Top-tier Unruly Master

Ding Fan and the others had been walking through the forest for most of the day and had now reached the edge of the forest.

The transport workers delivered to this point and then all went back. After all, they are now bandits, and Li Yu and his men are soldiers. For bandits to escort soldiers could cause trouble if someone intent on causing problems got hold of this fact.

After the transport workers left, Ding Fan was also ready to leave.

"Elder Brother Zhou, remember the promise you once made me. You said you would definitely come to Yanjing to see me."

Ye Ningqing knew she was about to be separated from Ding Fan, but the thought of parting, not knowing when they might meet again, made her heart ache.

Ding Fan nodded. "Don't worry, since I promised you, I will definitely come to see you."

"Elder Brother Zhou, this year's Christmas is also my birthday. Could you come to see me then?" Ye Ningqing looked at Ding Fan with her clear, pitiful eyes, brimming with charm.

The greatest trump card of a beauty is a pitiful expression, which one can hardly refuse.

Ding Fan nodded. "I will come."

Ding Fan calculated in his mind, with two months until Christmas, that if he had time, it wouldn't be a big deal to make a trip to Yanjing.

"That's great, Elder Brother Zhou, I will be waiting for you on my birthday. You must come early..." Ye Ningqing's mood lifted considerably, a captivating smile on her face.

Ding Fan nodded again, indicating that he agreed.

As they were about to part ways, Li Yu approached. "Elder Brother Zhou, I cannot thank you enough for your great kindness. I only hope you can come to Yanjing soon so I can return your hospitality."

Ding Fan had a good impression of Li Yu, who seemed very responsible and straightforwardly loyal.

"Don't worry, when I get to Yanjing, I will certainly find you and we'll have a good drink together..."

"I'll be waiting for you anytime, Elder Brother Zhou!" Li Yu gave a martial artist's salute, reluctantly speaking to Ding Fan.

Seeing that it was getting late, Ding Fan gave a faint smile. "Let's part ways here."

With that, Ding Fan turned and darted into the forest...

Ye Ningqing just stood there silently, watching until Ding Fan was no longer in sight, with no intention of leaving.

Ye Ningqing had never felt like this before, hanging on to every thought of someone. The way Ding Fan moved now replayed in her mind, like scenes from a movie...

"Elder Brother Zhou, you must come on my birthday..."...

...

Not long after Ding Fan plunged into the forest, he sensed he was being tracked.

The sensation was akin to when he was being tracked by He Chen in the Immortal Peak Primeval Forest.

At this point, Ding Fan was somewhat puzzled about who might be tracking him.

However, he pretended not to notice the other party and acted as if he were just hurrying through the forest. Meanwhile, the person tracking Ding Fan showed no sign of revealing themselves...

While on the move, Ding Fan had utilized his Divine Sense to ascertain the situation behind him. The person following him had notable cultivation, not as strong as the Thousand-Faced Duke, but still at least at the Sixth Grade Human Level.

And judging by the tracking method, Ding Fan felt the person pursuing him was likely from the He Family of Hao Mountain.

Having previously been chased by He Chen at Immortal's Peak, Ding Fan was no stranger to the He Family from Hao Mountain's tracking methods.

Since he had guessed the background of his pursuer, Ding Fan no longer wasted time and with a flicker of his movement technique, he vanished completely into the forest in a matter of seconds.

Just as Ding Fan left, a figure appeared at the very spot where Ding Fan had been standing.

It was a robust man, his brows deeply furrowed.

The He Family of Hao Mountain was famously known for their tracking skills, and they liked to say that once they had someone in their sights, even if the person fled to the ends of the earth, they would be found.

This saying reflected just how confident the He Family was about their tracking abilities.

Yet now, the robust man's brows were furrowed into a "川" shape.

Ever since entering the forest, he had been closely following Ding Fan, believing that it was impossible for Ding Fan to detect him. However, just as he was feeling certain, Ding Fan suddenly sped up and disappeared before his eyes.

The robust man wasn't particularly surprised by Ding Fan's movement technique; within Hidden Sects, it wasn't rare to excel in such methods.

What astonished him was that after Ding Fan disappeared, all traces of him vanished as well — scent, footprints…

It was as if Ding Fan had never been there at all. But obviously, Ding Fan had been there just seconds ago. How could a person hide so many clues in such a short time…

"Why are you tracking me?"

Just as the muscular man was pondering what to do, an abrupt voice, without any warning, appeared behind him.

The muscular man was taken aback, he swiftly turned his head, and when he saw clearly who was standing behind him, his eyes suddenly widened.

