen family could not pass up the opportunity of leaving a good impression during his rare visit.

Walking among the large crowd, a red face stately-looking man strode into the courtyard.

"Mr. Chen. I am here to see you."

He took a few large strides and closed in onto Chen Huaian and pumped his hand vigorously. A couple of journalists hurried to snatch a few photos.

Secretary Zhang stood at the side and explained: "We were on our way to Din Hu district to attend to some business, and we suddenly thought of coming to visit Lord Chen by taking a slight detour."

"Thank you for still remembering me. I really appreciate it!"

Chen Huaian said proudly. Although Qin Hua used to be his subordinate, his was a higher rank officer in the government while Chen Huaian was just a retired public servant. His old subordinates thoughtful visit warmed his heart.

"Haha. Every time I see Zhenxin right beside me, I think of you, old boss." Qin Hua laughed out loud.

Chen Zhenxin stood respectfully beside Qin Hua and let pride crawl onto his face.

Then, Qin Hua pretended that he had just noticed Elderly Man Wei as he exclaimed: "Lord Wei is here as well! Ha! looks like our detour was worthwhile."

Thanks to his title in the government, Qin Hua was more powerful than most tycoons in the province and so was his influence. Therefore, even though he stood before the mighty Elderly Man Wei, he was unfazed by the powerful presence.

Elderly Man Wei nodded in reply.

Seeing Elderly Man Wei's distant attitude, Qin Hua quickly switched his attention elsewhere.

"Boss, allow me to introduce you to my son, Chen An. He just got a promotion." Chen Zhenxin hurried to announce.

"What a strapping young lad!" Qin Hua patted Chen An's shoulder. "Keep at it, maybe you can come help me out one day."

"Yes, Uncle Qin."

Qin Hua's words breathed new life into Chen An. The boy held his chin up as confidence surged inside of him.

"Xiao Qin. This is my grandson Chen Fan." Chen Huaian put in.

"Oh? What does your grandson do?"

Seeing Chen Fan sat still in his chair and didn't even spare him a glace, displeasure flickered in his eyes.

"My nephew is still in high school, and his father works at Chu Zhou City and Si Shui County." Chen Zhenxin answered.

"I see."

Qin Hua nodded perfunctorily.

Chen Zhenxin then diverted the topic from Chen Fan to other family members. Qin Hua didn't remove his aloof mask until he was introduced to Chen Zhenxin and his son.

Chen Huaian heaved a sigh in his mind. It was evident that his old subordinate wasn't a big fan of Chen Fan.

The attention that Qin Hua had garnered didn't sit well with Xu Ao and other tycoons of Jiang Bei, however, they didn't protest. After all, Qin Hua was the top dog in the Jin City, and they were all on his turf. They conceded that even if Tang Yuanqin arrived here personally, he would have to show some respect to Qin Hua.

"Chen Fan, now you will finally understand why the Chen family can only rely on me and my father."

Seeing Qin Hua had become the center of everyone's attention, Chen An gave Chen Fan a glance that was filled with contempt.

"You have the support of the Wei family, but so what? The Wei family does not control the Jin City."

Wei Zifang's face was riddled with embarrassment. However, he was of the younger generation, and therefore he didn't speak a word. Chen Fan sat still in his chair nonchalantly. It was as if he had mentally removed himself from what's happening around him.

Meanwhile, at the top of the hill near the entrance of the Chen village...

Seeing fewer and fewer guests had arrived, the kids went home, except for one. The little boy sat beside Old Bone Chen and looked down at the highway.

"Old Bone Chen, did you really used to be the chauffeur for the richest man?"

The kid asked while chewing a piece of gum.

"Of course! He is the richest man and he owns many public firms." Old Bone Chen glared at the kid. "You would never imagine how respectful people were when they spoke to me. Even the lesser tycoons would call me Brother Chen and I would reply back as their equals.

"That old man who had just gone in was of ordinary wealth. Back then, I wouldn't even look at him if I saw him on the street."

Old Bone Chen lamented.

The child didn't buy his story. "You are lying again. My dad said you are just an ordinary driver. And you got fired by an ordinary businessman."

"Bull crap! Don't let me see your father, I will give him a knuckle sandwich for saying that!"

Old Bone Chen wagged his fist in the air, pretending he was going to hit the child.

The boy ran away with a string of laughter. He ran to the lookout spot and looked down. Suddenly, he shouted.

"Old Bone Chen, there is a strange car coming."

"There are so many people in it!"

"Wait! The license plate is a string of 0. Who is this person?"

The boy asked curiously.

Suddenly, he heard a thud.

The boy looked back and noticed that Old Bone Chen's had dropped his tobacco pipe and his shaking body was frozen in place. The old man murmured in trembling voice:

"The... the real top dog has finally arrived!"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 141: Chen Family's Future

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Former Chairman, I envy you. You have such a loving family, so many friends and outstanding off-spring such as Zenxin and Chen An. My life can't compare. "

Qin Hua stood in the middle of the courtyard while surrounded by guests and hosts alike. He moved his wine cup in the air as he said vehemently.

"You think too highly of me. My son Zhexin requires much of your guidance; his future is in your hands."

Chen Huaian said. Despite his words, a proud smile broke over his face.

Despite the calm facade that Great Uncle and his son tried to put on, Great Auntie was already on the brink of jumping up and down and shouting out in excitement.

Having received approval from Qin Hua, no one would dare to think lightly of her husband and son. Just look at people's expressions around her! Second Auntie's eyes were filled to the brim with envy which further boosted Great Auntie's self-esteem.

After Qin Hua's arrival, Elderly Man Wei and Chen Fan were quickly forgotten by everyone.

They sat with other tycoons from Jiang Bei as anger started to brew inside of their minds.

Wei Ziqin was the first to complain: "Qin Hua is such a dick! Grandpa is older than him, yet he didn't dial down his pompous attitude a tad bit."

"Such is the way of a successful and ambitious young man." Elderly Man Wei said.

Qin Hua had achieved high attainment at the young age of fifty. He had more potential than even Elderly Man Wei's son, Wei Changsong. A retired former official such as Elderly Man Wei couldn't compare. Therefore, it was understandable that everyone chose to woo Qin Hua instead of him.

"Mr. Chen, Mrs. Chen. Please be rest assured that your son will be as successful as Qin Hua if not more so."

Seeing the nervous look on Chen Gexin and his wife's faces, Elderly Man Wei decided to offer some solace.

Chen Gexin and his wife managed a smile as they thanked Elderly Man Wei's comforting words.

Chen Ning didn't leave with the crowd to speak to Qin Hua; instead, she remained at the table. Hearing Elderly Man Wei's reassurance to Chen Fan's parents, she gave Chen Fan a cold glare. She believed the old man's words about how resourceful his son Chen Fan was, after all, he was able to attract half of the tycoons in Jiang Bei and even Elderly Man Wei.

However, she would not believe that Chen Fan could surpass Qin Hua in the future.

"He? Surpass Qin Hua?"

Second Auntie snorted.

Chen Fan sat quietly in his chair and looked at the development airily. It was as if he didn't think Qin Hua was so much of a big deal from the outset.

An Ya looked deeply at Chen Fan. She had always believed in her brother, despite how irrational her belief might sound.

Suddenly, a wave of surprised gasps and exclamations drifted into the courtyard.

The noise was getting louder by the second and eventually drowned out all the other noise. Suddenly, the noise disappeared altogether, as a silence fell over the entire courtyard.

"What is going on?"

When Qin Hua noticed the rise and fall of the noise, he was in the middle of boasting about his plan for the future of the city. Having been disturbed by the strange noise, he furrowed his brows in displeasure.

"Boss, I will go check it out."

Secretary Zhang had noticed the annoyance on his boss's face. So he volunteered to investigate. Seeing his secretary was on his way toward the gate, Qin Hua continued.

"It's probably nothing. Where was I, Ah- I was talking about building rehab center at the Chen family village—"

His speech was once again cut short by the sight of Secretary Zhang.

"What's is it now?"

Qin Hua asked.

Secretary Zhang's face was as pale as a piece of paper. The message he carried seemed to be so heavy that it almost slowed down his pace. Nonetheless, he managed to plaster on a smile.

"Boss... Li Muchen is here."

He spoke under his breath.

"Who is Li Muchen? Haven't you seen that I am—"

Qin Hua waved a hand of dismissal annoyingly.

However, even as he turned his head toward his audiences, words evaporated from his mouth as realization dawned upon him.

Everyone looked toward the entrance of the courtyard and they saw a white-haired old man striding across the threshold and was on his way into the courtyard. The old man's eyebrows were locked in a permanent frown and his back was as straight as a bamboo. His stride carried a great measure of confidence and power.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on his face, trying to discern his identity.

As a matter of fact, many had already recognized him.

"Li Muchen!"

"Li Muchen! What brings you here?"

Qin Hua tried to put on a smile, but it looked worse than crying. He wished he could slap himself in the face there and then for being so conceited. Compared to Li Muchen, his political clout was peanuts.

"Hi."

Li Muchen nodded slightly and letting his vision skip over Qin Hua. That's all that Qin Hua was worth to him, a slight nod.

Qin Hua's face crumpled as embarrassment gleamed in his eyes. However powerful Li Muchen was, he shouldn't have given him the cold shoulder. However, what he saw next made him quickly forget about his discomfort and filled his heart with disbelief.

He saw a middle age man trail behind Li Muchen as the latter walked past him.

Under everyone's fearful watch, more people filed into the courtyard. Each and every one of them looked like a force to be reckoned with.

Qin Hua knew only one of them, who he met a few times during meetings. Qin Hua remembered the man being a haughty big wig, however, there and then, he was among the people who stood in the back row obediently.

"Gosh. More than half of the officers in the military headquarters are here. What is going on?"

Those who had recognized one or two people among the new wave of guests couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen.

Li Muchen stood at the center of the courtyard and didn't speak a word. Silence had fallen into the entire Chen village.

Li Muchen scanned the crowded courtyard and finally found what he was looking for. Then he sauntered on without a word.

"Is he going toward Lord Wei?"

He was heading toward the direction of Elderly Man Wei, and the well-known connection between Elderly Man Wei and Li Muchen made everyone arrive at the same conclusion.

However, the development quickly took a dramatic turn.

Li Muchen walked over to Chen Fan and spoke to him with a broad smile.

"Mr. Chen, we have finally met! I have been looking forward to this for a while!"

Chen Fan finally rose from his seat and replied slowly: "Thank you."

His demeanor made him look like he was greeting an old friend.

However, Li Muchen didn't mind Chen Fan's casual reply. He held on to Chen Fan's arm and started talking joyously.

The development shocked everyone, Qin Hua, Chen Huaian, Chen Zhenxin, Chen An, Chen Gexin and his wife... Even all the guests were rendered speechless by the turn of events.

Everyone could only stare, leaving Chen Fan and Li Muchen the only two people who were talking.

Their voices echoed in the quiet courtyard despite the huge crowd inside.

No one could believe it: a seventeen year old boy sitting side by side with a prestigious old veteran in his sixties. Yet, they acted as if they were equal.

"How is this possible! That is Li Muchen!"

A lot of the guests exclaimed in their mind.

"Chen Fan and Li Muchen?"

Chen An was stupefied by what he saw. He conceded that he had never really known his cousin.

Suddenly, a powerful wave of helplessness came over him.

"How many years will it take for me to converse with Li Muchen as his equal? twenty? thirty? or never?"

The more Chen An thought about it the more despair filled up his heart.

Chen Fan's Great Uncle and other relatives could only gape. For a while, they thought their eyes had tricked them so they outright blocked the sight in their brain.

Despite their denial, the scene was real, Li Muchen, and the people who came with Li Muchen were not their imagination.

"So he really was a powerful man. So powerful that he could afford to be so arrogant before anyone in the Chen Family."

"Everything he claimed about himself was real?"

"And... the joke was on me!"

Chen Ning was suddenly amused by the thought.

She wondered if she looked like a clown before her powerful cousin.

Even Elderly Man Wei heaved a sigh of resignation as he lamented: "It appears that I have underestimated how desperate Li Muchen is, and how much leverage Chen Fan has over all of us."

He gave Chen Fan a long glance and felt lucky that Chen Fan had accepted his apology. After today's meeting with Li Muchen, no one, not even the Wei family, would be able to rival Chen Fan's position.

Wei Ziqin was stunned by the development.

Wei Fu had reminded her of the power of a Transcendent Master on numerous occasions; however, it wasn't until right now, that she started to comprehend the clout of Chen Fan.

"So this is what a Transcendent Master looks like."

"He was equivalent to the legendary warrior general that had helped the emperor found his empire."

Thus it was, the Transcendent Masters were mighty powerful warriors. Chen Fan was able to garner so much respect at such a young age, it would be hard to imagine what seasoned commanders such as Ye Nantian were capable of.

Wei Ziqin marveled in her mind.

Chen Gexin, Wang Xiaoyun, and An Ya looked proudly at Chen Fan. He was their son, brother and best friend.

Everyone felt happy about Chen Fan's achievement.

Xu Ao, in particular, was elated by what he saw as businessman's opportunistic nature glinted in his eyes.

If Master Chen really was Lu Munchen's equal, who in the Hu Dong Province would be able to challenge him then?

Greetings over, Li Muchen put on a serious look and said somberly: "Mr. Chen, may I speak with you in private?"

"Very well." Chen Fan knew he was finally going to get to the point.

The two walked side by side toward the exit, a large crowd tailing behind.

As people got out of their way, a path was created in the crowd. People looked to Chen Fan with complicated emotions. There was shock, disbelief, and confusion, but fewer and fewer gazes held envy and indignation by the second.

When a person had surpassed the mundane life, ordinary people could only look up at them without a smidgen of jealousy.

Even after Chen Fan and Li Muchen had left with their companions, the courtyard in the Chen family estate was still quiet as everyone tried to make sense of what had just happened.

After a while, Great-Great uncle finally stood up and announced with tears in his eyes.

"The Chen family finally produced a truly worthy heir! We are going to take off!"

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Chapter 142: No One Really Knows Me

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

After so many twists and turns, the Chen Family's gathering finally ended.

Countless people left the courtyard with a mindful of questions. After a while, Elderly Man Wei and the other tycoons also left for home. Qin Hua was the first to excuse himself after he suffered a few bouts of embarrassment.

When Chen Fan returned, he was called into the main hall by grandpa. By then, the only people who remained in the main hall were Great Uncle, and a few other important family members, aside from the Great-Great Uncles.

By then, everyone knew that Chen Fan was no longer the boy they used to know. Even Chen Fan's parents looked to Chen Fan as if their son was a complete stranger.

"I have something to say first." Chen Fan said lightly.

He sat steadily in an armchair, looking calm and confident. He looked nothing like a seventeen year old fledging but a seasoned and experienced elder.

When Chen Fan's gaze landed on Second Uncle, The Second Uncle felt his heart skip a beat as an overwhelming sense of something bad was going to happen rushed into his mind.

Lo and behold, he heard Chen Fan say: "This is my proposal: remove Chen Qianxin from his position as the CEO of The Chens Group and appoint Mrs. Wang Xiaoyun as the new CEO."

"What?"

Second Auntie gasped as the life drained away from her face

"I second it." Seventh great uncle agreed.

"I agree." "Me too." "Same here." slowly but surely, other members of the Chen family all agreed. The Second Uncle looked to Great Uncle for help, however, Chen Zhenxin ignored his younger brother as he nodded and agreed to Chen Fan's proposal.

"It is done then, Xiaoyun will be the new CEO of The Chens Group." In the end, grandpa announced conclusively.

Hearing the deal was set in stone, Second Uncle collapsed into his chair like a lifeless doll.

The development also took the wind out of Chen Xu. He lowered his head and lamented his family's misfortune. Without being the CEO of The Chens Group, his family could only get a small number of dividends from the company, it wouldn't be enough to even maintain a Lamborghini much less purchasing one.

Wang Xiaoyun was half glad and half surprised by the announcement. However fast Jin Xiu Group had grown, it was no match against the powerful Chen's group. She was confident that she would be able to double if not triple The Chens Group's profit in a few years.

Once the motion was passed, everyone looked at each other and were not sure what the next item to discuss was.

Chen Fan finally broke the silence and said: "I know you guys have questions, start asking."

Everyone glanced at each other and no one dared to be the first one to raise a question. In the end, Chen Huaian spoke up after he mustered enough courage.

"Xiao Fan, how do you know Li Wuchen and Elderly Man Wei?"

The arrival of Li Wuchen and Old Man Wei and shocked the entire Chen family. Hearing Chen Huaian's question, Chen An and Chen Ning both held their breath as they waited for the answer expectantly. Wang Xiaoyun found herself leaning forward closer to her son as she, too, anxiously waited for the answer.

"I cured Elderly Man Wei's old injury. As for Li Wuchen, he asked for a favor from me." Chen Fan answered calmly.

"A favor from you? He is the mighty Li Wuchen, what could you offer him?"

Chen Gexin hurried to ask his son.

He was most afraid that his son had learned to achieve fame using unorthodox, if not outright evil methods. He would rather Chen Fan live as an ordinary boy than putting his life in danger.

"Um..." Chen Fan held it in for a second before he asked: "Dad, Grandpa, have you ever heard of the Internal Force Martial Artists?"

"Internal Force?" Great Uncle and other family members looked at each other in confusion.

What the heck was that? Was he talking about characters from Wuxia Novels? Weren't we talking about Li Wuchen?

However, the word had turned both Wang Xiaoyun and Chen Huaian's faces pale. Chen Huaian had worked as a high ranking official and therefore had seen a great many unexplainable things. While Wang Xiaoyun was from one of the mightest families in China, she, too, had learned the stories about humans with supernatural abilities.

"Once a martial artist possessed the Internal Force, he or she could fight against ten enemies at the same time. If he furthered his power, the Martial Artist could even defend against firearms. Once the Martial Artist reached the Transcendent state, he or she would be practically invincible." Chen Fan explained slowly.

"You mean you are one of those Internal Force users?"

Great Uncle asked doubtfully.

Even the name, "Internal Force" sounded so preposterous, it reminded him of something he heard from wandering sake oil sellers.

"Indeed." Chen Fan nodded.

No one was pleased by the explanation, particularly for Second Auntie. She believed that Chen Fan was fooling everyone.

"I have heard of internal force users before." Wang Xiaoyun put in. "When I was living with my family, I had a bodyguard who was one of them. He demonstrated his power to me once by dodging a bullet from a shot fired at him point blank. "

"Really?" Everyone was stunned by the revelation. Dodging the bullet? What is this? The Matrix?

Wang Xiaoyun didn't mind the other's disbelief, she looked at Chen Fan in the eyes.

"Xiao Fan, are you really an Internal Force user?"

"I am more like a Transcendent Master, to be exact." Chen Fan said lightly.

"Transcendent Master?"

This time, even Wang Xiaoyun was dumbfounded by the jargon. For people without martial arts training, it was very difficult to comprehend the power of a Transcendent master.

"He sounds like a swindler to me." Second Auntie murmured in low voice.

Although she dared not to raise her voice before Chen Fan, the anger and indignation inside of her spurred her to murmur out her seething loathing toward Chen Fan.

"Hehe"

Chen Fan cracked a smile and didn't answer. He reached out a hand and traced a curve in the air with a finger.

Everyone watched as a ray of golden light shot out from the tip of his finger and it cut through the main hall right in the middle.

"Bam!"

Everyone gasped as they saw the large heavy dining table was sliced into two halves by the golden light. The tail of the golden light swept across the ground and created a ten-meter long scare on the paved stone floor.

This mark was about an inch thick and extended from under Chen Fan's feet all the way to the entrance.

"So this is the power of a Transcendent Master?"

Wang Xiaoyun exclaimed incredulously.

Chen Fan flexed his finger and turned toward Second Auntie.

"Second Auntie, didn't you force me to apologize the other day? I thought of using this trick on you back then, but I didn't do it for the sake of the other relatives' feelings."

Second Auntie trembled uncontrollably.

Chen Fan's finger attack had cracked open a heavy dining table made out of Ironwood and left a large scar on the stone floor. If the attack landed on human flesh, it would be able to tear through it as a knife would to butter.

"After all, you are my blood kin, and therefore I resorted to a more civilized method." Chen Fan said calmly.

If he had made such a claim before the gathering, everyone would laugh it off and think Chen Fan was bluffing. However, then and there, no one doubted a single word coming out from Chen Fan's mouth. He could have killed them with a flick of a finger, they should consider themselves lucky to be still alive after offending him so many times.

Chen Ning and Chen An shook their heads and let out an ugly grin.

They were mortals after all, and they should never have competed against a powerful martial artist. They looked at each other knowingly as they both recalled what had happened at the race track. Chen Fan's victory in the horse racing made so much more sense now.

An Ya felt she was going to faint. She couldn't believe that her little brother could turn out to be a powerful martial artist.

"No wonder!"

Chen Huaian marveled. "Seeing your ability, Li Munchen's visit makes so much more sense now."

As Grandpa said so, his gaze on Chen Fan grew softer and more approving by the second.

Great-Great uncle was right, the Chen family had finally produced a worthy heir!

"What does Li Muchen want from you?"

Wang Xiaoyun asked with knotted brows.

"Just small favor." Chen Fan said lightly.

The Head Sergeant in the Cang Dragon unit was a prestigious position even in the eyes of the Wei family, yet it meant nothing to Chen Fan. If not for Li Muchen's sincerity and dedication, he would have refused the offer in less than a heartbeat.

Seeing Chen Fan didn't want to reveal more, Wang Xiaoyun held in her curiosity and decided to ask her son in private when they returned home.

"Grandpa." Chen Fan rose from his seat and asked: "Do you remember I said I cured Elderly Man Wei?"

"I am not only a martial artist but also an able doctor.

"Let me take a look at your health."

Chen Huaian was moved by his grandson's sincere look, so he nodded.

