CHAPTER 446: CHAPTER 0443: WE RISE IN REBELLION, FOLLOWING THE STEPS

A city.

Inside a tavern.

Many patrons around were talking loudly.

It was an ordinary scene, but their discussions seemed a bit... off.

"Did you hear? The Yaochi Fairy ran into a thief a while back and fell victim to the thief’s wandering hands."

"I heard about it. They say the Yaochi Fairy was so furious she cried."

"What a savage, huh."

"The Bai Haitang, known as the Grass Sword Hermit, publicly declared that whoever kills that man will be rewarded with the Grass Sword Technique as a generous gift."

"That’s huge! The Grass Sword Technique is an unparalleled sword art created by a spirit grass that gained sentience, with immeasurable power. Can’t believe they’re willing to use it as a gift."

"You’ve said so much, but haven’t yet mentioned who this person actually is."

"The Hand Demon Maniac, Lin Fan."

Pfft!

At a neighboring table, someone sputtered out their drink upon hearing that nickname.

Qin Yang opened his mouth, laughing silently, and pointed at Lin Fan as if saying, "You... Hand Demon Maniac? Who the hell came up with that? It’s too hilariously festive!"

"Haha!"

Qin Yang held back his laughter until his face turned red. His hands clenched into fists, wanting to pound the table but refrained from doing so overtly. Thick veins popped out on his neck as he suffered trying to suppress the laughter.

"Fellow Daoist, may I ask what is so funny?" another patron asked.

Qin Yang waved his hand and said, "Not particularly funny, just that... this nickname is a bit... unique."

The patron’s expression turned serious, saying gravely, "Hand Demon Maniac implies this person is extraordinarily skilled with his hands. If encountered, one must be cautious. Even the Yaochi Fairy couldn’t escape; to us, he’d be an exceptionally terrifying threat."

Qin Yang, hearing this, nearly couldn’t hold back his laughter again. "You all can relax. The Hand Demon Maniac harbors no ill intentions toward you. From what I heard, this Hand Demon Maniac specifically targets the Yaochi Fairy’s chest, causing her chest to swell. He’s enjoying privileges every man dreams of but can’t have."

The tavern fell silent.

No one spoke.

This revelation struck like thunder on a clear day.

Their dream goddess had suffered such brutal treatment—it felt as though their hearts were bleeding.

Soon, a group gathered to discuss fervently.

What would it have felt like when he touched her? Surely it must’ve been amazing, right?

Lin Fan calmly drank his wine, eating his dishes, oblivious to the drama unfolding around him.

"Brother Lin, you’re ridiculously mellow," Qin Yang said.

Lin Fan replied, "What choice do I have? Should I step up and tell them I’m the Hand Demon Maniac they’re talking about?"

He was genuinely annoyed now.

Who on earth was so shameless as to give him such a nickname?

Were they even human?

Xiang Fei chimed in, "Better to stay low-key, inciting panic isn’t ideal."

At this moment, the Golden Toad and the Swan were hostages. The Swan was restrained and unable to move, while the Golden Toad rolled its eyes, strategizing ways to escape.

The Golden Toad knew that following them meant certain death.

After offending the Yaochi Fairy, there’d be no place left for him in heaven or earth.

"Fellow Daoists, I bear no grudges against you all, so why hold me captive? Why not just let me go?" the Golden Toad implored.

He was an alien species, or to put it nicely, an ancient divine beast of the Immortal Realm.

And yet these mortals dared treat him so disrespectfully—it was outrageously unfair.

Lin Fan replied, "Don’t rush it. Let’s just chat for a while, shall we?"

The Golden Toad knew trouble was brewing.

At this rate, he’d have to save himself.

The Golden Toad widened his bulbous eyes, observing the scene. Most people were engrossed in the drama surrounding the Yaochi Fairy. If he revealed that Lin Fan was the Hand Demon Maniac, chaos would certainly ensue, and he might have a chance at escaping.

He waited quietly for the right moment.

Then suddenly.

The Golden Toad hopped onto a chair, shouting, "Fellow Daoists, this man is the Hand Demon Maniac, Lin Fan! He attacked the fairy you all admire with such audacity—what are you waiting for?"

"Rise up! Wave your banners! Take back honor for our goddess!"

The Golden Toad stood triumphantly with one foot on the chair and the other on the table, one hand on his hip and the other pointing at the sky.

He radiated an attitude of:

The heavens and earth are vast, but what I, the Golden Toad, say is the truth. What are you all hesitating for?

Silence!

The tavern fell utterly quiet once again.

Qin Yang froze; his chopsticks dropped onto the table with a clatter.

Lin Fan gave the Golden Toad a surprised look. He hadn’t expected the little guy to have such nerve.

"Not good," Xiang Fei muttered, sensing imminent conflict.

The Golden Toad smirked inwardly, anticipating chaos. Stirring conflict would let him slip away, carrying the Swan to freedom—journeying far and wide, untouchable by anyone.

However.

Things didn’t go the way the Golden Toad or Xiang Fei had imagined.

No riot materialized.

Instead, the surrounding patrons gazed at Lin Fan with envy.

Their eyes sparkled.

Like fans admiring their idol.

"Is he really the Hand Demon Maniac, Lin Fan?"

"His reputation precedes him, but seeing him in person surpasses all expectations. Truly charismatic and dashing!"

"I, an old man who divines the fate of the world, have never seen someone with such an extraordinary mien. Remarkable, truly remarkable!"

