Ye Bufan, though unaware of the exact situation, had a good guess and pulled Chu Mengyao behind him, positioning himself between her and Jin Dalang.
"Who are you?" Jin Dalang's eyes were filled with disgust as he glared at Ye Bufan.
"Ye Bufan," Ye Bufan replied calmly, looking at Jin Dalang. "I don't know what happened between you two, but that's in the past. Besides, since you claim to be from the Jin family in the capital, is disturbing someone's meal and being impolite a part of their etiquette?"
Jin Dalang glanced at Ye Bufan after hearing his words and couldn't help but chuckle.
"Who did I think it was? So it's Ye Bufan, who made such a splash at the martial arts tournament," Jin Dalang said. "I don't care who you are. Disappear from my sight now, immediately, or I don't care if you're a genius bringing glory to Great Xia, I'll cripple you, and no one will dare to cause trouble for me."
As soon as Jin Dalang finished speaking, the old man standing at the doorway appeared behind him.
"Jin Dalang, we have nothing to do with each other anymore."
Chu Mengyao frowned and walked in front of Jin Dalang.
"You were the one who made mistakes, you were the one who disappeared without a word, and you were the one who lied about your identity to deceive me. Isn't that right?"
Hearing Chu Mengyao's words, Ye Bufan was quite sure that something had happened between Chu Mengyao and Jin Dalang.
"Mengyao," Jin Dalang was about to step forward and explain to Chu Mengyao when Ye Bufan took a small step forward, blocking his path.
Seeing this, the old man also stepped forward, intending to push Ye Bufan away. He expected it to be easy, but to his surprise, Ye Bufan remained completely still. Even when the old man used his internal energy, Ye Bufan stood like a mountain in front of him.
"Hmm?" The old man looked at Ye Bufan in shock.
"Hmph hmph~" Ye Bufan sneered dismissively, and the old man was sent flying back by the surge of true qi from Ye Bufan.
"Uncle Xun!" Jin Dalang looked at Xun Zhao, who had been sent flying, with a hint of shock. He hadn't expected Xun Zhao to be repelled by Ye Bufan.
Xun Zhao looked at Ye Bufan incredulously. He had only heard about Ye Bufan's match a few days ago, where he fought three against one and defeated the Japanese. He hadn't expected the opponent to be a Great Martial Venerable.
Jin Dalang was not an idiot. He exchanged a glance with Xun Zhao, and the latter gave him a look that Jin Dalang understood.
"Mengyao, let me explain, I had no choice back then," Jin Dalang said to Chu Mengyao.
Chu Mengyao hid behind Ye Bufan, not even looking at him.
Seeing Chu Mengyao's complete lack of reaction, Jin Dalang's expression became increasingly grim. After arriving in Jinhe, he had immediately learned of Chu Mengyao's whereabouts and driven here with Xun Zhao.
It was one thing for Chu Mengyao to ignore him, but this Ye Bufan was standing in his way, ruining his plans. Xun Zhao had already advised Jin Dalang not to act rashly.
With all these events converging, Jin Dalang felt his pride severely wounded.
Jin Dalang stared at Ye Bufan, and Ye Bufan stared back. Chu Mengyao's heart had been racing, but after Ye Bufan pulled her behind him, she felt a sense of relief and a spark of security.
"Chu Mengyao, I'll give you one last chance. Are you coming with me or not?" Jin Dalang, unwilling to give up, asked Chu Mengyao.
"There's no possibility between us anymore," Chu Mengyao replied without hesitation.
Jin Dalang laughed in anger and nodded, saying, "Good! Very good! If you don't think for yourself, you should at least consider your Chu family's business."
"The last person who said that to her has already gone to see King Yama," Ye Bufan said, looking at Jin Dalang. "A man speaking to a woman like that really has no shame."
"Ye Bufan, you wait!" Jin Dalang said to Ye Bufan before leaving with Xun Zhao.
"It's alright now," Ye Bufan turned to look at Chu Mengyao.
Chu Mengyao looked at Ye Bufan, and they left the hotel.
Ye Bufan didn't take Jin Dalang seriously. In his eyes, the Jin family of the capital would eventually become Jin Yucheng's spoils; it was only a matter of time.
Chu Mengyao and Ye Bufan arrived at the hotel entrance, looking at the city in the dark night.
"You don't seem very interested in the matter between me and Jin Dalang," Chu Mengyao turned to look at Ye Bufan.
Ye Bufan just smiled slightly and said, "The past is in the past. There's no need to dwell on it. Don't we humans always look forward?"
Chu Mengyao nodded. Her past with Jin Dalang dated back to university. It had been so long. Seeing him today had made her angry.
"But I'm very interested in your past," Chu Mengyao took a deep breath and looked at Ye Bufan. "I still don't know what kind of person you are."
Ye Bufan smiled slightly and said, "Me? I'm an ambitious person."
Chu Mengyao pursed her lips and nodded, looking at Ye Bufan and saying, "I don't know where your ambition lies. We can't understand you, let alone know you. Sometimes you give us a very mysterious impression."
Ye Bufan looked at Chu Mengyao and suddenly had an idea.
"Do you really want to understand me?" Ye Bufan asked Chu Mengyao.
Chu Mengyao nodded heavily. Ye Bufan instantly summoned the broken sword from his spatial jade pendant.
The broken sword floated between Ye Bufan and Chu Mengyao. Ye Bufan looked at Chu Mengyao and asked, "Do you trust me?"
Chu Mengyao nodded. Ye Bufan grabbed Chu Mengyao and leaped up, standing on the broken sword.
"Ah—" Chu Mengyao screamed in fright. It took her a while to calm down.
"First, I'm not a martial artist in your traditional sense," Ye Bufan said. "I am a cultivator. My ambition is to become the strongest among cultivators."
With that said, Ye Bufan flew on his sword, taking Chu Mengyao away from the city and towards a famous historical site in the suburbs.
...
Outside Jinhe City, on Qingfeng Mountain.
This was a famous spot for watching the sunrise. Ye Bufan and Chu Mengyao sat on the mountaintop, waiting for the sun to rise the next day.
"So, does that mean Earth might be in crisis?" Chu Mengyao asked.
Ye Bufan told Chu Mengyao about Earth's imminent breakthrough of its limitations, intending to prepare her.
"Don't worry, I will protect you all," Ye Bufan said to Chu Mengyao earnestly.
Chu Mengyao looked at Ye Bufan and said, "I believe you, and my Chu family will support you unconditionally. Whatever you do, I will support you with all my might."
Listening to Ye Bufan's explanation of the world of cultivators, Chu Mengyao also felt a sense of impending crisis, concluding that a chaotic era was approaching.