Qian Tingting, dressed in yellow, planted her hands on her hips. Her delicate brows shot up as she pointed at Lin Fan and scolded him:
“Who are you? You talk so nastily. You’re not bad-looking, but that mouth of yours deserves to be ripped apart.”
She was a daughter of the Qian Family, accustomed to throwing her weight around wherever she went. Who in Chujiang Prefecture didn’t bow and scrape when they saw her? Lin Fan had dared to disrespect her. He had to be taught a lesson!
“You may look like decent people on the outside, but beneath those polished appearances, you’re rotten to the core. You’re children of aristocratic families in Chujiang, refined young ladies from distinguished families, yet you have no manners or upbringing?”
Li Xinyue, standing nearby, jumped in too. “We only made one sarcastic remark about Xiao Ruoxue, and you have so much to say. Does that mean you’re well-mannered and refined? You’re a grown man with no sense of decorum.”
Lin Fan sneered. “Courtesy is for people with manners. Xiao Ruoxue can’t speak, yet you mock and taunt her, deliberately making things difficult for her. That’s the greatest evil in human nature!”
The greatest evil in human nature is deliberately making things difficult for others. You know perfectly well that Xiao Ruoxue can’t speak, yet you still call her a mute to her face.
Qian Tingting sneered. “Who are you? You’re sticking up for Xiao Ruoxue so much. Don’t tell me you’re the Xiao Family’s live-in son-in-law?”
“What’s it to you who I am? Good dogs don’t block the road. Get lost.”
Lin Fan had no interest in these two vicious women. If they didn’t have their aristocratic family status to rely on, they probably wouldn’t even be able to support themselves.
Out of sight, out of mind. They weren’t worth his trouble.
Qian Tingting said furiously, “Do you know who we are? You dare offend us in Chujiang Prefecture? You’re dead!”
This was the first time anyone had dared to humiliate her to her face like this. She had to make Lin Fan pay, or how could she ever show her face as a young lady of the Qian Family again?
Li Xinyue chimed in from the side. “This is Qian Tingting of the Qian Family, and I’m Li Xinyue of the Li Family. Since you don’t know us, you must not be from an aristocratic family. In Chujiang, you’ll have a hard time if you offend any aristocratic family. You’ve offended both the Qian and Li Families—you’re dead!”
Lin Fan said coldly, “The Qian and Li Families are nothing. What does it matter if I offend them?”
At Nine Peaks Mountain, he had already defeated everyone in the Heavenly Sword Sect. Their cultivation levels were far higher than those of the people in Chujiang Prefecture. No matter how powerful the Qian and Li Families were, could they possibly compare to the Heavenly Sword Sect?
“Do you dare tell us your name?”
“Why wouldn’t I? I’m proud to give my real name: Lin Fan of the Lin Family.”
Qian Tingting said in surprise, “Lin Fan of the Lin Family? Oh, you’re that Lin Family outcast who was dumped in the mountains as a child and left to fend for himself? How come you didn’t die on Nine Peaks Mountain?”
She had heard about the Lin Family outcast, who had been branded a jinx to the Lin Family as a child and abandoned on Nine Peaks Mountain to fend for himself. She hadn’t expected the cast-off son to survive and return.
Li Xinyue asked in surprise, “Lin Fan, you grew up in the mountains, so why aren’t you a Martial Artist? Don’t tell me you never cultivated?”
If Lin Fan were a Martial Artist, she would definitely be able to sense it. But he didn’t have the slightest trace of a Martial Artist’s aura. He was just an ordinary person.
It seemed Lin Fan had spent those ten-odd years on Nine Peaks Mountain as a menial disciple. It was a wonder he had survived at all. How could he possibly have become a Martial Artist?
Qian Tingting said, “Lin Fan, apologize right now, or I’ll teach you a lesson and show you what I can do.”
She was a Level 3 Martial Artist, while Lin Fan was just a good-for-nothing. Teaching him a lesson would be like an adult picking on a child.