Chen Huaian rested two fingers on the old man's wrist, trying to gauge his pulse. Meanwhile, he scanned the old man's body using Immortal Will. It wasn't long before he sensed the presence of cancer. Chen Fan furrowed his brows and paused his examination.

"Fine, fine. I will have to let you guys know about it sooner or later."

Seeing Chen Fan's troubled look, Chen Huaian announced as he shook his head.

Then and only then, Chen Huaian's family learned that the old man had late stage cancer.

"Dad!"

Tears welled in his sons' eyes. Chen Huaian had always been the backbone of the family, without him, the family would soon fall apart.

"We can't dictate how long we will live. I am happy that I can live to see that our family finally has sired a powerful heir. I am content. "Chen Huaian looked at Chen Fan and said in satisfaction.

People around the old man started to sob. Chen Gexin's heart was filled with pain and grief when he thought of the twenty years of separation from his father.

"Grandpa, I can cure you."

Suddenly, Chen Fan put in.

"What?"

Everyone looked to him expectantly. Their eyes were filled with hope.

Despite Chen Fan's confident look on his face, he wagered that it was about time to take his cultivation to another level.

Spirit Water and the Arcane Pills should extend the old man's life for a while. However, to uproot cancer, he would have to locate a Spirit Medicine and brew the Essence Enhancing Pill. Alternatively, he could improve his cultivation to the point that he could use the Art of Life.

His grandpa's life, as well as Xiao Qiong's both, rested on the level of his cultivation. Should he be able to enter the Connate Spirit level and utilize the power of the Divine Sea, he could have cured Chen Huaian's cancer with a single touch of a finger.

The thought gave him an urge to return to Chu Zhou City and start to cultivate right away.

"But before that, I have one more thing to do."

Chen Fan's eyes lost focus and a beautiful image appeared in his mind.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 143: Street Lights of Jin City

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

During the festival moment of the new year holiday, along the bank of the mighty Yangtze River...

The Jin City was hosting a lantern festival, so countless lanterns lit up both sides of the river. People weaved in and out of the gleaming lights, enjoying the lively and colorful view.

A group of teenagers traveled together along the causeway that hugged the shore. They sampled BBQ skewers and dried fish and then went on to bargain with peddlers of colorful chintzy bracelets and earrings.

Among the teenagers was a young girl of exceptional beauty and elegance. She attracted many passersby's attention in the streets.

Accompanying her was a handsome young man wearing a bespoke suit that made a gentleman out of a seventeen-year-old boy. His generous and confident demeanor made it obvious that he was from a powerful family. A group of teenagers surrounded him at the center.

"Xiao Qiong, look! There is a magic show, let's go look."

A girl held the elegant girl with one hand and pointed into the distance with another.

The girl looked up and saw at the other end of the causeway, where the street light was the brightest it set a stage where a magic show had just started. Unconsciously, she looked to her side and saw a man sitting in the shadows.

Beside the man was a flag, which read: "Destined Fate"

"A fortune teller?"

Fang Qiong was not superstitious by any stretch of the imagination. Although her friends were all enthusiasts of Tarot card readings and horoscopes, she was not like them. However, her legs started moving toward the fortuneteller without her command. Her best friend tried to stop her, but she managed to break free.

The fortune teller was sitting in the dark shadow and his face seemed to be covered by a thick mist. Therefore, Fong Qiong couldn't see his face clearly.

"Hi, Mr. Fortune Teller. Are you open for business?"

Fong Qiong's best friend caught up with her and asked the man in the shadow with an edge in her voice.

"I am not a fortune teller." The man said.

"Then what are you doing with that flag?" The girl snorted.

"I am here waiting for the love of my past life." The man said in an eerily even voice.

"Love of your past life?" The rest of the teenagers who accompanied Fong Qiong laughed.

They were from the educated upper class of Jin City, therefore they didn't believe in things of supernatural. One boy put in half-jokingly, half mockingly:

"How do you know which one is the love of your past life? There are so many people here, I can pick anyone as the wife of my past life."

"I have been waiting for her for five hundred years. Of course, I will recognize her when I see her." The man said readily.

"Waiting for five hundred years? Are you immortal? "Someone asked with a burst of laughter at the end.

"I am the seventh true disciple of Cangqin. The perfected immortal from the True Martial Immortal Sect. My sect name is Chen Beixuan, and my Dao name is North Mystic Celestial Lord. What difference is there between me and an immortal?" The man said proudly.

His words piqued everyone's interest. They formed a circle around the fortune teller and wanted to ask more questions.

Fong Qiong's best friend plastered on a thick smile and then asked: "Mr. North Mystic Celestial Lord, Master Chen Beixuan, do I look like the love of your past life?"

She was wearing a black slim fit peacoat and a pair of tight jeans. Although she was only seventeen years old, her alluring beauty was already budding. She was considered one of the most popular girls in high school and had charmed numerous young boys.

To her surprise, the man in shadow shook his head and pointed to Fong Qiong.

"She is the one."

"What?"

Everyone was taken by surprise.

Hearing his words, the handsome boy also furrowed his brows.

It was evident the man was after Fong Qiong! Fong Qiong wore only very light makeup on her face, but her beauty was unmatched by any girl in China. Although the handsome boy had registered that the man had the hots for Fong Qiong, he kept his displeasure unspoken.

The young man was not only from a powerful family, but his personal abilities were also unrivaled among people of his generation. He was confident that a stranger on the street would not pose any threat to him.

"Me?"

Fong Qiong asked shocked.

"Indeed. Would you like to hear a story? It's about North Mystic Celestial Lord and Goddess Zi Qiong." The man's body was a frozen ice statue, but his voice was deep and wistful. It was as if his voice could turn back time and bring his listener to a few hundred years ago.

"I would love to."

Fong Qiong nodded.

Chen Beixuan and Goddess Zi Qiong were friends ever since they were kids. However, they were separated during their adolescence. When they meet again, both of them were adults. However, years of separation didn't dull their friendship, instead, it gave birth to something more intimate between the two.

As Fong Qiong listened to the story, she suddenly remembered her best friend back at the little county of Jiang Bei.

She and that boy were the best friends ever since they could remember each other's faces. Ever since she moved away from the county, she missed him greatly. She wondered if that boy missed her as much as she did.

"And then?" Fong Qiong's female friend asked curiously.

"Then the two fell in love. However, families of both sides strongly objected to the union. Goddess Zi Qiong's other admirer didn't pass up the opportunity either and made their already difficult situation a living hell. Later, Chen Beixuan was struck by the tragedy of his mother's sudden death. Ever since then, he was never able to get back to his feet again. When his life had finally reached rock bottom, he chose to bury his head in the sand."

The man said slowly.

Everyone listened to the story intently. Although the story didn't sound like something that happened five hundred years ago, it was an interesting and gripping tale so far nonetheless. Impressed by the tale, the crowd decided to linger a few more moments to learn more about what happened.

When the man mentioned the "other admirers", the handsome boy's eyes lit up with concern.

"They must have met again later." Another boy put in.

"Yes, but by then, they were both in their thirties. Life turned Chen Beixuan into a homeless bum while Goddess Zi Qiong was still elegant and beautiful as ever. After having waited for Chen Beixuan for so many years, she finally gave up and accepted a family arranged marriage. She married to the suitor who had pushed Chen Beixuan off the edge of his former life."

The man said heavily.

"Although the two were able to meet again, they already belonged to two different worlds. Ever since that reunion, Chen Beixuan numbed himself with liquor. After even his poison ran dry, he chose to jump off the roof of a building to put himself out of this misery."

"What a sad story." Fong Qiong's best friend bemoaned.

However, the handsome boy asked with knotted brows:

"If you said that Chen Beixuan was dead, how come you were able to live another five hundred years?"

"Yea, why is that?"

Finally, people realized the hole in the story.

"Well, that tells us that Mr. Fortune Teller here is not Chen Beixuan." Fang Qiong's female friend put in with a smile.

"Chen Beixuan didn't die." To everyone's surprise, the man in shadow shook his head and continued. "He was saved by Cangqin the Immortal cultivator who happened to be touring the earth. After Master Cangqin brought him back to his own realm, Chen Beixuan embarked on the five hundred years journey of cultivation."

"It was an urban romance fiction, but now its Xian Xia. That's quite a deviation from the genre!"

"What about Goddess Zi Qiong? Did she marry the other suitor in the end? Oh- and did she die because of melancholy or what not because she missed her true love so much?" Fong Qiong's female friend pressed on with more questions.

Fong Qiong also started to get invested in the story.

Somehow, at the back of her mind, she felt that she was the Goddess Zi Qiong and this was her story too.

"Not at all." The man said lightly. "When Cangqin left earth, he not only took Chen Beixuan with him but also Goddess Zi Qiong."

"What?"

Everyone was stunned by the turn of events.

What a rollercoaster storyline and what an unexpected plot twist!

"Then what? Did they live happily ever after?" Fong Qiong asked eagerly.

"If they did, why would I have to wait for you for five hundred years?"

The man rose to his feet slowly.

He was only about a meter and seventy centimeters tall, but he projected overbearing energy into the people's heart, rendering them motionless.

Everyone watched as the man took a jade pendant off his neck and placed it in Fong Qiong's hand. "Wear it, don't let it leave you. It will protect you from harm."

After he finished his words, the man turned around and started off.

Fong Qiong held the jade pendant in her hand and was rendered speechless. One of her friends shouted: "Hey, why are you leaving? Didn't you say that she is the love of your past life? Haven't you bee searching for her for five hundred years?"

"This is not the time yet." The man replied, but his steps didn't slow down.

"When will we meet again?"

The sound came out of Fong Qiong's mouth uncommanded. Her own words startled herself.

"When you hear the name Chen Beixuan across China, you will see me again." The man answered without turning his head back.

"What a wacko."

The handsome boy snorted. When he saw the jade pendant in Fong Qiong's hand, he said with a frown: "Xiao Qiong, I would throw it away if I were you. Don't accept stranger's gifts, god knows what's in it."

"Should I?"

Fong Qiong hesitated.

She was perplexed but also elated by the strange encounter with an interesting person. She planned to keep the pendant as memorabilia for today's event.

Even as she hesitated, she heard people around her shouted: "Oh shit! that man is going to jump into the river."

Everyone looked toward the man who had already made his way to the lip of the causeway. There had been some construction at that section of the course way and therefore the railings were removed. The man was only a few steps away from falling into the roiling waves.

"Stop him! He is going to suicide!"

Someone shouted.

However, it was already too late.

Everyone watched as the fortune teller hopped off the edge of the dike and disappeared from their views.

"Don't!"

Everyone rushed to the scene and looked down at the river from above. They saw an unbelievable scene that they would never forget.

The fortune teller not only didn't fall into the roiling current, but he was also walking on the broken waves as if he was walking on land. Each one of his strides covered an incredible distance and in the time of a long heartbeat, the fortune teller disappeared.

"Did we just meet an immortal?"

Someone asked in a dazed and confused voice.

The crowd around Fong Qiong was also stunned by the development. Their gazes landed on the jade pendant in Fong Qiong's hand.

"Is he really the Chen Beixuan in the story and you the Goddess Zi Qiong?"

Her female friend asked incredulously.

Fong Qiong was not any less confused than anyone else. She closed her fingers and clenched the jade pendant tightly. She knew that one day she would meet Chen Beixuan again.

When that happened, she would find out what was that all about.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 144: Three Month of Hard Work

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Three months later...

Chu Zhou City... Yun Wu Mountain... In the mansion at the top of the mountain.

People who lived in the mountain by now had gotten used to being constantly surrounded by mist. Over time, the sight of impenetrable mist at the mountain top had become a signature scene of Chu Zhou City. More and more people hiked three quarters up the mountain in the morning to catch the sunrise, some of them attempted to hike even further to the mountain top.

However, before they got close to the mountaintop, security checkpoints would remind them that it was private property and was illegal to trespass.

Rumor had it that the person who resided at the top of the mountain, in the cloud of mist, was the famous Master Chen. He was the creator of the miracle cure: Yun Wu Spirit Water. Those bottles of water were said to be produced inside of the mansion as well.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan sat on an armchair on the third-floor balcony.

He looked into the distance and gazed at the endless sprawl of mist. Surrounded by white clouds, he breathed rhythmically as he drew the air into his lungs.

"Huff Puff! Huff Puff!"

Every breath Chen Fan took in was as long and deep as that of a giant dragon. Slowly, his breath formed a parcel of swirling air and it was increasing in size by the second. In a blink, it formed a little funnel-shaped cyclone that channeled the Spirit Qi around him into his system. The energy inside of him slowly built up until it reached full capacity.

Chen Fan held the Qi in for a while before slowly letting the energy dissipate.

"Hew. I have finally reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment level."

Chen Fan opened his eyes slowly.

His body was suffused with a creamy white glow that made his skin look nearly transparent. As the light grew more intense, it highlighted Chen Fan's bones under the skin and flesh, as well as the silvery coursing blood inside his veins.

Chen Fan was ready to make the breakthrough any moment now, however, he was not going to take the final leap of faith without preparation.

"In my past life, I had breezed through the earlier levels and had broken many records in terms of speed. However, the hasty progression had eventually became my downfall. This time around, I will make sure that I perfect every stage all the way to the top level." he thought to himself.

"The Void Mortal Refinement Art had five levels. So far, I have obtained Ice Skin, Jade Bone, Silver Blood, Golden Eyes and I only need to obtain the Dao Body to complete the art."

Chen Fan thought.

Dao Body was also called Connate Dao Body. It was a prerequisite in terms of physical condition in order for a cultivator to reach the Connate Spirit level.

Once a cultivator possessed the Dao Body, he would no longer need to drink water. Instead, he was able to absorb the natural energy from his environment. This ability would significantly prolong the cultivator's life. Once someone had reached this level, he would be considered a higher level of existence than human since his spirit would live indefinitely solely by feeding on the Qi in nature.

"Only a few core disciples in many sects were able to achieve Dao Body, so I have heard. "

Chen Fan furrowed his brows and pondered.

If he were in the cultivation realm situated at the deepest place in the universe, he would be able to form a Dao Body in a blink of an eye thanks to the experiences he had accumulated over five hundred years.

However, the cultivation environment on earth was poor, to say the least. He managed to cast the Misty Mountain Array, but the concentration of the Qi in the array was so low that it could only produce Spirit Qi Mist. If he cast such an array in any cultivation realm, he would get at least Spirit Qi water if not crystals. Those were the Qi-rich environments he had to spend the last five hundred years.

"In order to transform a body into a Dao Body, he required a huge amount of Spirit Qi. At such a slow pace, it would take me at least three more years to amass that much Spirit Qi. However, in these three years, I would be able to locate Sentient Objects that survived the hardship on earth. I could use their powerful essence to speed up my leveling up."

With that thought in mind, Chen Fan fished out one after another of herbal medicines.

"Ginseng, Lingzhi mushroom, Black Hair Herb, Solomon's-seal, caterpillar fungus, and Feng..."

"What a shame that I don't have Silver Spirit Fruit and neither do I have Essence Forming Herbs. I won't be able to make the real Essence Enhancing Pill without the necessary ingredients."

Chen Fan shook his head.

Even the herbs he owned right now had taken the Wei family more than six months to purchase them from all over China. He had offered the Essence Enhancing Pill's recipe to Elderly Man Wei for free and therefore, the Wei family would be able to help him gather most of the herbs, except for a few that were so rare that Chen Fan doubted that he would be able to find them on earth much less in China.

"Silver Spirit Fruit, Essence Forming Herbs and Vitality Sap shared the same common trait: they were infused with life essence. Therefore, they were the key ingredients in the recipe of Essence Enhancing Pill. "

Chen Fan rubbed his chin and pondered. "Only if I could find a thousand year old ginseng, perhaps I would be able to bypass these three herbs altogether."

"But it won't be easy to find a thousand-year-old Ginseng."

Chen Fan smiled wryly.

"The Zheng family had spared no expense in searching for the ingredients, yet they were only able to purchase a lesser version of the Spirit Medicine."

Chen Fan witness the five hundred years old lesser Spirit Medicine got auctioned off to the Zheng family at the underground auction house of the Jiu Ding City. That was the closest thing Chen Fan had seen so far to a Spirit Medicine and eventually he used it to create the Essence Gathering Pills.

Chen Fan wagered that in order to find a real Spirit Medicine that was over a thousand years old, he would have to travel far and wide to visit ancient herbalist families across China. Worse, he might have to brave the mighty Chang Bai Mountain and to look for the precious ginseng from the ginseng hunters.

"Fine. I don't think I have a second option anyways. It's time for me to go out and try my luck."

Chen Fan rose from his seat.

Then, he heard a long and musical droning in the distant clouds.

He watched as a strand of mist formed a long snake as it withered in the sky, weaving in and out of the impenetrable clouds. As it threw back its head and let out a droning again, Chen Fan saw the two nascent horns that poked out from its forehead. Meanwhile, its body was covered by a layer of soft scales that had previously been absent.

This was the Array Spirit of the Misty Mountain Arry: the White Drake.

"Shush! Don't scare the people below us."

Chen Fan smiled light heartily. He produced an Essence Gathering Pill from his sleeve.

White Drake was elated by the sigh of the pill. He caught the pill as Chen Fan threw it at him. After swallowing the pill down his throat, the White Drake wiggled its body as if he were dancing in excitement and joy. After a while, the Spirit Qi from the pill made its way to the scales and handed them significantly.

Although the White Drake was just an Array Spirit, it too, could cultivate the Qi. Once he had achieved high enough attainment, he would transform back into its physical form and turning into a real dragon.

"I have two pigs to feed at home, I doubt the Essence Gathering Pills will last too long."

Chen Fan shook his head and grinned.

In addition to the White Drake, the other 'pig' he referred to was standing right behind him motionlessly like an iron pagoda. It was Tong Shan.

Tong Shan had increased size again since a few weeks ago when he showed up at the hot spring. He was about two meters and fifty centimeters tall and his skin had turned the color of bronze. If one tapped Tong Shan's skin with a finger, it would make clanking sounds as metal would. Tong Shan's skin was so tough that even machine gun bullets wouldn't be able to penetrate it.

By then, he no longer looked like a human but a robot.

"The Ghost Witch Sect's Cadaver-refining art is too crude and amateur. It couldn't compare with the real Cadaver-refining art of the real cultivators."

Chen Fan looked at Tong Shan and nodded with satisfaction.

"If I gave him a fresh paint job, he could definitely pass for the iron man."

Tong Shan's conscious had long since been erased by the Ghost Witch Sect. However, ever since Chen Fan saved him, he had given him a man-made soul. Using a special art, Chen Fan infused Tong Shan's body with the Golden Aether Qi that appeared in the west every day to create an indestructible body.

"Master, are you heading out?"

Tong Shan asked. His voice was mechanical and flat, making him sound more like a robot.

"Yes, you can guard the fort for me. Don't fight with White Drake please, I don't want to see a mess when I get home."

Chen Fan said.

"Yes, master."

Tong Shan replied without any emotion.

Even as Chen Fan turned around toward the exit, he furrowed his brows and let out a half smile.

"Looks like I am stuck here for now. We have a visitor."

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 145: Ba Ji Master

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Meanwhile, in a parking lot beneath the mountain top, a dark green jeep pulled over.

A man and a woman emerged from the jeep. The man was wearing a green army uniform and looked like he was in his forties. He stood upright while taking large and confident strides. His big and calloused hands were a tell-tale sign that this man was a seasoned veteran.

On the other hand, the woman had a cold but alluring face and a banging body. Her loosely fitted uniform was unable to hide her long and lean thighs as well as her curvaceous body.

After the two were out of the jeep, the middle aged man looked up at the mountain peak surrounded by mists. He cracked a cold smile and said: "So this is where our young head sergeant lives?"

"Sergeant Huo, please keep in mind that it was the Headquarters decision to hire Mr. Chen." The woman reminded him.

"Humpf! I don't care who is backing him up. I have to make sure that the next head sergeant of the Cang Dragon unit is competent." The middle aged man grunted.

Hearing the words, the women furrowed her brows.

Sergeant Huo was the deputy head sergeant who was in charge of close quarter combat training. He was a renowned Ba Ji Fist master. Rumor had it that he used the Art of Tremors to pulverize a large boulder.

He was a good friend of the former head sergeant, Mr. Xu. After Cang Dragon's defeat, the headquarters were going to fire head sergeant Xu, Sergeant Huo even fiercely protested for his best friend.

Later, when Sergeant Huo learned that the new head sergeant was a boy who hadn't turned twenty yet, Sergeant Huo was filled with indignant rage.

"A green babe less than twenty years old, what does he know of military training?"

Sergeant Huo ranted.

"Head Sergeant Chen will be in charge of personal combat training." The woman put in.

"That is absurd!" Sergeant Huo nearly lost his voice. "I started my martial arts training when I was only five and started the Ba Ji's Pi Gua form. When I was seventeen, I began my Internal Force training, and it wasn't until I reached thirty that I had mastered all fist forms. By now, I am still not quite there at the top level of the internal force cultivation yet.

"He was only a seventeen year old boy. The most he could have achieved by now was Initial Success in his Internal Force cultivation. I could have killed him with one backhand slap."

"But based on our data, Head Sergeant Chen is a Transcendent Master." The uniformed woman said with furrowed brows.

"Transcendent Master?" Sergeant Huo guffawed.

He shook his head and lamented.

"Xiao Yu, you are not a Martial artist, and therefore you don't quite understand what you are talking about.

"A Transcendent Master is someone as powerful as an immortal. Once a martial artist reached the Transcendent State, he would no longer be a mortal. Just like Ye Nantian, he could have traveled anywhere around the world at will."

The thought of Ye Nantian brought out a hint of respect to Sergeant Huo's face.

