CHAPTER 438: CHAPTER 0435: THE TENDER BUD OF ETHICAL STORIES

"You..."

Butterfly Fairy’s stunningly beautiful face gradually turned cold, her eyes filled with fury.

Poke the sore spot, why don’t you?

She could never forget the events of that day.

And now, appearing in front of Lin Fan intentionally, she wanted him to understand—do you know who I am? Do you realize what you’ve done? Are you regretting it now?

Apprehension!

Unease!

Fear!

The impulse to beg for forgiveness.

But to her astonishment, the other party didn’t display the slightest apprehension. On the contrary, he spoke brazenly, even with an undertone of mockery.

"Butterfly Fairy, I noticed your expression looks off. Could it be an internal ailment? Don’t worry; I used to be a rural healer, quite skilled in, ahem, women’s health. Some even called me a ’Gynecological Sage.’

"If you don’t mind, shall we find a peaceful spot for me to assist you with a thorough examination?"

Lin Fan approached every situation with a heart full of goodwill, championing justice and helping others with genuine enthusiasm.

"Take this!"

Butterfly Fairy could no longer endure it. Her jade-like hand struck out horizontally, glowing faintly as she sought to shut Lin Fan up. But as the saying goes, "See a man three days later, and regard him with new eyes"—however, with this technique...

Lin Fan seized Butterfly Fairy’s delicate hand in his palm. Soft, smooth, and pleasing to the touch—it was evident why she ranked third on the Flower List, possessing unique qualities unattainable by ordinary people.

They say you can focus on admiring someone’s legs for three years—but with hands like these, you could marvel for years as well.

"Let go."

Butterfly Fairy demanded angrily. With so many people watching, how brazen of him to hold her hand like that! Even if he lacked shame, she still needed to uphold hers.

Around them, members of the Qin Family seemed to hear their hearts shattering.

Who was this man?

Standing by Young Immortal Venerable of the Qin Family, he was clearly a close friend. But why would he dare lay his hands on Butterfly Fairy?

Butterfly Fairy was their goddess!

The urge to fight surged within them.

"It was purely instinct; I can’t let go."

Lin Fan playfully stroked the back of Butterfly Fairy’s hand, even scratching her palm with his finger.

Butterfly Fairy struggled, though her movements were far from subtle.

To onlookers, it appeared...

Like playful flirting and banter.

"Brother Lin, you’re bold, truly!"

Qin Yang was dumbfounded. He never expected Brother Lin to actually act on it.

The Heavenly Court’s people were present!

Was he not afraid of being beaten to death?

The Heavenly Court individuals were already paying attention to the commotion.

Things were not looking good.

Finally, Butterfly Fairy managed to break free. Not so much due to her own strength, but because Lin Fan, noticing the Heavenly Court members approaching, decided against prolonging the interaction to avoid unnecessary trouble and released her hand.

However, Butterfly Fairy’s intense motion caused her to lean backward.

If nothing unexpected happened, the goddess in everyone’s hearts would fall to the ground, creating an awkward scene.

Seeing this unfold, how could Lin Fan let such an opportunity pass? With a single step, his figure moved like a butterfly, appearing in front of Butterfly Fairy in the blink of an eye. He caught her by the waist, spinning gracefully in the air.

One arm supported the back of Butterfly Fairy’s head, and he lowered his gaze, meeting her eyes. The fiery exchange within their gazes was electrifying.

Snap! Crackle!

The sparks were intense.

It was so heated it could frighten someone to death.

So very, very steamy.

"Are you alright?"

Lin Fan gave a soft cough, intentionally making his tone gentle. Thinking of scenes from TV dramas where the domineering CEO falls in love, his series of movements deserved a perfect score.

Butterfly Fairy felt like she was going to explode.

Her mind went blank, as though she couldn’t comprehend what had just occurred.

Why did everything turn out like this?

None of it matched her expectations at all.

Clap!

