The more Fang Baiyan spoke, the more Chen Fan realized the terrifying nature of the Northern Brotherhood.
Luo Bin listened, his heart growing increasingly alarmed.
He hadn't been ordered by the Northern Brotherhood to kill Fang Baiyan; he had been hired by someone else, accepting a substantial sum of money.
He had thought that killing Fang Baiyan would be the end of the task, a simple way to earn ten million, enough for a prolonged period of indulgence.
Who could have imagined that the depths of this matter ran far deeper than he had ever anticipated, so deep that even a peak Huajin expert like himself felt a chill.
Of course, he had foreseen the grievances entangled with Fang Baiyan's background, even knowing he was hired by a certain faction.
But he had never imagined the Northern Brotherhood to be so formidable.
Moreover, how could his public surrender and kneeling before Chen Fan possibly not be known to that Brotherhood?
What terrified him most was that he had heard every word Chen Fan said to Fang Baiyan, without missing a single one.
Under these circumstances, even if Chen Fan let him go, could that Northern Brotherhood, despite Luo Bin being a Huajin master, truly let him off?
He now realized that he, a mere pawn, had utterly entangled himself, with no way to extricate himself.
With his formidable martial arts cultivation, he could perhaps evade them for a time, but the ultimate outcome would likely not be favorable...
Hadn't Fang Baiyan, an Anjin martial artist with vast wealth and influence, been cornered into a suicidal situation by mere words?
Cold sweat dripped from his forehead as his gaze towards Chen Fan became increasingly apprehensive and fearful.
The very act of Chen Fan making him kneel there, speaking these words in his presence, had already factored in the Brotherhood's future reactions!
Setting aside Luo Bin's terror, Fang Baiyan continued, "They will not rest until I am dead; they will never spare me!"
"My detachment will remain here with you," Chen Fan nodded. "They wouldn't dare openly attack this place. Be careful when you go out, and watch for assassination attempts."
"Thank you, Mr. Chen!"
With the protection of the war zone, Fang Baiyan felt a significant sense of relief.
Chen Fan nodded, a cold glint in his eyes, and said, "I will uproot the Northern Brotherhood's influence in Kyoto as quickly as possible. You need not worry too much."
Fang Baiyan replied, "One can only hope."
He already knew Chen Fan's status and position were extraordinary, but he remained pessimistic about Chen Fan's ability to eliminate the Northern Brotherhood.
Some things, one could not understand without experiencing and feeling them firsthand.
Of course, if given a choice, no one wished to die, nor did they wish for their family to be implicated. Hence, he was quite willing to accept Chen Fan's arrangements.
Chen Fan, of course, could see Fang Baiyan's pessimism and saw no need to persuade him further. He asked, "Tell me everything you know about them in more detail!"
Thus, Fang Baiyan continued to relay all the information he possessed about the Northern Brotherhood to Chen Fan.
Half an hour later, most of what could be said had been covered.
The Northern Brotherhood, this clandestine organization with wolfish ambitions, had its veil lifted before Chen Fan, revealing a portion of its true face.
However, Fang Baiyan was still merely a chess piece controlled by the Northern Brotherhood, not a core member, and his knowledge of the organization's structure and secrets remained limited.
Liang Zhongying, on the other hand, knew more, which was why he had fallen into such despair, losing the will to live.
Chen Fan then inquired about a few more questions that concerned him, and after receiving Fang Baiyan's answers, he turned his attention to Luo Bin.
"Get up!"
Chen Fan commanded.
Even though Luo Bin was a Huajin level martial artist, his knees felt numb and swollen. He felt a great sense of relief as he stood.
But correspondingly, his inner unease and fear grew even more intense.
"You can go now."
Chen Fan glanced at Luo Bin and said.
Luo Bin's expression flickered, a mix of surprise and disbelief, "Are you serious?"
"Do I need to lie to you?" Chen Fan said indifferently. "However, if you fall into my hands again next time, you should know you will have no value to me whatsoever."
Luo Bin let out a wry smile at this.
Chen Fan letting him go completely confirmed his innermost thoughts.
As long as he left this place, the Northern Brotherhood would surely not let him off.
However, he had no other choice. He cupped his hands and said, "Thank you!"
With that, he retreated facing Chen Fan, afraid that Chen Fan would break his word and attack him again.
Chen Fan, however, paid him no further attention, nor did anyone obstruct him.
He breathed a sigh of relief and at the same time resolved to flee as far as possible the moment he left the Fang family's residence.
After all, he was a peak Huajin expert, a figure of some standing in the martial arts world. Even if the Northern Brotherhood was powerful and terrifying, he still possessed some self-preservation capabilities.
His figure soon disappeared at the entrance.
"Mr. Chen let him go?"
Fang Baiyan felt no resentment but was somewhat perplexed.
"He won't trouble you again!"
"That's not what I meant. It's that if he joins the Brotherhood, he'd be aiding the enemy."
Fang Baiyan stated.
"We'll wait and see."
Chen Fan's gaze was distant as he replied softly.
Letting Luo Bin go was not an act of mercy but a test of the Brotherhood's reaction, to ascertain their current modus operandi and the number of martial arts experts they possessed.
Whether the Brotherhood chose to silence Luo Bin, recruit him, or simply let him go, each would be a response to today's events.
This would allow him to gain a better understanding of the Brotherhood, perhaps even finding some loopholes.
As the master of the dark night, Chen Fan knew that as an organization grew larger, it would inevitably develop various flaws and weaknesses.
Now that he knew the Northern Brotherhood was behind it all, he would force them to reveal their vulnerabilities and expose their key figures, and then it would only be a matter of time before the entire power structure collapsed.
He was the Undefeated Heavenly King, the de facto leader of the top noble clans, backed by the might of this nation. The power he wielded was also enough to make this organization tremble with fear and trepidation.
Fang Baiyan, still feeling uneasy, asked, "Then, Mr. Chen, what are your next steps?"
Glancing at Fang Baiyan, Chen Fan rose and walked towards the main hall of the inner courtyard. "Sect Leader Fang, take care. If anything happens or if you recall any intelligence, contact me anytime!"
Upon reaching the main hall, Shang Wushuang and the others, who had been watching him, now stepped forward to greet him.
Nodding to Shang Wushuang, Chen Fan ignored the others and focused his gaze on Old Master Rong.
Old Master Rong's gaze was somewhat unfocused, seemingly afraid to meet Chen Fan's eyes.
"Old Master Rong, you are advanced in years. Do not let your lifelong reputation be ruined."
Old Master Rong started, a flicker of unease appearing in his eyes. He forced a smile and said, "Mr. Chen speaks wisely. We martial artists should take today's events as a lesson."
Seeing the old man feigning ignorance, Chen Fan let out a cold laugh. "Tell those people that I, Chen Tianjiao, will eventually find them all and crush them one by one!"
Old Master Rong feigned surprise, then anger, "What does Mr. Chen mean by that?"
The younger generation of the Rong family who had accompanied him glared at Chen Fan with anger.
Chen Fan, however, saw no point in saying more and turned to leave. "The host of this place has matters to attend to today and likely does not wish to see any more guests. You have all had your drinks; those who should leave, please do so!"
Nodding to Shang Wushuang, Chen Fan strode out. He stopped in the middle courtyard and instructed the leading soldiers to guard the Fang residence and await further orders.
After that, he left the Fang family and departed by car.
As for Fang Da, there was no need to see him again.