"Don't worry, with me here, no matter who dares to plot against you, I will make them pay a heavy price," Zhang Fan said, gently embracing Qin Luoshui's delicate shoulder to comfort her.
The Hundred Spirit Pill was a spiritual elixir that Zhang Fan had painstakingly gathered over a hundred kinds of high-grade spiritual herbs to refine. Even for cultivators in the Golden Core stage, it had significant efficacy.
It wasn't entirely unexpected that the Bai family would plot against her.
However, this time, the Bai family had chosen the wrong target.
"Mhm," Qin Luoshui nodded upon hearing Zhang Fan's words, her heart filled with sweetness.
With Zhang Fan by her side, she naturally felt extremely at ease. At the same time, she was determined to cultivate even more diligently in the future. Although she had a gentle disposition, she didn't want to always live under Zhang Fan's protection and become a burden to him.
Seeing this scene, countless girls in the manor were filled with envy. With the guardianship of Zhang Fan, the supreme figure in the Chinese martial arts world, could she not walk freely throughout China?
Even if betrayed by her own family, Qin Luoshui was not alone.
Upon hearing Zhang Fan's words, the members of the Qin family's expressions turned extremely unsightly. If the Bai family truly intended to form an alliance with their Qin family, that would be one thing, but they had not expected the Bai family's intentions to be so malicious.
Even Qin Tuyi's gaze towards Bai Tianyi turned a few degrees colder. He had not expected that the Bai family's eagerness to ally with the Qin family was because they coveted Qin Luoshui's physique and intended to use her as a vessel to nurture Gu worms.
Thinking of this, he felt increasingly uneasy.
"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.
Even though he knew Zhang Fan's identity and had witnessed Zhang Fan's strength, upon hearing these words, Bai Tianyi's pale face did not show any fear.
The corners of his lips curved into a slight smile as he looked at Zhang Fan and said, "Master Saint Zhang, your strength is indeed immense, capable of crushing me with ease. However, believe me, you will surely regret killing me."
"Oh?"
"Then tell me, how will I regret it?" Zhang Fan's lips also curled into a smile as he asked with interest.
"Killing me will have no impact on you, of course. But your little girlfriend might be losing a grandfather."
"With your strength, you might have already noticed that Qin Tuyi has had my natal Gu worm planted within him, and he accepted it willingly. Unless I recall it myself, no one can break this Gu."
"If I die, he will surely die as well," Bai Tianyi said with a cold sneer, glancing at Qin Tuyi not far away.
At this moment, Qin Tuyi's face had already turned extremely grim. He had not 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 Chinese martial arts world, and Qin Tuyi was aware of this.
Once, Bai Tianyi proposed an alliance between the two families, stating that he could expend great effort to plant a 'Longevity Gu' in Qin Tuyi, which would absorb the Gu worm's life force to maintain youth and prolong life.
After much deliberation, Qin Tuyi agreed. In the subsequent days, Qin Tuyi did indeed discover that he was becoming increasingly youthful.
Therefore, with his mind clouded by greed, he completely disregarded Qin Luoshui's feelings and Zhang Fan's identity, still deciding to ally with the Bai family.
He thought he could live a little longer through this, but he never expected this to be the beginning of his downfall.
"You scoundrel of the Bai family, how dare you deceive me?" Qin Tuyi's body trembled with anger as he pointed at Bai Tianyi, his eyes bulging with rage.
However, Bai Tianyi completely ignored him, not taking Qin Tuyi seriously at all.
"As long as Master Saint Zhang does not pursue this matter, I guarantee I will immediately recall my natal Gu worm and retreat to the Bai family."
Bai Tianyi calmly glanced at Qin Luoshui and continued, "I believe that even if Master Saint Zhang doesn't care, he needs to consider Miss Qin's feelings, after all, he is her grandfather."
Upon hearing this, Qin Tuyi looked at Zhang Fan with complicated eyes, never expecting his life and death to rest in the hands of this young man.
"This old fellow Qin Tuyi, he'd sell his own granddaughter. It's fine if he dies," Zhang Fan said indifferently, gently stroking Qin Luoshui's shoulder.
As soon as these words were spoken, Qin Tuyi's face turned ashen.
"Luoshui, no matter what, he is still your grandfather," Qin Luoshui's father, Qin Zhengwen, said at this moment.
Although he was disappointed with his father's previous behavior, he still did not want Qin Luoshui's decision to lead to an irreversible situation.
Qin Tuyi, hearing this, finally reacted and looked at Qin Luoshui with expectant eyes. He could not change Zhang Fan's mind, but Qin Luoshui could.
From the previous events, anyone could see that Zhang Fan was extremely protective of Qin Luoshui. If Luoshui spoke, he would surely agree.
Qin Luoshui looked up at Zhang Fan and remained silent. Zhang Fan nodded.
Between the two of them, there was no need for many words.
"It seems Master Saint Zhang has made his decision?" Bai Tianyi asked, somewhat nervously, after observing the silent exchange of glances between Zhang Fan and Qin Luoshui.
"You are indeed very cunning," Zhang Fan said with a smile. "Although Qin Tuyi is not a good person, 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 nerves. Although he was powerful and hard to find an opponent below the Divine Realm, facing Master Saint Zhang, who had a record of killing Divine Realm experts, he was utterly powerless.
He finally understood the meaning of the saying, "Below the Divine Realm, all are ants."
"However..." Zhang Fan's words trailed off here, and he suddenly moved, grabbing at Qin Tuyi from mid-air.
Instantly, a gust of wind swept through the entire manor. Qin Tuyi felt his body uncontrollably flying towards Zhang Fan. Zhang Fan grabbed Qin Tuyi by the neck with one hand and lifted him up.
Everyone was bewildered. Bai Tianyi's face changed drastically upon seeing this, thinking that Zhang Fan had gone back on his word and was preparing to finish Qin Tuyi himself.
If that were the case, with Qin Tuyi dead, he would lose his bargaining chip with Zhang Fan.
"Second Uncle!" Bai Tianyi roared. The middle-aged man in plain clothes also understood Bai Tianyi's intention, grabbed Bai Tianyi with his left hand, and rushed out of the manor.
If they didn't escape now, once Zhang Fan crushed Qin Tuyi, they would be next.
"A mere Saint Domain realm cultivator, trying to escape before me, is simply laughable."
The man in plain clothes was extremely fast, reaching the manor gate in less than a breath. However, as Zhang Fan's slightly mocking and indifferent voice echoed, his body suddenly stiffened, and his hand gripping Bai Tianyi slowly loosened.
"Master Saint Zhang, you truly live up to your reputation. However, my Bai family will surely avenge this insult." Turning around, the man in plain clothes stared intently at Zhang Fan. As soon as he finished speaking, he could no longer support himself and fell straight down.
Only then did everyone see clearly that on the man in plain clothes' back, there was a finger-thick blood hole that went straight to his heart.
Wei Xiaowen was deeply shocked by this scene. The strength of the peak Saint Domain realm was among the 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.
...