As the Combat Sergeant of the Cang Dragon unit which had fought Dragon's Fang in multiple tournaments, he had seen Ye Nantian's power at first hand. He was immediately enamored by Ye Nantian's unimaginable power and was convinced that Ye Nantian was no less powerful than an immortal.

"Could it be that our database was wrong?" Staff Officer Yu asked in disbelief.

As the person who was in charge of intel collections, she couldn't overlook such a glaring mistake in the information database. She would have to hold someone accountable for it if it turned out to be true.

"Of course it is wrong." Sergeant Huo announced.

"Even Ye Nantian had only reached phenomenal success in his Internal Force cultivation when he was twenty, and he didn't reach the Transcendent State for another thirty years. Even at that pace, Ye Nantian was one of the most talented geniuses in martial arts. What will make a seventeen year old boy more powerful than Ye Nantian? And he calls himself what? Young GrandMaster? What a load of crap!"

Hearing the words, Staff Officer Yu's furrowed brows knotted even tighter together.

After a while, the two had made their way to the entrance of the mansion.

The mist that blocked their way moved away from them as they climbed up the stairs, only to merge together once again after they have passed. Neither of the two ever lived in the mountains before, so they thought the presence of heavy mist was normal.

"Can I speak to Mr. Chen? We are from military headquarters. We are here to drive Mr. Chen to the base."

The uniformed woman said with a finger pressed on the intercom.

"Please come in."

The door swung open by itself.

Behind the door, stood a young man in casual jeans and a T-shirt.

"Are you Mr. Chen Beixuan?"

The woman asked coldly. Seeing that Chen Fan was even younger than she thought, a hint of contempt flashed in her eyes.

The more Chen Fan advanced through his cultivation, the younger he looked. Chen Fan's smooth skin made him look no older than sixteen.

"Yes, that is me." Chen Fan nodded.

One of the terms he had negotiated with Li Wuchen was to avoid using his real name. When he became Head Sergeant Chen, he would be recognized as Chen Beixuan.

"Head Sergeant Chen, I am Huo Dong of the Ba Ji sect. Nice to meet you."

Although Sergeant Huo was in a military uniform, he saluted to Chen Fan like a martial artist by cupping his fist.

"Sergeant Huo, why did you..."

Staff Officer Yu was shocked by the unconventional gesture and realized what her boss was going to do next.

She watched as Huo Donglai say contently: "Head Sergeant Chen, we are both martial artists, so let's cut the crap get to the point. If you want to be the Head Sergeant, you need to defeat me first, otherwise, no one in the unit is going to obey your orders."

Staff Officer Yu managed a smile and then explained: "Sergeant Huo is the Combat Sergeant of the Cang Dragon unit. He is just pulling your leg. Please rest assured that since the HQ had assigned you as the Head sergeant, no one in the unit will disobey you."

Chen Fan didn't listen to the woman's explanation, instead, he looked at Huo Donglai with great interest.

"Why should I fight you?"

"I am the Head Sergeant and you are the Deputy Sergeant. You should obey my orders."

Huo Donglai was taken aback at first, and then he hurried a reply: "We are both martial artists! So we also need to do things according to the martial artist's way."

"Who told you that I am a martial artist?" Chen Fan gave a solemn face. "Huo Donglai, as the Head Sergeant, I order you to shut up!"

Sergeant Huo rounded his eyes in anger, however, bound by honor and duty, he saluted Chen Fan and shouted: "Yes, Head sergeant!"

"Very well, can we go now?"

Chen Fan shrugged and then turned over to Staff Officer Yu.

Staff Officer Yu looked at Chen Fan in surprise. The boy had no luggage; it was as if he had treated the assignment as a day trip. However, the Head Sergeant had given the order, so she must oblige.

Chen Fan was led to the green jeep. They drove off the mountain, but instead of heading toward the toll road that lead away from the city, they headed toward the city center.

The woman explained: "Head Sergeant, my name is Yu Qin. I will be your personal consultant. I will be responsible for familiarizing you with the Cang Dragon's facility as well as the staff."

"The base of the Cang Dragon is a high clearance zone. It's quite far from where we are and difficult to get to. So we need to take a helicopter."

"Please feel free to ask me if you have any questions."

"Thanks, that's good for now."

Chen Fan lolled in an armchair with a great measure of levity.

Seeing Chen Fan's airy demeanor, Yu Qin started to become concerned for him.

This young man was so much different than Head Sergeant Xu, in a bad way. Head Sergeant Xu used to be the core member of the first generation Cang Dragon unit. When he made his way to the top, he was already a seasoned battle-hardened warrior. If not because of Ye Nantian, he might as well be the toughest man in China.

Those who have met Head sergeant Xu were all enamored by the chilling and deadly air that was constantly loomed about him.

Chen Fan, on the other hand, looked like a couch potato and it was hard for her to reconcile with the image of a deadly warrior.

"Maybe the HQ really had the wrong person."

Yu Qin thought.

Meanwhile, Huo Donglai laughed in his mind.

"Kiddo, you will know how difficult it is to be the Head Sergeant when you meet your unruly but powerful soldiers. "

"They are not going to obey your orders so easily as I did."

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 146: Leap Of Faith

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The base of the Cang Dragon was hidden somewhere deep inside mountains of Jiang Bei.

As the elite group of the Disciplinary Units, Cang Dragon's ranks were less than a hundred. However, the auxiliary teams that serviced the facilitate were ten times that number. Therefore, the base had a decent population.

When Chen Fan was on his way to the base, many members of the Cang Dragon units gathered at the training ground, waiting for the arrival of the new sergeant.

"Balls! They said he is going to come three months ago. How long do we have to keep on waiting? I am getting sick of this!" A bald soldier in dark green uniform complained.

Being the cream of the crop in the military, members of the Special Unit all carried the pompous air and were difficult to make them obey orders willingly.

"This new Head Sergeant think he is some kind of hot shot." A young man with a cold face said lightly.

"Rumor had it that he was invited here by the head of the HQ personally. He is not even twenty yet and he will be in charge of our personal combat training." A young soldier who looked much more refined than the rest pushed up his black-rimmed glasses and said thoughtfully.

"Less than twenty years old?"

Those who heard the news for the first time were taken by surprise. Many soldiers who had been daydreaming in their ennui nearly jumped up after hearing the revelation.

"When Boss Xu finally become the Head Sergeant, he was already in his forties. He had worked hard to get to this position. What makes a less than twenty-year-old fledgling who had done nothing in his life worthy of the post of the Head Sergeant?"

The brawny bold man complained hotly.

"No kidding. He has neither the experience nor the skills. Perhaps he had never even seen a drop of blood before. I bet he is an obnoxious twat from some rich family coming to the military just for show." Someone put in.

"We are not in a position to question our leader's decisions. We are soldiers and we do only one thing: Obey the order."

The man with a square face stood at the front of the column announced heavily.

He stood upright in a perfect posture that he had kept ever since this morning. However, his example was not followed by the other soldiers, as some of them slumped their shoulders and some even sat down on the ground.

"Yes, Captain!"

Everyone shouted a reply in unison. Their replies sounded more like a conditioned reflex than a true agreement.

After they had said that, they looked to the square-faced man with a great measure of admiration.

His name is Yue Jianqiu, the captain of the Cang Dragon unit.

He was a man of high standards, particularly toward himself. Meanwhile, he was also a perfect soldier.

He had led his team in and out of danger numerous times and had successfully finished countless impossible missions. For the Cang Dragon soldiers, they respected their captain much more than their sergeants.

However, a few fleeting moments after, the soldier's newfound mustered spirit was already gone. Many members of the unit returned to their slouching position and some even sat down to take a break, except for one young man. The young man looked eighteen or so and he had kept a good posture ever since this morning just as the captain did.

"Xiao Chu, you have just joined Cang Dragon. There is no need to be too uptight all the time. Our team is pretty laid back, except for when we are on a mission."

Seeing Chu Minhui's rigid body and tight face, an older soldier came to him and said.

"But, look at Captain Yue..."

Chu Minhui murmured.

"That's just him. He always has high standards for himself and everything has to be by the book. He even has a specific location for the placement of his cups, but he never expected others to be the same." The old soldier cracked a smile. "Our captain leads us by setting an example, but he doesn't care if we follow it or not."

"And because of this, we respect our Captain more than anyone."

"I see..."

Chu Minhui looked to Yue Jianqiu with newfound admiration. His determination to follow the example was not swayed by the old soldier. He straightened his back and corrected the minor imperfections in his posture.

The old solder cracked a friendly smile and didn't press on. He knew that the new boy was under the captain's influence.

"It's easy to do it for a while, but nearly impossible to hold such high standards for a long time. Not everyone can be as determined as Captain."

He lamented in his mind.

By then, the brawny bold soldier was complaining loudly again.

"Hey, how about let's teach this new Head Sergeant a lesson as soon as he arrives?" The baldy man suggested with a mischievous smile on his face.

"Quit it, Tank! Captain Yue had told us to obey the orders, haven't you heard that?" The refined looking soldier said with furrowed brows.

"I didn't say we had to defy the orders, did I? I have no problem at all with following the Head Sergeant's orders if he can prove himself worthy. He will have to show us what he has, don't you think?" Tank said with a smile.

"If he can't prove himself, we can't tolerate him here. He can have his title as the Head Sergeant, and has to stay away from our training routines."

"I agree with Tank!" Many Cang Dragon soldiers chimed in.

"What are we going to test him on? Shooting, knife skills or endurance?" Someone asked.

"It doesn't have to be that complicated. Since he is our Unarmed Combat Sergeant, why don't we just spar with him with bare handed?" The bald soldier said with a cold smile. "If he can't defeat us, what makes him worthy of being our sergeant?"

"Agreed!"

Everyone nodded.

Meanwhile, a helicopter was approaching the Cang Dragon's base from a few hundred meters above the ground.

"Head Sergeant Chen, we are almost there."

Yu Qin shouted.

It was very loud inside the helicopter and therefore communications were difficult without raising one's voice.

Chen Fan sat steadily in his seat.

Although it was his first time take a helicopter ride, he didn't seem too excited. As the North Mystic Celestial Lord, he considered a ride in a Galactic battlecruiser mundane, much less a helicopter ride.

In his past life, he had fought against numerous galactic civilizations. One of which wanted to conquer the earth using their mighty fleet. However, their plan was discovered by Chen Fan so he destroyed their flagship, a few hundred-mile long galactic battlecruiser. In the end, the former superpower in the known universe had to surrender before the unimaginable power of Chen Fan.

"Head Sergeant, I want to give you a heads up." Yu Qin hesitated for a second and then continued. "The Cang Dragon was a proud unit. So be prepared for some challenges."

"Of course you could ignore them, but they might take it as a sign of weakness and became impossible to command during training."

"I understand. The soldiers admire only strength, that's the way always had been." Chen Fan nodded calmly.

Compared to the civilian world, the military's dogma was more akin to that in the realm of cultivation. It was the survival of the fittest and whoever could punch the hardest and killed more enemies would be considered the leader.

Seeing Chen Fan's inattentive expression, Yu Qin furrowed her brows.

"He is going to learn some hard lessons when he arrives at Cang Dragon."

Yu Qin was only a staff officer and therefore the best she could do was to give her earnest advice since she could not issue direct orders.

However, Huo Donglai who sat quietly right beside the two gloated over Chen Fan's imminent failure in his mind.

"Look! The helicopter is here."

"That's the new Head sergeant I bet."

"Hey, Tank! We will be counting on you. Don't hurt him too badly, he might be delicate."

Many soldiers jested with each other and guffawed loudly.

Tank rubbed his hands together and was ready to execute his plan.

Chu Minhui still held the perfect standing posture. He didn't do it for the Head Sergeant, he did it out of pure respect toward Captain Yue.

"Chen Fan, let's wait and see.

"One day, I will become as strong as Captain Yue, or maybe even Head Sergeant Xu.

"By then, I will return to Chu Zhou City and show you what it means to be a real man."

A flame started to grow inside of him.

After a few moments, the helicopter stopped in the air right above the landing pad.

"Boss, we are here, should we land right now?"

The pilot asked.

"Yes, land right —" Yu Qin was cut short by Chen Fan's waving of the hand. He said: "Not yet, stay in the air for now."

After he said that, he unbuckled, and rose from his seat and made his way to the exit.

The gate was already open. Chen Fan looked down from the lip of the opening and saw the buildings on the ground were the size of matchboxes. He noticed a group of people gathered beside the landing pad, each the size of an ant. It would be a terrifying sight for anyone who was afraid of heights.

A wild gale came up and the wind blew into the helicopter through the opening.

"Head Sergeant Chen, what are you doing?"

Yu Qin and Huo Donglai asked concernedly.

Was he planning to let his arrival set in for the people below? They had been waiting ever since this morning.

"Uh? Why did the helicopter stop?"

Soldiers were perplexed by the inactivity of the helicopter.

"Looks like the gate is open. Are they going to parachute out?" Someone asked confusedly.

"That's impossible. There's not enough height for parachuting. It's only a hundred meters or so above the air; the minimum distance for military parachuting was three hundred above ground. If he jumps off from where he is, he would be smashed into a moosh before the parachute fully opened up."

"What about a rope drop?" Someone asked again.

The so-called rope drop involved dropping a rope off from the edge of the helicopter, and the solider would descend by slowly lowering himself along the rope. This was a common trope used in TV shows and in reality, it was quite rarely deployed.

"That's impossible." The refined looking young man said as he pushed his glasses up. "It's common knowledge that the maximum effective range for rope drop is thirty meters. They are a hundred meters above ground, so not only that they might not have a rope that is long enough, but the wind will also make their descending impossible."

"He is not going to parachute, neither the rope drop... hmm... He must be showing off then."

The stone-faced young man said with a smirk.

"Hehe, he is going to hover above us so that we have to stand here for a few more hours just for him. He is playing his opening gambit on us." The brawny bold man said as he shook his head. "I hoped that he could do better, but this is pathetic. I am disappointed."

The other soldiers also shook their heads as they sneered at the new Head Sergeant.

Those who treated their subordinates spitefully might be able to do well in the civilized world, but they were looked down upon by everyone in the military.

Chu Minhui was disappointed as well. He looked away from the helicopter and landed his gaze on Captain Yue, his only hero. Captain Yue's upright stance didn't waver in the slightest.

Amidst the murmurs of disappointment, the refined looking young man pushed his glasses up and felt something was amiss.

"Head Sergeant Chen, what you are doing is pointless to the soldiers of Cang Dragon"

He thought that he had seen through Chen Fan's ploy, Sergeant Huo sneered at Chen Fan.

Chen Fan didn't reply. He looked to Yu Qin and said calmly: "Didn't you say that I need to give them a display of my strength before they would obey me?"

Yu Qin was taken aback by the question, unsure what Chen Fan was getting at. She paused a second and then answered: "Yes. These soldiers are the cream of the crop and hold themselves in high esteem. If you can't prove yourself that you are worthy to lead them, you might as well quit your job now."

"Very well."

Chen Fan nodded. He poked his head out of the opening and tilted his body forward.

"You can't just jump out. We are over a hundred meters above the ground. Without a parachute or a rope, that is suicide. Don't play hero, you are not Captain America." Huo gloated at Chen Fan." Order the helicopter to land right now; keep them waiting for too long, they might as well dismiss themselves."

"You are right about one thing. I am going to jump out."

Chen Fan looked back at him and cracked a smile. Under the shocked and terrified gazes of his companions, Chen Fan took a step forward and hopped off the edge out of the helicopter.

He fell from a hundred meters above the ground without anything protection him.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 147: A Dramatic Entrance

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Well, well! It looks like our Head Sergeant is still high on his horse as all inexperienced newbies are. Well, why don't we just go back to our training instead of waiting for him like idiots?"

The bald soldier shouted.

The other soldiers shook their heads and were about to leave the training ground. Seeing this development, even Chu Minhui started to waver. What was the point of waiting for the jerk Head Sergeant when he was simply wasting their time?

Yue Jianqiu stood upright unflinchingly like a tall pine tree.

"Hey, what do you say to going into the woods and getting us some rabbits for dinner?" Tank suggested.

"Eagle-eyes is our best sharpshooter, we need to take him with us." The stone-faced young man put in.

Eagle-eyes was an ordinary looking scrawny young man. What set him apart from the rest was his incredibly sharp vision. His deep-set eyes often glinted under the sunlight, making them look sharp enough to penetrate through a person's mind.

"Why yes! Eagle-eyes won third place in the shooting competitions..." Even as Tank spoke, someone else shouted at the crowd: "Look! Someone is going to jump off the helicopter!"

"What?"

Everyone threw their head back and look to the helicopter.

What they saw next would be permanently tattooed in their mind.

They watched as a human figure leapt out of the helicopter and barely a fraction of a second later, they heard a heavy thud and the man was already on the ground, right in front of them, and was unharmed.

"Bang!"

The blaring sound was followed by a cloud of dust that rose to blot the sun. The paved earth trembled from the impact and even people who sat deep inside the facility noticed the strange ripples in their cups of water.

"Earthquake?"

Disturbed by the trembling sensation, the officers in the base flocked out of buildings.

Those soldiers who gathered at the training ground were closest to the source of impact and they were rendered speechless by the development.

Among the clouds of dust, they could vaguely discern a human figure standing in the middle of the training ground with his hand linked behind him. He looked more like a timeless ancient statue rather than a living person. The cracked surface of the pavement had formed a spider-web-like pattern that projected itself outward from under the man's feet. Whoever he was, his outrageous landing had created a large crater on the hard paved ground.

"Did you see that? He... he jumped right out of that helicopter."

The brawny bald man was shocked.

"I saw that too, Tank." The stone-faced young man swallowed hard and replied.

Everyone around the two, including Eagle-eyes, and the refined-looking young man, and even Yue Jianqiu who was so even-keeled that he might as well be impervious to shock were stunned and terrified by the turn of events. Chu Minhui rounded his eyes and looked at the man in utter disbelief.

"Is he made out of iron? He was a hundred meters above the ground, and ...and he just jumped right out."

Tank stammered.

Everyone nodded to confirm his observation.

Then, as everyone looked horrified at the man in the dust, the figure moved. He slowly made his way out of the cloud of dust and into the daylight. Then, and only then, the crowd realized that the person who survived the impossible fall was only sixteen year old boy.

The boy wore a white casual outfit that contrasted with his dark hair. His skin is smooth and unmarred by imperfections, and his eyes glittered in the sunlight like two diamonds. Although his looks were average, he gave off a godly demeanor that made him look like an immortal.

"You again!"

Having recognized the boy's face, Chu Minhui felt he was struck by lightning.

"Do you know him?"

The old soldier who was talking to him earlier asked.

Chu Minhui didn't speak a word, but his hollowed look on his face had said it all. He felt his legs were about to give in.

"I think he is our new Head Sergeant."

The refined looking young man pushed his glasses up again and smiled wryly.

"The... new Head Sergeant?"

Everyone's mind was filled with regret, particularly Tank. He was so embarrassed that he wanted to slap himself in the face. He had never thought that the new Head sergeant would be so powerful. The development reminded him of the movie Terminator where the death robot descended from the other dimension and shattered the pavement. In this case, it was Tank's ego that Chen Fan had shattered.

His previous arrogant remarks of the opening gambit, of teaching the new sergeant a lesson, of fighting against the sergeant unarmed seemed like a joke on him now.

"Fight him? What a joke. He could survive the fall from a hundred meters above the ground and was unharmed. What would modern weapons do to his incredibly sturdy body?"

The members of the Cang Dragon were right. By then, Chen Fan was practically immune to physical attacks.

He had reached the first four levels of the Void Mortal Refinement Art: Ice Skin, Jade Bones, Golden Eyes and Silver Blood. Even the sharpest blade in the world would not be able to cause any harm to him no more than a white scratch.

After three months of hard work and diligent cultivation, he had finally reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment level and was only half a step away from Ethereal Enlightenment. Once he made the breakthrough, his body would finally begin the transformation toward the Dao Body.

No one on earth could have imagined the terrifying power of a Connate cultivator's physical strength.

A Connate Spirit Level cultivator could survive endless artillery bombardment without even using the True Essence. Such an incredible physical condition would also prolong life for centuries.

Although Chen Fan had just started to cultivate the Dao Body and was a long shot away from completing the Connate Spirit level, he was able to survive a free-fall from a hundred meters above the ground.

"Head Sergeant!"

As the other soldiers struggled to gather themselves, Yue Jianqiu took a step forward and greeted Chen Fan.

"Hi."

Chen Fan nodded and then he scanned the soldiers.

Each one of these elite soldiers was a one in a million warrior. However, they lowered their heads before Chen Fan as elementary students would in front of their principle. No one dared to look Chen Fan in the eyes.

"Before I came here, someone told me that you guys are planning an opening gambit for me?"

Chen Fan's voice was calm, however, every word he spoke seemed to carry an icy edge. Suddenly, life drained away from Tank and his co-conspirator faces.

"Well, now I am here, what are you waiting for?"

No one dared to move a muscle. Even the stone-faced young man kept his head low as Chen Fan's words took the wind out of his sails.

"Well, since no one wants to challenge me... is there anyone that objects to my role as your head sergeant?" Chen Fan asked readily.

"No... no objection."

These hulking warriors murmured their obedience out like little girls.

"Louder!"

Chen Fan shouted.

He infused his sound with True Essence to amplify his volume. His booming voice sounded like a sudden explosion and caused a sizable shock wave to ripple out from him. Even the helicopter felt the disturbance in the air and was blown to one side for a fraction of a second. Many soldiers who stood right in front of Chen Fan lost their balance and fell to the ground.

"Reporting to Head sergeant, we have no objections!"

Yue Jianqiu shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Reporting to Head sergeant, we have no objections!"

The other soldiers quickly followed suit. Even as they replied, their ears still felt the pain from Chen Fan's ear-piercing shout.

Chen Fan's face remained stoic and looked disappointed by these soldiers.

