Chapter 11
So She's Probably Above Grandmaster Level?
"Young Master Yi, do you have business with the Tang clan's guest?"
Before Bai Fanxian could make her move, Tang Xiuhan rushed in and saw the entire situation. He stepped forward to block them, his eyes fixed coldly on Yi Fan.
"Oh? Well, if it isn't Uncle Tang. Long time no see."
Yi Fan suddenly withdrew his gaze from Bai Fanxian and greeted Tang Xiuhan with a smile.
"It has been a while. How's your father doing?" Tang Xiuhan asked about Yi Fan's father, making the young man's eyes narrow visibly.
"He's doing well, thanks for asking."
The atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense. Both sides stared at each other without backing down. Even someone who didn't know them could tell these two didn't get along!
Naturally. Even though they didn't show it openly, the Tang and Yi clans had been fighting secretly all along. On the surface they seemed to have a good relationship, but behind the scenes each was waiting for the other to slip up.
"Like I said, this young lady is the Tang clan's guest. Could you step aside?"
Tang Xiuhan repeated himself. The cultivators from City C who came with Yi Fan all felt hesitant. Even though they were from different cities, they couldn't afford to offend the Tang clan's influence in this city.
"...Young Master Yi?"
One of them turned to Yi Fan for his opinion. With just one nod from Yi Fan, they would retreat immediately.
On one side was the Tang clan with influence in City A.
On the other side was Young Master Yi from the Yi clan in their home City C.
Offending either side wouldn't be good for small-time cultivators like them.
Yi Fan glared at Tang Xiuhan with displeasure. His arrogant nature made him unwilling to give in.
"She's just one woman. Come on, Uncle Tang, can't you let me have her?"
Yi Fan still wouldn't back down, full of stubbornness. He invoked the relationship between their clans to pressure Tang Xiuhan, hoping he would retreat instead.
The surface relationship between the two clans hadn't reached the breaking point yet. If Tang Xiuhan remained stubborn, it could become the spark that started a war.
Tang Xiuhan, however, showed no hesitation at all. He said with a calm voice:
"If you put it that way, then why don't you give this young lady to me instead?" Tang Xiuhan countered with the same words.
His answer made Yi Fan grit his teeth. He didn't expect Tang Xiuhan to have no worry in his tone whatsoever.
"Don't regret this later...Uncle Tang."
Yi Fan waved his hand, signaling his group to retreat, then left through the hotel entrance with Liang Zhongxin following closely behind. Before leaving, everyone saw Yi Fan turn back to look at Tang Xiuhan with vengeful eyes.
"Will everything be okay, Master?"
Atian asked Tang Xiuhan with concern.
But the middle-aged man just waved his hand lightly to reassure his close subordinate, then walked over to Bai Fanxian who was watching the entire situation calmly.
No one knew that something big had almost happened.
Even though Bai Fanxian was quite patient, if the other side crossed the line, she was ready to eliminate the problem right then and there.
If Tang Xiuhan had appeared a few seconds later, those cultivators—including Yi Fan and Liang Zhongxin—would have all died on the spot without knowing why.
And there was no need to fear anyone coming after her. Everything people around her would see would just be Bai Fanxian standing still while those people fell down on their own.
Or even if someone really did come after her, did they think the young woman would let anyone take advantage of her easily?
No way!
"Are you alright, miss?"
Tang Xiuhan asked with concern. Of course, he also bent down to check on little Hui'er beside her. He'd almost forgotten why he rushed after Bai Fanxian in the first place.
When he remembered, he flinched slightly and laughed dryly.
Right. If this woman really had the level of strength he suspected, even ten of those Yi Fans wouldn't be a match for her!
"Miss, I heard from Ama. How about I arrange a place for you to stay tonight?"
"And you too, little one. I also have a daughter about your age. But she's not very healthy."
Besides Bai Fanxian, Tang Xiuhan also invited Hui'er personally. He was quite concerned about this child.
He had a daughter around the same age. There was also guilt about the earlier accident.
Even though she wasn't injured, for a child this small it must have been quite traumatic.
The more he thought about it, the more guilty he felt. He gently patted Hui'er's head as she looked up at him with a puzzled expression.
He didn't know at all that because of Bai Fanxian's pure qi that had entered Hui'er's body during the accident, the little girl no longer had any psychological trauma left.
"...That works."
