Along the way, Lin Fan wore a faint smile, fully aware of the resentful gazes from the outer hall disciples of the Dan Ding Peak.
He felt a pang of sorrow inside — these were children blinded by hatred.
But oh well, hatred is the greatest driving force in the world. Perhaps their resentment toward him would push them to bury themselves in cultivation, striving to reach the peak so that one day they could crush him beneath their feet and avenge the past.
If his own existence could inspire these lost lambs to fight once again, Lin Fan would be content.
Moreover, since things had come to this, Lin Fan certainly wouldn’t mind adding a bit more hatred, provoking them further to despise him, even pushing them to exert every ounce of strength, thus advancing ever further on the path of martial cultivation.
At this moment, Lin Fan’s gaze changed — it became as arrogant and domineering as any rich brat’s, exuding an air of invincibility. He raised his finger imperiously, as if commanding the world.
“What are you looking at? Haven’t you seen your Senior Master arrive? Why haven’t you come to greet me yet?”
Lin Fan had already planned his approach toward these disciples of Dan Ding Peak’s outer hall.
The disciples below were naturally outraged, feeling deeply insulted. Each of them glared at him with bloodshot eyes, silently vowing that from this day forth, they would not rest until they had crushed Lin Fan beneath their feet and avenged their humiliation.
Some might even say, Lin Fan thought, that this might be the very thing to spark a rags-to-riches transformation in one of these underdogs.
With a haughty roar, Lin Fan’s voice thundered like a bolt from the heavens, exploding in the ears of the Dan Ding Peak disciples.
It frightened them, making their hearts race and their eyes widen.
Perfect, perfect. Exactly the effect he’d hoped for.
In an instant, Lin Fan took in the expressions of the outer hall disciples. This oppression, this dominance — it seemed to be working.
Of course, Lin Fan never intended to bully his own sect members. After the shout, he had no intention of taking any further action — after all, it would be against the natural harmony.
However, just as Lin Fan was about to head straight for the herb cultivation area, something unexpected happened.
The disciples of Dan Ding Peak’s outer hall, who had just been shouted at by him, actually came forward timidly, their expressions respectful and fearful as they bowed respectfully.
“Greetings, Senior Master!”
“Disciple greets Senior Master.”
…
What the hell?
At this moment, Lin Fan was stunned. This wasn’t the script he had planned at all. How could these disciples of Dan Ding Peak be so spineless?
With such an arrogant attitude from him, they still came forward to greet him with fawning smiles.
Sigh, it’s all over, completely over.
At this moment, Lin Fan silently sighed. This generation of Dan Ding Peak was doomed, how could they have ended up with such disciples?
As for the disciples themselves, they had already developed a deep fear of this great devil.
Such profound fear that they no longer harbored even the slightest thought of resistance.
His alchemical skills were superb, and he had the favor of the people. Most importantly, the supreme elder of Dan Ding Peak stood firmly at his side.
What could they possibly do? To challenge him would be foolishness, leading only to merciless crushing.
It would be better to simply accept the situation, try to please him, and perhaps gain some small benefit that could propel them to success and prosperity.
“Senior Master Lin, is there anything we can do for you?”
“We know Dan Ding Peak inside out, Senior Master Lin. Please give us any task — we will go through fire and water without hesitation.”
The outer hall disciples surrounded Lin Fan, lavishing him with flattery.
Recalling the tragic events of that day, they felt like crying. After returning to Dan Ding Peak, not only had they been punished by the elders, but they had also received a severe reprimand.
Even Elder Gu had been demoted to an outer hall disciple.
All these drastic changes were caused by the very Senior Master Lin standing before them. All they wanted in Dan Ding Peak was to find a patron, gain some benefits, and live an easy life.
Now all of that had vanished, and they had simply accepted their fate.
Seeing such respect from these outer hall disciples, Lin Fan found it hard to maintain his pretense of arrogance.
After all, these were his junior disciples. Since they had realized their mistake and changed their ways, it was fine to let it go.
At this moment, Lin Fan’s expression gradually softened. “Mm, good, very good.”
Now that they were flattering him so much, Lin Fan no longer intended to stimulate their potential. If they were going to fawn over him like this, he might as well treat them kindly. Although they had once charged up to Wuming Peak, Lin Fan wasn’t the kind of person to hold a grudge — he would let bygones be bygones.
…
“Bang!”
Just at this moment, a loud noise rang out as a door was suddenly pushed open, and a figure stormed out furiously.
When Lin Fan saw who it was, he couldn’t help but smile — it was his junior disciple Li Shun.
At this moment, Li Shun’s eyes were bloodshot with rage. Seeing his fellow disciples fawning over Lin Fan, showering him with flattery, only made him tremble with anger.
Li Shun had countless words he wanted to say, but he didn’t know where to begin. He could only glare fiercely at Lin Fan with hatred.
