Lu Fan took out the spirit egg from the Qiankun bag and discovered that a small bird had hatched from it. The spiritual energy emanating from its body made it appear quite spirited.
"What is this?"
Zhao Hanxue exclaimed in surprise, "Is it your beast pet?"
"You could say it's my spirit pet," Lu Fan nodded slightly. "Although it's a bit small, it has finally hatched. With it by my side, I won't be so lonely anymore."
"Such a small bird, what use is it?" Zhao Hanxue asked, looking astonished. "Although it emanates some spiritual energy, it's ultimately just an ordinary spirit beast. If you like it, my Zhao family's back mountain has plenty. Spirit beasts like this are countless, you can choose whichever one you like."
"That won't be necessary!" Lu Fan shook his head. "This spirit beast in my hand was something I acquired by chance. Since I've taken it in, I naturally have to be responsible for it to the end."
"As you wish!" Zhao Hanxue said casually.
"For it to be valued by young friend Lu, this spirit beast must be extraordinary!" The Zhao family head chuckled. Although he couldn't discern the spirit beast's special qualities, he believed Lu Fan was not a fool, and anything Lu Fan fancied would surely not be ordinary.
"I think it's a divine beast!" Lu Fan said with a light smile. "Unfortunately, I don't have irrefutable proof, so whether it's a divine beast or a spirit beast, I will raise it well."
The Zhao family head was startled. He knew very well what kind of existence divine beasts were. If this one truly was a divine beast, it would undoubtedly be a great asset to Lu Fan in the future. However, under normal circumstances, spirit beasts with divine beast bloodlines were already rare. As for true divine beasts, they were likely nonexistent. Therefore, he harbored some doubt about Lu Fan's words.
"I'm going to the Magic Market tomorrow. Do you want to come along?" Zhao Hanxue asked. "The spirit sword I'm using is already worn out, and I want to get a better one."
"Since I have nothing else to do tomorrow, I'll go with you!" Lu Fan shrugged. He had visited the Magic Market once before. It contained many good items that could be auctioned if one had enough spirit stones, which was something Lu Fan was quite interested in.
After the banquet concluded, Lu Fan returned to his courtyard and sat alone on the rooftop, his mind quite at peace.
"Master, I don't think Miss Zhao is a good person. She deliberately tried to test you during dinner today," Hu Yu walked over. "After leaving the Zhao family, it's best not to associate with them."
"I've noticed you've been very opinionated since following me from the Taiyan Dynasty," Lu Fan said. "Perhaps I can never be your master, and you are unwilling to be my maid."
"Master, why do you say that?" Hu Yu was startled. "Everything I do is for your consideration."
"I know you mean well, but you should understand that no matter what you do, you shouldn't overstep boundaries," Lu Fan said coldly. "Otherwise, how can you follow me?"
"Master, I was wrong before. Please forgive me," Hu Yu quickly admitted her mistake.
"It's good that you know you were wrong!" Lu Fan said. "Don't speak ill of others next time. No matter who you're dissatisfied with, you should have a broader mind."
Hu Yu nodded solemnly, her gaze becoming more serious. After being reprimanded by Lu Fan, she knew what she should do in the future.
The next morning, Zhao Hanxue took Lu Fan away from the Zhao family and headed towards a nearby city. Now that he had broken through to the Half-Saint realm, he naturally needed to upgrade his equipment. Only then could he unleash the full potential of his Half-Saint aura. With the Zhao family's resources, acquiring a suitable spirit sword would not be difficult.
However, just as they left the Zhao family, Lu Fan saw several figures directly in front of him. These were the three elders from the Taiyan Dynasty.
"It truly is a case of searching high and low, and finding it without effort." Shangqing Daoist spoke, "I didn't expect to find you here, kid. We've been looking for you for a long time. Today, you likely have no escape."
"I truly didn't expect you to still be in the Triangular Domain," Lu Fan narrowed his eyes. "I thought you had already left. It seems you won't go back until you kill me!"
"The princess issued the order, how could we disobey?" Shangqing Daoist stated directly. "You should just end yourself, kid, to spare us the trouble of acting."
"Who are you people?" Zhao Hanxue frowned. "He is a guest of my Zhao family. Within the Triangular Domain, no one dares to disrespect my Zhao family."
"The Zhao family?" Shangqing Daoist sneered. "The previous Zhao family had a Saint guarding it, so they were quite influential. However, the Zhao family's Saint has passed away. The current Zhao family can barely protect itself, yet it dares to threaten me?"
"This matter is mine, and it has nothing to do with the Zhao family," Lu Fan said. "Miss Zhao, please step aside and do not get involved in this."
"But..." Zhao Hanxue frowned. She could clearly sense that the three elders before them were not simple, especially the elder in the middle, who should be a Half-Saint level expert.
"Little girl, I advise you not to meddle in other people's affairs," Shangqing Zhenren said. "We are from the Taiyan Dynasty. If you wish to oppose the dynasty, you should know the consequences!"
"The Taiyan Dynasty!" Zhao Hanxue frowned. If her family's ancestor were still alive, perhaps she wouldn't need to be so wary. But the current Zhao family could not afford to offend the Taiyan Dynasty. With the slightest misstep, their Zhao family could also be implicated.
"I already said, this matter has nothing to do with the Zhao family," Lu Fan stated. "Do I need to say it again?"
"It's best if it has nothing to do with the Zhao family!" Shangqing Zhenren sneered. "Since that's the case, you should know, kid, that it's better to end yourself directly than to have us act."
"You might be mistaken. I have no intention of resolving this myself," Lu Fan shrugged. "Instead, I intend to resolve you."
"You want to resolve us?" The elders exchanged glances and burst into laughter, showing utter disdain. In their eyes, Lu Fan was simply too young to utter such words, showing a complete lack of understanding of the immensity of the world. Yuan Qing was a Half-Saint, and in their eyes, Lu Fan's words were like a moth flying into a flame, only leading to self-destruction.
Although Zhao Hanxue was worried, she knew Lu Fan was not an ordinary person. Among the elders before them, there was only one Half-Saint. Perhaps Lu Fan truly had a chance to fight back. With this thought, Zhao Hanxue remained silent and slowly stood aside. If Lu Fan were to be defeated, she could still intervene, thus alleviating her worries.