"Thank you for the compliment, Miss!" Lu Fan cupped his fists, a smile on his face. If Ling'er hadn't intervened, he might have been in quite a bit of trouble today.
"Steward Wu, I find him rather bold, unlike others. From now on, he shall be my personal guard!" Ling'er declared. "I happen to be in need of a bodyguard."
"This..." Steward Wu was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected Ling'er to make such a request. He had been in the Xuan Emperor's mansion for so many years and had never heard of Ling'er needing a bodyguard.
"What, you can't arrange it?" Ling'er glanced at him.
"Of course, I can!" Steward Wu quickly replied. "If Miss needs a bodyguard, it can certainly be arranged. From now on, he is your personal guard!"
Ling'er was quite pleased and then departed, leaving Steward Wu and the others stunned, not knowing what to say.
In the courtyard, Ling'er looked at Lu Fan and said, "Although I saved you today, you must be careful. Offending someone from the Chen family is no trivial matter. A slight misstep could lead to significant trouble!"
Lu Fan nodded slightly at her words. "Thank you for the reminder, Miss. I will pay close attention to this matter. If the Chen family makes any moves, I will not let them succeed."
"You talk quite big. The Chen family has a Half-Emperor. You are no match for him."
Ling'er waved her hand, her gaze becoming even more indifferent. It seemed to her that young people like Lu Fan spoke a bit presumptuously, but she rather liked it.
Within the entire Xuan Emperor City, apart from his father, everyone was respectful to him. Even Half-Emperor powerhouses dared not offend him. The reason for this was his Emperor-level father, which made him feel rather bored.
However, upon meeting Lu Fan, he suddenly realized that Lu Fan's gaze never wavered, nor did he show any fear. This feeling was unprecedented, and he found himself drawn to it.
"There's a Sky Horse Competition tomorrow. Accompany me," Ling'er said.
"Sky Horse Competition?"
Lu Fan was a little surprised, not really understanding the details of it.
"It's the Sky Horse Competition held in Xuan Emperor City. The younger generation from the three major families will also participate!" Ling'er explained. "Every year, the Sky Horse Competition attracts many from the younger generation. Whoever wins the championship can even receive a young divine beast!"
"A young divine beast?"
Lu Fan was slightly astonished. "By that logic, who issues these young divine beasts?"
"Naturally, it's the organizer of the Sky Horse Competition, the Sky Horse Merchant Association!" Ling'er stated directly. "If you can win first place in the Sky Horse Competition, you'll get a divine beast. This is an opportunity not to be missed!"
"But under these circumstances, it probably won't be easy for me to win first place in the Sky Horse Competition!" Lu Fan said frankly.
"If it were anyone else, perhaps they wouldn't have the strength. But you are different! With your abilities, you will surely be able to tame a Sky Horse. In that case, winning the championship will be as easy as picking something from a pocket!"
"Tame a Sky Horse?"
Lu Fan was slightly surprised. "Do Sky Horses have extremely fierce temperaments?"
"You may not know, but Sky Horses are not ordinary warhorses, nor are they common horses from the lower realms. To gain a Sky Horse's recognition, you must conquer it!"
Ling'er said directly. "Without immense strength, conquering a Sky Horse is not the easiest task. After all, over the years, anyone who has become the champion of the Sky Horse Competition has been no ordinary person!"
"Then why are you so certain I can accomplish it?" Lu Fan asked, slightly surprised and even more puzzled.
"Because your strength is not that of an ordinary person. Among the younger generation in the entire Xuan Emperor City, there should be no one who can match you!" Ling'er stated. "You have such excellent talent; it would be a waste not to use it!"
"It seems the eldest young lady has been paying attention to me from the start!" Lu Fan smiled. "Otherwise, how would the eldest young lady know that my strength is extraordinary!"
"Being able to defeat the Second Master of the Chen family likely means you've reached the late stage of Grand Saint. Ascenders with exceptional talent like yours are rare, one in a hundred years, in the entire Xuan Emperor City!" Ling'er said. "If my father weren't an Emperor-level expert, and I could inherit his bloodline power, I wouldn't be in this situation!"
Faced with these words, Lu Fan was slightly moved. He hadn't expected Ling'er to know him so well, which made him somewhat puzzled.
Not long after, in the Chen family courtyard, the Chen family patriarch's face was ashen. As a dignified Half-Emperor expert, to be so humiliated now was a great shame for their Chen family.
"Father, you must seek justice for me in this matter!" Chen Jianbei said. "I cannot just be beaten for nothing! After all, I am the eldest young master of the Chen family!"
"While that may be true, haven't you seen it? That brat has powerful backing. Even Miss Ling'er shows him such favor. To deal with him would be to make an enemy of the Xuan Emperor. Do you think our Chen family can afford that?"
"While that may be true, there are still other ways!" Second Master Chen narrowed his eyes and walked in from outside. "I've already inquired. The brat will also participate in tomorrow's Sky Horse Competition. In that case, dealing with him will be as easy as flipping your hand!"
"Sky Horse Competition!"
Chen Jianbei was slightly taken aback. "This Sky Horse Competition is held outside Xuan Emperor City. If that brat participates, we can ambush him en route!"
Second Master Chen nodded slightly at these words, seemingly agreeing with his plan.
The Chen family patriarch frowned. He knew very well that this matter involved great risks. If the Xuan Emperor were implicated, their Chen family would not be able to handle it. Su Dan Novel Network.
"Father, at this point, are you still unwilling to make a decision?" Chen Jianbei asked with seriousness in his eyes. "You must know that the face of our Chen family cannot be defiled by others!"
"I naturally understand what you're saying, but do you comprehend that this matter is of great importance? If the Xuan Emperor is implicated, even our Chen family might not be able to cope!" The Chen family patriarch's expression was solemn.
"Eldest Brother, we naturally understand what you're saying, but you must realize that the existence of that brat poses a significant threat to our Chen family!" Second Master Chen stated. "With that brat's talent, it won't be long before he reaches higher levels. At that time, our Chen family fears we won't be able to establish ourselves in Xuan Emperor City!"
The Chen family patriarch was slightly stunned, instantly silenced by these words. Just as Second Master Chen had said, this matter was not trivial; it concerned the Chen family's fortune.