Rebirth Of The Urban Immortal Cultivator

by Stayrr

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

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Great Cultivator Chen Fan had failed his Tribulation period, but after a dream, he had returned to Earth, when he was young, five hundred years ago. "In my past life, I reached the peak in the universe. I looked down upon the myriad of worlds, but with no one accompanying me. In this life, I wish for both."

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Rebirth Of The Urban Immortal Cultivator #Chapter 1 - I Am Back - Read Rebirth Of The Urban Immortal Cultivator Chapter 1 - I Am Back Online - All Page - FREEWN

Chapter 1: I Am Back

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

In the summer of 2007, a bus operated by Golden Dragon Travel Service was heading towards the County of Si Shui near Chu Zhou, a city in the Hu Dong Province.

Si Shui was a backwater county in the middle of nowhere. In the heat of the summer, the passengers on the bus had mostly fallen asleep.

A five foot six, handsome boy with a smooth face and a sleek haircut suddenly jerked his head up as he woke up from a nightmare. He scanned the bus with a weary look.

As reality finally set in, his face suddenly hardened with a frown. He had been to another world and back, yet no one on the bus would have any idea of what he had just been through.

"This is the same bus as the one I took to Chu Zhou City for my last year of high school!"

"Why am I here? Am I no longer in the Tribulation?"

"Could it be that I am back in the mortal world again?" Disbelief flickered in Chen Fan's eyes as he thought to himself.

"How is it possible that I, Chen Beixuan, escaped the heavenly tribulation, and was reborn again as my former-self?"

Chen Fan, also known as "Chen Beixuan," was a cultivator. "Bei Xuan" was the cultivation name that his teacher had given him when he met his teacher for the first time.

He cultivated for five hundred years under one of the nine celestial sects in the universe: the True Martial Immortal Sect, and he was the disciple of the sect's Grand Elder: Cangqin, the immortal cultivator.

Thanks to Chen Fan's incredible talent, it only took him five hundred years to enter the last stage of his cultivation: The Tribulation. He was thought to be the most likely cultivator in centuries to successfully ascend beyond the current realm to that of the immortals.

Chen Fan lived in this universe for five hundred years, fighting and winning every battle against any sentient being across the universe that dared challenge him. His invincibility had earned him the title: The North Mystic Celestial Lord.

However powerful he had been, he had lost himself in the heavenly tribulation after all.

It was not until his doom was knocking on the door did he realize that the culprit of his failure was the hastened pace during his cultivation. Fast and furious was his motto, but it had also made his cultivation foundation riddled with weak points.

His resolution and dedication— the so-called "Dao-Heart"—crumbled when he had to face the mental demons that lurked in the darkest corners of his mind.

His eagerness to complete the cultivation had become his downfall. To advance as fast as he could, he had left many regrets and made countless mistakes. As guilt and self-resentment slowly eroded his mind, he became vulnerable to the mental demons' deceits and illusions.

As Chen Fan reflected his battle against the mental demons, he tried to tap into the energy within his system, to see if he was in another illusion. To his surprise, he found that not only was there no trace of his star-devouring Dharmic Power, but his boundless Primordial Essence had also disappeared.

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"This is not the work of mental demons. I really am BACK!" Chen Fan furrowed his brows as realization finally dawned upon him.

Chen Fan knew that however real and vivid mental demons' illusions were, they could not mask all traces of a Celestial Lord's Primordial Essences.

"My powers are gone. There is not even a trace of Dharmic Power, Primordial Essence, Immortal Enlightenment in me, much less my precious Dharma Treasures. I am now no different than an ordinary man, and anyone could strike me down if they try hard enough."

Despite the huge setback in his cultivation, he did not seem to be too upset about it. Instead, he laughed at his defeat lightheartedly.

"So be it, my last life's cultivation was doomed from the beginning anyways.

"This time around, I will make sure that I take my cultivation one step at a time. I will not only complete but also perfect each and every level."

He cracked a smile as fire danced in his eyes.

"I will return the humiliation and contempt the world had given me in kind, and I will learn from my previous mistakes and leave no regrets as I progress."

There had been many regrets in his past life. Although his mind had always been preoccupied with cultivation, the regret and sorrow persisted.

"Mom, Dad, Sister-An, and Xiao-Qiong. I am BACK! This time I will not fail you."

Chen Fan lowered his head as resolution rose in his heart.

Chen Fan was born in an ordinary family in the Si Shui County. His father, Chen Gexin, was in the Jin City of the Hu Dong Province. His mother, on the other hand, hailed from a prominent household in the Yan Jin City.

The two met at college, and they quickly fell in love, despite the outcry from Wang Family. The overall sentiment of the society was hostile towards marriage without the parents' arrangement. It was particularly true in a prestigious old-money family such as the Wangs.

After failing to put a stop to the marriage, Chen Fan's grandfather went as far as denouncing his own daughter.

In a fit of anger, Wang Xiaoyun left her parents with her husband and settled in Hu Dong Province.

In order to prove to the Wang Family that he was worthy of their daughter's hand, Chen Gexin did not choose to stay in the populated cities where Wang Family's influence was strong; instead, he had moved to Si Shui County and started working as a low-ranking public servant.

Chen Gexin continued working for the county for a few decades, and never once had he tried to seek advantage using his connection with the mighty Wang Family. He had worked his way up from his first low-ranking position to the management level, but it was still a far cry from the expectation of the Wang family.

The tension between the two sides finally started to ease after Chen Fan was born. Chen Fan's grandfather granted the couple a visit during the Chinese New Year. However, unbeknownst to the young couple, what awaited them at Wang Family were cold sneers and lofty disdain.

The entire family had considered Chen Fan's parents a taint on the family's reputation. They had defied the will of the family patriarch and gave birth to a son who had brought no joy but only shame to the Wang family.

As for Chen Gexin's achievement in the county, it was laughable and pathetic in their eyes.

The thought brought a bitter taste to Chen Fan's mouth. He shook his head and smiled wryly.

"Wang Chen, I bet that you had never expected me to be back from the future!"

"My family had worked hard to catch up with you and your parents, but in the end, we are still worthless worms in your eyes."

"My mother was a proud person, and she could not stand being looked down upon. That was why she worked so hard, but what did she get in the end? Nothing!"

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"I swore I would avenge my mother. Although I am an ordinary person right now, once I got my power back, I will be knocking on your door. I will show you what it is like to be looked down upon and to be crushed like a worthless worm."

Wang Chen was Chen Fan's cousin. He was the favorite child of the great house Wang. In Chen Fan's last life, he had tried for all his worth to catch up with Wang Chen but failed. The gap between Wang Chen and Chen Fan was unbridgeable.

The last time that Chen Fan saw any visitor from Wang Family was during his mother's funeral. As if the Wang Family thought the death of Chen Fan's mother was not tragic enough for the young man, they had to gloat over the tragedy and sent only three youngsters to attend the funeral. No one from the older generation of the Wang Family had come to pay tribute to their own blood; not his grandfather, uncle, or grandmother.

To rub salt into the wounds, one of the visitors was Wang Chen. Wang Chen acted as if he was walking the red carpet instead of attending his aunt's funeral. Surrounded by his sycophantic entourage, his steps carried such a haughty and proud quality that blatantly disrespected the dead.

He was the star, and wherever he went, he deserved attention and respect, regardless of the circumstances.

Although it had been five hundred years, the thought of the Wang family still lit up the knot of fire in Chen Fan's belly. This memory was toxic to a cultivator such as Chen Fan.

Without coming to terms with the past, the cultivator would be vulnerable to the attacks of the devious mental demons. A small mistake would lay waste to thousands of years of hard work.

"Anyways, I better not dwell on the past. I wager that Shen Junwen's family fortune has not reached the Chu Zhou City at this point in time."

Looking out the window, the familiar scenery of the Chu Zhou City filled Chen Fan's heart with nostalgia.

The thought of Shen Junwen also reminded him of Xiao Qiong.

He had loved that girl, and she loved him, but that was not how their love story ended. Later on, his love for her had turned into an obsession which ultimately ruined his cultivation.

The mental demons had used her image to weaken his mind during their battle. One look of her face was enough to render his defense useless.

"Shen Junwen! You had robbed me of my fortune and the love of my life! You forced me to return to the county where I came from. You sat on your throne while I licked my wounds like a street dog." The thought brought Chen Fan's blood to a boil, and his eyes glinted like sharp steels.

Shen Junwen was the director of the Wanrong Group, a magnate of the real estate industry, and he was the son of the richest man in the Hu Dong Province.

He was also Chen Fan's greatest rival in love. Not only had he stolen Fang Qiong from Chen Fan, but he had also contributed to the collapse of his mother's company: the Splendor Group.

"Xiao-Qiong and I had a crush on each other ever since we were little, and we hit it off when we met again at university after a long period of separation. However, it was you who came in and stole her from me. You had driven a wedge between her family and me and forced her to give up in the end."

"The last time I met Xiao-Qiong was at an alumni party where I heard about her engagement to none other than you. I do not expect you to understand how I felt back then, but I promise that I will give it back to you ten times worse!"

"If not for Cangqin's help, I would have already ended my miserable life after I jumped off from the roof of my apartment. " Chen Fan murmured.

It has been five hundred years, and he should have already come to terms with what had happened. However, every single word that came out from Chen Fan's mouth carried a bone-chilling intent that threatened to claim souls.

"I will never forget the moment right before I decided to let go of my life. From that moment on, the old Chen Fan was dead, and the new Chen Beixuan was born.

"Thanks to you, I was able to focus entirely on cultivation. I fed on the anger inside of me and advanced through my cultivation at an incredible rate. It only took me five hundred years to reach the final stage: Tribulation. I felt that I almost owe you my appreciation."

Chen Fan's lips curled into a smile.

While Chen Fan had lived as the loser, Shen Junwen was basking in the glory of his success.

The Shen family had contributed to the death of Chen Fan's mother as well as the collapse of the Splendor Group. In other words, Shen Junwen and his family were responsible for nearly all the miseries in Chen Fan's life.

In his last life, Chen Fan had lost everything to his opponent. These old wounds never healed, at least not until redemption was sought and completed. He grunted as anger flickered in his eyes.

"Shen Junwen, Fang Family, Wang Family, and Wang Cheng, I will return the humiliation and suffering back to you in kind."

After five hundred years of cultivation, he was finally ready to right the wrongs in the first thirty years of his life. As he looked outside the window, his mind sought only one thing: retribution.

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Chapter 2: Jiang Churan

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Suddenly, a loud ringtone wrenched Chen Fan's mind out of his reverie.

He glanced at the caller ID which read: Mom!

"Is this Fan? Are you almost at Chu Zhou City? Auntie Tang should be waiting for you outside the bus station right now. I told her to find a place for you in Chu Zhou City and help me take care of you while you stay there. Do not blame me for being such a tiger mom and sending you away. You know how low your grades are right now. If you do not work hard, you could not even make it into a good university. So, I had to pull some strings to send you to the best school in the city. You listen to Auntie Tang while you are in Chu Zhou City, you hear me? She was one of my business partners while I worked in Chu Zhou City. Really nice people!"

Hearing his mother's harsh voice for the first time after hundreds of years sent a warm current through Chen Fan's body; tears welled at the corner of his eye.

"Mom, I get it. I will study hard, I promise," despite the tears, he replied with a bright smile.

This was the first time he had heard his mother's voice ever since she passed away five hundred years ago, or a few years later, depending on which time-line Chen Fan looked at.

Mother had always been a distant and fuzzy concept to Chen Fan since they did not have many opportunities to meet each other.

His mother, Wang Xiaoyun, was the very definition of a willful woman. After having been held up as the object of ridicule by her own family, she had sworn to prove them wrong. In a fit of anger, she took Chen Fan's sister, An Ya, to the international metropolis of Zhong Hai, and created the Splendor Real Estate Group. By the time Chen Fan went to college, the Splendor Group had grown into one of the largest companies in Zhong Hai, and Wang Xiaoyun was known as the Queen of Real Estate.

Therefore, Chen Fan could not have remembered much about her, at this point in time in his past life. It was not until she died in a car accident did Chen Fan finally realize how much his mother meant to him.

She had always been the backbone of the family. Chen Fan remembered that his father's hairs turned gray overnight after her accident. It was as if the tragedy had sucked his father's soul out of him, rendering him into an empty husk.

"Ah! I almost forgot to tell you. The Tang family has a daughter, and her name is Jiang Churan. Unlike you, she is a straight-A student. Your Auntie is very keen on setting you two up, but I had to warn you that studying is your priority right now!" Wang Xiaoyun said.

Chen Fan laughed in his mind. What kind of Asian mother would allow her daughter to date in high school?

Chen Fan paused a second and then said, "Mom, do not worry, I will study hard. Promise me that you will pay more attention to your health and safety while you are in Zhong Hai, particularly when you are driving. Is Sister going to get her driver's license soon? When she does, you better let her drive. I do not trust your driving skills, Mom. Sooner or later you will have an accident! "

"Okay, okay, since when did you learn to preach to your mother? Anyways, I have to go. I have already wired some money to your account but try not to waste it!" Wang Xiaoyun hung up the phone.

Chen Fan knew that although his mother was a resourceful and talented businesswoman, she was not the most detailed and meticulous person. Without the help of his sister An Ya, her company would be plagued by minor mishaps and mistakes.

The thought of his sister An Ya brought another bout of pain to his heart.

Aside from Xiao Qiong, his sister and his mother were the two other greatest regrets of in his previous life.

"I owe her a big one, and I don't even know how to make it up to her." Chen Fan kept his silence; after all, how could he assign a value to familial ties.

As Chen Fan was engrossed in his reflection of his past life, the bus arrived at the destination.

Looking at the flood of people passing by him at the bus terminal, reality finally hit him. He was back; he was seventeen years old, younger, and better than he ever had been.

"Another life, another story." Chen Fan cracked a smile, and then he followed the crowd to the exit.

Meanwhile, outside of the Chu Zhou City bus terminal, something had caught the crowd's attention: an imported red Audi-A6.

This car's worth was seven hundred thousand yuan in 2007. It was no doubt a rare sight of luxury in the street of Chu Zhou City. However, the car was not what the public was gawking at; it was the two women standing right in front of it.

The older one looked like she was in her thirties; she had a beautiful face and was wearing a black dress tailored to her curves, a formal white shirt, and a pair of high heels. No doubt she was an elite-class woman with a white-collar job.

The younger one was no older than 16; she was tall and was as beautiful as the older woman if not more so.

They were Auntie Tang and her daughter, Jiang Churan. Jiang Churan surveyed the exit of the bus terminal with a frown.

"Mom, when will he be here, do you want to call him?" Jiang Churan asked impatiently.

"We have only been waiting for ten minutes." Auntie Tang refuted.

Chen Fan's mother had been her best friend in Chu Zhou City, and she could not let her down. Wang Xiaoyun trusted her, and naturally, she had to do her best to look after the child.

"Chen Fan is a very good child. Be nice to him! You two are going to be schoolmates, so I hope you will get along. This is the first time he's leaving his county, so he is not familiar with life in the city. You need to take care of him." Auntie Tang said.

"I know... I know, Mom! This is the thirteenth time you have told me the exact same thing!" Jiang Churan complained.

Because of the stupid country boy, she thought she had to waste her entire afternoon outside of this stupid bus station under the stupid sun. She could have been spending time with her friends at the Starbucks with a cup of pumpkin spice latte in her hand right now; but no, she had to be here and be miserable.

What's worse; she had noticed the way her mother had mentioned his name to her: she was trying to set her up with that boy. "Well, over my dead body!" Jian Churan thought to herself.

Suddenly, she heard a voice calling out to her mother.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting, Auntie Tang." The boy politely greeted her mother with a gentle smile.

"Is this Chen Fan?" Jian Churan quietly regarded the boy from head to toe while standing behind her mother.

He was of average height, 5'7″ if not less, the same height as she was in her flats.

His look was... pedestrian at best, and his taste in fashion was definitely questionable.

She shook her head slightly. "He is overrated, not nearly as cool as Li Yichen."

Li Yichen was her classmate, president of the school's student council and the son of the deputy mayor of Chu Zhou City.

Li Yichen got both the good looks and a good family. He was one of the pursuers of Jiang Churan, one that Jiang Churan actually liked. The two were already regarded as a couple on campus.

Auntie Tang smiled at Chen Fan. She was very pleased with Chen Fan's courtesy.

"Xiao Fan, this is my daughter Jiang Churan."

"She will start her last year of high school next semester, and you will be schoolmates. She is three months younger than you. You can call her Ran-ran, make sure that you look after her for me at school, will you?"

Chen Fan nodded and smiled. "Don't worry, Auntie Tang, I will treat her like my own sister."

Afterward, he turned around to look at the girl who he had liked, hated, and eventually forgotten about in his past life.

Her name was Jiang Churan.

She was not only Auntie Tang's daughter, but also his high school classmate and the first girl that he had liked.

Chen Fan reminded himself that the year was 2007, before the real-estate boom and her mother's sudden rise to power. Therefore, in the eyes of the mother-daughter pair, he was just a country boy.

"That was the first time I left the backwater county to a prosperous city. I was young and foolish. How could I not fall for an upper-class beauty such as Jiang Churan?"

The flashback made Chen Fan lighthearted. What a foolish boy he had been!

He should have known better. There was no way that Jian Churan, the princess who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth would have had any feelings for him. Chen Fan shook his head.

"I remembered that she eventually fell in love with the most popular boy at that time, Li Yichen, the son of the deputy mayor of Chu Zhou City. Later, the two of them went to Zhong Hai University together and started officially dating each other. I had been quite devastated by that development."

Chen Fan was no longer the boy he had been five hundred years ago. What would he do this time? Would he make a proper closure to this secret infatuation?

Chen Fan took the initiative and reached out a hand. "Hello, my name is Chen Fan, from Si Shui County. We will be classmates in the future. Let me know if you ever need any help!"

Although Jiang Churan had hurt him once, he had made a promise to Auntie Tang that he would protect her.

Jiang Churan had to admit that although the boy was not handsome by a long chalk, he was not entirely an eyesore. The features on his face could even be pleasing to her eyes, depending on the angle she looked at them.

"Unfortunately, his family was too poor; we could be friends at best." Jiang Churan lamented in her mind as she shook Chen Fan's hand.

"Very well; I will take you up on it." Jiang Churan said, and then her lips thinned into a smile.

Her father was a high-ranking government official, and her mother ran a million-yuan company. She had never thought that she would ever need any help from Chen Fan.

Auntie Tang put in, "Get into the car, we will go to your new place and drop off the luggage first. Then we will go to my house for lunch. Where I will introduce you to your uncle."

"Okay." Chen Fan nodded with a smile.

After getting into the vehicle, they headed toward Chen Fan's new house in the Lakeside Community.

This was a mid-range residential property in the Chu Zhou City. The scenery was beautiful as it was surrounded by trees and was right next to Yangui Lake. It was also not far from the Ivy League High School where Chen Fan would be studying. Chen Fan was led to a large furnished one bedroom suite. It came with air conditioning, hot water, bathtub, TV, sofa, and a refrigerator. It was evident that Auntie Tang had spent a lot of time preparing for his stay in the city.

"Thank you, Auntie Tang, for all of this," Chen Fan said sincerely. Auntie Tang was one of the few people who had been genuinely nice to him.

She was a business partner of his mother, Wang Xiaoyun. She ran an architectural design company and was considered a successful woman.

Worried about her son's low grades, Chen Fan's mother sent him to the best private high school in the City of Chu Zhou: the Ivy League High School and Auntie Tang had been taking care of him ever since. Not only had she helped him with accommodations, but she had also packed him lunch from time to time.

Looking back on his past life, Auntie Tang had always been there looking out for him.

"You are too polite. Your mother has entrusted you to me so that I will take good care of you. Plus, I had always wanted a son," Auntie Tang said with a smile.

"Thank you." Chen Fan nodded, and he was ready to repay Auntie Tang's loving care in his past life.

Auntie Tang felt the sincerity in his words, and she was even more impressed by the boy. Compared to that cocky city boy, Li Yichen, Auntie Tang preferred Chen Fan as a son-in-law. Money and power were not the key to a happy marriage; honesty and integrity were.

After a while, they drove out of the Lakeside Community, and towards the Tang family residence.

Jiang Churan and Chen Fan were sitting side by side in the back seat. They only exchanged a few words before the girl completely lost interest in Chen Fan. She was out of his league. None of them spoke a word to each other, dragging out the silence. Chen Fan eventually put on a tired look and rested his head against the window and pretended to be sleeping.

Although Chen Fan had given her a good impression during their first meeting, she didn't like to talk to people who were less popular than her, especially when the boy was ignoring her in the first place.

She knew the likes of him: pretending he was not interested, thinking that he could make her feel jealous. She had seen too many boys play that trick on her, but none had succeeded.

However, Chen Fan was not even remotely interested in her, much less in the mood of playing tricks. His mind was occupied by his cultivation.

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Chapter 3: Levels Of Cultivation

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

For Chen Fan, the most important thing at the moment was to regain his power.

The progression of cultivation was divided into eight levels:

Qi Refinement, Connate, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Soul Formation, Void, Reunion, and Tribulation.

Although his teacher, Cangqin the Immortal Cultivator had lived for eight hundred and forty thousand years, he had just reached the seventh level. Once the cultivator reached the seventh level, he was granted the title "True Immortal" and could live up to a hundred thousand years.

In this universe, a seventh level "True Immortal" would be revered as the embodiment of power and invincibility. Their powers would allow them to crush the stars, swallow the sun, and even create another dimension beyond space and time.

In the past five hundred years, Chen Fan had reached the eighth level: Tribulation, surpassing his teacher and earned the title of the: "Celestial Lord."

However, Tribulation was too far away and too much for Chen Fan to worry about right now.

"I came back to the Earth once during my cultivation. At that time, the Earth's Spirit Qi was completely exhausted, and it was no longer suitable for the cultivators to live." Compared to the earth, the realm of "Cangming"—an alternative universe created by his teacher Cangqin—was a much better place for cultivators to harness energy. Chen Fan reflected his last visit to Earth as he started to sense the Qi surroundings him right now.

The last time he returned to the Earth, it would be more than a hundred years later in this current timeline, and by that time, he would already be a successful cultivator.

He ferried across billions of realms that separated him from the Earth in order to reach his home town, but he was disappointed in the end. The earth was no longer the same place as he remembered. The old national-state system had fallen apart, and the humans had formed the Earth Federation. After the humans colonized Mars, they stepped out of the solar system and entered the era of interstellar traveling.

Chen Fan had continued to live on the earth for another twenty years, and he did not sense the presence of any other cultivators.

"The Spirit Qi in this world right now was slightly more available than that of a hundred years later, but it was by no means abundant." He shook his head silently. "Even if there is a cultivator, they will be at level two at the most."

"I am afraid that I am still the only cultivator on earth."

Chen Fan knew very well what it meant. It meant that as long as he could regain a fraction of his power, he could lord over this world with ease. Chen Fan also knew that he didn't need advanced technology in order to reach his goals; he only needed to reach level two in his cultivation.

Without reaching level two, one can not even call himself a "cultivator."

With the wealth of knowledge he had accumulated over the five hundred years, Chen Fan wagered that it would take him only a few years to reach that stage.

"The Spirit Qi is quite inconsistent around here; I better find a place with a stronger presence of Qi to help my cultivation."

"If I can locate a numinous treasure, I will be sure to break through the second level in under three years."

The thought of acquiring a numinous treasure amused Chen Fan, "What am I thinking? With such meager amount of Qi on the earth, there wouldn't be any herbs left for me much less numinous treasures."

As Chen Fan mulled over his predicament, the vehicle had pulled over to Auntie Tang's house.

Chen Fan's accommodation was located at the edge of downtown. Facing the enormous Yangui Lake, it was considered a high-quality mid-range property in the Chu Zhou City. On the other hand, the Tangs lived in a suburban development in Yunshan District, which was only a few minutes drive from Chen Fan's place.

The car followed a highway that hugged the lake, and it eventually led them to the foot of the Yunwu Mountain. Chen Fanyi saw the name of the suburb development:

Dragon's View Garden.

Chen Fan recalled that the Dragon's View Garden was a high-end residential development in the Chu Zhou City. A small bungalow in this area would cost as much as two million even before the real estate boom.

Auntie Tang lowered the rear view mirror and saw fascination in Chen Fan's eyes.

"The Yunwu mountain was the most famous landmark here in the Chu Zhou City other than the Yangui Lake. The Dragon's View was only the mid-tier development around this area. Maybe later we will go further into the mountain, and I will show you some villas. They make our house look like a shed in their backyard. You should come to visit us early in the morning too; the entire mountain will be shrouded in mist, hence its name, 'Yun-wu': cloudy-mist."

There was a hint of envy in Auntie Tang's voice while she spoke about those villas high up in the mountains.

"Up there, the cheapest house cost more than ten million. It was developed by the richest man in Chu Zhou City and only his friends and the billionaires from the south could afford those properties. I could probably buy only a kitchenette even if I sold my company," Auntie Tang shook her head and then sighed.

"The richest man in Chu Zhou City... The Shen family?" Chen Fan thought.

"Your house looks very big in my opinion. Our family lived in a 100-square-meter home in our county; it was a government subsidized property."

Chen Fan paused and then said, "If auntie really likes those houses, I will buy you a few of them once I start to make money. I will make sure you can wake up every day to look down at the sea of cloudy mists beneath you."

What was a villa to someone who could have the entire universe? He would have whatever his heart desired as soon as he reached level two.

Auntie Tang was pleased by Chen Fan's words. She said, "Very well, I will take you up on it! Tell your mother to come live with me. To hell with her real estate company! Your mother and sister are two brave souls, trying to make a living in the metropolis where they have no one to turn to. If she retires now, we can go shopping together, or go to the spa if we really run out of things to do. What a life that will be, eh?"

Jiang Churan listened to the conversation, and she was not very impressed by what she heard.

Not even the richest classmate she knew could have promised to buy a villa up in the mountains as a gift. Everyone knew that only the richest of the rich could afford living up there.

"It seems that he is just like the others, full of empty talk and no real action."

She was slightly disappointed at Chen Fan. She had thought that this boy from the countryside would be different than city boys, but it seemed that she was wrong.

The decoration in Auntie Tang's home was elegant, in style, and exquisite in their craftsmanship. From the paintings on the wall to the blue-white porcelain vase on the table, it was evident that the Tang family was not only wealthy but also well-educated and had good taste in fine arts.

After entering the hall, Chen Fan saw a middle-aged man sitting on the sofa, wearing a pair of black rimmed glasses. He was watching the news on Tv.

He was Jiang Churan's father, Jiang Haishan!

He was the deputy director of the Chu Zhou City. Although his rank was not high, he was close to Chu Zhou City's power center.

Chen Fan bowed to him, and Jiang Haishan nodded absently.

"Come and grab a seat. Ran-ran, why don't you go to the kitchen and make some tea for your dad and our guest? Can you guys wait a few minutes for dinner? I need to heat up some dishes." Auntie Tang spoke as she entered the kitchen.

Jiang Churan nodded and took out a box of purple clay tea set made by a renowned artist from the Town of Yixin.

Chen Fan was pleasantly surprised by Jiang Churan's tea-making techniques; her movement was fluid and smooth like flowing water while her focus on the craft didn't allow a single drop to be spilled. It was evident that she had trained under a skilled teacher—a detail that Chen Fan did not notice in his previous life.

Jiang Haishan's eyes were glued to the TV, and he didn't turn around to face the guest until the news was over.

"How is your father, Reeve Chen doing? The last time I met him was at a government meeting six months ago."

"He is doing well. Thank you for asking." Chen Fan said politely.

Chen Fan's father was the deputy magistrate of the Si Shui County, and although his rank was similar to that of Jiang Haishan, his jurisdiction was a remote county instead of a bustling city.

Jiang Haishan nodded, "Your father is young and full of potential. His proposal, the "Sustainable Development of County Economy and the Selection and Application of Environmental Protection Policies," was praised by the mayor. The mayor said that your father has an international perspective, and he agreed with your father that the future economic development is inseparable from environmental protection."

Chen Fan nodded with a blank smile. Why would he think that a high school boy would be interested in boring politics? If Chen Fan could have understood half of what Jiang Haishan had just spilled out from his mouth, he wouldn't have bankrupted his mother's company.

Seeing that Chen Fan was not interested in he said, Jiang Haishan frowned slightly and then changed the topic.

"I have heard from your auntie that your mother's real estate company in Zhong Hai City is developing very fast. Many experts are predicting that the country's property market will grow substantially next year. Your mother has chosen a good field."

Chen Fan smiled and said, "My mother's company was insignificant compared to that of Auntie Tang."

Jiang Haishan shook his head. "You think too highly of her. Her company hired only a dozen people, earning merely hundreds of thousands a year. How would that compare to your mother's corporation."

Chen Fan hurried a humble reply, "I am not being modest at all. My mother had only a few people working under her, and that's all the help she gets. She had to run between the contractors and the developers and deal with endless paperwork. It's a hard job with not that much money."

"Oh?" Jiang Haishan frowned.

What Chen Fan had told him was drastically different than what he had heard from his wife. Judging by his first impression of the boy, Jiang Haishan was convinced that Chen Fan was not lying. Therefore, he wagered that the rumors about Chen Fan's mother he had heard before were exaggerated.

Chen Fan's description of the company sounded more realistic, as well. It was started by a woman and her daughter in a place where they knew no one and had no connections. Building up a real estate empire so quickly seemed too good to be true regardless of how hard the mother-daughter pair had worked.

So thinking, the smile on Jiang Haishan's face faded away slowly.

"How are your grades?" Jiang Haishan asked.

Chen Fan smiled and said, "I was the top five hundred in our county, and I have heard that your daughter ranked in the top fifty at the school. I think I will need her help at school."

Si Shui County had the lowest education ranking among all counties under the Chu Zhou City government. Without being in the top ten in the Si Shui County, Chen Fan had no chance in entering even a second-tier university, much less a top-tier.

Jiang Haishan's brow furrowed even deeper after hearing Chen Fan's answer; the remaining traces of a smile on his face evaporated completely.

"Your mother had sent you to Chu Zhou City to study, not for fun. Your family can only help you for a while, but not forever. If you want to be successful, you have to rely on yourself. Education is a stepping stone, no matter which field you are in."

Chen Fan was caught off guard by Jiang Haishan's sudden outburst. He erased the smile he was wearing and answered, "You are right, Uncle Jiang."

Although achieving high academic standing was not Chen Fan's highest priority, once he advanced in his cultivation, getting into a top-tier university should be a piece of cake.

After exchanged a few more words with Chen Fan, Jiang Haishan was disappointed by the boy's lack of knowledge and ambition. He could not help but secretly shake his head in disappointment. It was evident that what his wife had told him about the boy was simply not true.

He had also met the son of the deputy mayor and was very impressed by his appearance as well as his wealth of knowledge in economics and politics. Chen Fan failed to measure up to his most basic requirement for a future son in law.

It seems like I have a lot to talk to discuss with my wife, Jiang Haishan lamented in his mind.

He knew his wife wanted to set up his daughter with the son of her best friend. He didn't protest her plan at first, but after meeting Chen Fan for the first time, he realized that he had to weigh-in.

My daughter would not fall for him anyway, Jiang Haishan thought. He was confident in his daughter's judgment.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 4: Void Mortal Refinement

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

This meal Chen Fan had shared with the Jiang family was not unpleasant by any stretch of the imagination. Jiang family strictly followed the traditional table manners, which meant no chattering while eating.

However, Chen Fan didn't mind the silence. His mind had already veered off to the memories of his past life.

"It's been a while since I had a meal prepared by Auntie Tang," he thought wistfully.

Auntie Tang's marriage was not perfect, particularity later in her life when Jiang Haishan had secured a prominent position in the government. Mired in public events, he rarely came home, and therefore the couple slowly drifted apart.

Chen Fan remembered that when he was poor and down on his luck, he had to mooch off Auntie Tang. For him, Auntie Tang's dishes were the best meals he ever had.

"What a pity. Auntie was good looking and had superb cooking skills; it was a shame that she got married to a husband whose only pursuit was power." Chen Fan lamented in his mind.

While bustling about between the kitchen and the dining room, Auntie Tang managed to pause for a minute and spoke to Chen Fan, "Fan, it's your first time visiting Chu Zhou City, I will ask Ran-ran to take you to go to the city center to buy some toiletries and groceries. I doubt you will have everything you need at your rental house."

"Thank you." Chen Fan accepted the offer without consulting Jiang Churan.

Jiang Churan nodded with an annoyed face. She might agree to the task now, but as soon as she walked out of the house, she would ditch the boy right away.

Dinner was over Chen Fan bid farewell to Auntie Tang with a smile.

As soon as Chen Fan walked out of the house with Jiang Churan, the smile on the girl's face evaporated into thin air.

Without even looking at Chen Fan, she said coldly, "I still have something to do, you can go shopping on your own, can't you?"

She paused a second and then she continued, "You know how to get a taxi in the city, right?" Her voice was laced with annoyance. She thought Chen Fan would play dumb and insist on her coming along with him; but to her surprise, she watched as the boy nodded and then said, "Of course I do."

She didn't turn around until Chen Fan's image disappeared behind a row of willow trees. Guilt slowly crept into her heart, and she had the urge to catch up with the boy and help him. However, the thought of the huge difference in all aspects of their lives made her think better of her actions. They were not meant to be together, the sooner she made it clear to him, the better for both of them.

"Well, that was fast. Did you even go with him?" Auntie Tang asked her daughter curiously as soon as the latter stepped into the house again.

Still grappling with guilt, Jiang Churan said quietly, "He said that he could do it alone."

She then heard her father snorted, "I will not let my daughter hang out with such a loser anyway."

Jiang Haishan's career had hit a glass ceiling. In order to be promoted even further, he would require strong support from those who have significant political clout, such as deputy mayor Li.

Luckily for Jiang Haishan, the son of the deputy mayor was not only his daughter's classmate, but he also seemed to be very interested in Jiang Churan. The deputy minister had even alluded to a potential marriage on multiple occasions. Although it was an opportunity that he couldn't pass up, Jiang Haishan couldn't agree to the proposal so easily, particularly when his daughter was still so young. It would be a sign of desperation if he did.

Giving the illustrious achievement of Chen Fan's mother, Jiang Haishan, initially had high hopes for the boy. However, after meeting with Chen Fan, he conceded that the reality was far from what he had hoped for. Li Yichen, the mayor's son was a much more suitable candidate for his daughter.

He jerked his head towards the kitchen and grumbled on, "Your daughter is still young, don't just bring anyone to our home. She needs to focus on study."

