"The laws of Great Xia..." Zhao Tianhe's expression darkened. He hesitated, glancing at Lin Fan, who was recovering from his injuries.
He held a certain appreciation for this mysterious and exceptionally perceptive young man and wished to befriend him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have given him a token from the Zhao Mansion.
Especially since Lin Fan had found the Profound Sun Nether Immortal Grass and cured the Absolute Yin Cold Vein that had plagued Zhao Dieyi for years.
The Zhao Mansion now owed him a great favor.
Relying on his cultivation at the Second Realm, the Qi Cultivation Realm, he had actually survived two moves from a Sixth Realm expert.
Given time to grow, he would surely achieve great things in the future.
As for why Lin Fan had clashed with Jiang Lan, Zhao Tianhe wasn't yet sure. But from what he knew of Lin Fan, he wasn't the type to be reckless or stir up trouble.
Jiang Lan, on the other hand, had a notorious reputation for bullying men and preying on women...
However, for Jiang Lan to bring up handling this according to the laws of Great Xia under these circumstances was somewhat laughable.
Anyone familiar with the Prime Minister's Mansion knew that in their eyes, the laws of Great Xia were no different from a piece of scrap paper.
Did he really think the laws of Great Xia would favor him now?
Or was he planning to use the laws of Great Xia to deal with Lin Fan?
Zhao Tianhe subconsciously assumed Jiang Lan was trying to use this to absolve himself of his own crimes. What law could Lin Fan have possibly broken?
"Young Master Lin has a noble character and is above such common behavior. You must be the one at fault, you scoundrel! Young Master Lin was forced to act only because he could not bear it any longer."
Zhao Dieyi looked at Jiang Lan, who stood there calm and composed. His handsome face and exceptional bearing only filled her eyes with coldness and disgust, and her tone was blunt.
It was because of Jiang Lan that she had come to understand the saying, "you can't judge a book by its cover." Such a waste of a handsome face.
When she was young and naive, she had been deceived by his refined and elegant appearance, and he had nearly taken her innocence.
Although her years of cultivation in the Jasper Pool Sect had allowed her state of mind to grow as calm as still water, every time she recalled what had happened back then in Xiaoxiang Garden, she was still overwhelmed with shame, humiliation, and anger. She wished for the day her cultivation would be strong enough to kill this villain with her own hands.
At that moment, Lin Fan, who had taken some Elixir Pills and recovered from many of his injuries, finally opened his eyes.
His gaze narrowed as he tried to remain calm. In a deep voice, he said, "Miss Dieyi is correct. This scoundrel first sent his men to abduct my sister-in-law, Su Qingyao. Then, he disregarded my wife's wishes, threatened her with accusations of being an assassin, and took liberties with her in the Snow Moon Pavilion. I ask you, what man in this world could witness such a thing and endure it?"
"I hope that you, Elder Zhao, will see justice done for this junior."
Lin Fan's tone was firm and filled with righteous fury.
He was not a fool.
At first, he had merely seen Jiang Lan as a typical profligate heir and had underestimated him, which was why he had suffered such a great loss.
If he had known that Jiang Lan was protected by a Sixth Realm expert of the Divine Power Realm, he would have definitely devised a different plan.
Hearing this, Zhao Tianhe looked as if he had expected it all along. He glanced at the woman beside Jiang Lan and thought to himself that she was indeed an unparalleled beauty—a true femme fatale.
Su Qinghan stood there.
Her features were as picturesque as a painting, exquisitely beautiful. With her hair in a misty coiffure, her figure was tall, slender, and gracefully proportioned.
She wore a simple white dress, its hem gathered slightly, revealing long, straight legs.
This only accentuated her slender waist, which looked as if it could be spanned by a single hand. Her entire being was pure and clean, like a lotus on a snowy mountain.
At this moment, however, her eyes were downcast, her eyelashes trembling, as she avoided the gazes of Lin Fan and the others.
Her cold yet pitiable appearance could stir the heart of even another woman.
Zhao Dieyi immediately snorted coldly. "Jiang Lan, you scoundrel, what else do you have to say for yourself?"
