At that moment, several wealthy young men approached Ye Fan. "Dude, you’re awesome," one said. "You managed to conquer two beautiful women at the same time. What do you do for a living?"

"You might not believe me, but I’m just a bodyguard," Ye Fan replied.

"Pssh! What’s wrong with women these days, cozying up to a mere bodyguard? They must be just toying with you!" one of them sneered as a wave of disdainful mockery came from the group.

Indeed, that’s just the way of the world, Ye Fan thought, completely unbothered. He understood these people perfectly. When your status was high, they would flock to you. The moment they learned you were an ordinary person, they would sneer and mock you. He was used to it.

Many people began to point and whisper about him. The whispers only died down when Su Qingxue and Fang Nan came over. They dared to mock Ye Fan, but they didn’t have the guts to mock Fang Nan.

In their eyes, Ye Fan must have conquered the two women with his perfect technique. Suddenly, many of the women present became very interested in him. After all, a man with great technique was always a favorite.

Just as the party was in full swing, another group of men walked in. The local wealthy youths were about to confront the intruders but were instantly terrified, their legs beginning to shake uncontrollably. The newcomers were simply too powerful; they couldn’t afford to provoke them. Panic rippled through the crowd.

Four of the renowned Eight Young Masters of Shangjing had arrived, an astonishingly grand entrance. Among them was Young Master Guo, the Shangjing Young Commander, whose presence alone struck fear into people’s hearts. This man rarely made an appearance, and when he did, it always signified that something serious was about to happen.

The people present had never offended Young Master Guo. They simply weren’t in his league, so they never even had the chance. The sight of him and his entourage was utterly terrifying.

Young Master Guo smiled. "Everyone, no need to panic. I’m not interested in you lot; I’m only here for one person. The rest of you had best stand aside!

"If you get caught in the crossfire, I won’t be held responsible!"

He pointed directly at Ye Fan. Instantly, the crowd scrambled to get away, drawing a clear line between themselves and him. At a time like this, anyone associated with Ye Fan would undoubtedly meet a grisly end.

I didn’t expect to be targeted out of the blue, Ye Fan thought. As a man, I suppose it’s time to have a good talk with these people.

Su Qingxue and Fang Nan had no idea what was going on.

Fang Nan stepped forward and rebuked, "Young Master Guo, this is my territory! You’d better not cause any trouble!"

"Ah, so it’s our Miss Fang," Young Master Guo said dismissively. "Although your Fang family has some influence in Shangjing, I don’t find it particularly impressive. After all, you’re the Fang family, not the He Family."

He gestured impatiently. "Step aside. I’m only here for this guy. If you don’t move, I don’t mind taking you with him!" he barked.

Fang Nan was about to argue further, but Ye Fan pulled her behind him.

Ye Fan then faced them and asked, "Have I offended you somewhere? It seems some trouble is just unavoidable. However, I’ll give you a piece of advice: I don’t like to cause trouble, but when it comes knocking, I don’t mind settling it swiftly. Don’t regret it then!"

The group looked at him with contempt. He’s just a bodyguard. Where does he get the nerve to speak so arrogantly to the Shangjing Young Commander?

Those hiding in the corners collectively heaved a sigh of relief. Thank goodness we didn’t try to get close to him, or we’d be done for too.

"You hit my friend Ye Langfeng," Young Master Guo said, his voice cold. "How are we going to settle this? Why don’t you come with us?"

He was about to order his men to seize Ye Fan when Ye Fan spoke again. "I’m not someone a mere young master like you can summon. Never mind you, even the family behind you isn’t qualified!"

"Is that so?" Young Master Guo clapped his hands. Though Ye Fan’s words were insulting, he simply smirked. Usually, everyone is terrified of me. It’s rare to find a brat who doesn’t know his place and dares to challenge me. This will be much more interesting.

"Excellent!" Young Master Guo commanded. "All of you, go! Let him learn what it means to overestimate his own abilities!"

"Yes!"

The dozen or so men accompanying the young masters surged forward. Ye Fan pushed Su Qingxue and Fang Nan further back, preparing to act.

The crowd huddled in the corner, certain that someone was about to die. They could already see Ye Fan’s tragic end. This has nothing to do with us, they thought. In fact, we get to watch a good show. It’s just a shame about those two stunning women. Crossing Young Master Guo was a surefire way to meet a miserable end.

"I’d like to see who dares!"

A loud shout echoed through the room. Everyone turned toward the source of the voice, wondering who could possibly have the audacity to help Ye Fan now. A dashing man strode forward. He was not only handsome but also exuded a domineering aura that sent a chill down their spines. His presence was overwhelming.

When Young Master Guo saw the man’s face, his expression soured. Why is *he* here? he thought, not having anticipated this particular person’s arrival.

"Big Brother!"

The newcomer, who had been so aloof and domineering, became visibly emotional upon seeing Ye Fan, his eyes welling with tears. He ran toward Ye Fan, about to embrace him.

Ye Fan held up a hand to stop him. "Hold it. No crying. You’re a grown man now, not that little crybaby you used to be."

The man flushed with embarrassment at having his past exposed, an utterly unpleasant sensation. Yet, at that moment, not a single person dared to laugh. They felt like spectators watching a tearful, melodramatic reunion. But while they were spectators, none of them dared to make a sound—not even Young Master Guo.

Young Master Guo’s earlier arrogance had vanished, replaced by a ghastly pallor. For him, the situation had become dire. He couldn’t believe that a mere bodyguard was the big brother of such an incredibly powerful individual. He felt his luck had completely run out.

Fang Nan and Su Qingxue didn’t know who Ye Fan’s emotional "little brother" was, but they understood one thing: anyone even Young Master Guo was afraid to offend had to be terrifying.

The thirty-odd people cowering in the corner did not get the bloody spectacle they expected. Instead, they got this bizarrely melodramatic scene. The contrast was jarring. One moment, they were watching a tense showdown; the next, a brotherly reunion. And why wasn’t Young Master Guo doing anything? Could it be that he also enjoyed this kind of drama? The scene became more incomprehensible by the second, as did Young Master Guo’s motives.

Besides Young Master Guo, the other young masters with him also recognized the newcomer’s background. If they could, they would have left on the spot. In their hearts, they cursed Ye Langfeng for dragging them into this mess. Of course, Ye Langfeng had no idea that Ye Fan was such a formidable individual either.

After their brief exchange, the newcomer turned, his glare fixed fiercely on Young Master Guo and his men. Now, even the Shangjing Young Commander felt a profound sense of fear and dread.

This was because the man was He Yu of the He Family—one of the four ancient, millennia-old families. He Yu was undoubtedly an imposing figure. Even the eight major clans of Shangjing were insignificant by comparison. Any one of the four great families could rival all eight clans combined, especially since there were alliances among the millennia-old families.

At this, He Yu asked, "Who wants to bully my big brother?"