In Li Shun’s eyes, this man was his greatest enemy for life.
Li Shun’s current life was miserable. Not only had he lost all his privileges, but even his beloved flute boy had left him. Recalling the look in the flute boy’s eyes as he departed, Li Shun felt a deep sense of loss.
In his mind, all of this was caused by Lin Fan. If it weren’t for him, Li Shun would still be the master alchemist of Dan Ding Peak’s outer hall.
Li Shun held back his words, not daring to speak recklessly, but he used his furious gaze to stare unyieldingly at Lin Fan.
Letting him know just how angry and unwilling he was inside.
“Senior Brother Li, Senior Master Lin has arrived.”
“Senior Master Lin, Senior Brother Li must be extremely excited to see you, that’s why his eyes are red with emotion.”
…
Upon hearing these words from his fellow disciples, Li Shun nearly staggered, even wanting to curse them all for their cowardice. Who the hell gets their eyes red from excitement?
“Li Shun, why haven’t you come to greet Senior Master Lin yet?” At this moment, Elder Gu, who had also been demoted, sternly rebuked from among the disciples.
He had also become someone who understood the situation and acted accordingly. Now that things had come to this, what else could he do? He could only hope to make amends and perhaps regain his former position as an outer hall elder in the future.
At this moment, Lin Fan smiled. He hadn’t expected Li Shun to be so resilient — even now, he still held resentment toward him.
That kind of spirit was truly admirable.
Step by step, Lin Fan approached. Li Shun, on the other hand, took half a step back, clearly showing some fear.
“Why, Junior Li! Past events are like passing clouds. There’s no need for you to hold a grudge,” Lin Fan said, stepping forward with a friendly smile as he patted Li Shun’s shoulder.
Li Shun slightly frowned, puzzled and unsure of Lin Fan’s intentions.
The other outer hall disciples looked at Senior Master Lin with a tinge of guilt in their hearts. They hadn’t expected Senior Master Lin to be so magnanimous, not holding any grudges. Even after Li Shun’s extreme behavior, he didn’t harbor any resentment — such tolerance was truly admirable.
“What do you want?” Li Shun eyed Lin Fan warily.
“Oh, Junior, there’s no need to be tense. I once studied physiognomy, and today when I looked at you, I noticed that your face resembles a precious pearl covered in dust — a sign of a heaven-bestowed talent,” Lin Fan said solemnly, spouting complete nonsense.
Along the way, Lin Fan wore a faint smile, taking in the resentful gazes of the outer hall disciples of Dan Ding Peak. Deep down, he felt a pang of sorrow—these were children blinded by hatred. But then again, hatred is the greatest motivator in the world. Perhaps their resentment toward him would drive them to immerse themselves in cultivation, striving to reach new heights and eventually crush him underfoot, venting their pent-up anger.
If his mere presence could reignite the fighting spirit of these lost lambs, Lin Fan would find solace in that. Given the current situation, he didn’t mind adding more fuel to the fire, stoking their hatred even further, perhaps even pushing them to unleash every ounce of their strength and advance further on the path of martial arts.
At this moment, Lin Fan’s demeanor shifted, becoming as arrogant and domineering as a spoiled noble. He pointed his finger like a ruler commanding his subjects and barked, “What are you staring at? Haven’t you seen that your uncle has arrived? Hurry up and greet me!”
Lin Fan had already planned his approach toward these outer hall disciples of Dan Ding Peak. Naturally, the disciples below were filled with indignation, feeling deeply insulted. Their eyes burned with fury as they glared at him, swearing in their hearts that they would never rest until they crushed Lin Fan underfoot. Some even harbored the thought that this might be the catalyst for one of them to rise from obscurity and achieve greatness.
Lin Fan’s arrogant shout echoed like thunder in the ears of the outer hall disciples, shaking them to their core and causing their eyes to narrow in fear. Perfect, just the effect he wanted. In the blink of an eye, Lin Fan took in the expressions of the outer hall disciples. This kind of oppression and dominance seemed to be working.
Of course, Lin Fan never bullied his fellow sect members. After his shout, he had no intention of taking further action, as it would be against the natural order. But just as he was about to head to the herb cultivation area, something unexpected happened.
The group of outer hall disciples he had just berated timidly approached him, their faces filled with respect and fear, and they greeted him with reverence, “Greetings, Uncle Lin…” “We pay our respects to Uncle Lin.”
What the hell? Lin Fan was dumbfounded. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. These outer hall disciples of Dan Ding Peak had no self-respect at all. Despite his arrogant attitude, they were all fawning over him.
Sigh. It’s over. Lin Fan silently lamented. This generation of Dan Ding Peak was doomed. How could they all be like this?