Auntie Tang frowned deeply and rushed out of the kitchen. "Excuse you? She is my daughter, and this is MY house. I can bring whomever I want to here."

Seeing her parents were at it again, Jiang Churan heaved a sight and went straight to her room. It could have been a nice and quiet evening, but that country boy had spoiled everything.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan had already made his way down to the lake. He wasn't bothered at all by the unpleasant encounter with the father and daughter pair; they meant nothing to him, and he had a much bigger fish to fry.

As he walked along the path that hugged the lake shore, he sensed the ebbs and flows of energy around him very carefully.

The Qi spirit was not static. It flowed like water and always headed toward the area with a lower Qi potential. On very rare occasions, the Qi would pool together, forming what the cultivators would call a Numinous Abode. Wherever there was sea, there would be a desert; some places hopelessly lacked Qi.

After having followed the path for a few miles, Chen Fan finally stopped.

"This is it. I think I will have to brave the depths of the Yunwu Mountain if I want to find an even better spot." He looked around and found out he was in a patch of willow trees. Despite it being a hot summer evening, he felt the cool breezes against his bare skin, and it was quite comfortable.

Chen Fan found a big gnarly willow tree, and sat cross-legged, facing the Yanhui Lake.

Nestled beside the developed urban spaces, Yangui Lake, the "Lake of Returning Swallows" was the largest lake in Chu Zhou City. Many residential houses, commercial buildings, and hotels were built around the Lake. Thanks to the abundance of water provided by the lake, Chu Zhou City, a city in the northern part of the province, also had a bit of southern charm.

Sitting under the willow tree, Chen Fan let the breeze comb through his hair as he relished the refreshing cool air from the lake.

The cultivation progression was divided into eight stages: Qi Refinement, Connate Spirit, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Soul Formation, Void Returning, Dao Reunion, and Tribulation. Within each stage were sub-levels. The first stage, for example, consisted of three sublevels: Foundation Establishment, Ethereal Enlightenment, and Divine Sea.

As the name suggests, the first sub-level was about building a solid foundation from which all the other cultivation stages were developed upon. Once completed, the cultivator would have immense strength, speed, and agility. It was a transitional period when the cultivator reaches beyond the limits of the human body. The cultivation should also have the ability to gather some degree of arcane force to use minor spells.

The next two sub-levels were usually combined together and were called the Immortal Enlightenment phase. Once the cultivator had completed both levels, he or she could use even more powerful spells and arts. They could call upon the natural elements such as dirt to turn it into golems who would fight to the death. In the eyes of an ordinary human, these cultivators were no different than a god, although they were technically not gods by a long chalk.

After the cultivator had breached the first stage, he or she would enter the stage called connate, during which one could ride on the back of the wind to wherever he wanted to and live more than five hundred years. However, even with those magical powers, they were still far from being immortals.

"It's too early for me to think about Connate. I should start by focusing on the Foundation Establishment for now."

"What kind of art should I use to rebuild my foundation?" Chen Fan asked himself.

"The reason why my cultivation had failed during the tribulation was not only the mental demons but also my weak foundation." Chen Fan nodded as he reflected on his past cultivation.

"Ignoring all the pretenses and excuses, my downfall was in my inability to complete each stage to perfection. This time I need to learn my lesson and build each and every stage as firmly as possible." The thought of his slip up during the most critical moment of his cultivation made Chen Fan heave a sigh of regret.

Nonetheless, there were still many things that Chen Fan should feel grateful for. For one, he was miraculously given another chance to start all over again.

The Foundation Establishment stage was the first stage of the cultivation; it was arguably the most important one as well. In order to not repeat his mistake, Chen Fan was resolved to take his time and perfect this stage.

"I have collected all kinds of secret arts and magical spells in the past five hundred years. In my collection, the arts of building the foundation alone amounted to thirteen thousand three hundred and six different pieces. In the last iteration of my life, I have used the art of Foundation Establishment from the True Martial celestial sect. It was simple and straightforward; however, I need something more powerful to achieve perfection."

He had formulated a plan and decided on the art in his mind ever since he was in Auntie Tang's car.

"I will use the Grand Dao Sect's Art of Void Mortal Refinement!"

The Sect of the Grand Dao was one of the most prominent sects in the realm of cultivation. Although the sect had never sired any heroic grandmasters, they were extolled for their unique art of Foundation Establishment.

Once it was mastered, the art would help the cultivator to harness much more power than those who used other arts.

"Inclusiveness was not only the key in mastering this art, but it was also important for me to cultivate with such limited Qi resources. The Qi on earth is drying up, and I need to scrape any useful resources that I could find, including any medicinal herbs, numinous treasures and even unsavory elements such as the malice Qi and death Qi. There would be no art more suitable than the Art of Void Mortal Refinement given the circumstances."

The so-called Malice Qi, Yin Qi or Death Qi were not that much different than the bread and butter of cultivation: Spirit Qi. They were all an extension of the universe itself, a reflection of one or two of its countless facets.

That being said, the spirit Qi was much readily available on a planet, and it was easier to be bend into whatever shapes or forms the cultivator desired. The other forms of Qi required specific dharma arts to be harnessed. Without the aid of some very special arts, an ordinary cultivator wouldn't be able to harness all forms of Qi until they had reached the Golden Core stage.

However, with the special ability of the Void Mortal Refinement art, Chen Fan should be able to harness Qi from all sources from the very beginning.

The word "void" in its name referred to the vast universe. The boundless space contained an unimaginable amount of Qi from various sources, all of which could be harnessed using this unique art. whether it is the Qi inside the core of a star or the Qi of demonic origin deep underground; the art could handle them all.

The motto of the Grand Dao sect also reflected their all-encompassing spirit well, "I am nothing and everything."

"What a shame. Despite their great ambition of uniting all forms of Qi into one, the task was ultimately proven to be too much for the sect members with mediocre talents."

Chen Fan shook his head and heaved a sigh. However ambitious the Grand Dao sect was, the advanced level cultivation required specialization instead of diversification. The True Martial celestial sect was able to rise to the top rank of all sects thanks to its dedication to only one or two arts.

Chen Fan gathered himself and started the Void Mortal Refinement.

The art was not only useful in harnessing Qi but was also effective in straightening one's flesh. It was a good way to improve both internal and external prowess.

As he gradually progressed with the cultivation, his body seemed to become a black hole that sucked various Qi and energies into him. The air around Chen Fan was soon devoid of any life, so much so that even the breezy wind became stifled.

He was so engrossed in his cultivation that he nearly forgot the passage of time. The moon rose and fell, and before he knew it, it was a brand new day.

As the sun rose above the placid lake, Chen Fan suddenly opened his mouth as a white light streamed out from it. The light shot up a few dozen meters into the air, piercing the morning air as a sharp knife would to a fish belly. The strange white light didn't disappear until it had hovered above Chen Fan for another few minutes.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 5: Martial Arts Masters

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Chen Fan slowly opened his eyes when his cultivation was finally done. If anyone had been paying attention to him, they would find the boy's eyes shone like a pair of light bulbs. Slowly, the light in Chen Fan eyes dimmed.

"What an amazing art! Although this is the first time I attempted to cultivate, I am already well into the first sub-level. At this rate, I should be able to reach the Ethereal Enlightenment within six months!" Chen Fan exclaimed in his mind.

The fast rate of progress in an environment so deprived of qi had surprised him. Although he was convinced that it had something to do with his past life's cultivation experience, he wagered that the unique art had helped too.

Chen Fan picked himself up and shook his body, and the energy within his system made a continuous popping sound like popping popcorns.

He closed his fingers and felt his body was bursting with energy.

He turned around and punched the willow tree behind him. The old willow tree trembled as countless willow leaves fell to the ground.

Chen Fan removed his fist from the tree, and he saw that his punch had left a three-inch deep impression on the willow tree bark.

This willow tree had lived over hundreds of years, and the age had turned it's bark extremely hard. If such a punch landed on a mortal, there would be a hole wherever it landed.

This was the result from his first day of cultivation; it wouldn't be long before he would be able to sever the tree trunk with one blow. Moreover, he did not use any arcane forces in that punch but relied only on the power of his body.

Thus it was, the art of Void Mortal Refinement not only improved his energy but also significantly elevated his strength. He was already half as strong as a superman after only one night of cultivation.

However, Chen Fan shook his head in disappointment. Compared to the power that he used to wield, the strength in this punch was pathetic.

"I have a long way to go." He sighed. He looked up and noticed the nascent sun shining above the surface of the lake. He realized that he had been sitting there for a whole night. To his surprise, he was not at all tired.

Although he didn't succumb to exhaustion, he felt hunger was claiming him. He patted his belly and decided that it was time to eat.

As soon as he was out of the willow trees, he saw three people walking toward him.

There was a woman in a white exercise suit walking beside an elderly man in a traditional Chinese suit. Trailing behind the two was a young man with a fit body and pair of sharp eyes.

The girl of the group pulled her hair in a ponytail; her beautiful face held a cold and distant expression. She had a pair of perky bosom and a tall body. She was as attractive as Jiang Churan if not more thanks to her well-defined features.

Chen Fan was still immersed in the joy of his achievement, and therefore, he didn't think too much of this encounter. He passed the three strangers without even sparing them a glance.

However, three stranger had definitely noticed him.

The young man glued his eyes on Chen Fan and didn't look away until Chen Fan had disappeared at the end of the walking path. Then and only then, he turned his head and looked at the old man in the traditional outfit, and said something.

The old man shook his head in disagreement, " It can't be. He is probably just a morning, jogger."

After returning to his rented home at the lakeside community, Chen Fan found a breakfast stall and ate a big meal. Then he went to the supermarket and bought some groceries. He managed to find a Chinese medicine shop and ordered some herbal medicines. When he got home from the medicine shop, it was already noon.

He soon received a phone call from Auntie Tang who invited him over for lunch at her house.

He wanted to go, but the thought of seeing the cold faces of Jiang Haishan and Jiang Churan made him think better of it. He improvised an excuse and told Auntie Tang that he would have to have lunch by himself.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Fan suddenly reckoned that his parents had not given him a phone call yet. What kind of parents are they? Sending their son away to a new place and didn't even care to make a phone call?

"Maybe Auntie Tang was my real parent." Chen Fan shook his head in dismay.

Soon, the courier knocked on his door, the medicine he had ordered has arrived.

Cultivation without any help was possible, but it would be a very slow process. Things like herbal medicine and numinous treasure would greatly improve a cultivator's rate of advancement. Although the herb medicines on the earth were extremely low in quality, it was better than nothing.

To prepare these herbs, he didn't need any medicine barrels, nor did he need to boil them for seventy-two hours as suggested by the apothecary at the drugstore.

He simply drew a circle directly on the ground, then spread the medicine around and inside the circle. Then he stepped into the circle and initiated the art that he knew to harness qi from herbs.

"Spirit Robbing Array!"

This was the most basic array formation that the cultivator could summon.

The herbs he had scattered around him started to dance around on the ground until they threw themselves at Chen Fan.

As the name of the array suggested, the technique was used to draw out the spirit qi from the herbs and fuse them with the caster's system. This was an easy spell to cast, but extremely effective. It could not only draw out the qi in common herbs but also that in numinous treasures.

The cultivators had been studying and developing the cultivation techniques over millions of years, and therefore no longer did they need to follow the cumbersome methods of cultivation described in Wuxia novels. This was the era of Xianxia!

The effectiveness of the array, to a large extent, depends on the experience of the cultivator. In Chen Fan's past life, he had been widely regarded as a great master in using arrays.

Eyes closed, Chen Fan continued harnessing qi in the herbs for many hours. When he finally opened his eyes, it was already late evening.

"Today's cultivation was even more effective than last night's effort. Unfortunately, the effect wouldn't last long." Chen Fan frowned. "Why the heck are these herbs so freaking expensive? I have already spent most of the money my mother had given me; I can't afford another round of harnessing anymore."

"It seems that I will have to go to the same place that I had spent last night." Chen Fan had never thought that money— the quintessential of worldly burden—would become so essential in his cultivation.

"Why is my mother so stingy? It's not like she is poor!" He thought resentfully.

He went to bed and slept until five in the morning. As soon as he got out of his bed, he went straight to that old gnarly willow tree by the lake.

When Chen Fan finally arrived, he was surprised to find someone else had already taken his spot under the tree.

It was that same girl with the ponytail that he had met yesterday, and she was practicing martial arts under the tree. Soon, Chen Fan noticed that she was not alone. The old man stood behind the tree and watched over the girl's practice. From time to time, he would stop the girl to offer some advice and guidance.

The sharp-eyed young man was sitting inside of a black jeep-like vehicle, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings with a great measure of vigilance.

Wasn't that the same group of strangers he had met yesterday morning?

Unable to contain his curiosity, Chen Fan approached the group. The old man graced him a glance and then returned his attention to the girl next to him.

Chen Fan was in a hurry yesterday, so he wasn't able to take a good look at the girl, but after observing the girl for a while today, he was shocked by what he found.

In addition to the girl's exquisite face and tenacious body, she carried an almost heroine-like quality in every single movement. Even the simple act of lifting an arm seemed like a declaration of victory, and her powerful roundhouse kicks a righteous ultimatum to her enemy.

However, her appearance wasn't what surprised Chen Fan. It was what he saw inside of her: arcane energy.

"Is she also a cultivator?" Chen Fan was caught by surprise as he did not expect to meet another cultivator on Earth.

"No..." upon a closer look, Chen Fan found out that something was amiss about the energy inside of her. "It was too weak and too... simple. Probably isn't even strong enough to summon the simplest spell."

As Chen Fan continued his observation, he noticed the unique shirt the girl was wearing, as well as the traditional martial arts suit the old man was in; he finally put the two and two together.

"Is that the so-called 'internal energy' inside of her?"

Chen Fan grew up watching Wuxia shows on TV, and therefore he had heard plenty of high tales about Gongfu and Internal energy. He always thought those high tales and legends were exactly what they were: high tales and legends, until now.

He wagered that the so-called internal energy was a much weaker form of the arcane energy inside of the cultivators. Although Chen Fan was at the earliest stage of his cultivation, he would already be the most deadly Martial Artist in the realm of Wuxia.

The internal force inside of the girl was far inferior to the arcane dharma force inside of even the most incompetent cultivator. The difference in the two forms of energy was much like that of the diesel and rocket fuels, where Diesel could only be used to fuel trucks, but rocket fuel could be used to propel a rocket into space. They were both fuels, but one provided far more energy than the other.

In addition, a cultivator could harness the power in the universe to command powerful spells and create miraculous numinous treasures. All of those were way beyond the reach of a martial artist.

After Chen Fan's curiosities were satisfied, he gathered himself and continued watching the girl's practice.

From time to time, he would shake his head disapprovingly.

The girl had noticed Chen Fan's criticism, and it didn't sit well with her. She paused and asked hotly, "What are you staring at? Do you even understand what this is?"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 6: A Leaf Blade

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Do I?" Chen Fan laughed in his mind.

He was not only the Celestial Lord but also the embodiment of martial spirit even among the cultivators.

Let it be the basic cultivation techniques or the art of killing and warfare; there was nothing that he did not have a knack for. As the grand master of the True Martial Immortal Sect, he was well versed in all kind of unarmed close quarter combat techniques. The girl's shambling forms and unrefined skills were laughable in his eyes.

Even the True Martial Sect's entry-level technique, the "True Martial thirty-six Sanshou forms" was much more sophisticated than what the girl had used. Not to mention that the "True Martial's thirty-six Sanshou forms" was only used among servants of the True Martial lords and the lowest cast of disciples. Any official member of the sect had long since forsaken the outdated technique.

Nonetheless, Chen Fan did not want to argue with her, nor did he want to reveal his identity as a cultivator, so he apologized readily, "I am afraid I don't fully understand your moves. I am sorry. I shook my head because I was thinking of something else."

"Then buzz off and stop staring at—" The girl was cut short by the elderly man, "Zi Qing, enough."

"Okay, Grandpa." Zi, Qing replied. She managed to shoot Chen Fan a searing glance before she walked back to her grandpa.

Chen Fan glanced at the old man and found out that he, too, possessed the internal energy, and he was much more powerful than the girl.

Chen Fan wagered that the amount of power in the old man was on par with that of a cultivator halfway through the Foundation Establishment phase. In other words, his power was above that of Chan Fan, at least for now. Meanwhile, he registered that the power of the girl was not even near that of a cultivator who had just started the first sub-level.

That being said, Chen Fan conceded that his comparison was flawed since he was comparing apple to oranges. An even better analogy for the cultivator and martial artist were knife and tofu. However large and firm a piece of tofu was, it would not be able to withstand a single slash of even the dullest knife.

Chen Fan was confident that he would be able to defeat the old man even if he had to face ten of him at the same time.

Realizing that there was nothing else to see, Chen Fan found another willow tree, sat cross-legged underneath it and started to cultivate.

His body and mind quickly entered the cultivation state as he initiated the Void Mortal Refinement art. Soon an invisible vacuum devoid of any energy formed around his body.

Chen Fan's strange actions aroused the elderly man's suspicion. He wondered why anyone would wake up this early in the morning, came to the park, and only to fall asleep again under a tree?

"Huh?" After a while, the old man suddenly gasped in surprise.

"What's going on, Grandpa?" Zi Qing asked curiously.

"Look at him carefully, did you see that?." The old man's face hardened.

"See what?" Zi Qing squinted her eyes and failed to see anything extraordinary.

"Pay attention to his breathing." The old man pressed on.

It wasn't until then that Zi Qing noticed that the boy's chest swell up and down at each breath. It was as if his lunges were two blowers. There were two wisps of white light spurting out of his nostrils, and they writhed and turned like snakes. The two rays of white lights were about the size of a needle, and one wouldn't notice them without looking very hard.

"What is that?" Zi Qing frowned.

"This is a very advanced method of harnessing internal energy. It is said that only some ancient sects of martial arts can do it. This kind of breathing required extremely powerful lungs. The practitioner of this technique is able to dive under the water for a really long time." The old man said slowly. "I didn't expect that I could see such a powerful martial artist in my lifetime. Gosh! he is so young, too; it's incredible."

The ponytail girl snorted, "He is just breathing heavily. It's not like he can kill people with his big lungs, Grandpa. It's overrated."

"You are too young too simple, sometimes naive. " The old man refuted with a loving voice. "No one could have done that without a few decades of practicing martial arts. I have never seen this technique used in real life, but only heard of it in legends."

"Is it really that powerful?" Suspicion flashed across Zi Qing's face.

Suddenly, she seemed to remember something, "Hold on a second. If he really is a bad-ass like you said then he did shake his head in disapproval of my practice, didn't he?" Zi Qing paused to mull over her own question.

"What a jerk! He did!" After a while, Zi Qing grunted and then she continued, "I don't care how powerful you think he is, I will test his strength."

Seeing the eagerness in his granddaughter, the old man heaved a deep sigh.

However, the old man didn't design to stop her. However powerful this young man might be, he and his granddaughter should be safe in his own territory. He had fought many brutal wars during his life, and he scarcely feared death, much less a young man.

The grandfather and granddaughter pair decided to wait for Chen Fan to finish his cultivation. About half an hour later, the boy opened his mouth and spat out a ghostly white glowing gas. This parcel of white gas shot forward a few meters and traced a silvery arch in the air.

"I was right. He is a powerful martial artist!" The old man's face hardened as reality set in.

"Don't worry grandpa; Brother Qi is here to protect us. Can a martial artist dodge a bullet? I think not."

Zi Qing has a brave soul; although she was as surprised by the development, she was not afraid.

Unlike her grandfather, she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Her prestigious family background had sheltered her from many dangers; she was young and fearless, driven by purely the valor of ignorance.

The young man inside the jeep had been watching the development from inside his car. His hand had reached his waist where his gun rested.

Chen Fan pushed himself up to his feet, and he looked dissatisfied with today's result of cultivation.

Although the numinous abode he had found under the willow tree was able to aid his cultivation, its effect paled in comparison with that directly absorbing the qi in the herbs.

He turned his head around and was surprised by the pair that lurked behind him all the while.

Seeing that the boy had woken up, the old man smiled and stepped forward to greet Chen Fan:" Greetings, young man. Glad to see another budding martial artist! My name is Wei Fu, May I ask what your name is? Where do you hail from? and may I have the honor to know your teacher's name?"

"Wei Fu?" The name sounded very familiar to Chen Fan.

But he had seen countless people over the past 500 years, so he doubted he would remember who the old man was.

Seeing the tightened bodies of the two, Chen Fan wagered that the sight of his cultivation had caught their interest.

Chen Fan shook his head, "I am not really a martial artist. You can think of me as a... monk who follows the way of Dao."

He couldn't tell them his real identity; even if he did, these two mortals would never understand what cultivation meant.

"A monk? Are you from the Dao Sect?" The old man looked confused. He had never heard any martial artist from the Dao Sect before.

"Grandpa, let's not waste our time on him any longer. Let me spar with him already," Zi Qing turned around and shot an icy glance at Chen Fan. "Why did you lie to me earlier? Now show me what you can do!"

"Are you trying to provoke me into a duel?

No one had shouted taunts at Chen Fan for many centuries, and therefore, the girl's challenge was a refreshing change for him.

"I'll be damned! Should I beat up a girl or get beaten up?" Chen Fan thought to himself.

Chen Fan felt he was on the horns of the dilemma, after weighing his options, he decided not to get involved. He gave the girl a big shrug and then said, "I am sorry, but I'm just a monk. We only cultivate internal harmony but never fight with fists and weapons."

The girl snorted contemptuously. "Bull shit, I saw you sneered at me while I was practicing my forms! Don't play dumb!" The girl flung back at Chen Fan.

"Young man, what will be the harm in a little spar session? Although my granddaughter was still at the beginner level, she was well under way to master our family's first technique. I was hoping that with your help, she could advance even faster." The old man said slowly but firmly.

Despite the old man's calm voice, his suspicion didn't recede the slightest. He had given the boy his name, but the latter seemed to have never heard of it before. How could any powerful martial artist not recognize his name?

Chen Fan shook his head and heaved a sigh of resignation. He knew he had to oblige the girl's request.

He picked up a fallen willow leaf from the ground with two deft fingers as he channeled out his arcane energy. With a flick of the finger, the willow leaf flew out like a bullet.

The leaf traveled at such incredible speed that it blurred into a dark shadowy line in the air. It grazed pass the girl's face and eventually hit a large tree trunk. The tree that got hit shook violently, raining leaves and twigs under the tree.

"Watch out!" The old man shouted out as soon as he saw the leaf turned into a weapon, but his warning came too late.

"What the—" Zi Qing was still in shock. Her long dark hair on the right side was cut to shoulder length; the crystal earrings she was wearing also fell to the ground.

She touched her cheek and found a thin line of a wound where blood was seeping through. She turned around and saw the willow leaf was lodged into the tree trunk like a piece of metal.

"Turning a piece of leaf into a weapon? That's crazy!"

The old man's heart was caught in his throat during the turn of event. Seeing the girl was unharmed, he finally heaved a sigh of relief.

He smiled wryly, "I have never even dreamed of seeing such martial arts skills during my lifetime. No... this is not martial arts; this is... something far more powerful. Even I wouldn't be able to withstand such a blow much less, my granddaughter."

So saying, the old man came up to Chen Fan and saluted him, "It was an honor to meet you, grand-master!" the old man spoke with great emotion in his voice. Never had he thought that he would encounter a hermit grandmaster, a very young one while at it!

The old man wagered that he might be the only person who could comprehend the full power of this young man. He doubted that he could find anyone in China who was more powerful than him.

Zi Qing ran to the willow tree and pulled out the willow leaf with much difficulty, and then she turned to Chen Fan and looked at him incredulously.

"How did you do it?" She murmured.

Even the man in the car was shocked by the development. He almost forgot that he was still holding the gun in his hand.

What was the point of using a gun when his opponent was faster than a bullet?

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 7: Lesser Essence Strengthening Pill

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Chen Fan said candidly, "It was nothing. Just a little trick."

As a matter of fact, the elderly man's inner energy was much more powerful than that of Chen Fan. But just like the knife and Tofu analogy, Chen Fan would easily defeat the elderly man even with lesser internal energy.

Although Chen Fan was only at the level of foundation establishment, he could channel the arcane energy into a blade of a willow leaf, turning it into a bullet. It had grazed the cheek of the girl and buried deep into the tree trunk. On the other hand, The internal force of the elderly man could at best emanate a few inches out of his body before it receded. Despite its ample supply, the quality of the energy inside the elderly man fell short.

"It might be a small trick for you, sir, but for me, it was like an unbelievable miracle !" The elderly man exclaimed. He no longer called Chen Fan "young man," but called him "Sir" instead.

Although the elderly man had lived through a tumultuous life and had eventually earned himself a great fortune, his dream of life was to become a powerful martial artist. However, over the years, he had come to terms with the fact that his talent was simply mediocre.

Although China was a large country with an even larger population, the martial arts grandmasters were a rare breed. As resourceful as the elderly man was, he has not yet got the opportunity to meet a real grandmaster in person, until now.

The elderly man's words piqued Chen Fan's interest, "The grand master you were talking about... could he do what I just did?"

"Of course, the Transcendent Grandmasters 1 were at the precipice of martial arts. They were practically immortals in a mortal body. They could unleash their internal force as far as a few dozen meters. It wouldn't be difficult for them to kill someone from a distance."

Suddenly, confusion flashed across the elderly man face. He asked curiously, "Sir... as one of the grandmasters, how could you not be aware of what I have just told you? That was... common sense, after all."

Chen Fan made a mental note to correct his vocabulary from internal energy to internal force. He wagered that in order to reshape the loosely formed internal force into something as deadly as a killing blow, it would require at least the level of Ethereal Enlightenment.

If that was true, then the so-called Transcendent Masters were martial artists who had achieved Ethereal Enlightenment. From the drift of the elderly man's words, Chen Fan gathered that such grandmasters ought to be extremely rare in this world, as it should be.

Not only the spirit qi was drying upon the earth, the lack of advanced cultivation technique meant that it would take a one-in-a-hundred-year genius to reach the Ethereal Enlightenment.

Even after knowing that there could be a Transcendent Master somewhere in the world, Chen Fan was not worried that his dominance would be challenged in the future.

Chen Fan's speedy progress aside, he also had another advantage the Transcendent Master did not have: Dharma spells.

Chen Fan paused his train of thoughts and shook his head, "I am really just a person who follows the way of Dao. What you saw was simply the most rudimentary exercise of qi refinement. I have never heard about the internal strength nor the transcendent master. I am afraid that I am not who you think I am."

"The way of Dao?" The elderly man seemed perplexed by Chen Fan's confession. He had heard bits and pieces about monks with otherworldly powers. However, he had been convinced that those were simply high tales. Plus, the technique the boy had just used was emblematic of a Transcendent Master's power.

But why did he deny it? Was he really not a Transcendent Master?

Unable to find an answer, the elderly man decided to push the question aside for now. His priority was to befriend this boy, regardless if he was the grandmaster or not. If he could do what a grandmaster could, what difference did it make anyway?

Plus, he was young and... not ugly. Could be a perfect match for his gorgeous granddaughter. The elderly man's mind raced as he tried to think of ways to befriend the young man.

He quickly plastered on a smiley face and then said, "It doesn't matter. On another note, you seemed to carry an accent of Chu Zhou City. Are you from here? "

"Yes, I lived in Si Shui County for 17 years, and I came to the city for my final year of high school." Chen Fan nodded and continued, "My name is Chen Fan, you can also call me Chen Beixuan, 'Beixuan' is the name my teacher gave me. It's my Dao name."

Although this elderly man is not a cultivator, he had the arcane power in him. Therefore, Chen Fan preferred to communicate with him using his Dao name: Chen Beixuan.

"Si Shui County, Chen Fan, Chen Beixuan?" The elderly man and his granddaughter exchanged a confused glanced. He turned his head around and asked curiously:" We will call him Mr. Chen. What about your teacher Mr. Chen's? He is not in Chu Zhou City?"

"My teacher is not on this planet." Chen Fan shook his head.

Chen Fan wondered which galaxy his teacher, the immortal cultivator, Cangqin was visiting right now. Based on the past life timeline, he wouldn't have graced the earth with his presence for another ten years. What's more, any changes in the current timeline might have unforeseeable effects; that meant Cangqin might never visit earth in this iteration of the time and space.

The elderly man misunderstood Chen Fan, as any normal person would. He heaved a sigh and then said heavily:" It is human nature to live and die. Your teacher will be proud of you knowing what you have become. I am old, and so are most of my friends if they are still alive. My martial arts exercise had kept me going a few years longer than my buddies, but I feel that I am going to see them very soon. "

Before the elderly man finished his words, he bent double and was caught by a fit of a violent cough.

"Grandpa!" The girl shouted with a distressed voice.

With a hint of tears in her eyes, she helped the elderly man to his feet and gently patted his back.

"I am fine, just some old wounds that never healed." The elderly man waved a comforting hand at his granddaughter.

Chen Fan cracked a smile and put in, "You shouldn't force the internal energy too hard. It's hurting your lungs."

"Does Mr. Chen also dabble in medicine? How could you know that?" The elderly man said incredulously

Before Chen Fan could say anything, The girl explained, "My grandfather had a close call with death once when he was young. In order to protect his family, he was forced to use the internal strength that he did not yet fully control. That incident had left him with two injured lungs. He didn't go to the hospital in time and hence sowed the seeds of irreversible damage. Since it was an internal injury, it was almost impossible to cure its symptom completely."

"Mr. Chen knew the way of Dao and was able to pinpoint the cause of my grandfather's injury; I wonder if you know a way to cure him?"

She looked at Chen Fan and batted her lashes. The girl would do anything to alleviate her loving grandfather's pain.

However, since the damage was caused by internal trauma, there was nothing modern medicine could do to help. Even the Chinese medicine doctors had given up on the elderly man since the injury had been dragged on for decades unattended.

However, seeing the miraculous power of Chen Fan, the girl finally saw a sliver of hope in curing her grandfather.

"I might as well be frank with you: Wei family is quite influential at the north side of the river. You will be heavily rewarded if you can save my grandfather. You have my word." The girl locked her eyes onto Chen Fan's and announced firmly.

Chen Fan hesitated for a second and said slowly:

"Heck! Why not. It's not a difficult thing to do anyway. Since fate had brought me here, I will gladly oblige with what fate commands."

Chen Fan watched as their faces were lit up with glee. "I need to prepare. I will bring the cure to you in two days. Does that work for you?"

"Of course!" The girl exclaimed as a smile finally broke over Zi Qing's cold and distant face.

Chen Fan couldn't help but admire her beauty. She looked much prettier when she was not frowning.

"Thank you, Mr. Chen." Although the elderly man tried to remain calm, his trembling voice had betrayed him. He turned to the young man and said:

"Xiao Qi, why don't you exchange numbers with Mr. Chen, and give him a ride home as well."

The elderly man then turned around to Chen Fan, "Call Xiao Qi whenever you are ready, he will come to pick you up. In addition, feel free to let Xiao Qi know if you need any help. "

"Thank you." Chen Fan nodded.

Chen Fan was given a ride through the lakeside park to his home.

He noticed that the vehicle was not a Jeep at all; it was a Range Rover with a price tag of at least two or three million. In 2007, it was a sign of enormous wealth and power.

However, Chen Fan didn't agree to help the elderly man because he wanted to fawn over the rich and powerful. "The elderly man named 'Wei Fu' seemed very approachable and easy going, but I can still sense the power he used to command. He was not an ordinary citizen. There is more than what meets the eye" Chen shook his head and thought to himself.

Although they had met each other by chance, the fact that the elderly man also had some resemblance of arcane energy made him felt obligated to offer a helping hand to a fellow cultivator.

After having exchanged numbers with Xiao Qi, Chen Fan went straight home.

As a cultivator, Chen Fan didn't need medicine; One spirit pill down the throat could purge any disease out of his system.

Therefore, his "preparation" did not involve gathering medicines but the creation of elixirs.

Moreover, in order to cure the root cause of Wei Fu's injury, he needed some time to enhance the elderly man's technique of using his internal force.

Although he did not ask for any details about the internal force, as a former celestial lord, he knew the so-called internal force was nothing but the most rudimentary form of the arcane energy. For Chen Fan to solve the elderly man's problem was as easy as solving a first-grade math question to a mathematician.

"Balls, my wallet is going to shrink again!" The thought of spending money on preparing the elixir made him heave a sigh.

Nonetheless, he had made a promise, and he should follow through. He dragged himself to the Chinese medicine store and purchased some more herbs. Luckily, the ingredients required for the elixir were cheap.

The elixir that Chen Fan want to brew was the most readily available aid to cultivators. It was called the "Lesser Essence Strengthening Pill."

The essence enhancing pill was the miracle cure of the cultivators. It can cure the ailment, strengthening internal energy, and even prolonging the cultivator's lives.

The reason that Chen Fan had given it a "lesser" prefix was because the version he was about to create had less than one-tenth of the effect of its original counterpart.

With limited resources, it would have to do. Even if Chen Fan had a deep pocket, he doubted he would be able to gather all the ingredients from the earth.

"The lesser version should be enough. Well, he will have to pay for himself if he needed a better cure."

Chen Fan shook his head and carried on with his task.

In the few days that followed, Chen Fan had sacrificed his cultivation time to create the elixir and studying Wei Fu's technique.

During those few days, Auntie Tang invited him several times to join her for dinner, but Chen Fan politely declined her invitations.

After a few days of hard work, he was finally ready to deliver the cure. However, Auntie Tang's invitation came again, and this time Chen Fan felt obligated to accept her invitation.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 8: Jiang Churan's BFFs

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Over the phone, Auntie Tang told him that it was not just any dinner; it was a dinner party for one of Jiang Churan's girlfriends.

He wagered that he would just show up at the party and leave when no one was paying attention. So thinking, he dialed Jiang Churan's number.

"Hello? Is this Ran-ran? This is Chen Fan."

"What is it?" Jiang Churan's cold voice drifted out of the phone without any trace of enthusiasm.

Chen Fan continued, "Auntie Tang invited me to join your friend's birthday party."

"Ok. I am at the downtown Starbucks. Why don't you come over?" It seems Jiang Churan had received word from her mother.

"Who's that, Ran-ran?"

A girl in all Gucci and LV asked Jiang Churan curiously.

She was Jiang Churan's WRB (white-rich-beautiful) girlfriend, Zhang Yumeng: The birthday girl.

There was another tall and glamorous girl sitting right next to Jiang Churan; both of them were Jiang Churan's BFFs since childhood.

