"Why did you attack me? I don't recall ever crossing you," Lin Fan said, his voice calm but edged with curiosity.
He held Yue Chan by the neck, lifting her slightly as if grasping a cat by its scruff, rendering her powerless to resist. Her delicate frame dangled, unable to break free.
Little Yue Chan struggled, but her strength was sealed, leaving her helpless. In a low voice, she admitted, "I heard the sect had a new prodigy, someone the Master personally took under their wing. I… I just wanted to see for myself."
"Is that so?" Lin Fan squinted, his eyes glinting with sly wisdom, as if he could peer straight into her soul. "I think there's more to it than that."
"Don't hit me! I'll talk!" Yue Chan blurted under his piercing gaze. "Fine… I was jealous, alright? I'm supposed to be the leader of our generation in the sect. So why does Master favor you so much and barely pay attention to me?"
"So that's it. You're just jealous," Lin Fan chuckled, amused by the revelation.
He had initially thought she came to assert dominance, to prove who truly led the sect. But it seemed he'd overestimated her. At only eight years old, Yue Chan was still a child, far from the cunning and ruthless figure she'd become in the future. Her heart was still simple, her motives transparent.
"Um… I've told you everything. Can you let me go now? I am your senior sister, you know. You should show some respect," Yue Chan muttered, stealing a glance at him.
Lin Fan snapped out of his thoughts and smirked. "Oh, now you're pulling the senior sister card? Where was that when you ambushed me?"
A flush of embarrassment crept up Yue Chan's face. Sneaking an attack wasn't exactly honorable, but she'd only wanted to test Lin Fan's strength, to see why Master valued him so highly. If he hadn't provoked her with that sharp tongue, she wouldn't have lost her temper and fought in earnest.
It's all his fault anyway, she thought. He humiliated me, so we should be even.
But Lin Fan wasn't so forgiving. He'd spent nearly a year cultivating on the Black Stone Platform, only for her to shatter it. The surrounding scenery, once a serene backdrop for his training, was now ruined. How was he supposed to enjoy it now?
"What will it take for you to let me go?" Yue Chan asked bluntly, desperate to escape the humiliating position. Being pinned down like this was unbearable.
This moment was, without question, the most mortifying of her life. Defeated and straddled by a younger boy—a mere child in her eyes—she felt she'd never live it down.
"I'll let you go if you hand over all your treasures," Lin Fan said with a grin. Killing Yue Chan was out of the question; he still needed to maintain his cover as an undercover disciple. But squeezing some benefits out of her? That was the perfect plan.
Especially since Yue Chan, as the Holy Maiden of the Heaven Mending Sect, held a lofty status. With a Heavenly Deity as her granduncle, she was undoubtedly a wealthy little princess, ripe for the picking.
"What?!" Yue Chan's eyes widened, her small mouth forming a perfect circle. Her long lashes fluttered as she stared in disbelief. "You're… robbing me?"
"You heard me. Hand over your stuff, or you're not going anywhere," Lin Fan said menacingly, pinching her smooth, crystalline cheek.
"I'm… your… senior sister!" Yue Chan protested, her words muffled by the pinch, her face burning with shame and fury.
But Lin Fan just stared at her like she was a fool, his expression unchanging. Her protests fizzled out.
"Fine. If you won't hand them over, I'll take them myself," Lin Fan declared. He began searching her, his hands moving methodically from head to toe, leaving no spot unchecked.
"You—!" Yue Chan's face turned scarlet, her anger boiling over. Sealed and powerless, she could do nothing as he rummaged through her belongings.
As the Holy Maiden of the Heaven Mending Sect, she was revered, untouchable, a symbol of purity and grace. Wherever she went, people treated her with the utmost respect. Yet this brat had crossed every line, shattering her dignity. She wanted nothing more than to fight him to the death, to battle for eight hundred rounds.
But without her divine power, any attempt would only deepen her humiliation. She was utterly helpless.
Finally, Lin Fan's hand found a storage pouch at her waist. It was clearly high-grade, crafted from the hide of a true ferocious beast, far superior to the one he carried.
"A Qiankun Pouch!" he exclaimed, holding the small bag. It was light, as expected of a refined spatial treasure capable of holding an entire world without feeling heavy.
"Got anything to say?" Lin Fan asked with a teasing smile, shaking the pouch.
Yue Chan let out a cold huff, turning her head away and grinding her teeth in silence.
"Alright, let's see what goodies you've got," Lin Fan said, loosening the golden thread sealing the pouch. A dazzling glow burst forth, radiant with treasure light and spiritual essence, shimmering in vibrant hues.
He reached inside and pulled out several items: a few aged medicinal herbs with emerald-like leaves and a fragrant aroma. They were valuable, but Lin Fan wasn't impressed. The Clear Jade Herb Garden had far better treasures for him to harvest at will.
Next, he retrieved several vials of precious blood, a bottle of rare pills, a few talismans, and a jade sword that shimmered with dreamlike colors. The sword was clearly the most valuable, likely forged by a Heavenly Deity. But it was useless to him for now.
Lin Fan noted with mild surprise that Yue Chan hadn't used any of these treasures during their fight. It seemed she hadn't intended to kill him, which slightly softened his view of her.
Yue Chan, meanwhile, stole glances at him, her heart sinking as she watched the little thief gleefully rummage through her Qiankun Pouch. This is infuriating, she fumed silently.
"Hm? What's this? It's cold, hard yet soft… a piece of armor?" Lin Fan's eyes sparkled with curiosity as he felt something intriguing in the pouch.
As he moved to pull it out, Yue Chan's expression shifted dramatically. "No, don't!" she cried, her voice sharp with panic.
"Heh, the more you don't want me to see, the more I have to check it out," Lin Fan teased, his hand already tugging at the mysterious item.
He didn't notice Yue Chan's face turning as red as a monkey's rear, steam practically rising from her head in her mortification.
"It's… pink… undergarments!" Lin Fan froze, his jaw dropping as he held the delicate, fragrant fabric. The item sparkled faintly, exuding a subtle charm.
"Put it back now!" Yue Chan shrieked, her voice echoing through the purple bamboo grove, nearly deafening in its intensity.
She glared at Lin Fan's stunned expression, her anger and embarrassment boiling over. If she could, she'd drag him down with her in a blaze of mutual destruction.
Her face felt like it was on fire, her composure shattered. If there were a hole nearby, she'd burrow into it and never come out.
"Ahem, it's just a piece of clothing. No big deal," Lin Fan said, trying to play it cool as he quickly stuffed the item back into the pouch.
"You little brat, just you wait! Next time, I'll beat you so badly even your parents won't recognize you!" Yue Chan swore through gritted teeth, her vow burning with resolve.
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