Rather than charging at Lin Fan in outrage, they simply began conversing fervently.

Lin Fan told Xiang Fei to keep an eye on the Golden Toad. This audacious fellow would pay for his antics later. Then Lin Fan cupped his hands and said, "Greetings, fellow Daoists. Nice to meet you all."

"Greetings, Hand Demon Maniac Daoist!"

"Impressive, Maniac Daoist!"

The crowd cupped their hands back, looking at Lin Fan with sparkling, admiring gazes—just like starstruck fans meeting their superstar.

The Golden Toad seemed dumbfounded; this wasn’t at all what he’d anticipated. Indeed, the crowd should’ve rushed forward to fight Lin Fan in fervent anger, screaming accusations like, "How dare you defile the goddess we hold dear! I’ll fight you to the death!"

But now...

You’re all disappointing this honorable being, huh?

"Do you all come from prominent families, or are you mere wanderers struggling to navigate the Immortal Realm alone?" Lin Fan asked.

They exchanged glances, looking ashamed. Evidently, they weren’t pleased with their origins.

A burly man baring his chest said, "I’m Old Zhang, a simple pig butcher. By stroke of luck, I found an Immortal Law inside a wild boar’s carcass, and from then, I embarked on the cultivation path. But I’m just a rough man with no background or status, scraping by day to day."

Inspirational!

The crowd nodded in admiration.

"I was a poor scholar who stumbled upon an ancient temple and befriended a female demon. She didn’t want to see me age and die, so she passed me the ways of cultivation." Another scholarly-looking man shared.

The crowd...

Envious, envious—an excellent romantic encounter with a blissful ending.

"But that female demon was slain by the Immortal Sect for saving me."

The crowd...

Sympathetic, mourning her loss—but hey, out with the old, in with the new.

Lin Fan said, "I’m just like all of you—born ordinary but with an unyielding heart. Everyone’s been buzzing about the rumors of the Hand Demon Maniac being me. And to be honest, that’s true. But I don’t mind the gossip."

Then.

He stepped onto the table, sweeping his gaze across the crowd and said.

"From humble blades of grass to mighty gales traversing the cosmos, we may all seem insignificant, but we possess an unyielding spirit. So what if she’s the Yaochi Fairy? Just because she’s highborn, revered by countless celestial prodigies, should she simply ignore us?"

Lin Fan’s voice resonated with a motivational undertone, sparking the crowd’s spirits.

"Well said!"

"True words from Hand Demon Maniac Daoist!"

Lin Fan continued, "Let’s be honest—what’s done is done. And why are those celestial prodigies chasing me? Because they envy and resent me for doing what they wish to do but dare not."

"What’s so special about a fairy or a goddess? Why should only prodigies get to court and relish their company while we, nobodies, can only stare blankly?"

"So I did it—not just for myself but for every rootless cultivator in the Immortal Realm. To prove to them all—"

"We not only harbor these desires but take action for them!"

"Take, for example..."

Lin Fan pointed at the Golden Toad, who stared back bewildered at him, unsure what Lin Fan’s intentions were.

"His Swan is none other than the Yaochi Fairy’s pet. Yet this Golden Toad Daoist didn’t fear the Yaochi’s influence. He carried inner resolve!"

"Beauty being unattainable was your belief. But today, he’s savoring that unattainable fruit."

"And he succeeded—the Swan is now his vassal."

Lin Fan stood confidently, words flying like spit amidst the impassioned atmosphere. The crowd gazed up at him, feeling inexplicably inspired by the Hand Demon Maniac, who radiated brilliance like a sun piercing through their darkness.

"Well said. Well said indeed!"

"Hand Demon Maniac Daoist is outrageously amazing!"

"He’s right—why should fairies only belong to celestial prodigies? We, too, have every right to strive for them!"

"We cultivators walk the path of cultivation and enlightenment without fear of heaven or gods; why fear a fairy?"

Qin Yang stared slack-jawed at Lin Fan. Without realizing it, he began clapping his hands.

"Amazing, amazing, amazing..."

He chanted praises as if hypnotized.

As others heard his chant, the words began spreading like wildfire.

"Amazing! Amazing! Amazing!"

The rhythmic clapping gained momentum.

Passersby outside the tavern heard the commotion inside and were utterly perplexed.

"Who’s Amazing?"

"Why is everyone chanting his name?"

Lin Fan realized his rhetoric wasn’t half-bad. What mattered most was that his words resonated deeply with the people. If he had spoken about grandiose cave mansions or obscure cultivation methods, they might’ve responded with confused questions like, "What on earth is a cave mansion?"

"Hand Demon Maniac Daoist, may I ask—how does it feel in the presence of a fairy?" one of the cultivators shyly queried. He almost wanted to crawl into a hole afterward, ashamed at asking such a tactless question.

But bottling it up had been torturous, like battling a Heart Demon. And releasing it felt like a profound liberation, rejuvenating his spirit.

Although coarse and vulgar topics often felt undignified, they always struck the deepest chord among crowds.

What did it feel like to touch her?

They all secretly wondered—was the sensation any different? Was there something extraordinary to it?

Lin Fan smiled mysteriously and extended his hand.

The crowd was puzzled.

Lin Fan said, "These hands of mine have already felt it. Since that’s the case, why don’t you come feel my hands yourselves? Perhaps you’ll find the experience enlightening."