"Just a loser. He is my mom's friend's son. I have no idea what got into my mom's mind, like, seriously? Guess what she had been doing? She wanted to set me up with that dude. Can you believe that? Me and a country hillbilly? Eew!" Jiang Churan put her phone away and said with a heavy frown.

"So, he has met your parents." Zhang Yumeng jested. She was too curious not to press Jiang Churan with more questions, "How's his look? Is he rich? Is he as good as my boy Yang Chao?"

Yang Chao was Zhang Yumeng's boyfriend; he was tall and handsome, a charming captain of the school basketball team. His family owned the 'Tiansheng Grand Hotel,' one of the top five five-star-hotels in Chu Zhou City.

Although the basketball team captain never lacked admirers, he had always been very proud of being able to date the popular girl Zhang Yumeng.

"You are such a gold digger! Is money all you care about?" The tall and more distant looking girl rolled her eyes at Zhang Yuemeng.

"What's wrong with that? I don't date fat losers who are poor; you know," Zhang Yumeng put her hands on her hips, elbows up and pointing out, as she shot back at the other girl.

"Fine, fine, we all know you have high standards" Jiang Churan put in. "His name is 'Chen Fan,' and he is from Si Shui County. He is from an average family and looked... ok, I guess? But my mom insisted that he is the Mr. Right because he is honest."

"Honest? How much is that worth nowadays?" Zhang Yumeng burst out laughing.

The tall girl next to Jiang Churna shook her head and said in a serious voice, "Don't listen to her. However, he does sound very much out of your league. Even if you think you like him, your relationship will be doomed. "

"I didn't say that I liked him. Stop worrying your pretty head about it, girls. I am just annoyed with my mom." Jiang Churan said helplessly.

"If you don't like him, maybe I can offer you a helping hand. I will teach him a lesson." Zhang Yumeng snorted.

Jiang Churan's rolled her eyes, and she felt so annoyed with her mother and her friends that she didn't even know what to say.

After a while, they saw Chen Fan walking toward the Starstruck.

In 2007, when Starbucks first entered the Chinese market, it was extremely popular among the middle class and white-collar workers. They would meet with their friends to spend a relaxing weekend afternoon.

Even at Starbucks and among her kind, Jiang Churan had caught many customers' attention. Her beauty was exceptional even among a group of well educated white collar women.

The two girls that accompanied her were also of exceptional beauty. One was tall and glamorous, the other petite and cute. The three women had slowly become the center of attention at the coffee shop.

Therefore, it wasn't hard for Chen Fan to spot Jiang Churan. He waved a hand at her and walked toward her table.

He sucked at talking to girls; however, he didn't want to disappoint Auntie Tang and so he better press on.

"Hi." Jiang greeted him back polity. However, she remained a distance away from Chen Fan.

Chen Fan noticed the girl with a hot body and a glamorous look did not even spare him a look as he approached their table. Carrying a cup of coffee, she peered out of the window but was looking at nothing. Her face lacked any emotion, but the message was clear: Do not talk to me.

"You are Chen Fan?" Zhang Yumeng looked around at him as disdain flickered in her eyes.

Her clothes, shoes, and the entire outfit was worth over a hundred thousand yuan. The purse she carried was the collector's edition of LV. She was in a pink Chanel dress and a pair of shoes from Mauro Leone, which her father had bought for her from Milan.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan was in a pair of twenty yuan jeans and a five yuan t-shirt. The two stood face to face, looking like from two different worlds.

"Hey, dude! Do you know how many people wanted to date her? Ok, let me see: the super smart kid who already got admitted to Qin Hua University, the super rich one whose dad could buy half of the city and the one whose dad was going to be the new mayor! Guess who did she chose? NOT-YOU!" Zhang Yumeng lashed out at Chen Fan.

"Meng-Meng!" Jiang Churan glared at the girl, willing her to be quiet.

"Don't worry; I am not interested in her. Her mom wanted me to come here to join her for a party." Chen Fan said as he glanced at Jiang Churan.

"Meng-meng did not mean what she said; I hope you don't mind." Jiang Churan said faintly.

"Yea, right..." Chen Fan thought to himself.

He quickly plastered on a smile and shrugged it off.

Seeing that Jiang Churan was only given Zhang Yumeng a perfunctory glare, Chen Fan knew that Jiang Churan had acquiesced to her action.

Chen Fan's mind was set on Xiao Qiong, so he didn't care what the other girls thought of him. Like him or not, it was their own problem, and he didn't have to kiss their asses.

Feeling satisfied with Chen Fan's silence, Zhang Yumeng buried her head into a fashion magazine and pretended as if Chen Fan was not there.

Chen Fan went to the counter and ordered a cup of cappuccino and sat down at the table.

Ever since he came in, his attention had always been on the tall girl who still ignored him.

She was Xu Rongfei! One of Jiang Churan's best friends.

If Chen Fan's memory served him right, they even had a little crush on each other.

The glamorous girl was wearing a black crop top that accentuated her ample bosom and left her tenacious waist bare. Below the waist, she wore a pair of tight denim shorts, revealing a pair of long legs that could steal a boy's breath away. Her porcelain-like skin was almost luminescent under the sun.

Although she did not wear luxury brands, her body and exquisite beauty made a supermodel out of her even in those ordinary clothes.

Chen Fan knew that underneath her aloof appearance, she was actually a nice person. She used to give Chen Fan the heads up about Jiang Churan's real love interest and urged him to give up on her and find someone else who would love him back.

She was different than Zhang Yumeng, who was a spoiled brat through and through. Zhang Yumeng had a pretty face too, but also a vacuous brain, and she had always looked down on Chen Fan.

"I recall that Xu Rongzhen was a fine arts student. She was going to Yanjing Film Academy next year. Later she became a popular actress, "Chen Fan reflected the details of his past life while he sipped the coffee.

When he first took over the Splendid Real Estate group in his previous life, he had met the actress again, and the two quickly hit on each other.

They met at a reception of a fashion show organized by a large company in the entertainment industry. After so many years, the high school friends had both changed. One had become a multibillion-yuan high roller, and the other a dazzling actress. They both fell for each other that night, and it was beautiful.

However, beautiful things were not meant to last. Chen Fan's life fell apart quickly after that fashion show. Besieged by his business rivals, he had no time to rekindle old flames, so the two slowly drifted away.

Later, when he was abandoned by everyone and returned to Chu Zhou City. He accidentally heard from a friend that Xu Rongfei had ruffled some wrong feathers and had since never shown up on TV again. After a while, her reputation was tarnished by negative news and scandal in the media. Unable to bear the stress and bouts of depression, she killed herself at the young age of thirty.

The memory gave Chen Fan a chill. Here they were, two innocent young souls before the cruel world bent them against their will until both decided to take their own lives.

"Life is a bitch!" Chen Fan lamented.

As if she felt Chen Fan's gaze on her face, Xu Rongyi finally turned around and asked with a frown:

"Do I know you?"

Unlike her cold appearance, her voice was soft if not cutesy.

Her voice reminded Chen Fan of another famous actress in her previous life.

When Xu Rongfei made her debut appearance, she was dubbed as the protege of that actress. However, she had met a much more gruesome end that her illustrious predecessor.

"I don't think so... But may I introduce myself? You see, I am not from a rich family, but I can see things that even the richest can't. I am a fortune teller by birth." Chen Fan jested.

"Ah- You don't believe me, no? Let's see... You are a fine arts student, and your last name is Xu."

"Oh? Really? What else do you see in me?" Xu Rongfei's interest was piqued instantly.

"Let me see." Chen Fan paused and pretended to ponder, "You will be admitted to Yanjing Film and Television College in the future, become an actor, and finally become a big star."

"How do you know that I am going to the Yanjing Film and Television College? And you are right. I always dreamed of becoming a TV star!" Xu Rongfei answered incredulously. Her mouth gaped open in sheer surprise as if inviting a kiss.

Zhang Yumeng laughed out loudly.

"Are you dumb, Miss Xu? You are one of the most famous bitches at the Ivy League High. He must have learned everything about you from people at school." Zhang Yumeng explained.

She then turned to Chen Fan with a contemptuous look.

"What a loser. Are you switching your target already?"

Jiang Churan also furrowed her brows and felt disappointed.

She had never thought Chen Fan to be such a slicker.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 9: Enemy of Past Life

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Whatever." Chen Fan shrugged. He had planned to warn Xu Rongfei of her tragic end, but Zhang Yumeng's interruption had robbed him of any interest in doing so.

"How does he know that I am going to apply for Yanjing Film and Television College? I have just told my parents about it, but no one else."Xu Rongfei thought

Nonetheless, she decided to keep her silence in front of her two sassy friends. But she conceded that something about this boy attracted her regardless of how hard she tried to ignore him.

Suddenly, a group of well-dressed boys and girls appeared outside of Starbucks, and they were waving and shouting through the glass doors at them.

"It's Yang Chao; they are finally here!" Zhang Yumeng jumped out of her chair and waved back at the group. She then turned to the other two girlfriends and said, "Party starts NOW!"

As soon as Chen Fan walked out of Starbucks, he watched as Zhang Yumeng threw herself into the arms of a tall and handsome boy. The sight of the boy's face made Chen Fan cringed.

It was Yang Chao!

He was Zhang Yumeng's boyfriend and Chen Fan's greatest enemy when he was studying at the Chu Zhou City.

Chen Fan painfully remembered that when he fell for Jiang Churan in his last life, he got put down frequently by Zhang Yumeng as she compared him with the perfect Yang Chao. Yang Chao also made things very difficult for Chen Fan as he often showed off his wealth and good looks in front of the girls, making Chen Fan's lacking both a sore thumb that stuck out.

"Meng-Meng, who is this guy?" Yang Chao held Zhang Yumeng in one arm and regarded Chen Fan curiously.

The young men and women around Yang Chao dressed in styles that were much more mature and fashionable than Chen Fan. Their pretty faces and hot bodies soaked up the attention from onlookers, making Chen Fan seemed out of place.

" A family friend of Ran-ran." Zhang Yumeng said as she rolled her eyes. And then she whispered something into the boy's ears.

Yang Chao nodded as contempt flashed across his face. He reached out a hand and then said, "My name is Yang Chao, Meng-meng's husband. My family ran a hotel: the Tiansheng Grand Hotel. You got balls to make a move on Jiang Churan, buddy. What does your dad do?" His words were laced with conceit.

He knew that Chen Fan was from an ordinary family, but he wanted to be a dick and point it out on purpose.

Chen Fan did not even spare him a glance. His put both hands into his pocket, refusing the handshake and then said slowly.:

"Chen Fan."

Having had enough of Yang Chao's crap in his past life, he decided never to let him step on his toe again.

"This ones got a temper!" Yang Chao paused a second as he threw his entourage a glance, willing them to laugh at his remark. They obliged.

He then gave Chen Fan a chilling glance and then he nodded and said. "Very well, we will be going to the same school, and we will get to know each over time."

He left Chen Fan alone after uttered his threats, and he gathered people around to plan their next stop.

Xu Rongfei glanced at Chen Fan with a worried face. Yang Chao was not someone Chen Fan wanted to mess with.

Someone had once ticked off Yang Chao, and the next day the poor boy's leg was broken by a bunch of hooligans from the basketball team. He eventually dropped out of school, and Yang Chao had walked away with no punishment after paying the boy's family a handsome amount of money. After that, everyone learned to stay on Yang Chao's good side.

Chen Fan gave Xu Rongfei a glance that read "Don't worry." To his surprise, the girl snorted and turned her back toward him.

"It's still early, let's go to KTV first. After warming up, we will go to my dad's hotel for dinner. I have prepared an awesome birthday party for Meng-Meng. After that, we will go to the bar district! Nobody's allowed to quit before I say it's over!"

Hearing Yang Chao's plan, the crowd burst into cheers.

"There is a new KTV that just opened up at the new district; it's called Royal Entertainment. I have heard it's nice there." A wealthy looking girl dressed head to toe with famous brands suggested.

"Sounds good; let's hit it!" Yang Chao announced.

"Balls, If they follow through their plan, they wouldn't be back until the sun is out. No wonder Auntie Tang told me to look after her daughter."

Chen Fan's patience was wearing thin. He still needed to meet with Wei Fu tonight, and therefore he shouldn't be wasting his time with these groups of kids.

Although the new district was within walking distance from the downtown, the group of youngsters had driven more than six cars.

There were Audi A4, BMW 330 convertible, Buick 308CC, although they were not the top of the line luxury models, it was a rare sight to behold in the year of 2007. It was evident that all of these youngsters were from wealthy families.

The most expensive vehicle was Yang Chao's Porsche Cayenne, the 4.8T version, costing more than two million. Only the most expensive car for the most expensive girlfriend. Zhang Yumeng hopped into the front passenger seat, and the two other girls followed suit.

As the ringleader, Yang Chao assigned seats to everyone. In the end, Chen Fan was the only person who didn't get assigned a ride.

As if he had just noticed Chen Fan, Yang Chao slammed his head and said:

"Oh, shit! I have forgotten about you. So sorry, dude."

Yang Chao didn't change at all. He had always been very apologetic about the inconvenience that he had a cause on purpose.

"Ah-shit! All cars are full. Can you take a taxi? "

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone laughed out loud at the miserable Chen Fan.

Chen Fan had made himself an enemy of the group by refusing to shake Yang Chao's hands. Therefore, no one pointed out that there were still empty seats on a couple of cars.

Chen Fan's brow twitched a little as he held Yang Chao's icy gaze. He had been provoking him ever since they met; maybe it was time to teach him a lesson.

The development made Jiang Churan uneasy, after all, it was her mom who had invited him to the party, so to some degrees, Chen Fan was her guest.

Even as Jiang Churan was about to offer Chen Fan a seat, she heard Xu Rongfei spoke out, "Well, you can sit next to me, I can squeeze."

Everyone was shocked by Xu Rongfei's words, and even Jiang Churan had shot her an accusatory glance.

"What the hell is wrong with that bitch today?" Yang Chao thought to himself.

Everyone at the Ivy League High knew that Xu Rongfei had the highest standards of all girls. Even Chu Minghui had failed to win her heart, much less a no account.

Zhang Yumeng rolled her eyes, and fussed, "Can you stop pretending to be nice? Because you are not. Well, fine, fine! Come over here, Chen Fan. I will let you have the shotgun."

She hopped out of the passenger side and went to the back seat. The Cayenne was spacious inside, and there was plenty of room for three girls.

Chen Fan caught a glimpse of Xu Rongfei and thought that the girl was as kind as she were in his previous life. It was not the first time she helped him as she had done it so many times and would continue to do so.

Chen Fan got in the car quietly.

"Well, let's go." Yang Chao was slightly annoyed by his failed attempt to humiliate Chen Fan. He gave Chen Fan a cold glance and then slammed on the gas pedal. His car charged out of the parking lot with others in tow.

The new district was a new development in Chu Zhou City. It was filled with new restaurants, hotels, and entertainment venues such as KTV.

When Chen Fan and others arrived at their destination, the Royal Entertainment KTV, all the lights decorating its facade had already lit up.

Inside the hall stood a row of uniformed staff with above average looks. They greeted the customers with a deep bow.

The boyfriend of the girl who had been here before walked at the front, and the manager of the KTV spotted him right away. The manager hurried to him while wearing an unctuous smile.

"It's my friend's birthday, would you please make an arrangement for us? Is the Imperial Hall still available?"

"I-I am really sorry, Jun Shao. The Imperial Hall has been booked, should I open up the Queen's Hall."

Jun Shao looked back at Yang Chao, seeing the latter's acquiescence, Jun Shao nodded.

It was Zhang Yumeng's birthday; Yang Chao would pay the bill, so it was his call.

After they had settled in their private room, they ordered some French wine, German beer, and a fruit plate. Under the expectant eyes of the manager, Yang Chao opened two bottles of Louis XIII, each tallying twenty thousand. The manager was so happy that Chen Fan wondered if he could close his mouth ever again..

Sitting in the gilded cage and surrounded by over the top riches, Chen Fan felt like a drop of water in the oil. There was nothing he wanted to talk about to these spoiled brats.

The feeling seemed to be mutual. Most people had known each other, and therefore, it was easy for them to start conversing with each other. However, no one made an effort to include Chen Fan in their conversation.

"All the better." Chen Fan thought.

He found a corner and poured himself a glass of Hennessy. He swirled the content of his glass as he mused how to leave with Jiang Churan as soon as possible.

He still has an appointment with Wei Fu. Never had he thought that a birthday dinner would involve so many activities, KTV, clubbing, and a banquet. Chen Fan had no time for any of them.

Everyone passed the mic around, but somehow it was never given to Chen Fan.

Not surprisingly, Xu Rongfei was the best singer of all of them. Chen Fan had remembered that Xu Rongzhen had participated in the National High School Music Competition on behalf of 'Ivy League High School' and had won the first prize.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 10: KTV

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Yang Chao lifted the wine glass and said, "Brother Chen, how do you like this venue?"

"He is from Si Shui County. How would he be interested in our little squalid venue in the Chu Zhou City?" Jun Shao jested sarcastically.

Chen Fan furrowed his brows and put down his glass. His lips thinned into a smile.

"Yang Chao, are you looking for trouble?"

"How dare I! You are the boss here, just crash our party and eat and drink." Yang Chao said sarcastically.

"Drop it!" Jiang Churan glared at Chen Fan and turned to Yang Chao. "Today is your sweetheart's birthday, can you please watch your mouth?"

"Fine, fine, I will stop, madam." Yang Chao raised his hands above his head.

After a while, Jun Shao's pretty girlfriend said she wanted to use the washroom.

She didn't know a lot of people at the party since most of them were her boyfriend's friends. However, In order to impress everyone, she had put on her sexiest club dress and had spent hours in front of the mirror putting on makeup.

As soon as she walked out of the washroom, someone put a hand at the nape of her neck. Frightened, She screamed loudly.

Jun Shao was just outside, waiting for his girlfriend. Hearing the scream, he rushed to the girl immediately.

He saw a fat middle-aged man pulling his girlfriend's hair with one hand, and he slapped her face with the other. "Stupid bitch! Who do you think you are? How dare you slap me!"

Jun Shao's real name was Ding Junfei, and his father ran a clothing factory and was a very resourceful and well-connected businessman.

For most of the time, he and Yang Chao had never met any real troubles since most people knew to stay as far from them as possible. The sight of his girlfriend being attacked made him bursting with anger. He rushed to the middle-aged man and kicked him, sending the latter reeling back and fell to the ground.

"To hell with you, fat ass pig head!." Jun Shao stomped on the head of the fallen man.

The plump middle-aged man struggled to his feet and shouted, "Who are you, boy? Tell me your name; I will make you pay for this!"

"Name is Ding Junfei; I am in the Queen's Hall. Come find me if you dare!"

Ding Junfei felt lighthearted after having avenged his girlfriend. He took his girl's hand and started back to the Queen's Hall.

When Jun Shao got back to his friends, he was surrounded by his friends asking what the commotion was about. He plastered on a nonchalant look and then said, "A fat pig had his hand on my girl, Xiao Xin. His accent was from the western side of Jin Province. I kicked his fat ass before he could run away."

Xiao Xin was his new girlfriend. He was extra protective of her while the flame of new love's passion was still hot inside of him.

"That's badass!" A friend next to him punched him in the chest. The comment sent Ding Junfei's ego high above the clouds.

"It's better to be careful. We are not on our own turf. We could end up with a hot mess in our hands." A rich child warned everyone.

"Touche. We are almost done here, anyway; let's move." Jiang Churan got up and willed everyone else to do the same.

Like many girls, she hated troubles.

"What are you so afraid of? Yang Chao's dad can get us out of any shit. His dad owns a five-star hotel. That shit isn't for show, you know." Zhang Yumeng held onto Jiang Churan's waist and said proudly.

Yang Chao smiled, also proud of his father's resourcefulness.

He held up the glass and said, "There's nothing to be afraid of! There are so many of us here, anyway. Come on; let's party!"

Everyone loosened up a bit after hearing Yang Chao's reassurance. They raised their cups for a toast. Seeing that no one wanted to leave, Jiang Churan simply stood there and was not sure what to do.

This was a group of spoiled rich brats who had never been denied anything. Fueled by alcohol and hormones, they quickly forgot about the incident and started partying like there was no tomorrow.

Chen Fan furrowed his bows as he finally remembered the incident he had heard anecdotally during his past life.

He had heard that Ding Junfei had ticked off the wrong guy and had to learn his lesson the hard way. It had to be that fat man he had just ruffled feather with. He reckoned that he should leave with Jiang Churan as soon as possible before the matter spiraled out of control.

He stood up and said, "Ran-ran, It's getting late, Auntie Tang is waiting for us at home. Should we head back?"

Hearing this, Zhang Yumeng's face suddenly hardened. "What do you mean? Do you want to take Ran-ran away? My birthday party hasn't started yet!"

"Who the heck are you? Why are you so controlling " Another girl piped up.

Yang Chao shook his head and grunted, "Hey-Man, that's lame. Am I not being a good host to you? Well, the door is right there if you want to leave. But she is not going with you unless she wanted to."

Yang Chao had put Jiang Churan on the spot, forcing her to choose between Chen Fan and all of her friends. She soon felt everyone, including Chen Fan's eyes, fell on her.

Jiang Churan cursed in her mind, but her choice was clear. After all, she was not going to ditch all of her best friends for someone who she barely knew.

After some awkward moments, a faint smile finally broke over her frowning face, "Of course I will stay with you guys."

Then, she turned around and gave Chen Fan a sidelong glance. "Please let my mom know that I will be late when you get back."

She had made her decision, and Chen Fan knew he wouldn't be able to change her mind.

Zhang Yumeng slapped Jiang Churan's shoulder and gave her a hug. She kissed her on the cheek and cheered, "I love you, bitch!"

Zhang Yumeng then gave Chen Fan a contemptuous glare, "What are you waiting for? Do you want me to point you to the door?"

Zhang Yumeng's scathing words had made everyone burst out laughing. They sneered at the dorky loser who dare rise up to challenge the popular kids.

"No one wants you here, dork! Even Jiang Churan had ditched you. Get out!"

Xu Rongfei nudged Jiang Churan's elbow, but the latter wasn't going to change her mind.

Jiang Churan would be lying if she said she didn't feel the slightest remorse for Chen Fan. However, if she changed her mind and left with Chen Fan, Zhang Yumeng and Yang Chao would never forgive her for it. She knew that staying was her only choice.

Chen Fan stood still amidst the jeers and sneers. He shook his head in resignation.

It is what it is; he can't fix stupid.

Even as he was about to turn around and head for the exit, he felt a strange sensation inside of him, so he paused. The feeling was a mixture of curiosity and satisfaction.

"what the heck, I am already here anyways. Might as well figure out what will happen to them." He thought to himself.

Meanwhile, the middle-aged man pushed opened the door of the emperor's hall; he was panting heavily and bursting with anger.

The Imperial Hall was spacious with luxurious interiors: Persian Carpet, 60inch LED TV and Italian leather sofas.

Sitting in the middle of the sofa was a man in a suit.

Everyone else sat around the man in a suit; it was evident that he was the center of power and wealth in this room.

The man in the suit was startled when the fat middle age man stormed into the room.

"Boss Zhang, what the hell is going on?"

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Chapter 11: Zhou Tianhao

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Fuck! I was out there taking a leak, and I saw this damn hot bitch." The middle-aged man collapsed into the sofa and poured himself a glass of wine.

"I think to myself, "hey, what a piece of nice young meat," so I went for it. I was just going to say hi and what not, but guess what? She slapped me in the face! And then her pretty boy came over and kicked me hard. That prick told me his name was Ding Junfei, never heard of him before."

"Ding Junfei? Isn't he with that group of youngsters in the Queen's Hall?" Sister Rouge put in.

"Yea, that sounds right. He said he was in the Queen's Hall. He is fucking full of himself, that one." The fat man ranted.

Zhou Tianhao furrowed his brows and looked to Sister Rouge sitting next to him, "Do you know him?"

"I know of him. He used to be one of the regulars. His dad had a small factory, owns a few dozen million of assets." Sister Rouge crossed her long legs and puffed a cloud of smoke.

Zhou Tianhao pondered a moment and then said with a half smile, "Bring him to me."

When Yang Chao and his friends made it to the Emperor's Hall, They were astonished by Zhou Tianhao's impressive entourage. There was an imperious demeanor in this man that suggested that he was a force to be reckoned with. That being said, almost everyone with Yang Chao came from a powerful and wealthy family, so they were unfazed by the man's overbearing stare.

"Mister, I have heard that you are looking for my brother Xiao Fei?" Yang Chao said with as much calm as he could muster..

"Yes, but who are you?" Zhou Tianhao was amused by the group of children playing adults.

"My name is Yang Chao. My dad is Yang Yifan of the Tiansheng Hotel. You have my sincere apologies if my friends offended you earlier," Yang Chao said.

"Yang Yifan?" Zhou Tianhao snorted.

"Even your dad will have to bow to me if he were here. So why should I forgive you?"

"You are?" Yang Chao's face paled.

"Why didn't you ask who I am when your friend beat up my guest? " Zhou Tianhao sneered.

Yang Chao's friends were playboys and valley girls who had never the grittiness of life. They were sons and daughters of the businessman who had to bow to Zhou Tianhao just to make a living.

Yang Chao swallowed hard and looked at his friends around him; to his dismay, he saw only fear in their eyes.

When he heard the man's name: 'Zhou Tianhao,' he knew it wouldn't end well for him if he didn't tread carefully from here on. He had heard the name before and what he had heard when that name was spoken frightened him right now. None of his friends stood up with him, so he had to carry on alone.

"Mister Zhou. I am sorry for what my brother had done to your guests. I sincerely apologize."

"Fine, I have met your father a couple of times, so I will let the matter rest." Zhou Tianhao said with a sly smile.

Before a smile broke over Yang Chao's face, Zhou Tianhao said, "I can let you leave, but those two hotties will have to stay."

"You two stay here, and the rest of you can go," Zhou Tianhao said.

The faces of Yang Chao and the rest faces suddenly darkened.

If he left Ding Junfei and his girlfriend here alone, he might as well say goodbye to their friendship. Worse, he would be made into a laughing stock for throwing his friends under the bus.

"Why should they stay? It's illegal to detain them here against their wills," Zhang Yumeng couldn't help but retort.

Yang Chao's heart sank to the bottom the moment he heard Zhang Yumeng's rebuttal.

His girlfriend had been spoiled by her friends and family and knew very little of Zhou Tianhao's crude methods.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 12: A Hot Mess

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Jiang Churan's face hardened, and she knew she had got herself into a hot mess.

However, she was not afraid.

Jiang Churan's father, Jiang Haishan, was near the center of power at the Chu Zhou City. She doubted that Zhou Tianhao dared harm her. However, she wagered that he wouldn't let her get away easily, either.

Even as Zhou Tianhao's bodyguard was about to fetch the girls for his boss, someone put a hand in front of him, stopping him cold in the track.

Everyone was surprised by the turn of the event.

They watched as Chen Fan stood beside Jiang Churan and Xu Rongfei, one hand in the pocket and the other reached out, blocking the bodyguard. He turned his head over his shoulder and said to Zhou Tianhao, "Mister Zhou, they are both my friends. Give me some face, and let them go."

"Are you crazy?" Jiang Chuan poked Chen Fan's back and whispered.

It could have been a simple, although unpleasant matter. She would sit down with these disguising old men, have a few drinks with them and endure some uncouth banter and then they should be on their way home. However, Chen Fan's involvement would muddy the water beyond saving.

"Oh? Who are you? Why should I give you face?" Zhou Tianhao's asked coldly. His patience was wearing thin. First, one of his guests was beaten up by them, and now a kid dared to talk to him as if he was his equal. It was as if no one took him seriously any longer.

"Who am I?" Chen Fan pitched his head to a side and pondered for a while:

"I am someone you don't want to mess with."

The boys and girls could only stare at Chen Fan. Most of them were convinced that Chen Fan had one too many at the bar.

"For fuck sake! He is going to get us all killed! " Yang Chao was shocked by Chen Fan's folly. He knew he shouldn't have brought him with them to the KTV.

He was truly frightened by how quickly the situation had escalated. This whole mess wasn't that much of a big deal until Chen Fan rose up to challenge Zhou Tianhao.

Ding Junfei's legs started to tremble; he could not imagine what Zhou Tianhao would do to them next.

"Ha ha ha ha!" Zhou Tianhao laughed out loud. "I can't afford to mess with you?"

He smiled and pointed at Chen Fan; his words were laced with conceit.

"It's over." Knowing the situation was out of control, Jiang Churan shut her eyes as if she was too afraid to see what was going to happen next.

"That, idiot! Even Yang Chao couldn't confront Zhou Tianhao directly. Why would he intervene? It is not the time to play hero. He would only bring all of us more trouble."

Xu Rongfei's face had turned pale. She nudged Jiang Churan and urged: "What should we do? We need to save him!"

"How? Zhou Tianhao might not harm us because of my dad, but Chen Fan had no family in the city. Plus, he had openly spoken up against Zhou Tianhao. He wouldn't let that slide easily." "Jiang Churan said." "We are so very fucked!"

The bodyguard named A-Biao shouted at Chen Fan, "Kid, you have asked for this!" Then he threw a punch at Chen Fan with an arm that was thicker than Chen Fan's thighs. His fist wheezed across the air and aimed squarely at Chen Fan's chest. If this punch stroke home, Chen Fan would break at least a few ribs

Faces behind Chen Fan turned paled, seeing the sudden attack. Many young teenagers stood back to get out of harm's way.

Xu Rongfei screamed, "Get away!"

To her surprise, Chen Fan turned around and gave her a mischievous smile. "Don't worry. He is just a piece of cake."

He reached out one hand and stopped A-Biao's punch cold in its tracks.

Chen Fan then landed a solid kick on A-Biao, sending the bodyguard flying back.

Under the watch of many incredulous eyes, A-Biao's body flew back half a dozen meters and slammed to the ground right in front of Zhou Tianhao.

"A-Biao, Are you alright?." Zhou Tianhao pulled a tout face.

A-Biao felt that he was hit by a motorcycle, and the impact had shifted his innards. Suddenly, a powerful wave of pain shot through his body as he spat out a mouthful of blood.

"He-he actually beat that guy up?" Zhang Yumeng's eyes were wide open in disbelief as if she had just seen a ghost.

During her brief encounter with Chen Fan, not only she could find nothing extraordinary about this boy, but she was also convinced that he would be forever living at the bottom of the society for the rest of his life. However, it had appeared that she was wrong.

It was such a dramatic turn of event that it was as if a TV show was playing out in front of her.

Yang Chao was also at a loss. The thought of Chen Fan retaliating against him for his previous humiliation gave him the jitters.

Chen Fan closed in onto Zhou Tianhao slowly and then sat right in front of him.

"I hope that was convincing enough for you?"

The room suddenly became pin-drop quiet.

Zhou Tianhao looked at the boy as anger and fear roiled inside him.

He was a shrewd businessman, and therefore he didn't let his feelings show on his face, "Yes, I agree that you are quite a fighter. But you might want to ask around what had happened last time when a martial artist got on my nerves. He is still in jail. We are living in a civilized society now; you can't scare people with muscles. One phone call to my lawyer will put you behind bars for the rest of your life!" A smug smile surfaced on his face as he rolled back into the sofa.

"What did you say?" Chen Fan grunted as he furrowed his brows again. His patience was wearing thin.

"Let them leave, and I will stay here; we have lots to talk about." Chen Fan said thinly.

Chen Fan planned to get Jiang Churan and others out of here first before he solved the problem the old fashion way.

Zhou Tianhao studied Chen Fan's face for a second and then glanced over his shoulder at the group of teenagers.

"Sure, why not. Rouge, let them get the fuck out of my face. While you... like you said, we have LOTS to talk about."

Yang Chao heaved a sigh of relief and got out of the room as quickly as they could.

The situation was beyond their control; the best they could hope for was not to suffer any collateral damage.

Xu Rongfei did not want to go, but she was dragged away by Zhang Yumeng.

Jiang Churan was the last to leave the room. She graced Chen Fan with a concerned glance before she disappeared behind the door. She reckoned that the boy was not at all who she thought he was.

"No wonder he looked so relaxed. But I hope he realized that Zhou Tianhao wouldn't so easily succumb to brute forces alone."

Nonetheless, she reckoned that she could only be a hindrance rather than help to Chen Fan if she stayed. Despite her concern and guilt, she followed her friends out of the room.

It wasn't until Chen Fan saw that everyone had left the room he finally heaved a sigh of relief. He didn't want Jiang Churan and Xu Rongzhen to get involved in this; one was Auntie Tang's daughter who he had promised to protect, and the other was a lover of his past life.

Chen Fan plastered a smile on his face and was about to use a spell to scare Zhou Tianhao, when his cell phone rang.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 13: Wei Family Of The North Bank

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Chen Fan's brows drew together as he took the phone out of his pocket.

"Xiao Qi?"

The name reminded Chen Fan that he had agreed to meet with Mr. Wei to treat his injury. Having distracted by the incident between Yang Chao and Zhou Tianhao, he nearly forgot about the appointment.

Only with the slightest hesitation, Chen Fan answered the phone.

"Hello, is that Mr. Chen? I am Xiao Qi. I am right by your house, are you ready to go?"

Chen Fan heard Xiao Qi's respectful voice drifted out of the cell phone.

Xiao Qi had been enthralled by Chen Fan's power ever since he witnessed the boy turned the willow leaf into a deadly weapon. He was a professional bodyguard and respected strength and power the most among other things.

"Ah- Sorry! I am not at the Lakeside Community at this moment." Chen Fan was a little embarrassed for having the young man drive all the way to his house for nothing.

"Oh- where are you then? Is there anything I can help with?" Xiao Qi asked haltingly, feeling uncomfortable for poking his nose into the boy's business.

"I am at the New District. I ran into a little... trouble." Chen Fan sat calmly and didn't pay any attention to Zhou Tianhao.

"You are in trouble? Is there anything I can do?" Xiao Qi asked eagerly.

Xiao Qi paused a second to make sure that his words didn't come out wrong. Then he explained:" I just don't want you to be late for the old man's treatment. Although I am just a bodyguard, I am more resourceful than you think."

"Ok, appreciate it! It's nothing serious. I was here at the KTV, and I ran into this businessman named Zhou Tianhao." Chen Fan told Xiao Qi about the incident. Since Xiao Qi was just a bodyguard, Chen Fan didn't expect him to be able to help him with the situation.

As soon as Chen Fan mentioned the name Zhou Tianhao, he heard Xiao Qi gasped on the other end of the line.

"Do you know him?" Chen Fan asked curiously

"Yes, I will be there in ten minutes." Xiao Qi hurried a reply, "Tell Zhou Tianhao to keep his pants on; I will be there right away."