For the outer hall disciples of Dan Ding Peak, this “demon lord” was someone they deeply feared. They were so terrified that they didn’t even dare to resist. Not only was he a master of alchemy, but he also had the support of the elders, especially the Grand Elder of Dan Ding Peak. What could they do? Opposing him would be like throwing an egg against a rock—utterly futile. It was better to submit and curry favor, hoping to gain some benefits and perhaps even rise to greatness.
“Uncle Lin, is there anything we can do for you?” “We’re very familiar with Dan Ding Peak. Please, Uncle Lin, give us any orders. We’d go through fire and water for you!”
The outer hall disciples surrounded Lin Fan, showering him with flattery. Recalling the recent misfortunes, they felt like crying. After returning to Dan Ding Peak, not only were they punished by the elders, but they were also given a stern lecture. Even Elder Gu had been demoted to an outer hall disciple. All these drastic changes were caused by none other than Uncle Lin. In Dan Ding Peak, they had only wanted to find a patron, skim some benefits, and live a comfortable life. Now that all that was ruined, they had no choice but to accept it.
Seeing how respectful these outer hall disciples were, Lin Fan found it difficult to maintain his feigned arrogance. After all, these were his juniors. Since they had acknowledged their mistakes, he decided to let it go. His expression softened, and he nodded, “Good, very good.”
Lin Fan no longer intended to push their potential. Since they were so eager to flatter him, he would treat them well. Although they had once stormed Nameless Peak, Lin Fan wasn’t one to hold grudges. He decided to let bygones be bygones.
…
“Bang!”
At that moment, a loud noise erupted as a door was flung open, and someone stormed out in a rage. Lin Fan looked over and couldn’t help but chuckle—it was his junior, Li Shun.
Li Shun’s eyes were bloodshot, and he was seething with anger. Seeing his fellow disciples from Dan Ding Peak surrounding Lin Fan and showering him with flattery only made him tremble with rage. He had so much to say but didn’t know how to express it, so he could only glare at Lin Fan with intense hatred. To Li Shun, this man was his lifelong nemesis.
Li Shun’s life had taken a turn for the worse. Not only had he lost his privileges, but even his beloved flute-playing attendant had left him. Recalling the look in his attendant’s eyes as he departed, Li Shun felt an overwhelming sense of loss. In his mind, all of this was Lin Fan’s fault. If it weren’t for him, Li Shun would still be the esteemed alchemy master of Dan Ding Peak’s outer hall.
Li Shun suppressed the words on the tip of his tongue, not daring to speak out. But he fixed his furious gaze on Lin Fan, hoping to convey the depth of his anger and resentment.
“Senior Brother Li, Uncle Lin is here.” “Uncle Lin, Senior Brother Li must be so excited to see you that his eyes are red with joy.”
…
Hearing his fellow disciples’ words, Li Shun felt like he was about to collapse. He wanted to curse them out—these spineless fools. Who the hell was excited to see Lin Fan?
“Li Shun, why haven’t you greeted Uncle Lin yet?” The demoted Elder Gu, now mingling among the disciples, scolded sternly. He was a pragmatist. Given the current situation, what else could he do? He could only hope to make amends and perhaps regain his position as an outer hall elder in the future.
Lin Fan chuckled. He hadn’t expected Li Shun to remain so steadfast, still harboring resentment toward him even now. Such spirit was commendable.
Lin Fan stepped forward, while Li Shun took half a step back, visibly nervous. “Ah, Junior Li, the past is in the past. There’s no need to hold a grudge,” Lin Fan said amiably, patting Li Shun on the shoulder.
Li Shun frowned, unsure of Lin Fan’s intentions. The other outer hall disciples watched, feeling a twinge of guilt. They hadn’t expected Uncle Lin to be so magnanimous, willing to let bygones be bygones. Even after Li Shun’s outrageous behavior, Lin Fan showed no resentment. Such tolerance was truly admirable.
“What do you want?” Li Shun asked warily.
“Ah, Junior, no need to be nervous. Your uncle once dabbled in physiognomy. Today, I see that your face is like a dusty gem, bearing the mark of a prodigy,” Lin Fan said with a straight face, spouting nonsense. He was mainly conducting an experiment. In some novels, his current behavior would be that of a spoiled noble bullying the protagonist.
Li Shun was taken aback, his expression flickering with a hint of interest. A prodigy? But then his guard went up even more.
“Junior, come with me. Let your uncle help you unlock your potential. I hope I’m not mistaken,” Lin Fan said with a smile, patting Li Shun’s shoulder as the two slowly walked toward the room.
Li Shun was taken aback, his expression slightly shifting at the mention of being a “heaven-bestowed talent,” but he quickly became even more cautious.
“Junior, come with Senior Master. I want to help you cleanse your aura. I hope I haven’t misjudged you,” Lin Fan said with a gentle smile, patting Li Shun’s shoulder as the two slowly walked into the room together.
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