At that moment, a hand landed heavily on Lin Fan’s shoulder, accompanied by a furious voice: "Let go of my sister!"

Immediately after.

An overwhelming surge of power transmitted through the hand.

Lin Fan’s shoulder trembled as he let go of Butterfly Fairy. Simultaneously, his hand performed a flurry of intricate maneuvers, ending with both their hands clasped together. Their fingers interlaced like a pair of lovers casually strolling through a market.

He glanced to see who had spoken. It was a young man, tall and radiant, emanating an aura of Immortal Light so dazzling that it was difficult to look away.

Boom!

The two exchanged blows of mana. Centered around them, a powerful ripple of energy exploded outward.

Crack!

The ground, paved with extraordinary materials befitting the Immortal Venerable Family status of the Qin Clan, now fractured into a spiderweb of cracks spreading outward.

Butterfly Fairy’s brother was astonished.

He hadn’t expected the man before him to possess such formidable strength. From the first moment of their clash, it was clear the opponent’s mana was incredibly dense.

"Not bad."

Lin Fan praised the other party’s prowess. Indeed, it was commendable. If he hadn’t already obtained the Martial Arts Ultimate Body, the outcome might have been far less certain.

The Heavenly Court Young Emperor furrowed his brow slightly. With a shake of his arm, a dragon’s shadow roared forth.

A powerful Divine Skill of the Heavenly Court.

Lin Fan withdrew his five fingers and extended one, lightly pressing it against the center of the Young Emperor’s palm. With a loud bang, the Young Emperor staggered backward, lowering his head to examine his palm. A faint red mark appeared, and his hand trembled slightly.

He had suffered a hidden loss.

Seeing tension rise, Qin Yang hurried forward to intervene.

"Young Emperor, what is the meaning of this?"

"Butterfly Fairy was unsteady on her feet, and Brother Lin simply helped her steady herself. Yet you attacked without a word—don’t you think that’s going too far?"

Of course, he firmly stood on Lin Fan’s side.

No further explanation needed.

They belonged to the same united front.

Facing external threats as one.

The Young Emperor maintained a neutral expression but took a deep breath.

"Impressive strength. If you managed to overpower Left Immortal, then their defeat was well-deserved. But who exactly are you? With such power, it’s unlikely you’d go unnoticed."

Heavenly Court possessed immense influence, their intelligence network unmatched.

It was rare for anyone to slip through their radar unnoticed.

Lin Fan chuckled, "Just a rustic wanderer, drifting aimlessly. Naturally, I’m an unknown nobody, unworthy of attention from someone like the Young Emperor."

"Hahaha..." The Young Emperor laughed loudly. "A rustic wanderer? If you are a rustic wanderer, then among this world’s elite, who dares to claim a noble lineage?"

"If you don’t wish to reveal it, that’s fine. But no matter how deeply you hide, my investigation will uncover everything about you."

Although they hadn’t engaged in an all-out fight...

It was obvious to everyone present.

The Young Emperor had been subtly bested.

Shock rippled through the crowd.

"Unbelievable. Who would have thought that Qin Yang encountered such a formidable individual outside?"

"The Heavenly Court Young Emperor’s strength is unparalleled, possessing the rare Heavenly Destiny Immortal Body that appears only once every tens of thousands of years. Even with such a pedigree, he suffered a setback. Just how terrifying is this Lin Fan’s power?"

"Truly, this is an era of monumental change, with prodigies emerging one after another. A time where the heavens’ chosen contest for supremacy."

"I’m getting old. I can no longer keep up."

Meanwhile, the atmosphere wasn’t overly tense. The Young Emperor’s composed demeanor sent a clear signal—he wasn’t angry; all remained calm.

Butterfly Fairy’s emotions, however, were far from settled. She was noble, elegant, and sacred, yet in the brief span of time earlier, she’d been taken advantage of—just like before. The humiliation left her seething.

"Qin Yang, it seems the one who subdued Left Immortal in the Heaven and Earth Cave Mansion was none other than this Lin fellow," remarked the Young Master.

