"Don't worry, with me here, no matter who dares to mess with you, I'll make them pay a terrible price," Zhang Fan said softly, gently putting his arm around Qin Luoshui's delicate shoulders to comfort her.
The Hundred Spirit Pill was a spiritual elixir that Zhang Fan had painstakingly refined from over a hundred types of high-grade spiritual herbs. Even for Golden Core stage cultivators, it had considerable efficacy.
It wasn't entirely unexpected that the Bai family would target her.
However, this time, the Bai family had chosen the wrong target.
"Mm," Qin Luoshui nodded, her heart filled with sweetness at Zhang Fan's words.
With Zhang Fan by her side, she naturally felt extremely secure. At the same time, she was also determined to cultivate even more diligently in the future. Although her personality was gentle, she didn't want to always be under Zhang Fan's protection and become a burden.
Seeing this scene, countless girls in the manor were filled with envy. With the protection of Zhang Fan, the supreme figure in the Huaxia martial arts world, wasn't she free to do as she pleased in Huaxia?
Even if she was betrayed by her own family, Qin Luoshui was not alone.
Upon hearing Zhang Fan's words, the members of the Qin family's faces turned extremely grim. If the Bai family had genuinely intended to form a marriage alliance with their Qin family, then so be it. But they had never expected that the Bai family's intentions were so malicious.
Even Qin Tuyi's gaze towards Bai Tianyi turned colder. He hadn't expected that the Bai family's eagerness to marry into the Qin family was because they had taken a liking to Qin Luoshui's physique, intending to use her as a furnace for nurturing Gu worms.
Thinking of this, he felt an increasing sense of unease.
"Do you have any last words before you die?" Zhang Fan's eyes were filled with indifference as he stared at Bai Tianyi and spoke calmly.
Despite learning Zhang Fan's identity and witnessing his strength, Bai Tianyi's pale face showed no fear upon hearing these words.
A slight smile curved his lips as he looked at Zhang Fan and said, "Grandmaster Zhang, your strength is indeed immense, capable of crushing me with ease. But believe me, after you kill me, you will surely regret it."
"Oh?"
"Then tell me, how will I regret it?" Zhang Fan's lips curved into a smile as he asked with interest.
"Killing me will have no impact on you, of course, but your little girlfriend will probably lose a grandfather."
"With your power, you might have already sensed it. Qin Tuyi has already had my natal Gu worm planted within him, and he accepted it willingly. Unless I actively recall it, no one can break this Gu."
"If I die, he will undoubtedly die as well," Bai Tianyi said with a cold laugh, glancing at Qin Tuyi who was not far away.
At this moment, Qin Tuyi's face had already turned extremely grim. He hadn't expected that the 'Longevity Gu' Bai Tianyi had spoken of earlier was actually Bai Tianyi's natal Gu worm.
The Bai family was skilled in planting Gu, which was not a secret in the Huaxia martial arts world. Qin Tuyi was aware of this.
Once, Bai Tianyi proposed a marriage alliance between their two families, stating that he could plant a 'Longevity Gu' for Qin Tuyi at great cost, which would absorb the Gu worm's life force to maintain youthfulness and prolong lifespan.
After much deliberation, Qin Tuyi agreed. In the days that followed, Qin Tuyi did indeed find himself becoming younger.
Therefore, blinded by desire, he completely disregarded Qin Luoshui's feelings and Zhang Fan's identity, and still decided to go ahead with the marriage alliance with the Bai family.
He had thought he could live a bit longer this way, but he never expected this to be the beginning of his disaster.
"You despicable Bai family brat, how dare you deceive me?" Qin Tuyi's body trembled with rage. He pointed at Bai Tianyi, his eyes wide with fury.
However, Bai Tianyi completely ignored him. Qin Tuyi was simply not in his consideration.
"As long as Grandmaster Zhang doesn't pursue this matter, I guarantee I will immediately recall my natal Gu worm and return to the Bai family."
Bai Tianyi calmly glanced at Qin Luoshui and continued, "I believe, even if Grandmaster Zhang doesn't care, he needs to consider Miss Qin's feelings, right? That's her grandfather after all."
Hearing this, Qin Tuyi looked at Zhang Fan with a complicated expression. He hadn't expected his life and death would be in this young man's hands.
"This old scoundrel Qin Tuyi, he'd sell his own granddaughter, so it's fine if he dies," Zhang Fan said indifferently, gently stroking Qin Luoshui's shoulder.
Qin Tuyi's face immediately turned ashen upon hearing this.
"Luoshui, no matter what, he is still your grandfather," Qin Zhengwen, Qin Luoshui's father, said at this moment.
Although he was deeply disappointed with his father's previous actions, he still didn't want Qin Luoshui's decision to lead to an irrecoverable situation.
Qin Tuyi, hearing this, finally reacted and looked at Zhang Fan with expectant eyes. He couldn't change Zhang Fan's mind, but Qin Luoshui could.
From the previous events, it was obvious to everyone that Zhang Fan was extremely protective of Qin Luoshui. If Luoshui spoke up, he would definitely agree.
Qin Luoshui looked up at Zhang Fan and remained silent. Zhang Fan nodded.
They didn't need many words between them.
"It seems Grandmaster Zhang has made a decision?" Bai Tianyi asked nervously, seeing the exchange of glances between Zhang Fan and Qin Luoshui, though he felt confident.
"You are indeed very clever," Zhang Fan said with a smile. "Qin Tuyi is not a good person, but I will still spare his life."
Upon hearing this, Bai Tianyi let out a sigh of relief. The man in plain clothes standing beside him also relaxed his tense posture. Although he was powerful and had few rivals below the Divine Realm, he was utterly helpless against Grandmaster Zhang, who had a record of killing Divine Realm cultivators.
He finally understood the meaning of the saying, "Beneath the Divine Realm, all are ants."
"However..." Zhang Fan's words trailed off as he suddenly made a move, grabbing at Qin Tuyi in mid-air.
Instantly, a strong gust of wind swept through the entire manor. Qin Tuyi felt his body uncontrollably pulled towards Zhang Fan. Zhang Fan lifted him by the neck with one hand.
Everyone was bewildered. Bai Tianyi's expression changed drastically, thinking Zhang Fan had gone back on his word and intended to kill Qin Tuyi himself.
If that were the case, with Qin Tuyi dead, he would lose his bargaining chip with Zhang Fan.
"Uncle!" Bai Tianyi roared. The middle-aged man in plain clothes also understood Bai Tianyi's intention and grabbed Bai Tianyi with his left hand, rushing towards the manor's exit.
If they didn't escape now, they would be next after Zhang Fan crushed Qin Tuyi.
"A mere Saint Domain realm cultivator daring to flee before me is simply laughable."
The man in plain clothes was extremely fast, reaching the manor entrance in less than a breath. However, as Zhang Fan's indifferent, mocking voice echoed, his body suddenly froze, and the hand holding Bai Tianyi slowly loosened.
"Grandmaster Zhang, your reputation is indeed well-deserved. However, my Bai family will avenge this grudge." Turning around, the man in plain clothes stared intently at Zhang Fan. As soon as he finished speaking, he could no longer hold himself up and fell to the ground.
Only then did everyone clearly see a finger-thick blood hole on the man in plain clothes' back, piercing directly into his heart.
Wei Xiaowen's heart was shocked at the sight. The strength of the peak Saint Domain realm was comparable to a few top experts in their Great Dragon Temple.
Yet, in Zhang Fan's hands, he was like a chick, unable to withstand even a single finger.
...