The Shen Family goes without saying—it’s the top clan in the Qian Learning State Boundary, one of the Four Great Sects by hereditary right, a true behemoth. For someone like him, just an unremarkable early Golden Core cultivator, he’s not much better than an ant in front of the Shen Family.
As for Mo Hua, the Taixu Gate’s Formation Leader—even the late-stage Golden Core True Transmission Elders serve him tea. His status is unfathomable.
In front of him right now, it’s really "immortals" fighting—no side he could afford to offend.
And he couldn’t even sit this one out if he wanted to.
He’d invited Young Master Mo to dinner, and now they’d gotten blocked off—things were about to turn violent. If he tried to just stand by and watch, that’d be like kicking someone when they’re down.
Don’t even think about clinging to someone powerful in the future. Mo Hua not trying to kill him would already be considered lucky.
This Young Master Mo looks gentle and cute, approachable and friendly, but Fan Jin isn’t an idiot—he would never really believe Mo Hua was as simple as he seemed.
You can’t judge a person by their appearance.
Someone who, as a Foundation Building Middle Phase cultivator, overshadowed the Four Great Sects, seized the title of Formation Leader, and sipped tea as an equal with Elders in the Taixu Gate? How could that be any ordinary figure?
In that instant, Fan Jin’s heart was pounding up into his throat.
And he didn’t have much time to decide. Both sides looked like they’d start throwing hands any moment now.
If he stepped up now, he could still pick a side. Wait even a little longer, once fighting broke out for real, he wouldn’t even get a choice anymore.
Fan Jin gritted his teeth, thoughts spinning rapidly.
If he stayed out of it, he’d offend Young Master Mo and the Shen Family wouldn’t remember his so-called consideration anyway.
And if he did step in, sure, he’d piss off the Shen Family, but at least he’d be in Young Master Mo’s good books.
Between a rock and a hard place, you pick the lesser evil. Since he had to offend someone either way, he might as well choose the one that could benefit him.
"Fuck it—whatever..."
Fortune favors the bold.
If you want benefits, you’ve gotta take risks. If you’re too scared to take risks, don’t even fucking think about getting ahead.
Plus, he was the one who invited Young Master Mo here; for someone to show up and provoke him, it made sense, both emotionally and logically, that he couldn’t just stand back and do nothing.
Fan Jin’s legs were a little weak, but he still managed to step forward and put himself in front of Mo Hua.
He wavered a bit as he took that step, but in his heart, he suddenly felt steadier.
If you’re dead either way, once you’ve chosen your path, there’s no point hesitating anymore.
Fan Jin put on a cold face.
Across from him, a Golden Core from the Shen Family barked coldly, "Master Fan, what’s this? You gonna go against our Shen Family just to show off?"
Fan Jin replied earnestly, "Whatever grievances you all have aren’t my concern, but this gentleman is an honored guest of our Taoist Court. At the very least, here in Solitary Mountain City, our Taoist Court is obliged to protect him." ṝÄＮɵʙĘⱾ
He’d brought up the "Taoist Court."
This way, it didn’t seem like he was deliberately going against the Shen Family, but rather that he was just upholding the duty of the Taoist Court—he had no choice but to step in.
If things were investigated later, at least on the surface, no one could blame him.
Being in the right gives weight to your words; working at the Taoist Court, sometimes how you word things is even more important than what you do.
The other Shen Family Golden Core sneered, "You think bringing up your Taoist Court is gonna scare us? You’d better—"
"Cut the crap," the Shen Family young master frowned. "Do it."
The two Shen Family Golden Cores froze briefly, then cupped their hands: "Yes, sir."
Among the Shen Family’s group, honestly, only two were Golden Core cultivators, the rest were Foundation Building stage. But in a Third-grade Immortal City like Solitary Mountain City, those two Golden Cores were plenty to do as they wished.
On Mo Hua’s side, besides two Golden Cores, there was only Fan Jin himself.
All in all, the Shen Family had the numbers advantage.
What’s more, their goal was to take down Mo Hua—just to let the Shen young master vent his anger.
But Master Gu and Fan Jin couldn’t lay a finger on the Shen young master; they could only passively protect Mo Hua, a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator—putting them at a natural disadvantage.
The numbers game was off, one side attacking, the other defending.
It was pretty much a losing battle.
Both Master Gu and Fan Jin understood this clearly—which was why their faces looked so grim.
At that moment, the two Shen Family Golden Cores—one drew out a Fire Knife, the other’s hands turned into dark green Iron Claws—were about to charge straight at Mo Hua.
Master Gu’s expression was as cold as still water.
Once the fight broke out, the situation would be beyond his control.
And with the surge of Golden Core Spiritual Power, Mo Hua could easily get caught up and hurt.
If Mo Hua so much as got a scratch, he’d have no way to explain himself to the Gu Family or to the Taixu Gate—not to mention, Mo Hua was a huge benefactor to their Refinery Shop.
Master Gu was getting anxious, so he blurted out, "Wait!"
The two Shen Family Golden Cores paused slightly, looking over at Master Gu.
Master Gu said in a deep voice, "Don’t say I didn’t warn you—this gentleman is direct lineage of the Taixu Gate, personally instructed by the Ancestor, and has even caught the Ancestor’s Dharma Eye. If you dare lay a hand on him, you’d better think very carefully."
Mo Hua’s reputation went way further than that.
But Master Gu was scared that, with so many ears around, saying too much might draw unwanted attention—so he chose to keep it low-key.
After all, there’s only one Formation Leader—that’d draw too much heat.
Being core Taixu Gate lineage is impressive, but not as eye-catching, and there could be several of those.
Among everyone present, the only one who really knew Mo Hua’s true identity was the Shen Family young master—Shen Linsu’s follower.
But the two Golden Cores from the Shen Family didn’t know.
The words "direct lineage of the Taixu Gate" made both of them tense up instantly.
They were just branch family members of the Shen Family, ordinary Golden Cores—they had to risk their lives for core disciples if they wanted any real future in the clan.
They might be hardened killers, but that didn’t mean they were clueless—they weren’t about to mess with just anyone.
Ordinary Loose Cultivators? Killing them was like slaughtering chickens and dogs.
Normal family disciples? If they died, they died.
Branch family members from prominent families or peripheral sect disciples? You could kill them too, but you had to be secretive, couldn’t let anyone find out.
But the true core members of powerful families or Sects—unless you were guaranteed outrageous fortune or once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, you’d never risk killing someone like that.