Book 2 - Fame Spreads - Chapter 45.2

Lu Xinwen faintly smiled and said, “Why are you paying respects to me?”
Fan Vastsun respectfully said, “Great granduncle, I admire your old self. I am not seeking to gain apprenticeship under you, but only wish to serve by you for a few days to fulfil my duty as a junior.”
Behind his body, Fan Shui was both astonished and delighted. If the former could gain a favourable impression of this old man, not to mention him, it would be an extremely fortuitous event for the entire Fan family.
However, while confronting Lu Xinwen, he himself was unable to speak out of fear. How could he dare speak of cooperation? He could only hopefully glance at him and respectfully bend over.
Without a change in expression, Lu Xinwen said, “You wish to serve by side, you don’t care about my notorious reputation?”
Fan Shui inwardly cursed, ‘So you also knew that your reputation is spread everywhere?’ Of course, he didn’t dare express such thoughts in any way. At the same time, he was quite concerned inwardly, wondering how Fan Vastsun would respond.
Fan Vastsun raised his head and brightly said, “Great granduncle, your name in Gold Forest country is like sun in the sky. How could it be a notorious reputation?”
Lu Xinwen chuckled and said, “For over twenty years, people have rumoured in Gold Forest country that the old man has slaughtered more than thousand people of Zhu family. Is this still not considered a notorious reputation?”
Fan Vastsun rightly and justly said, “Great granduncle, if I don’t remember wrong, those from Zhu family provoked you first, and you took revenge fair and square after your cultivation advanced.” He paused then said out loud, “We cultivators, ought to repay kindness with kindness and enmity with enmity. If we keep worrying about this and that, it wouldn’t be actions worthy as that of a man.”
Lu Xinwen eventually let out a hearty laugh, brimming with delight and candidness.
The hearts of the father and son completely relaxed, and the pressure they had been feeling after learning the name of Lu Xinwen completely disappeared without a trace.
The two exclaimed in wonder inwardly. Because they themselves didn’t know why they had suddenly felt as such. Their revere for the old man before them increased even more.
Lu Xinwen retracted his smile and said, “Fine. You child… you are quite to my liking. I will let you stay by my side.”
Fan Vastsun was overjoyed and promptly prostrated himself on the ground. However, this time, before his could touch the ground, Lu Xinwen flicked his big sleeves, and his body involuntarily stood up.
“Since I’m keeping you by my side, I might as well tell you a few things. During these years, all these rumours are not completely true. That Zhu family was indeed quite loathsome and was exterminated by this old man. However, they had over thousand people. How could this one old man have killed all of them by himself. When this old man entered the Zhu family, only those hundred or so stubborn core members of the family who surrounded this old man were killed. As for the rest, they had already escaped, scattered in different directions.” He coarsely laughed and said, “Even if I wished, I didn’t have the ability to chase down all of them. The rumours is far from truth and should not be trusted.”
The father and son had their eyes wide opened and only reacted after quite a while. However, as a result of this, they didn’t look down on him, rather their faces revealed a sincere gratitude.
With his identity, Lu Xinwen had taken the time to offer them this explanation. What kind of honor was this? They could never have imagined such a thing before.
Lu Xinwen swept his vision through them and said, “Do you know why I told you this?”
“(Junior) Grandnephew, doesn’t know.”
The father and son respectively said; their tones unprecedentedly solemn.
Lu Xinwen unhurriedly said, “Every time Xiao Yifan and Xiao Yilin returned back to the mountain after training, they would often reminisce about your place, even saying that you are their life-long brother. Moreover, I see this child is also quite good. Otherwise…”
He lightly snorted. Although his tone was not too strict, cold sweat broke out on Fan Shui’s back.
At this moment, Fan family’s leader was extremely glad that he’d long since discerned that Xiao brother’s origins were shrouded in mystery, and had thus painstakingly maintained friendly relationship with them. Otherwise, today, the consequences would have been imaginable.
Lu Xinwen slowly stood up and said, “Arrange a room for me. I will rest for half a day. As for the Xiao brothers, you don’t need to worry about them. They are probably gone to meet with my elder disciple. Though I don’t know what could have happened that there is still no word from them.”
Fan Vastsun’s heart faintly trembled. He summoned his courage and asked, “Great granduncle, elder uncle has also come?”
Lu Xinwen faintly smiled, quite in admiration of the former’s cleverness.
“Correct. My elder disciple is called Zhuang Yuan. You’ve heard of him?”
Fan Vastsun’s face slightly changed as he said, “I’ve heard. Elder uncle is a reputed cultivator of our Gold Forest country. Reportedly, he’s already cultivated the fire-type technique to the tenth layer.” He slightly paused, then again spoke, “However, as far as I know, elder uncle has still not joined any influential family. So it was continuing great granduncle’s legacy.”