"According to the laws of Great Xia, abducting a common woman is a serious crime."
She did not doubt the truth of Lin Fan's words in the slightest.
Because Jiang Lan truly was... that kind of person.
"It seems your misunderstanding of me runs as deep as ever, Sister Dieyi."
Jiang Lan maintained his calm and unhurried expression. "However," he said slowly, "one must have evidence for everything. Without proof, I will not admit to these groundless accusations."
"Let's not even mention who this Su Qingyao is, as I have never met her. As for Miss Qinghan and I, we simply hit it off at first sight and were having a pleasant conversation. Our relationship is innocent and upright. How could we allow others to frame and slander us?"
"A moment ago, although I promised Elder Zhao I would spare Lin Fan, the specific handling of this matter must still be determined by the laws of Great Xia, must it not?"
He had verbally agreed to let Lin Fan go, but the laws of Great Xia would not.
Attacking and attempting to murder the Son of the Prime Minister for no reason—that crime was more than enough.
As for whether Zhao Tianhe would realize what was happening and curse him for being shameless and going back on his word, Jiang Lan didn't care.
A flicker of suppressed anger and coldness passed through Lin Fan's eyes, but he forced it down.
'The facts were right in front of them, yet this guy is still so stubborn. Does he really think everyone here is blind?'
"You shameless villain, all you know is how to twist right and wrong and ignore the truth," he said coldly.
In that moment, he already considered Jiang Lan a dead man. No matter what happened in the future, he would personally execute this detestable scoundrel.
Otherwise, he would never be able to appease the hatred in his heart, let alone wash away today's humiliation.
"How dare you slander the Young Master's good name?"
Ying's eyes turned cold. His calloused hand gripped the scabbard of his saber as a terrifying killing intent emanated from him.
Even when facing a Great Scholar, he showed little reverence.
Under the pressure of this killing intent, Lin Fan's face turned pale. The metallic taste of blood rose in his throat, and he almost spat out a mouthful.
Though he appeared unharmed on the outside, his injuries were actually severe; his internal organs had been displaced.
With his current strength at the Second Realm, he had forcefully withstood two moves from a Sixth Realm Cultivator. Although it was partly due to his trump cards and some trickery, it was by no means an easy feat.
If not for Elder Zhao's arrival, he would have already used his greatest trump card to escape with his life. He would never have stayed here to fight to the death...
'To think that I, the great Eternal Damnation Sword Master, once looked down upon the vast world from my peak, with countless Cultivators bowing in worship.'
'When have I ever been so pathetic and humiliated? Bullied by a profligate heir and a Sixth Realm Cultivator?'
"Since Young Master Lan has already agreed to handle this matter according to the laws of Great Xia, why must you continue to make things difficult for Young Master Lin?"
Zhao Tianhe frowned and waved his hand, neutralizing the killing intent that was pressing down on Lin Fan.
He was somewhat puzzled.
If they went by the laws of Great Xia, Jiang Lan's position was untenable. Abducting a common woman, taking liberties with a married woman—neither crime was tolerated by the laws of Great Xia.
And yet, he remained so calm and unconcerned.
Did he truly believe the Prime Minister's Mansion could hide the sky with one hand and bend the laws of Great Xia to its will?
"It's alright, Ying. My conduct is upright, and my actions are proper. I have no fear of the slander and defamation of others."
Jiang Lan ignored Zhao Tianhe, giving a faint smile and waving his hand to signal Ying to stand down.
Ying had been granted the surname Jiang, becoming Jiang Ying. As for his previous name, Jiang Lan had no idea.
He only knew that Ying had followed his father for a very long time.
Everything he had learned and practiced was taught to him personally by his father.
He was fiercely loyal and immensely powerful. Because of Jiang Lan's physical condition, which prevented him from cultivating, Ying had stayed by his side all these years, never straying far, constantly protecting him.
'In the original plot, the fact that he was coerced by Su Qinghan is something you really can't think too hard about, or it's just full of logical loopholes.'
'As for whether it was due to some stroke of luck or a coincidence, that's something even I can't say for sure...'