"What a bunch of wimps! No wonder you are the last in the tournament. The other units are miles better than your sorry asses." Chen Fan shook his head. However, he was still hopeful.

He was the North Mystic Celestial Lord, he could have turned a herd of pigs into deadly monsters, much less a group of special force soldiers.

"Head Sergeant Chen!"

By then, the helicopter finally landed on the pad. Yu Qin came over the Chen Fan, her eyes were filled with strong emotions; there was shock, trust, but her doubts were no longer there.

"Li Muchen still has it. He had chosen a mighty powerful demi-god for Cang Dragon!"

Yu Qin exclaimed

Huo Donglai followed her closely. Embarrassment and regret were written all over his face. He wished he could reduce his six feet tall frame into the size of an ant and find a crack in the ground to hide away.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 148: Cang Dragon Physical Conditioning Exercise

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Ever since the Cang Dragon unit lost the tournament against the other military units, the entire team had been going around with low spirits. The morale was further worsened by the firing of former Head Sergeant Xu. Many soldiers didn't even have the courage to hit the streets on holidays.

However, there and then, the Cang Dragon's base was seething with enthusiasm and energy.

"Have you heard? The new Head Sergeant is a badass!"

"More than just a badass! I saw it when I was walking in the hallway. He jumped right out of a helicopter at a hundred meters or so above the ground. He landed on the ground with a big bang, like how it was in the Superman movie. Guess what? He was unharmed! I was blown away! You know the concrete they used on the training ground was a special formula that could withstand even artillery bombardment. However, he made a giant crater at the center without causing any harm to himself. He is not a human, I tell you!"

Someone else put in.

"I have heard the Head Sergeant Chen is only seventeen. How is that even possible? At any rate, what the Military HQ wants from him was clear, they want him to teach us to be as powerful as he is." Someone said expectantly.

"Get out of here. Look at yourself in the mirror, please. You can't even carry a weighted bag for more than ten miles, yet you want to be as powerful as the Head Sergeant? Dream on! " A comrade guffawed.

Inside the base, the workers were exchanging lighthearted banter and jokes with each other while praising their new Head Sergeant.

However, inside the barracks, the soldiers sat quietly on their beds, heads drooping and shoulders slumped.

"Tank... do you think Head Sergeant is mad at us?" The stone-faced young man asked cautiously.

Tank's face was paler than the frost in December. He lowered his head and looked down, without offering his comrade an answer.

"Well, If I were the Head Sergeant, I would look down on you guys as well. A bunch of losers, the least competent elite unit in the military, daring to test the new Head sergeant's ability. Arrogant and stupid! Head Sergeant was invited to help us by the Military HQ. It took the HQ a great deal of work to persuade our new Head Sergeant to accept the offer. That should be enough to tell us about his abilities."

The usually reticent Eagle-eyes said with a cold gloating smirk on his face.

His words had hit the mark. Everyone shook their heads and heaved sighs.

"That's enough. Head Sergeant had agreed to guide us, so that means there is no harm done." A muscular young man who had not yet spoken so far finally put in.

Hearing his reassuring words, everyone managed to regain some confidence.

"Rusty, do you think our new Head sergeant is an Internal Force master just like Sergeant Huo?" The refined looking young man with a smooth face asked.

The muscular man was called Rusty, and he was the top fighter in the Cang Dragon unit.

His skills in using any sharp object were unrivaled. He was able to sever a steel column as thick as his arm using a small dagger. Even Huo Donglai could not defeat him if he didn't use a weapon. Rusty was from a traditional martial arts family and had benefited from many secret family arts. Before he joined the military, he was also a powerful internal force user.

Smooth-face's question had caught everyone's attention. They looked to Rusty expectantly.

"Internal Force Master?" Rusty sneered. "The most powerful Internal Force user would not survive that fall. He is not a mortal, he is an immortal!"

"At least Sergeant Huo would not be able to do what he had done."

"What? Does that mean the new Head Sergeant is as powerful as Ye Nantian? Is he a Transcendent Master?" Smooth-face asked incredulously.

The entire barracks boiled over after hearing the questions.

"Ye Nantian? You think our head sergeant is on par with Ye Nantian?" Tank asked in disbelief.

Ye Nantian was considered a war god among soldiers. During his decades of service in the military, he had made incredible contributions by completing nearly impossible missions. Tank and his comrades used to fight his retinue, the Dragon's Fang and knew how powerful Ye Nantian was first hand.

"No, he is more powerful."

Rusty said slowly.

His dark eyes glittered and said: "I have never seen a Transcendent Master in action before. However, I have heard from my family elders that what sets the Transcendent Masters apart from normal Internal Force users is their more powerful internal energy which allows them to release the internal force and use it as a weapon. However, that wouldn't amount to being bulletproof or surviving a hundred-meter free fall.

"His abilities are not from this world. You see them only in... movies. It's unthinkable to me."

"More powerful than Ye Nantian?"

Everyone looked at each other and exchanged shocked glances. What kind of monster sergeant were they going to face?

All the while, Chu Minhui had hidden in a dark corner. He clenched his fists so tightly until his nails dug deep into the cushion of his palm. Blood welled from under the skin and trickled to the ground, however, Chu Minhui didn't seem to notice it at all.

Meanwhile, in the meeting room of the Cang Dragon base...

Most key officers in the base had gathered there for a meeting with the new Head Sergeant. There were sergeants, head of the Logistics, Yue Jianqiu and Yu Qin; all of them standing except for Chen Fan.

By then, he had changed into a uniform.

Although he was not a high ranking officer yet, everyone stood respectfully before him.

"These are the of Cang Dragon members profiles..."

Yu Qin handed a folder to Chen Fan with both hands.

Although the documents were short, it contained a concise summary of the Cang Dragon units status. These were SSS clearance documents and were meant only for a few eyes in the entire China.

Chen Fan didn't pick up the document. He knocked on the table and announced heavily: "I have made a promise to Li Wuchen that I will stay here for a month. After that, I will leave the position. I don't need to see these documents."

Chen Fan knew his position very well. He was a consultant working on a short term contract, but not the manager.

If he read the profiles and documents, he might felt more connected with the long term development of the base and it would make his departure much harder.

A hint of disappointment flashed across Yu Qin's eyes. She managed to put on a smile and said: "Head Sergeant Chen, how would you like to start the training? We have all kinds of specialists here to assist you. Including a gold medalist in physical conditioning, and—"

"No need." Chen Fan shook his head and cut the girl short.

"Those worldly training methods would not bring their ability up to the same level as Dragon's Fang in a month. In order to catch up with Dragon's Fang, or even surpass them, I will need unconventional methods."

"Surpass Dragon's Fang in a month?"

Everyone was stunned by the new Head Seargent's ambition.

Huo Donglai asked with a trembling voice: "Head sergeant, each and every member of the Dragon's Fang are outstanding fighters. Plus, they are all internal force users. It is impossible to catch up with them, much less surpass them."

"It's difficult for you, yes. But to me, it's a piece of cake."

Chen Fan cracked a smile and then produced two folders from a bag.

Yu Qin opened the folder and saw a few pieces of paper. When she examined the content, her face darkened and then she looked up at Chen Fan in shock.

"The paper you are holding detailed a special training method, which I named 'Cang Dragon Physical Conditioning Exercise.' Follow those instructions for a month, I guarantee you that they will all be able to face off against Internal Force users of the initial success level."

"Cang Dragon Physical Conditioning Exercise? One month later they could face off against Internal Force users?"

Yu Qin and other sergeants exchanged a few doubtful glances, but they all registered the shock in each others' eyes.

They couldn't and were unwilling to believe Chen Fan's words. But the vivid memory of Chen Fan's display of strength had finally convinced them.

"Very well, let's try it for a month." Sergeant Huo gritted his teeth and said.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 149: Unimaginable Power

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Chen Fan wagered that there had to be an internal force cultivation art in the military.

Since things such as internal force were not secrets even among the public, the government had to be aware of them as well. It wouldn't be difficult for the government to acquire the cultivation methods. That being said, the earth's environment was not entirely friendly toward cultivators.

The world was so devoid of Spirit Qi that Sentient Objects were rare and cultivation techniques scarce.

Of all the cultivators on the earth, only those extremely talented cultivators could have possessed the Internal Force. The internal force users who Chen Fan had seen so far, such as Guo Wei, Lin Hu, Wei Fu, Linbao, and Old Man Gu were powerful martial artists that dominated their local areas. Even Guo Wei who had just achieved initial success could have been named the top fighter of the entire Chu Zhou City.

The difficulty in obtaining Internal Force while cultivating on earth was evident. Even those who had obtained Internal Force were not invincible. Even a Transcendent Master could be killed by high caliber firearms or missiles, much less regular internal force users.

"However, the Cang Dragon Physical Conditioning Exercise was different than ordinary cultivation methods."

Chen Fan announced.

Standing beside him were a few sergeants who were in charge of physical conditioning, the team Captain Yue, and Yu Qin. They all listened attentively.

"Excuse me, Head Sergeant, what are the differences?" A Combat Sergeant asked.

The Cang Dragon unit was equipped with sergeants who specialized in all kinds of skills: combat, shooting, driving, info warfare, subterfuge, and jungle warfare. The goal was to create an elite force that could be deployed into any circumstance and succeed in their mission.

In addition to the Combat Sergeant, Deputy Head Sergeant Huo Donglai, there were another three sergeants here at the meeting.

The other three sergeants were all of the phenomenal success levels in their internal force cultivation. They were hand-picked by the military from many traditional martial arts families and sects.

The one who had just raised the question was from a famous martial arts family, the Gu family. His name is Gu Liuru. Although he was stunned by Chen Fan's display of power like everyone else was, Chen Fan was advising everyone on the subject close to his heart; therefore he rose to question the head sergeant in part to show off his expertise in the subject.

"As we all know, a good foundation is important for Internal Force cultivation. It's a quote from the Tao Te Ching: bring it to the utmost degree of pliancy just like the initial condition of a newborn'" Sergeant Gu said as he looked around.

"The newborn baby retained the Connate Spirit. However, this Connate Spirit will disperse over time as the baby ages, and eventually disappears altogether. Therefore, the earlier that one started training, the easier it was to gain Internal Force. Soldiers in the Cang Dragon units were all in their twenties. Therefore, it was almost too late for them to start."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Although Yu Qin was not a martial artist, she felt what Sergeant Gu said was right nonetheless.

"I have already told you that those are the normal methods of cultivation. However, the Cang Dragon Physical Conditioning Exercise is something entirely different." Chen Fan said lightly. "Once they are able to complete the training, they would be able to face off against Internal Force martial artists without even using Internal Force."

"What?"

Everyone was shocked by what they heard.

Sergeant Huo furrowed his brows and said in disbelief. "does your training method happen to be similar to that of Ancient Muay Thai? I have heard that the martial artists who practiced the Ancient Muay Thai could overwhelm their opponents with sheer force. Each and every attack could shatter the rocks.

"However, I wager that the training routine of the Ancient Muay Thai was even more brutal than that of internal force. I have heard that one in ten disciples could pass the training stage. Only those with the strongest will could make it to the end."

"You are half right, I suppose." Chen Fan said calmly. "Where my training method differs from that of Ancient Muay Thai is that it has a much lower requirement and is much easier. Any elite soldier should have no problem finishing my training routine. Plus, I will give a dose of my special supplement that could help to boost their abilities for a short period of time."

Chen Fan's Cang Dragon Physical Conditioning Exercise was in fact an upgraded version of External Force Exercises.

When he was a child, he used to see a Master Cui who came to visit his county from southwestern China. Master Cui was an expert in External Force. His entire body was incredibly tough and durable as if his muscles were made out of wrought iron. The Cang Dragon Physical Conditioning Exercise was inspired by Chen Fan's childhood memory. That being said, the Cang Dragon Physical Conditioning Exercise had its own limitations. The most one could get out of this training routine was to reach initial success.

"While I am on earth, the most precious thing I could offer to the world was not my memories of the stock market trends nor the winning lottery numbers. It was these cultivation techniques."

Chen Fan lamented.

Earth was still in the age of slavery in the eyes of a cultivator. Despite the existence of Internal Force users or even fire benders, their skills and methods were either rudimentary or incomplete. The cultivators on earth still had a long way to go to spread the cultivation arts among the public.

The Cultivation technique in Chen Fan's possession could help one in ten soldiers reach the Foundation Establishment level, despite the lack of Spirit Qi around them.

"However, how am I going to spread these techniques?"

Chen Fan shook his head as he pondered on.

Once the cultivation technique became widespread, the civilization of the human race was going to reach new heights. The light of cultivation culture was going to light up the dark ages of the human world. Its significance would be no less than the invention of the steam engine. By then, the human would enter a brand new era.

Although it sounded like good news to a mortal, Chen Fan knew it was also a double-edged sword for him. At the late-stage of the Foundation Establishment level, no firearms could have hurt Chen Fan, however, it didn't mean that he was invincible before much more powerful weapons. If he empowered the human race, his advantage over the mortals would be gone.

"Maybe later when I reach the Connate Spirit and gain the golden core, I will spread some of my cultivation techniques to the world. But not now."

Chen Fan shook his head and decided to let the matter rest.

Although the Cang Dragon Physical Conditioning Exercise is a dumbed down version of the real cultivation method, only an elite special force warrior could have pulled it off. In addition, the exercise could help one achieve the initial success at the most, and even that would require a tremendous amount of dedication and talent.

Sergeant Gu was still doubtful of Chen Fan's plan, however, Yu Qin had registered what Chen Fan was alluding to.

"Head Sergeant Chen, do you mean that this exercise has to be carried out in tandem with your supplement?"

"Indeed." Chen Fan gave the girl an approving look.

It would take the most talented soldiers at least five years to rival an internal force user if they only followed the Cang Dragon Physical Conditioning Exercise alone without the supplement. A'Xiu was no more than a meek teenager girl and once she used the Spirit Pills, she was able to achieve phenomenal success in less than three months. Therefore, Chen Fan was confident that the combination of the exercise and the pill could increase these solider's powers to at least that of an initial success level cultivator.

"What kind of supplement is it? Can we take a look at the recipe?"

Sergeant Gu and the other few sergeants asked with great interest.

As a seasoned martial artist, he was not a stranger to elixirs. The recipe of these supplements were often some of the most fiercely guarded secrets of a martial arts family, sometimes it was even more precious than cultivation techniques.

To pull off cultivation techniques required dedication and skills. However, the recipe was just a piece of paper and anyone who knew the ingredients could have made it easily by themselves. Plus, a good elixir was often the key in increasing one's power and many martial arts families had succeeded simply because of their incredibly powerful elixirs.

They had expected Chen Fan to refuse to share his secret, but to their surprise, Chen Fan fished out a piece of paper and handed it over to them candidly.

"Head Sergeant Chen, you don't have to..."

Even Huo Donglai was shocked after seeing Chen Fan giving away such priceless information.

"Well, this was part of the deal I made with Li Wuchen." Chen Fan said lightly.

The recipe was for the elixir called "Physic Refining Pill." Its effects would only kick in when the user started the Cang Dragon Physical Conditioning Exercise.

"I hope I can satisfy the Military HQ by offering them a hundred Internal Force users, and a method to train more of them."

He never thought that the government would be able to mass-produce martial artists with internal force.

First of all, not everyone was able to pull off the Cang Dragon Physical Conditioning Exercise, in addition, the ingredients to make the pills were not readily available either. Therefore, Chen Fan doubted the military would be able to pump out internal force martial artists like toy soldiers on assembly lines.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 150: Martial Arts Conference

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The Cang Dragon endured the most gruesome training of their life for the next month.

Cang Dragon Physical Conditioning Exercise was a completely different ball game compared to the conventional physical condition exercises. This was a brand new technique that Chen Fan created based on two elements: the External Force Exercises and the Immortal Cultivation techniques.

On the training ground, the soldiers stood in strange if not outright bizarre stances. Some balanced on one foot like a crane in a swamp, some wrapped their arms around their body as a monkey would to a tree trunk, the others were sitting quietly on the ground cross-legged as if they were practicing Yoga.

However, regardless of their posture, a pained look was etched on everyone's face. They felt as if every inch of their body was on fire as energy gathered inside of their system.

"I have never seen anything like this." Sergeant Gu grumbled.

"Let's give him some time. Head Sergeant Chen had god-like abilities. We shouldn't judge his methods using our earthly logic." Huo Donglai said heavily.

By then, He was completely enamored by Chen Fan's power.

The scene of Chen Fan jumping out of the helicopter had perished his conceit and pride, leaving only admiration and respect toward the young man. Martial Artists respected only one thing: power and Chen Fan was the most powerful man he had ever seen.

"I wonder what my sect brothers at the Ba Ji sect would think of him."

Huo Donglai thought in his mind.

Ba Ji Sect was an ancient martial arts sect, and the Ba Ji Fist that was popular among the public was just a tip of its enormous wealth of techniques. Most of the internal force arts were kept in the hands of the core branches of the sect. There even had been a Transcendent Master from the Ba Ji Sect.

Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and slowly made his way to the training ground.

"Head Sergeant, your training method is... marvelous!" Sergeant Gu exclaimed.

"It was nothing, I only brought out the soldier's potential." Chen Fan said humbly.

The human body was full of undiscovered potential sources of energy. Even without relying on external energy, the human body itself was able to provide an incredible amount of energy. However, they were usually dormant unless during the time of crisis. Without using supplements, and careful diet control to replenish the energy, even a muscular man would become scrawny and a thin skeleton frame after a few of such outbursts of internal energy.

Cang Dragon Physical Conditioning Exercise were documented on many cultivation planets.

Even the cultivation nations waged war against each other. Therefore arts such as the Cang Dragon Physical Conditioning Exercise were widely adopted by the cultivation armies to mass produce powerful warriors. These warriors could even overwhelm mighty high-level cultivators due to their sheer number and decent abilities. However, they were no match against cultivators who had reached the level of Connate Spirit or higher. These cultivators were able to command swords to do his bidding from miles away, therefore, their enemy's advantage in number would not affect them.

"Head Sergeant, can I talk with you in private?"

Huo Donglai remembered a piece of news he heard a few days ago, so he came over to Chen Fan and asked cautiously.

"Oh?"

Chen Fan looked over at him and nodded.

The two sergeants walked abreast with each other in the base and attracted many people's attention. Nearly all the eyes that looked to Chen Fan were filled with respect. Chen Fan had already become a legend among the workers in the base. Everyone was extremely curious about him, yet no one dares to approach.

Seeing the amount of respect Chen Fan had garnered, Chu Minhui grit his teeth so hard that he thought his jaw was going to shatter.

What's even more humiliating than being defeated by one's enemy was being outright ignored.

"I have worked hard to join the Cang Dragon units, only to discover that he was ahead of me. How am I ever going to compete with him?" Chu Minhui screamed in his mind.

As soon as he looked up, he saw Yue Jianqiu's sweaty forehead. He had been holding his position longer than any of his comrades yet he was not going to give up anytime soon. The sight had lit up the fighting spirit inside of Chu Minghui. "That's right, as long as I keep at it. One day, I will see the light at the end of the tunnel."

"Chen Fan, thank you for teaching me these abilities. I will gladly accept your help and try to surpass you."

Chu Minhui clenched his jaw tighter as he swore to himself to try harder.

Huo Donglai and Che Fan arrived at a quiet spot of the base. Huo Donglai put on an apologetic face and said:

"Head Sergeant, I am sorry for my arrogance when I first met you. Please forgive me."

"Don't sweat it." Chen Fan was a Celestial Lord, of course, he would not be offended by someone as worthless as an ant. If he really rubbed him the wrong way, he would silence him with a slap. "What are you getting at, spit it out."

"It's nothing important, really." Huo Donglai paused a second and then said: "I was just wondering if you are going to join the Martial Arts Conference at Lin City this year?"

"What is this Martial Arts Conference?" Chen Fan asked.

"You haven't heard?" Huo Donglai was shocked.

"Theoretically, I am not a martial artist." Chen Fan explained.

Huo Donglai gathered himself and explained: "The Martial Arts Conference was held every three years by major martial arts families. It usually attracts nearly all martial artists across China. It's a good event to exchange practice experiences and learn from each other.

"The highlight of the event is the auction. There will be many herbal medicines, as well as elixirs."

Huo Donglai paused a second and then said: "You might even be able to meet some Transcendent masters."

"Oh?" Chen Fan's interest was piqued.

He had just reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment level and had gained an incredibly strong physical body. Therefore, no ordinary internal force martial artists would survive even one blow from him. However, Transcendent Masters was a different story.

Plus, he was having difficulties finding Spirit Medicine and searching for such precious material by himself was practically a fool's errand. He would have a much better chance in getting powerful herbs at an event such as the Martial Arts Conference.

"Yes. You heard it right. Just last time, I had seen a thousand year old ginseng offered at the auction table." Huo Donglai reaffirmed.

After a few cautious moments, Huo Donglai plastered on an ingratiating smile and said quietly: "I was going to invite you to attend the event with my sect brothers."

"Attend the event with Ba Ji Sect? Do people fight with each other at the event?" Chen Fan asked with a half smile.

Huo Donglai gave him a grin and said: "You nailed it. All attendees are proud martial artists, some are more proud than the others and were eager to prove themselves, so sparrings and challenges are not uncommon there. The Ba Ji sect had been going downhill lately and lacked powerful members. Therefore..."

Huo Donglai didn't finish his sentence. Chen Fan should have already figured out by now what he was really after.

"Of course, I don't think you will have to join any fight. We want you just in case things get out of control, however unlikely that was " Huo Donglai hurried to explain.

"Sure, I will go with you." Chen Fan nodded.

He was eager to gauge the overall power of the martial artists on earth. He hadn't met many powerful martial artist by far, save a few such as Lin Hu, Guo Wei and Master Gu. He wagered that the conference would be an eye-opener for him.

"Really?"

