The Fourth Elder smiled warmly at Xiao Yufan’s humility. Previously, he had heard from Butler An about this man, and now, meeting him in person, he could see why Yingluo had been so fond of him. The man indeed possessed extraordinary qualities—greater than he had imagined!
“You’re truly the grandson of Situ Lingyu. As the saying goes, a tiger’s den produces no cowardly pups. It seems the elders at home still don’t fully grasp your potential!”
The Fourth Elder possessed formidable strength and could easily gauge Xiao Yufan’s abilities. His praise was genuine—from the bottom of his heart. After all, even within the entire Hu family, there wasn’t a single young person who could rival Xiao Yufan.
“Fourth Elder flatters me…”
A faint smile surfaced on Xiao Yufan’s lips, easing some of the concern he had felt earlier. He guessed the Fourth Elder wouldn’t force Yingluo back to Britain now—he had the strength to protect this woman.
“Come on, let’s go inside. I’m sure many people are already curious about you. You’re the first person who’s dared to slap the Hidden Guo family right in the face!”
With a flick of his wrist, the Fourth Elder sent an invitation card flying toward Guo Qi, then strode forward. The crowd instinctively parted a path. Wherever they went, those with power always commanded respect…
Xiao Yufan followed closely with the four women behind him. Hong Zhong cast a disdainful glance at Guo Qi, who still lay on the ground like a beaten dog, shook his head with a cold chuckle, and turned to follow Xiao Yufan. That guy was lucky—if it had been him who acted earlier, the man wouldn’t even have had a chance to stand back up.
The island was vast, and the entrance to the Hidden Guo family was merely the tip of the iceberg. Looking at the elegant mountains rising from the lake-like waters surrounding the island, it was quite a sight to behold.
Along the way, Xiao Yufan’s group attracted many curious glances, mostly because the four women were so dazzling. They hadn’t dressed up specially, yet their natural charm made it hard for people to look away. However, no one was foolish enough to approach them—they could sense the immense power radiating from the elder walking ahead.
“I’ve found being single isn’t so bad. At least I don’t end up offending every guy here without even saying a word…”
Hong Zhong chuckled as he walked. This man had such radiant women by his side, drawing every gaze wherever they went. Naturally, Xiao Yufan had become the collective rival of every man present. Enjoying his harem so openly—it was almost too much.
“If you don’t speak, no one will mistake you for mute!”
Hu Yingluo shot Hong Zhong a glare, clearly annoyed. Hearing her words, Hong Zhong wisely shut up—he was genuinely afraid of this little princess of the Hu family.
“After the martial arts competition, stay in China for a while. I can help you find a girlfriend—definitely prettier than those foreign girls…”
Xiao Yufan was used to Hong Zhong’s antics and couldn’t help but twitch his lips. Hong Zhong’s background was excellent; if he ever publicly sought a partner, the Hidden Hong family would probably be flooded with proposals.
“Sure, whatever. If you find someone pretty, you’ll probably keep her for yourself. Why would you leave any for me? Foreign girls might not be as beautiful as the ones nurtured by China’s feng shui, but they’re pretty open-minded. One day, I’ll bring back a dozen foreign beauties just to piss you off!”
“If you corrupt my husband, don’t think I won’t tell Hong Grandpa to send you back to Britain!”
Hong Zhong had a look of exaggerated excitement on his face, which made Xiao Yufan want to punch him. However, before he could speak, Yingluo’s voice rang out again. Hong Zhong’s expression instantly shifted from excitement to helplessness—evidently, the old master of the Hong family had quite a grip on him.
“Alright, alright, I was wrong! Just don’t badmouth me in front of Grandpa, okay? I already got in trouble for sneaking away. If you make things worse, I’m a dead man!”
“Behave yourself. If you do well, I might convince Yingluo to let you off easy. If not, well, who knows what might happen!” Xiao Yufan added.
Though Hong Zhong was seething inside, he could only stare helplessly and say nothing further. Although there were many people along the way, Xiao Yufan didn’t meet a single familiar face. While he had encountered many from the hidden clans before, compared to the vast and ancient heritage of China, those he knew were merely the tip of the iceberg.
Before long, the group arrived at the accommodations arranged by the Hidden Guo family for the Hu and Hong families. The place was even more luxurious than expected, showcasing the deep-rooted power of a hidden clan.
“You sneaked off without a word, leaving me, an old man, behind! Just wait until I get my hands on you!”
The moment they stepped inside, Hong Zhong sensed something was off. Before he could react, he was grabbed. Xiao Yufan’s brows furrowed—he hadn’t even noticed where the old man had come from. The speed was astonishing.
“Stop!” Hong Zhong had already braced himself for the worst. After shielding his face, he called out to the elder who had appeared before them, “Okay, you can hit me now!”
“Hong Grandpa, Hong Zhong was just worried about me, so he secretly left with me. Please don’t blame him…”
Seeing Yingluo plead on his behalf, Hong Zhong’s face showed deep gratitude. The old man’s expression softened—clearly, he doted on Yingluo. It was just unfortunate that his grandson hadn’t been lucky enough to marry such a beautiful woman.
“For Yingluo’s sake, I’ll let you off this time. Next time you run off, I’ll send you straight back to Britain! Do you think the trouble you caused me a few days ago wasn’t enough?”
Thinking of how Hong Zhong had stirred up trouble with several hidden clans immediately after returning to China, the Hong family elder grew furious. Did the boy really think this was still the Hong family’s territory in Britain, where he could act however he pleased?
“Grandpa, don’t worry. Those weren’t real problems. If I meet those guys again, I’ll make sure they crawl away!”
Those guys would definitely show up at the martial arts competition, and Hong Zhong was determined to settle the score. If it came down to a one-on-one fight, he feared no one.
“Just don’t cause any more trouble for the next few days. This time, the Hong family is only participating in the martial arts competition—we shouldn’t provoke unnecessary enemies or leave behind hidden dangers. Otherwise, even if we leave the country, things might still get complicated!”
The Hong family elder simply wanted to prevent Hong Zhong from causing chaos. After all, the boy was young and impulsive. Moreover, this time around, many extraordinary martial artists from the hidden world and the Guardian Temple would emerge. Clashing with them would surely bring no good.
As he spoke, the elder subtly glanced at Xiao Yufan, nodding with a faint smile. Whether it was Xiao Yufan’s strength or the Tian Alliance behind him, both were more than enough to earn the elder’s deep respect.
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