Shen Haoran’s eyes narrowed, and a palpable killing intent enveloped Lan Yansheng.

Feeling the frigid killing intent wafting from Shen Haoran, Lan Yansheng broke out in a cold sweat that soaked his robes in an instant. He stared into Shen Haoran’s icy eyes, not daring to doubt for a second that he would be killed in the next moment.

"Wh-what do you think you’re doing? I’ll have you know, I’m the young master of the Lan Family! Let go of me this instant! Otherwise, my family will make you pay!" Lan Yansheng stammered. ’In his eyes, a behemoth like the Lan Family was not someone this punk in front of him could afford to provoke.’

SLAP— However, the words had barely left his mouth when Shen Haoran’s fan-sized hand slammed across Lan Yansheng’s face. A spray of blood and broken teeth flew through the air. A bright red palm print bloomed on his cheek, and the flesh beneath it began to swell.

"I forgot to mention," Shen Haoran said coolly, glancing at Lan Yansheng, "I hate being threatened more than anything."

The slap left Lan Yansheng completely stunned. His hair was a mess, and his ears were ringing. ’He was the young master of the Lan Family in Desert City! When had he ever been humiliated like this? Where was his noble bearing now?’ An unbearable sense of shame washed over him. But when his eyes met Shen Haoran’s, he saw a pair of icy orbs completely devoid of emotion. It was as if he had been plunged into the Nine Netherworld; he trembled uncontrollably, unable to muster the slightest will to resist.

Han Xu’s face lit up with excitement as he watched the powerful Shen Haoran. He’d long since found Lan Yansheng unbearable, but due to the relationship between their families, all he could ever do was trade barbs with him. Slapping the man was something he could only dream about. Seeing Shen Haoran slap Lan Yansheng so viciously was incredibly satisfying. ’If not for the relations between their two families, I’d go up and give him a couple of slaps myself!’

The other Martial Artists in the restaurant dropped their bowls and chopsticks in shock. They stared, dumbfounded, as Shen Haoran held Lan Yansheng up like a dead dog, and they couldn’t help but gulp. Who was Lan Yansheng? He was the young master of the Lan Family, one of the three great powers of Desert City. In this city, he could have anything he wanted. Everyone went out of their way to avoid him. ’And this kid actually dared to slap him in public? Looks like he doesn’t have long to live!’ A sense of pity arose in the crowd’s hearts.

"Who are you?! Let the young master go at once, or the Lan Family will show you no mercy!" Just then, a furious roar came from outside the restaurant. A powerful aura descended, causing the entire building to tremble.

’A Spirit Aspect Powerhouse!’ a shocked gasp went through the crowd as they felt the pressure. ’Someone from the Lan Family is here. That kid is in deep trouble now!’

Han Xu’s expression darkened. He moved to Shen Haoran’s side and whispered, "That should be the Lan Family’s steward, Lan Sha!"

"We should get out of here," Han Xu said gravely. "If Lan Sha finds out you’re with the Han Family, I’m afraid they’ll use this as an excuse to declare war on us!"

Shen Haoran nodded. He looked at the limp form of Lan Yansheng and snorted. "Remember this. If you dare to provoke me again, it won’t be as simple as a single slap!"

With that, Shen Haoran sent Lan Yansheng flying out of the restaurant with a single kick. The terrifying force of the blow caused Lan Yansheng to spray another mouthful of blood before he lost consciousness in mid-air.

"Young Master!" Lan Sha was just about to enter Hanlixuan Restaurant when he saw Lan Yansheng’s body flying out. In a flash, he shot toward the young master. Seizing the opportunity, Shen Haoran and Han Xu sprinted out of the restaurant.

A moment later, Lan Sha rushed into Hanlixuan Restaurant cradling the unconscious Lan Yansheng, but there was no sign of Shen Haoran or Han Xu.

"Explain what happened here!" Lan Sha barked, glaring at the servants whose faces were swollen like pigs’ heads.

"Steward, it had nothing to do with us! It was Han Xu from the Han Family! He brought some guy with the surname Shen, and he’s the one who beat the young master into this state!" Sensing Lan Sha’s fury, the servants immediately began kowtowing and pleading.

"Hmph. Useless trash!" Lan Sha sneered at the groveling servants. His gaze then shifted to the north of Desert City, toward the Han Family’s territory.

’Hmph. The Han Family,’ a cold glint flashed in Lan Sha’s narrowed eyes. ’I was just looking for an excuse, and you served one up on a platter. Just you wait. Your easy days are numbered!’

...

Meanwhile, somewhere in the bustling crowd, Han Xu and Shen Haoran were discussing what the look on Lan Sha’s face would be when he saw Lan Yansheng’s miserable state.

"Brother Shen, those slaps were incredible! You were so badass I almost want to worship you!" Han Xu laughed heartily. "I’ve hated that Lan Yansheng for ages, and you finally taught him a harsh lesson. It felt so damn good!" The thought of the shit-eating look on Lan Yansheng’s face made Han Xu feel ecstatic.

Shen Haoran just chuckled at Han Xu’s excitement. ’If Lan Yansheng hadn’t insulted me, I wouldn’t have gotten involved. But he ran his mouth, and that comes with a price.’

"Brother Shen, come on! I’ll give you a tour of the Han Family estate!" After his bout of excitement, Han Xu grabbed Shen Haoran and started walking toward his family’s home.

Han Xu led the way, and soon they arrived before a large estate. Staring at the elegant, sweeping characters for "Han Family" above the main gate, Shen Haoran was momentarily lost in thought, reminded of the good times he had with his own Shen Family. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"Brother Shen, this is the Han Family estate! What do you think? Impressive, right?" Han Xu said proudly. As one of the three great powers of Desert City, the Han Family’s residence was one of the grandest in the entire city, a fact that filled him with pride.

Shen Haoran glanced at the smug Han Xu, shook his head, and walked straight inside.

"Hey, Brother Shen, wait up!" Feeling a bit embarrassed at being ignored, Han Xu quickly chased after him.

After leading Shen Haoran on a few laps around the estate, Han Xu guided him deeper into the family compound.

"Come on, Brother Shen, I’ll take you to meet my sister!" Han Xu could hardly wait for Shen Haoran to take a look at his sister’s condition.

Shen Haoran followed Han Xu, and the two of them soon arrived outside a separate courtyard.

"Lanxiang Garden. My sister lives here!" Han Xu said with a grin, then called out loudly, "Xiaoxue, your big brother is back!" However, the courtyard remained silent.

"Hmm? Is she asleep?" Han Xu was puzzled. ’Normally, the little rascal would have run out and pounced on me by now!’

"Xiaoxue? Your brother’s back!" Han Xu called softly as he entered the room.

"Young Master, you’ve returned!" Suddenly, a maid came running out of the inner room, her face lighting up when she saw Han Xu.

"Ah, Xiaohuan. Where’s Xiaoxue?" Han Xu asked, a flicker of confusion on his face.

"Oh, the young miss? The Second Master picked her up. He said they had something to discuss," Xiaohuan answered.

Hearing this, the color drained from Han Xu’s face. "What? Second Uncle took her? This is bad!" he exclaimed. With a look of pure anxiety, he turned and sprinted toward the Han Family’s council hall...