Chapter 57: Zhan Xiao

Lu Fan looked at Xiao Ling'er's anxious face and chuckled indifferently: "Miss Ling'er, don't panic, tell me slowly if there's anything!"

He was calm and composed, a relaxed posture that made Xiao Ling'er feel inexplicably at ease. It was as if in front of this man, she didn't need to worry about anything anymore, letting him shield her from the wind and rain.

"Lu Fan, many students in the academy want to respond to your call and join Tianlong." Xiao Ling'er stared at Lu Fan's face with infatuation, then her voice became anxious again, "But that bunch from Tianwu are coming to find trouble with you, I'm afraid..."

Her voice gradually changed, her face slightly resentful, but her worry and nervousness were evident.

"Tianlong?" Ye Lu Fan was slightly stunned, confused. Just then, an angry shout from outside passed through the restriction and reached his ears.

"Lu Fan, you are fickle and abandon your lover, what kind of man are you!"

Lu Fan was even more confused when he heard this. But Xiao Ling'er's face darkened, her brow filled with indescribable loss, making people feel pity.

"Clap."

A giant force struck the door, and the restriction Lu Fan had set up collapsed as if it were made of paper. The door shattered, and the scene outside fell into Lu Fan's eyes.

A sturdy "big man" had just finished punching, not yet having time to retract it, glaring angrily at Lu Fan. Around the "big man" was a line of gorgeously dressed, pretty-faced women, a few of whom were slightly familiar—they were the Tianwu members who had "chased" Lu Fan last time.

"This brother, you smashed my residence without permission. If you don't give me an explanation today, I, Lu, will make you look good!"

Lu Fan's face sank instantly, imposing without anger, and a powerful momentum radiated out, suppressing the scene. With the means he had shown earlier, no young student in the academy could withstand his anger; these people should be silent.

However, the reality was far beyond Lu Fan's expectations. The pretty female students with thin arms and legs glared at him, even with a trace of mockery. Beside him, Xiao Ling'er was also filled with worry, as if Lu Fan had touched some great taboo.

"Hmph! Damn kid, you were unfaithful to Hall Master Liu, and now you dare to insult me. Today, if I don't beat you into a puddle of mud, I, Chen Yuanyuan, am not worthy of being the big sister of Tianwu!"

As soon as the "big man" finished speaking, he suddenly leaped up, his round body carrying the momentum of a thunderbolt as he crashed down.

Only then did Lu Fan realize that this sturdy man had no Adam's apple; she was clearly a woman. But her body was heroic and strange, even stronger than a big, burly man.

"So it's Miss Yuanyuan, your name truly lives up to its reputation!" Lu Fan looked at Chen Yuanyuan, who was pouncing, and teased.

"Courting death! Great Strength Bull Demon Fist!" Chen Yuanyuan hated it most when people got her gender wrong, and she also hated being teased. Now that Lu had committed both crimes, plus the previous great crime, he deserved to die.

Chen Yuanyuan's sturdy figure was exceptionally agile in mid-air. She twisted her body, her pair of strong arms moving forward in the air like a wild bull's horns, and a fierce momentum erupted.

"Body technique? Interesting!" Lu Fan's pupils shrank, slightly solemn. Body technique was a special martial skill that didn't require True Qi to stimulate; it was a brute force method. Cultivated to the peak, it could move mountains and divide seas.

The Art Refining Crystal Furnace smashed out again. Lu Fan was even more serious than when he fought Wei Kuangdao. He pushed his palms forward, stimulating True Qi.

"Bang!"

Chen Yuanyuan slammed into the Art Refining Crystal Furnace, only pausing slightly, then pushed toward Lu Fan. You know, even the Blood Evil Pagoda Array hadn't brought Lu Fan such great pressure; one could see how much this body technique restrained him.

Lu Fan took a slight breath, calm despite the surprise, and said indifferently: "Born with divine strength, practicing this body technique is truly very suitable!"

He flipped his hand, pinched a seal, "Desolate Seal condenses, Return to Origin One Qi!" With a fierce roar, he actually brought out all the means he had used against Wei Kuangdao.

A ray of light flashed on the crystal furnace, and a devouring force gathered around. Chen Yuanyuan felt her supreme strength decrease at an incredible speed. With her old strength exhausted and new strength not yet born, she retreated and withdrew into the group of pretty young women of Tianwu.

"Big sister, what's going on? Is this kid really that powerful? Should we all attack together!"

A girl in the late stage of the Gathering Essence Realm asked suspiciously, staring at Lu Fan with ill intent.

Chen Yuanyuan waved her hand and said: "This kid is a tough nut to crack; no wonder the Hall Master was bullied by him and has been in seclusion ever since!" She glanced behind her, and noisy voices came from afar, seemingly rushing toward this place.

"Hmph! Let the sisters work hard later, we'll teach him a lesson together!"

Although this Chen Yuanyuan looked burly, her mind was delicate.

Lu Fan's expression was strange, smiling but not smiling, seemingly having realized something. His original fearless personality, once here, felt bottomless.

"Haha! Miss Yuanyuan is really here. I saw that fluctuation just now, I suppose you've already fought with Brother Lu! I'm really curious, I wonder who had the upper hand?"

A handsome young man walked over, shaking a folding fan. His face was like jade, and his bearing was extraordinary, dashing and unrestrained. It made the pretty young women behind Chen Yuanyuan's eyes flash, infatuated.

