"It's just that they were fighting amongst themselves, and I happened to get lucky!" Ye Fan casually made up an excuse.
However, Fang Nan shook her head. "Don't treat me like a three-year-old. Just tell me."
Ye Fan laughed. "I can tell you, but you have to kiss me first."
"You're shameless!" Fang Nan's pretty face fell.
"I was just kidding. It's my secret, and I can't tell you yet," Ye Fan said quickly.
"Hmph!"
Then, Fang Nan suddenly pressed her cherry-red lips against Ye Fan's. He froze on the spot, marveling inwardly. This woman is so fiery. He had only been joking, never expecting Fang Nan to take him seriously.
In truth, Fang Nan was extremely competitive by nature and wouldn't easily back down from anything, this included. After the kiss, however, her pretty face flushed with shyness—it was, after all, her first kiss. At the same time, she silently cursed Ye Fan. You're despicable, finding a way to steal my first kiss.
Immediately after, Ye Fan said, "Alright, what I said was true. I once fought alone against the United States special forces in the Western World."
"In the end, I was the only one left standing. They all fell." As Ye Fan spoke, his expression grew distant, and a unique sense of world-weariness appeared on his handsome face.
In that instant, Fang Nan actually believed him. After what she had witnessed today, she had no choice but to believe. Fang Nan was desperate to know what this mysterious young man had experienced. To her, he was an enigma, and she was immensely curious.
When a woman becomes deeply curious about a man, it usually means she isn't far from falling for him completely. And so, Ye Fan had already carved a deep impression in her heart, filling her mind with his image.
Since Fang Nan still had to escort a suspect for interrogation, she dropped Ye Fan off at the entrance of Qingcheng Building.
By chance, Su Qingxue was just getting off work and saw Ye Fan step out of a beautiful woman's car. The two were laughing and talking together. Although Su Qingxue couldn't see the woman's face clearly, their familiar manner made it obvious their relationship was anything but ordinary.
For some reason, seeing this made Su Qingxue feel a pang of discomfort, as if she had lost something.
Spotting Su Qingxue, Ye Fan walked over. "You're off work early today!"
"Who is she?" Su Qingxue asked directly.
Ye Fan didn't know how to answer. "Just an ordinary friend I made in Jiangning City," he said quickly. "Don't overthink it."
"Overthink what? You're the one who's overthinking!" Su Qingxue retorted, baffled.
Ye Fan wondered why he sensed a hint of sourness in her words, but he couldn't dwell on it right now.
They went into the villa, where Su Qingxue said, "I want to go for a walk! It's so stuffy in here."
"Okay, I'll go with you."
"Mm."
The two headed to the night market. There, Su Qingxue let down her usual aloof guard and acted like a child, shopping everywhere. Soon, Ye Fan was laden with bags of all sizes. The feeling was incredibly uncomfortable, something he wasn't used to. I feel like a servant.
Afterward, they left the night market, much to Ye Fan's relief. As they entered an alley, however, he suddenly sensed a murderous aura. He quickly moved to shield Su Qingxue.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"We're being watched. Be careful. They're emitting a murderous aura; they don't have good intentions," Ye Fan explained.
Su Qingxue nodded, knowing Ye Fan was right. Her father, Su Jian Country, had offended many companies in the country, so she could be kidnapped or murdered at any time. This was precisely why her father had arranged for Ye Fan to protect her around the clock.
Ye Fan called out, "Since you're already here, why bother hiding? Come out!"
Sure enough, four figures emerged as soon as he finished speaking. They were clad in masked outfits, their faces completely obscured. Ye Fan remained vigilant, but he could tell their strength wasn't formidable. They were generally at the Inner Strength realm, and while Inner Strength Masters were rare, he didn't take them seriously at all.
"There's also a sniper hiding a hundred meters away," Ye Fan taunted. "Are you planning to take a shot at me?"
The figures were instantly shocked.
This, however, terrified Su Qingxue. She had never witnessed such a spectacle before. Ye Fan, on the other hand, had seen it often and was unfazed, though he acknowledged it was a considerable setup. He suspected this attack wasn't aimed at Su Qingxue; such a force wasn't needed to deal with an unarmed woman. It was most likely for him.
The leader, a female sniper, spoke. "As expected of the King of Heaven. With such vigilance, it would be impossible for us to assassinate you."
"Hahaha! It's not that I'm looking down on you, but with your level of skill, trying to assassinate me is just a pipe dream," Ye Fan said disdainfully. He kept Su Qingxue behind him, guarding against any surprises.
Frightened, Su Qingxue clung tightly to Ye Fan.
The female sniper spoke again. "We know our limits. We came here knowing we couldn't kill the renowned King of Heaven."
"But we want to know, why has the King of Heaven returned to the Divine Land?"
"You're not qualified to know," Ye Fan said. "Send someone of a higher caliber to ask me."
"In that case, we'd like to see if the King of Heaven is truly as powerful as the legends claim!"
"Don't worry, you won't be disappointed." Ye Fan turned to Su Qingxue. "You go first. I'll handle things here."
"Should we call the police?" she asked worriedly.
"No need. I can hold them off. They'll never catch up to you," Ye Fan said. "Go, now!"
"Okay... be careful!" Su Qingxue knew that staying would only be a burden, so she didn't hesitate and fled.
Two of the assailants tried to chase her, but Ye Fan blocked their path. With a single move, he sent them both flying backward.
So strong! The thought was a simultaneous, stunning realization in both of their minds; Ye Fan was simply too powerful.
The remaining three, including the woman, charged at Ye Fan. He moved swiftly, showcasing his martial arts. Although they were Inner Strength Masters, they were quickly defeated. It was as simple as that—he was the King of Heaven. He swept through them, a flurry of fists and feet. When he stopped, they were all on the ground, groaning in pain. Even the woman's expression was deathly pale, and though her face was covered, her eyes could not lie.
"I don't want to cause a massacre," Ye Fan said. "But please go back and tell your master that if you bother me again, don't blame me for being ruthless.
"I don't care who you are. I will come for your headquarters and wipe you out!"
The group seethed with anger but was helpless. Ye Fan was just too strong.
The woman struggled to her feet. "King of Heaven," she said, "the green mountains stand and the long rivers flow. We will meet again!"
Then, they got up and fled.
Ye Fan had considered killing them, but the presence of security cameras made him abandon the idea. Besides, he didn't want to unleash the Power of Slaughter within him, which would only lead to a greater tragedy.
He quickly caught up to Su Qingxue. "Who were those people?" she asked.
"Just a bunch of small fries. Don't worry about it," Ye Fan replied.
Su Qingxue felt he wasn't telling her the truth, but they were his secrets, and she didn't feel it was her place to pry. Still, tonight's events, though they didn't end in a bloodbath, left her feeling deeply unsettled. Her sense of being in constant danger was growing stronger.
Meanwhile, the ambushers fled back to their hideout. One by one, they collapsed to the floor, moaning. Ye Fan hadn't taken their lives, but he had inflicted no small amount of pain. Their battle had lasted less than a minute, but many of their bones had been broken. After all, they had faced a king among Martial Arts Kings.
The leader, the woman, took off her veil and spat a stream of blood from her cherry-red lips. The light was too dim to see her true face, but her silhouette alone was enough to reveal she was an absolute stunner.
"Heavenly King," she said, "this isn't over. I am the Charming Fox Demoness. No man in this world can withstand my seduction, and you are no exception. Next time, I, the Charming Fox Demoness, will have some real fun with you!"
There was no doubt they had been utterly defeated in that battle. If the King of Heaven hadn't held back, they wouldn't have gotten off so easily.