Huo Donglai was elated by Chen Fan's decision.

With the help of such a powerful warrior, Ba Ji sect would no longer be afraid of any challenges they might face.

Ever since his Master Uncle's disappearance, the Ba Ji sect was embattled by the insults and challenges from other sects during each year's conference. Without a powerful warrior such as Master Uncle, the members of the sect had to endure the humiliation. Although Huo Donglai was no longer involved in sect businesses, he knew what was going on. Therefore, he had planned to invite Chen Fan to the sect ever since he met the boy.

Despite the sect elder's doubts regarding Chen Fan's power, they agreed to Huo Donglais' proposal in the end.

"Hehe, the Hong Sect, Gu family and the Lu Family will have to think twice now before they bully my sect members."

Huo Donglai sneered in his mind.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 151: Cang Dragon's Claw

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Half a month later, inside the base of the Cang Dragon units...

"Huu! Huu!"

The training ground was filled with the loud whistling sound of fists ripping open the air. Everyone watched as the Cang Dragon units practiced the fist techniques with strange but powerful movements. Some looked like a nimble monkey climbing up a tree, some looked like a bear charging into its prey and some looked like a tiger unleashing its deadly claws.

Compared to half a month ago, almost every one of them had buffed up significantly. Their arms were two large guns that were pumped with iron and steel. Their eyes had never been more focused, it was as if they had been transformed into a brand new person.

"Ha!"

Cold-face the young man charged forward to build up momentum. When he had gained some speed, he spun and delivered a roundhouse kick. His kick whizzed through the air, slicing through the air like a sharp knife. The person in front of him felt the pressure on his skin from the disturbance in the air caused by the kick. He wagered that this kick would have toppled a medium sized tree.

"Hehe, Cold-face, that's kinda lame."

Facing such a powerful attack, Tank guffawed and rammed his shoulder at his attacker without flinching.

"Bang!"

The kick landed on Tank's shoulder, however, Tank didn't move an inch. On the other hand, Cold-face has knocked away and stumbled a few feet back. He squealed: "Tank you are a beast! Why are you so much more powerful than most of us while we pretty much practice the same thing every day?"

By then, Tank's body had grown to about two meters. From afar, his hulking frame made him look just like a tank. The large man laughed out loud and said: "Haha! I am a genius. Head Sergeant's training method is tailored for me. You are too weak!"

Cold-face blushed. However, he didn't find any words to protest.

By then, many of the sergeants standing at the edge of the training ground nodded in approval.

"Tank had improved by leaps and bounds. Based on the test a few days ago, his muscle strength had scored 100, nearly three times more powerful than a normal human. He was able to lift over three hundred kilos which broke the record of the heaviest weight a human could lift."

Before the sergeant had finished his words, Yu Qin came over to him with another pile of test results. Yu Qin had always been cold and distant to her co-workers, however, her face lit up with joy now.

"The reports are out: their squats, lifting and pushing scores were 250, 235 and 220-kilograms."

"Wow!" Everyone gasped at the numbers.

Their scores could have rivaled that of gold medalists of the Olympic.

"That's not all of it. On average, they can finish one hundred meters in less than ten seconds and could sprint over two point five meters high. They could carry over ten-kilogram weight while running long distances..." Yu Qin continued to list the impressive statistics.

Everyone was stunned by what they heard. No had expected that the average stats of the Cang Dragon could be nearing the physical limits of the human body. What's more impressive was that they were much stronger and tougher than any gold medalists because each soldier was equivalent to many gold medalists in different fields.

With that thought in mind, everyone looked to the boy who stood quietly with his hands linked behind his back with a great measure of admiration.

He was the maker of this miracle!

"Head Sergeant Chen, your training program worked wondrously. If only we could promote the program to the rest of the military." As soon as Sergeant Gu finished his words, everyone's eyes lit up with excitement.

If the program could be used by all the soldiers in the military, China would instantly gain over a million super soldiers, who possessed impeccable physical conditions. By then, China would have the strongest army in the world.

"Haven't you seen how much the soldiers have suffered over half a month? Do you think an average soldier could have endured that?" Chen Fan asked lightly.

His words reminded everyone of the hellish training the Cang Dragon soldiers had gone through.

Cang Dragon Physical Conditioning Exercise included not only internal energy exercises, but also a lot of physical conditioning. Many involved bruising and traumatizing one's body, forced stimulation of acupuncture points, and the sudden outburst of energy when one had already reached exhaustion. Without the elixir and pills that Chen Fan gave to the soldiers, none of the warriors would have lasted more than three days.

"I think this many warriors would be enough for now. We have many fearless warriors in the Army, with time, we should be able to double the number of the Cang Dragon units." Huo Donglai clapped and then ordered: "Yu Qin, please report the status to our superior."

He gave a solemn face and then said: "remember, this is top secret, and keep the file classified. Leaking this information can be disastrous."

"Roger, I will be on my way."

Yu Qin saluted to Huo Donglai before she turned around and started off.

"Sergeant Huo, would you like to join us?"

Someone at the training center shouted at him, and then he heard a wave of cheers, willing him to pay attention.

Huo Donglai turned his head over and saw the Cang Dragon unit had paused their exercise. Tank was the one who called out to him, and he was giving him a challenging look.

"Little shit, it's only been half a month. Don't get ahead of yourself." Huo Donglai laughed in his mind.

Before Chen Fan arrived, Sergeant Huo was revered as the strongest fighter by the Cang Dragon members. His Ba Ji Fist was extremely powerful and overbearing.

"Sergeant Hou, why don't you teach these little shits a lesson?" A sergeant encouraged Sergeant Huo.

"Humph!" Huo Donglai looked to Chen Fan, and after he had gotten Chen Fan's approving node, he walked toward the training ground. "Tank, you are so full of yourself. Do you really think you could be stronger than me in half a month?"

"We will see!"

Tank laughed as he charged toward Huo Donglai, stirring up a gust of wind. He opened up his arms like an alerted lobster, and when he got close enough to his target, he clamped his arms like a grizzly bear hugging a tree trunk. The amount of force in the attack could easily squash a car.

"Excellent!"

Huo Donglai spread his legs and sank his body into a Horse Stance. Meanwhile, he reached out both arms, ready to counter the attack.

Suddenly, Huo Donglai stamped the ground under his feet and cracked the surface of the pavement. The ground pushed back at him, launching his body forward.

"Mounted on Mountain! That's a signature Ba Ji move!"

Sergeant Gu exclaimed. He had heard that if the move was used by a Transcendent Master, he could crush a small hill. Although Huo Donglai was not a Transcendent Master by a long shot, he was only half a step away from reaching the peak of Internal Force cultivation.

Huo Donglia's charge could ram through three layers of metal sheets

Even as Huo Donglai thought he already had the victory in the bag, Tank changed tactics. With a soft wheezing sound, Tank folded his body and turned his two-meter tall hulking frame into a large ball. Before Huo Donglai realized what was going on, the ball rolled away from Huo Donglai and reached behind the sergeant. Then, the ball unfurled itself, returning to the hulking frame that it once was.

Despite his seemingly cumbersome weight, Tank steadied himself within a second, and then he shot out an arm and clawed at the back of Huo Donglai.

"What the—"

Huo Donglai was still stunned by the development, suddenly, he felt a cold wind blowing at the nape of his neck. If not for his decades of hard training, Huo Donglai might not be able to swerve to the side to avoid the deadly claw.

"Stth..."

He heard his clothes being torn apart.

Huo Donglai let out a painful cry and quickly disengaged from his opponent. The audience finally noticed that half of his shirt on the left side was torn off, revealing three long and bloody claw marks.

"Cang Dragon's Claw!"

Huo Donglai was stunned by the development and it took him a while to finally gather himself. After he did, he let out a wry smile.

He had always thought that the Cang Dragon Physical Conditioning Exercise only strengthened their boy, but it occurred to him that the training also boosted their fighting skills. Tank had only used a very simple move in the training routine, yet he was able to completely dominate the fight against a Ba Ji martial artist with three decades of training.

"Head Sergeant is an immortal, you should not underestimate the effect of his training program."

Tank said proudly.

The other Cang Dragon soldiers nodded in agreement. Having witnessed the turn of the event, everyone looked to Chen Fan as devotees would to their god.

Just half a month ago, Tank was easily defeated by Sergeant Huo, half a month later, the table had been turned. What could these soldiers achieve in half years? By then, defeating Sergeant Huo would only be a walk in the park.

The other sergeants shook their heads bitterly as the sense of helplessness and self-pity rose inside their hearts.

Suddenly, someone shouted: "Head Sergeant Chen, why don't you spar with us too?"

There was a brief moment of silence before the question set in. Then, a wave of cheers erupted.

"Yes! Head Sergeant, show us your abilities!"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 152: Ba Ji Sect Arrives

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

In the two weeks since Chen Fan arrived at the base, his only display of power was when he jumped out of the helicopter.

No one knew what he was up to when he was inside his room. The only time people saw him outside apart from the training hour was in the morning when he practiced relaxing Tai Chi. Therefore, his exact power and abilities remained a mystery.

Hearing the challenge, even Huo Donglai and Sergeant Huo looked to Chen Fan expectantly.

A few sergeants had been talking about him for days. They concluded that Chen Fan was a Transcendent Master if not even more powerful. Since no one had seen him in action, the conclusion remained mere speculation.

"I would love to."

Chen Fan walked into the training ground and scanned his students. "Who would join me?"

An awkward silence fell over the training room. No one in his right mind would want to challenge someone who could survive a fall from a hundred meters above the ground. Not even Tank wanted to test the waters.

"I will do it"

Someone spoke up.

"Captain!"

Having recognized the speaker, everyone was shocked.

He was none other than the Captain Yue of the Cang Dragon unit.

He had been mostly keeping things to himself of late and was not as ostentatious as Tank or Rusty. Even the new guy, Chu Minhui seemed to have made more progress than he did. Therefore, his reticence had made others nearly forget about him. His sudden rise to the challenge surprised everyone.

"Very well. You look like a good fighter."

Chen Fan sized him up and despite his rich experience as the North Mystic Celestial Lord, he couldn't help be surprised by what he saw.

Using his Immortal Will, he registered swift currents coursing through Yue Jianqiu's veins. The flow was so powerful that Chen Fan thought he could hear its swooshing sounds. Every muscle and bone were a few times more durable and stronger than that of a normal person. It was evident that his body could unleash an incredible outburst of energy.

"I knew you were the most talented and strong-willed soldier in Cang Dragon. However, I have to admit that I am surprised by your progress."

Chen Fan nodded in approval.

If one could master the Cang Dragon Physical Conditioning Exercise program, his power should be on par with that of an initial success level Internal Force user.

Tank was of above average talent and was gifted with incredible strength. He was able to defeat Huo Donglai with the help of using the element of surprise; without it, Huo Donglai would have won the match.

However, Yue Jianqiu was not as lucky as Tank who had extraordinary natural strength, neither did he have any previous experience with internal force like Rusty had; however, he was able to master the Cang Dragon Physical Conditioning Exercise in less than half a month and improve his power to the same level of an internal force user with initial success. That was indeed incredible.

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity, Head Sergeant."

Yue Jianqiu said calmly and firmly as determination flashed across his face.

"Very well!"

Chen Fan seemed to have seen his former self in this solider. "I will let you take the initiative."

As soon as Chen Fan finished his words, Yue Jianqiu's body tensed up like an animal that suddenly woke up from slumber. Then he threw himself at Chen Fan.

Meanwhile, a few visitors had just entered the training ground.

At the forefront of the group was a seventy-year-old man. He was thin and scrawny. Under his dry and wrinkled skin were a web of veins and sinews, interlocking with each other like the gnarly roots of an ancient tree. His eyes glittered with a dark light as he walked with wide and confident strides. Despite his age and wizened appearance, he was much stronger than the young people around him.

Trailing behind him were two middle-aged men and a couple.

The man was tall and muscular, while the woman was smaller and attractive. She wore a red shirt and pulled her hair back into a ponytail, making her look confident and fit.

"Great Uncle Master, what brings you here?"

As soon as Huo Donglai noticed the visitor, he hurried to greet the old man.

The other sergeant also noticed the visitors and were taken aback by their appearance. They followed Sergeant Huo and greeted the old man respectfully: "Why didn't you give us a heads up? We would roll out the red carpet for you."

"I am but a handful of old bones. No need for those courtesies."

Despite the small and swanky look of the old man, his voice was surprisingly loud.

"Uncle Master Donglai!"

The younger couple behind the old man saluted to Seargent Huo.

"Baisheng, Xiao Mang!"

Huo Donglai nodded a reply.

The man was called Gao Baisheng, and the girl was called Guo Xiaomang. They were both outstanding members of the young generations in the Ba Ji sect. Gao Baisheng was only a step away from reaching phenomenal success. They were the future of the Ba Ji Sect.

"Uncle Master Donglai, where is Head Sergeant Chen?"

Greetings over, Guo Xiaomang looked around, trying to find the mysterious Chen Beixuan.

"That young man fighting in the middle of the training ground."

Everyone looked toward the direction where Huo Donglai was pointing, and what they saw made all of them furrowed their brows.

They watched as Chen Fan and Yue Jianqiu fought against each other in the center of the stage. Despite Yue Jianqiu's incredible will-power, the gap between him and Chen Fan was unbridgeable. Chen Fan could have ended his life with one finger.

However, for the sake of the test, Chen Fan decided to hold back his power to the level of initial success and used the exact same Cang Dragon Fist techniques as he had taught his students. The two exchanged blows with each other and for a while, it was difficult to tell who would win.

"He is Chen Beixuan, the Head Sergeant Chen?"

Guo Xiaomang asked incredulously.

Both of the fighters were at most as powerful as she was, at the most. They couldn't even stand up against her sect brother, much less Uncle Masters or Great Uncle Masters.

A smidgen of disdain also appeared on Gao Baisheng's face.

"I ... I think Head Sergeant is just warming up."

Huo Donglai smiled awkwardly.

In hindsight, Huo Donglai had never seen Chen Fan in action. He was simply stunned by his unthinkable act of jumping out of the helicopter in midair. Ever since then, he had never doubted Chen Fan's power.

"This young man is holding back his strength." The old man said with knotted brows. "However, based on his reaction time and speed, he is at most the level of phenomenal success. Donglai, I doubt he would be able to help us at the conference."

Some other sergeants wanted to rebut but didn't know how.

This old man was a retired Combat Sergeant of the Cang Dragon unit. He was the sect leader of the Ba Ji sect. Rumor had it that he had reached the peak of his internal force cultivation, and he was only a step away from entering the Transcendent state. Nonetheless, old age had limited his power, otherwise, no one would even think of bullying the Ba Ji sect.

"I agree with Great Uncle Master. Donglai, I think we have the wrong guy." A middle age man spoke solemnly.

Huo Donglai's face flushed red, and he clenched his fist tightly.

"Great Uncle Master, please trust me. Head Sergeant Chen is much more powerful than he seems. I have seen with my own eyes that he survived a hundred-meter fall. Look there, he made that giant crater on the pavement."

"Uncle Master Donglai, stop pulling our legs. Who could have survived that?" Guo Xiaomang complained.

Gao Baisheng also shook his head in disapproval.

The other middle age man snorted and said. "Donglai, even Second Uncle Master couldn't have pulled it off if he was still alive. Why do you think a boy of his age could have done that?"

Huo Donglai was suddenly at a loss for words.

Second Uncle Master was one of the martial arts geniuses from the Ba Ji Sect. He reached the Transcendent state when he was only forty and therefore was nicknamed the "Little War God." Unfortunately, he had suddenly disappeared ten years ago, and the Ba Ji sect also quickly fell apart.

By then, the match was finally over.

"Head Sergeant, you won!"

Yue Jianqiu took a few steps back and looked at his chest riddled with fist-size shallow surficial wounds.

"You have been practicing for only half a month, yet your progress had far exceeded my expectations. You might even be able to surpass the limitation of the Cang Dragon Physical Conditioning Exercise in the future."

Chen Fan pointed out.

Although the theoretical cap of the Cang Dragon Physical Conditioning Exercise's power was the initial success level, with enough will power, one would have a small chance of breaking through the limitations and gain true knowledge from the realm of cultivation.

Many Cang Dragon members nodded in excitement after they heard Chen Fan's words.

However, they suddenly heard another voice drifted toward them.

"Head Sergeant Chen, why don't you spar with me?"

Chen Fan furrowed his brows and looked back. He saw a strapping young man stride onto the training ground.

Behind him was an embarrassed and helpless Huo Donglai.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 153: Gao Baisheng!

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Who is he?"

Chen Fan didn't spare a glance at the tall young man, instead, he shot a glance at Huo Donglai.

His keen observation had picked up the signals between the lines of Huo Donglai and the old man's conversation. He knew the visitors were from the Ba Ji Sect and they came here to discuss the Martial Arts Conference.

"My name is Gao Baisheng and I am from the Ba Ji Sect." The tall young man said proudly.

He was well known among the younger generation of martial artists, so Gao Baisheng had expected that Chen Fan would recognize his name. However, he found no trace of recognition in Chen Fan's stoic expression.

"Head Sergeant, he is my Apprentice-Nephew. Please forgive his impatience." Huo Donglai smiled in embarrassment.

People who practiced Ba Ji Fist were well known for their short tempers. Huo Donglai's Great Uncle Master, for example, was even testier than the young man.

"Head Sergeant Chen, I have heard a lot about your power. Since you have already achieved the Transcendent State—so I have heard, I wager that you won't mind showing a thing or two to us?" Gao Baisheng cupped his fists and asked.

"What do you mean? You think our Head Sergeant is going to be scared of you?" Tank flung back at Gao Baisheng. Tank's temper would make him a perfect Ba Ji Fist master.

"No kidding! Kiddo, be careful what comes out of your mouth. One more disrespectful word, we will throw you out of here."

The other Cang Dragon soldiers followed.

"Really?" Gao Baisheng scanned around him as a pompous smile surfaced on his face. "Head Sergeant Chen, is this how disciplined your soldiers are? I am worried about you."

After he said that, he stomped the ground and unleashed the Art of Tremors of the Ba Ji sect.

The earth shook at the impact and when he lifted his feet from the ground, the pavement was crushed inward forming a large depression.

Gao Baisheng looked around him haughtily. He was convinced that no one in the Cang Dragon unit could pull it off. Huo Donglai's eyes lit up with joy. "Baisheng, you have achieved phenomenal success?"

The pavement was made out of special cement, and no ordinary martial artist could have damaged it.

"Indeed." Gao Baisheng nodded.

Sergeant Gu and the other sergeants were taken aback by the revelation. Gao Baisheng had achieved great power at such a young age, it was evident that the Ba sect is going to take off.

"Twenty years ago, the Ba Ji Sect sired a masterful fighter, Huo ZhengTang; will history repeat itself twenty years later?" Deep thought shone in Sergeant Gu's eyes. Despite his friendship with Huo Donglai, the Gu family and the Ba Ji sets were at odds with each other for many years.

Although the Cang Dragon soldiers were riled up by Gao Baisheng's rude comments, they couldn't do anything about it.

Let it be shooting, battle tactics, they were far more skillful than the arrogant Ba Ji disciple. However, when it came down to personal combat, they were no match against the professional martial artists.

"Head Sergeant!"

Tank shouted at Chen Fan indignantly.

"Head Sergeant!"

Eagle-eyes followed.

"Head Sergeant!" "Head Sergeant!" "Head Sergeant!"

Everyone started calling out Chen Fan's title as if summoning their champion.

This was the base of the Cang Dragon unit—one of the very few law enforcement units in China. Everyone on the team was one in a million, the cream of the crop. Never in their professional careers had they being looked down upon by a civilian.

"Head Sergeant Chen, everyone is waiting for you."

Gao Baisheng readied his fists like a typical martial-arts-master.

Chen Fan stood still and his eyes were fixated on Huo Donglai.

"Is this how you invite me to the Martial Arts Conference?" Chen Fan asked stoically.

"Head Sergeant, please let me explain." Huo Donglai's face tightened as he hurried an explanation.

"Save your breath." Chen Fan waved a dismissal. "I will still attend the Martial Arts Conference, but I won't be representing Ba Ji Sect."

"Head Sergeant Chen..." Huo Donglai panicked. Even as Huo Donglai wanted to explain further, he heard Guo Xiaomang snort and then said: "Humph. If you are even scared to fight my sect brother, how are you going to represent Ba Ji sect? Dream on."

Two of her Uncle-Masters nodded in agreement.

They came with loads of doubts in their minds. They simply couldn't believe that such a powerful person would have existed. When they saw how young Chen Fan was, they felt their suspicions were true. "He is just a fledgling, green babe in the woods. How dare he call himself Transcendent Master so shamelessly."

"Great Uncle Master, please help me." Huo Donglai looked to the scrawny old man for help.

To his dismay, the thin old man regarded Chen Fan for a while and then shook his head.

"I don't believe he is a Transcendent Master. I have seen Transcendent Masters, more than once, and he doesn't have the same imposing mannerism as those ones I have met."

"Great Uncle Master!" Huo Donglai nearly lost his voice.

He had hoped that his Great Uncle Master would be experienced enough to see the diamond in the rough, however, the old man's words only exacerbated the situation.

"Donglai, mind your attitude!" The old man's voice boomed. "Since when has the Ba Ji Fist Sect needed other people's help? My Art of Iron Fist along could overcome any opponent."

"Why... Great Uncle Master, why do you do this!" Huo Donglai shook his head in disappointment.

They said the apple doesn't fall far from the tree; the old man's short temper and testy manner were in part to be blamed for the younger generation's impatience and crossness. However, they had no idea how powerful Chen Fan was, otherwise, they would turn their arrogance down a notch.

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes and said: "Oh, really?"

He turned around to look at Gao Baisheng and then shook his head. "You are not my worthy opponent yet."