Lu Fan frowned. This youth's cultivation was not simple, mid-stage Tendon Refining Realm; he shouldn't be a nobody in Tianyuan Academy. Beside him, Xiao Ling'er leaned over and whispered in his ear: "He is Zhan Xiao, also a famous figure in the academy, but he has been in seclusion recently."

Lu Fan nodded. He had heard of this Zhan Xiao; among the young generation of the academy, his reputation was only lower than Wang Wu and Nie Xing, and he was the guild leader of the Eight Desolations Society.

"Little brother Zhan Xiao, I heard that Brother Lu showed great power, and even Wei Kuangdao of the Sacred Martial Hall suffered a loss at Brother Lu's hands. I originally thought it was just empty talk, but seeing it now, Brother Lu is leading the way, and even if there are hidden circumstances, it's not much different!"

Xiao clasped his fists. He looked like a youth, but called Lu Fan "Brother Lu." He had a dashing and unrestrained bearing, looking very heroic and unconstrained.

Lu Fan looked at Ling Xiao indifferently. This young man was not bad. Just this bearing was enough to crown the peers of the academy; if he grew up, he would likely be a figure.

"Zhan Xiao, what are you doing here? Don't let others interfere in Tianwu's business!" Chen Yuanyuan put her hands on her hips, domineering, glaring with big bull eyes, threatening.

"Miss Yuanyuan, you say that, but this is a public area, can't I, Zhan Xiao, enter!"

Zhan Xiao shook his folding fan and suddenly closed it, saying so. These words made the girls behind Chen Yuanyuan frown. A few who had been winking at him earlier were now also annoyed, seemingly no longer having any good feelings.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry, there are a lot of people squeezed in front, if we are a step slow, we won't be able to stand in the position of the elders of the Tianlong meeting!"

The bustling crowd squeezed over, instantly surrounding Lu Fan's residence so tightly that not even water could pass through.

"Guild Leader Lu, I, Kong Sanqiu, am your person from now on. I will follow your orders, and I will not dare to disobey. I am at the peak of the Gathering Essence Realm and will break through soon. Can you give me that Second-Tier Spirit Tool in advance?"

"Boss Lu, I, Wang Ergou, have just advanced to Martial Warrior. The month is almost over, shouldn't the monthly allowance of fifty gold coins be settled!"

"Awoo, awoo, Guild Leader, I am Zhang Jiling, everyone calls me Zhang Dashan. Although I am only a First-Tier Martial Cultivator, I am good at arithmetic. Our Tianlong Guild has a big family and a big business, we need an accountant, why don't you let me manage the money and treasures!"

Everyone was talking at once, each with their own words. As soon as they finished, they all stretched out their palms. In a word, they wanted money, they wanted treasures.

Lu Fan was stunned, looked at Xiao Ling'er beside him, and then realized, with a bitter face: "Ling'er, you were so anxious because of these people?"

Xiao Ling'er nodded, pointed to the surroundings, and then pointed emphatically toward Chen Yuanyuan and Ling Xiao. The meaning was exceptionally clear: besides those clowns Wang Ergou and Zhang Dasha, the people from Tianwu and the Eight Desolations were also among them.

Lu Fan shook his head, steadied his mind, frowned, scanned the surroundings, and said coldly: "You lot, move aside for now, I will send someone to handle Tianlong's affairs in a few days!"

Wang Ergou and his group were unhappy. One by one, they took out a crumpled notice from their arms and said loudly: "Our Tianlong recruits members widely. Anyone who is sincere, shout 'Tianlong is mighty' three times, and you will be a disciple of the Tianlong Guild, enjoying the benefits of the Tianlong Guild..."

"Tianlong is mighty!" "Tianlong is mighty!" "Tianlong is mighty!"

"Hahaha..."

The crowd surged, shouting to the sky, the sound shaking the nine heavens, flying geese breaking their wings, wind and clouds retreating.

"Guild Leader Lu, you are a man of your word, you won't let the brothers down, right?"

Everyone around stared at Lu Fan with longing, but Lu Fan was stunned, and Zhan Xiao took the opportunity to laugh strangely and said so.

Xiao Ling'er's pretty face turned angry, glaring, but helpless. Only then did Lu Fan regain his senses. If he had listened to Xiao Ling'er earlier and slipped away in advance, he would never have encountered such things.

"Poor me, Lu Fan, with such good martial arts, but in this situation, I have no place to use them!"

He sighed in his heart, already realizing he had been calculated by others. Since his rebirth, he hadn't taken any human affairs to heart. Before, when he met the Tianwu group, he just felt annoyed, not so guarded. This situation, however, was like capsizing in a gutter, a roc breaking its wings, with no response!

"Damn! What kind of moth is this little girl Ling Yao making? It's fine if she wants to form a guild, but she actually trapped me. If I don't handle this properly, my Lu Fan's two-life reputation will be overturned. If it spreads in the future, I will be laughed at by the three thousand worlds!"

Tears of frustration, truly tears of frustration. One must enjoy oneself when one is proud in life, but I haven't enjoyed myself yet, how did I stumble?

His face was gloomy, and in the eyes of those who came with excitement, they thought he was going to renege, and the monthly allowance and treasures they had high hopes for were gone. One by one, their faces turned cold, very disappointed.

Zhan Xiao saw this scene, couldn't help but laugh, and played along, "fanning the flames" for the crowd: "Shameless Lu Fan, fickle lover, I will live and die with the goddess!" ===== CHAPTER 58 =====