Zhou Yu raised his hand, and the Zhou Clan's secret technique manual suddenly appeared in his grasp.
"This is according to our wager..."
Zhi Xuan casually accepted the manual. After flipping through several pages, he nodded in satisfaction and smiled.
"Then..." Zhi Xuan's eyes shifted toward Zhou Yu. "What are you still waiting for?"
Supporting himself with one hand against the ground, Zhou Yu coughed up a mouthful of blood. He lifted his head and stared at Zhi Xuan in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
Zhi Xuan sighed.
"Didn't you say that the loser would stay away from Lin Xianyun? Then why are you still standing here instead of leaving immediately?"
Hearing those words, Zhou Yu clenched his teeth tightly.
He bit his lip so hard that blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
His face was pale, yet his gaze was filled with hatred.
At that moment, Zhi Xuan could clearly sense that Zhou Yu's hostility toward him had increased dramatically. It had already reached the point where a deep grudge had taken root in his heart.
However, Zhi Xuan paid it no mind.
He merely shook his head and chuckled mockingly.
"You should accept the consequences of the wager you made yourself. I didn't force you into it. You were the one who wanted it."
After saying those words, Zhi Xuan turned around and stepped off the arena.
But instead of walking toward Lin Xianyun, he headed directly for Lin Fan, who was standing there with a cold expression.
"Patriarch Lin, may I speak with you for a moment?"
Zhi Xuan's voice entered Lin Fan's ears softly.
Lin Fan asked, "What do you wish to discuss?"
Zhi Xuan's eyes shifted toward Lin Xianyun, who was standing about twelve meters away.
Noticing his gaze, Lin Xianyun tilted her head in confusion.
"Why is he looking at me like that?"
Seeing her reaction, Zhi Xuan sighed inwardly.
Why is this woman so dense? I'm telling you to come over here, yet you're just standing there with that clueless expression.
"One moment," Zhi Xuan said.
He walked over to Lin Xianyun.
"Come here."
He gently grabbed her sleeve and led her over toward Lin Fan.
"Patriarch Lin..." Zhi Xuan suddenly wrapped an arm around Lin Xianyun's shoulder and declared, "We're actually Dao Companions!"
"What?!"
Everyone who heard Zhi Xuan's words widened their eyes in shock.
Not only them—even Lin Xianyun herself was stunned.
He had suddenly blurted it out without any warning whatsoever!
Moreover...
Lin Xianyun glanced sideways.
She saw Zhi Xuan's arm draped around her neck, his hand resting comfortably on her shoulder.
Humiliating!
This was absolutely humiliating!
Her face instantly turned crimson.
Her heart pounded wildly, and tears almost formed beneath her eyelashes.
"Hmph."
Lin Fan's cold eyes scrutinized the two of them.
After a long moment, he sighed and asked,
"Since when have you two had this kind of relationship?"
Zhi Xuan and Lin Xianyun exchanged glances.
Then they answered at the same time.
"A year ago!"
"At the lake!"
The answers were completely different.
Zhi Xuan claimed it had started a year ago.
Lin Xianyun claimed it had started at the lake.
Naturally, this immediately made Lin Fan suspicious.
He stared at the two of them strangely.
Meanwhile, everyone else wore confused expressions.
Some even scratched their heads despite not feeling itchy.
"What does that mean?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"They're Dao Companions, but they started the relationship at different times?"
"Argh! My head hurts just thinking about it!"
...
Zhi Xuan flicked Lin Xianyun's forehead before turning to Lin Fan.
"Father-in-law, it seems Lin Xianyun forgot when our relationship began. Hahaha..."
He laughed awkwardly while sweat trickled down his forehead.
"Father-in-law?"
Lin Fan frowned.
Then he stroked his chin thoughtfully.
To be honest, this didn't seem entirely unacceptable.
After all, compared to Zhou Yu, Zhi Xuan was clearly the better choice.
But...
Why would a talented young man like him have such a terrible reputation?
Why did every rumor about him claim he was nothing but trash?
No matter how much Lin Fan thought about it, he couldn't find an answer.
Eventually, he sighed.
"Since you've already demonstrated your abilities, I'll set aside my suspicions for now."
Hearing those words, Zhi Xuan instinctively clenched his fist.
"Yes!"
"Yes? What's that supposed to mean?" Lin Fan asked curiously.
Zhi Xuan hurriedly waved his hands.
"Nothing, nothing. It's just a word I unconsciously say whenever I'm happy."
Suddenly, a cold voice came from beside him.
"Can you let go already? Haven't you touched me long enough? Remove your hand immediately."
Zhi Xuan turned his head.
There stood Lin Xianyun, her face completely red from embarrassment.
"Ah, sorry."
Zhi Xuan immediately withdrew his arm.
Then he brushed his hands together as though dust had gotten on them.
Seeing that action, Lin Xianyun immediately became annoyed.
"Why did you do that? Do I look that dirty to you?"
"Hmm, of course not."
Zhi Xuan turned his face away.
"I'm only doing it because I feel like it."
Then he muttered inwardly,
Why is this woman so sensitive whenever it comes to me?
...
Meanwhile...
Outside the Lin Clan Estate.
Zhou Yu and his father sat inside a horse carriage parked beside the road.
His father wrapped the injured parts of Zhou Yu's body and applied medicinal herbs to his bruises.
"Father, you must avenge me!"
Zhou Yu growled through clenched teeth.
Both of his hands gripped his knees tightly.
His father nodded.
"Wait until he leaves the Lin Clan Estate. When that happens, I'll personally find him and kill him myself."
Zhou Yu nodded immediately.
His father was a Mid-Stage Nascent Soul Realm expert.
Zhou Yu firmly believed that Zhi Xuan would be completely helpless against him.
However, his father thought otherwise.
He wasn't nearly as confident.
After all, he couldn't accurately judge Zhi Xuan's true strength.
Zhi Xuan had defeated Zhou Yu with a single move.
How could he possibly determine the boy's cultivation realm or combat power?
Still...
Zhou Yu's father hardened his resolve.
If Zhi Xuan truly possessed Nascent Soul Realm cultivation as he suspected, then he was likely at least at the Mid Stage.
Otherwise, there was no way he could have effortlessly blocked an attack whose destructive power rivaled that of an Initial Stage Nascent Soul cultivator.
To ensure an overwhelming advantage...
Zhou Yu's father had already made a decision.
He would use a Sage-Grade Weapon.
Only then would he be completely certain of killing Zhi Xuan.