"Me? Not worthy?" Gao Baisheng felt lighthearted by the remark. It was as if he had heard the funniest joke in his life.

He flung back at him: "Chen Beixuan, ever since I was five, I had partaken in more than thirty matches and never lost one. Not to mention that I have achieved phenomenal success at the age of twenty-seven. How dare you question my credentials?"

"Still not enough to fight me." Chen Fan said lightly.

"What an arrogant fool!" The two middle age man who comes with Gao Baisheng guffawed.

One of them took a step forward and said: "Count me in the match."

"Is that Mu Shan?" Sergeant Gu was taken aback.

A member of the Cang Dragon unit asked curiously: "Who is Mu Shan, Sergeant Gu?"

"Mu Shan was regarded as one of the most powerful Ba Ji fighters. He was only half a step away from the peak of Internal Force cultivation ten years ago; a level he must have long since obtained." Concern flashed in Sergeant Gu's eyes as he spoke.

A martial artist who had achieved the peak of internal force cultivation could have commanded tremendous authority in a sizable region. People like Lin Hu who arrived at a region that lacked a competitor would quickly establish a foothold and eventually claim dominance.

Therefore, such a powerful person ought to be the backbone of the Ba Ji sect.

"Even within the Gu family, only my family lord who was near the Transcendent State could have rivaled Mu Shan." Sergeant Gu calculated in his mind.

Soldiers of the Cang Dragon unit pulled taut faces. From their many sergeants with martial arts backgrounds, they knew the jargon of the martial art's level progression. Although their martial arts sergeants seemed nearly invincible to them, they had only reached phenomenal success in their Internal Force cultivation.

They couldn't even begin to imagine the power of someone who had reached the peak of the Internal Force cultivation.

"Indeed. Five years ago, I finally mastered my Internal Force." Mu Shan said proudly.

He had been holding back his overbearing energy ever since he entered the training ground. As he finally loosened his control over his power, his eyes started to glint and he started to transform into a calm and deadly warrior.

"Senior Brother, you have finally reached the peak?" Huo Donglai was shocked.

"If he hadn't entered the peak of the Internal Force cultivation, why would you think I would bring two of our kids to the Martial Arts Conference?" The wizened old man gave him a shrewd smile.

He was as cunning as an old fox. Despite his hot temper, he was wise most of the time.

"Do you think the two of us would make a worthy opponent?" Mu Shan asked.

Everyone looked to Chen Fan expectantly. To their surprise, Chen Fan shook his head and said: "NO."

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 154: With One Fell Swoop!

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"If you don't even think that my Uncle-Master Mu is your worthy opponent, I wonder who would be." Gao Baisheng said with a cold sneer.

"It had to be at least Ye Nantian or Lei Qianjue. " Chen Fan said lightly.

"Ye Nantian and Lei Qianjue?" the members of the Ba Ji sect rounded their eyes in disbelief. The other middle age man shouted:

"Do you even know who they are? Lei Qianjue is a renowned master from the Hong Sect, while Ye Nantian was considered the most talented fighter in the last fifty years. He was expected to enter the Immortal State sometime in the future. What makes you think that you are their equal?"

"Everything." Chen Fan said evenly.

Huo Donglai and the others were taken aback by his answer. Since Huo Donglai had witnessed Chen Fan incredible fall from the sky, he knew that Chen Fan was not bluffing. However, he doubted that Mu Shan and his other sect brothers would be convinced by Chen Fan.

If they didn't see it with their own eyes, they wouldn't believe it.

Mu Shan shook his head and lamented: "I had high hopes for you when Donglai told me about you. But after meeting with you, it occurred to me that you are just an arrogant youngster."

"The further you journey in the world of martial arts, the more fearful you would be toward a Transcendent Master. Yet, you don't even think Transcendent Masters are a big deal. It was a telltale sign that you lacked the most basic respect and Dao Heart as a martial artist."

"Uncle-Master Mu, why are we still wasting our time on him?" Gao Baisheng snorted. "If he doesn't believe us, then we will make him believe."

As soon as Gao Baisheng finished his words, he started to breathe heavily.

"Chee!"

A little bump appeared near his Adam's apple and it was sliding up to the bottom of his chin. Veins popped all over his body, letting out blaring noises that sounded like erupting car tires. It was difficult to imagine such sound would come from a human body.

After a few moments, Gao Baisheng stomped the ground and without holding back any of his power, he unleashed the Art of Tremors once again. His feet made another large crater where it landed, and as the ground pushed back at him, Gao Baisheng launched himself at Chen Fan with a punch. He looked like a bolt that suddenly left a crossbow.

"What a powerful punch!"

Many members of the Cang Dragon unit were shocked by the sight.

They wagered that only Tank was able to take the punch with full force.

"Is this the power of a phenomenal success level Internal Force user?" Everyone gasped as they asked themselves the same question.

Some of their sergeants were also Internal Force users, and since they always held back their power when they sparred with soldiers, the latter never fully understood the full extent of their power. However, Gao Baisheng's attack with full abandon had corrected the soldiers' arrogance about their Sergeant's power.

"I wonder how Head Sergeant Chen is going to handle the attack." Everyone looked to Chen Fan expectantly.

Chen Fan stood lazily, without any sign of getting ready to counter the attack.

"He is dead meat. Even Uncle-Master Mu dared not to take Senior Apprentice-Brother's attack so lightly." A smile surfaced on Guo Xiaomang's face. However, just a second later, the smile froze on her face.

Under everyone's incredulous stare, Chen Fan took a languorous step forward and slapped the face of his attacker.

Chen Fan's attack initially looked no more than a father's slapping at his unruly son; however, half a heartbeat later, the attack changed its tone and weight. In a blink, the casual slap came at its victim with mountainous momentum.

"Shit!"

Mu Shan and the others were shocked, and tried to alert their sect brother; however, it was too late.

Gao Baisheng had no time to evade; all he could do was retract his fists and cover his head to cushion the brunt of the blow. Then Chen Fan's slap came.

"Kacha!"

A loud snapping sound shot through the training ground.

Chen Fan's attack had broken the bones in Gao Baisheng's arms, and the weight brought the young Ba Ji master to his knees. With a heavy thud, Gao Baisheng's knees thudded heavily on the pavement, making two more deep craters. Two webs of cracks diffused from under Gao Baisheng's knees and covered a large swath of the paved area.

"I told you that you are not worthy."

Chen Fan pulled his hands back and said lightly without any emotion.

When he said the same thing a moment ago, everyone thought he was arrogant. However, after they had witnessed him breaking the arms of a phenomenal success internal force user, Chen Fan's words finally start to set in.

"How dare you!"

Mu Shan shouted, unable to control his anger.

Gao Baisheng represents the future of the Ba Ji sect, his injury greatly distressed the old man.

Even the scrawny old man who had been sitting calmly suddenly rounded his glinting eyes.

"Interesting, was I really wrong about you? Are you really a powerful fighter in disguise?" The scrawny old man exclaimed in his mind.

"Please allow me to exchange a few blows with you."

Mu Shan stepped forward vengefully. He was determined to avenge Gao Baisheng. Huo Donglai was suddenly at a loss, unsure which side he should cheer for. He was sandwiched in between his sect brothers and his boss.

"Damn, how did it come to such an end." Huo Donglai shook his head and lamented.

Meanwhile, the soldiers of the Cang Dragon were cheering and celebrating their Head Sergeant's swift victory.

"Head Sergeant is a badass! He didn't waste his breath on him, just slapped him into submission. Haha!"

The Ba Ji sect members heard the soldier's jeering remarks. Their face darkened and became sullen.

Mu Shan came over to Gao Baisheng and examined his wound. Pain mixed with anger flickered in Mu Shan's eyes. He complained: "You are a crude man to injure my Apprentice-Nephew's arms to such a degree. Even after the wound heals, he would never be as strong as he could have been."

Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back; his face was devoid of any emotions.

"He dared to challenge me and so he had to pay the price for his arrogance. I have already shown mercy to him."

While holding Chen Fan's gaze, even Mu Shan couldn't help but shiver.

The indifferent gaze on him made Mu Shan feel like a worthless ant that could be crushed at any time.

"Who the hell is he? How come a seventeen-year-old boy could possess such a deadly gaze?" Mu Shan asked himself perplexedly. Suddenly, he shook his head slightly and cleared his mind. He straightened his back and cupped his fists.

"Ba Ji, Mu Shan wishes to learn a thing or two from you."

Chen Fan didn't change his tone. "I told you, you are not worthy."

Then, and only then, the crowd finally started to feel Chen Fan's genuine indifference and lack of concern for anyone around him.

"I wager that only martial artists such as Ye Nantian and Lei Qianjue could exchange blows with him." Everyone thought to themselves. Despite the roiling anger, the Ba Ji sect members conceded their disadvantage and weakness.

Even Mu Shan would not be able to subjugate an internal force warrior of phenomenal success level with only one slap.

Mu Shan's face turned pale and then was flushed red. He stood still and failed to find any words to refute.

"That's enough, Mu Shan!" The wizened old man finally spoke up. "Head sergeant is much more powerful than us, we concede defeat."

He gave Chen Fan a long glance and then said: "I wish Head Sergeant Chen could make it to the Martial Arts Conference and be as triumphant as you were today."

"I can tell you right now that even if I fight with Ye Nantian, I will win as well." Chen Fan said calmly. "On another note, do you expect to get away with it without an apology?"

"What do you mean?"

Chen Fan's words had shocked the scrawny old man.

Chen Fan continued: "Huo Donglai had invited me to join Ba Ji's team during the Martial Arts Conference and I agreed to it. However, not only did you disrespect me today, but you also challenged me to a duel."

"Since when did I, Chen Beixuan, allow anyone to step on my toes?

"Break your own legs, before getting out of my face."

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 155: Never Insult Transcendent Masters!

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Chen Fan's words turned everyone's faces overwrought with distress and disbelief.

"Head Sergeant!" Huo Donglai was drenched in sweat. He had never imagined that the situation would spiral out of control to such a degree. However, he knew the fault was at his Apprentice-Nephew and Uncle Masters.

Who did they think Chen Fan was? He was invited by the military top dogs to be the Head Sergeant of Cang Dragon unit. He was as powerful as a Transcendent Master, what made them think that they could be so conceited before him?

"Head Sergeant Chen, Are you planning to sow a feud between us?" Mu Shan narrowed his eyes as deadly flames danced in his eyes.

"What if I say yes?" Chen Fan stood unflinchingly as he answered in an even tone.

"If you insist so, the gloves are off then." Mu Shan cupped his fists and bowed slightly. He treated Chen Fan with a great deal of respect.

Members of the Ba Ji sect were quiet and sullen.

Mu Shan's cup-fisted salute was a cryptic hint of his determination that only a martial artist could pick up its meaning. It meant that he was going to fight with abandon and at the end of the match, only one person would still be alive. Martial artists wouldn't partake in such high stakes fights unless they were fighting for their honor.

Seeing Mu Shan's unwavering resolution, Huo Donglai and Sergeant Gu decided to keep their silence. Mu Shan's salute was a heads up to anyone who planned to stop him that he would do away with those who stood in his way.

The scrawny old man was not upset with the development even in the slightest. His face lit up with joy and he clapped his hands in approval. "Good Lad! Show him the determination of Ba Ji Sect!"

Hearing the old man's words, many sergeants shook their heads and lamented the old man's backward thinking. He acted with a mindset that belonged to the medieval period while living in the modern era. No wonder the Ba Ji sect was going downhill over the years.

"Very well, let's do it." Chen Fan replied indifferently. It was as if that he deemed fighting against Mu Shan was a waste of time.

Embarrassment flashed across Mu Shan's eyes. He had saluted his opponent with the greatest respect he could muster, yet Chen Fan's attitude was still lukewarm. This was outright arrogance.

Suddenly, he stamped his feet and shouted: "Start!"

Mu Shan's move was similar to that of Gao Baisheng but was much more powerful.

As the force propagated from under his left foot, the concrete surface cracked open. The ground heaved, pushing up the fragmented pavement, and sending a large plume of dust into the air. In half a heartbeat, Mu Shan struck the ground with one of his palms.

The impact shot out a shower of crumbled concrete chunks at Chen Fan. These projectiles were charged with Mu Shan's internal force, and therefore it was able to penetrate even a thick brick wall.

"Careful!"

Cold-face gasped.

Mu Shan was much more powerful than Gao Baisheng. His belligerent moves make him look like a prehistoric t-rex. A casual sweep of his leg could have finished a Cang Dragon soldier. The soldiers felt a chill down their spins as they watched on.

"Without a modern weapon, even the combined might of the Cang Dragon unit might not be able to defeat him."

Everyone was set back on their heels after having realized how powerful Mu Shan was. Mu Shan had reached the peak of the Internal Force cultivation, yet he already possessed incredible strength; how powerful exactly was a Transcendent Master?

Rusty's eyes glinted as he fixated his gaze on Mu Shan. He tensed up his body and moved his hand to the handle of his blade, ready to strike at the toughest enemy he had ever met.

"Bang!"

Chen Fan swept his hand backhandeding and pulverized the flying projectiles. His seemingly delicate hand appeared to be made out of material tougher than steel. The sharp chunks of concrete didn't even leave a dent on his skin.

By then, Mu Shan was already charging toward Chen Fan. Every step he took caused a sizable depression on the ground, sending a flurry of rocks and pebbles in all directions. He stormed forward like an unstoppable armored vehicle.

Everyone was frightened by the display of power.

"I wonder if Head Sergeant can really handle him?"

Although Chen Fan to the soldiers was like a god to their devotes, the sight of Mu Shan's power had shaken the Cang Dragon soldiers' unswerving conviction.

"Bull shit! One slap from our Head Sergeant could send him to the moon!" Tank refuted.

Mu Shan closed in quickly onto Chen Fan. He crossed both arms in front of him, forming a cross. When he was close enough to his target, he suddenly shot out both arms above his head and bore down on Chen Fan from above.

This strike had enough power to pulverized a large boulder.

Mu Shan was confident that no one was able to ward off his attack unless his opponent was a Transcendent Master. Ba Ji sect's arts were well known for their belligerence. Although Mu Shan never paid particular attention to maintaining his health, he was in his prime, blood and energy coursed through his hardened body, making him nearly as powerful as a Transcendent Master.

"Head Sergeant!"

As the hammer made out of the Ba Ji Master's fists was about to land on Chen Fan, the latter stood still and didn't move an inch. It was as if Chen Fan was stunned by his opponent's power. The Cang Dragon soldiers were so shaken by the development that they shouted at Chen Fan in unison to warn him. Huo Donglai's face tightened. He knew better than most people the power in Mu Shan's hammering strike. If the blow landed on Chen Fan's head with full force, Chen Fan's life would be in danger even if the boy was made out of iron.

"Ha!"

At the final moment right before the blow touched the top of Chen Fan's hair, Mu Shan withdrew his power and shifted his attack a few inches away from Chen Fan's head. The blow landed on Chen Fan's shoulder instead.

"Bang!"

The impact sent a blaring noise like a large hammer strike a bronze bell. An invisible sound wave rippled out from Chen Fan and Mu Shan.

Those who stood closer to the impact were assaulted by the ear perceiving blare, they covered their ears and backed away. Only Rusty, Yue Jianqiu and Tank were standing where they were. On the other side of the arena where the Ba Ji sect members were standing, Guo Xiaomang was the only person who couldn't stand the soundwave attack. As she was about to give in and take a few steps back, the scrawny old man shot out his arm and grabbed a hold of her to steady her shaky body.

"What is it?"

"Did Uncle-Master win?"

"I hope Head Sergeant is OK"

Everyone looked to the center of the training ground expectantly, eager to find out the result of the showdown.

Dust loomed over the training ground like a shroud and therefore it was difficult to make out what had happened. The scrawny old man squinted to see through the flying dust as much as he could. After a while, his face paled as he let out a cold gasp.

"How is that possible?"

"What happened? Great Uncle Master?" Huo Donglai hurried to ask.

Life drained away from the old man's wizened face as he kept his sullen silence.

When the dust finally settled revealing the hidden sight. Everyone saw Mu Shan's blow had landed squarely on Chen Fan's right shoulder. However, the boy seemed completely unaffected by the powerful blow.

"How is that possible?"

Mu Shan pulled his hand back and stood a few steps back in shock. He looked at Chen Fan, eyes brimming with disbelief.

As he reflected on the blow, he remembered the numbing sensation that shock through his body at the impact, it was as if he had hit a heavy chunk of metal. Then he felt a stabbing pain in his attacking hand and realized that his bones were fractured.

Chen Fan had sustained a hammer attack with full force on his shoulder, however, he was unharmed. The attack didn't even leave a scratch on him.

"How could there be such a powerful man on earth? What are you made out of? Iron?" Mu Shan muttered deliriously.

He had used all of his energy in this attack, and not only was his opponent unharmed, but the force that bounced back at him had also fractured his bones. It was evident that the gap between him and his opponent was unbridgeable.

Chen Fan dusted off his shoulder and shook his head.

"I told you that you are not my worthy opponent yet."

Mu Shan's face was as pale as a piece of paper. However indignant he felt, he dared not to refute.

The scrawny old man felt an array of strong emotions clash inside of him. However, in the end, he heaved a sigh of resignation, cupped his fists, and saluted to Chen Fan.

"I had never thought that I would meet a Transcendent master. I have failed to recognize a formidable person."

Chen Fan did nothing but waved his hand once to lightly brush away the flying pebbles. Then he simply stood still and took a blow from Mu Shan. Although he didn't display any ability to prove his power, the fact that he was unscathed after being dealt such a powerful blow spoke loudly of his prowess.

Guo Xiaomang and the other members of the Ba Ji sect looked to Chen Fan incredulously.

The boy looked younger than her, could he really be as powerful as a Transcendent Master?

The eyes of Sergeant Gu and the other sergeants were lit up with glee. Their nagging suspicion was right, Chen Fan was a Transcendent Master, a very young one at that. His brush with the Ba Ji sect had proven his transcendent power.

Cang Dragon members cheered at the top of their lungs. Although most of them didn't know exactly how powerful a Transcendent master was, they knew their Head Sergeant was a force to be reckoned with even among the powerful martial artists.

"You can break your own legs and get out of here now." Chen Fan insisted.

Mu Shan was frightened by Chen Fan's words. He turned toward the scrawny old man. To his dismay, the old man lowered his head and spoke gravely: "You have proven yourself a young Transcendent Master, we accept our punishment."

"Mu Shan, we have humiliated a master, it's our fault. Do as he says."

Hearing the old man's words, Mu Shan let out a woeful cry and then he punched his legs with abandon.

"Kacha!" "Kacha!"

His fist fractured both of his legs. Sweat rolled off from his contorted face, however, he tried his best to not let his pain show.

Guo Xiaomang and Guo Xiaomang watched the development with indignation. They didn't say a word to defend their Uncle Master. Ever since the first day they embarked on the journey of martial arts, they were told not to insult the Transcendent Masters.

Transcendent Masters represented the highest achievement of martial artists. They were revered all over China as demi-gods, and anyone who dared to ruffle their feathers were deemed to pay a steep price for their foolishness.

Even the Cang Dragon soldiers were stunned by the sudden turn of the events. They couldn't imagine what had gone through Mu Shan's mind when he had to break his own legs. By then, they finally had their first lesson in the power of a Transcendent Master.

"Master Chen, are you satisfied now?" Despite the scrawny old man's age, he asked Chen Fan under his breath, daring not to raise his voice. It was as if Chen Fan was his elder, but not the other way around.

"That's enough." Chen Fan waved a dismiss distractedly.

"We will take our leave then." The scrawny old man turned around and started off. Behind him, Guo Xiaomang helped the shambling Gao Baisheng to his feet and another middle aged man carried Mu Shan on his back. They all followed the old man toward the entrance.

"However, before I leave here, I want to give Master Chen a heads up." The old man paused and then turned around. "The Ba Ji sect will not forget what happened today, and one day, our own Transcendent Master will come to you and settle the score."

"I will wait for that day." Chen Fan replied readily.

"Very well!" The old man gave Chen Fan a deep gaze and then he started off.

The Ba Ji member's sullen faces were a stark contrast with the haughty demeanor when they first arrived at the training base.

Huo Donglai threw his head back and let out a long sigh.

It didn't have to end like this. However, he didn't hold a grudge against Chen Fan. The Ba Ji sect had offended a Transcendent Master; they had brought the punishment on themselves.

"Fortunately, they can use the sect's specialty medicine on their broken limbs. They will be fully recovered in no more than five months."

Ba Ji was a large Martial arts sect with deep roots in China. Over the years, they had collected a few miracle cures. However, it was becoming more and more difficult to find ingredients for these medicines, therefore they couldn't afford to waste any.

By then, Chen Fan was surrounded by a crowd of excited Cang Dragon soldiers.

The remaining shred of doubt they had about Chen Fan was gone.

"A young Transcendent Master! I can't wait to see the surprise on people's face during the Martial Arts Conference"

Sergeant Gu exclaimed in his mind.

Huo Donglai's heart was filled with regret. Inviting Chen Fan to attend the conference could have been the Ba Ji sect's honor. However, his efforts in helping his sect was all for naught.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 156: The Hottest Girl Of Chu Zhou City University

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

After the Ba Ji sect was gone, Chen Fan assigned training duties to the soldiers. Afterward, he prepared himself for the journey tomorrow to Lin City for the Martial Arts Conference.

To Chen Fan, the numinous treasures in possession of the martial artists were a much bigger draw than the martial artists themselves. Unlike ordinary people, Internal Force users were able to traverse deep into the mountains and retrieve treasures that no one else was able to so much as lay a finger on.

There were so many unexplored jungles and mountains in China that could hold unimaginable treasures. He wagered that most of these treasures were in the hands of the Martial Artists.

