Chapter 615: Beat You Up

“It seems this brother isn’t exactly welcoming me. They say guests should be warmly received, won’t you at least invite us in for a cup of tea?”

Hong Zhong saw Xiao Yufan’s expression and slightly lifted the corners of his mouth into a smile. His handsome face, full of smiles, revealed no emotions. This guy wasn’t a pushover either—he was clearly skilled at concealing his thoughts.

“It’s true that Master An has traveled far, so inviting him in for a cup of tea is appropriate. However, I don’t know you at all, so I don’t think we have any particular rapport, do we?”

Xiao Yufan nodded slightly at Master An, then turned his gaze back to Hong Zhong. Throughout this entire exchange, the latter had shown no hostility, which only made Xiao Yufan more puzzled. Could it be that this persistent fellow had only come to see Yingluo?

“That’s true enough…”

Hong Zhong realized that Xiao Yufan had a point. After all, they were strangers, and could even be considered half-rivals in love. Naturally, there was nothing wrong with Xiao Yufan’s attitude.

“If you agree with what my husband said, then go back where you came from! My heart belongs to someone else, forever unchanged, so you might as well give up!”

Yingluo took the perfect opportunity to interject. She knew Hong Zhong’s personality well—he might be persistent and a bit of a nuisance, but he wasn’t a bad person. Unless absolutely necessary, she didn’t want to break relations with this guy who looked like a woman.

“Yingluo, you should know that I’ve always truly loved you. Can’t you give me even a chance?”

Faced with Yingluo’s breathtaking beauty, Hong Zhong’s expression showed unusual emotion for the first time. As the future heir apparent of the Hong family, he had many admirers, but the only one he had ever truly loved was Yingluo.

Xiao Yufan frowned slightly, his lips twitching. Was this guy treating him like thin air? It was one thing to confess to Yingluo, but to completely ignore him?

“I really should thank you, Hong Zhong. Until now, I’ve always considered you a friend. But if you insist on acting this way, I’m afraid we won’t even be able to remain friends!”

Yingluo clenched her teeth in frustration. Her peripheral gaze flickered toward Xiao Yufan—she was afraid this man might get angry. Women are sensitive creatures, and she didn’t want any blemish to remain in Xiao Yufan’s heart regarding her.

“It seems I was just being self-delusional. Well then, if you’ve already made your choice, I’ll just wish you happiness!”

Xiao Yufan could sense that Hong Zhong truly loved Yingluo. But alas, while the prince might have feelings, the goddess had none—it seemed he was quite unlucky. Xiao Yufan inwardly felt relieved he had acted first.

“So, it really turns you on to confess to my woman right in front of me, huh?”

It wasn’t that Xiao Yufan lacked magnanimity—it was just that any man in his position would feel annoyed. Especially when this guy was so blatantly ignoring him.

“Of course it does! But I can see you’re pretty annoyed too. I really want to give you a good beating!”

Hong Zhong narrowed his eyes slightly, a strange smile appearing on his face. Truthfully, his biggest purpose in coming here was to meet this man who had such a renowned reputation in the north.

“Fair enough. I also want to beat you up badly, so you’ll know that my woman is off-limits to you!”

The atmosphere suddenly turned tense. The pressure radiating from both men surged like a spring geyser. Yingluo opened her mouth, yet said nothing more. This was a matter between men, and she naturally shouldn’t interfere. Of course, if Hong Zhong dared to harm her man, she definitely wouldn’t let this persistent nuisance off the hook.

“Master An, you can just enjoy the show from the sidelines. I’d also like to see for myself the strength of the man you’ve praised so highly!”

Hong Zhong was a man of genuine passion. At this moment, naturally, he wouldn’t retreat even an inch. As the two men’s auras clashed, neither gained the upper hand. Master An simply smiled, shook his head, and stepped back to stand beside Yingluo.

“I really want to know how you managed to capture Yingluo’s heart, especially when you have other women around you whom she doesn’t seem to mind. I hope you won’t disappoint me!”