Chen Fan hung up the phone and was confused by the Xiao Qi's last few words.

It sounded as if Xiao Qi was not only an acquaintance of Zhou Tianhao, but the two also seemed to have a special connection.

Since Xiao Qi knew Zhou Tianhao, it made Chen Fan hesitate to do away with his problem there and then; therefore, he decided to wait until Xiao Qi was here.

Zhou Tianhao watched as Chen Fan finished the phone call. He didn't interrupt the boy thinking there was no need to do so. Seeing that the boy had hung up his mobile phone, he finally spoke with a smug smile on his face, "Well, did you find any helper? "

"Go on; I will not interrupt you. Why don't you call everyone you know and see who would come to your rescue?"

"Well, this friend of mine said that he would be here in ten minutes. He told you to keep—to wait for him" Chen Fan was going to repeat Xiao Chen's words, but then thought better of it.

It was all for the better if Xiao Qi could solve this problem since Chen Fan was not ready to reveal his real power yet.

"Let me wait?" Zhou Tianhao said incredulously. He nodded with his jaw tightened, and then he said, "Ok, I will wait for ten minutes.

"I want to find out who dare cross me in the Chu Zhou City."

And then they waited; no one spoke a word, dragging out the silence.

Chen Fan felt that the quietness in the room was similar to the stifled air before a violent summer downpour. Anger mounted inside of Zhou Tianhao by the second.

In less than ten minutes, they heard a loud commotion coming from outside of the door.

Everyone turned toward the entrance, and they saw a fit young man stormed into the room.

He cast around the Imperial Hall with a placid expression. Afterward, he walked to Chen Fan and greeted him respectfully

"Mr. Chen, are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

"In their dreams." Chen Fan cracked a smile and then shook his head.

"That's what I thought. I apologize Mr. Chen. I didn't mean to undermine your strength." The young man cracked a smile awkwardly and said. He wrenched his head toward the group of people sitting on the sofa and shouted, "Zhou Tianhao! Are you out of your mind?"

Zhou Tinghao's face paled as soon as he realized who the young man was. Hearing Xiao Qi's hot castigation, he jumped out of the sofa and fumbled a reply:" Brother-Qi, how-how, are you doing?"

Zhou Tianhao reckoned that this young man was the bodyguard of the old Don: Mr.Wei.

Xiao Qi sneer at Zhou Tianhao and then answered sarcastically, "I could be better if you didn't threaten the Old Man's friend! "

"Fri-friend? You mean, this boy is Don's friend?" Zhou Tianhao looked incredulously at Chen Fan and then back at Xiao Qi.

The old Don was almost eighty years old. How could he be friends with a sixteen-years-old kid?

"The Old Man asked me to bring him to the banquet we have prepared for him. I have my car parked downstairs." Xiao Qiyin said, "Are you questioning me?"

"No-no, not at all!" Zhou Tianhao was already drenched in cold sweat. He knew that the old Audi A6 belonged to the Old Man. It was the first thing he bought after he earned the first pot of gold many years ago. Since it holds a special meaning to the Old Man, he only used it on special occasions. Also, the Old Man rarely asked his personal bodyguard to give anyone a ride unless the guest was of significance to him.

Finally, realization dawned upon Zhou Tianhao: he was messing with the wrong guy. He looked at Chen Fan sheepishly and then said with a pleading voice.

"I didn't know you are the Old Man's guest. Stupid me! I sincerely apologize."

The other guests in the room were stunned by the turn of the event. It was such a surreal scene: the big boss of the city apologized to a 16-year-old no account boy.

They wagered that the boy had to come from an extremely powerful family. Otherwise, Zhou Tianhao would not be so afraid of him.

Seeing the combat suit that Xiao Qi was wearing, everyone kept their silence and dared not to speak a word out loud.

Sister Rouge felt her heart swell in the chest as her body was almost paralyzed by fear.

She had been thinking about calling Zhou Tianhao's boss if the situation got out of control, but never had she expected Zhou Tianhao's employer to show up unasked-for.

"What a mess! Who would have thought that this kid knew the Old Man Wei?"

Hearing Zhou Tianhao's apology, Chen Fan frowned his brows. It occurred to him that he had underestimated the authority of the Old Man.

What a mysterious old gentleman!

"Mr. Chen, what do you want me to do with this guy?" Xiao Qi asked circumspectly.

Xiao Qi didn't want this matter to escalate further, and therefore he had chastised Zhou Tianhao in order to placate Chen Fan. If he really wanted Zhou Tianhao dead, he could have done it swiftly and quietly. However, since Zhou Tianhao also worked for the Old Man and therefore Xiao Qi tried to protect him without siding with him.

Xiao Qi's intention didn't escape Chen Fan. He thought for a second and then said:" Since we all know each other, let's just let the matter rest."

After all, Zhou Tianhao did not harm him. Instead, It was he who had wounded one of his men.

Chen Fan turned to Zhou Tianhao and said, "This is a misunderstanding, let's just call it off. But I don't want you to harass those girls. If I have hurt your feelings, we can sort it out between you and me."

"Yes, yes. I will never touch those girls. I promise!" Zhou Tianhao apologized as sweat ran down from his forehead.

After Chen Fan had left with Xiao Qi, Zhou Tianhao finally heaved a sigh of relief and was able to straighten up his back.

The fat man who was the instigator of this ordeal finally braved a question, "Zhou Tianhao, what just happened?"

Zhou Tianhao shook his head with a wry smile."Boss Zhang, I am sorry, but I really can't help you this time."

The fat man's shiny forehead puckered as he asked, "Who is that kid? Why are you so afraid of him?"

Zhou Tianhao did not speak; he looked around him and then glanced at Sister Rouge.

Sister Rouge picked up the cue, and she ordered everyone else to leave the room until only four were left in the room: the fat man, Zhou Tianhao, Sister Rouge and another girl in a white dress.

Zhou Tianhao sat on the sofa and sipped a cup of red wine poured by the Sister Rouge. It took him a while to gather himself and then he said slowly, "I don't know who that kid is. But I know the person who came for him. He works for my boss's boss."

"Oh? May I ask which family did he came from" The fat man asked curiously.

Zhou Tianhao paused a few cautious moments and then said, "Wei family."

"Wei Family?" The fat man murmured to himself, and then suddenly he seemed to remember something:

"The Wei Family of the North Bank? The mighty martial family?"

"That's right." Zhou Tianhao nodded and smiled wryly. "That young man who I called 'Brother Qi ' was the Old Man's personal bodyguard. I have only met him twice."

As reality set in, the fat man felt that his hair stood on its ends.

The Wei Family of the North Bank was a powerful family that hailed from the Hu Dong Province. Their money was old, and so was their family history. He was just an overnight-rich from a small coal-mining village in Shanxi Province. Even the thought of meeting a member of the powerful family gave him the chills.

The fat man had never been so scared while he was out and about in another province. He could always run back to his hometown. However, the Wei Family's power extended all the way to his home province. There was nowhere he could run.

"Shit!" The fat man cursed.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 14: Secret Art of the Wei

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Meanwhile, Chen Fan was already on his way to the Wei residence.

Xiao Qi did not drive the Range Rover this time, but an old Audi A6 which was much cheaper than the Rover.

However, from the old but carefully dusted license plate to the original interior decorations that were still in pristine condition, Chen Fan could tell that this car was much closer to Mr. Wei's heart than the Range Rover.

Xiao Qi pulled down the rearview mirror to look at Chen Fan and then said:

"I assume you have already guessed who my boss is?"

Chen Fan nodded.

He had finally remembered who the elderly man was.

"Wei Fu!"

He was one of the most famous people in the Chu Zhou City who had later become a household name across China. No wonder that Chen Fan felt the name sounded so familiar when he first heard it.

Chu Zhou City was located in the northern part of Hudong Province. The economy was mediocre at best. Wei Fu was the only famous person that came from this city in the recent century.

Rumor had it that he was from a mysterious family that no one knew a lot about. When he was young, he started a business from scratch and had become the richest man in the city in the late seventies.

In the 1980s, his business really started to take off, and before long, he had accumulated so much wealth that no one knew how rich he was.

No wonder Zhou Tianhao was scared shitless when he saw Brother Qiao. On the other hand, the incident also seemed to suggest that Zhou Tianhao had a very special connection with House Wei as well.

Mr. Wei was a household name, if not a local hero. How come he would meddle with thugs such as Zhou Tianhao? Chen Fan furrowed his brows. Xiao Qi noticed Chen Fan's concern, so he explained:

"Old man has three sons and two daughters. The eldest son turned out to be successful, and the second son is not so bad either.

"But the third son is a tool, lazy and spoiled. He had opened his own company that deals with the most unsavory characters in the city. So far, he had been doing well thanks to his familial connections. Zhou Tianhao works for that prick."

Even an outsider such as Xiao Qi could not stand Wei Lao's third son. It was evident that the youngest son was not at all like by his father.

Chen Fan nodded to acknowledge that he had caught Xiao Qi's drift.

Once the car hit the highway that surrounded the lake, it headed deep into the misty mountain. After a while, Xiao Qi pulled the car over in front of a large brick building with green metal roof tiles.

"Mr. Wei has many health complications. Therefore he mostly stayed inside of this wellness treatment center." Xiao Qi parked the car and led Chen Fan into the building.

The path that led to the entrance of the main hall was quiet, and Chen Fan saw many old men and women accompanied by nurses in white scrubs. Most of the seniors he saw were well into their seventies or eighties and had chosen this peaceful place to spend the rest of their lives.

"The environment here is superb! Perfect for recovery." Chen Fan exclaimed as he marveled at the grand vision and artistic style of the designer of this facility.

When he finally saw Mr. Wei, he found out that the elderly man was practicing calligraphy. Zi Qing stood beside her grandpa and was producing ink by gently grinding the ink stick on the ink box

Chen Fan studied Mr. Wei's calligraphy work and was amazed by its fine quality. It was evident that Mr. Wei had been practicing the art for at least a few decades.

"Mr. Chen seems to be well versed in the art of calligraphy as well?" Mr. Wei set his brush aside and asked with a welcoming smile.

The elderly man wore a set of loose shirt and pants that were often worn by seniors who practice Tai Chi. The flowy suit had made Mr. Wei look much more relaxed than when he was in the transitional suit. Chen Fan wagered that there was no harm in loosening up a bit when he was home.

"I'm not really good at it."

Chen Fan said, and he was telling the truth. Let it be calligraphy, painting, or music; he had no talent nor interest in any of them in his past life.

"I thought you are supposed to treat my grandpa today, where are your instruments such as acupuncture needles and what not?" Wei Ziqing put in abruptly. Something about Chen Fan was getting on her nerves, but she couldn't put the finger on it.

Chen Fan found out that she was wearing a set of casual-looking outfit. She was in a white slim-fit t-shirt with and wore a pair of hot pants that revealed two long and slender thighs. Compared to her morning exercise outfit; this drastically different style had brought a gorgeous woman out of her.

"My healing method does not require acupuncture nor massage." Chen Fan shook his head.

"Here, look." Chen Fan handed Mr. Wei a booklet. On the cover, it read, "Secret Art of the Wei."

This secret art was an internal force technique that Chen Fan had created by improving Wei Fu's existing technique. Chen Fan had given it a name that he thought was the most appropriate.

"What is this?" Wei Fu accepted the booklet perplexedly. However, as soon as he started reading it, the confused expression on his face changed into disbelief.

"What's wrong, grandpa?" Ziqing asked.

After Wei Fu was done reading the last page, he closed the booklet as well as his eyes and fell into deep thoughts. After a while, he finally heaved a sigh and opened his eyes.

He turned to Chen Fan and bowed deeply to him, "Thank you, Mr. Chen. I will never forget what you have done for me."

"It's nothing. Fate had brought you and me together, and so I can't sit around and watch you suffer." Chen Fan accepted the elderly man's bow and replied.

"Grandpa, why did you bow to him? What has he done for you?"

Ziqiong quickly helped Wei Fu straighten his back from the deep bow. She managed to shoot Chen Fan a hot glance, blaming him for shamelessly, letting an old man bow to him.

Chen Fan cracked a smile as he lamented the girl's hardheadedness. Not long ago, when she was pleading with Chen Fan to save her grandfather, her face was all smiles; but as soon as she found out that things were not what she expected, the smile on her face evaporated in a blink.

"Mr. Chen, why don't you explain it to Ziqing for me." Mr. Wei said with a smile.

Chen Fan said slowly, "Your grandfather's injury is mainly caused by two things. One is the injury he had sustained when he was young. Since he had let the injury slide when it first happened, the condition of his lungs had deteriorated beyond help.

"The second factor was his technique in drawing internal forces. Every time he channeled his internal force out of his system, he risked, damaging his lung by a small degree. Over time, he had caused great harm to his already weakened lungs."

"If that's the case, are my lungs damaged as well?" Wei Ziqing asked.

"In theory, yes. But I don't think you are powerful enough to cause any real harm to your lungs yet." Chen Fan shrugged.

Wei Ziqing rolled her eyes at Chen Fan as she was told that her incompetence was a blessing in disguise.

Mr. Wei nodded. "My parents had warned me of the danger in following the family art of channeling internal force. But I had no choice, it was either use it or die. It was also because of that reason that I had never taught any of my children the family technique. If Ziqing weren't so insistent, I was ready to take the family art with me to my grave." The elderly man said.

"What is that booklet?" Wei Ziqing asked curiously.

"This booklet contained the revised version of your family's art. It should be harmless now." Chen Fan said.

"Not only was it harmless, but it was also much more powerful than our original version. I truly admire your impressive knowledge of martial arts! " Wei Fu said emotionally.

The Wei family had been refining the art for over hundreds of years, yet they had failed even to make it safe for practice. However, this boy had spent only a few days and had completely overhauled the art, making it better, safer, and stronger than it ever was.

"I don't remember you ever tell him anything about our art? How did he change anything without even knowing it?" Wei Ziqing was very confused.

"That's what the difference is between you and a grandmaster. " Wei Fu shook his head and said admiringly. "Only a grand master was able to understand one art by simply looking at it once. They are martial arts geniuses who were able to establish their own schools and create new arts."

Chen Fan waved a reply, "As I said, I am just a monk, not a master."

"If you can do what a master could, then what difference does a title make?" Wei Fu laughed.

"I didn't expect you to be so powerful." Having been convinced by her grandpa, Wei Ziqing, who thought she had never liked Chen Fan finally felt a measure of respect for the boy.

Chen Fan smiled and said, "Ah, by the way, this is the less Essence Enhancing Pill, there are ten of them." Chen Fan fished out a glass bottle from his pocket and handed it to Wei Ziqing. "Make sure you take this pill once every couple days. With the help of the new art, you should recover very quickly.

"If I have more money, I would be able to create a more powerful version of the Essence Enhancing Pill. Those pills are so powerful that they could bring the dead back to life, much less curing your ailment."

"Really?" Wei Ziqing held on to the glass bottle like the greatest treasure in the world. However, she still managed to fire back at Chen Fan:" Are you selling us snake oil? "

"Whatever." Chen Fan gave her a shrug while Wei Ziqing pouted in reply.

"This little prick is so annoying." Wei Ziqing cursed in her mind. "Why does he always have to be right? Did he know anything about how to talk to a lady? "

"I don't think this is snake oil. Why don't you tell us what kind of ingredients is required to make those pills, perhaps we could help each other" Mr. Wei put in.

"Sure, I can give you the recipe. But, except for me, no one on this planet knows how to make these pills." Chen Fan said readily.

He then grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down the list of ingredients.

Creating the Essence Enhancing Pill required special Dharmic arts known only to high-level cultivators; without it, the expensive ingredients would be wasted.

Mr. Wei scanned the recipe and found out that the pill not only required some of the rarest herbs, but these herbs also needed to be over a few hundred years old. He reckoned that it would take even the Wei Family a while to gather these herbs, much less a poor teenage boy. Mr. Wei nodded and then handed the list to Xiao Qi. He ordered Xiao Qi to start working on acquiring those herbs.

"I have done my part; now I have some questions for you about the world of martial arts and how it works. " Chen Fan said.

Wei Lao nodded and said, "I knew you would ask me this. "

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 15: Martial Arts Transcendent Master

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Chen Fan left the wellness center satisfied.

Mr. Wei had told him everything he wanted to know. He had learned that Martial Arts had a long history. It was likely an offshoot branch of some secret cultivation sect thousands of years ago. The cultivation techniques were generalized and simplified by the martial artists, so much so that they had come up with a system of their own.

The last heyday of the martial arts was during the chaotic time of the early 20th century, right after the collapse of the mighty Qin dynasty.

There had been many grandmasters during that time. However, the ensuing war with Japan had halted the development of martial arts ever since. By then, there was only a handful of martial arts grandmasters left in China.

The power of martial artists was divided into three levels.

External Strength, Internal Force, Transcendent State.

Majority of the martial artists in the world were of the first level: the External Strength. Let it be the Eagle Claw, Hong's Fists or Tan's kicks, all of those famous martial arts focused on the power and resilience of human flesh.

Only a very few schools of martial arts advanced into the second level: internal force — schools such as the Neijia, and other secret family arts.

The Internal Force level was also divided into four sub-levels: Entry, Initial Success, Phenomenal Success, and Perfected. Chen Fan wagered that Mr. Wei was of the Phenomenal Success level.

The cultivation of the Internal Force was difficult. Wei Ziqin, for example, had started practicing under her grandpa ever since she was a child, and she didn't reach the Entry Level until she was twenty, still being far away from achieving Initial Success.

There were only a very few martial artists left in China who still possessed the Internal Force; the number was even smaller in the Hu Dong Province.

Besides the grandpa-granddaughter pair, the only other person who claimed to have learned the art of Internal Force in the Chu Zhou City was the owner of the Wei Sheng Martial Arts Club. However, Mr. Wei never considered the owner of the club an Internal Force Cultivator due to his meager power.

Even after one had achieved the Perfected state, a martial artist with internal force could not dodge a bullet. Since decades of martial arts training could be easily undermined by the use of guns, the martial arts had become obsolete, and fewer and fewer people practiced it.

However, Mr. Wei believed that a martial artist would be practically invincible once he or she reached the transcendent state.

The transcendent master was protected by the Qi of Righteousness from any physical harms.

That being said, Mr. Wei conceded that it had become very rare to find a transcendent master during this day and age. Chen Fan was the first transcendent master he had seen in the eighty years of his life.

"Mr. Wei also mentioned that there was another level of martial arts beyond even the Transcendent State, and it was called the Immortal State, in which the martial artist could wield unimaginable power. However, Mr. Wei seemed to believe that this was just a legend since no one had ever seen a martial artist in such a level before." Chen Fan reminded himself.

If the Internal Force corresponded to Foundation Establishment and Transcendent

State corresponded to the ethereal enlightenment, then the Immortal State's cultivation counterpart should be the Ethereal Enlightenment.

Once a martial artist reached the Divine Sea level, he could perform various miracles even without having learned any Dharmic formulation.

However, since the martial artist in the transcendent state were considered rare, Chen Fan doubted that he would find someone who was in the immortal state.

Chen Fan shook his head and decided to let the matter rest for now. There were too many unknowns in history and even more in the future, and therefore, it was impossible for Chen Fan to be sure if there was an immortal level martial artist.

Chen Fan left the wellness center not only with the answers he had been seeking but also a personal gift from Mr. Wei.

It was a key to a mansion in the Yunwu mountain.

Mr. Wei told him that this mansion was a gift from his delinquent youngest son. Since he was already too old to stay in a mansion by himself, he decided to regift the mansion to Chen Fan. It also served as an apology for the trouble that Zhou Tianhao had caused for him.

Chen Fan didn't refuse the expensive gift as a normal person would. Instead, he accepted the gift as if it was just a pat on the shoulder. As a former Celestial Lord, the mansion was not a big deal.

Chen Fan knew that what he had done for the old man was worth much more than a mansion. He not only helped Mr. Wei with his deteriorating symptom but also found and corrected the root-cause in his family art. The new art was not only much safer than its previous version but was also much more powerful. With the new art, Mr. Wei could finally have a chance in ascending to the Transcendent State.

Plus, Chen Fan was certain that it was not the last time he would have to help Mr. Wei.

With the brimming confidence of a Celestial Lord, Chen Fan accepted the gift.

Wei Ziqing and her grandpa sat inside of a pavilion and watched as Chen Fan left the wellness center. Wei Ziqing furrowed her brows and complained, "Grandpa, don't you think that the last gift was a little over-the-top? It was the best mansion on the entire mountain, and it was worth over thirty million yuan. It was a gift from the developer to uncle, and then he had given it to you. You knew that Ziping and Auntie wanted it for themselves, so why didn't you give it to members of our family but a stranger?

"Even if he had cured your lungs, a mansion was still too much for what he had done, don't you think? A few million yuan would be more than enough, in my honest opinion." Ziqin asked; she was at a loss by her grandfather's extravagant gift.

"Just the booklet he had given me alone was worth more than ten of those mansions." Mr. Wei narrowed his eyes and replied. The shrewd expression on his face was typical of him when he had made a great business deal.

"The revised art would allow our family clan to prosper for another hundred years at least.

"You still have no idea what a Transcendent Master means." Mr. Wei said in a respectful tone.

"Transcendent Master?" Wei Ziqing murmured. "Haven't you just told us what it was? You said that although the Transcendent Master was able to withstand physical harm using the Qi of Righteousness, they were incredibly rare. I mean, even if he was a Transcendent Master, so what?

"I have investigated into the boy's background, and he seemed to be from a very ordinary family. Grandpa, do you want to be friends with him only because he was a Transcendent Master?"

Using the Wei family's resources, Ziqing had to find out everything about Chen Fan's dad's side of the family. However, the Wang family was too powerful for Ziqin to poke her nose into.

"It's not as easy as you think." Mr. Wei shook his head and then turned to face his lovely granddaughter.

Of all the youngest generations of his household, Ziqin was the only one who remained by his side. While her cousins were busy making money and enjoying their lives, she stayed beside grandpa and studied martial arts.

Touched by her granddaughter's devotion to the family art, Mr. Wei decided to reveal more to her.

"Do you remember Ye Nantian?" Mr. Wei asked.

"Ye Nantian from the Yanjin City?" Wei Ziqin asked curiously.

"Yes. You might not be aware that he was also a grandmaster of martial arts." Mr. Wei nodded and said

"How-how, is that possible?" Ziqin's mouth was wide open in sheer surprise.

Although Ziqin was not a full-time martial artist, she had trained under her grandfather ever since she was a child, and therefore she had heard a lot about Ye Nantian from her grandfather.

To Ziqin, Ye Nantian was a legend, and she practically grew up listening to stories about him.

In all of those stories, Ye Nantian was invincible.

Some stories said that he had made it out of the jungle in Southeast Asia with only one small dagger.

Another story claimed that he went deep into a desolate borderland area and had survived over six months without any provision.

He was the paragon of strength and mettle; a reincarnation of the War God, just like Lu Bu or Zhang Fei during the ancient time.

"So the stories about Ye Nantian are real?" Wei Ziqin asked her grandfather, incredulously.

She was convinced that those stories were nothing but high tales, if not nationalist propaganda. However, Wi Fu nodded with a hard face and then said: "Not only were those stories real, but there were many more that I haven't told you yet.

"Otherwise, why would everyone call him the War God?"

The thought of Ye Nantian made Wui Fu release a poignant sigh.

"Is a Transcendent Master rally that powerful?" Wei Ziqing still found it hard to believe. However, since her grandpa was already convinced of its power, she conceded that she didn't have much choice.

It was her curiosity that had led her to follow her grandfather's footsteps; but later, it was the sense of fulfillment that had kept her going. Never had she thought that practicing martial arts could make her an invincible warrior.

"A Transcendent Master alone was not the most deadly power in the world, a fully armored one was." Wei Fu murmured.

Hearing her grandfather's words, an image came to We Ziqing's mind: a Transcendent Master wearing bulletproof vests and was wielding powerful guns in both hands. The image had sent a chill down her spine.

If what her grandfather said about the power of the Transcendent Masters were true, then so should be the stories about Ye Nantian.

It was hard for her to imagine what would happen when such a mighty warrior fought in a real war,

"Ye Nantian was not the only one. Do you remember Uncle Wu from your brother Xiao's family?" Mr. Wei added

"Yes." We Ziqin nodded, face blushing.

"He is also a transcendent master." Mr. Wei Said quietly.

The redness on the girl's face suddenly disappeared after the shocking revelation.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 16: First Day School

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

When her grandfather was young and first started his company, Xiao's grandfather and Xiaoqin's grandfather were partners.

By then, not only had Mr. Wei become a powerful business magnate, but all of his old friends had also become powerful and influential individuals. Even though most of them were already retired, their influences were still huge.

The Xiao Family was also a powerful household in the city of Yanjin.

Brother Xiao was one of the elites among the second and the third generations of all the prominent families in Yanjin.

When Wei Ziqin was just a little girl, she had met Brother Xiao when she followed her grandfather to visit his old friends. From then on, Brother Xiao had left a deep impression on the girl's mind.

However, even though Brother Xiao was the direct offspring of the family, he would have to bow respectfully to the reticent middle-aged man who accompanied his grandfather and call him "Uncle Wu." It was evident to even a young girl that Mr. Wu held a respectable status in the Xiao Family.

"Grandpa, are you hoping to rope in that boy close to you like the Xiao family did to uncle Wu?" Wei Ziqin asked curiously.

"Haha, you think too little of your grandmaster." Wei Fu smiled and then shook his head. "My old buddy had saved Mr. Wu's family once, and therefore, Mr. Wu was willing to serve House Xiao. Otherwise, however powerful the Xiao Family was, they would not be able to have the servitude of a Transcendent Master."

"I have given him the mansion as a token of goodwill. We are the first great family he had ever met, and we shouldn't pass up this opportunity to befriend him." Wei Fu lolled in a rocking chair and fanned his long beard with a Chinese hand fan. He looked like an astute strategist who had everything under his control.

Wei Ziqin nodded. Although her grandfather's real intention still escaped her, she at least had gained a much better understanding of Chen Fan and his abilities.

She would never have thought that this annoying boy was as powerful as the person who impressed her father, grandfather and even Brother Xiao.

"Plus, he is so young. Even if he were not as powerful as Ye Nantian or Mr. Wu, he would surpass their ability one day." Mr. Wei heaved a sigh as he marveled at the infinite potential of this young man.

"You mean, he can achieve the Immortal State?" Wei Ziqin asked incredulously as disbelief flickered in her eyes.

It was hard for her to imagine the power of the Immortal State after knowing the incredible power of a Transcendent Master.

"Unbelievable! Will he be able to fly in the sky and tunnel through the earth?"

"Immortal State?" The old man let out a quiet laugh."We don't even know if such a thing exists or not. I always believed that that was nothing but high tales."

Suddenly, as if something had caught the elderly man's attention. He looked over his shoulder into the distance as a strange emotion flashed across his face.

The next day, Chen Fan received a phone call. To his surprise, it was from Jiang Churan.

Jiang Churan called to check on him and see if he was alright after last night's ordeal. She also invited him over to join her and two friends for lunch.

Chen Fan declined the invitation as politely as he could.

Although he didn't appreciate the way those girls had treated him last night, as a Celestial Lord, he would not care about those frivolous matters. He didn't want to join them for lunch because he didn't want to be bored again.

Jiang Churan hung up the phone disappointedly as she resented the boy in her mind. "Ok, so he is strong, so what?. How dare he reject my invitation. I was even going to apologize for last night because I took pity on him. But I guess I was just thinking too much!"

Despite her resentful sentiment, the thought of Chen Fan's heroic rescue last night made her heart skip a beat.

After Chen Fan hung up the phone, he felt his life was once again returned to normal.

Fast-forward the time to September 1st, the first day back to school...

By then, Chen Fan had almost finished the entry-stage of the Foundation Establishment, and he was only one step away from the mid-stage of the first level.

After his morning cultivation, Chen Fan walked along the Yangui Lake highway to his high school.

Ivy League High School was a private high school and was a well known upper-class academy. It ranked number one at Chu Zhou City both in terms of hardware facilities as well as the skills of teachers. There were only two kinds of people who could be admitted into this school: the geniuses and the rich kids.

On his way to school, Chen Fan saw many luxury vehicles whizzing pass him towards Ivy League High. Some kids were given a ride by their parents, and some were by their private chauffeurs.

"Was I in class group number nine in my past life?" Chen Fan felt like he was taking a trip down memory lane when he entered school. The Oxford style school uniforms and the familiar gardens by the entrance made him felt that he was in a deja vu.

When he arrived in his class, he found out that the classroom was only half full.

Everyone in the class was in school uniforms and were of above average looks. All of the boys were tall and handsome, and all the girls were pretty and innocent. Above all, they all shared a common trait: they all looked rich.

"What a shame that I had never paid much attention to the girls in my class during my past life. Some of them are drop-dead divas."

Chen Fan noticed that no one seemed to have paid attention to him when he walked in. They were too busy chatting with each other, talking about their vacations aboard during the summer break.

"Are you looking for someone?" A girl had finally noticed him.

"I am new." Chen Fan shrugged, He spotted the seat that he had used to sit in his past life and sat down.

Some girls managed to grace him with a glance in between their chattering but seeing his pedestrian-look and ordinary outfit, their interest in the new boy evaporated as quickly as they ditched their last boyfriend.

"Balls! I thought we are going to have a pretty new girl. What a bummer!" Chen Fan heard a loud sigh next to him.

The boy sitting next to him had well-defined features, but his overall appearance suffered from a pale complexion and dark circles around his eyes.

Chen Fan cracked a smile and kept his silence.

After some time, the head teacher Xue Hanzhi arrived.

She was wearing a black dress and had a cold cast to her stone-chiseled face. Xue Hanzhi was a graduate of the Ivy League High. By now, she was the assistant to the school principal. Being the head teacher of class number nine was only a transitional job for her.

She nodded at Chen Fan, willing him to stand up and introduce himself.

Unimpressed by what Chen Fan had to say, most students kept on chattering quietly.

Even after Chen Fan had finished his self-introduction, he was rewarded with only some sporadic and halting claps.

"Your name is Chen Fan? Your self-introduction is lame, man. You have to be cool on your first day. The first impression is the most important to girls." Jiang Tanqiu shot the new boy a sidelong glance as he spoke.

"Whatever, it's not important any longer. My name is Jiang Tanqiu; they call me the "club prince." "

Chen Fan nearly rolled his eyes at him. " Of course I know who you are!"

"We had been sitting next to each other for a whole year, and at the end, we were practically joined at the hip! You remained my friend even when I was down on my luck.

"Later, you got yourself into some deep shit in the club over a girl, and even your father couldn't get you out of jail. When I lost everything and came back to Chu Zhou City, I found you in no better shape than me. We have spent so many intoxicated nights together, hating the world and resenting everyone around us.

"You always told me that if you were given another life, you would never do anything for that girl who ruined your life. Well, my friend, I will see to it that you do that this time."

Despite the roiling emotions inside of him, Chen Fan didn't say a thing.

He wagered that this cocky boy might not even see him as a friend yet.

After a few moments of silence, Jiang Tanqiu started to lose his interest in the new student.

"Fine, fine. I will have to show you the ropes; let me fill you in!"

"Most of the girls in our class are pretty, but the prettiest of all, the crown jewel, the cream of the crop, is our class leader: Chang Wen. Look, she is right there."

So saying, he pointed at a beautiful girl sitting upright in her seat.

"Chang Wen is not only the class leader but also the host of the school evening party. She is the leader of all the girls in our class. In our entire grade, only two other girls were considered more popular than her: Xu Rongfei and Jiang Churan.

"Of course, I suggest you stay away from them. One of them had already landed a role in a TV show. The money she makes every year was enough to buy a BMW. " The thought of Xu Rongfei made Jiang Tanqiu's eyes glint.

Chen Fan cracked a smile. He wanted to tell him that Xu Rongfei had almost become his girl, but he thought better of it.

The thought of his past made him feel depressed, much less talking about it.

Jiang Tanqiu continued, "Another word of caution. Do Not Piss Off The Girls! They know every girl on the school, so if they don't like you, then you have no chance of getting any girl's attention on campus."

"Thank you for the heads up." Chen Fan nodded.

He gave Chang Wen another few cautious glances, and he had to agree with Jiang Tanxiu that she was one of the best-looking girls in school.

"Um-um... not her either. Chang Wen is also way out of your league. She wouldn't even be interested in me, much less you." Jiang Taniu said after he noticed Chan Fen's interest in Cheng Wen.

Chen Fan cracked a smile. Jiang Tanxiu didn't change at all; he still had a pair of sharp eyes and an even sharper tongue.

"Chang Wen had his eyes set on Si Yinxia." Jiang Taniu lamented. "But that jerk thinks he is too good to be with anyone."

Right after Jiang Tanxiu had spoken, he pointed his lips toward the entrance and said, "There he is."

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 17: Hero To The Rescue

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Chen Fan looked toward the entrance, and he saw a slender boy carrying a shoulder bag standing on the threshold. His long hair band fell loosely over his forehead, covering one of his eyes. However, the hair was not able to conceal his elegant and well-defined face.

"Come on in."

Xue Hanzhi said with a smile; a rare sight on her hard face.

The boy was the best student and had earned many prizes during the national math competition. He was already guaranteed to be admitted to the Qing Hua University. Therefore, although he was late for class, Xue Hanzhi did not mind the minor faux pas at all.

The handsome teenager walked across the classroom, soaking in the adoring gazes from girls.

The sight of the boy also heightened the spirit of the class leader, Chang Wen. She glued her eyes on the beautiful boy, and infatuation was written all over her face.

"This guy is not only handsome but was also extremely smart! He achieved the best score in every single exam. What's even more infuriating was that he never studies! Like, NEVER! He could spend the night before the exam in the web-cafe playing Dota and still get an A on the exam. " Jiang Tanqiu said bitterly.

"He also plays the vanguard on the school basketball team. Most of the girl who joined the cheerleaders did so because of him and Yang Chao."

After he had finished his rant, Jiang Tanqiu heaved a sigh and then said, "Fortunately, he likes Miss Xu, and all the girls knew it. Otherwise, we would never get a chance at any of the girls."

Chen Fan's lips curled into a smile.

Seeing that Chen Fan didn't take his words seriously, Jiang Tanqiu shot him a hot glance and asked: "You don't seem to care that much about Si Yinxia, don't you?"

Chen Fan said faintly: "Why should I?"

