“Hey, look! They’re here!”
The group gathered outside Chen Fan’s house hadn’t left. They had been waiting, eagerly looking forward to a good show.
And as they had hoped, two people were indeed approaching this place.
The crowd turned their attention to them, and their gazes immediately narrowed, their pupils shrinking.
“It’s Senior Brother Zhong Li. He actually came in person.”
“That brat Chen Fan is surely finished. With Senior Brother Zhong Li coming personally, he is in for a rough time.”
“Rumors say that Senior Brother Zhong Li has already broken through to the ninth level and has become a Qi Grandmaster. That’s too terrifying.”
“Senior Brother Zhong Li can probably kill Chen Fan with one finger. That guy is dead.”
The crowd discussed spiritedly, their gazes filled with awe and fear as they observed the figure in white, Zhong Li, walking ahead.
“Trash, come out here!” shouted Hou Qing, still over 100 meters away, his voice amplified by his primeval qi, resonating like thunder in spring.
Chen Fan paused for a moment, furrowing his brow.
Naturally, he recognized Hou Qing’s voice and had heard the crowd's discussions outside. Moreover, he could distinctly sense a formidable aura nearby.
He knew that this aura most likely belonged to the person the crowd referred to as Zhong Li.
Chen Fan’s expression sank, and he walked out. He immediately spotted the tall, slender, and remarkably handsome Zhong Li, dressed in white.
With Zhong Li beside him, Hou Qing seemed especially arrogant. He took half a step forward, his arm at his hip and his other hand pointing at Chen Fan. “Hey, you worthless trash! Are you still not kneeling in the presence of Brother Zhong? Offer the treasures you got from the Qingyang Mountain Range with both hands and beg for forgiveness. Perhaps you still have a slim chance of surviving. Otherwise, no one in the world can save you!”
Hou Qing's current actions showcased his servile nature to the extreme.
Chen Fan didn’t take Hou Qing seriously at all. His gaze remained fixed on Zhong Li, and his pupils contracted.
Zhong Li was emanating an extremely dangerous aura.
These people were saying this Zhong Li guy is the leader of the outer sect branch of the Heaven’s Alliance, the top expert of the outer sect, with a ninth-level cultivation. Doesn’t that mean he is a Qi Grandmaster? Chen Fan's mind raced with numerous thoughts.
“You’re Chen Fan?” Zhong Li asked plainly, looking at Chen Fan indifferently.
“I instructed Hou Qing to bring you to me. Why did you injure him?” Zhong Li’s tone turned slightly colder. Chen Fan immediately felt a pressure bearing down on him.
“How funny. I am supposed to see you just because you want me to? Are we friends? Do I even know you?” Chen Fan replied coldly, his tone sharp and tough.
“This guy really deserves to die. He actually dared to speak to Senior Brother Zhong Li! How detestable!”
“In the outer sect, we don’t get to meet Senior Brother Zhong Li even if we want to. Not only did he reject Senior Brother Zhong Li’s invitation before, but he is also spouting nonsense and humiliating Senior Brother now. He really deserves to die!”
In an instant, the crowd started clamoring.
A slight twitch appeared on Zhong Li's otherwise expressionless face. However, his voice remained as indifferent as before. “Hoho, very good. It’s been a very long time since anyone dared to speak to me this way in the outer sect. You’re very courageous, but it’s a pity. Courage does not equate to strength. Putting up a bold front in front of me without possessing strength is nothing but incompetence. That’s no different from looking for death.”
Zhong Li paused momentarily and said, "Go, Hou Qing, slap him hard!"
“Brother Zhong, I...”
Hou Qing looked perturbed. He was no match for Chen Fan.
Zhong Li said plainly, “What are you scared of? I’m right here!”
Hou Qing's complexion eased. He haughtily approached Chen Fan, turning his shoulder as he walked as if preparing himself.
“Trash, stand there and don’t move. Stick your face out!” Hou Qing smiled evilly, standing less than two meters from Chen Fan, his expression savage.
A clear and crisp slap rang out.
However, Hou Qing didn’t slap Chen Fan. It was the other way around.
The crowd was dumbfounded. Unexpectedly, Chen Fan had chosen to act so brazenly even in front of Zhong Li.
“Ahhh! Chen Fan, you dare hit me! You’re dead! You’re dead, for sure! You haven’t slapped him—you have slapped Brother Zhong, you know that!? No one can save you now! You are dead; you just don’t know it yet!”
Hou Qing felt a burning, stinging pain on his face when he returned to his senses. He immediately flew into a rage and barked crazily.
Another crisp slap rang out.
Chen Fan had slapped even harder this time. Hou Qing stopped speaking abruptly as his body spun twice, staggering backward.
“Brother Zhong, he... he hit me...”
Hou Qing pressed his hand on his face, unable to speak clearly, but everyone knew what he meant: to have Zhong Li stand up for him.
The surrounding area went quiet.
The crowd also stopped murmuring, looking at Chen Fan, dumbstruck.
Hou Qing was right. Chen Fan wasn’t slapping Hou Qing but embarrassing Zhong Li.
Zhong Li had ordered Hou Qing to slap Chen Fan. From the people’s point of view, Chen Fan should have stood there obediently and let Hou Qing do it without any resistance.
However, no one anticipated that Chen Fan would take action before Hou Qing could make a move.
The crowd clearly felt the rage brewing inside of Zhong Li. An icy killing intent emanated from him, chilling the air and seeping into their very bones.
Zhong Li was angry. Furious!
When a Qi Grandmaster turned furious, the nearby area would become slick with blood.
Zhong Li shot Chen Fan an icy, piercing gaze; it was like a sharp sword. An overwhelming pressure enveloped Chen Fan and pushed out the air around him, suffocating him.
“I’ll give you one last chance. Kneel, offer up all your treasures, beg for my forgiveness, and cripple your cultivation. I will spare your life and allow you to live as an ordinary person in the mortal world.”
Zhong Li spoke plainly but seemed domineering and majestic, as if his words were heaven’s decree. Chen Fan had to do as he said to obtain his forgiveness and keep his life intact.
“Chen Fan, you’ve committed a crime worthy of death, a sin for which you must pay with your life, you know that? Hurry up and hand over all your treasures, then kneel, admit your wrongdoings, and cripple your cultivation. That way, you still have a chance at life!” Hou Qing shouted furiously.
“That’s right, Chen Fan. Quickly kneel and offer up the treasures you got in Qingyang Mountain Range. Beg Senior Brother Zhong Li for forgiveness. Understand? What you’ve just said is enough for you to die ten times. Senior Brother Zhong Li is magnanimous and will let you live a mortal life. That’s your luck. Quickly do as you’re told!”
“Right, killing you a hundred or even a thousand times won’t be enough if you upset Senior Brother Zhong Li!”
The crowd had fawning looks on their faces as they all shouted at Chen Fan.
“Let alone the fact I don’t have any treasures; even if I did, I wouldn’t give them to you. Who do you think you are?”
Chen Fan’s cold voice sounded especially piercing to the ear amidst the crowd’s furious roars.
The crowd turned mute in an instant, looking at him in inexplicable horror.