Cang Dragon's training was already on the right track and Chen Fan could entrust the training to the other sergeants. The soldiers didn't know that Chen Fan was leaving, therefore only a few sergeants and Yu Qin came to see him off.

"Head Sergeant, I am so sorry for what happened..." Huo Donglai blushed, and then he stopped talking altogether.

"What's done is done. Let it go." Chen Fan padded his shoulder and then said: "I know you are not like your Ba Ji sect brothers."

"Thank you, Head Sergeant!"

Huo Donglai was elated by Chen Fan's acknowledgment. To be approved by a Transcendent Master was every martial artist's dream.

"Head Sergeant Chen, I have reported your departure to the higher up and they said you can come and go as you wish. We will keep the key to the data room for you. Whenever you want to come back, you will still be the Head Sergeant of the Cang Dragon." Yu Qin said.

"Thank you. That was very thoughtful." Chen Fan nodded.

He could imagine how shocked Li Muchen was when he heard about the units newly acquired abilities. The success would only make Chen Fan even more indispensable to Li Muchen.

Things were going according to Chen Fan's plan. He had wagered that it was still difficult for him to ensure his parents and loved one's safety all by himself. However, things were different once he gained Li Muchen's trust and protection.

"With their safety secured, I can finally focus on my task." Chen Fan thought to himself as a cold light glittered in his eyes.

Once he left the Cang Dragon unit base in the helicopter, he stopped by Chu Zhou City to grab Tong Shan.

Tong Shan was a metallic giant of over two meters in stature. His appearance would have stunned any ordinary citizen. Chen Fan had refined an Illusion Jade Talisman for him to conceal his conspicuous appearance.

With the illusion effect of the talisman, Tong Shan could pass for a thick boned brawny man.

However, with Tong Shan traveling with him, Chen Fan's modes of transportation were limited. Tong Shan 's metallic nature would set off the metal detectors at train stations and airports.

Therefore, Chen Fan had to resort to taking a bus. When the bus driver saw Chen Fan's childish face, he thought of charging the fledging more buss fair, however, the boy's large companion had made him think better of his plan. In the end, the driver even offered Chen Fan a discount.

"Hi, my name is Miao Xiaoqian"

Chen Fan and his large companion had attracted everyone's attention as soon as they walked on to the bus. Tong Shan sat alone in the back row as no one dared to get near the hulking frame with a lifeless face. Chen Fan sat a few rows in front of Tong Shan, across him was a pair of young girls both in their early twenties.

One of the girls looked attractive and was wearing a short blouse with loose sleeves. A pair of black-rimmed glasses made her look artsy and hip.

"My name is Chen Fan."

Chen Fan nodded slightly.

Chen Fan's reply immediately opened Miao Xiaoqian up as the latter started to self-introduce. Chen Fan learned that she was a student from the Chu Zhou City University. She was on a road trip with her classmates to Lin City.

Lin City was an ancient city that stood for centuries. It was a bustling city ever since ancient times.

"Is that your travel companion? He looks huge! He should join a basketball team or what have you."

Miao Xiaoqian pointed to Tong Shan and asked.

"Ah. That is my Big Cousin. He is not all there, but he is very friendly." Chen Fan cracked a smile.

"I see." Miao Xiaoqian nodded. The two chatted with each other from the time Chen Fan get on to the bus, after a while, Miao Xiaoqian's companion also woke up from her slumber.

"Xiao Qian, who are you talking to?"

The other girl stretched her limbs and yawned. Her sleeves rolled back, revealing her smooth and unmarred skin.

Chen Fan gave the other girl a glance and was taken aback by her extraordinary beauty. She had refined features and a pair of watery and dreamy eyes. Despite the innocent look, a hint of sultriness surfaced on her face from time to time. She was not any less attractive than Jiang Churan or Yun Qianqian.

Despite her beauty, her demeanor was cold and distant.

When Miao Xiaoqian introduced Chen Fan to her, she merely nodded aloofly as a reply. Afterward, she started to play on her cell phone.

"Yanxue is like that to everyone, don't mind her." Miao Xiaoqian managed an awkward smiled. Chen Fan later learned that the attractive girl was called Lu Yanxue. She was one of the most popular girls at the Chu Zhou City University and had many admirers.

She was such a lovely sight to behold, no wonder she had gotten so used to other people's attention that she would come off as arrogant.

However, Chen Fan wasn't struck by her beauty. Attractive she might be, Chen Fan had seen better-looking ones. During his five hundred years of travel, he had seen countless goddesses who possessed sublime beauty.

"Ah, right, Xiao Fan. What's your plan after you arrived in Lin City? Do you want to hang out with us?"

Miao Xiaoqian batted her eyelashes at Chen Fan and looked to him expectantly.

She was far from infatuated with Chen Fan, so her motivation in inviting Chen Fan came mostly due to pragmatic reasons. It was dangerous for two girls to travel by themselves, particularly two pretty girls. However, with Tong Shan traveling with them, no one would even dare to get near them.

Lu Yanxue heard Miao Xiaoqian's invitation. She furrowed her brows and kept her silence.

Chen Fan registered the displeasure on Lu Yanxue's face, so he refused the offer with a made up excuse.

Miao Xiaoqian heaved a sigh of disappointment.

Suddenly, the bus pulled over to the side of the road, and a brawny young man walked into the bus. This young man seemed to be acquainted with the driver as the latter addressed him as "Brother Wu" and the young man didn't even bother to pay for the bus fare.

The young man noticed Lu Yanxue as soon as he sat down. His eyes lit up as restlessness suddenly came over him. He walked over to Chen Fan and shouted at him.

"Hey kiddo, sit at the back, will you?"

All the while, his eyes didn't leave Lu Yanxue.

Lu Yanxue registered the man's stare, so she shriveled her body into her jacket and turned her heard to look out of the window.

Chen Fan furrowed his brows and asked: "Are you talking to me?"

"Why of course! Come on, sit back there now. There are plenty of seats."

Everyone kept to themselves and didn't want to get involved.

"Hey young man, why don't you do as he says?" The driver put in.

Chen Fan heaved a sigh, and then stood up slowly.

Lu Yanxue felt a pang of disappointment after seeing how easily Chen Fan had given in.

"There we go." Brother Wu patted Chen Fan's shoulder and said: "Listen to your Brother Wu and sit back there. Brother Wu will buy candy for you."

Chen Fan said lightly: "I am not standing up to move away for you. I am making space for him."

"Who?" Brother Wu was confused at first until a giant hand patted on his shoulder.

"Who the heck..." He turned around and the terrifying sight robbed him of words. Trying as hard as he could, he could no longer form a single sound in his throat.

Tong Shan's hulking frame erected right behind him.

Tong Shan was about two meters tall and he had to lower his head and hunch over in order to avoid hitting the ceiling. He looked like a giant that was trapped in a tin box.

"Shit... Bro... Sorry."

The young man wavered.

However, his apology came a tad bit too late. Tong Shan grabbed hold of his neck like a thin pencil, and then yanked his arm, throwing the young man off the bus.

Everyone was terrified by the development but no one dared to say a word.

After the bus drove on for a while, the drive finally broke the silence. "Young man, can you get off the bus now? I won't charge you anything."

"Don't worry." Chen Fan cracked a smile.

The driver dared not to press on, so he shook his head and heaved a sigh.

The development piqued Lu Yanxue's interest in Chen Fan. However, after trying to connect gazes with Chen Fan a few times and failing, she lost her patience.

They traveled on the quiet bus for a while.

Even as Chen Fan closed his eyes to take a nap, he was suddenly alerted. His Immortal Will registered a few Jeeps that had stopped right in the middle of the road, blocking the bus's way. A few men waved at the driver, willing him to stop.

After all the passengers filed out of the bus, a few men emerged from the jeep.

The leader of the crowd was Brother Wu.

"Who threw me off the bus? I will make you pay!"

Brother Wu shouted with a broken nose and a black eye.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 157: Some Kind of Hot Shot?

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

By then, the crowd inside the bus had boiled over. Miao Xiaoqian's heart was seized by terror. She was just a university student, her professor never taught her what to do in case of such a dangerous situation such as this. She grabbed onto Lu Yanxue's arm and asked: "What are we going to do, Xiao Xue"

The rest of the passengers looked to Chen Fan with complicated emotions.

Many people wanted to ask Chen Fan to walk off the bus. However, Tong Shan's hulking size made them think better of it.

The driver heaved a sigh and said: "Young man, I told you to get off. Look what you got us into.

"That Brother Wu was not that much of a threat, but his backer, Deng Jun was a force to be reckoned with.

"Right there, that is Deng Jun."

Everyone looked toward the direction where the driver was pointing, they saw a young man wearing a business suit leaning against a jeep at the center of a large crowd while smoking a cigarette.

"Deng Jun is a very powerful fighter. He beat up eight large men at once all by himself." The driver said as he shook his head.

"Most bus drivers who passed through this area knew Deng Jun. He would not let you get away with hurting Brother Wu."

"He is right, young man. Why don't you get off and apologize to him?" The other passengers put in.

Many people wanted to coax Chen Fan to get off the bus so that they could stay out of the feud between them.

Chen Fan was not surprised by the other passengers' selfishness.

After all, selfishness was the true nature of mortals.

"Humph! He shouldn't have been so foolhardy in the beginning. Now it's too late." Lu Yanxue put in coldly.

Chen Fan cracked a smile and didn't refute her. He rose from the seat.

"Are you really going to get off the bus?" Miao Xiaoqian grabbed his arm and looked at him in distress. "What if they want more than just an apology? Big Cousin is just one person, but they have... well... nearly an army."

"That's fine. A bunch of weaklings. They won't do anything to me." A smile broke over Chen Fan's face. Then he got off the bus with Tong Shan trailing behind him.

Lu Yanxue could no longer hold back her guilt so she spoke out: "Hey! If you want, I can help you."

Chen Fan pretended that he didn't hear her as he sauntered off the bus.

"What an arrogant little shit!" Lu Yanxue cursed.

"Stop it. Xiao Xue, do something, please." Miao Xiaoqian was on the brink of break down.

"Fine."

Lu Yanxue hesitated for a second. She knew that Chen Fan wouldn't have gotten into this hot mess if not for her. Therefore, she gritted her teeth and dialed a number on her cell phone.

When the line connected, an old and wizened voice drifted from the other end.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"Grandpa Wu, It's me. Xiao Xue." Lu Yanxue let out an overwrought smile and then said in an overly coy tone.

"Xiao Xue..."The old man pondered a second before he put the girl's voice and the name together. However, he still didn't sound too enthusiastic. "Oh, it's you. What's going on, why did you call me all of a sudden?"

"I am on a bus to the City of Clear Water, and I have a bit of a problem. One of my friends had a brush with Deng Jun." Yanxue explained cautiously.

She looked out of the window as she spoke and saw Chen Fan was already off the bus and was talking to Brother Wu.

"Deng Jun?" The old man was confused for a second. Then, there seemed to be a quiet whispering near the telephone, reminding the old man who that was. "Ah! you are talking about that young man from Xiao county!"

"That's fine, Xiao Xue. I will handle it."

"Thank you, Grandpa Wu." Lu Yanxue smiled broadly.

"Since your sister had entrusted you with me, I will make sure of your safety, always." The old man said before he hung up.

As soon as the line disconnected, Lu Yanxue's smile disappeared.

"How was it, Xiao Xue?" Miao Xiaoqian asked expectantly.

"Don't worry, I got this." Lu Yanxue managed a smile, but she heaved a sigh in her mind.

She had hoped to save this trump card for a moment of life and death. However, she had to waste it over a trifle that hardly involved herself.

Personal favors were limited resources, and unrenewable. She wagered that it would be more difficult for her to ask another favor again in the future.

"Let's go. I want to see what's going on outside." Lu Yanxue gained confidence after she had gotten the old man's guarantee. Miao Xiaoqian hesitated for a second and then followed her friend off the bus.

Meanwhile, Brother Wu and the others encircled Chen Fan and were arguing with him.

It was evident that the crowd was scared of Tong Shan. He was over two meters tall and a normal person could only reach his waist. If not for the strength in number, they would have run away.

"Hey buddy, aren't you going to say something? You have hurt my friend after all."

Seeing the confrontation had reached a standstill, Deng Jun spoke up.

"Say what?" Chen Fan asked calmly.

"My bro wants to exchange seats with you, but you threw him off the bus. Look at his face, all bruised up. You need to apologize and pay for the medical expenses, that's the least you could do." Deng Jun said firmly.

The patches of bruises suggested that Brother Wu had landed on his face when he was thrown out of the bus.

"Medical expenses?" Chen Fan crooked his head to one side and asked with a half smile: "I wonder how much do you want?"

"My face is ruined. I need at least ten thousand to fix it." Brother Wu shouted.

"Ten thousand?" To everyone's surprise, Chen Fan shook his head and said: "No, that won't be enough."

"What do you mean?"

Everyone was taken aback. They have never seen anyone who bargained that way. Brother Wu smiled a little, the thought of a huge compensation made him felt the injury was worth it.

However, Deng Jun pulled a taut face and chided.

"Friend, don't pull my leg. You are not going to pay anything, aren't you."

The other people finally registered Chen Fan's sarcasm as menacing light burned in their eyes.

"Stop it!"

Suddenly, they heard a female voice.

They looked toward the voice and saw that two gorgeous girls walked off the bus. The one in the front was particularly attractive. Her smooth skin seemed to glow under the sunlight. She was wearing a casual outfit, but the elegance and gracefulness shone through her mundane clothing. She was Lu Yanxue.

"Oh shit! Brother Wu, I was wondering why you got into trouble. Now it all makes sense."

Everyone's eyes were brimming as they examined the two beautiful girls. Brother Wu grinned and then said.

"See? Can you really blame me for hitting on her?" Despite his broken face, Brother Wu managed to display his pride on his face.

Lu Yanxue walked over to the crowd and said: "You are Deng Jun, aren't you? That is enough, quit it now. We will both forget about this run in."

"Hey girl, you are not Deng Jun's girlfriend are you?. If you are, we will even make Brother Wu apologize to you." Someone jested.

Brother Wu cursed at the speaker with a lighthearted smile. He looked to Deng Jun and noticed the unmistaken look on his face.

Miao Xiaoqian blushed as anger roiled inside of her. However, Lu Yanxue announced calmly.

"Deng Jun, what do you think?"

Deng Jun said slowly: "Just apologize, and we will let the matter slide."

Lu Yanxue hesitated for a second. It was better if she could avert the crisis by herself than using the old man's personal favor. She looked to Chen Fan and heard him speaking to Deng Jun.

"Very well. If your friend kowtows to me then I will forgive him."

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 158: Call Me

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"How dare you!"

The faces around Chen Fan darkened after they heard his demand.

Deng Jun smiled menacingly and said: "It sounds like you are determined to test us. Very well then. I, Deng Jun will gladly oblige. Come at me, now!"

The other people glared at Chen Fan with a fire burning in their eyes.

Lu Yanxue was so frustrated that she wished she was on the opposite side.

"A reckless idiot! Can't you see the situation we are in?"

Being pushed to her last leg, she rose her voice and shouted: "Deng Jun, I ask you to stop now in the name of Lord Wu!"

"What Lord Wu? "Everyone was taken aback at first. It wasn't long before realization finally downed upon Deng Jun. He gasped: "Lord Wu of Jiang Zhou City?"

"You got it." Lu Yanxue said coldly.

Deng Jun hesitated as his mind raced. Lord Wu had been sitting in Jiang Zhou City's seat of power for over a decade. A lowly countryside hillbilly such as him could not compare. However, he was not convinced that a random girl would know Lord Wu. Despite his doubts, he nodded and said: "Very well. Ask Lord Wu to give me a call to confirm."

Lu Yanxue was suddenly at a loss. She was lucky that Lord Wu had picked up the phone last time she called. If she called him two times in a row, the old man might get annoyed. Therefore, Lu Yanxue dug her heels in and insisted: "The old man will be here soon, just wait."

A pang of displeasure flashed across Deng Jun as he squeezed out a smile: "Very well, I will wait."

The crowd stood beside the bus and didn't speak a word to each other. A deadly silence fell over the country road.

Chen Fan crossed his arms as he half leaned against one side of the bus. He was amused by the development. He wondered if Lord Wu was the "Traitor of Jiang Bei" that Third Lord Wei had mentioned to him.

He was planning to meet this Lord Wu personally, and it turned out that the brush with this group of people would end up saving him a trip.

Chen Fan waited patiently with everyone else for Lord Wu to show up.

Ten minutes, twenty minutes... It wasn't until half an hour later, a Jaguar rolled toward the crowd from afar.

After the Jaguar pulled over, a man emerged from within. The man cursed at the top of his lungs as he approached the scene. "Deng Jun, what's the meaning of this? Are you going to bother Lord Wu's guests?"

Deng Jun recognized the man; disdain and contempt crawled all over his face.

"I was just wondering who was barking, Zhang Qiang."

"Where is Lord Wu? Did he just sent a loser on his behalf?"

Deng Jun felt suddenly as if a heavyweight was off his heart.

The man was a local gentry from Jiang Zhou City and ran a small construction company of a few dozen employees. Deng Jun was not at all scared by his presence. Since Zhang Qiang's territory was adjacent to that of this man, they were competitors in business. Since Deng Jun's company had just gained an infusion of fresh cash, Deng Jun had an upper hand in the competition.

Lu Yanxue felt a pang of disappointment after seeing that Lord Wu didn't come to her aid personally.

"Deng Jun, I don't have time to waste. These people are Lord Wu's guests, that's all I am going to tell you."

Despite Zhang Qiang's words, he didn't sound very firm.

Lord Wu's secretary had called him and only suggested he come to help out the girl. Since even the secretary didn't sound like he cared that much about the ordeal, Zhang Qiang had also taken his time to get here.

"Very well..." Deng Jun nodded. He didn't want to have any bad blood with Lord Wu either. However, he then pointed a finger at Chen Fan and asked.

"But Lord Wu didn't invite him, did he?"

Zhang Qiang was taken aback by the question. The secretary had only mentioned two girls.

He looked to Lu Yanxue only to be astonished by the girl's exceptional beauty. Her skin was so fair and smooth that it looked like juicy peaches of August.

Lu Yanxue was set back on her heels as well. Miao Xiaoqian hurried to put in.

"Xiao Fan got into trouble because of us, don't you dare throw him under the bus."

Deng Jun heard the girl, so he snorted and said: "Well, if the little jerk really doesn't want to apologize, then we will have to wait until Lord Wu comes here personally to save him. It doesn't have to be Lord Wu, Young Lord Teng, Young Lord Shen would do as well."

Lu Yanxue had never even heard of Young Lord Teng nor Young Lord Sheng, neither could she make Lord Wu come here personally.

She had saved up Lord Wu's favor for a long time and finally used it today; however, Lord Wu was only concerned enough to go through the motions and perfunctorily sent an underling here.

With that thought in mind, Lu Yanxue couldn't help feeling sad.

"Is that how far I am behind Sister Yanwu? When Sister Yanwu arrived at Jiang Zhou City, Lord Wu received her with such respect and gave her so much attention. However, he nearly ignored my phone call when I was in need. If not because of Sister Yanwu, he might not even send this underling here."

"Xiao Xue, do something." Miao Xiaoqian was on the brink of tearing up.

Lu Yanxue's paled and said: "What can I do? I am from the offshoot branch of the Lu Family, without my sister Yanwu, Lord Wu would not even answer my phone call."

Hearing her words, tears welled in Miao Xiaoqian's eyes. She looked to Chen Fan helplessly.

"Little shit, let's see who will save you this time." Brother Wu said with a sneer.

A group of brawny men that accompanied Brother Wu also glared at Chen Fan gloatingly, some readied their fists to beat up the defenseless boy. The passengers on the bus watched as the development unfolded. They shook their heads and lamented the sad ending after so many twists and turns.

Then, they saw Chen Fan crooked his head to one said as said: "Young Lord Teng? Young Lord Sheng? I don't know either of them, but I do have an acquaintance here in the City of Clear Water. Can I call him?"

"I don't think anyone below Young Lord Teng would save your sorry ass." Brother Wu said with a grin.

Deng Jun shot out an arm, willing the seething crowd to wait. He gave Chen Fan a cold glare and then said: "Tell me who he is."

Deng Jun was not afraid of Chen Fan, he was a cautious person and never liked to jump into action without knowing what he was dealing with.

The passengers in the bus shook their heads. The girl had already asked help from Lord Wu and that still wouldn't help them; what could a sixteen-year-old boy's friend do?"

Lu Yanxue also let out a contemptuous snort. She didn't believe that Chen Fan could have any connections who were more powerful than Lord Wu.

Chen Fan said slowly: "His name is... Liu Guodong, if my memory serves me right."

"Liu Guodong? Who the hell is that?" The group of brawny men laughed out loud. Brother Wu laughed as he gloated over Chen Fan's impending doom.

However, Deng Jun's face turned dark in shock.

"Liu Guodong... Baldy Liu of City of Clear Water?"

As soon as he let out those words, the crowd stopped laughing. The smiles froze on their faces.

The name Baldy Liu was much more well known among the citizens of Clear Water compared to his real name Liu Guodong. Ninety-nine percent of the local residents had never heard his real name, but everyone knew Baldy Liu.

"You know Boss Liu?"

Deng Jun looked to Chen Fan suspiciously.

"Deng Jun, don't listen to him. How could Boss Liu befriend a young boy such as him?" Someone shouted.

"Just so! Deng Jun, I say he had never even met Young Lord Teng, much less Boss Liu. I bet he just threw that name out there to scare us." Another man put in.

Deng Jun didn't believe Chen Fan either. It was nearly impossible for a no-account youngster to befriend a powerful tycoon in the city.

Even Lu Yanxue looked at Chen Fan incredulously."You said you know Baldy Liu?"

"Who is Baldy Liu?" Miao Xiaoqian asked.

