A Lesson

Chen Jingjing and Zhang Rumeng had just walked out of the Inner Court when they saw Chen Fan standing with Nalan Yun and the others. At first, Chen Jingjing thought Chen Fan had gone to bother Nalan Yun again. But when she saw his distant expression from afar, she felt a sudden wave of relief. 😝🌷

The very next second, she saw a young man with a paper fan in his hand thrust it at Chen Fan.

The two girls knew the young man. He was Zhang Lin, a distant relative of Nalan Yun. Though they called him a distant relative, everyone knew he was also one of Nalan Yun's followers. He had decent talent, too, and his cultivation had already reached Qi Refining Layer 3, just one step away from the Inner Court.

Chen Jingjing didn't think Chen Fan, who was only at Qi Refining Layer 2 and didn't know how to do anything, stood a chance against Zhang Lin. What's more, Zhang Lin had launched a sudden attack. Even she might have taken a nasty hit.

But Chen Fan remained utterly composed in the face of the ambush, his expression indifferent. He shifted slightly to one side, using what seemed like an exceptionally refined footwork technique. Yet it looked plain and unremarkable, and he dodged the attack with ease.

Zhang Lin's thrust missed, and its momentum nearly sent him tumbling to the ground. But he was, after all, a Qi Refining Layer 3 cultivator—not foolish enough to fall that hard.

He checked his movement, the corners of his mouth lifting in a smug smile. But the moment he turned around, he was struck dumb.

At some point, the paper fan in his hand had ended up in Chen Fan's. And now, its edge was pointed at Zhang Lin's throat.

"You... you... don't do anything reckless! This is Heavy Sword Peak." Facing Chen Fan's cold eyes, Zhang Lin swallowed the curses he'd tried several times to spit out. He knew a sharp blade was hidden inside the fan. He was sure Chen Fan had noticed it, too; otherwise, he wouldn't have taken the fan and pointed it at his throat.

In truth, Chen Fan had no idea there was anything hidden inside the fan. In his eyes, every blade of grass and every tree could be a sword—let alone a fan.

"Chen Fan!" Chen Jingjing and Zhang Rumeng finally snapped out of it and hurried over. This was a scene neither of them could have imagined.

A Qi Refining Layer 2 cultivator had so easily—

Wait. Qi Refining Layer 4?

Chen Jingjing and Zhang Rumeng both stopped in their tracks at almost the same time, stunned all over again.

Was this really Chen Fan? In barely half a day, he'd leapt from Qi Refining Layer 2 to the Fourth Layer. How was that possible?

"Chen... Chen Fan, don't do anything reckless. Heavy Sword Peak's rules are very strict," the Yellow-Robed Woman stammered, clearly startled as well.

Nalan Yun looked just as shocked. She'd noticed Chen Fan's cultivation level, and a flicker of something strange passed through her alluring eyes.

"Chen Fan, did you have some kind of fortuitous encounter in Demon King Valley? Could you tell me about it in private?" she asked, putting on a sweet, affectionate expression.

That was exactly how she'd once persuaded the old Chen Fan to risk his life by going alone into Demon King Valley.

But the Chen Fan before her now was a sword cultivator, Chen Fan whose soul belonged to a Foundation Establishment Realm expert.

"Chen Fan, don't tell her." Before Chen Fan could respond, Chen Jingjing's voice rang out. She and Zhang Rumeng were hurrying over at full speed.

Nalan Yun's words had made Chen Jingjing snap to her senses. She would never allow Chen Fan to be fooled by Nalan Yun again.

"Nalan Yun, don't push your luck." Zhang Rumeng also disliked people like Nalan Yun and frowned as she scolded her.

But Nalan Yun ignored them and continued to put on a pitiful look as she gazed at Chen Fan. "Chen Fan, they're so mean. Let's find somewhere private, just the two of us."

Her words were so suggestive that even Zhang Lin looked displeased and glared at Chen Fan.

