Chapter 1038: Return

The Lin Family!

Inside the room.

Ning Tiekun, with a smile on his face, stepped aside and said politely, "Brother Zhou, Brother Wang, please take the seats of honor."

Brothers Zhou and Wang were not polite; they strode toward the host seats. "Brother Ning, and fellow junior sisters, please take a seat."

Ning Tiekun sat down next to the two men. The other three junior sisters were also not polite and accompanied him on either side. Only Lin Hanyu was displeased, standing to the side without moving.

Xiao Yuya tugged at Lin Hanyu and whispered, "Sit down. We can't afford to offend these two, and don't bring trouble to your family."

Lin Hanyu sat down very reluctantly. She regretted it deeply; if she had known it would come to this, she would not have come back, or could have come back alone. Now that this situation had occurred, she felt aggrieved.

The seven of them sat there, while the heads of the eight major families, like servants, surrounded them, pouring tea, wine, and serving dishes.

How much face would that require to pull off?

The heads of the other seven families arrived, their hearts filled with grief and indignation. When had they ever suffered such treatment? Ning Tiekun had directly named them, ordering them to wait on him as if they were servants.

"Pour wine for the two gentlemen," Ning Tiekun said with a smile, then continued to inquire, "What brings you two senior brothers to this small place called Shenglong City?"

Zhou Jun raised his glass and downed it in one gulp. "Passing through, so we came to have a look, and also to buy some mundane items to take back as gifts for our fellow disciples."

"Oh, I see. Leave that matter to me," Ning Tiekun said. Though he was the young master of the Iron Sword Sect, he was smooth in his dealings, treating disciples of major sects with courtesy, but looking coldly upon petty villains with arrogance.

"Then we'll trouble you, Brother Ning," the two said with a smile, then raised their glasses, clinked them, and drank in one gulp. They were disciples of the Heaven and Earth Sect; though only inner disciples, they were still people of considerable status to ordinary sect disciples.

They naturally understood that Ning Tiekun was currying favor with them, and they were happy to give him this opportunity.

As for these mundane people pouring wine for them, it could be considered their honor, after all, it would be something to boast about—having once served disciples of such and such a sect.

"Brother Zhou, Brother Wang, this mundane place has nothing good to offer; you'll have to make do," Ning Tiekun said with a tone of disdain.

When Huang Yan, the head of the Huang family, poured wine for the two men, his hand trembled, spilling wine on the table. Ning Tiekun saw this and immediately became furious, scolding harshly, "What are you doing? You can't even handle a simple task—what use are you?"

Although Huang Yan was the head of the Huang family, he dared not act presumptuously in front of these sect disciples. Terrified, his face turned pale, and he panickedly apologized.

"Hmph." Zhou Jun snorted lightly. As an inner disciple, he naturally had a sense of pride, but he wouldn't go so far as to lay hands on a mere mortal with some cultivation.

"Uncle Huang, let me do it." Lin Hanyu said with displeasure, stood up, walked over to Huang Yan, took the wine pot, and personally poured wine for Zhou Jun.

Zhou Jun smiled. A beautiful woman and fine wine—not bad at all.

The other family heads maintained calm expressions, but inwardly they were burning with rage. How hateful—these people were truly detestable.

…

At the gate of Ascending Dragon City.

A beam of light descended.

The surrounding commoners were initially startled, but when they saw it was a human figure, they breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it was a person, it was fine.

Three years later, returning to Ascending Dragon City, there wasn't much change. The city gate was still the same, and even the tiles hadn't changed much.

Lin Fan entered the city, which was as bustling as usual.

Thinking of Lin Haoming, Lin Fan felt a bit amused. If he knew Lin Fan's current strength and status in the sect, he wondered how smug he would be.

Having entered the Golden Immortal realm, Lin Fan's demeanor had undergone a great transformation.

Passersby stared intently at Lin Fan, as if drawn to him. Some people repeatedly glanced at him, then whispered among themselves.

"What a handsome young man."

"Yes, I've never seen him before. I wonder which family he belongs to."

"Eh, why do I feel he looks familiar?"

"Tch, you say that about everyone. Last time someone came, you said the same thing, and in the end, did you ever remember who it was?"

"This time is different. I really do feel a strong sense of familiarity."

……

Lin Fan had been reincarnated from the Ancient Saint Realm and was born here. Although he had no blood ties, having lived here for over a decade, he naturally felt some attachment.

Some young girls by the roadside kept casting glances at Lin Fan, sending him flirtatious looks, as if they were captivated by him.

Lin Fan gave a faint smile, which only amplified his allure to these women.

When Lin Fan passed by a herbal medicine shop, he couldn't help but stop.

Lin Fan remembered this shop; it was one of the Lin family's properties. Inside, an elderly man was present, whom Lin Fan naturally recognized—the old steward of the Lin family.

In three years, the old steward had aged considerably, but thanks to the aid of medicinal pills, he wasn't at the point of being unable to move around.

"Old steward," Lin Fan called out.

The old steward, who was organizing accounts in the shop, was startled by the voice. He looked outside, and when his eyes fell on the figure, his expression changed abruptly, showing disbelief.

"Young... young master?" the old steward stammered in shock. When he confirmed that it was indeed his young master, he immediately rushed out from behind the counter and grasped Lin Fan's hand. "Young master, have you really returned?"

"Mm," Lin Fan nodded.

The surrounding commoners suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

"Is that the young master of the Lin family?"

"The Lin family young master who entered the sect and had no news for three years?"

"He's back?"

"Wow, that duel three years ago is still vivid in my mind. I never thought he'd return. And look, after three years, the young master's demeanor has changed—he's become more intimidating than before."

"The eldest miss of the Lin family has also returned from the sect. Now that the young master is back too, it's a double blessing."

"But have you heard? Those companions who came back with the eldest miss seem to show no respect for the Lin family and even the other seven great families."

"I've heard something about that."

……

A smile curled at the corners of Lin Fan's mouth. "It's been three years since I've been back. I've missed it a bit. Let's head home first."

"Good, good. This old servant will go report immediately," the old steward said, extremely excited.

The young master of the Lin family was a prodigy, accepted as a disciple by the Heaven and Earth Sect—a glory unprecedented in Ascending Dragon City.

"No need. Just come back with me," Lin Fan said.

As he headed toward the Lin family residence, the surrounding commoners spread the word among themselves.

The young master of the Lin family had returned.

This was a matter of great curiosity for everyone. They wondered how the young master had fared in the three years away.

Now that he was back, the rumors of his fall were naturally dispelled.

At the main gate of the Lin family.

Two guards stood at the entrance.

"Open the gate quickly. The young master has returned," the old steward said excitedly.

The guards were taken aback and, without any hesitation, immediately announced that the young master had returned.

Lin Fan smiled and stepped into the Lin family. This time, he had come just to take a look. After seeing what he needed, he would leave immediately.

……