Bai Fanxian, who had been thinking, surprisingly accepted the invitation. This made Tang Xiuhan's eyes widen.
"Excellent! Let's go then. My car's parked right in front of the hotel."
Tang Xiuhan even went as far as to extend his hand politely to invite them. The sight of this left people who knew Tang Xiuhan's identity utterly baffled.
Someone like Chairman Tang personally inviting her like this—who was this woman?
And Tang Xiuhan looked so pleased too. What was her true status?
They all quietly memorized Bai Fanxian's face. Especially the hotel staff, who felt incredibly regretful that they didn't get to serve her today.
"Isn't that the goddess from the shopping district?"
A male employee watching asked his coworker, pulling out his phone to scroll through the picture he'd shared earlier.
"Look! It really is her!"
He showed the picture to his friend excitedly. Bai Fanxian in the photo had a beautiful smile at the corner of her lips, making her charm explode so much that anyone who saw it felt their heart race uncontrollably.
And the shares kept climbing, almost reaching one hundred thousand.
"She's gorgeous! Think she's from some rich clan?"
"Who knows. Never seen her before. She might be from another city. Recently, I don't know what's going on—lots of people from out of town are gathering here."
The employees exchanged opinions until the manager walked by and they scattered back to work.
.
.
.
On Bai Fanxian's side, she was finding this vehicle called a car extremely interesting. Since it belonged to someone of Tang Xiuhan's level, the car was no ordinary vehicle. It was fully equipped with amenities from a refrigerator to screens, and spacious with a seating area that had sofas facing each other. On one side sat Tang Xiuhan with his bodyguard Ama beside him.
On the other side, Bai Fanxian sat with a calm demeanor. Different from little Hui'er, who—after feeling the soft comfort of the seat—looked around at everything in the car with interest.
The little girl had never seen such a luxurious car before.
Hui'er's behavior just made Tang Xiuhan laugh affectionately. He reached out to grab fruit juice from the refrigerator and handed it to Hui'er himself.
Hui'er turned to look at her lady for permission. When she saw Bai Fanxian nod lightly, she smiled widely with joy, then took it and thanked him adorably, making Tang Xiuhan and Ama both smile.
If only his young lady had a strong and cheerful body like this.
He thought quietly to himself.
"Miss, let me introduce myself again. My name is Tang Xiuhan. May I ask what I should call you?" Tang Xiuhan asked Bai Fanxian politely.
"Bai Fanxian," she answered simply, with no particular emotion in her voice.
"Pleased to meet you, Lady Bai." Tang Xiuhan smiled. He didn't forget to turn and ask Hui'er beside her as well.
"And what's your name?"
"My lady calls me Hui'er..."
The little girl answered adorably. Her eyes looked at the empty glass. Tang Xiuhan laughed softly, and Ama quickly refilled juice for her.
"Thank you so much!"
"You're very welcome." Ama smiled at the little girl who thanked him with sparkling eyes.
"Lady Bai...I have something I'd like to confirm." Tang Xiuhan, seeing that some time had passed, began to bring up the topic with a more serious demeanor.
"...?"
Bai Fanxian nodded to give permission. Tang Xiuhan hesitated slightly but asked what he was wondering.
"The accident earlier...you're the one who stopped the car, right?"
His question left the entire car in silence. Ama and Atian who was driving showed obvious nervousness.
"...Yes."
The young woman admitted it straightforwardly, creating great astonishment for Tang Xiuhan.
"You're a cultivator, right?"
He continued asking.
"Yes."
"And your cultivation power is at a level above Grandmaster, right?"
"...Yes."
When the final question received an answer, it made Tang Xiuhan inhale sharply. A Grandmaster-level cultivator in her early twenties! How shocking was that?
You should know that cultivators who reached Grandmaster level in this era all had considerable age. Like Sword Master Zheng Renyi, who achieved Grandmaster level at age 60.
As for the history he knew, the person who reached Grandmaster level fastest did so at age 35. And now he was already a legend in the military.
It was a power level that the entire country only had fewer than ten people at, publicly speaking!
And he was certain this young woman wasn't one of them!
Meanwhile, Bai Fanxian had no idea that Tang Xiuhan's mind was racing. But Tang Xiuhan's last question did make her pause to think for a moment.
Previously, she had reached the level called "Semi-Immortal."
That should count as above Grandmaster level, right?