"I'm busy." Chen Fan didn't even look at her. He simply answered in an indifferent voice.

Nalan Yun froze. Chen Jingjing and Zhang Rumeng gaped at him, too.

"Is it forbidden to kill people here?" Chen Fan asked Chen Jingjing.

"Yes." Chen Jingjing shook her little head.

"What about beating people?"

"That's not—" Chen Jingjing started to say that it wasn't allowed, but Zhang Rumeng's eyes suddenly lit up beside her. She prompted him:

→

"You can defend yourself."

Chen Fan nodded. Then, with a sudden flick of his wrist, he swung the paper fan.

Smack! A crisp sound rang out.

A red mark appeared on Zhang Lin's cheek.

"You... you hit me?" Zhang Lin stared at him in disbelief.

Smack! Smack! Smack! Three more sharp cracks rang out, and Zhang Lin was left reeling.

"Chen Fan, you..." The Yellow-Robed Woman couldn't stand by and watch any longer. She stepped forward to speak, only to be met with a smack.

Chen Fan smacked her across the mouth with the fan. Then he looked indifferently at Chen Jingjing and Zhang Rumeng and said two words: "Let's go!"

He strode toward the mountain gate without looking at Nalan Yun again.

Chen Jingjing still looked bewildered as she followed Chen Fan away.

Zhang Rumeng, on the other hand, quickly caught on. She gave Nalan Yun a gloating, mocking smile, then hurried to catch up with Chen Jingjing.

As the three of them gradually disappeared into the night, Nalan Yun's face darkened further. Chen Fan's behavior had humiliated her beyond measure.

"Chen Fan, just you wait." A vicious look flashed in her eyes.

Zhang Lin and the Yellow-Robed Woman both clutched their faces, unable to say a word. Chen Fan had hit them hard.

"Chen Fan, how did you... reach Qi Refining Layer 4 in just one afternoon?" Zhang Rumeng asked. It still felt like a dream to her.

"I cultivated with a calm mind," Chen Fan replied briefly.

"Uh..." Zhang Rumeng was at a loss for words. They'd witnessed two miracles that day.

One was the Heavenly Soldier Ranking in the Heavenly Court. The other was Chen Fan's leap across cultivation levels.

But no matter how unbelievable it seemed, neither Chen Jingjing nor Zhang Rumeng had tried to connect Chen Fan with anyone on the Heavenly Soldier Ranking.

Chen Jingjing still thought she must be dreaming. But her fingernails were digging into her palm, and she could clearly feel the pain.

This wasn't a dream! It really wasn't a dream!

Father, Chen Fan has finally come to his senses!

The Chen Clan finally has hope.

Chen Jingjing's eyes grew moist. This time, she didn't force herself to hold back. She let the tears spill over.

"Qingqing, why are you crying?" Zhang Rumeng noticed the change in Chen Jingjing and asked anxiously.

Chen Fan stopped walking, too, and turned to look at her.

"I'm fine. I'm just... I'm just so happy. I thought this was a dream, but I never expected the dream... to come true." Chen Jingjing was laughing and crying at once.

"Don't cry, don't cry..." Zhang Rumeng understood. Chen Jingjing was crying with joy at seeing Chen Fan like this. She knew her good friend had been carrying far too much worry and pressure all this time.

But tonight, she could finally set it all down. She really ought to have a good cry.

"Since we're all so happy, how about I cook dinner myself tonight?" Zhang Rumeng suddenly suggested with a cheerful smile.

Chen Jingjing immediately stopped crying and stared at her in alarm.

"Maybe... you'd better not. I'll cook."

"It's fine. You always do the cooking, so let me do it this time. I've been reading a lot of books about it lately."

"N-no, you shouldn't. Go home and try it on your own."

Chen Fan quietly watched the two of them. From the look on Chen Jingjing's face, he seemed to realize something: Zhang Rumeng's cooking must be a weapon of mass destruction...