"The Clan Head is mighty!"
Following Yang Tai’s removal, the morale of the Su Family soared. The Yang Family had long been a formidable force, pressing down on the Su Family until they could barely breathe; when had they ever seen the Yangs look like such stray dogs?
Su Yuanshan lifted his head, his frame as straight as a spear. Outdoing the Yang Family was the proudest moment of his life thus far. He cast a slow glance at Lin Fan, the disdain in his expression finally beginning to fade.
"Brother Fan." Su Xiaoqing inspected Lin Fan, and upon confirming he was uninjured, she let out a sigh of relief.
Li Ruoyun, however, did not change her attitude toward Lin Fan. To her, Yang Tai was merely a man at the 9th Layer of Qi Refining—he didn't even reach the Spirit Boat Realm, and at the end of the day, he was nothing more than a personal guard. Moreover, Lin Fan had only managed to defeat him by relying on the protective power bestowed by Great Master Pharmacist Ning!
"For three years, Lin Fan has been nurturing Spiritual Roots for the three great families. Ever since he spent time with Senior Ning in the Luoxia Mountains, he seems like a completely different person. Senior Ning must have used extraordinary methods to reshape his foundation. Grandfather, you and my master have both misunderstood Senior Ning; he is a genuine master of alchemy. I saw the Dragon Transformation Pill with my own eyes."
As her eyes shifted, Li Ruoyun was deeply moved by these thoughts.
"Husband, why haven't you beaten this waste to death and thrown him out of the Su Family yet?" Zhao Yingrong shrieked, her hair disheveled and her face twisted in a fury that plunged the scene into silence once more.
Upon hearing this, the smile on Su Yuanshan’s face slowly withered. A wave of murderous gazes instantly fell upon Lin Fan.
"Aunt, it was clearly you who tried to attack Brother Fan, and you only hurt yourself when your own strike went awry. This has nothing to do with him!" Su Xiaoqing stood forward without hesitation, her petite frame exuding an indescribable aura.
Hearing this, everyone in the Su Family felt as if they were hallucinating. For sixteen years, Su Xiaoqing had lived a life of humility. Whatever Zhao Yingrong asked her to do, she did without complaint, never daring to question her. Yet now, she was openly challenging Zhao Yingrong’s authority! Even Su Yuanshan rubbed his eyes—could this really be his timid third daughter?
Zhao Yingrong’s eyes were filled with venom. "You ungrateful wretch! I am your aunt, and he is nothing but a piece of trash cast out by the Su Family!"
"Xiaoqing, apologize at once!" Su Yuanshan hissed, signaling her with his eyes. He certainly didn't want to be on the receiving end of Zhao Yingrong’s private punishments tonight.
"When you marry a chicken, you follow the chicken; when you marry a dog, you follow the dog. In this life, I have chosen him." In an act that made everyone’s jaws drop, Su Xiaoqing stepped forward and gracefully took Lin Fan’s hand.
"Silly girl," Lin Fan murmured, moved. Aside from his mother, she was the second person who had ever cared for him so deeply.
"What kind of virtue did you accumulate in your past life?" Li Ruoyun rolled her eyes from the sidelines.
"Calm down," Su Yuanshan muttered, nodding and bowing to Zhao Yingrong, desperate to keep their family shame from the servants' eyes.
"Mother." Two figures approached: Su Xi, accompanied by the dignified and imposing Chen Tiange. The two had been sipping tea in a private courtyard when they heard the report from the steward, Xu Zhan, and rushed over immediately.
When Su Xi witnessed Zhao Yingrong’s disheveled state and the wound on her arm, her expression turned ferocious. She longed to tear Lin Fan into a thousand pieces right then and there.
"Chen Zhenlong." Su Yuanshan glared at Zhao Yingrong, causing her to drop her pursuit of Lin Fan for the moment, as the couple turned their attention to fawning over Chen Tiange.
Chen Tiange swept an indifferent gaze over Lin Fan. Now that he was betrothed to Su Xi, he was considered a son-in-law of the Su Family. In the past, whenever a "Su Family son-in-law" was mentioned, it was always with mockery—all thanks to Lin Fan. Now, everyone bowed to Chen Tiange, save for Li Ruoyun. Lin Fan, too, remained unmoved. Since the Li Family behind Li Ruoyun was a powerful clan, Chen Tiange felt her lack of deference was acceptable. But Lin Fan? By what right?