"It's you?!"

The person standing behind the muscular man was none other than Ding Fan.

There was no trace of joy or anger on Ding Fan's face, "You are a member of the He family from Hao Mountain, aren't you?"

The muscular man's complexion turned extremely ugly at that moment. The He Family's Tracking Technique was famously accurate, but he had not sensed Ding Fan's sudden appearance behind him at all. If Ding Fan had wanted to harm him just now, he would have had no chance of survival.

At this time, the muscular man was fully alert. Although the man opposite him, Ding Fan, looked to be just over twenty years old, he dared not underestimate him.

"I am He Zhankui from the He Family of Hao Mountain..." The muscular man didn't conceal his identity. "Since you've guessed that I'm from the He Family, then you should know why I've come looking for you."

Of course, Ding Fan knew that the He Family's people were seeking vengeance for He Chen.

"I killed the man. If you seek revenge, then come at me."

Although it was He Chen who had first come to kill him and then got slain by him, the rationale was on Ding Fan's side, but now all that no longer mattered. He had already killed He Chen, and there was no room left for reconciliation with the He Family.

Although He Zhankui was wary of Ding Fan, if he was intimidated by a young man barely in his twenties, the He Family would utterly lose face.

Right then, He Zhankui drew a Soft Sword directly from his waist.

"Since you killed a member of the He Family, I shall send you to your death..."

He Chen also used a Soft Sword that day, similar in style to the one He Zhankui held, which suggested that the people from the He Family of Hao Mountain did indeed prefer using Soft Swords.

It was high noon, and the sunlight shone down through gaps between branches and leaves of the towering trees, casting light upon the stream behind He Zhankui. For a moment, the stream glittered brilliantly. Right then, Ding Fan wasn't paying attention to He Zhankui; instead, he gazed at the gleaming water and became momentarily distracted.

After entering Changan Ridge, Ding Fan had obtained a map from a man and a woman, which was incredibly complex. It appeared to depict a tunnel, and at the end of the tunnel was a mountain with the word "Haijiao" written on it...

Ding Fan had always doubted the authenticity of the map since, despite his time spent in the forest, he had never seen any mountain labeled with the word Haijiao.

However, upon seeing the shimmering water, Ding Fan started to think that the winding paths drawn on the map were perhaps not tunnels but the waterways of the Changan Ridge instead...

Thinking of this, Ding Fan was pleasantly surprised. After all, Cultivation Materials were incredibly scarce on Earth. If he could truly find the Magical Treasure mentioned by the couple, wouldn't that be wonderful?

"Die!"

At that moment, He Zhankui suddenly exerted his strength and launched a swift attack at Ding Fan.

Seeing Ding Fan distracted, he believed this was the best opportunity to kill Ding Fan. Without hesitating, his Soft Sword produced a sound akin to a dragon's roar and thrust fiercely toward Ding Fan's chest.

Just as the Soft Sword was about to pierce Ding Fan, he suddenly swung his hand. Splaying his right hand like a knife, he effortlessly knocked aside the incoming Soft Sword.

Although Ding Fan was thinking about the map, his Divine Sense had never left He Zhankui. How could he possibly be taken by surprise?

What in the world?!

For a moment, He Zhankui was dumbfounded. Ding Fan's palm was made of flesh and blood, yet he had managed to deflect his Soft Sword. How was that possible?!

He Zhankui had lived for nearly forty years, but witnessing someone deflect a blade with their bare hand was truly a first for him.

Ding Fan glanced at He Zhankui. "So it's a sneak attack? It seems the He Family consists of nothing but despicable lowlifes…"

He Zhankui's face flushed red; being older than Ding Fan, launching a sneak attack was indeed difficult to justify.

"Boy, meet your end!" Ignoring the earlier exchange, He Zhankui brandished his Soft Sword, striking directly at Ding Fan's throat!

This time, Ding Fan chose to counter speed with speed. His figure flickered, and the moment He Zhankui's Soft Sword lunged forward, Ding Fan had already vanished from the spot.

How is this possible?!

He Zhankui found it hard to believe. Ding Fan's movement technique was outrageously fast—so fast that, had it not been for his exceptional observational skills, he would have thought Ding Fan had disappeared into thin air.

However, Ding Fan did not give He Zhankui much time to be shocked. With a raise of his hands,

He Zhankui suddenly felt a chilling sensation on his shoulders. By the time he looked, he nearly passed out from shock.

Both of his arms had been completely severed by Ding Fan...