Cao Cheng, who was nearly two meters tall and as sturdy as a bear, walked into the room.
With thick eyebrows and large eyes, his gaze held a fierce glint.
The air inside the room seemed to grow heavy, and the light dimmed considerably.
Despite knowing Chu Fan was not simple, Guan Ziqi instinctively clutched his sleeve, startled.
"Ge..."
Cao Wei, sniveling and teary-eyed, rushed to his elder brother's side.
"Ge, I..."
*Bang...*
Instead of comforting his beaten younger brother, Cao Cheng kicked him two meters away as if he were a dead dog.
"Useless!"
"I've always told you to cultivate more, but you're always chasing women. Why haven't you beaten yourself to death?"
"You still have the nerve to come to me. If I didn't want to see Father sad, I would have kicked you to death."
Cao Cheng spoke with utmost seriousness, as if genuinely angry.
This scene left Guan Ziqi and the others astonished, wondering if this was a true elder brother.
"Ge, I know I was wrong. When we get back, I'll definitely cultivate properly!"
Cao Wei's voice was muffled.
While he was extremely arrogant in front of others, he dared not complain when beaten and reprimanded by his elder brother, knowing his brother could genuinely kill him.
Cao Cheng let out a cold snort, his gaze sweeping across the scene before settling on Chu Fan.
His intuition told him that Chu Fan was the one who had beaten his brother like a dog.
*Thump, thump, thump...*
Cao Cheng walked towards Chu Fan with steps that made the floor tremble slightly.
"Was it you just now who hit my brother?"
"Bullied the weak and feared the strong, so he deserved to be hit?"
"Is this the family tradition of your Cao family?"
"You only allow yourselves to bully others, but not for others to bully you?"
Chu Fan's response remained calm.
Wang Ling and the others were genuinely impressed with him at this moment, finally understanding the meaning of "appearances can be deceiving."
He wore the most ordinary clothes but spoke the most powerful words.
If it were them, facing the imposing Cao Cheng, they would have been weak-kneed and stammering.
Cao Cheng nodded. "He relied on his meager skills to bully people everywhere, so he indeed deserved a beating!"
"But, it shouldn't be an outsider like you to hit him. If anyone should hit him, it should be our family."
"Since you hit him, then I will hit you."
"You could defeat him, which means you're also a martial artist."
"The space here is small and not conducive to a fight, let's go outside!"
Cao Cheng, despite his burly and seemingly brutish appearance, was much more sensible and clear-minded in his speech and actions than Cao Wei.
Chu Fan stood up.
"Right here. No need to go outside, lest you embarrass yourself!"
Mocked, Cao Cheng couldn't help but laugh.
He raised his thick eyebrows. "I hope you're not just talking big. If you can truly make me embarrass myself, I'll immediately acknowledge you as my elder brother!"
Chu Fan shook his head. "I don't need any junior brothers. However, there's something I need to mention."
"Speak!"
At this moment, Cao Cheng's eyes on Chu Fan were filled with fighting spirit and curiosity.
Although his brother's abilities were not as good as his own, he knew very well how strong he was.
By rank, he was already a half-step Grandmaster.
To be easily dealt with by Chu Fan, it meant Chu Fan was at least a Grandmaster, at the same level as himself.
And he remained so calm even under the pressure he exuded.
Based on this alone, Cao Cheng considered Chu Fan a rare opponent.
An opponent deserved respect.
"Your useless brother is quite vengeful and wants to get back at these people."
"If you lose, you'd best control him, otherwise, the next time you see him, he'll be a corpse."
Cao Cheng glanced at Cao Wei.
"I'm telling you, if you dare to involve anyone else present because of this matter, I'll break your legs for Father and keep you at home for life!"
Rebuked, Cao Wei dared not retort, lowering his head dejectedly.
"Is that satisfactory?"
Chu Fan nodded. Cao Cheng took a few steps back and assumed a fighting stance.