Despite his irritation, Hong Zhong also felt some admiration toward Xiao Yufan. This man had so many outstanding women around him, and even the proud Yingluo didn’t mind his polygamous happiness.

“You won’t be disappointed!”

As soon as the words fell, Xiao Yufan had already launched himself forward. Since the other party had been so direct, naturally he needed to show his strength—how dare someone challenge him on his own turf!

“It seems this brother isn’t too welcoming of me. They say a guest from afar should be treated with hospitality. Aren’t you going to invite us in for a cup of tea?”

Seeing Xiao Yufan’s expression, Hong Zhong’s lips curled into a slight smile. His handsome face, filled with a grin, showed no trace of emotion. This guy was no pushover, at least capable of perfectly masking his thoughts.

“Since Manager An has come from afar, inviting him in for tea is only polite. But as for this friend here, we’ve never met before, so there’s no reason for any courtesy.”

Nodding toward Manager An, Xiao Yufan’s gaze shifted back to Hong Zhong. From start to finish, this guy hadn’t shown any hostility, which only deepened Xiao Yufan’s suspicion. Could it be that this persistent fellow was just here to see Yingluo?

“That’s fair enough…”

Hong Zhong found Xiao Yufan’s reasoning quite sound. They were strangers, and to some extent, even rivals in love. It was only natural for Xiao Yufan to act this way.

“Since you agree with my husband, why don’t you go back where you came from? My heart belongs to someone else, and that will never change. So, you might as well give up.”

Hu Yingluo chimed in at just the right moment. She knew Hong Zhong’s personality well. Though he was persistent and a bit of a nuisance, he wasn’t a bad person. Unless absolutely necessary, she didn’t want to sever ties with this effeminate man.

“Yingluo, you know how much I’ve always liked you. Can’t you give me a chance?”

Facing Yingluo’s stunning beauty, Hong Zhong’s expression wavered for the first time. As the future leader of the hidden Hong family, he had no shortage of admirers, but the only one he truly loved was Yingluo.

Xiao Yufan’s brow furrowed, and his lips twitched. Was this guy treating him like air? Confessing to Yingluo was one thing, but doing it right in front of him…

“Well, I guess I should thank you. I’ve always considered you a friend, but if you insist on this, we might not even be able to remain friends.”

Biting her lip in frustration, Hu Yingluo’s gaze lingered on Xiao Yufan. She was afraid he might get angry. Women are sensitive creatures, and she didn’t want any blemish on the image she held in Xiao Yufan’s heart.

“It seems I was just being presumptuous. Fine, since you’ve found someone you love, I’ll just wish you happiness.”

Xiao Yufan could sense that Hong Zhong genuinely loved Yingluo. But alas, the king’s heart was willing, while the goddess remained indifferent. Hong Zhong was truly unlucky, and Xiao Yufan couldn’t help but feel a bit of relief that he had acted first.

“It seems you’re quite enjoying confessing to my woman right in front of me…”

It wasn’t that Xiao Yufan was being petty. Any man would feel uncomfortable in this situation, especially when the other guy blatantly ignored him.

“Of course, it feels great. But I can see you’re not too happy about it. I really feel like giving you a good beating!”

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Hong Zhong’s face broke into a mysterious smile. His main purpose for coming here was to meet this man who had made quite a name for himself in the north.

“Likewise, I’d like to give you a good beating too, just to let you know that my woman is not someone you can mess with.”

The tension in the air thickened as the auras of the two men surged like a spring. Hu Yingluo opened her mouth but said nothing. This was a matter between men, and she knew better than to interfere. Of course, if Hong Zhong dared to harm her man, she wouldn’t let this persistent fellow off the hook.

“Manager An, just sit back and enjoy the show. I’d like to see for myself what kind of strength this man you’ve been praising so highly possesses.”

Hong Zhong was a man of true character, and at this moment, he wasn’t about to back down. As their auras clashed, neither gained the upper hand. Manager An simply shook his head with a smile and retreated to where Yingluo stood.

“I’m curious, how did you manage to capture Yingluo’s heart? Even with other women by your side, she doesn’t seem to mind. I hope you don’t disappoint me.”

