"Just him?!" Hao Lang sized Xiao Fan up and down, his eyes full of disdain.
Xiao Fan laughed heartily to ease the awkwardness. "Miss Yao is far too mischievous! I am but an unknown nobody—how could I dare vie with two heaven-gifted geniuses for glory?"
He knew how to show weakness... Make his opponent look down on him, and he had already won three parts of the battle before it even began.
"Hmph, that's what I thought!" Hao Lang continued to ignore Xiao Fan and turned to Yao Yuxiang. "Miss, there is no need for you to hide your talents. Since you were recommended for the direct-entry group, you surely cannot be some ordinary person... Just wait. Before martial artists from across the Nine Provinces and four seas, I will defeat you!"
Yao Yuxiang remained expressionless. "To exchange pointers with an expert from Seven Sword Manor would be this little woman's honor... Oh, yes. There is one more person in Great Liang's direct-entry group this time. I wonder whether Young Master Hao is interested?"
As she spoke, she cast a glance at Xiao Fan.
You little brat, you're too wicked! Xiao Fan grumbled inwardly. Yet he could not flare up, and could only maintain an awkward but polite smile.
At those words, Hao Lang grew interested as well. "Oh? I did hear that there were two people in your Great Liang direct-entry group, but the other one... seemed... not particularly famous... Who might that be?"
This time, Xiao Fan could not let that black-hearted woman freely improvise and ruin his plan to show weakness...
He hurriedly spoke first. "Ah, you mean that whoever? He only got into the direct-entry group through connections! Mere clay chickens and porcelain dogs—there's no need to care about him!"
"At such a grand event, someone