In response, Chu Fan calmly moved forward.
Seeing this, Cao Cheng's thick eyebrows twitched as he sensed something was amiss.
"You have innate bear bones, which are indeed suitable for martial arts!"
The evaluation surprised Cao Cheng.
With his innate bear bones, his strength and resilience far surpassed those of ordinary people, making his power half as strong again as others of the same level.
This was something only core family members knew.
To be able to see his difference on their first meeting, Chu Fan was indeed remarkable.
Cao Cheng's vigilance instantly heightened.
He knew this young man before him was far more extraordinary than he had imagined.
"However, you will still lose against me!"
As he spoke, Chu Fan moved.
Cao Cheng's pupils constricted. He had no time to marvel at Chu Fan's speed before a gust of wind struck him, forcing him to brace himself with his arms.
*Bang...*
A muffled explosion resonated.
Guan Ziqi and the others only saw Chu Fan, as if he possessed qinggong, flash and collide with Cao Cheng.
Then, Cao Cheng's sturdy body was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the wall and causing it to dent.
The room fell into silence, broken only by the sound of breathing.
Cao Cheng struggled to get up, his eyes on Chu Fan filled with shock.
"You win!"
What?
It was over just like that?
Everyone present was stunned.
They had expected a fierce battle between the two.
Unexpectedly, Cao Cheng conceded defeat after just one exchange.
How strong was Chu Fan?
"Let's go!"
Chu Fan looked at Guan Ziqi.
"Ah, okay!"
Guan Ziqi snapped back to attention and then called out to the still-dazed Wang Ling and the others.
Cao Wei was dumbfounded, sitting on the ground like an idiot.
He had thought that with his elder brother's arrival, dealing with Chu Fan would be as easy as crushing a persimmon.
But in reality, his brother had surrendered after just one move.
He couldn't comprehend how strong Chu Fan truly was.
*Plop!*
As the last outsider left the room, Cao Cheng could no longer hold on. He knelt on one knee, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.
"Ge..."
Cao Wei cried out in alarm and rushed to Cao Cheng's side, helping him up.
"Don't move me!"
Cao Cheng took deep breaths, trying to suppress the surging power within him.
He knelt on the ground for about ten minutes, his clothes soaked with sweat, before he let out a deep breath and slowly stood up.
"Who are you?"
Even though Chu Fan was long gone, Cao Cheng still looked toward the door.
To this day, his arms still trembled slightly.
"Ge, is he… is he really that strong?"
Cao Wei asked, his heart filled with fear.
It was hard to imagine that such an unassuming person could have gravely injured his elder brother, who possessed innate bear bones.
"Strong, very strong!"
"At least a half-step Grandmaster!"
"If he had intended to kill me just now, I would be dead by now!"
What?
Cao Wei's swollen face contorted in disbelief.
When did such a powerful half-step Grandmaster appear in Shanhai City?
How old was he?
In his twenties, and already a half-step Grandmaster?
As someone from a martial arts family, Cao Wei knew very well how difficult it was to reach Chu Fan's level.
Their father had cultivated diligently for forty to fifty years and only reached the half-step Grandmaster stage.
Cao Wei swallowed with difficulty.
"Let's go, let's go home first!"
"Father might know his origins!"
In the car.
Chu Fan felt uncomfortable under Guan Ziqi's adoring gaze and said, "You'd best remind your friends to keep what happened earlier a secret."
"Okay, okay, I'll notify them right away!"
Guan Ziqi quickly took out her phone to make a call.
The car soon arrived outside Shanhai Pavilion.
Seeing Chu Fan about to get out of the car, Guan Ziqi knew that if she missed this opportunity, she might never get another chance to speak.
She mustered her courage.
"Brother Fan!"
"What is it?"
"Do you... do you have a girlfriend?"
Some words, if spoken and not getting the desired result, were at least not a source of regret.
But if left unsaid, it might lead to lifelong regret.