In Chen Fan's past life, Si Ying Xia was the most popular boy in the entire twelfth grade. Just like Jiang Tanqiu, Chen Fan had also envied him greatly. However, he was a different person now, and in his eyes, Si Yingxia was no different than anyone else. His old friend Jiang Tanqiu, on the other hand, was much closer to his heart than Si Yinxia.

"Buzz off. Are you always so pretentious and cocky?" Jiang Tanqiu complained. "I don't like him either, but at least I admit that he is talented in his own right."

Chen Fan cracked a smile and did not respond.

Jiang Tanqiu furrowed his brow as he felt this new boy was arrogant. However, he kept his opinion to himself.

Therefore, Chen Fan's high school life had finally begun.

Since he was a transfer student and was very quiet, most of his classmates didn't pay much attention to him. Chang Wen had taken the new boy's reticence as shyness and thought that he was a push-over; therefore she had assigned Chen Fan cleaning duties that no one wanted to take on, such as sweeping the floor and so on.

Unlike the twelfth grade in the public schools, The Ivy League High School let the students off school very early. Academic achievement was not the only method for success for these privileged teenagers from rich families. Many had already decided to study abroad as soon as the high school was over. They had many more options and much less pressure compared to normal high school students.

On one evening—like many evenings before it—Chen Fan walked along the lakeside path toward home after he had finished the cleaning duty. Suddenly, he heard a faint cry for help.

Chen Fan furrowed his brows and dashed toward the patch of cattails where the distress cry came from.

When he was close enough, he saw a man in his thirties, wearing a patched camouflage coat and he had pressed a woman under his chest. One of his hands covered the woman's mouth, trying to suppress her cries. The woman's clothes were in tatters; she waved two naked arms helplessly in the air, struggling to break free from the man's hold.

"Stop!" Chen Fan shouted.

The man was startled. With only the slightest hesitation, he let go of the woman and ran away.

Chen Fan snorted; Using his toes, he flicked a piece of stone off the ground and kicked it. The stone shot toward the man like a bullet and landed squarely on his back.

"OUCH!" The man screamed and fell to the ground. With great pain and difficulty, he managed to get back on his feet and ran away.

Chen Fan let him escape and didn't chase after him.

The kick he had delivered was packed with True Essence. The man had already sustained major internal trauma. His life was at stake if he didn't go to the hospital right away.

"Are you alright?" Chen Fan asked the women on the ground.

Upon closer look, he found out that the woman was around twenty-seven or so and was extraordinarily beautiful. She was wearing dark and heavy makeup and a flaming red short skirt. She made Chen Fan think of the girls who work at nightclubs.

"Why would she dress up like this and walk by herself in the middle of nowhere?" Chen Fan lamented.

Having realized that she was saved, the woman finally was able to gather herself. It wasn't until Chen Fan had helped her to her feet that the woman noticed that her savior was a high school student. She said gratefully: "Thank you so much! If not for you, I would have been..."

Tears pour out from her eyes, and she couldn't even finish her words.

"It's okay now. You are unharmed." Chen Fan said.

The two then started talking as the women slowly recover from the trauma.

Through the conversation, Chen Fan learned that this woman's name was Chen Ying, and she was the owner of a night club. She usually drove home after work, but tonight she had been drinking with friends. Since her bar was not very far from her home, she decided to brave the walking path.

Chen Ying seemed calm, but her voice was still trembling.

If not for the boy from the Ivy League High School, she would have been raped or even worse. Although she owned a bar, she was not as promiscuous as some of her customers.

The more she talked to Chen Fan, the more appreciative she became for his rescue. She was slightly surprised when she heard that he, too, lived in the Lakeside Community.

"I live here too; what are the odds!" Chen Ying batted her lashes as she was convinced that it was fate that had brought the two of them here.

The two walked along the highway together toward the lakeside community. Having finally recovered from the traumatic experience, Chen Ying's sharp sense in people came back to her.

"Xiao Fan said he was an Ivy League student, but which one of those spoiled brats would choose to walk home? Judging by the clothes he wore, he is not rich by any stretch of the imagination."

When she saw Chen Fan, not only did she see a boy trying to fit in, but also her former-self when she left her hometown in the countryside to work in the city alone. She suddenly felt sorry for the boy.

When they reached the community gate and was about to bid farewell, Chen Ying said: "Xiao Fan, have you ever thought about working part-time?"

"Working part-time?" Chen Fan was caught off guard by the question.

"Yes, you can work for me. I own a bar called Coco near the university-town. It's very close to your school so you can walk to work every day. I can offer you the normal monthly salary of the waiter plus 3000-yuan commission." Chen Ying said carefully. She didn't want to hurt the fragile self-esteem of a millennial.

"Um..." Chen Fan was amused by the offer: A Celestial Lord working in a bar as a waiter.

Nonetheless, Chen Ying's intentions were good. The money she offered was generous considering it was 2007.

Seeing the boy hesitated, Chen Ying added: "You can rest assured that there is no funny business in my bar. My customers are mostly students. Plus, I am still scared after what had happened. I need your protection."

Seeing the sincerity in Chen Ying's eyes, Chen Fan nodded and said: "Okay, thank you, Sister Ying."

"Remember to come to work tomorrow. The bar is called Coco. Ask for me when you get there." Chen Ying said with a broad smile on her face.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 18:Long Time No See

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The next day, Chen Fan headed towards Coco bar, right after dinner around seven.

University-town was a suburban area surrounded by several colleges and universities.

There were the Chu Zhou University, Chu Zhou City Teacher's University, Chu Zhou Engineering College, Chu Zhou City College, and the Chu Zhou City Health Science School. In fact, the Ivy League High School was technically within the jurisdiction of the University-town. Unlike the Ivy League High School which was located at the edge of the University-town, Coco bar was right at the center of it.

"Coco bar is not small by any stretch of the imagination. It is probably the third largest bar within a few blocks stretch. It's only seven pm, and the bar is already packed." Chen Fan thought to himself.

When he walked into the bar, he found out that Sister Ying had told him the truth. There was no ear-deafening bass nor scantily clad girls in the bar.

This was a bar for relaxing and meeting up with friends, not for picking up random girls. Like Sister Ying had told Chen Fan, many customers were university students.

Chen Fan nodded approvingly, and then he stopped a waitress that walked past him: "Excuse me; I am the cousin of Sister Ying. She told me to come here to look for her."

He told the girl exactly what Chen Ying had told him to say. The waitress was a beautiful girl in her early twenties. Chen Fan wagered that she was a student from the college working part-time at the bar. Surprise flashed across her face, and she said: "You are Sister Ying's cousin? Hmm... high school uniform... Are you still in high school?

"Everyone calls me Ziqi, but you can call me Sister Ziqi. I will take you to your cousin."

"Ziqi, What's going on?" A young man with a pale face and a pair of sunken eyes came over to the girl and asked hotly.

"Ah? Boss Yang!" Ziqi was startled by the young man, and she hurried a reply, "This is the Sister Ying's cousin. He is here for her."

"Well, take him to her then, don't dawdle! The customers are waiting." Boss Yang refuted annoyedly.

"Yes." Ziqi lowered her head and replied.

After Boss Yang was gone, she spat out her tongue and said to Chen Fan mischievously: "Boss Yang is the vice manager of our bar. We heard that he knows some important people in the city and he owns a significant portion of the bar's share. Don't let him scare you; he just likes to bark at people."

Chen Fan smiled and didn't speak. He reckoned that the girl had to be a very easy going person to stomach a douchebag boss.

When Chen Fan arrived at the general manager's office on the second floor, a broad smile broke over Sister-Ying's face. Greetings over, she asked Ziqi to take Chen Fan downstairs and introduce him to everyone.

Later, Chen Fan learned that he was going to be the Fruit Boy, and his job was simple: holding the platter of fruits when the customers ordered their food.

"There are three people in our bar who you don't want to mess with. Sister Ying was one, and the other one was Boss Yang." Ziqi told Chen Fan:" Rumor had it that Brother Dong was backing Boss Yang. He is very influential around here, and even Sister Ying had to watc what she said when Brother Dong is around. "

"The last one is the 'residence-girl' of our bar, 'Sister Ding-Ding.' To make her come work for us, Sister Ying had nearly begged her. She ranked 20th in last year's pageant show in the Jiangnan District. She attracts many customers and is good for business. But Ding-Ding has a very short temper and blames us for minor mistakes. You need to be very careful around her."

Chen Fan nodded.

The business of the bar was dictated by the student's schedule, and therefore, people started to fill up the bar right around seven in the evening. That was when Chen Fan started to get busy.

Just as Sister Ziqi had warned him, Boss Yang was very rude to his subordinates, including Chen Fan. Chen Fan was scolded many times for being slightly slow on his first day of work. Chen Fan also found out that Boss Yang harassed the girls working with him, pinching or groping the girls whenever he wished.

"How can Sister Ying allow this kind of scumbag to work in her bar?" Chen Fan furrowed his brows, but he had kept his complaints unspoken. After all, he barely knew Chen Ying.

In the few days that followed, Chen Fan went to school during the day and worked at the bar in the evening. It wasn't long before he started to gather a group of new friends around him.

Most of the workers at the bar were students living in the University-town. All of them were from poor families outside of the city. Driven by financial stress, they had come to the bar to work. Chen Fan preferred spending time with his friends at the bar much more than his spoiled rich classmates. At least no one looked down on him while he was with his new friends.

Since Chen Fan was the youngest worker at the bar and he was also Sister Ying's cousin, other employees looked after him like they would to their own brother. But Boss Yang didn't like that.

"Hurry up, Xiao Chen! Didn't you see that the customer at table seven is getting impatient?" Seeing Chen Fan and a waitress was chatting with each other, Boss Yang frowned and then chided.

"Okay." Chen Fan replied thinly.

In this bar, Boss Yang was no doubt the most hated and annoying person.

The waitress gave Chen Fan a placating look. Chen Fan got up reluctantly and walked to table seven with a pint of dark beer.

Suddenly, he heard a surprised voice calling out to him: "Chen Fan?"

Chen Fan turned around and saw a group of young boys and girls sitting in a booth, one of them was Jiang Churan who he hasn't seen for a while.

"Why are you here?" Jiang Churan gazed at Chen Fan as she got up from her seat and came up to him.

"Who is this, Ran-ran? A friend of yours?" A man with silver-rimmed glasses asked. He looked much more mature than the rest of the crowd, and his voice was warm and charming.

A light flashed in Jiang Churan's eyes as she wrenched her gaze away from Chen Fan's face. She replied, "He is the child of my mother's best friend, and we study at the same high school."

The man nodded and said, "My name is Li Yichen. Since you are friends with Ran-ran, why don't you come join us here?"

"There is no need." Chen Fan refused; his voice was stingingly cold.

He had recognized this person at first glance.

He was Li Yichen, the greatest rival of Chen Fan. He was from a prominent family and was the president of the student council. He had been and was going to be Jiang Churan's future boyfriend at university.

If Chen Fan's memory served him right, Li Yichen was also a friend of Shen Junwen.

To Chen Fan, the sight of Jiang Churan hanging out with Li Yichen had rubbed salt into the old wounds.

"I am working; you guys have fun." Chen Fan nodded slightly to Jiang Churan, and then he turned around and started off the stairs.

"Hey, wait for a second!"

Jiang Churan paused for a second, letting the hesitation hang in the air. But eventually, she came up to Chen Fan.

"Brother Yichen seems like there is more than what meets the eyes between the two." A burly young man standing right next to Li Yichen said in a deep voice.

His name is Mo Hill, and he is the leader of the Sports Interest Group at the Student's Council. Like most other people who sat in the booth, Mo Hill was a student leader. They were here for a group party. Jiang Churan didn't want to come at first, but she couldn't resist the insistent request of her fellow student leaders. However, she never thought that she would meet Chen Fan here.

"He is just a worker at the bar; there is no way Ran-Ran would fall for him." A beautiful girl with heavy makeup next to Mo Hill said with a contemptuous smirk.

"Why would she know someone of his kind? Could it be that they met at the nightclub?"

The same girl said as she glanced at Li Yichen.

She was the leader of the arts interest group, and her name is Lou Xiaoxiao. She had always liked Li Yichen and considered Jiang Churan as her biggest rival. She wouldn't pass up the opportunity of smear her opponent's reputation.

Li Yichen's face remained placid, but doubt and jealousy flickered in his eyes.

Jiang Churan caught up with Chen Fan at the bottom of the stairs, and she grabbed his arm. "Why are you working in a bar? Does my mom know about it? What about your school?"

Chen Fan looked at her with a half smile. "You knew my grades. Do you think that I could get into a first-tier university even if I tried?"

Jiang Churan was suddenly out of words.

Chen Fan had told her and her dad that his grades were in the top 500 at the Si Shui County. That translates to being at the bottom of the Ivy League High's ranking. Even if Chen Fan started to study 24/7, he would at best get into a second-tier University.

"Plus, I am only here for two hours a night. If I can't get into a good university, I need to prepare myself for society." Chen Fan said.

Even as Chen Fan was talking to her, Jiang Churan heard her friends calling out her name.

Chen Fan pulled her hand away and said: "Your friends are looking for you. I have to work."

Chen Fan turned around and started away, leaving Jiang Churan at a loss. She was not sure what to make of this discovery.

Her friend's voice finally caught her attention. As she looked back, she saw Li Yichen was also standing on the landing, looking at her. She turned around and hurried upstairs.

Right before she reached the landing on the second floor, she felt something was missing inside of her, as if part of her soul had suddenly been taken away.

Chen Fan, the boy who could subdue a big brawny man with one punch had to put away his dignity and labor inside of a bar. Reality had taught her a good lesson today.

When Jiang Churan reached the second floor, she looked up at everyone and found that no one was smiling. Even Li Yichen's face was cold and disapproving. She managed a smile and then said, "Well, let's forget about him, and party!"

"Yeah, why should we let a random dude stop our fun?" Mo Hill slapped the table and said, "Come here hot stuff. Let's have a toast in the name of Brother Yichen! No one other than Yichen could have landed our council that one hundred thousand yuan sponsorship fund. "

"Very well. Thank you, Yichen!" Jiang Churan grabbed the glass and poured its contents down her throat. However, even as the hot wine burnt all the way to her belly, she heaved a deep sigh in her mind.

'Perhaps, we truly live in two different worlds.'

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 19: Mid-Stage Of Foundation Establishment

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

After their brief meeting in the bar, Jiang Churan had never talked to Chen Fan again. Even when they passed each other at school, they simply nodded at each other without exchanging any words.

Despite the gradual increase of distance with Jiang Churan, Chen Fan had started to hit it off with Jiang Tanqiu. Although he wasn't too proud of having Chen Fan as his desk-mate, he at least was willing to converse with the new guy and sometimes even hang out with him. In the eyes of their classmates, Jiang Taniu was the closest person to being a friend to Chen Fan in the class.

One day, the class leader Chang Wen came up to the two and said: "The school basketball team will be training at noon. I want you two to help out with the water bottles."

Before the two boys had a chance to utter a word, Chang Wen had turned around and started off.

Jiang Tanqiu complained under his breath, "Whatever, she treats Si Yinxia like a god and treats us like dogs!"

He turned around and saw Chen Fan had kept his silence which Jiang Tanqiu took for acquiescence.

"You are too nice to her. One day you will regret it!"

Chen Fan pretended he didn't hear his friend's complaint and had remained silent.

After the two had lunch, they arrived at the basketball court. They found out that most seats were already taken by girls. They scanned the court expectantly while whispering to each other from time to time. The substitute players were the first to enter the court, but no one had paid any attention to them. However, once Si Yinxia showed up, the entire stadium was filled with cheers and screams.

"Why the hype?"

Even though Chen Fan knew that Si Yinxia was the girl's idol, he was taken aback by the girl's feverish enthusiasm.

"There goes the hotshot." Jiang Tanqiu sighed. "I have already seen more than four of his admirers who were at least as pretty as our class leader. But he is not interested in any one of them."

Chen Fan shook his head and then sighed.

He didn't sigh out of envy for Si Yinxia's popularity; In the past five hundred years, he had traveled many galaxies, and had his fair share of outright drop dead gorgeous goddess. These girls in their earthly bodies failed to live up to even a fraction of those goddess' sublime beauty.

What he was lamenting about was the sight of Yang Chao.

Surrounded by girls, it was evident that both Yang Chao and Si Yinxia were both popular studs among the girls.

"Do you see that tall one? He is Yang Chao, captain of the school team. He is quite a character, that one."

Jiang Tanqiu pointed to Yang Chao and said: "His dad is the CEO of Tiansheng Hotel. It was said that even the cheapest meal at the hotel would cost at least three thousand yuan. Someone had ticked him off once, and he ended up dropping out of school with a broken leg. And guess what happened to our Captain Yang? Nothing."

Jiang Tanqiu said with a mixture of envy and loathing in his voice:" When will I be like him? That would be awesome."

So saying, he shot Chen Fan a sidelong glance and then heaved a sigh of resignation: "Forget it, What am I thinking? Us and Yang Chao live in two different worlds."

Chen Fan smiled and didn't say anything.

Jiang Tanqiu's family was well-off, but it was a far cry compared to the Yang family's hundreds of millions of assets.

The training quickly turned into Si Yinxia's solo performance. Every time he had control of the ball, he easily zig-zagged his way through the opponent's defense and scored. Every time that happened, the gym was filled with girls' screams.

The training session ended with an overwhelming victory of 82 to 22. Si Yinxia alone had earned 30 points out of that 82.

Seeing the game had ended, Chang Wen hurried to Si Yinxia and handed him a bottle of iced-water. And then she took out a soft, warm towel and went on to dry Si Yinxia's sweaty forehead.

Meanwhile, Si Yinxia remained aloof and didn't speak a word to the girl.

"Jiang Tanqiu, Chen Fan, what are you two staring at? The other players need water!" Chang Wen gave the two boys on the sideline a stern look and then said hotly.

"Let's go." Chen Fan patted Jiang Tanqiu's shoulder and lifted the cooler by his feet.

"Thank you." Yang Chao took the drink before he got a chance to look at who had handed the drink to him. When he did, he was surprised to see that it was Chen Fan. A hundred different emotions ranging from shock to embarrassment roiled and mixed inside of the team captain, and each appeared on his face for only a fraction of a second.

"What's going on?" The player next to Yang Chao nudged him.

"Ah-nothing." Yang Chao smiled awkwardly.

"Long time no see." Chen Fan nodded to him.

"Yeah, no kidding." Yang Chao did not want to chat with Chen Fan as he was still grappling with the chaotic emotions inside of him.

Chen Fan wasted no time on him either. After he had given out the drinks, he quickly left with Jiang Tanqiu.

It wasn't until Chen Fan had disappeared from the court, Yang Chao heaved a deep sigh of relief as fear flickered in his eyes.

"Isn't that the new transfer student?" Si Yingxia asked Yang Chao while sipping on his drink.

"Do you know him?" Yang Chao asked curiously.

"His name is Chen Fan, a new student in our class. I really have nothing to say about him. I asked him to come to help out with the water." Chang Wen said lightly.

In her eyes, Chen Fan was not nearly as attractive as Si Yinxia and Yang Chao. If she were not the class leader, which made her obligated to know every classmate, she would never waste a single breath on him.

Yang Chao scowled and was about to say something, but he thought better of it. After all, what had happened at the KTV was an embarrassment. He didn't want to be a laughingstock.

Unbeknown to all of them, Chen Fan was able to hear their conversation, and he was not very impressed by Chang Wen's ungracious remarks.

Time flew by, and before Chen Fan knew it, two weeks had already gone by.

This evening, like many evenings before it, Chen Fan sat cross-legged on the rooftop of his house and started to cultivate. He had met a bottleneck ever since September started. However, today, he felt something was different in him: the hurdle in his cultivation was about to be overcome.

"Hopefully, I will enter the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment after tonight."

He sat still, and let the Void Mortal Refinement art do its work. The Spirit Qi hidden in the air around him turned into countless wisps of energy, and they burrowed themselves into Chen Fan's body through every hole and crevice on his body.

As he gathered energy to break through the bottleneck, the art of Void Mortal Refinement also picked up speed, spurring his body to hungrily absorbed as much energy as possible.

The moon in the sky also seemed to have answered the art's beckoning call as it sent a ray of creamy light down on Chen Fan. Looking from afar, Chen Fan's body was suffused with a milky white glow.

No cultivators were able to absorb the energy of celestial bodies such as the sun and moon without the help of the Void Mortal Refinement art. This powerful art was able to turn a celestial entity into energy that could be absorbed by the cultivator.

As the True Essence in Chen Fan's system gathered strength, he felt he was almost ready to breach the bottleneck.

Almost, but not quite just yet. Even the combined strength of the Spirit Qi and the moon energy was not enough to overcome the resistance.

"Fortunately, I stashed some pills that I made for Wei Fu."

He fished out three Essence Enhancing Pills and swallowed them. As soon as the pills reached his belly, Chen Fan felt a heat wave rush through his system as a blissful euphoria seized his mind.

Finally, with a soft popping sound, he had breached the barrier and reached the next stage of cultivation.

The countless cells that made up his body seemed to have joined together in a cheerful choir, singing out their welcome to the brand new level of True Essence that flowed freely in his system.

Not only the True Essence in his body was improved, but Chen Fan's physical body was also strengthened significantly.

Thus it was, many cultivators had viewed their practice as a form of evolution. Only through cultivation could humans elevate themselves from their mortal body to become one with the universe, and eventually, immortality: the end goal of evolution.

Although Chen Fan had reached the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment, he looked just like he was before. However, inside of Chen Fan, he might as well be a brand new man.

Chen Fan heaved a sigh and then stood up slowly.

After a month of hard training, he had finally entered the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment.

"If not for the Essence of Enhancing Pills, I would still have to struggle for at least half a month. It seems that I will have to focus on making more money from now on so that I can buy more herbs."

Chen Fan thought to himself.

The next day, Chen Fan received a call, and to his surprise, it was from Zhou Tianhao.

Zhou Tianhao invited him over to the Mingdu Restaurant at noon, saying that he wanted to apologize to him in person.

After giving the invitation some thought, Chen Fan agreed to go.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 20: Internal Force Expert

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

When Chen Fan arrived at the restaurant, he was surprised to find out that Zhou Tianhao's bodyguard, A-Biao had injured his arm.

A-Biao's arm wrapped in bandages was secured in a sling. Chen Fan wagered that someone must have broken it.

"Who did it?" Chen Fan asked curiously.

He knew A-Biao's strength first hand. Whatever damage he had done to A-Biao from the kick that night should have long-since recovered, so why was his arm broken?

With many questions in his mind, Chen Fan came up to Zhou Tianhao.

"Boss Zhou, I don't think you wanted me to come here just to hear your apology, so what is it? "

"I knew I wouldn't be able to fool you!" Zhou Tianhao was not embarrassed at all by his poor excuse to coax Chen Fan to here. "I need a hand, a small favor from you if you will."

"I'm all ears." Chen Fan nodded slightly.

Zhou Tianhao lowered his head and shot Sister Rouge a knowing glance, tell the other people to leave the room. Once everyone else was gone, a wry smile broke over Zhou Tianhao's face, and he said:

"Since Brother Chen knew Mr. Wei, that puts us on the same side. Let me fill you in on the details.

"One of my competitors who went overseas in the early years is now back on my turf. Since then, he had been racketeering my business; I went to talk some sense with him. Bah! You see what he did to A-Biao, that SOB! " Zhou Tianhao cursed loudly.

"What does it have to do with me?" Chen Fan's lips thinned into a smile. He didn't give a damn about the infighting between criminal scumbags.

"I knew you didn't care about my problem, but what if I tell you that this guy was really something else—" Zhou Tianhao paused and then heaved a sigh, "he had returned to China all by himself. I am not sure how he did it, but his martial arts skills had increased by leaps and bounds compared to the last time I saw him. He seeks to stir up trouble but is not interested in money. I was all my fault; I really shouldn't have offended him when we were both young. I have tried to bring as many as a dozen bodyguards with me, but they still got their asses handed over to them."

"Oh?" Chen Fan's interest was piqued. He gave A-Biao a look and asked, "How does his strength compare to mine?"

"He is too much for me to handle, that's for sure. I can't even withstand a single punch from him. In my opinion, he is more powerful than you." A-Biao smiled bitterly. "I have been practicing martial arts for more than ten years, and I have never seen such a bad-ass."

Chen Fan nodded.

He wagered that the martial artist must be an expert of the Internal Forces. As for A-Biao's comment that seemed to have undermined his power, Chen Fan did not care.

After all, He had only used 30% of his force when he landed that kick on A-Biao; otherwise, he might as well be dead. With his recent advancements in his cultivation, he figured that his attacks should be even more powerful than it was three months ago.

"That prick had asked me to meet him on the island in the middle of Yangui Lake tonight. I would appreciate it if Brother Chen could accompany me." Zhou Tianhao said in a pleading voice.

Chen Fan knitted his brows; something told him that there was more to this than what meets the eye. However, since he needed money, he conceded that there would be no harm in getting paid for meeting up with another martial artist who used the Internal Force.

Although Zhou Tianhao knew that he was the old man's friends, he remained skeptical of Chen Fan's ability. He had invited Chen Fan to accompany merely as a security measure.

"Sure, I will go with you." Chen Fan nodded.

"Great! " Zhou Tianhao was elated by Chen Fan's decision. "Before you leave, I wish to introduce you to another powerful martial artist."

Chen Fan was right; this "other" martial artist was who Zhou Tianhao is really counting on tonight. He himself was just a contingency measure.

After Sister Rouge had taken a slow sip of her red tea, a group of people started to file into the room.

Zhou Tianhao pushed himself out of the chair and went to the leader of the group with a warm smile.

"Master Guo! You are finally here! Come on in, please!"

The leader of the group was a middle-aged man in a black gym suite. His eyes glinted as he walked into the room with steady and swift steps, trailing behind him a group of young disciples.

Zhou Tianhao introduced the group to Chen Fan, "Brother Chen, this is the master I was talking about. He was master Guo Wei from Wei Shen martial arts school!."

Guo Wei gave Chen Fan a cold look and said:" A kid? Did you find us a cheerleader? Haha!"

An awkward silence fell into the room. After a while, Zhou Tianhao finally broke the spell:" No, no. This is Brother Chen, don't let his young age fool you; he is quite a fighter. Just ask A-Biao!"

"It seems that you still have no idea who you are dealing with." Guo Wei shook his head and said dismissively:" Your bodyguard is just a piece of cake for who you are messing with. He is above the pay grade of any bodyguards."

"How so?" Zhou Tianhao asked. So far, he hadn't given any thought about the exact power of his rival.

Chen Fan smiled and kept his thoughts to himself. So far, he had been enjoying the performance of this Master Guo.

He remembered that Mr. Wei told him that in addition to the Wei family, there was also a Wei Shen martial arts school who also used the internal force. Mr. Wei must be talking about this Master Guo and his students. However, it was evident to Chen Fan that the power of Master Guo was pathetic, and no wonder Mr. Wei didn't seem to take him seriously.

Master Guo regarded Chen Fan with a contemptuous look, and then he asked:

"Boss-Zhou, have you ever heard of something called internal force?"

"Internal Force?" Zhou Tianhao frowned and then murmured: "It sounds very familiar."

However, the bodyguard A-Biao was stirred by the question. His hulking frame trembled slightly, and then he asked:" Do you mean that person used Internal Force?"

Guo Wei nodded and then gave the bodyguard a look. "If he didn't use Internal Force, how on earth could he injure your arm so badly with just one punch? The power in the internal force was beyond the limitations of human flesh."

"A-Biao, did you know anything about it?" Zhou Tianhao asked his bodyguard.

A-Biao managed a smile and then said:" I had heard about it when I was studying under my master. He told me that once a martial artist's power had reached a certain point, he would be able to emanate his inner energy outward and form the so-called 'Internal force.'

"I had always thought my teacher was pulling my leg, so I have never paid much attention to it. I also remembered that my teacher told me that it was really difficult for a martial artist to utilize the Internal Force. He had admitted that he had never seen one in his life."

"Your teacher is right. There are only a handful of people who could use the Internal Force in today's world. However, those who had the force at their disposal were extremely deadly. Their incredible speed could even render modern weapons such as guns useless." Guo Wei said. "Of course, being able to use the force did not mean that there was no more room for improvement. One could go even further until they reach the Transcendent State. At that stage, the martial artist was practical a demi-god. "

Zhou Tianhao's eyes were filled with disbelief. "Is that true? Why have I never heard of it?"

"Hehe." Guo Wei simply laughed.

He held out a hand and pressed it gently on the table, palm facing down. When he jerked his hand back, the room had fallen into a pin-drop-silence.

Master Guo's hand had left a shallow but noticeable impression on the table top.

"Is-is this the Internal Force?" Zhou Tianhao's eyes were wide with disbelief.

A-Biao felt sweat rolling down his forehead as he wondered what would happen to him if that palm was pressed on his flesh.

Chen Fan watched the development quietly and then shook his head.

What Guo Wei did was nothing compared to what he had done to the willow tree trunk. Not only the table was made out of plastic, but the Internal Force had never left the master's palm.

Nonetheless, Zhou Tianhao was extremely impressed by what he saw. "So Master Guo also knows how to use the Internal Force! I am relieved. Finally, we can fight against my opponent on even ground."

With the new found confidence, Zhou Tianhao finally revealed the details about his feud with his enemy. "The guy's name is Linbao. We had been business competitors when I first started my company. After a few other competitors and I weighed in on him, his company eventually went belly up, and he ran away to overseas. Who would have thought that he would be back as a martial artist? I thank the gods for your help, Master Guo. I haven't been able to fall asleep for many weeks because of the mess."

After that, Zhou Tianhao took out a briefcase and pushed it into Guo Wei's arms.

"Master Guo, here is the first half: five million. After we have settled the score with my old friend, I will wire you the other five million to your account. I will also introduce you to my boss, Wei 'San-ye'. I am sure San-ye could use your talent too. "

Hearing Zhou Tianhao's words, Guo Wei smiled satisfyingly.

Although the money was good, he didn't offer his help to Zhou Tianhao just for the money; he did it to be connected with Zhou Tianhao's powerful boss.

Chen Fan watched and didn't say a thing.

He wagered that neither Zhou Tianhao nor Master Guo knew that Mr. Wei was also a powerful martial artist. As a matter of fact, even Wei San-ye's niece was a more powerful Internal Force expert than Guo Wei was.

At the dining table, Guo Wei had quickly become the center of everyone's attention. Everyone fawned over him for the protection he had promised to provide.

They were truly shocked by Guo Wei's display of strength; his usage of the Internal Forces had been an eye-opener for them.

Chen Fan left the dining table and made a phone call to Sister Ying and the head teacher to ask for the afternoon off.

After the lunch, Guo Wei took upon himself to come up with a list of people that he would bring with him. They were Zhou Tianhao, A-Biao, two gunmen, and one of his apprentices who had also practiced Internal Force. Together, the six of them will meet with Linao on the island.

Seeing that Chen Fan was not included in the list, Zhou Tianhao said:

"Guo Master, I have also invited Brother Chen to join me. Why don't you bring him with you as well? "

"I have told you why. It's not a fight for just anybody. He won't stand one punch from Linbao." Guo Wei complained.

Zhou Tianhao grimaced as he looked at Chen Fan and then back at Master Guo.

Chen Fan said faintly:" Since you have already invited me, I must protect you.

"Plus, I don't believe in high tales about Internal Forces and immortals and what not."

"You are too young too simple, sometimes naive!" Guo Wei sneered.

Despite his hesitation, Zhou Tianhao eventually decided to let Chen Fan tag along. After all, this boy was a friend of the elderly man.

Guo Wei snorted and let the matter rest unwillingly.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 21: The Mighty Linbao

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

When dusk arrived, the group of seven people took a speedboat to the small island in the center of Yangui Lake.

The island was only the size of a few football fields. However, it was filled to the brim with hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues. This was one of the most expensive places to spend the night in Chu Zhou City.

"Linbao had chosen a convenient spot for him to escape." Master Guo looked around the island and then said.

"We have you with us this time; he won't get away. Haha!" Zhou Tianhao laughed.

"Better, be prepared than sorry." Guo Wei nodded, but the smug smile on his face had betrayed him. Being unchallenged for over ten years, Guo Wei had already gotten used to easy victories. Whether or not the opponent was really an Internal Force user was yet to be seen, and Guo Wei was not concerned about the clash with Linbao at all.

The place where they were supposed to meet was called the Egret House. Zhou Tianhao had rented the entire building for the night and had set up an ambush with hired bodyguards.

So shrewd was Zhou Tianhao that he would never put all of his eggs in one basket.

When they arrived on the third floor, Guo Wei sat down on a sofa. A waitress hurried to fill his teacup with tea. Her hands were trembling out of fear, nearly spilling the tea. The deadly quietness inside the Egret House was a stark contrast with the din outside.

Chen Fan sipped his tea and while appreciating the aesthetics of the traditional style tea house. If not for his duty, he would love to walk to the balcony and enjoy the view of the lake while savoring a cup of tea.

The group waited until midnight, and most people were getting impatient. Guo Wei suddenly announced with a deep, urgent voice:

"Someone is coming."

Even before Guo Wei's words receded, a wave of commotion rose from downstairs. Soon Chen Fan heard painful cries and howls, and a few seconds later, all the noise disappeared. Knowing their opponent was coming, the group on the third floor looked at each other uneasily.

They heard someone coming up the stairs; his footsteps were light but steady.

Zhou Tianhao swallowed hard. He had dispatched over a dozen capable bodyguards downstairs. Did they all get finished so quickly?

Finally, he realized that he had once again underestimated the strength of LinBao.

In a matter of seconds, the footsteps reached the landing on the third floor. Chen Fan looked to the entrance and saw a man in a black exercise suit and a pair of black kung-fu shoes. His face was disfigured by a large scar that ran across his face, which made him look all that much more terrifying.

"How are you doing, Boss Zhou? Why that face? Aren't you happy to see your old friend?" Linbao came over to Zhou Tianhao and sat down on the sofa across Zhou Tianhao. All the while, his face held a cold sneer as he fixed his eyes on his prey.

Zhou Tianhao managed to gather himself and said, "Linbao, why did you come back? Haven't you learned your lesson?"

"Oh, I have! Look at the scar on my face; I wore it like a badge of honor every day." Linbao said pulled the skin on his face, making the disfigurement look even more morbid. That was why I went outside of the country and started learning kung-fu. "

"Can't we sit down and talk?" Zhou Tianhao said placatingly.

"Why yes! But you will have to go bankrupt first." Lin Bao sneered.

"There is no other way around it?" Zhou Tianhao asked under his breath."You know you can't win every fight even if you have learned how to use Internal Force."

