Chapter 136: Making a Move [Twelfth Installation]

Fang Nian's words were tinged with heavy jealousy, leaving no one any face at all. His sudden remark caught Xia Moyan quite off guard, but since she would unconditionally support her husband, she quickly averted Bai Zhe's gaze and stepped close to Fang Nian's side.

Bai Zhe felt rather embarrassed by Fang Nian's remark. Many people began looking their way, and some individuals sharing a table with Fang Nian even started making jests at Bai Zhe's expense.

"Well, President Bai, for a dignified heir of the Bai family like you, what kind of woman can't you get? To think you'd be here stealing glances at another man's wife. If word gets out, your standing among the young elites won't survive."

"Right, right, exactly. Old Bai, I think you were too impatient. Look at this brother's expression—you can tell a wife is a man's lifeline. What you did wasn't right."

"Indeed, Old Bai went a bit too far. Hurry back. President Liu is still hosting his birthday banquet, and aren't there grand highlights coming up later? Don't go stirring up trouble."

"Hahaha, exactly, Old Bai. You represent the facade of the prodigal sons in District 6. We can't afford to crash our cars here. Although this little chick is quite pretty, once you take off her clothes and get her into bed, she's all the same. You shouldn't..."

"Clatter..."

Before the man could even finish his sentence, a ceramic wine pitcher suddenly smashed against his head, shattering into dozens of pieces and scattering shards everywhere. The man flew backward stiffly, sliding two or three meters across the floor before finally coming to a halt, lying on the ground and wailing in agony.

Liu Huan had originally intended to stay out of today's matters, especially with important plans still to unfold. However, now that someone was causing a scene here, that was a completely different story.

Seeing that Liu Huan was growing angry, Bai Zhe cast a sidelong glance at Xia Moyan not far away, and instantly rallied his spirits.

"Punk, daring to cause trouble here, you've got a death wish."

With that, Bai Zhe lunged toward Fang Nian. It should be known that Bai Zhe was an exceptionally formidable hunter; both his physical conditioning and constitution far surpassed ordinary people, and he completely looked down on Fang Nian.

Seeing Bai Zhe make a move, and knowing that the punk before him was as good as finished, Liu Huan called for someone to clear the area and prepared to have Fang Nian escorted out. By this time, the crowd of onlookers had grown considerably, and even people crowding the corridors had gathered round, wanting to see just how badly Bai Zhe—one of the twins of District 6—would beat Fang Nian.

However, a scene unfolded that left everyone utterly dumbfounded. Facing Bai Zhe's fierce onslaught, Fang Nian showed not the slightest intention of dodging. When Bai Zhe's fist slammed into Fang Nian's left shoulder, Fang Nian's shoulder merely gave a slight twitch, neutralizing every ounce of force. Immediately afterward, the vital energy within Fang Nian's body surged forth, concentrating on his right fist, and he struck directly toward Bai Zhe's chest.

Fang Nian's movements were smooth and completely fluid, taking less than two seconds from start to finish. It stunned everyone present on the spot, leaving them paralyzed with shock before they even had a chance to react.

Bai Zhe stood frozen in place, unable to believe that the person before him could be so overwhelmingly powerful. He could clearly feel just how fierce Fang Nian's punch was and what terrifying might it contained.

However, just as Fang Nian's fist was about to land on Bai Zhe's chest, a sudden, immensely powerful blast of fist wind collided directly with it.

Fang Nian could feel that the incoming fist wind was indeed formidable, and it even concealed a hidden internal force, indicating that this person was also an adept in qi cultivation.

Upon impact, Fang Nian took half a step back to steady his posture, while the other person was forced back three or four steps before regaining his footing. As for Bai Zhe beside them, he had been scared out of his wits; he knew how savage Fang Nian's previous punch had been, and had it truly landed on his chest, he would likely have lost half his life if not died outright.

Therefore, once the crisis was averted, this fellow actually slumped onto the ground, the expression on his face shifting uncertainly.

Only then did Fang Nian clearly examine the newcomer: a man in his thirties, powerfully built with honest features. If not for the traditional Han Chinese clothing he wore, he truly looked like a robust manual laborer.

Having witnessed Fang Nian's punch, the man rubbed his aching arm, his heart churning with turbulent waves. Having practiced martial arts for many years, he had been hired by the Bai family to protect Bai Zhe for over a year. During this time, Bai Zhe caused trouble nearly every day, and there were countless people seeking to kill him.

Yet all those previous opponents had never posed any real threat to the big man; every time, the fights were resolved in just a few rounds, or even a single punch.

This time, however, was different. He could clearly perceive Fang Nian's immense strength. As fellow practitioners of qi, his own cultivation level fell far, far short compared to Fang Nian's.

For a moment, the big man even felt a surge of resentment toward Bai Zhe: of all people to provoke, why did he have to provoke this particular monster? This guy was clearly no pushover and possessed terrifying combat prowess.

Looking at the big man before him, Fang Nian withdrew his fist and asked, "Are you his bodyguard? What's your name?"

Normally, if someone asked him such a question, the big man would make them question their entire existence. Yet facing Fang Nian's inquiry, the big man instinctively answered, "Yes, I am Young Master Bai's bodyguard. My name is Song Jiang, 'Jiang' as in ginger."

Fang Nian felt a slight jolt in his heart, silently cursing with a chuckle, "Why don't you fly to the sky as well? Calling yourself Song Jiang..."

Nodding, Fang Nian formed a plan in his mind: he intended to win this Song Jiang over to his side. After all, he still had numerous enemies; Fang Nian wasn't afraid of people targeting him, but he was somewhat worried about people targeting Xia Moyan, seeing as his wife was truly breathtakingly gorgeous.

Even if it meant recruiting someone to protect her, Song Jiang's abilities were quite decent, and with further cultivation, he would surely become a valuable asset to Fang Nian in the future.

Seeing that Bai Zhe was clearly incapable of handling Fang Nian, and recognizing the terrifying strength Fang Nian had displayed, Liu Huan knew that making an ally was far better than creating an enemy.

Thus, changing his previous attitude entirely, Liu Huan asked Fang Nian, "Brother's martial prowess is truly extraordinary. May I ask if you are also a hunter?"

Hearing this and knowing that Liu Huan was trying to strike up a friendly acquaintance, Fang Nian did not refuse. "Yes, I suppose you could call me a hunter, hailing from District 16. Although I'm not particularly strong, clearing an F+-grade hunting ground is still quite effortless for me."

As soon as Fang Nian spoke, the crowd of onlookers burst into an uproar, throwing their heads back in roaring laughter.

"My god, this guy is really something else. He actually dares to boast about clearing an F+-grade hunting ground. You've really got a knack for it, brother."

"Hey, don't you know? He's from District 16. Being able to achieve that in a wasteland of a place is already pretty good. Now that they've come to District 6, naturally they don't understand the strength of District 6 hunters."

"Ah, right, how could I forget? In District 16, an E-grade probably already counts as very high. I remember during the last District 16 hunting convention, the highest hunting ground they brought out was only E+. But in District 6, E+ is merely an introductory level. They are really weak beyond belief."

"Exactly. That's why people need to travel more; only then will you realize that there are always people better than you, and heavens beyond the heavens."