*This guy is sick; I never even offended him,* Lin Fan thought, feeling uncomfortable under Chen Tiange’s gaze.
Su Xi had intended to establish her mother’s authority by teaching Lin Fan a lesson, but with Li Ruoyun present, it seemed inappropriate. She was forced to abandon the thought.
"What a lively scene." A group appeared. Leading them was the City Lord, Chen Yuan, joined by two prominent figures: Li Hong and the grandmaster of alchemy, Lu Fan!
"Your visit brings great honor to our Su Family," Zhao Yingrong said, reacting far more quickly than Su Yuanshan as she greeted them with a beaming smile.
"Father, why are you here?" Chen Tiange asked, puzzled.
Chen Yuan waved his sleeve. "You have become a 'True Dragon' in the Su Family, rising into the heavens, so I came to see. It just so happened that these two gentlemen were out for a walk, so we came to the Su Family together."
"Seniors." Chen Tiange took Su Xi’s hand and bowed to Li Hong and Lu Fan. Li Ruoyun, too, had to set aside her aloofness and step toward the two great men.
"Oh?" Lu Fan, a true grandmaster of alchemy, suddenly sensed a wave of hostility. Although he was an alchemist, his cultivation was far from low, and his gaze moved through the crowd until it locked onto Lin Fan. Who was this? Lu Fan couldn't fathom why an unknown young man would harbor such animosity toward him.
*That Lin Fan...* The observant Li Ruoyun captured the moment. She looked at Lin Fan and understood instantly—he was harboring a grudge against Lu Fan because of the scar on Su Xiaoqing’s forehead. *But do you even measure up to him?* she wondered.
"Congratulations to Young Master Chen on his emergence as a True Dragon. Here are three bottles of King-Grade Qi Refining Liquid to assist in elevating your Spiritual Roots." Lu Fan dismissed the insignificant boy and handed the three bottles to Chen Tiange.
King-Grade Qi Refining Liquid! And three bottles at that! Even Chen Tiange, the son of the City Lord, was stunned into silence. It was only when Chen Yuan tapped his shoulder that Chen Tiange snapped back to reality.
"Allow me to add to the celebration." Not wanting to be outdone at such a moment, the great Li Hong also presented a bottle of King-Grade Qi Refining Liquid. It was clear that both great men had already guessed that Chen Tiange would soon become a disciple of the Immortal Sect with his breathtaking talent.
"Many thanks, Senior Li!" Chen Tiange was ready to kneel before them.
"Four bottles of King-Grade Qi Refining Liquid... once I consume one, my Spiritual Roots will rise to the next level..." Even the ice-cold Su Xi felt her composure beginning to melt.
At this moment, everyone’s attention was fixed on these illustrious figures. Su Xiaoqing and Lin Fan were entirely forgotten, ignored even by the servants.
"Silly girl," Lin Fan said softly, reaching out to brush his finger over the scar on Su Xiaoqing’s forehead. A wave of sweetness surged in her heart.
Then, Lin Fan began to walk toward the center of the square alone.
Li Ruoyun’s face darkened. "Lin Fan, don't do anything foolish!"
But it was too late. As Lin Fan stood before the great men, he openly pointed a finger at Lu Fan.
"You waste! Show some respect!" Zhao Yingrong trembled like a leaf in the wind.
"Do not act rashly!" Su Yuanshan’s brow broke into a cold sweat. Any goodwill he had felt toward Lin Fan for defeating Yang Tai had vanished instantly.
"Lu Fan." Lin Fan’s voice rolled like spring thunder, making everyone’s scalp prickle. "Great Master Pharmacist Ning Wuchen wants me to deliver a message: he challenges you to a duel of alchemy at the Life-and-Death Stage in Lingyin City."
*Clatter.* A tea tray slipped from a servant’s hands and crashed to the ground. The very air seemed to freeze for a long moment because of Lin Fan’s words.
"Heh, very well. Seven days from now, at high noon, I shall await that Great Master Pharmacist Ning at the Life-and-Death Stage." Lu Fan accepted the challenge.