"Oh? You know about the Internal Force as well?" Linbao looked at Zhou Tianhao surprised. He snorted and then continued, "Since you know of the Internal Forces, why don't you tell your dogs to lay down their weapons? "

"Haha, Linbao, do you think that you are the only one who could use the Internal Force?" Zhou Tianhao laughed. He slammed the table heavily and then said, "Master Guo, it's all yours now."

Guo Wei nodded and said to the young man standing next to him, "Dongshan, finish him."

The young man in a tight-fitting training shirt nodded and came up to Linbao and saluted him.

"Dongshan is my senior disciple, and he has been learning by my side for over a decade. He should be more than enough to overcome Linbao." Guo Wei said confidently.

"Haha, is this boy your cannon fodder?" Linbao laughed. He scanned Dongshan for a few seconds and then said: "Get out of my way, kid. You are still at the Entry level. I don't want to kill you."

"You are courting death!" Dongshan was a hotheaded young man, and he threw himself at his opponent.

Everything happened so fast that Zhou Tianhao saw only two shadows converging toward each other. At the moment of impact, one of the shadows bounced off of the other and was sent flying back until it hit the wall. The impact had shaken the traditional-style building.

"Dongshan!" Guo Wei shouted, and his face paled as soon as he saw the two collided.

It wasn't until then that most people realized that the person who got sent flying was Dongshan.

As the young man collapsed lifelessly onto the ground, people noticed a fist-sized depression on his chest.

"Your apprentice has fainted, now it's your turn." Linbao grinned, his eyes held a dark luster that intended to kill.

Guo Wei felt his heart had sunken to his belly. This development had taken the wind out of his sails. Dongshan was the strongest of his disciples, but he couldn't even take a single punch from the opponent. It was very likely that Linbao was much more powerful than him.

The die had been cast; with no way out, Guo Wei would have to face Linbao on his own.

Guo Wei slowly stood up and made his way to Linbao under many pairs of expectant eyes. The martial arts master said:

"I am the master of the Wei Shen martial arts school. Expert of the Xing Yi Fist. People call me Guo Wei the Xing Yi Master. May I have the honor of knowing who your teacher is?"

"Stopping wasting my time. All my teachers are outside of the country and have nothing to do with what's going on here. Let's just do it and get it over with!" Linbao said coldly.

"How arrogant!" Guo Wei flung back at Linbao as he started channeling his Internal Force. Even though Guo Wei knew that his opponent had an advantage in terms of power, Linbao's arrogant remark riled him up.

"BOOM! Kaboom!"

When the two started fighting, the spectators could only see two black shadows that intertwined with each other into a fast-moving shadowy ball. Every punch and kick would stir up the air and send a powerful wave of energy out from the center of this chaos. In a blink, vases, tables, chairs, and even the sofas were shredded into pieces from collateral damage.

"This is the power of internal force? It is terrifying!" Zhou Tianhao felt cold sweat gliding down the middle of his back.

He finally knew how naive and arrogant he had been. The successful years in the Chu Zhou City had made him soft, and he grew distant from the real world. While he was convinced that no one would harm him, people with incredible power that could squash him like a bug were all around him.

"After this was over, I really need a bodyguard who knows Internal Force. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to fall asleep at night ever again." He told himself. Meanwhile, he wished that Master Guo would win the fight so that he could live to see tomorrow.

Suddenly, a loud noise jerked his mind out of his thoughts. The two fighters had disengaged from each other. One of them still stood unwavering, while the other seemed unsteady.

Everyone was shocked when they realized that the one who got the worst of the fight was Guo Wei.

Master Guo's body trembled uncontrollably. There was a hint of blood at the corner of his mouth, but he didn't wipe it away. Master Guo gave his opponent an ugly grin and then said, "I have underestimated your strength. You have already reached the state of Phenomenal Success. Congrats."

Lin Bao was only slightly winded after the brutal battle. He stood haughtily and then said:

"You will never grow quickly if you keep on hiding under a rock. I have been fortunate enough to find a martial arts grandmaster outside of China, and I have studied under him for over a decade. Under his guidance, I practiced day and night, and I have finally reached the Phenomenal Success stage. City life makes you soft, and soft you are. You have claimed to have practiced Internal Force for so many years, yet, you have only achieved the Initial Success. Even if you could catch up on your training, I will still beat you in a battle."

"You studied under a grandmaster? No wonder..." Guo Wei's face paled, and he heaved a sigh of resignation.

Zhou Tianhao was devastated by the turn of events, seeing Linbao had turned his attention back on him, he shouted, "Now!"

The two bodyguards behind him were hired with a large sum of money. They were the elites among bodyguards and were also Zhou Tianhao's last line of defense.

Both bodyguards reached for their guns; but before either of them had the change to aim at their enemy, Linbao picked up a pair of chopsticks and threw them at the two guns. The chopsticks struck home as they landed squarely at the gunner's hands.

"AHRR!"

The two gunners let out pained cries as they dropped their weapons on the floor. Both of their hands were skewered by long chopsticks.

It had been less than ten minutes since Linbao had shown up, and he had already defeated most of Zhou Tianhao's guards. The only two people who were unharmed by Linbao were the crippled A-Biao and Chen Fan who was still enjoying the expensive tea.

Linbao didn't pay much attention to the two as he walked straight to Zhou Tianhao.

With every step Linbao took, more blood drained away from Zhou Tianhao's face. His legs trembled, but he still resisted giving in.

"Brother Lin, let the past go. It was nothing personal, you know. I was just doing what's best for the business. Well, look at yourself now. You have made yourself a master in martial arts! Why don't you join me? I will give you half of my assets. What did you say?"

"Hehe, do you really think that I am after your money?" Lin Bao's did not stop closing in.

A-Biao moved to protect Zhou Tianhao, and he was knocked to the ground by a lazy sweep of hand from Linbao.

"I have been overseas for so many years and have made no less money than you. Zhou Tianhao, you have been living under a rock all the while." Linbao finally came up to him; he gently smacked Zhou Tianhao's face the back of his hand.

"Brother Lin, Brother! I am sorry. I am SO sorry!" Zhou Tianhao was finally on his last leg, "You know that I work for the Wei family right? I-I work for Wei San-ye. If you kill me, Wei San-ye will not let you get away with it."

"The Wei family? Wow, I am so scared." Linbao said sarcastically. "If I beat you up right now and take the next flight out of China, what do you think the Wei Family could do to me?"

"Please, please, Brother Linbao! Let me live; I have learned my lesson. PLEASE." Taken over by fear, Zhou Tianhao finally gave in. He dropped both knees to the ground and Kowtow to Linbao.

However powerful and ruthless Zhou Tianhao had been as a thuggish boss, he feared death more than anyone else. Having gotten used to the taste of comfort and pleasure, the thought of suffering was even more terrifying.

"Ha ha ha." Linbao laughed. Seeing his rival had finally kneeled in front of him and begged him to spare his life like a wounded dog, he suddenly felt lighthearted and let the memories of the bad blood between him, and Zhou Tianhao evaporate.

Guo Wei cupped his chest with one hand and wanted to save his employer, but failed to gather enough strength to even stand up. He lamented in his mind: "It's all my fault; we were defeated because of my oversight."

A-Biao lay on his belly and struggled to get up but to no avail. Seeing that his boss got down on his knees and begged Linbao, he felt guilty for being unable to protect Zhou Tianhao. If he knew this was going to happen, he would have heeded his teacher's words and learned to use internal force.

Suddenly, Zhou Tianhao heard a young voice coming behind him: "Zhou Tianhao, I will save you for 10 million yuan. Do we have a deal?"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 22: Deadly Breath

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Who is that?"

Lin Bao stopped laughing, then looked toward the speaker.

He saw a handsome young boy standing by the window. But he could only see his back since the boy was looking out of the window as if he was enjoying the view of the lake despite the fighting around him.

"Who are you?"

Linbao raised a brow. He had seen this young man when he first got here; he didn't pay too much attention to him since he was too busy dealing with Guo Wei, Zhou Tianhao and the two gunners.

The fact that the boy dared get involved even after he had displayed his strength told Linbao that this boy had something up his sleeves.

Linbao had been living overseas for many years and had survived many perilous situations thanks to not only his martial arts skills but also sharp wits. Even though the boy in front of him looked ordinary, he wouldn't risk it and lower his guard.

"What do you say, Zhou Tianhao? If we have a deal, I will help you finish off this scar-faced dude!" Chen Fan pressed on.

Zhou Tianhao was shocked by Chen Fan's sudden proposal. His knees seemed to have glued to the floor as he was not sure whether he should agree to the deal or not.

Zhou Tianhao's mind raced. Part of him told him that it was impossible for the boy to save him after Master Guo and the two gunmen had failed, while part of him wanted to believe that however unlikely it was, the boy could be his savior. After all, he was a drowning man, and Chen Fan was the last piece of drift that he could hold on to.

"Oh? Finish me up, you said? Ha-ha!" Despite Linbao's cautious nature, he couldn't help but get riled up by the boy's arrogant remark. Anger contorted his disfigured face, making it look even scarier.

Chen Fan turned around and gave Linbao a look:

"Yes. What level are you at right now? Phenomenal Success? What a joke. Even your teacher might not be able to handle me much less you."

"You asked for it!" Linbao's face suddenly hardened as murderous intent burning in his eyes.

In Linbao's mind, his teacher was so powerful that he might as well be an immortal. He had seen his teacher defeating his opponents with ease while being outnumbered a hundred to one. Regardless of the kind of situation he was in, he could always get out of it unharmed. Thanks to his power, Linbao's teacher was widely respected among overseas Chinese. Linbao was resolved to make the boy pay for his arrogant remark.

"I will chop you into pieces and feed you to the fish in the lake!" LinBao uttered his threat one word at a time, murderous intent in his words made everyone's hair stand on end.

Even Guo Wei couldn't help but grimace at Chen Fan's provocation. "What the hell is this boy doing? Didn't he see how powerful Linbao was?"

A-Biao was outright stunned by Chen Fan's conceit. He knew that Chen Fan was a fearless teenager, but he didn't expect him to be suicidal too.

He watched as Chen Fan got up and said thinly: "Oh, really?"

Before his voice faded, he reached out of the window and snatched something in the wind. Without revealing what was between his fingers, he glided the fingers across his chest as if it were a blade. Suddenly, he yanked his arm, pointed the fingers at Linbao.

A white light spurred out in between his fingers and shot at Linbao. As it traveled through the air, it also carved a groove in the floor.

"Swoosh!"

The table in between Linbao and Chen Fan was sliced into two halves. The cut was so slick that it was almost reflective. The expensive carpet on was also tearing itself open at the seam, opening a long slit that extended all the way to under Linbao's feet.

Everyone, including Linbao, was shocked by the development.

No one spoke a word as they looked at the ugly scar on the carpet incredulously.

"Shit, is this boy an immortal?" A-Biao's mouth gaped wide in shock, his voice trembled.

However powerful and swift Guo Wei and Linbao were, their abilities were still within the range of human capability. That was not the case for Chen Fan. No human was able to summon such a deadly force out of thin air to slice through a heavy oaken table and tear apart a thick carpet.

"This is not magic; this is a plus of Internal Force!" Guo Wei stared at the ruined floor and exclaimed.

"I have heard that martial arts grandmasters can disarm their opponents from ten feet away. I always thought it was just a legend. But I finally saw it with my own eyes!"

Suddenly, Linbao turned on his heels and ran toward the exit.

Linbao knew he needed to bug out as soon as he saw Chen Fan turn the parcel of air in between his finger into a sharp blade.

He came back to China to seek revenge, but he had found something else: A Transcendent Master.

Since his teacher was a grandmaster, he had heard all kinds of unimaginable abilities of a Transcendent Master. They could reshape the air flow and turn them into sharp and deadly weapons. Linbao knew that the Transcendent Master would able to easily defeat him even if he joined forces with ten other fighters as powerful as he was.

"Incredible! His power was already on par of a Transcendent Master, yet he is so young! Even for someone who was as talented as my teacher, it had taken him five decades to reach the Transcendent State. No, I have to let my teacher know about this boy!"

So thinking, Linbao picked up his speed. However, he heard Chen Fan's cold voice behind him: "Don't you think it's too late to call it quits?"

Chen Fan drew large gulp of air, puffing his chest up, and then blew all those stored air out of his lungs.

A ray of creamy white light formed in the air and shot at Linbao like a bullet. The white light glided across the air with incredible speed, and it landed squarely at the back of Linbao's back.

Linbao felt he was dealt a blow by a giant hammer from behind. Suddenly, his world turned dark as he lost balance. After he stumbled a few feet, he hit a wall and collapsed to the ground.

"He formed the plus of the Internal Forces by breathing into the air! How ingenious!" Guo Wei spoke in a trembling voice.

By then, he had no more doubts about the power of this boy.

Although he looked like a high school kid, he had already reached the precipice of martial arts: Transcendent State.

Without seeing it for himself, he would never have believed that a teenage boy would be a Transcendent Master. Even a grandmaster who was under thirty would be considered one in a hundred-year talent, much less a high school boy being the Transcendent Master."

Zhou Tianhao finally managed to gather himself and struggled to his feet. He hurried to Linbao who was still paralyzed by pain, and then he kicked him in the side with an ugly grin.

"Asshole! If I could destroy you years ago, I can do it again now! Hahaha. I will fucking kill you!"

Suddenly, there was a faint voice rose behind him: "Linbao is not dead yet; he simply passed out. Don't wake him up."

Zhou Tianhao's face suddenly paled, and the smile on his face evaporated as quickly as it had appeared.

He turned around and said, "Brother Chen, no, no, I mean Master Chen. Why don't you kill him then?"

Chen Fan rolled his eyes and said: "You have seen how tough he is. How am I supposed to kill him with a single breath?"

He then walked to Linbao and slapped his body calculatedly at a few spots, "Well, I have already dissolved his Qi Sea. He should not be able to use his internal force for a while. I will leave him to you now."

"Yes, yes, Master Chen! I am in debt to you!" Zhou Tianhao said with a toady smile. The sight of the middle-aged man fawning over a teenage boy made others cringe.

Little did the others know that the secret to Zhou Tianhao's success in such a tough environment was his shameless brown-nosing skills. He was resolved to keep Chen Fan close to him.

With such a powerful ally on his side, he would never have to worry about pesky martial artists who sought troubles and revenge.

"To hurt me, they would have to cross Master Chen first." Zhou Tianhao thought to himself.

"Master Chen, are you sure that breaking his Qi Sea would be able to prevent him from using Inner Force?" Guo Wei asked.

The Internal Force in the real world was very different than that in Wu Xia novels. Unlike the popular troupe in TV shows, the Qi in real life was not gathered together in Dantian. Therefore, in theory, there was no effective way to stop the flow of the Internal Forces inside of one's system.

"Yes. I have used a unique method to block a few critical Qi points on his body so that the Qi in his system would not conjoin." Chen Fan explained.

Guo Wei was shocked by the revelation. What was the so-called "Critical Qi points?" Why did it sound more and more like a TV trope?

The less Guo Wei understood, the more he started to respect the boy.

"Well, I have fulfilled my end of the bargain; now, it's your turn." Chen Fan said with a smile.

"Bargain?" Zhou Tianhao paused a second, and then he slapped his head heavily. "Ah-Right! Our deal!"

"You can rest assured, Master Chen; I will not short on even a penny of that ten million. As a matter of fact, I will double the reward, and I will have the money delivered to you in person!" Zhou Tianhao pounded his chest as he made the promise.

Although ten million was not a small number, he felt the price was well worth it.

An ally such as Chen Fan would be worth more than a trillion much less ten million.

Even Linbao was able to use his talent and accumulate a large amount of wealth; it was hard to imagine the tremendous benefit that Zhou Tianhao was going to get by allying with Chen Fan.

Linbao finally regained consciousness, and he gave Chen Fan an ugly grin.

"I have been defeated today. But I have to warn you that if you kill me, my teacher will unleash his wrath on you!"

Chen Fan cast a curious glance at Linbao, and then he asked, "You mean the Transcendent Master?"

Linbao nodded. However, Chen Fan was unfazed by the threat, he smiled and said: "All the better! I have never seen a Transcendent Master before, but I hope he is not going to disappoint me."

Chen Fan walked away as soon as he had finished his words.

"Now that's a real master!" A-Biao exclaimed. He wished that one day, he could be like Chen fan as well.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 23: Commotions in the Gym

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Sitting on the ship that ferried him across the lake back to the shore, Chen Fan heaved a sigh of relief.

"In the future, I should refrain from using these flashy moves. That one attack had used up one-third of my True Essence."

The move was sleek and swift, shaping air into a blade in the blink of an eye. However impressive it looked, it also came at a very high cost of energy. This attack could only be used by those who had already reached the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment Level. Even if he was able to wield the technique, he could only use it once or twice.

"If not to convince Zhou Tianhao of my power, I would never have used such a wasteful technique. One arcane spell would be enough to pound Linbao into pulp." Chen Fan shook his head as he lamented.

"Once I have reached the Ethereal Enlightenment and finished compiling my sword tome, I should be able to summon over ten blade auras at the same time. Even a single ray of the blade aura would be much more powerful than the pulse of the True Essence I had unleashed."

As Chen Fan thought about his next move, he found that the ship had already reached the shore.

The next morning, Zhou Tianhao had personally come to his door and handed over to him a bank card with 20 million yuan credits: a reward for Chen Fan's help last night.

Chen Fan's mood was unaffected by such a sudden surge of wealth. In the eyes of a cultivator, money was just a string of numbers.

Around noon, Chang Wen came up to Chen Fan again and asked him to help out the school basketball team.

This time Chen Fan refused the request.

"What did you say? I am not asking you; it's an order!" Chang Wen said hotly.

"I said I am not going with you. Let the basketball interest group handle their own chores." Chen Fan flung back at her.

He agreed to help out last time for the sake of team building. But after he had heard the conceited remark Chang Wen made about him, Chen Fan decided that he would never help her out ever again.

Chang Wen had thought that Chen Fan was already gone when she gave the ungracious remark about Chen Fan. Little did she know that all cultivators possessed extremely sensitive hearing and Chen Fan had heard every single word loud and clear.

"You are really not going?" Chang Wen's eyebrows knitted together as anger rolled through her. She shot Chen Fan a cold glance.

"No means no!" A few words managed to escape Chen Fan's tight jaws.

"Are you saying that you don't care about the school's interest group?" Chang Wen asked hotly.

She was born in a wealthy family, and god had favored her so much that she had not only a pretty face but also a smart brain. Since childhood, she was surrounded by a boy's attention, just like a princess. Only someone as handsome and outstanding as Si Yingxia could have tugged her heartstrings ever so slightly. Therefore, she had never taken the ordinary new-boy seriously.

Chen Fan didn't want to waste any more breath on the girl, so he ignored her and buried his head in his book.

"Hey loser, she is asking you a question! " A tall boy rose from the front row and walked over to Chen Fan with an angry gaze.

His name is Ji Xingyu, a member of the sports committee, as well as a substitute player on the school basketball team. He took the honor and reputation of the school basketball team very seriously.

Si Yinxia also noticed the commotion, so he looked at this direction with a scowl.

"So what?" Chen Fan looked up at him with a fake smile.

"You..." Ji Xingyu's face flushed red and was about to raise his hand to the new boy.

Jiang Tanqiu quickly held him back from behind.

"Brother Yu, Brother Yu! Give me face and don't hurt him. He is just a silly transfer student; a country boy, that's all! Don't even be angered by him; he isn't worth your time."

After having placated Ji Xingyu, he berated Chen Fan: "Get your ass out of your chair, I will go fetch the drinks with you! Come on!"

"I am not going, suit yourself if you are so eager to help out." Chen Fan said calmly, and he rested his back against the back of his chair.

"You think you are special, don't you, new boy?" Ji Xingyu was amused by Chen Fan's stubbornness. He then said in a threatening voice: "I wager you already know what happened to the last guy who didn't respect the school team. I hope you won't follow his example."

"Try me." Chen Fan's voice was almost lazy.

Everyone was shocked by the boy's calm reply.

They knew that the school basketball team was not to be messed with. Those boys were not only tall and big, but they were also the cream of the crop at the Ivy League High School. Therefore, no one in their right mind would stand in their way.

"Who would think that the new-boy is so full of himself."

"He is feisty, so what? Does he have the clout to back himself up?"

"Touche, He needs a mirror to look at himself. How dare he cross Ji Xingyu and Chang Wen."

Manny people gloated at Chen Fan impending misfortune.

Ever since school started, Chen Fan had been mostly keeping things to himself. His reticent nature had further isolated himself; in other words, he had no friends, except for Jiang Taniu. Therefore, when Chen Fan and Ji Xingyu were at it, no one had stood up for him. After seeing Chen Fan's stubbornness, even Jiang Tanqiu had given up on his rescue mission.

On that day, the last class was the Taekwondo. It was an elective class, and whoever took this class would have to pay extra fees for the instructor and uniforms.

The leaders of Ivy League High School harbored the great ambitions of exposing their students to international education standards. Therefore, the gym class was reshaped into different sub-categories such as swimming, track and track, and Taekwondo. Chen Fan was interested in none of those subjects, and therefore he decided to pack his books up and leave for work right away.

Although he didn't like Boss Yang, he got along with the rest of his coworkers.

Before Chen Fan could make it out of the classroom, someone blocked his way.

"Hey, where are you going, tough guy? Why aren't you taking the Taekwondo class?" Ji Xingyu said with a smiley mask.

"None of your business." Chen Fan raised his eyebrows.

"Ow... Are you so poor that you can't even afford the extra fee? Don't worry; I will pay it for you." Ji Xingyu said sarcastically.

"Well—" Even as Chen Fan's eyes grew icy cold, someone else caught his attention. It was Chang Wen, the class leader, and she had approached them.

She gave Chen Fan an icy glance and then said: "It has come to my attention that you have been late in the mornings and you leave school in the afternoon before anyone else did. If you dare skip the Taekwondo class, I will let Miss Xue knew about your actions."

"Oh?" Chen Fan looked at the two classmates as he weighed his options. Finally, he slowly loosened his knitted brows.

"Sure, sure! I will go to the class!"

The Taekwondo Hall at the Ivy League High School was very spacious and was fully decked out with all kinds of decorations.

The Taekwondo class was held for students from all classes and even those in tenth and eleventh grades.

Jiang Tanqiu filled Chen Fan in about the school Taekwondo team:" Our Taekwondo team is very famous. The founder had won the second prize in a National Taekwondo Competition. He is a fifth-dan-black-belt. You have to see him when he is in action. He kicks ass!"

He turned to look at Chen Fan and then heaved a sigh.

"You better be careful. Ji Xingyu would not drag you to the Taekwondo class for no reason. He is a blue belt. Maybe he is trying to find a chance to get back at you. Just ignore him when he starts to act like a jerk."

Chen Fan nodded and smiled back at Jiang Tanqiu for his heads up.

The coach came up to them, and Jiang Tanqiu hurried to his feet and bowed deeply at him.

The coach was a second-dan-black-belt. After having led the warm-up exercise, he announced that it was time for sparing.

"Si Yinxia, Please demonstrate the move to everyone," the coach ordered.

Si Yinxia nodded expressionlessly and then broke rank with his classmates.

Chen Fan noticed that his belt was red.

The red belt is second only to the black belt in Taekwondo's ranking system. Red meant danger and aggression. It was an acknowledgment to the practitioner's dedication and years of hard work.

The coach then assigned Si Yinxia an opponent: a blue belt student. The two were to spar with each other while Si Yinxia demonstrates the set of new moves.

The blue belt was one rank lower than the red belt. It required at least one year of hard work. However, Si Yinxia was able to land a roundhouse kick at his opponent and ended the sparing after just ten cautious exchanges of blows.

"I submit!" The blue belt that got sent flying by the kick was Ji Xingyu. He struggled to his feet and raised both hands above his head.

"Si Yinxia had been practicing Taekwondo ever since he was a child." A beautiful girl proudly proclaimed the other girls around her.

"No kidding. Si Yinxia is the best!" Another girl chimed in.

A swell of cheers and applause rose in the gym. The pupils of many girls from the tenth and eleventh grades had already turned into little hearts. When they heard that the boy was the most excellent student in the twelfth grade, their hearts almost skipped a beat.

Si Yinxia seemed unimpressed with his easy victory. He knitted his brows and said, "You have been slacking off. Otherwise, we could fight a little longer."

Ji Xingyu smile mischievously and then said, "I don't take it as seriously as you do."

"Si Yinxia should challenge the black belt so that we could take his red belt spot."

"Who else wants to practice with him?" The coach asked the students with a broad smile. He was very pleased by Si Yinxia's improvement.

"If not, then find your partner and practice with each other."

"Oh fuck!" The boy who was chosen as Si Yinxia's partner grimaced as every one gloated at his luck.

Ji Xingyu was considered the second most powerful Taekwondo fighter right after Si Yinxia among all seven or so blue-belts.

Suddenly, Ji Xingyu raised his hand and asked loudly: "Coach, before we practice with our partners, can I challenge someone else?"

He then looked toward the corner and then said:

"Chen Fan, will you accept my challenge? Let's settle our score the old way."

Everyone looked toward the corner, and they saw a teenager sitting all by himself.

It was Chen Fan, and his belt was white.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 24: Defeat Ji Xingyu

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

In the Taekwondo's ranking system, the ranks were denoted by the colors of the belt, and the ranks were as followed: white, yellow, green, blue, red and black, The black belt was the highest rank and the white belt the lowest. In addition, the black belt was further divided into seven "Dans." Once a black belt reached the second dan, the practice would have earned the right to open a Taekwondo school.

Chen Fan's white belt meant that he was a newbie in Taekwondo

"Why does Ji Xingyu challenge a white belt?"

"No kidding! A blue belt up against a white belt, this is not a fair fight."

"Isn't he the transfer student who had ticked off Ji Xingyu?"

Many people were curious about Ji Yingyu's decision. Most of the students at Ivy League Middle School had joined the Taekwondo class either during semesters or summer break. Therefore, it was not uncommon to find someone who was still in the rank of white-belt, such as Chen Fan.

Even the students from 10th and 11th grades were also confused by the development.

Only those who had seen the confrontation between Chen Fan and Ji Xingyu this afternoon knew what was going on. Most of those people were on Ji Xingyu's side.

The coach furrowed his brows and said:

"Are you sure you want to challenge this new student?"

and then he turned to look at Chen Fan and then said:

"Since your rank is way below his, you have the right to refuse the challenge."

Ji Xingyu looked at Chen Fan expectantly. He taunted: "Hey, Kid! Are you afraid? Why don't you come up here, and let's duke it out!"

Si Yinxia knitted his brows and was going to put a stop to this folly. However, Chang Wen stopped him.

"I don't know taekwondo." Chen Fan shook his head.

"That's fine; you can use whatever fighting style you know." Ji Xingyu said confidently.

"Oh?" Chen Fan managed a smile and then said, "So you are not going to change your mind?"

"No. Are you afraid?" Ji Xingyu pointed to his puffed chest and asked.

"If you are afraid of me, then be quiet next time. This is the Ivy League High School, not your little backwater country county. Chen Fan snorted and then said, "Yes, I am afraid. But what I am afraid of is that I would hurt you."

"You will hurt me?" Ji Xingyu wondered if he had heard the boy's words correctly.

He turned around and shouted to the people around him:" This kid said that he was going to hurt me. Isn't that funny?"

Everyone laughed with Ji Xingyu for Chen Fan's absurd claim.

"He is a nut job! He thinks Ji Xingyu is not a worthy opponent!"

"Ji Xingyu is the second best fighter in our class. No one other than Si Yinxia would be so confident in a fight against him."

"Maybe he is a hidden martial arts master? Haha!"

Sensing the commotion, many students passed their exercise and joined the already swelling ranks of onlookers.

Seeing the new-boy was much smaller and shorter than the hulking blue-belt, most of the audience naturally felt sympathetic for Chen Fan.

However, Chen Fan's arrogant remarks didn't sit well with his sympathizers, and many of them switched sides.

Those who have practiced Taekwondo knew that although the color of the belt did not always dictate the outcome of a fight, the gap between a white belt and a blue belt was unbridgeable. Chen Fan was doomed to fail in this match unless he had received other forms of martial arts training elsewhere.

"Come on. Let me fix you up." Ji Xingyu gestured a provocation at Chen Fan with a hooked finger.

He posed in a standard starting stance in Taekwondo and then volleyed two back-flip-flash-kicks in the air. His snappy and overbearing movement had paled many of girl's faces.

After gathered himself, he gave Chen Fan a look that read, "You are fucked."

To his surprise, Chen Fan was unfazed by the display of skills; he simply snorted and then said, "What a pretty move."

Once Chen Fan blurted out his sarcastic remark, the words stabbed at not only Ji Xingyu, but also at Coach Wu and Si Yingxia. It was not only an insult to one person, but also the Taekwondo community as a whole.

By then, the final shred of sympathy the onlookers had for Chen Fan had disappeared.

No one would sympathize with a weakling who readily threw arrogant insults to invite trouble.

"Go, teach him a lesson!" Someone shouted.

"Kid, you are courting death."

Unable to suppress his anger, Ji Xingyu threw himself at Chen Fan.

Chen Fan noticed that Ji Xingyu's movement was much faster and more powerful than that of an ordinary person. If he were to land a kick on the head of his opponent, it would be an instant knockout.

However, Chen Fan knew that Ji Xingyu was even weaker than A-Biao much less the elderly man's granddaughter: Wei Ziqin.

Chen Fan linked hands behind his back and evaded a few roundhouse kicks and knee bashes.

Seeing his opponent's hostility, Chen Fan let out a deep growl and lifted his one leg high up into the air before he slammed it down like a giant ax.

Ji Xingyu was not prepared for the sudden counter-attack. He threw two arms out to cushion to blow, but the force of the strike went straight through his arm and collapsed him down to his floor.

Fortunately, the ground was padded cushion. Otherwise, he would have to stay in bed for at least six months.

"WHAT!"

The audience was thrown into disarray by the development.

Jiang Tanqiu was so shocked that he thought his eyeballs were going to pop out.

He had been convinced that Chen Fan was doomed, but he had defeated Ji Xingyu with a single kick.

"I told you Ji Xingyu was overrated. He couldn't even finish off a newbie."

"This new-boy kicks some ass!"

The audience was filled with excitement and surprise. They had already started to view Chen Fan under a very different light.

As reality set in, the audience had to admit that they were wrong. Chen Fan was not a worthless charlatan. Otherwise, he would not be able to defeat Ji Xingyu.

Surprise and confusion were written all over Chang Wen's face. Never had she thought that Chen Fan could win the match so easily.

"Ji Xingyu had always boasted his strength in front of me, but he is weaker than a puddle of water. How dare he fool me to think that he was the second best fighter in the class?" Chang Wen complained to herself.

Si Yinxia, on the other hand, remained calm, but the furrow in his brows deepened.

He walked over to Ji Xingyu and noticed that he had passed out but was unharmed. He then turned around to Chen Fan and castigated him:

"We are all classmates and share the same classroom. Why did you attack him so heavy-handedly."

"He started it first. It's just a kick, no big deal." Chen Fan replied lightly.

Si Yinxia suddenly felt at a loss for words.

He registered that Chen Fan could have landed that kick on Ji Xingyu's head, but he didn't. Although such kick would cause only minor injury to an ordinary person, Ji Xingyu's hulking frame and heavyweight meant that such an attack would give him a severe brain injury.

In that sense, Chen Fan had already shown him mercy.

Nonetheless, he couldn't just let the matter rest. Ji Xingyu was his best friend, and he had challenged Chen Fan for Chang Wen, the girl whom he was dating.

So thinking, Si Yinxia stood up and said:

"Why don't you fight with someone who is your equal ?"

Chang Wen's face paled as she was about to rush to Si Yinxia to stop him. Si Yinxia reached out a hand, willing Chang Wen to remain where she was.

Si Yinxia was very impressed by Chen Fan's move. It was powerful, swift, and effective. No one without years of martial arts training would be able to deliver such perfect execution.

However, Si Yinxia was confident that he would be able to overcome the new boy.

He had been obsessed with Taekwondo ever since he saw it on TV when he was a child. By now, he had accumulated over a decade of training. If he could get past his laziness and attend the qualification test, he would have already ranked above, even Coach Wu. Of all the teachers and students, only the Taekwondo club's founder might have a slim chance of defeating him.

"Sure, why not," Chen Fan replied.

The fact that Si Yinxia dared challenge Chen Fan even after seeing what he was capable of told Chen Fan that Si Yinxia could be a worthy opponent.

"But I have to warn you that I will show you no mercy." Chen Fan said lightly.

"Asshole! Do you really think that you could defeat Si Yingxia?" Chen Fan's remark didn't sit well with most of the girls in the class. Some of them started to protest.

"No kidding! You are just a bit faster and stronger than Ji Xingyu. Si Yinxi, on the other, was not only faster, stronger, but also much prettier than your ugly face" Another girl piped up vehemently.

Half of the girls in the class were ardent admirers of Si Yinxia.

Chen Fan was not sure what to think of the girls' hilarious remarks. He conceded that he should have provoked their ire.

The fact that these girls brushed so lightly over strength and speed: two of the most critical factors in combat meant that they knew nothing about fighting. Most of the time, skills and forms were irrelevant, and the outcome of the fight came down to only those two factors: speed and strength.

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Chapter 25: One Punch Is All It Takes

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Although Chen Fan had defeated Ji Xingyu with a single strike, everyone still had their money on Si Yinxia, after all, Si Yinxia had cultivated quite an influence among students.

Even Chang Wen was no longer nervous about the fight.

"I should have faith in Si Yinxia. He had defeated another challenger years ago who had won a medal in the National Martial Arts Academy Tournament. If he could defeat a medalist, he should be able to handle this no account."

With this in mind, she gave Chen Fan a look of disdain.

"Defeating Ji Xingyu means nothing. Si Yinxia is much more skilled than Ji Xingyu."

Of all the people inside the gym, only Si Yinxia and Coach Wu knew how powerful Chen Fan really was.

Coach Wu regarded Si Yinxia with a solemn face. Seeing the resolution in the boy's eyes, he heaved a sigh and then announced, "Fine, there is no rule that forbids the students from challenging each other. Just be careful while you're at it" Couch Wu gave Chen Fan a chilling glance as he spoke. It was evident that Chen Fan previous remark about Taekwondo had rubbed Coach Wu the wrong way.

Therefore, not only did he not stop the fight, but he also wished that his favorite student would teach the arrogant new-boy a lesson.

"Come on."