Qin Yang replied, "Naturally, Left Immortal was nothing remarkable. Meeting Brother Lin, he was lucky to escape with his life. Or perhaps his Immortal Body protected him; otherwise, he’d have become a prisoner by now."

The Young Emperor laughed heartily.

He knew full well Qin Yang’s place among the heavens’ chosen—a position that was always rather awkward.

In the past, if Left Immortal were here, would Qin Yang have dared speak so boldly?

Of course not.

But after some time apart, Qin Yang had risen, broken the shackles completely, and stood tall with confidence now.

The Young Emperor said, "Very well. I’ll personally visit all of you later. Hopefully, we can have a good conversation."

For now, he had business with the Qin Family to attend to.

As the Heavenly Court members followed the Qin Family elders away, the Young Emperor glanced at Lin Fan one last time, as if engraving this potential future rival into his memory.

Once they were gone, Qin Yang slapped Lin Fan on the shoulder, grinning broadly. "Brother Lin, you were incredible just now! That Young Emperor is a son of the Heavenly Court, immensely powerful. Yet you seized the advantage and spread your name far and wide. From now on, when people talk about the heavens’ chosen, your name will surely be mentioned."

"This is not how things were supposed to go," Lin Fan muttered while shaking his head, silently chastising himself for once again getting into unnecessary trouble. His momentary lapses in judgment—like the unshakable habit of provoking women on the Flower List—always led to complications.

Sigh!

Perhaps, as they say, this is just the nature of being a man.

"Alright, kiddo, let’s go."

Lin Fan reached to pat the young girl’s head, but to his surprise, she dodged, striding forward with a defiant air.

It was as though she was sulking.

Qin Yang sidled up, grinning mischievously. "Brother Lin, I swear you’re no longer human. I bet this little girl is absolutely infatuated with you. Earlier, when you were holding Butterfly Fairy, I swear I sensed a murderous aura emanating from her."

Smack!

Lin Fan knocked Qin Yang on the head. "What nonsense are you spouting? Looking for a beating?"

"I’m serious," Qin Yang said, rubbing his head. Why was it so hard for anyone to believe him when he spoke the truth? He distinctly felt the murderous intent from the little girl earlier!

Thinking about her future growth...

It was a terrifying prospect.

Imagining all the women in Lin Fan’s life being eliminated one by one by the little girl—just the thought sent chills down one’s spine.

"Brother Qin, you’re making things difficult for me," Xiang Fei remarked, shaking his head as he walked away, thoroughly unnerved by Qin Yang’s outlandish speculations.

Meanwhile.

The Young Emperor instructed those around him to investigate Lin Fan’s background. His interest in Lin Fan had been thoroughly piqued.

After all...

To cross hands with him...

There were only a handful of prodigies capable of forcing him to suffer even a minor loss.

Needless to say...

Left Immortal wasn’t even within that handful.

Inside the room.

Lin Fan noticed the young girl behaving coldly, her delicate and adorable face full of annoyance. Acting as her guide, he naturally had to inquire about it.

"What’s wrong, kiddo? Feeling blue? Did you skip breakfast? Let me treat you to a feast later; eat till you’re stuffed."

For some reason...

He suddenly realized how often he seemed to end up surrounded by young girls.

Jiu Er, Little Sun, this one here...

They each gave him endless headaches.

Qin Yang chimed in, "What’s there to be upset about? Just focus on cultivating and growing stronger. When you’re ready, break your master’s legs—he won’t run off anymore, and you’ll have him all to yourself."

Lin Fan sighed. "What nonsense are you talking about now?"

However, he failed to notice...

A flicker of light glimmered in the young girl’s eyes upon hearing those words.

Which was a very dangerous signal.

Xiang Fei, having caught sight of the girl’s expression, stood frozen, gulping nervously.

Was Qin Yang actually telling the truth?

Was this the budding start of an ethically dubious tale?