Kyoto.
Du Fumin entered a quiet and elegant courtyard.
A middle-aged man was walking out, and they met each other.
Both couldn't help but take a closer look at each other and were surprised.
Their identities were both extraordinary among Kyoto's elite, and encountering each other here, both were somewhat surprised.
Recognizing each other, they were both a little surprised, but they didn't speak, merely nodding in acknowledgment as they passed by.
Upon entering the courtyard, the interior was filled with a classic style. Verandas and pavilions were adorned with carved dragons and painted phoenixes, complemented by rockeries and several bamboo plants that rustled in the gentle breeze.
A stream meandered between the verandas and pavilions, forming a self-contained loop.
A white-clad figure sat in a pavilion, scattering fish food into the stream.
Various colored koi swam in the stream, vying for the food being thrown by the figure.
The person was young, with a calm and gentle demeanor, slender, and dressed in simple, elegant clothes, appearing as if untouched by the worldly dust.
Approaching the pavilion, Du Fumin looked at the koi and asked, "Wu Shao?"
"Fumin, in Yuzhou, Chen Tianjiao killed a martial arts grandmaster. He survived the ambush of explosives and artillery fire, causing heavy losses!"
Du Fumin was taken aback.
"A pity."
The man threw the remaining fish food into the pond and said softly, "The one responsible for this was Spider. This person, apart from being arrogant and fierce, is actually very capable, a rare talent."
"The team he led was also an elite among elites; there are few teams in the entire Brotherhood that can compare."
Du Fumin asked, "Is Chen Tianjiao that powerful?"
"Stronger than originally anticipated. Gao Hongchang of the Liuhe Sect was no match, though Gao Hongchang didn't die by his hand but was killed by the explosion."
The man finished throwing the fish food and looked at Du Fumin, saying, "However, I've already had news spread that it was Chen Tianjiao who killed him, and that Gao Hongchang was completely unable to retaliate."
Du Fumin, being intelligent, asked, "The Hero Alliance?"
The man nodded, "The date for the decisive battle between Xiao Kai and Watanabe Yomi has been set. Kyoto is abuzz with activity, and major grandmasters have already set off to witness it."
"The martial arts grandmasters wouldn't deign to gang up on Chen Tianjiao, would they?"
Du Fumin inquired.
"That's not certain," the man chuckled. "Fumin, I recall you have a good relationship with Luo Han?"
"It's alright."
Du Fumin replied.
"Then go and ask him to arrange an introduction to the experts in the martial arts world."
The man continued, "It would be ideal if we could recruit a group of ancient martial artists."
"Understood!" Du Fumin agreed readily.
Since they couldn't do anything to Chen Fan in Yuzhou, only one option remained: the martial arts grandmasters.
He could guess Wu Shao's intentions and would fully support them.
Of course, he knew that Wu Shao's intentions went beyond this, and there were certainly other arrangements.
But he didn't have any intention of asking further questions.
He had immense trust in the man before him, and the person he encountered upon entering was proof of that.
...
As soon as Chen Fan hung up Jun Ruowang's call, another phone rang.
It was Ye Yunchen.
"Chen Tianjiao?"
"It's me," Chen Fan replied nonchalantly.
"I thought you were dead, and your phone had fallen into the hands of the Brotherhood. This is quite interesting," Ye Yunchen said.
Chen Fan snorted, "Isn't this exactly what you hoped to see?"
"Then you misunderstand me."
Ye Yunchen chuckled, "I don't want you dead. We have a common enemy, and the enemy of an enemy is a friend."
Chen Fan coldly scoffed, "Thanks to you, I almost got blown to death."
"It was indeed very close!"
Ye Yunchen laughed, "This time, you'll be famous throughout the land and shake the martial arts world."
"If that's all you wanted to say, then there's no need to continue. I'm hanging up."
Chen Fan wasn't in a good mood.
It was hard to say whether everything that happened in Yuzhou's Yaoshan was Ye Yunchen's scheme.
Having nearly been blown to death on Yaoshan peak, Chen Fan certainly couldn't be polite to Ye Yunchen, the instigator.
"Don't be so angry, we're allies."
Ye Yunchen smiled, "Actually, you can't blame me. How could I have known you would stir up a hornet's nest and cause the Brotherhood to deploy martial arts grandmasters and such formidable forces? Thinking about it, if I hadn't approached Fan Songnian quietly back then, I might have ended up in a similar situation to yours."
"I don't have your kind of ability!"
Chen Fan was driving and said, "Can you cut the pleasantries short?"
"Alright, Chen Tianjiao, you really can't take a joke."
Ye Yunchen, having his own informants, knew about the situation in Yuzhou and was in a good mood. He said, "Two things. The first is to express my concern for you."
"I didn't feel it."
"Well, this one can be skipped then."
Ye Yunchen continued, "The second is that I've found an important clue. An item belonging to my father in the past has fallen into the hands of the Wang family of Langya. I want you to help me retrieve it."
Chen Fan was startled and asked, "What item?"
"An ancestral heirloom of our Ye family, very important to the Ye family. Specifically, a jade ruyi scepter, of extraordinary value."
Chen Fan, while driving, asked, "Can't you retrieve it yourself? With your current strength, that possibility doesn't exist, does it?"
"The Wang family of Langya, a thousand-year-old lineage!"
Ye Yunchen said, "You should know how formidable such families can be."
Chen Fan did know about the Wang family of Langya. That place had been the fiefdom of princes in various dynasties since ancient times, yet the Wang family of Langya had stood firm, with a tradition of scholarship, and was extremely mysterious.
He naturally wouldn't agree to such a matter without reason, saying, "I'm already too busy with my own affairs to have the time or inclination to help you."
"One of the three conditions!"
Ye Yunchen immediately said, "If you agree to help me, it will count as one of the three conditions. Once all three tasks are completed, the fragment of the Dragon Pattern Compass will be handed over to you."
"Furthermore, this time, someone from the Wang family will be coming to the capital, so we can start from there."
Chen Fan was somewhat tempted, but he said, "The fragment of the Dragon Pattern Compass you promised is not in my hands yet, just empty words. Figure it out yourself."
"Chen Tianjiao, this matter isn't that difficult. With your reputation for killing martial arts grandmasters, the Wang family will likely give you some face. An opportunity lost is never regained!"
"We'll see."
Chen Fan still didn't agree and hung up the phone.
Even if he were willing to agree to such a matter, he still needed to play hard to get with Ye Yunchen.
However, Ye Yunchen's request did make him a little puzzled.
According to Ye Yunchen's previous boasts, with such a powerful sect behind him, a family like the Wang family should be no problem for him. Why was he asking for his help?
Chen Fan couldn't be bothered to think further and continued driving.
By the time Chen Fan reached the Kyoto expressway exit, it was already three in the afternoon.
Shang Wushuang's phone also rang.
"You killed Gao Hongchang?"
As soon as the call connected, Shang Wushuang asked in a tone of shock.
"You received the news?"
Chen Fan secretly thought that there were no secrets about such matters. Not only Ye Yunchen knew, but even Shang Wushuang had heard about it.
"This news is now spreading throughout the martial arts world. The sect leader of the Liuhe Sect, a grandmaster, was easily killed by you!" Shang Wushuang said, "You are now famous everywhere!"
Chen Fan frowned upon hearing this.
"The entire martial arts world is discussing this matter."
Shang Wushuang asked, "Gao Hongchang truly had no power to resist in front of you?"