Si Yinxia shouted to Chen Fan as he sauntered to the middle of the stage, and he was greeted by a wave of cheers. While wearing a set of clean and unwrinkled Taekwondo uniform, Si Yixia looked tall and handsome like a main actor from the "Young and Restless."

Standing before Si Yinxia, Chen Fan measured only one meter and seventy centimeters and was of ordinary appearance. If he were in the "Young and Restless," Chen Fan wouldn't last two episodes.

Those who were not convinced that Si Yinxia was going to be the winner, they wished so. They wanted Si Yinxia to reinstill some perspective into the boy's mind by kicking his ass.

"Let's do it now!"

Chen Fan kept his back straight as he linked his arms behind him, looking as haughty as a martial arts master in the Wuxia movies.

Si Ying snorted out his disdain for Chen Fan's arrogance.

Although Si Yinxia was not as outspoken as Ji Xingyu, he was as proud of his prowess as the latter, if not more so. He mostly kept things to himself, not because he was a quiet person, but because of his deep narcissism.

Chen Fan's haughty posture was a blatant taunt, and it spurred Si Yinxia's anger.

Si Yinxia snarled at Chen Fan and charged out. When he closed in, he suddenly spun his body and delivered a roundhouse kick.

Si Yinxia's right feet traced a two hundred and seventy-degree arc in the air. Carried by momentum, his waist carried on the motion and drove the kick forward like a whiplash of a dragon's tail. Even before the kick landed on its target, Chen Fan felt a stinging sensation on his face from the charged air.

"Interesting, Si Yinxia is much more powerful than I thought." Chen Fan was slightly surprised by the display of power.

Si Yinxia was not only a powerful taekwondo fighter, but he was a player on the school basketball team and had good looks. No wonder, so many girls hearts skipped a beat at the sight of him.

After the girls saw Si Yinxia's perfect execution of a difficult move, they couldn't help but scream in excitement.

Even Coach Wu applauded for Si Yinxia in his mind as he reckoned that even he would not be able to deliver the attack to such a degree of perfection.

"I am afraid Si Yinxia is already at Fourth-Dan of the Black-belt "Coach Wu marveled in his mind.

There were less than five people in Chu Zhou's Taekwondo community that had reached the Fourth-Dan. According to Si Yinxia's current level of skill, he should be able to get into the quarter-final matches at the National Youth Taekwondo Competition.

"How I counter this attack?" Coach Wu calculated his moves vicariously through Chen Fan's body. He wagered that his best option would be to step back to cushion the brunt of the attack. However, he also realized that his defensive strategy was flawed. Once he gave in before Si Yinxia's initial aggression, he would have to deal with insistent follow-up attacks. It would only be a matter of time before he slipped up and let Si Yinxia land a solid blow.

However, to Coach Wu's surprise, Chen Fan didn't back down. Instead, he simply raised an arm and blocked Si Yinxia's kick with ease. All the while, Chen Fan's face held a faint and relaxed smile.

"How is this possible?" Si Yinxia furrowed his brows and was disheveled by the development.

"Again!" Si Yinxia growled under his breath. He jerked his leg back and spun his body to shoot another roundhouse kick at Chen Fan with the other leg. After his second kick was blocked as easily as the first one, Si Yinxia didn't give up. Instead, he kept on kicking and delivering six roundhouse kicks in a row.

These stationary kicks required skills that only a few black-belt fighters possessed.

"Bam! Bam! Bam!"

After the wave of continuous attacks, Si Yinxia was finally exhausted, and he paused to take a breath.

While panting heavily, he saw Chen Fan's stance didn't change at all. He had blocked all the attacks with only one arm.

"Shit!"

Coach Wu's heart sank as he realized that he had underestimated Chen Fan's strength.

The voices of Si Yinxia's supporters were diminishing slowly. Even the onlookers had realized who had gotten the upper hand in the last exchange of attacks.

"Is Si Yinxia going to lose the battle?" The unspoken question was loud and clear in the air.

"You have kicked me so many times, Now it's my turn!"

Chen Fan moved his left hand from behind his back in front of him as he slowly closed his fingers to form a fist.

His body was bent backward, making him look like a powerful bow that was about to release an arrow.

"Be careful."

Coach Wu's face paled, he could sense that the threat in Chen Fan's attack was far more serious than that of Si Yinxia.

Before Si Yinxia could hear Coach Wu's cautions, Chen Fan dashed out and pounded his fist at Si Yinxia at lightning speed.

Like a cannonball being shot out of its chamber, the punch tore apart the very fabric of space from its seams. The attack charged the air with energy until sparks erupted out of thin air, filled the gym with crackling noises. The Punch carried on and threatened to smash anything in its way into smithereens.

Si Yinxia knew the attack was coming and was prepared; at least he thought he was. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and watched his attacker's move cautiously.

However, Chen Fan's punch came so fast and so powerful that Si Yinxia didn't even have the chance to react. The energy in the fist simply went through his defense and slammed into his chest.

Chen Fan didn't want to hurt Si Yinxia, and therefore, he only used one percent of his true strength. However, even at one percent, his power was already too much for a mortal such as Si Yinxia to bear.

Si Yinxia's body was sent flying backward for half a dozen meters before it thudded back onto the ground.

"Arhh!" Si Yinxia fell flat on his butt and was winded. He was suddenly overtaken by a fit of violent coughing, making it even harder to breath. His arms felt heavy, and his chest was so numb that he couldn't even feel the pain.

The gym suddenly fell silent that you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone was dumbfounded, and the only thing they could do was stare.

No one had thought that Chen Fan could have defeated Si Yinxia much less defeating him with such ease. His last attack was plain and simple, but it had overcome the previously invincible Si Yinxia.

"If he had defeated Si Yinxia, does it mean that Chen Fan is the number-one fighter in our school?" Everyone's asked the same question in their mind.

Those who had openly sneered at Chen Fan instantly regretted their actions, while the rest scraped their mind to find out if they had ever offended the new champion. Meanwhile, some girls started to see Chen Fan under a very different light.

Although Chen Fan's overall score was not as high as Si Yinxia, his exceptional talent in a few particular areas had made him at least somewhat palatable for girls' infatuated minds.

Chang Wen's face hardened, and she rushed to help Si Yinxia to his feet. Seeing Si Yinxia's wounded body, a pained look flashed across her face.

"Don't worry; he is just winded; that's all." Suddenly, Chen Fan's voice drifted into her ears.

Chang Wen did not appreciate Chen Fan's reassurance; she snorted and then shot Chen Fan an icy glance.

Chen Fan shook his head and realized that he would be hated by this girl for the rest of his life. However, he didn't feel the slightest guilt. He had decided to hold back the brunt of the attack right before the moment he was about to deliver the punch. Otherwise, Si Yinxia would be seriously injured.

After all, Chen Fan could have punched through a steel plate if he wanted to, much less human flesh.

Chen Fan looked around and shouted, "Who else wants to challenge me?"

No one spoke a word.

Not only the students of the 12th grade were stunned by Chen Fan's display of power, but also those from junior years; they were also enthralled by Chen Fan's incredible ability. Chen Fan had taught everyone a valuable lesson: there would always be someone more powerful than you.

"Fine. " Chen Fan shook his head as no one had risen to his challenge. He then looked to Si Yinxia and said:

"I have told you, Taekwondo moves are fancy but useless. Unless you find a real master and learn from him, you won't stand a chance against me even if you trained ten more years in Taekwondo."

Si Yinxia didn't reply, but Chen Fan's words had taken the wind out of his sail. He had high self-esteem and had never taken Chen Fan seriously. Therefore, being defeated so easily by a no-account had dealt a devastating blow to his confidence.

"Hey, Asshole! Your time will come when the founder of our club is back." Coach Wu growled at Chen Fan. "The founder of the club was at the National Taekwondo Competition, and he will teach you a lesson when he is back."

"Ah-right! How could we forget our club's founder!" The faces of the diehard Taekwondo fans lit up with hope.

"Oh?" Chen Fan said casually." Sure, tell him that I will be here waiting for him."

After that, he linked his arms behind his back and started down the stage. He walked to Jiang Tanqiu and then patted him on the shoulder:

"Do you want to go eat something?"

"Of course." Jiang Tanqiu was startled. He looked at the new-boy whom he had been hanging out with for a month as if he was a stranger.

Never had he thought that his quiet desk-mate was so bad-ass.

"It's no wonder that he didn't take Si Yinxia seriously. Whatever he lacked in academic achievement, he makes it up with his fighting skills."

With that in mind, Jiang Tanqiu reminded himself to take their friendship more seriously. Maybe they could be best friends after all.

The two walked out of the gym under many pairs of watchful eyes. The other students were still trying to come to terms with what had just happened. As everyone had thought that the new-boy was an ordinary no-account, he had pulled the rug from under everyone and defeated the most popular student at the school.

Many students believed that from now one, Chen Fan would finally join the ranks of popular kids.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 26: Orientation Gala

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Ever Since Chen Fan defeated Si Yinxia, everyone's attitude toward Chen Fan had changed significantly.

Many people who didn't like Si Yinxia and lacked the courage to stand up against him now gradually gravitated toward Chen Fan. Ever since Si Yinxia's crushing defeat, he had become even less talkative than before. His reticent greatly worried his supporters.

Many of his supporters remained on his side because they believed that except for Taekwondo, Si Yinxia was much more talented than Chen Fan in every other subject. Let it be basketball, grades, playing piano, and looks; Si Yinxia was the clear winner.

One day, after the basketball training was over, Yang Chao patted Si Yinxia's shoulder and said:

"How are you doing? You seemed distracted."

Si Yinxia managed a smile. He couldn't stop thinking ways of defeating Chen Fan.

Ji Xingyu pipped up indignantly, "It's all thanks to that transfer student. He had put on quite a show during the Taekwondo class. He had not only defeated me, but also Si Yinxia. He was as cocky as a hog on ice, thinking he was a bad-ass and all."

Hearing his comment, other teammates turned around and asked incredulously, "So the Rumor is true? A newly transferred student defeated Si Yinxia!"

"Ji Xingyu, I heard that the new-boy had kicked the snot out of you! Haha!"

"Buzz off!" Ji Xingyu shouted.

"Boss Si and I have simply slipped up and let that kid gain an opportunity to get the best of us. If we have a rematch, I will kick his ass, you just watch!"

He as such, felt indignant for the defeat; the new-boy had sneaked up on him while he was still getting ready. After he was dealt a blow, he passed out and didn't know what had happened to Si Yinxia. Therefore, he was still convinced that the boy's power was on par with his, and he had won because he had caught him by surprise.

Chang Wen put in with an icy voice, "Ji Xingyu is right. No one knows who will win if they match again. He is just a brute animal anyways; what does he have to show for in terms of grades, family, or looks?"

The cheerleaders joined the conversation, and they all nodded in agreement.

In their views, Chen Fan was just a bad boy who stirred up trouble, and he simply couldn't compare with the handsome and smart Si Yinxia.

After a while, Si Yinxia finally spoke.

"Although I admit that Chen Fan was much stronger than me physically, I believe that I will excel in other areas. "

Seeing that Si Yinxia had finally spoken up, Chang Wen beamed from side to side and plied Si Yinxia with more encouragement:" Of course! You should never have doubted yourself!

"Tomorrow is the day of the Orientation Gala. That will be your second chance. I am confident that you will stun that boy with your skills."

Hearing Chang Wen's encouragement, Si Yinxia's face finally lit up with new found confidence.

Yang Chao wanted to say something to his friend, but he thought better of it and only let out a sigh of resignation.

He wanted to warn his friends to not to undermine this trouble maker. His run-in with the new-boy revealed a very dangerous side of him.

However, Yang Chao wagered that the truth would diminish Si Yinxia's budding confidence, so he decided to keep his silence.

When Chen Fan arrived at school that day, Jiang Taniu spoke to him in an elevated voice, "There is an Orientation Gala tonight, my goddess Xu Rongfei will be performing!"

"The Orientation Gala?" Chen Fan was surprised by the news.

He remembered attending this gala in his past life. Xu Rongfei's performance was the grand finale of the show. She delivered a stunning solo dance. Ever since then, more boys joined her fan club and considered her their dream girl.

"I recall that Si Yinxia had played the piano for her while she danced. They were therefore dubbed as the Romeo and Juliet of the Ivy League High. Too bad that they weren't able to stay together happily forever after."

Deep down, Chen Fan didn't want to see Xu Rongfei with Si Yinxia, even though Xu Rongfei didn't knock his socks off either.

"Yes, the Orientation Gala, for the freshmen. We were supposed to have it a month ago, but it somehow got pushed back." Jiang Tanqiu said.

Even as Jiang Tanqiu spoke, Ji Xingyu came over to the two boys and grunted.

"You think you are even worthy of fancying Xu Rongfei? She is out of your league, and she already belongs to Boss Si."

Jiang Tanqiu was embarrassed by Ji Xingyu's words.

He wanted to refute him but was deterred by the thought of the unbridgeable gap between him and Si Yinxia.

Chen Fan cracked a smile and said, "Are you sure? I hear that Xu Rongfei only consider Si Yinxia, a normal friend."

Ji Xingyu sneered at Chen Fan and said, "Even if Xu Rongfei doesn't like Boss Si, she would never even look at a country hill-billy such as you!"

Chen Fan asked quietly: "How do you know?"

"No kidding! How did you know that Xu Rongfei will not fall for Brother Fan?" Jiang Tanqiu stood up and flung back at Ji Xingyu. "You have already got your asses handed over to you, do you want to try it again?"

Fear flashed across Ji Xingyu's face as he turned on his heels with a grunt.

Jiang Tanqiu sat down satisfyingly.

Chen Fan was amused after hearing Jiang Tanqiu calling him Brother Fan with a respectful voice; already, his would-be best friend was improving his reputation in front of everyone.

Chen Fan gave Sister Yin a call and asked for a day off due to the Orientation Gala. Sister Yin approved as usual.

"Look, look, look! There goes my goddess!" The stage was lit up with bright lights, and Jiang Tanqiu looked at the stage expectantly.

The host of the gala was Chang Wen and a boy from the 9th grade. The gorgeous girl and the handsome boy had attracted many of the audience's attention.

Chang Wen announced, "Without further ado, the next performer Xu Rongfei from class number two of the twelfth grade. The name of her dance is 'Swan Princess.'"

After the announcement, a swell of cheers rose from the audience.

This was the finale of the gala; the show that everyone had been waiting for!

The floor-light dimmed and the spotlight beamed on a tall, and handsome young man, sitting right next to a white grand piano made by Steinway and sons. Chang Wen continued her announcement, but this time, her voice sounded bitter. "This is Si Yinxia; I am sure he needs no introduction. He will play the piano for Xu Rongfei. The two of them are long-time partners."

Chen Fan didn't pay much attention to Si Yinxia as another beam of stage light grabbed his attention. In it was a girl wearing a ballet tutu that fit tightly around her body.

It was Xu Rongfei who Chen Fan hadn't seen for many days.

The music started, and Xu Rongfei opened her dance with a sudden bend of the waist, and when she rose again, she was no longer the high school girl as she had transformed herself—both body and soul—into an elegant swan. Silence fell throughout the hall as everyone was gripped by Xu Rongfei's powerful and affecting performance.

Although Xu Rongfei was not a world-renowned dancer, the students were nonetheless shocked after seeing that one of them was able to deliver such a stunning performance.

If the new students were going to leave the gala with something that would stay with them for the rest of their lives, it was the combination of Si Yinxia's piano music and Xu Rongfei's dance.

As the music ended on a high note, cheers and applause erupted from the audience. Si Yinxia stood up from the bench, walked to Xu Rongfei, and held one of her hands as both of them bowed to the audiences.

"Together! Together!" The audience cheered.

Xu Rongfei managed to keep her smile, but she slid her hand out of Si Yinxia's palm. The light in Si Yinxia's eyes suddenly dimmed.

After the two had finally retreated to backstage, the show was finally nearing its end.

Jiang Tanqiu said hesitantly, "My goddess is the best! Look at that curves, that waist, and that gracefulness and elegance! She was not any less hot than those professional Ballet Dancer from Russia.

"Urghh! How dare that greasy Si Yinxia touch her hand!" Jiang Tanqiu growled vehemently.

"Alright, it's time to go." Chen Fan stood up, started off. He was here just for Xu Rongfei's dance, now he had seen it, it was time to go home.

Suddenly a swell of commotions arose from the front row. Jiang Tanqiu looked and immediately his eyes were lit up with glee."Look! Chang Wen and my goddess are heading this way. "

Chen Fan turned around and saw Chang Wen heading toward him while trailing a boy and a girl behind her.

The boy was wearing an elegant tuxedo; his tall figure complimented his handsome features. The girl was in a set of costume made ballet tutu, and her face was near flawless. The two looked like two superstars straight out of the TV.

They waved at their fans as they walked forth. The boys and girls around them showered them with cheers and screamed.

They were Si Yinxia and Xu Rongfei.

The two exchanged whispers to each other as they walked. Their intimacy was displayed under broad daylight for everyone to see.

Si Yinxia no longer donned his usual cool face. Instead, he beamed from side to side as he whispered something to Xu Rongfei. Xu Rongzhen seems to be amused by what he had said, a bright smile broke over her face, making it look like a blooming flower.

"God damn you, Si Yinxia! He is going to steal my goddess!" Jiang Tanqiu said aggrievedly.

"Come on; let's go!" Chen Fan did not want to talk to Xu Rongfei; therefore, he patted his friend and willed him to start walking.

Suddenly Chen Fan heard a female voice called to him:

"My oh my! Isn't it, Master Chen? Why are you leaving so early? Don't you want to say hi to our stars?"

Chen Fan turned around and saw Chang Wen's cold sneer. Chang Wen, on the other hand, was enjoying the best moment of her life.

She walked off from the stage like a star, letting her confidence soar on the wind of the scintillating aura that surrounded her. Her brilliance had made her rivals look all that much paler and weaker.

Si Yinxia also regarded Chen Fan with a contemptuous look. The cheers and applauds had brought his confidence back and strengthened his ego.

And then a musical voice gasped in surprise:

"Chen Fan?"

Then, to everyone's surprise, a soft body threw itself at Chen Fan. Chen Fan opened his arms unwillingly as he was immediately surrounded by the breathtaking fragrance that invited more than just intimacy.

Everyone was speechless by the turn of events.

Chen Fan saw surprised faces all around him, Jiang Tanqiu's eyes were wide open, and the confident look on Si Yinxia had also curdled.

Chen Fan could not help but smile wryly.

"Now the situation is finally out of my hand!"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 27: I Never Explain The Same Thing Twice

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Xu Rongfei quickly realized her faux pas and ran away, but many people in the hall had already witnessed the brief intimate interaction between the two. Si Yinxia's face turned red with anger.

It happened just when Xu Rongfei and Si Yinxia had finished their performance, and everyone's attention was still on them. Countless senior and junior students had watched as the goddess threw herself into the arms of someone other than Si Yinxia.

The news quickly went viral, and by the second day, nearly everyone at the school had heard about it.

"Xu Rongfei is with a transfer student; she had thrown herself into his arms? " Li Yichen was stunned by the news.

He had been courting Jiang Churan, and therefore, he knew very well that Jiang Churan's BFF, Xu Rongfei had very high standards. She didn't even care for Chu Minghui nor Si Yinxia, how would she be interested in an ordinary transfer student?

"That's right; he is the one we had met at the bar." Lou Xiaoxiao said with a smile.

"Princess Xu Rongfei acted like she is too good for anyone, but in the end, she settled for someone who works at a bar. Haha! That's rich!"

Li Yichen furrowed his brows slightly at the mentioning of Chen Fan. He still remembered the look on Jiang Churan's face when she met that boy. It was a look that he had never seen before.

Ever since then, Li Yichen became even warier of Chen Fan.

Lou Xiaoxiao's eyes rolled as she asked, "Why don't we tell Chu Minhui about it? I want to find out what Xu Rongfei is going to do with her pretty place."

Lou Xiaoxiao was the leader of the Arts Interest Group, and she and Xu Rongfei were not on good terms for a long time.

"Hmm..." Li Yichen paused to think.

Seeing Li Yichen's hesitation, Lou Xiaoxiao knew she should not press him further, and therefore, she changed the topic and started to talk about the student council.

When Chen Fan arrived at the classroom on the second day, he was greeted with many strange looks.

Even as most students had only thought he was just an ordinary transfer student who happened to be a solid fighter, he had surprised them by making the goddess of the school throw herself into his arms. What else was he capable of?

"If I tell you that I really have only met Xu Rongfei once before. Do you believe me?" Chen Fan said candidly.

"Of course not!" Jiang Taniu gritted his teeth and looked at Chen Fan jealously.

"But since you have embarrassed Si Yinxia, I think I can forgive you once." A smile suddenly broke over Jiang Taniu face as he laughed gleefully. "Did you see Si Yinxia's face? He was so mad and stunned that he glued himself to the floor and didn't move for ten minutes. His friends had to basically drag him out of the hall!"

"Anyways, you have my wholehearted support! I wish you could start officially dating as soon as possible. I really want to see that angry face on Si Yinxia again."

It was evident that Jiang Taniu and Si Yinxia had some bad blood in the past.

Chen Fan shook his head.

There was really nothing between him and Xu Rongfei. He knew that Xu Rongfei had hugged him out of sheer surprise from seeing him. However, he knew that any explanation he offered would be in vain since no one would believe what he said.

"Xiao Qiong is still waiting for me in the city of Ji; how could I waste my time on this girl." Chen Fan thought to himself.

The mood during the class was unsettling for Chen Fan. He kept on noticing Si Yinxia's shifting glance on him from time to time. At every break, many students of other classes would stop by the window, trying to take a peek at the boy whom Xu Rongfei was purportedly dating.

However, everyone who saw Chen Fan left with disappointment.

As soon as the last class was over, Chen Fan packed up his books and hurried to get out of the school.

Seeing that the new-boy had left the classroom, Chang Wen spoke in a cold and contemptuous voice, "I bet Xu Rongfei is blind. Why would she choose a loser such as him? He has neither the looks nor the grades, a piss poor country boy!"

After she finished her remarks, she glanced at Si Yinxia and found no expression on Si Yinxia's face. However, she noticed that he had clenched his fists tightly as if he was still grappling with the humiliation last night.

"No kidding! Xu Rongfei wouldn't even choose Boss Si, why would she be interested in a hillbilly from the middle of nowhere?" As Ji Xingyu lamented, but then he suddenly burst out laughing.

"Chen Fan's good days are numbered; Chu Minhui will return to school in a few days. He is not going to let that prick get away with it!"

Chu Minhui was recommended to this school for immediate admission without admission tests due to his exceptional grades and talent. He spent half of the semester away from the school training. Meanwhile, he was one of the most ardent admirers of Xu Rongfei. If he had learned the two's intimate interaction in public, he would not sit on it and pretend nothing had happened.

The promise of Chu Minhui's ire made many male students gloat at Chen Fan's impending doom in their minds. Chen Fan's sudden rise to power didn't sit well with many students, and therefore, they were eager to see Chu Minhui teach him a lesson.

At work, when Chen Fan was delivering a bottle of water to one of the customers, Ziqi came up to him and said, "there is a hottie on the second floor, table number three; she is looking for you."

Ziqi said as she winked at Chen Fan.

Chen Fan rolled his eyes and plodded toward the second floor. He saw an elegant girl leaning over the rail on the landing and was looking down at the singing stage.

On the stage, Sister Ding-Ding was singing a popular love song. Her voice was so affectionate that it evoked cheers for her audiences.

"Why did you come here all by yourself? Where are your friends?" Chen Fan walked over to the girl and asked.

Jiang Churan was wearing a long maxi dress that brought out her innocence and beauty to the fullest extent.

However, Chen Fan's gaze was candid and devoid of lewd intent. He clearly appreciated the girl's beauty, but he wanted nothing of it.

"They didn't come." Jiang Churan said thinly. "I came here alone, just for you."

"For me?" Chen Fan was taken aback. "Did Auntie Tang tell you to come here?"

"No. I am here to talk to you about Xu Rongfei." Jiang Churan turned around to hold Chen Fan's gaze.

"I want to tell you to stay away from her. She is a nice girl and full of potential. Her future is in Yan Jin, on the world's most prestigious stage. She doesn't belong to you, so please don't drag her down with you while you waste your life in this scanty little bar."

Chen Fan's face hardened. "So, you came here to give me a warning?"

"Indeed. I am here to warn you." Jiang Churan's voice was firm as she locked her eyes onto Chen Fan's. "I am very grateful for your help that night. But please, don't take advantage of my appreciation. Xu Rongfei had always been under her mother's protection so she might not have realized that you are taking advantage of her.

"She is out of your league. Don't you see? At best, you can get into a second-tier university, but what good is that? How are you going to provide for her and give her happiness in life?"

Seeing Jiang Churan was convinced that she was on a moral high ground, Chen Fan couldn't suppress a smile.

"What? Did I say anything wrong?" Jiang Churan was not very pleased by Chen Fan's levity.

"Jiang Churan, you think too highly of yourself. You have no idea who you are talking to." Chen Fan said aloofly as he suddenly transformed into a cultivator that looked down on every living being on earth.

He had finally removed his mask and revealed his true persona. As a Celestial Lord, he lived vicariously through the body of Chen Fan as if he was in a role playing game. He couldn't care less about the petty drama that his alter ego was involved in. If he really wanted to, he could have broken the fourth wall and outright eliminated a person, like a programmer would go to an NPC in an RPG game.

Chen Fan continued speaking, but his mouth was not moving. His voice simply drifted into the girl's ears.

"I have tolerated you because of your mother. Remember, your life is no more significant to me than that of an ant.

"Regardless of what happened between Xu Rongfei and me, it was none of your business.

"I don't like to explain myself to others, and I never explain the same thing twice."

After that, he turned around and left Jiang Churan in shock.

After a while, Jiang Churan finally gathered herself, and she murmured.

"Chen Fan, talk is cheap, and lies are expensive. You won't be the first person to be squashed by the weight of reality.

"I don't care where you have got your confidence from, but you need to go over my dead body if you want to date Xu Rongfei."

As she thought that, resolution start to glint in her eyes.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 28: Antique Auction

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

A few days later, most people had forgotten about what had happened that night, except for a few who were waiting for the situation to deteriorate so that they could gloat at Chen Fan.

The incident at the gala had spurred Si Yinxia to work much more diligently than before. He engrossed himself in studying, basketball training, and Taekwondo training, trying all he could to prove to Xu Rongfei that he was the right choice for her.

On a Friday afternoon, Chen Fan contemplated if he should head back to Si Shui county to visit. He had been away from home for more than one and a half months, and if he counted the time of his past life, that would have been over five hundred years

Then his cell phone rang; it was Wei Ziqin.

"Hello, is this Mr. Chen? There is going to be an antique auction this evening. I am wondering if you are interested in coming along with me?" Chen Fan heard the voice on the other end of the line. He was slightly surprised by the invitation.

"This auction was also a networking event. The main goal was for similar minded people to meet and mingle. The items for sale are very interesting as well. I have heard that the allegedly cursed diamond: The Blue Hope, was going to appear at the podium.

The schedule of the items also included a few that were called 'Dharma Artifacts.' I remembered that you told us that you are a follower of the Dao, so I thought that you might be interested."

Ever since Mr. Wei explained the power of a Transcendent Master, Ziqin was convinced that Chen Fan was related to all sorts of mysterious forces in the world.

"Dharma Artifact?" Chen Fan furrowed his brows.

Could it be the same Dharma Artifact such as the Flying Swords in the realm of cultivation?

"Bingo! It was said that these Dharma Artifacts were able to help stabilize the Feng Shui around the house and ward off the evil spirit in the world. But no one knows if that's for real or not." Wei Ziqin explained patiently.

"Interesting. Yes, I want to go." Chen Fan said.

"Great, then I will pick you up tonight." Wei Ziqin said carefully.

"It's fine; I can go there by myself." Chen Fan shook his head.

He was already amid an unwanted melodrama. If a beautiful girl appeared at the school and picked him up in a fancy luxury vehicle, his schoolmates were going to spin even more melodramatic tales about how he betrayed Xu Rongfei.

What happened at the Orientation Gala had put him under the spotlight, and he didn't deign to attract even more attention.

"Just tell me the address, and I will take a taxi."

"Very well. Tell them my name at the entrance; they will let you in." Wei Ziqin nodded.

As soon as Chen Fan put down his cellphone, he saw Jiang Tanqiu's curious gaze on him. "Who was that?"

"No one, just a friend asking me to come over tonight." Chen Fan answered readily. He made another phone call to Sister Yin to ask for time off.

After the last class was over, Chen Fan packed up his books and left in a hurry.

Seeing Chang Wen was gone, Chang Wen snorted and then said, "Yinxia, why are you still so sad about that woman? She would rather pick a country boy over you. Can't you tell that she doesn't even care about you?"

"I have gotten three tickets to an antique auction tonight, why don't you and Xinyu come with me? You need to relax, babe."

Ji Xingyu hurried to chime in.

"Boss Si, I have heard about this party before.

"It was hosted by Fang Sheng International Group. They only reserve tickets for people with over fifty million yuan in assets. The antiques were all like voodoo and shit; it will be fun. Let's go."

"Indeed. Thanks to my uncle, I was able to get three tickets. I bet Chen Fan can't even so much as work at such an event much less attend it." Chang Wen smiled contemptuously.

Si Yinxia nodded. After days of hard work, he felt that he had regained some of his self-confidence; some relaxation wouldn't hurt.

The party was hosted at a high-end club right beside the Yunwu Mountain. It was called "Hidden Dragon Villa." It was a secluded suburb area surrounded by a quiet village.

Chen Fan went home and changed. He then took a taxi to the Hidden Dragon Villa. When he reached the destination, he saw the parking lot was already packed with high-end cars.

Vehicles such as BMW's and Audi's were the cheapest ones in this parking lot. There were many Lamborghinis, Porsches, and he even saw a Rolls-Royce Phantom VII with the license plate of 666-666. This car was worth over six million in 2007.

"There are a lot of rich people in Chu Zhou City. " Chen Fan thought to himself.

Upon entering the lobby, he told the receptionist Wie Ziqin's name, and the receptionist welcomed him into the event center.

The interior of the building was lavishly decorated to the smallest detail. It was evident that it was the most high-end club in Chu Zhou City. Under the bright crystal chandelier were groups of well-dressed upper-class guests.

There were many teenagers in the same age as Chen Fan in the event hall. He wagered that they were brought here by their parents to experience the posh life of their future. The teenagers had formed their own flocks and were chatting with each other.

Chen Fan clearly didn't get the memo about the dress code. He walked into the event hall with just business casual shirt and pants, which made him stand out among the others.

The reception had a buffet bar, providing some refreshments for the guest before the auction started. Seeing Wei Ziqing had not arrived yet, Chen Fan decided to hit the buffet table first.

He grabbed himself a plate and started to pile it with Australian Lobsters Salad. Suddenly, he heard a voice calling out to him.

"Chen Fan, why are you here?"

The soft and musical voice was too distinguishable to have mistaken for someone else.

Chen Fan turned around and saw surprise was written all over Xu Rongfei's face. He cracked a smile and then said:

"Why can't I be here?"

Xu Rongfei blushed as the memory of what happened at the gala came back to her. She quickly changed the topic.

"I am here with Meng-Meng, she got me a ticket. I have heard that items for sale are very interesting, so I have agreed to tag along. "

She batted her lashes while staring at Chen Fan with a pair of wide eyes. "Brother Chen Fan, did you come by yourself? Are you planning to buy anything?"

"He can't even afford this Australian Lobster much less anything in the auction." Jiang Churan appeared behind Xu Rognfei. She glared at Chen Fan watchfully.

Chen Fan's smile disappeared, and then he said thinly:" Ran-ran is right, I am too poor to buy anything at the auction. I am just here for some food, and O' Lord, have I hit the jackpot! They have some really nice desserts too, would you like to accompany me to sample some of those?"

"Oh, of course!" Xu Rongfei giggled.

Seeing the Chen Fan was clearly making a move on Xu Rongfei, Jiang Churan grunted under her breath as she became even more vigilant of the boy's actions.

Not far from them, a few girls had formed a small circle and were glancing in Chen Fan's direction.

"Is that Fei-Fei's friend? Why didn't she introduce him to us? "

The oldest one spoke. She was in a low cut nightgown and wore her hair in an elegant high bun.

"That boy looks unfamiliar to me. Did you see how giggly Fei-Fei is? OMG- could that be her new boyfriend?"

"He is ugly. Maybe he is super rich. "

These girls had grown up with Xu Rongfei and Jiang Churan but haven't seen the two for ages. To their surprise, Xu Rongfei had ditched them only after a few minutes of reunion for an ordinary-looking boy.

Zhang Yumeng was among the girls as well, and she sneered and then said, "Not a boyfriend. Just a laborer from the countryside. He works part-time at a bar."

Then she said bitterly, "I have no clue why Fei-Fei is so obsessed with that loser."

"OMG! So he really is the boyfriend?" Everyone was shocked by the revelation.

Xu Rongfei's high standards for boys was well known among her friends. Their jaws dropped after having learned that the pedestrian-looking, piss-poor country boy was her final choice.

Some girls were already pitying Xu Rongfei as they heaved sighs and shook their heads.

"Fei-Fei is too naive! It's not going to end well."

Most of these girls came from multi-million yuan families. Some of them were sent abroad to study ever since they were little. In their eyes, a laborer from the countryside would never make the cut as their boyfriend.

The girl in the low-cut gown furrowed her brow and said, "As her older sister, I need to talk some sense into her."

"It's fine if she uses him just for a while, but she is playing with fire if she ever lets herself fall in love with him. She is way out of his league, and their relationship is doomed from the very beginning."

After saying that, the girls' eyes lost focus for a second.

Her name was Han Yun, as the oldest girl of the crowd, she had already graduated from university. When she was in high school, she fell in love with a boy from a poor family. They stayed together despite the outcry from her family. However, as soon as the couple entered university, things took a turn for the worse. They started fighting and arguing every day until the boy left her for another girl.

Meanwhile, outside of the Hidden Dragon Villa. A jeep pulled over, and a strapping young man got off the vehicle.

"Are you sure Xu Rongfei is going to be here tonight?"

He turned around and asked one of his entourage.

"Yes, I heard it from Lou Xiaoxiao. " A boy in a sleek buzz-cut answered.

With only a second of hesitation, the young man said, "Very well, let's go in."

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 29: Chu Minhui

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Attendants of the cocktail reception were divided into two groups. At the center of the hall were the real deals of the Chu Zhou City. They joined each other to discuss the coming government edicts and to make handshake deals that were in the millions.

Around the edge of this main group were small congregations of teenagers and children who had tagged along with their parents to come to see the auction.