Lu Yanxue quickly filled her in. After listening to Boss Liu's illustrative achievements, Miao Xiaoqian also became suspicious of Chen Fan's claim. Nonetheless, she looked to Chen Fan expectantly, hoping he was telling the truth.

"Kiddo, if you lie to me, I will make you suffer twice as much!" Deng Jun glared at Chen Fan and said menacingly.

Chen Fan was unfazed by the threat. He produced a cell phone from his pocket and dialed a number. After he exchanged a few words over the phone, he hung up.

"That's it?" Everyone was at a loss.

He thought that a phone call would deter us?" Brother Wu thought lightheartedly. Lu Yanxue and Miao Xiaoqian felt disappointed at the anti-climatic development. Even as Deng Jun was about to order an attack, his cell phone rang.

"Who the heck is it? Does he know I am busy?"

Deng Jun hold back his anger and pulled out the cell phone from his pocket.

At the corner of his eyes, he caught the caller display and the sight set him back on his heels.

The caller display read: "Boss Liu!"

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Chapter 159: Lu Family of The Lin City

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Deng Jun managed to gather himself and connected the call. He placed the cell phone near his ear and as he listened, nodding from time to time. In the end, he hung up the phone and, after a couple of seconds of pause, he turned to Chen Fan.

"I am sorry... Mr. Chen... I didn't know that..."

"Deng Jun, what are you doing? Go after him!" Brother Wu shouted. However, he got a solid slap on the face as a reply.

Brother Wu was stunned by the development. He covered his cheek and was not sure what to do.

Everyone was dumbfounded by the development as they wondered what had happened. Could it be that the caller really was Baldy Liu?

Then and only then, realization finally dawned upon Brother Wu. He knew that he had ticked off the wrong person this time; the burning hand mark on his cheeks was the proof.

He hurried to drop to both knees to the ground and kowtowed to Chen Fan. "I am sorry, please forgive me. Please forgive me!"

Deng Jun plastered on a conciliatory smile and said: "Mr. Chen, he is an idiot, he has always been. Don't let him bother you."

Chen Fan kept his silence. However, Tong Shan took a step forward and kicked Brother Wu's legs with great force.

"AHHhh!"

Brother Wu bent over doubled and hugged his knees close to his chest as he let out a painful howl.

Life drained away from Deng Jun's face and the faces around him. However, no one dared to say a word.

"Fine, that will be it." Chen Fan shook his head slightly and decided to call it quits. These are lowly scum and, if not because of Lord Wu's involvement, he would have already left the scene a while ago.

However, Chen Fan would not so easily forgive Deng Jun and other perpetrators. He had told Liu Guodong on the phone that he didn't want to see these people again. He was confident that Liu Guodong would be smart enough to understand what he really meant.

"What a shame that I was unable to meet Lord Wu." Chen Fan heaved a sigh before he started back to the bus.

As he passed Zhang Qiang, he paused a second and then said lightly: "Go back and tell Wu Xiuyan that I will be visiting him in person very soon."

Afterwards, he disappeared into the bus. Lu Yanxue hesitated for a second and quickly caught up with him. Zhang Qiang wasn't able to gather himself until the bus had disappeared at the end of the road.

"Wu Xiuyan? Isn't that Lord Wu's name?" Zhang Qiang furrowed his brows and asked: "So he asked me to leave a message for Lord Wu, but who the heck is he?"

He glanced at Brother Wu, who was still howling out his pain as a light bulb moment hit him. "He has a connection with Boss Liu and, his last name is Chen. He is also very young. Could he be the legendary Master Chen?"

With that thought in mind, Zhang Qiang started to tremble uncontrollably.

He had thought that Master Chen was an urban legend.

He thought of the rumors about the bad blood between Lord Wu and Master Chen, and the thought gave him jitters. He hurried back to the vehicle and drove away to deliver the message.

When Chen Fan was back on the bus, passengers gave Chen Fan fearful glances. Miao Xiaoqian was pleasantly surprised by the turn of events. Chen Fan was able to overcome the group of angry mobs with just a phone call.

Lu Yanxue held up her chin with pride. She muttered to herself. "Humph. Liu Guodong is no big deal. His power is only mediocre compared to members of my family."

Chen Fan heard the girl's words and was amused. He reckoned that her bark was worse than her bite.

Afterward, the three chatted along the way. When they finally arrived at the Lin City, Miao Xiaoqian felt it difficult to say goodbye. Before Lu Yanxue bade farewell with him, she said with a solemn face: "Hey kiddo, don't try to be a hero next time. Although you are under your Big Cousin's protection, he was no match against real powerful fighters despite his tough looks. Just stay out of trouble, will you?"

She paused a second as a hint of hesitation surfaced on her face. "If you do get yourself into trouble, tell them my name and tell them you know people from the Lu family."

"Thanks, but that's fine. I am not afraid of anyone." Chen Fan said with his hands linked behind his back, it was as if he was a Martial Arts master.

"Tough guy." Lu Yanxue rolled her eyes at him. After they exchanged each other's phone numbers, they bade each other farewell and parted ways.

Chen Fan sauntered out of the bus station with Tong Shan trailing closely behind.

"Lin City, I have arrived!"

He scanned the flow of traffic around him and then reached out with his Immortal Will. To his surprise, he sensed the presence of a Martial Artist; it was a good sign.

"I would be hard pressed to find even just one Martial Artist in a month, yet they are everywhere here. I am in the right place!"

Chen Fan didn't ask Huo Donglai the location of the conference since he was confident that he could be able to locate it by himself.

He locked his Immortal Will onto the martial artist he had spotted and followed his signal. The Martial Artist traveled fast, weaving in and out of the crowd like a herring swimming in a cluster of corals. On the other hand, Chen Fan's steps were slow, but his strides were wide, so much so that he had no problem catching up with the swift-moving martial artist.

The cat and mouse game went on for a while until the Martial artist led Chen Fan into a dead end. As soon as Chen Fan rounded a corner, he saw the man was standing against a wall, waiting for him.

"May I know who you are? Why have you been following me?"

The martial artist's face was yellow and waxy. He was a slender build and tall, middle-aged man. Despite his thin limbs, his hands were gigantic. A white light glowed faintly at the tip of each finger. He fixed his gaze on Tong Shan, in part due to the fearsome sight of Tong Shan's large body.

"You were able to detect me?"

Chen Fan was taken aback, but he quickly found out the answer.

Tong Shan was too large to be missed by even ordinary people, much less a well trained martial artist.

"I don't mean you harm. I just want to ask about the location of the Martial Arts Conference." Chen Fan answered readily.

"That's it?" The middle-aged man squinted doubtfully. After a while, he replied without rancor: "I can take you there, do I get paid?"

"Payment?" Chen Fan furrowed his brows and thought for a moment. Then he produced a Physic Refining Pill.

He made these pills for the Cang Dragon soldiers. Although its effect couldn't compare with Arcane Pills nor Essence Gathering Pill, it was an ideal supplement for martial artists to strengthen their body and refine their inner energy.

The middle-aged man took the pill, but the doubt didn't leave his face. He sniffed it and then he asked with surprise: "Is this an elixir?"

He glared at Chen Fan and asked: "Do you have more, I will take them all. I will pay."

"If you help me, I can spare a few more pellets for you." Chen Fan shrugged.

"Agreed!" The middle-aged man answered. However, the glinting greed on his face didn't escape Chen Fan's sharp eyes.

Afterward, the two introduced each other. Chen Fan learned that this middle-aged man was called "Xin Chou" and people call him "Second Lord Xin." He was from the Xin family of Zhong Zhou. According to him, the Xin family clan had always been a traditional martial arts family. However, the family had fallen apart recently and Second Lord Xin had become the most powerful martial artists even though he had only reached initial success in his Internal Force Cultivation. He wanted to purchase a few elixirs to enhance the younger generation's training.

"Are elixirs like these rare to find?" Chen Fan asked.

Only the Essence Gathering Pill and Arcane Pills called for numinous treasures in their ingredient list, but Physic Refining Pill needed only readily available herbs. If followed the instructions correctly, anyone could have made it, much less a martial artist.

"Yes, what you give me is indeed very rare." Second Lord Xin explained.

Most recipes of the elixirs were passed down through generations in martial arts families. Some of the elixirs required herbs that had already gone extinct. Even for those common herbs, the recipes often required seasoned and high-grade ingredients which could also be difficult to come by. In addition, many recipes came with long instructions and, many of which were lost over time. Missing just one ingredient or one small step would render the recipe useless. Therefore, there had been fewer and fewer elixirs available each year. By then, any elixirs would be considered rare treasures.

"I see." Chen Fan nodded.

The Physic Refining Pill he offered to the military was a modified version of the original recipe. He changed it so that it only required readily available herbs. However, those archaic secret recipes from the Martial Arts families were extremely complicated, worse, they were also less effective.

"I have heard that the Li Family of Green Vines as well as the Medicine God Vally Sect will be at the conference as well."

"Li Family of Green Vines? Medicine God Vally Sect?" Chen Fan furrowed his brows.

"You got it! Li Family was the most well known for its traditional Chinese medicine remedies. They teach martial arts while selling traditional herbs, and by doing so, they control over ninety percent of the high-end traditional medicine market." Second Lord Xin explained.

"The Medicine God Vally Sect was even more influential. Rumor had it that the Dao Sect from the ancient time had passed down the method of Elixir Brewing to them. They practically had a monopoly over the elixir market in China."

Chen Fan nodded. He wagered that his only hope of acquiring thousand-year-old ginseng would have to rely on these guys.

When Second Lord Xin spoke with Chen Fan, his eyes didn't leave Tong Shan for a second.

To him, Chen Fan was just an ordinary person.

However, Tong Shan looked like a powerful fighter. Every step he took carried so much weight that it threatened to send a tremor through the pavement.

The Martial Arts Conference was hosted at a small manor near a lake. They walked along the lake and before long they had arrived at the venue. Two muscular men in traditional Chinese suits stood in front of the entrance. Their dark eyes glinted under the sun and under their shirts, one could trace their chiseled muscles. It was apparent that the two were powerful Internal Force users of phenomenal success.

"The host of this years conference seemed pretty powerful." Chen Fan exclaimed.

Phenomenal Success in Internal Force cultivation was no small feat. Their power was at least on par with the sergeants' at the Cang Dragon unit. However, here, they could only be a doorman.

"Of course! It was the Lu family of Lin City. The most powerful martial arts family of our time. They have a transcendent master among their ranks, that's why."Second Lord Xin said enviously.

"Lu family?" Chen Fan paused a second as he recalled what Lu Yanxue told him. He was amused by the coincidence that they shared the same last name and wondered if Lu Yanxue was from the same Lu family.

Second Lord Xin walked over to the doorman and gave them his name.

One of the men nodded and said: "Xin family of Zhong Zhou. Welcome, sir."

Chen Fan trailed behind Second Lord Xin, but he was stopped by one of the muscular men. "Sir, I am sorry but you can't enter here without an invitation."

Chen Fan said: "I am here for the Martial Arts Conference."

"You are a martial artist?" Both men asked in unison.

They studied Chen Fan carefully, and couldn't find any sign of martial arts training in his wimpy arms and smooth skin. He looked like a high school student—no, he IS a high school student. Second Lord Xin crossed his arms and smiled at Chen Fan gloatingly. He, too, wanted to see how the powerful Chen Fan could persuade the two dutiful doormen.

Chen Fan furrowed his brows and was about to display his strength to prove himself. He heard a surprised voice calling out at him. "Chen Fan?"

He turned toward the voice and saw Lu Yanxue and Miao Xiaoqian, both surprised to see him.

"What a small world."

Chen Fan lamented.

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Chapter 160: Elixr Fair

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"What are you doing here?" Miao Xiaoqian asked with surprise.

"I am here to attend the conference." Chen Fan cracked a smile.

"Conference? You must have happened to stumble upon the poster, didn't you?" Lu Yanxue rolled her eyes. However, she turned to the two men at the entrance and said: "Please, he is my friend, can you let him in?"

"I am sorry, Miss. This is a private gathering." The man in traditional Chinese suit said somberly.

"My father is Lu Shixun, I am a member of the Lu family." Lu Shixun plastered on a sweet smile.

"Lu Shixun?" The two men paused a second. One of them muttered to the other: "He is from the Third Great Lord." The other nodded and said: "Well, of course, you can go in. But not him."

"Why?" Miao Xiaoqian kitted her brows.

However, she had exhausted all her ruses, and so she was not sure what else to do to help Chen Fan.

The two men in front of her were both phenomenal success in their Internal Force cultivation. That would put their status even higher than her father. Her direct family was just an off shot of the main Lu family branch. If not because she was friends with a few young cousins from the main branch, she might as well be standing with Chen Fan at the other side of the threshold.

Then, a red luxury sports car pulled over. A handsome, strapping young man emerged from within. His body was in exceptionally good shape, and his features on his face were sublime.

He walked over to the threshold with a warm smile and then said: "Xiao Xue, why aren't you heading in?"

"I met a friend." Lu Yanxue lowered her head as she blushed.

The man was so handsome that his appearance could have outshined lead members of pop idol bands. Miao Xiaoqian's eyes instantly melted into fangirl hearts as soon as she saw him.

"Let's go say hi to Great-Great Grandpa, and then we will chat with your friend." The young man announced. He nodded at Chen Fan before he walked into the venue.

The other two men in traditional Chinese suits bowed respectfully as he passed. "Young Lord!"

Lu Yanxue looked at Chen Fan and nodded, signaling to him her departure. Her eyes were filled with embarrassment. She pulled one hand close to her face and made a sign that read: "Call me," before she disappeared into the manor. After the two were gone, Second Lord Xin tutted:

"The Young Lord of the Lu family, Lu Haixuan. Ha! So Dashing and so much power! Rumor has it that he was a martial arts genius that had achieved phenomenal success before he was thirty. He was often compared with Gao Baisheng and Gu Xiao from the Gu family."

"I have heard that the Lu family also sired an extraordinarily beautiful girl called Lu Yanwu. She was no martial artist, but she was a strident businesswoman. She was in charge of the Lu's Group. Both she and that young man were the most outstanding members of the Lu family's younger generation."

"It's the 21st century now, they still call him Young Lord?" Chen Fan lamented. He spoke to the doormen again: "Can I go in now?"

"If you really want to get in, you can try to prove yourself by moving that tripod cauldron over there." One of the doormen said.

The tripod cauldron he was talking about was set a few meters away from them. It was made out of bronze and was about one meter in height. An ordinary person wouldn't even be able to shake it, much less moving it.

Chen Fan waved a hand at Tong Shan. The latter slapped hard on the side of the cauldron.

"Bang!"

The impact sent a blaring noise. The cauldron was knocked back a few inches from where its original location was.

"Bravo!"

The two doormen were shocked. Second Lord Xin squinted and studied Tong Shan intensely. His suspicions had been confirmed: Tong Shan was indeed a powerful fighter, he was not far from the peak of the Internal Force cultivation.

"Welcome, sir. However, before you enter, please sign the guest book."

"Chu Zhou City, Chen Beixuan." Chen Fan said lightly. "This is my servant, Tong Shan."

Chen Fan's answer instilled more respect into the two doormen. They wagered that Chen Fan ought to be a mighty figure to be able to have such a powerful servant. However, they racked their brains to find any renowned martial artist in Chu Zhou City but failed.

Chen Fan and Second Lord Xin finally stepped into the Manor.

The Manor was huge inside, and it spoke loudly of the Lu family's incredible power and influence. The hostess welcomed them as soon as they stepped inside.

Second Lord Xin continued to fill Chen Fan in as they walked on.

"The Martial Arts Conference will last half a month. The first ten days were for all participants to exchange ideas, Dharma Artifacts, or simply to party. The last five days were all business."

"You said Dharma Artifacts?" Chen Fan asked.

"Why, of course! Dharma Artifacts are widely used by martial artists. That being said, elixirs are probably more common than artifacts." Second Lord Xin said. Ever since Tong Shan's display of power, his voice has been laced with respect.

It was evident that he was completely enthralled by Tong Shan's power.

The hostess led the three to their accommodations. The living conditions here could rival that of a five-star hotel. However, Second Lord Xin told Chen Fan that the real top dogs were assigned their own mansions by the lakeside—a much better upgrade than these apartments.

Once Chen Fan had settled in, he was finally ready to meet the powerful martial artists on earth.

He made his way to the lobby and found it was packed with martial artists from all over China. They wore all different kinds of clothing, from Traditional Chinese suits to Avant Garde and anything in between. It was an eye-opener for Chen Fan in terms of styles.

"Even martial artists need to keep up with the times. Listen to their conversation, you would find that barely anyone talks about martial arts, all they care is money, money, money!" Second Lord Xin lamented.

Although Second Lord Xin possessed a few hundred million himself, he couldn't compare with the wealth of these martial artists.

Someone who recognized Second Lord Xin shouted out at him: "Second Lord Xin! What took you so long? Who's that behind you? Is he a youngster from your family? He doesn't look like a martial artist."

Second Lord Xin cracked a smile and flung back: "Mad Sun, watch your tongue. This is Chen Beixuan of Chu Zhou City. The big guy here is his servant."

He then introduced the speaker to Chen Fan: "That's Mad Sun, a master from the Xin Yi Sect."

Chen Fan nodded. Mad Sun's messy hair made him look more like a mad artist that borderlined a Van Gogh's self-portrait. He had achieved initial success and was not very far from phenomenal success.

Chen Fan's mind raced. He was taken aback by how many internal force users were here while outside of this manner, an internal force user would be considered such a rare sight. It had proven to him that it was important for him to stay in the right circle in order to meet the right people.

"Chu Zhou City? I have a Sect Brother at Chu Zhou City. Have you ever heard of Guo Wei?" Mad Sun asked.

"Guo Wei of the Wei Shen martial arts school? Yea, I have met him before." Chen Fan nodded.

Someone chimed in. "You are from Jiang Bei, aren't you. So tell me, is it true that there is a Master Chen who calls himself the 'Teenage Grand Master'?"

"That's bullshit! Grow a brain, will you? The so-called Master Chen is only twenty years old, yet he claimed that he had reached Transcendent State." Mad Sun shook his head dismissively.

Everyone else agreed with him as they nodded.

Most of them had practiced martial arts for decades and were only able to achieve phenomenal success if not initial success. What would make a twenty-year-old teenage boy so special?

Chen Fan was amused by these martial artists blind conviction and their even blinder eyes.

Suddenly, someone close to the entrance shouted: "Li Family of Green Vines and the Medicine God Vally Sect are here!"

People around Chen Fan quickly forgot about him as they rushed toward the entrance. These two families were renowned apothecary families. Chen Fan followed the flow of people toward the entrance.

Chen Fan saw Lu Haixuan walked into the manor with a man and a woman on either side. The man was in his forties and a touch of grey in his hair. The woman looked elegant and graceful in her cream blouse and dark pants. She was wearing a wooden bead bracelet on her wrist. Although she was not shockingly pretty, she had a charming and dreamy air around her nonetheless.

"That man is 'One-Needle-Li'. I have heard he could have cured any ailment with one acupuncture needle."

"The woman had to be from the Medicine God Vally Sect. That was an elusive and secretive sect, and I doubt anyone would know her name."

As everyone murmured with each other, the three walked over to the center of the courtyard. Lu Haixuan cupped his fists and said:

"Welcome everyone to this year's Martial Arts Conference. The gentleman beside me is Brother Li from the Li Family of Green Vines, One-Needle-Li, and the lady here is Miss Jin Yi from the Medicine God Vally Sect"

Greetings over, the two sat down at seats reserved for them.

The Li Family and the Medicine God Valley Sect were both in the Apocathey business. It was a great opportunity for fellow martial artists to purchase cures for their ailments.

"I have the recipe for the Lingzhi mushroom Gree Jade Pill, I wonder if the Medicine God Valley Sect would be able to refine such a pill for me?"

"I was injured a few months ago, I wonder if brother Li could take a look."

"I..."

The crowd surrounded the two guests, carried all kinds of herbs, recipes, and cheques that they had prepared for this moment. Many others found a corner in the courtyard and set up their little kiosks to tout their wares.

The most highly sought after items were elixirs. They were gone as soon as the seller put them up for sale.

Chen Fan caught on and set up his own kiosk. He found a piece of table cloth and made a banner.

"Will buy thousand-year-old herb, Spirit Pills, Spirit Medicine. Pay with elixirs: Physic Refining Pill."

His banner quickly attracted attention. Mad Sun hurried to him and said: "Hey bro, you got the elixirs?"

"You bet." Chen Fan nodded.

He had made a large amount of Physic Refining Pill while he was at the military. They didn't mind Chen Fan taking a few bottles for himself. He had thought of giving them to A'Xiu but didn't expect that he could put them to put into much better use here.

He fished out a bottle and produced a Physic Refining Pill from within.

The pill was amber in color and was nearly translucent. It looked almost scintillating against the white of the porcelain bottle.

People crowded around Chen Fan and started to examine his products. Some were still suspicious of the pill's authenticity, and some were outright astonished. Since no one had ever seen this type of elixir, no one was sure of its effects.

By then, the commotion had caught the attention of One-Needle-Li and the girl. They made their way to Chen Fan to investigate. One-Needle-Li spoke to Chen Fan warmly: "Young sir, can I take a look at your elixir?"

"Why of course!" Chen Fan replied readily.

One-Needle-Li picked up one pill and sniffed it. He then scratched the surface with a fingernail to produce some powder. He put those powder in his mouth, and suddenly, he exclaimed: "This is an authentic high-grade elixir! It can not only strengthen one's body but it also refines a martial artist's internal energy and helps them gain the power of Internal Force."

The crowd boiled over at the announcement.

There were many more External-Force-martial-artists than there were there Internal Force counterparts. If this pill could help the external force martial artist gain the internal force, it would be the most highly sought after pill in the world.

With that thought in mind, everyone looked to Chen Fan ardently.

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