Chapter Twenty-Four: He Is None Other Than Mo Fan

As Yaoxin forcibly dragged Mo Fan toward the doorway, he twisted his head at the last moment, casting a gaze of desperate yearning toward the cold, ethereal young woman in the tavern.

He yearned for her to reach out and help him. He did not want to be dragged away by this seductive woman. Mo Fan knew all too well that once he was out of sight, he would face horrors beyond his imagination. Yaoxin had already identified him; in her eyes, Mo Fan had no secrets left. Heaven only knew what she intended to do, given her frantic urgency.

However, the young woman remained as aloof and untainted as a celestial being above the mortal realm, her brow carrying an inexplicable aura that made her impossible to read.

"Yaoxin, stop!"

With a sharp metallic ring, the young woman Lin Xiaojun drew her precious sword. Like a flash of white light, she appeared before Mo Fan and Yaoxin, blocking their path. She swung her blade, and a surge of spiritual energy cut through the air.

Yaoxin’s expression shifted drastically as she scrambled to dodge the strike. Caught off guard by Lin Xiaojun’s sudden aggression, she let out a cry of frustration and released Mo Fan, shoving him aside.

"Ah!"

Tossed from the upper floor, Mo Fan entered a rapid freefall, crashing into a tavern table with a loud thud. It hurt, but it was worth it. At the very last moment, the young woman had indeed stepped in to save him from the enchantress.

"Lin Xiaojun!"

Recovering her composure, Yaoxin glared at her rival. She snatched the guqin from her back, pulled the strings, and plucked them twice. A powerful blast of spiritual energy erupted, instantly engulfing the second floor of the small tavern.

"I’m telling you, Yaoxin, he is a candidate marked for the Shura Martial Arts Academy’s entrance examination. You would do well to stay out of this, or I won’t mind cutting you down in this tavern where no one will ever know," Lin Xiaojun said forcefully, drifting aside to evade Yaoxin’s attack.

"Dream on!" Yaoxin was equally unyielding. He was the prey she had claimed first; how dare this girl intervene? She would not be trifled with.

"He is the one the Zuihua Pavilion wants! My eldest sister is waiting for him!" Yaoxin swept her guqin in a wide arc to keep Lin Xiaojun at bay, then turned and leaped to the tavern floor, reaching out with her slender fingers to snatch Mo Fan.

"Overestimating yourself!"

Looking like a goddess descended to earth, Lin Xiaojun swung her sword again, slicing through the air to intercept Yaoxin’s hand.

Whoosh!

Blocked by Lin Xiaojun, Yaoxin spun and kicked out, knocking the girl’s sword aside to prevent her from reaching Mo Fan. Yaoxin landed gracefully on a wooden pillar, plucking her strings, ready to strike again. Lin Xiaojun mirrored her, footwork quick and precise, sword pointed at her opponent, standing like an ethereal fairy untouched by worldly strife.

After a brief clash, neither had gained the upper hand, and they remained locked in a tense standoff of strings and steel.

***

Neither was willing to yield. Although no blades had truly drawn blood, the pressure of their warring energies surged between them. The sudden ceasefire left many of the tavern’s bamboo chairs overturned.

Most of the patrons were practitioners who had retreated to the sidelines, content to watch the tigers fight from a safe distance. Xiahou Ji watched the scene with smug satisfaction, his eyes sweeping across the room. Those who gathered here were all cultivators of some standing. While they weren't as ostentatious as Duan Jiutian and his entourage, every guest here possessed at least the strength of the Body Tempering Realm.

One person in the crowded tavern caught Xiahou Ji’s attention: Master Wang, the tavern keeper.

While everyone else had scattered to find cover, the man who brewed the ale remained rooted by the counter, seemingly indifferent to the chaos. Under normal circumstances, he should have been roaring about the destruction of his furniture and the ruined loft, but he remained silent—a silence so profound it was unsettling.