Among all the young girls in the hall, Jiang Churan and Xu Rongfei were two of the most beautiful girls, and they had caught many people's attention.

The moment that Xu Rongfei started to talk with Chen Fan, many curious eyes peered at the two.

"Who the hell is that boy?"

"No clue, I don't think he is a friend of anyone."

"An outsider? Oh my! It looks like they are very close to each other. Could he be Xu Rongfei's boyfriend?"

Everyone was perplexed by the strange development.

Finally, someone who had recognized Chen Fan chimed in.

"He is a student of the Ivy League High School, originally from the Si Shui County. He has a knack for fighting. Rumor had it that Xu Rongfei had given herself into his arms just a few days ago in public."

"Really? How would Xu Rongfei be interested in someone of his kind?"

"No kidding! Look at that rag he is wearing; those are cheaper than what my servants wore."

"God damn it! How could we let an outsider come in and have his way with our best girl?"

Most people's eyes turned green with envy as soon as they heard that he was Xu Rongfei's boyfriend.

Xu Rongfei and Jiang Churan were two of the most popular girls among the rich kids. Many boys dreamed of becoming either one of the two's boyfriend. Many older boys missed the two girls even after they had gone to university. They couldn't stomach the insulting actions of the new-boy, making a move on one of the hotties and get away with it.

"If Chu Minhui was here, that kid would be dead." Someone said bitterly.

It won't be the first time that Chu Minhui had to do it. A couple of years ago, he had to chase after one daring competitor and beat him up so bad that his victim had to be bed bound for three months.

As the tanagers concerned themselves with the drama, their parents were having a great time networking with each other.

Li Yichen trailed behind a stately middle-aged man who had introduced one person after another to him. These guests might be insignificant outside of the city, but inside of the Chu Zhou City, they represented the leaders of their fields.

Suddenly, Li Yichen noticed that his sidekick, Mo Hill was winking at him.

Li Yichen excused himself and walked over to Mo Hill. He was not very happy for Mo Hill's interruption.

"Haven't you seen that my dad is introducing the minister to me?"

"I was at the food bar, and I saw that boy we met at the bar!" Mo Hill hurried a reply.

"Chen Fan?" Li Yichen's eyes glinted and then said curiously, "How could he even be able to get in here? A reservation is required for this event calls for a few dozen million yuan."

"That is why I suspected that he had sneaked in here." Mo Hill agreed. "He is fast and strong, so I figure that it shouldn't be too difficult for him to sneak in here. "

"It's not impossible." Li Yichen nodded. "But what does that have anything to do with me?"

Although Li Yichen was wary of Chen Fan, he didn't think that the new-boy would pose any real threat to him.

Lou Xiaoxiao had been standing next to the two, and she cracked a smile and then said proudly, "I have sent a text to Chu Minhui and told him that Xu Rongfei was here, but who would think that the trouble maker is here as well. If Chu Minhui ever saw him with Xu Rongfei..."

Li Yichen was taken aback by the news. He knew that Chu Minhui's short temper would very likely prompt him to start a brawl with the new-boy on sight.

"Speaking of the devil! Look, isn't that Chu Minhui?" Mo Hill gasped.

The other two looked over toward the entrance, and they saw a brawny young man in a gym suit storm into the event hall, pushing people out of his way as he went.

"And so it begins... anyone want some popcorn?" The dramatic development amused li Yichen.

Even as Chen Fan and Xu Rongfei were gleefully sampling the ensemble of deserts on the table, a man came over to them with a few large strides.

"Fei-Fei, come here for a second, I need to talk to you."

Chu Minhui didn't even spare Chen Fan a glance as he fixed his eyes on Xu Rongfei.

"What's up? Why can't you just tell me here?" Xu Rongfei fumbled a reply.

"Here?" Chu Minhui scanned around him and then turned to Chen Fan and Jiang Churan and then said with a commanding voice, "Get out, I need to talk to her privately."

Before Jiang Churan could protest, Chen Fan said with a frown, "Why would we leave?"

"Who are you?" Chu Minhui was not used to people disobeying him. So he studied the boy in front of him with a great measure of displeasure and curiosity. Finally, he put the two and two together.

"You are Chen Fan?"

"Yes." Chen Fan replied lightly.

"I have heard of you." Chu Minhui said disdainfully. "I have heard that you are quite a fighter, and you defeated even Si Yinxia.

"But I hope you know that Si Yinxia is just an amateur in Taekwondo. His moves might look fancy, but they are useless in a real fight."

"Is that so?" Chen Fan said distractedly.

Chu Minhui smiled contemptuously. It was evident that he didn't take this rival in love too seriously. Chu Minhui turn around and spoke softly to Xu Rongfei, "Fei-Fei, can we find another place to talk? I really need to speak to you about something."

When he finished, he reached out to grab Xu Rongfei's arm.

Xu Rongfei was startled by Chu Minhui's sudden move. She ran behind Chen Fan and shivered. "Chu Minhui, what do you want?"

Chu Minhui was going to get closer, but he was stopped by Chen Fan cold in his track. Chen Fan said coldly, "Please stay away from her. "

"Fuck off!" Chu Minhui growled as he pushed Chen Fan. To his surprise, the boy didn't move an inch.

Chu Minhui gave Chen Fan an ugly grin and then said, "Hey kiddo, are you sure you want to mess with me?"

"Are you sure you want to mess with ME?" Chen Fan asked calmly.

"Do you even know who I am?"Chu Minhui seemed to be amused by Chen Fan's determination.

"I started my official training when I was only twelve and was recruited into a high school team at the age of fifteen. A year later, I was guaranteed admission to a university. "

He glared at Chen Fan scornfully, "Now, I am going to ask you one more time, are you sure you want to mess with me?"

"Yes." Chen Fan said firmly.

This corner of the room had caught the attention of many even before Chu Minhui joined in. By then, it was practically under the spotlight.

"Isn't that Chu Minhui? Why is he here?"

"Shit, it looks like he and that new-boy are going to butt each other's heads!"

"Oh, it doesn't look good for the new boy."

The crowd started to conglomerate around the commotion as everyone wanted to see what was going on.

"Who is Chu Minhui?"

A new member of this small circle asked curiously.

"He is the superstar of our school, also a die-hard fan of Xu Rongfei."

The crowd started to fill the new member in on Chu Minhuil's illustrious achievements.

The new member was shocked by what he had heard. If the rumors about Chu Minhui were true, Chen Fan's fate would have been sealed.

The promise of a fight kept everyone on their toes, and many wanted to see Chen Fan get served by Chu Minhui.

Meanwhile, Si Yinxia and Chang Wen were chatting with a few friends at the other end of the large hall.

Si Yinxia's handsome features were a rare sight even among the well dressed rich kids. He had attracted many girl's attention, and some of them even came to flirt with him.

"Boss Si, guess who I saw?"

Ji Xingyu rushed to him and asked excitedly.

"Who?" Si Yinxia knitted his brows and asked.

"Chen Fan. He is here as well." Ji Xingyu answered elatedly.

"And I saw Chu Minhui right beside him, and he was arguing with him."

"You know how bad Chu Minhui's temper is. They two are going to ruin the event. Oh, oh, and Xu Rongfei is right next to them as well."

"Really?" interest flashed in Chang Wen's eyes. She grabbed Si Yinxia and urged him, "Let's go and take a look at what's going on."

And then she cursed under her breath, "Chen Fan that ass hole must have snuck into the party. Finally, he is going to get what he deserves; it's been long overdue."

Si Yinxia followed Chang Wen without saying a word.

Although he didn't openly resent Chen Fan, he was pleased after hearing Chen Fan had gotten himself into trouble.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 30: Kick Him Out!

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Seeing that Chu Minhui and Chen Fan's conversation was going nowhere, Jiang Churan furrowed her brows and said, "Chu Minhui, we are at an auction reception, if you want to blow off some steam, I suggest you do it somewhere else, and Fei-Fei is not going with you."

"Hehe" Chu Minhui didn't even spare Jiang Churan a glance. He closed in and gave Chen Fan a hot glare.

"Kiddo, you are the first person who dares to challenge me, and you will be the last as well."

Chen Fan smiled. Even as he was going to utter a reply, an imposing middle-aged man walked over to them and asked hotly, "What's the meaning of this? Who are you, and how dare you stir trouble at our event?"

"Shit, Manager Zhu is here; someone is going to get hurt." An older teenager who recognized the middle-aged man murmured.

Zhang Yumeng sneered and said, "I hope he kicks both Chu Minhui and Chen Fan out of here; I don't like either of them."

"Manager Zhu, My name is Chu Minhui."

Chu Minhui took a step back and look to Chen Fan. "I suspect that this man has sneaked into the reception without an invitation. I want you to kick him out right now."

Manager Zhu paused for a second and realized that it was Chu Minhui who he was talking to. He changed his harsh tone into that of a placating one, "Yes, Young Master Chu."

He then turned around to Chen Fan and then said, "Sir, please show me your invitation."

Xu Rongfei piped up indignantly, "Why does he have to show his invitation? Why don't you check Chu Minhui's invitation?"

Manager Zhu was unfazed by the question. He said calmly, "Because I know Young Master Chu is a good friend of my boss."

But I can't remember who this young gentleman over here is even though I have written all the invitations by myself. May I ask who you are? "

"His name is Chen Fan, a no account from Si Shui County." Chu Minhui snorted. "I really don't think that he is on your invitation list."

As soon as Chu Minhui fished his words, Xu Rongfei's mind raced.

She had been wondering the same question. How did Chen Fan get into the auction even if he didn't have any connections in the city? Even she almost didn't make it if not for Zhang Yumeng. Only those who owned tens of millions of assets would have received an invitation.

"I don't think he has one. He must have snuck in." An onlooker jeered at Chen Fan.

"I bet you are right! Look at all the garbage that he is wearing. I can't believe that they let him in." Another one took a jab at Chen Fan.

"He is in knee deep trouble! The owner of the Fang Sheng International Group was not someone he could mess with. Plus he is on Chu Minhui's bad terms too. He is as dead as a doornail." Someone heaved a sigh.

"Sir, please show me your invitation, or else I will have to call the security." Manager Zhu's bleak face was as hard as a rock, and his voice was final.

"I don't have an invitation." Chen Fan paused a second and then confessed.

A swell of surprise rose in the hall.

"I told you so!" An arrogant smile appeared on Chu Minhui's face. He looked down on Chen Fan like he would towards a defenseless insect under the tip of his toe.

"How did you get in without an invitation?"

Manager Zhu's was shocked by the answer. He knotted his brows and looked at Chen Fan suspiciously as if he was a thief. If his supervisor knew that someone had snuck into such a high profile venue, he would be blamed for not doing his job right.

Already, he felt cold sweat slide down in between his shoulder blades. Fortunately, he had intervened before the big wigs in the room caught wind of it.

"Awesome! Now Chen Fan is dead!" The development sent Chang Wen reveling in her mind. Revenge could not have been any sweeter.

Ji Xingyu shook his head and said, "Man, why do you get yourself into shit like this. They are out of your league man; you should have stayed out of it. Otherwise, you will make yourself a laughingstock."

Even Si Yinxia was disappointed to find out that the rival he had cared so much about couldn't even make it past the entrance of the event without cheating. He lamented the fact that he had cared so much about someone who was so worthless.

A hint of disappointment flashed across Jiang Churan's face.

Shocked by the turn of the event, Xu Rongfei stomped the floor anxiously as she pointed a finger at Chen Fan. "Brother Chen Fan, how could you— "

"I am not done yet." Chen Fan cut her short.

"I don't have an invitation, but the person who invited me does. Just check your guest book, and we can clear this out."

"You are invited to come here?" General Zhu murmured doubtfully. "Only the biggest bosses had the privilege to invite others, such as our boss and his son."

"My boss has only one son, are you sure he invited you?"

Chen Fan was at a loss for a second. He didn't recall Wei Ziqin mention that she was the owner of the Fang Sheng International Group. Plus, Manger Zhu had said clearly that his boss had a son, not a daughter.

Seeing Chen Fan had kept his silence, Manager Zhu became hesitant to take any action.

Finally, he decided to ask someone to check the guest book like the boy had suggested, thinking it was better to be safe than sorry.

Suddenly, another voice came out from behind him.

"Although I am not sure if anyone invited him, I had seen this boy just a few weeks ago, and he was working at a bar as a Fruit Boy."

The crowd looked toward the speaker, and they saw a gorgeous girl wearing a painted face and a dazzling dress.

"How could a young master of the Fang Sheng International Group be friends with a Fruit Boy?"

The crowd boiled over as soon as the girl finished her words.

Most people had thought that Chen Fan was just a foolish boy got caught for sneaking into somewhere he didn't belong, but no one had expected that there was so much more than what met the eyes.

"The owner of the Fang Sheng International Group and his son were both influential people in the city; they would never waste their time befriending a laborer, much less inviting him to their event."

"His claims are so blown out of proportion that even a blind man would know he was lying."

"What a shame that Xu Rongfei would fall for someone like him."

By then, everyone looked at Chen Fan with contempt and disdain.

If Chen Fan would have admitted that he had snuck into the event just to see his lover, people might have more sympathy for him. However, his poor lies had made people question his integrity, and by then, no one was on his side.

Chen Fan didn't mind the accusations, but he looked at the girl who spoke up.

"That is Lou Xiaoxiao... So the person who is behind all of this should be..." Chen Fan calculated his situation in his mind.

Manager Zhu asked the girl in a serious tone, "Young lady, are you telling me the truth?"

"I can vouch for her. " Another voice spoke up.

The speaker managed to give Jiang Churan an apologetic smile before he continued, "I had met Mr. Chen in the bar where he worked. But who knows, maybe he has some connection that we are not aware of. I suggest Mr. Zhu check the guest book just in case. But yes, the young lady told the truth." Li Yinchen said.

"The person behind all of this is Li Yichen!" Realization finally dawned upon Chen Fan.

Jiang Churan furrowed her brows as she wondered if Chen Fan had —unbeknown to her—offended Li Yichen. However, Jiang Churan conceded that Li Yichen didn't need a "casus belli" in this case since it was Chen Fan that had lied from the beginning.

She looked at Chen Fan and then heaved a sigh of resignation.

"Is this all you got? You sounded so ambitious while we last spoke at the bar, but it seemed that was just empty talk. I was right about you after all." Jiang Churan was very disappointed with Chen Fan.

"Since Young Master Li had put it this way, I don't think there is any need to check the guest book any longer." Manager Zhu smiled at Li Yicheng.

Li Yichen was the most influential young man in the city. If he had vouched for the girl, Manager Zhu was in no place to doubt him.

General Zhu didn't even turn around to look at Chen Fan when he gave the order:

"Security! Remove this young man out of this establishment.

"How dare you sneak into our private property, you will regret this!"

Everyone finally started to feel a shred of sympathy for the young boy.

Even if someone wanted to speak up for him, they would have to deal with the combined wrath of Chu Minhui, Li Yichen, and the Fang Sheng International Group. And that would make even the most powerful man in the room think twice of their actions.

Although Chang Wen had kept her silence, her face lit up with satisfaction.

Lou Xiaoxiao snorted lightly as he looked at Xu Rongfei who was already on the verge of breaking down into tears.

Si Yinxia shook his head; he knew that no one would be able to save Chen Fan tonight.

Li Yichen didn't event grace Chen Fan with a glance. He looked away and took a sip of the red wine from his glass.

It was a simple if not lazy move from him, and it was enough to destroy Chen Fan's life once and for all.

All the friends of Xu Rongfei, such as Zhang Yumeng and Han Yun shook their heads in dismay. They thought maybe this was for the best, the relationship between Xu Rongfei and the new-boy would never lead to anywhere anyways.

Xu Rongfei was the only person who pleaded with Manager Zhu to not to kick Chen Fan out. However, her effort yielded no result; Manager Zhu turned on the radio and called for the security.

Chu Minhui stood proudly and sneered at Chen Fan: "Hey, kiddo, I told you so!"

You have messed with the wrong guy, man! I told you I would get you kicked out of here! What can you do now, huh? Are you gonna cry?"

Someone shouted behind Chu Minhui, "Kick him out!"

Chen Fan stood still and didn't move. No one knew what he was thinking at this critical moment.

However, even as Chu Minhui, Ji Xingyu, and Lou Xiaoxiao were convinced that they had avenged their defeat, they then heard an icy voice rise behind the crowd:

"Don't touch him!"

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Chapter 31: Princess Of House Wei

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Everyone looked towards the voice, and they saw a beautiful girl with a cold and aloof face walking toward the commotion. The crowd split into two halves as people made way for the girl.

The girl was in a white Qipao and a pair of stiletto heels. She looked to be one meter and seventy-eight centimeters or above. A sense of pride and dominance emanated from her wild and gleaming eyes, making many less confident men and women lower their heads. It was as if the girl was a queen from a world of ice.

"Who is she? How dare she speak up for Chen Fan?" One of the onlookers asked with disdain.

Those who had already recognized the girl were shocked by the onlooker's daring question. One of them hurried to cover the onlooker's mouth and said, "Are you crazy? That's the princess of the Wei Family."

"Princess of the Wei Family?" The onlooker murmured, and as realization finally dawned upon him, his face turned paler than a piece of parchment paper.

She was Wei Ziqin.

"My Lady?"

Manager Zhou felt a strong nagging sensation of impending doom the moment he saw Wei Ziqin.

He managed a smile from his overwrought face and said, "Welcome, welcome! why didn't you tell us ahead of time that you would be here?"

"Buzz off; I am not your lady. I want nothing to do with you and your boss." Wei Ziqin snorted. She was well known for her cold and aloof character and rarely did she show her emotions on her face. However, anger was written all over her attractive face right now, making it look like a piece of frosted rock in the middle of a frigid winter.

"Mr. Chen is my guest; why are you doing this to him?"

Manager Zhu suddenly shriveled a little after hearing Wei Ziqin's words. A curdled smile hung on his face.

Was this kid a guest of Miss Wei?

It's impossible! So powerful was Miss Wei that even Young Sir had to tread carefully and talk politely while he was with her. How could she be a friend with this... bum?

He hurried to improvise an excuse for himself. "I didn't know he was invited by you. Otherwise, I wouldn't dare raise my voice at him."

Wei Ziqin's cold face didn't warm up the slightest after hearing the manager's excuse. She turned to Chen Fan and smiled apologetically.

"I am sorry, Mr. Chen. I am late.

"I apologize for the ill-treatment. I will make sure that these servants learn their lessons."

Even after her apology, the anger on her face didn't recede completely.

Chen Fan was not just an ordinary man; he was a Martial Arts Master who was on the same level as Ye Nantian and Mr. Wu. Even her grandfather wanted to get on his good side. Therefore, Manager Zhou had committed a significant sin by trying to kick the boy out of the event. Fortunately, she had arrived just in time before everything was too late. She wagered that if master Chen left the venue in a fit of anger, all those efforts that the elderly man had put into cozying up to the master would be all but wasted. Who in their right mind would offend a Martial Arts Grand Master?

Chen Fan remained calm, and it was as if those accusations and scornful remarks thrown at him had all slid off his mind.

"No big deal, just a bunch of clowns."

He gave Manager Zhu a sidelong glance and then said, "Manager Zhu seemed to dislike me a lot. I told him that I was invited, but he just wouldn't listen."

Manager Zhu's heart sank after he heard Chen Fan's castigating words

He still managed to maintain a smile on his face as he pleaded, "Miss Wei, please, I can explain."

"Save your breath."

"I will inform your boss of everything that had happened here, and I will see to it that he fires you." Wei Ziqin said lightly. Manager Zhu thought that he was going to faint.

He looked towards Chu Minhui imploringly, hoping the Young Master Chu, the real instigator of this mishap would help this cannon fodder.

However, little did he know that Chu Minhui was too scared of getting in the way of Miss Wei to say anything.

He was shocked the moment he saw Wei Ziqin; when the princess of the Wei Family apologized to Chen Fan, he couldn't even believe his ears.

She was Wei Ziqin! The granddaughter of the elderly Man Wei and the daughter of Wei Changgeng!

Even his father dare not defy Wei Ziqin, much less Chu Minhui himself.

Although their families were equally wealthy in the Chu Zhou City, Chu Family only dealt with business locally, while the Wei Family could even exert influence to all other metropolia in China. Plus, the Wei Family's roots ran deep in Chu Zhou City, no one in the city were able to challenge their position.

However, seeing Manager Zhu's desperation, Chu Minhui decided to give it a try.

"Sister Ziqin."

Wei Ziqin turned around and saw Chu Minhui. She asked coldly, "What's up? Is there anything you want to tell me? Save it. I know what you want to say!"

Ziqin's refute lit up the anger in Chu Minhui; he protested, "Well, this ass hole had stolen my girlfriend and — "

"Shut up!" Wei Ziqin shouted at the boy.

She looked at Chu Minhui resentfully; she had expected much better from him.

"I thought that after Uncle Chu had sent you into the training camp, you would have shed your delinquency and grew up, but it seems that it was just wishful thinking! You are even worse than before!

"If you could have forced someone as easy going as Mr. Chen into a corner, I can't imagine how you interact with other people.

"I will talk to Uncle Chu about what happened tonight, and you should reflect on it too."

Without even sparing Chu Minhui a glance, she turned around toward Chen Fan and said, "Mr. Chen, the auction is about to start. Why don't you follow me to the pre-show exhibition to go over the items? "

"Very well." Chen Fan nodded.

Chen Fan shot Chu Minhui a glance and smiled before he followed Wei Ziqin out of the reception hall.

Manager Zhu's legs finally gave in and brought him to the ground. Chu Minhui gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, tiring to suppress the fire burning inside of his belly.

The last scornful glance that Chen Fan gave him was a sharp jab at his self-esteem.

"Asshole!"

He waited until the two were gone before he allowed himself to be seized by anger. He wrenched a half-empty wine glass on the table and smashed it on the floor.

"Mr. Chu, please watch your actions." Another manager who was called to deal with the emergency said to Chu Minghui with a scowl.

Chu Minhui looked around and realized that he had become a laughing stock. He stormed out of the room with the taste of defeat in his mouth and anger in his belly.

"How is it possible for him to know Wei Ziqin? "

Li Yichen was shocked as soon as he saw Wei Ziqin.

"Councilor Li, who is Wei Ziqin?" Mo Hill asked curiously.

Despite her influence, Wei Ziqin had always been very lowkey in public. Very rarely did she show up at public events, and therefore not a lot of people had even heard of her name. She wouldn't have attended the auction if not for Chen Fan.

"Elderly Man Wei's granddaughter. Wei Zipin's sister." Li Yichen said as his lips twitched a little.

"WHO?" Mo Hill gasped. Even Lou Xiaoxiao was shocked by the revelation.

Compare to Wei Ziqin, Wei Zipin was a much more well-known name.

His dad was the youngest son of the Wei Family. People like Mo Hill would never even have the chance of meeting with someone as powerful as Wei Zipin.

Since Wei Ziqin was Wei Zipin's sister, they wagered that Wei Ziqin was at least as influential as her Uncle.

"I remember that the Old Man Wei's youngest son is the least successful. Who is father Wei Ziqin's father? The oldest son or the second one?

"She is the Daughter of Wei Changgeng. " Li Yichen said.

"Oh, shit! We are done, we fucked up. What should we do now? What if Chen Fan wanted to get revenge on us?"

Lou Xiaoxiao said regretfully in a trembling voice.

Who would have thought that a country boy had a connection with the Wei Family of the North Bank? How did that happen?

Li Yichen's face was placid, but he cursed at Chen Fan in his heart.

He had thought that the new-boy was just a worm that could be easily squashed by him, but it seemed that Chen Fan was going to be a thorn in his side for a long time.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yumeng and other girls watched the development unfold with disbelief.

They watched as Chen Fan turned the situation around after being forced to his last leg.

"Who is that woman? She looks like some kind of a big deal. Was she really powerful enough to overtrump the combined force of Chu Minhui and the Fang Sheng International Group?"

"No kidding! Didn't someone just say that he worked at a bar?"

"Yea, as a Fruitboy!"

These girls were not well connected and therefore they might have never heard of Wei Ziqin's name much less seeing her in person.

Han Yun was the only one among those girls who had recognized Chen Fan's rescuer

"That's Miss Wei from the Wei Family."

Everyone was so shocked by the revelation that their faces paled.

Wei Family of the North Bank was the most prominent household in the City if not in China. As the granddaughter of the family, Wei Ziqin had an unimaginable amount of resources at her command and family influences at her disposal. She must have lived a life that most girls didn't even dare dream of.

"That loser is a friend of Wei Ziqin? They didn't even talk like friends! Maybe there is more than what meets the eye." Someone suggested

By then, the girls no longer lamented Xu Rongfei's choice. Instead, they marveled at her ability to spot the real gold.

Everything happened so quickly that Xu Rongfei was still disheveled. But after a while, she finally gathered herself.

Jiang Churan came up to her, tugged her hand and said, "He is gone; why are you still standing here?"

Despite Jiang Churan's even voice, her heart was filled with contradicting emotions.

"So is that your protector? The Princess of House Wei."

No wonder you dare look down on Chu Minhui. "

Jiang Churan thought to herself and then sighed lightly.

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Chapter 32: Dharma Artifacts

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Si Yinxia and the others could not believe what they had just seen.

Standing on his last leg, Chen Fan had the last laugh after his support finally showed up.

When Chang Wen and the others heard the real identity Wei Ziqin, their faces turned pale out of shock.

Chang Wen's uncle was a manager of the Fang Sheng International Group, a similar level to Manager Zhu. Seeing how easily Wei Ziqin was able to fire Manager Zhu, Chang Wen wagered that it would be easy for Chen Fan to seek revenge by simply whispering his discontent of her to Wei Ziqin.

"Who would think that he is Wei Ziqin's friend?" Ji Xingyu exclaimed incredulously.

Wei Ziqin was much more different than other girls such as Jiang Churan and Xu Rongfei.

Although she usually kept things to herself, most upper-class citizens of the Chu Zhou City knew her name very well. Her father had met tails winds during his business venture and was hopeful of pushing the influence of the Wei Family to a new height.

Before such an influential person, even Li Yichen and Chu Minhui would have to show deference much less Ji Xingyu.

Si Yinxia was silent for a second and then said, "Let's go." He turned around and started off.

They knew that with such a powerful ally backing Chen Fan, it would be impossible for them to challenge him.

Ji Xingyu heaved a sigh and followed Si Yinxia out of the hall. However, Chang Wen had stood behind. Calculating thoughts flickered in her eyes as she brooded over her next move.

"Fang Sheng International Group belonged to my second uncle. However, I was afraid that you might be hesitant to come to an event hosted by the likes of him, so I didn't tell you everything. I apologize for what had happened back there." Wei Ziqin said apologetically.

"It's Ok. I have to thank you for fishing me out of that mess." Chen Fan said lightly.

Although Chen Fan's voice held no sign of rancor, Wei Ziqin's heart caught in her throat as she registered the displeased undertone.

If Chen Fan was just an ordinary person, she might have believed him that he would let the matter rest. However, she knew that Chen Fan was a Transcendent Master, and he would not be able to stomach such insult.

So thinking, Wei Ziqin hurried a reply, "Chu Minhui is a foolish boy, but I have watched him grow up, so I want to beg you to spare him just for once. Please."

"Oh?" Chen Fan stopped and turned to regard Wei Ziqin with a half smile.

Seeing the indifference in Chen Fan's eyes, she knew her intuition was right. Slowly, her face turned to that of imploring.

Jiang Churan had thought Wei Ziqin was Chen Fan's supporter, but little did she know that Chen Fan didn't need anyone's support.

However, powerful Chu Minhui was, if Chen Fan wanted him dead, he could have killed him with a snap of a finger. He was about to do exactly that right before We Ziqin showed up at the event. He was surprised that the girl was able to sense his well-hidden intent.

The two held each other's gaze for thirty seconds, and seeing that Wei Ziqin was adamant in her pleading, Chen Fan finally gave in and snorted coldly:

"He is a dead man if it happens again."

After he had said that, he looked away from Wei Ziqin's pale face.

"Yes." Wei Ziqin answered under her breath. She lowered her head and started to catch up with Chen Fan.

She reminded herself to have a serious talk with Chu Minhui so that he wouldn't get himself into trouble again.

After having caught a glimpse of who Chen Fan really was, Wei Ziqin finally comprehended the insurmountable gap between her and Chen Fan. She started to become more careful when she talked to Chen Fan.

After the two left the hall, they were greeted by an old man.

"This is Uncle Lin, my second uncle's right-hand man. He is going to show us the items being put on auction before it starts." Wei Ziqin said with a smile.

"Thank you for the introduction, Missy. This way, please." The old man was dressed in a sleek and meticulously ironed suit. His tempered and composed demeanor resembled that of a butler from an English Household." I have heard that Xiao Zhu had offended our guest, that lad deserves the punishment. "

The old man talked as he led the way, all the while, he didn't look at Chen Fan even once.

As the most trusted advisor of Wei Sanye, Uncle Lin was one of if not the most influential people in the Fang Sheng International Group. Any rich upper-class citizen would have to greet him with a great measure of respect, and therefore, he didn't take someone such as Chen Fan seriously. Let it be firing Manager Zhu or entertaining the guest; Uncle Lin would not oblige without the direct order from Wei Ziqin. However, like an old and loyal family dog, once the instructions were given to him, he followed them to the letters.

"These items were collected by the Third Lord from all over the world. He had spared no expense in amassing such an impressive collection."

"This one is a Sapphire from South Africa. Rumor has it that it could bring great fortune to the wearer.

"This one is an Ancestral Compass; is was said to have the ability to attract wealth.

"This one is a supreme-grade mutton-fat-jade. It can ward off the cold.

"This one is..."

All sorts of artifacts filled the entire exhibition hall to the brim. They would soon be put on auction and be admired by all the rich people of the Chu Zhou City.

Uncle Lin could not suppress the pride in his voice as he went over each and every piece of the collection in great details.

"What do you think of these artifacts, Mr. Chen?" Wei Ziqin asked curiously.

Chen Fan scanned the roomful of antiques and shook his head. "They are trinkets, that's all. "

With his wealth of knowledge in all things magical, he could easily tell real Dharma artifacts from ordinary trinkets. As much as people wanted to believe in the alleged power in these artifacts, Chen Fan knew that they were simply useless baubles.

Uncle Lin was not impressed by what he had heard; his boss had spent a huge amount of resources in collecting these treasures, yet they were so easily dismissed by a sixteen-year-old boy.

"Seems like I will have to bring out the real treasure to teach this youngster a lesson."

With that in mind, Uncle Lin smiled at Wei Ziqi. "My lady, these are not the most precious treasures. Please come this way."

"Really? Sure!" Wei Ziqin followed the old man excitedly. The old man led them to the center of the exhibition hall where an iridescent colorful bead was housed inside of a lavishly decorated display case.

Wei Ziqin was confused for a second, and then she suddenly realized something.

"This... This is the Dharma Artifact that is going to be put on for auction?"

"Indeed." Uncle Lin smiled smugly.

He looked at Chen Fan, and to his surprise, the boy still didn't seem to be too impressed.

The artifact was able to suck the attention of any ordinary person would lay the first sight on it. Those who fell under the spell of the artifact wouldn't be able to recover for a while.

It was already an incredible feat to be able to recover as fast as Wei Ziqin had, but Chen Fan seemed to be completely unaffected.

"This Dharma artifact was a Dzi Bead worn by a living Buddha from Tibet. It was said that the living Buddha was born with this bead in his hand and he had been wearing it ever since until his final nirvana. Boss had gone all the way to Tibet by himself to receive the blessing of the Living Buddha and bought this bead with a few million yuan." Uncle Lin's voice was filled with arrogance as he introduced the bead to the two youngsters.

"Incredible!" Wei Ziqin nodded to praise the story behind the rare artifact.

Uncle Lin beamed from side to side after hearing Wei Ziqin's compliment.

He turned to Chen Fan again, expecting to see an impressed look on the boy's face. However, Chen Fan shook his head disappointedly.

"It seems to me that Mr. Chen didn't like any of Third Lord's collection."

Chen Fan said faintly, "It might seem like a Dharma artifact, but It's not by a long chalk."

"You!" Uncle Lin was seized by a fit of anger.

"What do you know about antiques? If not for Miss Wei, I would not even let you stand here, much less granting you the sight of such a treasure." The old man thought to himself.

Uncle Lin sneered at Chen Fan and asked coldly, "If Mr. Chen was convinced that this Kang Duo Dzi Bead was not the real deal, would you be so kind as to show us the real Dharma Artifacts?"

"The real Dharma Artifact?"

Chen Fan glared at him and then said calmly, "The real Dharma Artifacts were things such as the Flying Sword and Dharma Treasures. One could use them to summon clouds and thunder among many other magical powers. This bead can only distract people when they lay the first sight on it. Other than that, it is practically useless,"

Uncle Lin laughed scornfully and then said, "Are you kidding me? Those are legends; they don't exist in real life.

"But the magical power of this Dzi Bead was real. You had it completely wrong."

"I think Mr. Chen's claim is exaggerated." A mocking expression appeared on Uncle Lin's face. He was just one step away from calling the boy a liar.

"Is that so?" Chen Fan was unfazed by the accusation.

He pointed to deft fingers at the bead and suddenly evoked a huge explosion in the Void Dimension. The loud din of the explosion could not be heard in the real world unless one connected their Qi to the higher dimensions.

In a blink, Chen Fan had unleashed his soul energy onto the bead and erased the remaining soul energy of its previous owner.

"Look again." Chen Fan pulled back his fingers and said with a calm face.

When the two looked again; they were both shocked.

"It's impossible!" Uncle Lin exclaimed.

The Dzi bead had suddenly lost its strange ability to attract people's attention.

"Oh, it's very possible." Chen Fan explained. "It had obtained some soul energy from its previous wearer, and therefore it was able to influence the attention of an ordinary person. Since I have erased the remaining soul energy, I have also got rid of its 'power.'"

After hearing Chen Fan's explanation, a sense of respect rose inside of Wei Ziqin. She couldn't help but exclaim, "Mr. Chen is truly a master."

"Now there really is nothing special about this Dzi Bead any longer. As he had said, it is just an ordinary bauble." Uncle Lin sucked in a breath as he was taken aback by the boy's ability.

"You are right, young man. I have underestimated you. "

Chen Fan nodded as he thought to himself. "Even the so-called 'real deal' was a useless piece of junk, much less the rest. I can't count on finding any useful artifact here."

Even as he was about to leave, he caught a glimpse of an artifact in the corner. Suddenly, his body tightened as he failed to suppress a light gasp.

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