The banquet was a lively affair, with cups clinking and guests and hosts alike enjoying themselves.
Only when the crowd raised their cups to toast Jiang Lan did Su Qinghan lift her own, offering a distant toast to him at the head seat.
Then, she gently patted her younger sister, Su Qingyao, on the back. Having never drunk before, Qingyao had gulped her wine too quickly and was now caught in a fit of coughing, her jade-white cheeks flushed a rosy red.
The Great Scholar Zhao Tianhe and his granddaughter, Zhao Dieyi, were also at the banquet.
City Lord Wang Anming naturally wouldn't dare to slight a Great Scholar, so he had sent an invitation when arranging the banquet.
He hadn't expected Zhao Tianhe to grace them with his presence, but to his surprise, he had come after all.
Jiang Lan, of course, knew why Zhao Tianhe had come.
When Lin Fan was fleeing for his life, Zhao Tianhe's choice to try and intercept him was, in reality, a move to completely sever his ties with him.
'That old man isn't stupid. When it matters most, his calculations are clearer than anyone's. Although he saw potential in Lin Fan and wanted to befriend him, he couldn't possibly get entangled with the 'culprit' who tried to assassinate the Son of the Prime Minister. That would needlessly ruin the Zhao Mansion's future.'
Having gravely offended the Prime Minister's Mansion, there would be no place left for Lin Fan in the entire Great Xia Empire.
If Zhao Tianhe didn't want the Zhao Mansion to be implicated in the aftermath, his wisest choice was, naturally, to cut all ties with Lin Fan.
"Lin Fan has been laying low in Yu Yi City for so many years and orchestrated such an assassination attempt. It's absolutely impossible that he didn't have accomplices..."
"After he fled, his accomplices will likely try to meet up with him. Carrying such a heavily injured person, they shouldn't have gotten far."
"Young Master Jiang, rest assured. I have already contacted my colleagues in the surrounding areas. All entrances and exits of the cities in Jiangling County are under heavy guard. We won't let so much as a fly slip through."
City Lord Wang Anming raised his cup to Jiang Lan and then guaranteed in a stern voice.
Jiang Lan glanced at him and gave a slight nod.
In truth, he wasn't worried at all about failing to find Lin Fan.
'As long as Su Qingyao—the one person Lin Fan treats as his inviolable treasure this life—is still with the Su Family, he will definitely try to contact her after he recovers from his injuries.'
'If he's smart, he'll lay low for now, build up his strength, and wait for an opportunity to get his revenge.'
'But what if Su Qingyao finds herself in danger?'
'The old 'hero saves the damsel' trope is a tried-and-true classic for a Child of Fortune.'
'The only question is whether Lin Fan will even live that long.'
'After all, such a major event—an 'assassination' attempt on me—has occurred, and the culprit even managed to escape in front of everyone.'
'I already had Ying send word to my parents. I'm calling for backup.'
'They definitely won't just sit back; they'll send experts much stronger than Ying to protect me.'
'In the original story, Lin Fan had never actually revealed his true strength at this point in time.'
'This always led to his enemies conveniently underestimating his real power. They were stronger than him, but not by much, so Lin Fan could always manage to kill them.'
'And after dealing with an enemy, Lin Fan's cultivation would steadily improve. The next opponent he faced would be a little stronger than the last, and then he would just barely manage to kill them, too...'
'Honestly, that kind of repetitive, nested plot is fine once or twice. But to keep it going is just an insult to one's intelligence.'
'Now that Lin Fan has lost his escape trump card, even Ying, a Cultivator at the Sixth Realm, the Divine Power Realm, could kill him.'
'This 'aura of fortune' is really no different from an 'aura of stupidity'...'
Jiang Lan could understand it. The original book was just a brainless power fantasy, anyway.
Besides, he already had a good idea of the most likely place Lin Fan would appear after fleeing with heavy injuries.
In the original story's plot, besides getting to know the Great Scholar Zhao Tianhe in Jiangling County, Lin Fan would later meet a remarkable woman.
That woman's name was Xiao Yingyue, and she was a Supreme Elder of Medicine King Valley.
Medicine King Valley was one of the Immortal Dao Sects within the Great Xia Empire, boasting a renowned history stretching back several thousand years.
Its disciples cultivated the Medicine Scripture and possessed superb medical skills. Traces of them could be found in the pharmacies and clinics of every county and city.
As for Supreme Elder Xiao Yingyue, her movements were elusive and shrouded in mystery. In her pursuit of medical knowledge, she explored remote regions and tested countless herbs, gaining profound expertise in all aspects of pharmacology and the healing arts.
Jiang Lan remembered that she had even inherited a complete Medicine Immortal Scripture from ancient times. Her miraculous medical skills could be described, without any exaggeration, as being able to raise the dead and regenerate flesh on bare bones.
Later on, she would come to be known by the world as the Medical Immortal.
In the original plot, the reason Lin Fan became involved with her was... a cliché 'hero saves the damsel' scenario.
While searching for herbs to compile the Hundred Herbs Scripture Collection, Xiao Yingyue had mistakenly ingested a plant she had never seen before. This caused her to lose her cultivation and have her Divine Sense sealed, temporarily turning her into an ordinary person with no power to speak of.
Without her cultivation, Xiao Yingyue couldn't even open her Sumeru Ring, let alone contact her Sect.
To find a solution, she was forced to disguise herself as an itinerant physician, making a living by diagnosing and treating illnesses in the villages and towns throughout Jiangling County, all while studying her own symptoms to find a cure.
Although Xiao Yingyue had no cultivation, medicine and poison have always been two sides of the same coin. With her consummate medical skills, she had more than enough ability to protect herself and deal with the local squires and bandits who secretly coveted her.
Unfortunately, these peaceful days did not last long.
Her beauty eventually attracted the attention of a Transformed Demon King who had been cultivating for many years deep within the mountains in the Abyss of Despair.
A Transformed Demon King's power was comparable to a Human Race Cultivator of the Sixth Realm, the Divine Power Realm. They condensed a Demon Pill within their bodies, possessed vast Magical Power, and were extremely formidable.
At the peak of her power, Xiao Yingyue naturally would have been a match for such a Demon King.
Unfortunately, at that time, she was completely powerless and had no cultivation whatsoever.
Facing the host of Demon Race subordinates sent by the Demon King to capture her, she was utterly defenseless.
And at the critical moment, Lin Fan, who had gone deep into the mountains to hone his Sword Intent, appeared. He cut down the demons with his sword in a classic 'hero saves the damsel' moment.
The two became acquainted as a result.
Later, with the help of Xiao Yingyue's Poison Skill, Lin Fan used his own exquisite Swordsmanship and numerous powerful trump cards to slay the Demon King, obtaining its Demon Pill and many treasured items. His cultivation and strength increased dramatically.
'Right now, Lin Fan is heavily injured and on the run, and he was wounded by my Jade Sea Celestial Heart. According to the usual tropes, it's highly likely he'll be saved by Xiao Yingyue...'
Jiang Lan's slender fingers gently caressed his golden goblet, his expression thoughtful.
Of course, this was just a guess.
His appearance had already caused the plot to deviate from its original course, so it would be normal if Lin Fan were to meet Xiao Yingyue ahead of schedule.
Therefore, just in case, and to avoid any unforeseen circumstances, he had to eliminate this threat as soon as possible to prevent any future problems.
'Calling for backup isn't shameful.'
'Right now, my greatest reliance isn't my Golden Finger, but my practically invincible background.'