Lin Fan said coldly, “You aristocratic families really are arrogant. I disagreed with you once, and now I’ve offended you? You’re going to teach me a lesson? I don’t want to argue with you today. Ruoxue, let’s go.”
Lin Fan took Xiao Ruoxue by the hand and strode away. These two women weren’t worth his time. If the people of the Heavenly Sword Sect found out he’d bullied women, they’d laugh themselves silly.
“You… bastard! I’ll beat you to death!”
Seeing Lin Fan insult the Qian and Li Families, Li Xinyue flew into a rage and threw a punch at him.
Although she was only a Level 2 Martial Artist, she could easily deal with Lin Fan.
However, Lin Fan was walking quickly and had just managed to dodge her punch.
Li Xinyue’s punch missed and struck empty air, almost making her stumble.
“Lin Fan, I’ll kill you!”
Qian Tingting grabbed her and advised, “Forget it. Why bother with someone from the sticks? We’d only lower ourselves.”
This was a shopping mall. If people saw a Martial Artist bullying an ordinary person, they would not only laugh at them, but also bring in the Enforcement Hall.
The Enforcement Hall was responsible for public safety in Chujiang Prefecture and maintaining social order. If a Martial Artist bullied an ordinary person, all they had to do was call the police, and the Enforcement Hall would come and punish them.
Martial Artists who wanted to fight could go to an arena, where members of the Enforcement Hall would serve as referees. If they wanted to fight to the death, they could also sign a Death Warrant.
Li Xinyue said anxiously, “Tingting, how can you let him get away?”
She refused to believe that a good-for-nothing would dare act so arrogantly in front of her.
“There are surveillance cameras everywhere. If you hurt him, you’ll get punished too. Now that we know he’s the Lin Family outcast, dealing with him will be as easy as saying the word.”
Li Xinyue broke into a delighted smile. “You’re right. He got lucky today; we’ll let him off for now. Come on, let’s go shopping. Don’t let this cast-off son ruin our mood.”
With Lin Fan holding her hand, Xiao Ruoxue’s heart pounded so hard it felt like it might leap out of her mouth. She tried to pull free, but couldn’t, and could only let him hold her hand.
Xiao Ruoxue thought to herself that although Lin Fan wasn’t a Martial Artist, he was very strong. If someone trained him, perhaps he could advance and become a Martial Artist.
Unfortunately, he had spent every day as a menial disciple on Nine Peaks Mountain, missing the best time to cultivate.
Lin Fan casually asked, “Is there anything you need to buy? I’ll go with you.”
Xiao Ruoxue pointed at her hand, signaling for Lin Fan to let go.
Lin Fan was incredibly strong. Even though she was a Level 4 Martial Artist, she couldn’t pull her hand free from his grasp.
“Oh, sorry.”
Xiao Ruoxue blushed bright red and quickly sent him a message on her phone: I’m heading back first. Goodbye.
She had never held hands with a man like this before—not even her older brother had ever held her hand that way. With Lin Fan holding her hand today, her heart fluttered like a startled fawn, and she felt utterly flustered.
“I’ll see you off. Do you want me to call you a car?”
Xiao Ruoxue replied: There’s a car at home.
“I forgot. You’re the Eldest Miss of the Xiao Family, so you have a car and driver.”
Lin Fan waited until Xiao Ruoxue got into the car before leaving. He wanted to look around and get a better understanding of this society.
After Xiao Ruoxue got into the car, she watched Lin Fan grow smaller and smaller through the window, and an inexplicable flutter stirred in her heart.
Lin Fan had stood up for her at the mall and openly rebuked Qian Tingting and Li Xinyue. She was truly happy about it.
Ever since she was little, no one outside her family had ever stood up for her. Lin Fan had left a deep impression on her.
What if the Xiao Family really forced her to marry Lin Fan? She didn’t seem to be as opposed to him as she had been before.