Aside from his irritation, Hong Zhong couldn’t help but admire Xiao Yufan. This man had so many exceptional women around him, and even the proud Yingluo didn’t mind sharing him.

“Count on it.”

With those words, Xiao Yufan sprang into action. Since the other guy was being so blunt, he had to show his mettle. Trying to beat him on his own turf? That was just wishful thinking!

At the initial stage of the Condensing Power realm, Xiao Yufan was already considered a top-tier expert in the outside world. Such a master of internal energy could hold his own against hundreds of ordinary people. But for Hong Zhong, this level of strength wasn’t enough to make him back down.

After all, Hong Zhong had already reached the peak of the Condensing Power realm. Even a half-step into the Postnatal realm wouldn’t deter him.

Xiao Yufan’s face twitched slightly as he took a deep breath. Though this guy was annoying, there was no denying his terrifying strength.

The two men moved swiftly, their figures blurring as they clashed. There was no technique or finesse—just raw, primal force.

A muffled grunt echoed as both Xiao Yufan and Hong Zhong took a few steps back. In that brief exchange, they had already gauged each other’s strength.

The peak of the Condensing Power realm was indeed on a different level compared to ordinary Condensing Power experts. If Hong Zhong had exerted just a bit more force, Xiao Yufan might have been sent flying. After all, this guy was even stronger than that old dog from the hidden Guo family.

As for Hong Zhong, his expression grew more serious. He hadn’t expected Xiao Yufan’s strength and physical resilience to far exceed his expectations. And this was just the initial stage of the Condensing Power realm?

“Your arm must be numb by now, right? If I’m not mistaken, you can’t even lift it anymore.”

With the advantage of being at the peak of the Condensing Power realm, Hong Zhong had the upper hand. Seeing Xiao Yufan’s slight frown, a smile crept onto his lips—not one of mockery, but of playful teasing.

“And what about your arm? Don’t act all high and mighty. If you end up with egg on your face later, it won’t be pretty.”

Xiao Yufan shot back. If he was feeling the strain, there was no way Hong Zhong wasn’t. After all he’d been through, Xiao Yufan’s physical resilience far surpassed others at his level.

“Ha, your words really know how to provoke. But this is just the beginning. Next, I’ll show you the true power of the peak Condensing Power realm!”

Because Hong Zhong had already reached the peak of Ning Gong cultivation. Even a half-step into the advanced Later Heaven realm expert would dare to challenge him.

Xiao Yufan’s face couldn’t help but twitch slightly. He took a deep breath. Although this guy was annoying, one thing was undeniable—his strength was indeed terrifying.

Their fight broke out quickly. Before the women could even see clearly what was happening, the two figures had already clashed, moving chaotically without any discernible pattern—pure brute force colliding.

A low groan followed. Almost simultaneously, both Xiao Yufan and Hong Zhong took several steps backward. In that brief exchange, they had already tested each other’s strength.

The peak of Ning Gong cultivation—truly incomparable to ordinary Ning Gong experts. If Hong Zhong had exerted just a bit more force, Xiao Yufan wouldn’t have merely taken a few steps back. This guy was even stronger than that old dog from the Guo family.

As for Hong Zhong, his expression also turned more serious. He hadn’t expected Xiao Yufan’s strength and physical endurance to exceed his expectations by such a margin. This was someone who had only just entered the Ning Gong realm?

“Your arms must be numb by now. If I’m not mistaken, you probably can’t even lift them with any strength left, right?”

Leveraging his advantage as a peak Ning Gong expert, Hong Zhong saw Xiao Yufan’s slightly furrowed brows and allowed a slight smile to grace his lips—not mocking, but teasing.

“And what about your arms? Don’t act so smug. If things go wrong later, it’ll be quite embarrassing for you!”

Xiao Yufan responded. If he was feeling bad, how could this guy possibly feel any better? After going through so many trials, his physical strength had already surpassed others at the same level.

“Hehe, your words really get under my skin. But this is only the beginning. Now, let me show you the true power of the peak Ning Gong realm!”