Lu Xinwen mysteriously gave a faint nod. Subsequently, Fan Shui personally arranged a residence for him, and Fan Vastsun, as expected, discarded the airs of the Fan family’s elder young master and began to serve Lu Xinwen.
This matter was undoubtedly the most delightful one for Fan Shui.
However, his good mood only lasted for two days. For three days, be it Zhuang Yuan or the two Xiao brothers, there was no news about them whatsoever.
At this point, Lu Xinwen, who had the most confidence in them, also began to stir.
He called Fan Shui and began to inquire the details, among which, what attracted his attention the most was undoubtedly the battle between the Xiao brothers and He Quanxin.
Upon hearing this message, Lu Xinwen contemplated for a while, then made Fan Vastsun prepare a small chariot and headed towards the Yuan family.
Outside the west of the county town, they eventually arrived in a small section of woods outside the Yuan manor.
All the territories around here belonged to the Yuan family. However, Lu Xinwen suddenly called to stop here.
Fan Vastsun, who was personally steering the chariot immediately stopped, and saw Lu Xinwen dismounting the chariot with a grave face before he made several rounds in these unremarkable woods.
Although Fan Vastsun was quite skeptical and discontent, he didn’t dare open his mouth for a second.
Ever since Lu Xinwen arrived in their family, his appearance had been brimming with confidence like those omnipotent deities, to whom there was nothing in this world they couldn’t accomplish.
In reality, with their battle strength as Xiantian cultivators, if there was something they couldn’t do, others would probably be unable to do so as well.
However, in these woods, the expression Lu Xinwen revealed felt incredulous to Fan Vastsun. This expression seemed to be carrying hints of all sorts of negative emotions including astonishment, wrath, and grief.
At this moment, the old man before his eyes no longer resembled an exalted Xiantian cultivator, but had suddenly turned into an ordinary old man.
After quite a while, Lu Xinwen silently returned beside the chariot, seeming as if contemplating something.
Fan Vastsun cautiously and prudently asked, “Great granduncle, did something happen?”
Lu Xinwen gave him a glance and slowly said, “While passing through these woods, I suddenly felt extremely unwell.”
Fan Vastsun’s face underwent a huge transformation, “Great granduncle, you must take care of yourself.”
Lu Xinwen forced out a smile and waved his hand, “It’s nothing. I’m only feeling somewhat uneasy. However, just now, I suddenly thought of Zhuang Yuan and the Xiao brothers. Therefore….” He took a deep sigh and said, “I am actually feeling somewhat worried that….their situation is not good.”
Fan Vastsun’s heart turned as cold as ice, but he still said, “Great granduncle, their martial arts is unparalleled. There is no chance for any mishap.”
Faintly waving his hand, Lu Xinwen said in a lowered voice, “I’m clearer on their combined strength than you. If someone has really killed them, it could only be a Xiantian cultivator.”
After saying these words, he unexpectedly discarded the chariot and straightaway advanced towards the Yuan manor in huge strides.
The more he walked, the more slowly he became, the more his complexion gravened, and the more anxious and afraid Fan Vastsun, who was following closely behind him, became.
Eventually, when he arrived a hundred or so meters away from the manor’s entrance, he completely stopped. He lifted his head and closely watched the unceasing mountain manor; an incomparable light flickering in his eyes.
Their movements had already startled the manor’s guards. However, these guards didn’t even dare to let out a breath.
Although these guards couldn’t have known who could this old man before them possibly be, the pressure coming from him was just like a viper locking a toad within its death gaze. They didn’t dare to even budge.
Suddenly, Fan Vastsun shivered from head to toe. For some reason, he’d suddenly felt an unimaginably enormous pressure. Although he didn’t know where this pressure came from, he’d certainly not mistaken that Mount Tai like gigantic pressure.
Fortunately, merely after an instant, this pressure had already completely disappeared.
However, at this moment, Lu Xinwen turned around, and retraced his steps without looking back.
Fan Vastsun immediately turned around in astonishment, still having lingering fear.
Upon returning on the chariot, Lu Xinwen coldly asked, “Your agreement with the Yuan family, how many days to go?”
“Back to great granduncle, there are still five days left.”
“Fine, immediately return,” Lu Xinwen’s voice was unusually calm, as if devoid of sentiment, “Upon returning, I will cultivate in seclusion behind close doors. After five days, I shall battle this person and avenge the deaths of my disciples.”
Fan Vastsun’s complexion immediately paled, completely drained of blood!