Supreme Cultivation Master

Ye Fan had no idea what happened afterward, but he did know that Luo Yazhi had other identities besides being the Charming Fox Demoness. These numerous mysteries tormented him. He couldn’t be sure how many people were plotting to eliminate him, but he could foresee his old rivals and the Divine Dragon among them.

The next day, he went to the airport to see Tang Yurou off. They shared a deep farewell kiss before she reluctantly boarded the plane, which then took off under her lingering gaze. Ye Fan knew that he and Tang Yurou would soon reunite in Europe, a day he anticipated would be both wonderful and romantic.

On his way back to the villa from the airport, he was stopped by an old man with graying hair at a small stall. "Young man," the old man said, "come, how about a game of Go?"

Ye Fan initially intended to ignore him, but he noticed the man had the profound aura of a sage. It was clear he was no ordinary person. In Ye Fan’s estimation, anyone who could conceal their strength so perfectly had to be at least his equal, if not stronger.

The world spoke of seven great Kings, but that didn’t mean there were only seven; it was merely a well-known ranking. In reality, the number of Kings in the world was far greater. Take the Divine Land, for example. It was a place teeming with hidden masters. Ye Fan knew for a fact that several Elders within the Divine Dragon were stronger than him. Of course, there were also many hidden factions. One should never underestimate the world’s martial artists, especially those from the Divine Land. Many of them were masters of hiding their true capabilities.

Ye Fan immediately sat down. "Since you have the interest, Elder, I would be happy to play a game with you!"

The two set up the board for Go, the most difficult of all board games. After about half an hour, Ye Fan lost by a narrow margin.

The old man laughed. "Young friend, you must focus when playing!"

Ye Fan replied, "They say the older the ginger, the spicier it gets. I’ve lost."

"Haha, so modest!" the old man laughed.

Ye Fan then said, "Elder, you’re no ordinary person. Since you sought me out for a game, you must already know my identity and have something to discuss. Please, speak freely."

"You’re right," the old man said. "They say the King of Heaven is a man of both great wisdom and strength. Now I believe it."

Ye Fan was surprised that the man knew he was the King of Heaven, but at that moment, he lowered his guard. His intuition told him the old man meant no harm. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have wasted half the day playing Go.

"Life is like a game of Go, and Go is like life," the old man cautioned. "One wrong move and you risk losing everything. This holds true even for the King of Heaven!"

Ye Fan asked, "Are you giving me a warning?"

"No, no, just a reminder," the old man said. "Though all seems calm around you, treacherous undercurrents are swirling. Everything revolves around you! You can never predict the next move of these pieces, so danger lurks at every turn. Even a seemingly insignificant piece could lead to your instant demise!"

Suddenly, Ye Fan’s composure faltered. The old man was absolutely right. His life was indeed surrounded by a swirling vortex, and if it were to burst, the consequences would be unimaginable. The old man’s insight was astonishingly accurate. He had seen straight through Ye Fan’s worries and troubles, earning Ye Fan’s profound admiration for his wisdom.

"Please, Senior, grant me your guidance!" Ye Fan said.

The old man advised, "You need only return to King Hall. That place is your Heaven. There, no one can shake your position."

Ye Fan pondered for a moment before replying, "Senior, I currently have no plans to return."

"That’s fine," the man said. "Although the undercurrents are strong, there are few who can truly be your rivals. As long as you eliminate the source of the rot, your crisis will be resolved."

Ye Fan fell silent, then asked, "I am very curious about your identity, Senior."

Indeed, the old man was powerful and far too mysterious. Ye Fan’s curiosity grew.

The old man replied, "Although we’ve never met, we trade frequently, even constantly."

"You’re from Huaxia Sword?" Ye Fan asked abruptly.

Huaxia Sword and the government were essentially one entity, separate from the Divine Dragon. They fought solely for the Divine Land, and they would stand against anyone who harmed its interests. Ye Fan himself had many business dealings with the Divine Land.

The old man confirmed, "That’s right. I am Zhan Xiong of Huaxia Sword."

So, it was Zhan Xiong. Ye Fan was stunned. Zhan Xiong was the supreme Controller of Huaxia Sword, with even the Sword Coming Teams under his direct command. In some ways, Zhan Xiong’s status was comparable to that of the top national leaders. Ye Fan couldn’t help but feel a deep respect, meeting him under such circumstances.

"So it is Senior Zhan Xiong. A pleasure to meet you, a true pleasure!" Ye Fan greeted him at once.

Zhan Xiong laughed. "King of Heaven, there’s no need for such formality. You have contributed a great deal to the Divine Land. On its behalf, I thank you!"

"You’re welcome," Ye Fan replied immediately. "After all, I am from the Divine Land. It’s only natural that I contribute."

"Hahaha, so young and so promising! King, you are incredibly powerful, but in this swirling vortex, vast as the ocean, you must remain level-headed."

"I will," Ye Fan affirmed.

Zhan Xiong then said, "Before I met you, I intercepted a martial arts expert from overseas, but she managed to escape. Her strength is no less than yours or mine, so you must be cautious!"

"I understand, Senior," Ye Fan said. "I will definitely find out who she is."

Zhan Xiong smiled. "Good. I must be going. If you need anything, feel free to contact me."

"If I need anything, I won’t hesitate to ask!" Ye Fan laughed.

Then, Zhan Xiong departed with a shaky gait. Ye Fan knew he was undoubtedly one of the most powerful experts in the Divine Land. Even he himself might not be Zhan Xiong’s match. For now, however, Zhan Xiong was clearly not his enemy.

Ye Fan turned and headed back to the villa.

It was the weekend, so Su Qingxue wasn’t at work. The moment he walked in, she confronted him. "Where were you last night? Why did you leave us all at the KTV? Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was?"

"Ah, well, something urgent came up," Ye Fan said awkwardly. He had indeed forgotten all about that, and thinking back on it, he knew he deserved her scolding.

At that moment, Su Qingxue leaned close and sniffed at him. Her sense of smell was terrifyingly keen, something that even Ye Fan was wary of.

"Why do I smell Sister Yazhi’s perfume on you?" she demanded. "Oh! I get it now. Last night, everyone was there except you and Sister Yazhi. Fess up!"

You’re so sharp, why aren’t you a detective? It’s a complete waste of your talent!

He quickly tried to explain, "What are you talking about? There’s nothing between Sister Yazhi and me. I mean, we barely even know each other! You’re letting your imagination run wild!"

He truly wanted to cry but had no tears.

Su Qingxue retorted, "I don’t know if you’re familiar or not, so why bother explaining it to me? For all I know, you two could have slept together and you’d still claim you barely know her. A heartless man like you is more than capable of saying that!"

The accusation of being "heartless" nearly made Ye Fan spit blood. Come here! I’ll teach you a lesson you’ll never forget!

The two bickered for a long time before it finally ended with Ye Fan conceding. There was nothing he could do. For all his power as the formidable King of Heaven, he stood no chance of victory against Su Qingxue.

They were like fated enemies from a past life. What a cruel joke!

「That afternoon」

Luo Ling called him. Ye Fan had always treated Luo Ling like his own Yue’er, so he asked gently, "Luo Ling, what’s wrong?"

"Brother, someone wronged me," she sobbed through the phone.

The moment he heard that Luo Ling had been wronged, Ye Fan’s anger flared. "Don’t worry," he said, "I’m on my way."

"Okay!" Luo Ling replied, still crying.

To Ye Fan, Luo Ling being wronged was the same as Yue’er being wronged. He couldn’t stand seeing his loved ones suffer. He would find out exactly what happened, and whoever was responsible would be taught a harsh lesson.