Xiahou Ji kept his eyes on him, waiting to see what he would do. He and Mo Fan had come a long way together; though they didn't fully trust one another, there was no reason for them to harm each other. Xiahou Ji had only one wish in this life: to witness the legendary Shadow Kill Fist technique once more before he returned to the dust. Therefore, he could not let Mo Fan die before the boy had mastered the complete technique, or his life’s ambition would remain unfulfilled.

"Lin Xiaojun, you are indeed formidable. No wonder you are the only girl among the ten recognized geniuses of the Gancheng Prefecture. At such a young age, you have already reached the peak of the Body Tempering Realm, the final stage of the Myriad Phenomena. I fear it won't be long before you break through to the Initial Perception stage!"

Yaoxin was devastatingly seductive, never forgetting her poise even in the heat of battle. The girl before her was slightly stronger; though both were at the same stage, their individual insights differed. From their brief exchange, Yaoxin could sense that Lin Xiaojun had already touched the threshold of Initial Perception. Her sword energy no longer contained mere spiritual power; it was already laced with the effects of true essence.

To Yaoxin, such an ethereal person rarely appeared to be a ruthless character. Yet, this girl was the exception.

"So what? What is that to you?"

Lin Xiaojun remained cold; she hadn't shown a hint of warmth since she arrived. As she spoke, she moved, shifting the direction of her blade until the tip pointed directly at Mo Fan. Just as Mo Fan tried to slip away toward Xiahou Ji, the sword rested against his throat.

"Where are you going? Move! You are coming back to the Martial Arts Academy with me!"

With the blade at his neck, Lin Xiaojun’s expression grew even frostier. She began to escort Mo Fan out of the tavern toward the Shura Martial Arts Academy.

***

The aura surrounding the girl was powerful, but it felt less like she was escorting a new recruit and more like she was hauling an enemy, a faint glint of killing intent flickering in her eyes.

Mo Fan felt uneasy. He intended to go to the Shura Martial Arts Academy, but not like this. If he were to enter, he would do it on his own merits, passing the trials to prove to everyone that he was not a failure. Being dragged there by a girl meant nothing. Moreover, he had important matters to attend to here that he could not afford to miss.

"Lin Xiaojun, don't force me!"

As they stepped out of the tavern, Yaoxin suddenly appeared from nowhere, clutching her guqin and blocking their path. Behind them, a group of onlookers chuckled, arms crossed, with no intention of intervening. Dou Jian, in particular, who had previously concealed his identity and tried to shift blame onto the Ning family, was so delighted to see Mo Fan held at swordpoint that he nearly laughed aloud. Duan Jiutian was equally dismissive, secretly hoping these two powerhouses would destroy each other so he would face fewer obstacles on his way to Panlong Mountain.

"Force you?" Lin Xiaojun glanced at Yaoxin with arched brows, saying dismissively, "There is no need. If you have the ability, take him from me."

"Very well!" Yaoxin’s eyes curved into a smile, and she said softly, "He is Mo Fan, the one who fought to a draw against an Initial Perception master at Undead Peak and stood his ground against those of the Myriad Phenomena. Netherworld Palace, Feather Pattern Pavilion—surely you all have an interest in him!"

With a seductive sway, Yaoxin exposed Mo Fan’s true identity.

"He is Mo Fan?"

Many were shocked by this secret. They could hardly believe their eyes or ears. Duan Jiutian and Dou Jian felt a pang of regret for having dismissed him earlier, but it was too late; neither dared to offend Yaoxin or Lin Xiaojun. Niu Batian’s eyes bulged, finding it hard to believe this was the boy everyone was going crazy over. Still, they remained skeptical. One had to be careful; one slip could lead them straight into a trap.

"Yes, that’s right, he is Mo Fan!"

As the crowd hesitated, Xiahou Ji walked out, limping, gripping his sword to support his body. Under Mo Fan’s astonished gaze, he spoke without a hint of reservation.