Chapter 2

Zhang Yuan was almost driven mad; he had actually been slapped twice by a good-for-nothing! In a fit of rage, he didn't even think about how a mere second-layer Body Tempering cultivator could slap him, a fourth-layer Body Tempering cultivator, twice. He roared and lunged at Ling Han.

At this moment, he had only one thought: to beat the living daylights out of this good-for-nothing.

His punch was powerful, creating a strong gust of wind.

Ling Han remained exceptionally calm. In his previous life, he could have easily dealt with a thousand Zhang Yuans by snapping his fingers, but now he only had the strength of a second-layer Body Tempering cultivator. It was troublesome, but only a minor inconvenience. After all, the one controlling this body was once a Celestial Realm powerhouse, and his judgment was still sharp!

As soon as Zhang Yuan raised his hand or moved his foot, Ling Han could predict where the punch would land and where the foot would move. Therefore, the moment Zhang Yuan threw his punch, Ling Han had already reacted.

With a whoosh, the punch came, and Zhang Yuan couldn't help but sneer coldly. If he landed this punch, the overwhelming force would instantly render Ling Han unable to resist, leaving him at Zhang Yuan's mercy.

He hit it!

Huh?

Zhang Yuan's expression turned to surprise because, although the punch seemed to hit Ling Han's face, it actually missed by a hair's breadth—Ling Han had taken a timely step back, narrowly avoiding the punch.

Not a bit more, not a bit less, it was as if measured with a ruler, stopping just before Ling Han's nose.

It must have been a coincidence, Zhang Yuan thought to himself.

At that moment, Ling Han swung another slap.

Slap! A crisp, loud sound echoed, and Zhang Yuan was slapped again.

"Damn it!" Zhang Yuan spat and roared, then swung another punch at Ling Han.

Ling Han moved almost simultaneously, leaning his upper body backward. With a whoosh, Zhang Yuan's punch missed again. He braced his hands on the ground and kicked out with his right foot, landing a solid kick between Zhang Yuan's legs.

"Aaaah—" Even at the fourth layer of Body Tempering, it was impossible to have iron balls. The solid kick made Zhang Yuan kneel on the ground, clutching his crotch, beads of cold sweat appearing on his face.

"You're so despicable!" Zhang Yuan said through clenched teeth, his face contorted almost beyond recognition.

Slap!

Ling Han slapped him again, and Zhang Yuan spat out several broken teeth. Ling Han, of course, felt no sympathy and said, "A dog is a dog, indeed, it can't spit out ivory."

Zhang Yuan was furious. He was actually kneeling on the ground, being slapped by a second-layer Body Tempering cultivator. What a humiliation! He wanted to fight back, but the kick to his groin had completely sapped his ability to resist. Any movement caused excruciating pain.

But he couldn't let Ling Han ruin Ling Zhongkuan's plans. If he failed to complete the task given to him, with Ling Zhongkuan's character, he would surely be killed.

"Master Han, Master Han, listen to me, you can't leave here. Actually, you've been poisoned. If you leave this room, the poison will take effect and you'll die," he blurted out, trying to keep Ling Han there.

Ling Han couldn't help but laugh. Could such a clumsy act deceive him? He kicked Zhang Yuan away, not wanting to waste time on this lackey. He had to stop Ling Zhongkuan's evil plans; otherwise, his father's efforts would be in vain.

As for Zhang Yuan? Ling Han wouldn't give such a minor character a second thought. Once Ling Zhongkuan saw him, he would surely deal with Zhang Yuan, without needing to dirty his own hands.

"Don't go! Don't go!" Zhang Yuan's pleading cries came from behind, as if he could already see his tragic fate.

Serving a tiger, he had brought this upon himself, and it was not worth any sympathy.

Ling Han strode forward. A few minutes later, he reached the inner door of the living room. Before he entered, he heard an old but loud voice from outside: "Miss Liu, please, please!"

The living room had two doors: the inner door led to the inner courtyard, and the outer door led to the main gate. Through the curtain, he saw a group of five people coming in, four men and one woman.

Ling Han recognized all four men; they were all members of the Ling family. The elderly man in his sixties was the Grand Steward, Ling Zhongkuan. The other three were middle-aged men in their forties, Ling Zhongkuan's sons, and the last was a young man, a year or two older than Ling Han, Ling Zhongkuan's eldest grandson, Ling Muyun.

Ling Han looked at the only woman, and even with his Celestial Realm eyes from his past life, he was momentarily dazzled. She was truly beautiful, with the grace of autumn water and the luster of the moon. She was only about seventeen or eighteen, but she already possessed a captivating beauty that could bring nations to ruin.

However, her expression was too cold, like an iceberg, repelling any approach.

This girl must be from Hu Yang Academy. What a coincidence.

Huh?

Ling Han's pupils dilated slightly as he noticed something even more coincidental, and a smile appeared on his lips.

Both sides took their seats, and several maids served fragrant tea, standing respectfully beside the five people.

"Is the person your family is sending to the academy ready?" Liu Yutong asked, her voice cold and melodious, with a hint of disdain. She detested backdoor practices the most, and although she was ordered to come, she had no good feelings toward this future junior brother.

"Ready, ready!" Ling Zhongkuan hurriedly replied. Although he was old enough to be the girl's grandfather, their cultivation realms were the same, both at the Gathering Essence stage.

In martial arts, age doesn't matter; the strong are respected.

Moreover, Ling Zhongkuan had a feeling that this girl's cultivation was even higher than his—she might be at the seventh or even eighth layer of Gathering Essence, while he was at the sixth.

This made him even more eager to send his grandson to Hu Yang Academy, so that in a few years, he could surpass Ling Dongxing in cultivation and help him seize the position of family head.

"Muyun, come and pay respects to your Senior Sister Liu!" the old man turned to Ling Muyun and said.

"Yes, Grandfather!" Ling Muyun replied respectfully, bowing to Liu Yutong, "Muyun greets Senior Sister Liu!" His eyes were filled with passion, harboring ambitions for this cold, beautiful, and incredibly powerful woman.

He believed that with more time together, he could win her heart.

Liu Yutong was slightly surprised. She remembered that the person from the Ling family who was using backdoor methods was called Ling Han. But what did it have to do with her? She was only here to bring the person back to the academy.

"Since everything is ready, let's set off," she said coolly.

"Miss Liu, why don't you stay for a few days at our humble abode so we can show our gratitude?" Ling Zhongkuan quickly said, wanting to get closer to the girl to ensure future care for his grandson.

"No need!" Liu Yutong coldly refused and turned to leave.

"Wait a moment!" a voice called out, and Ling Han strode out.

The expressions of Ling Zhongkuan and the others changed slightly. No matter how much they looked down on this good-for-nothing from the Ling family, they were thieves, and thieves naturally felt guilty.

"Brother Han, aren't you injured? Go back and rest," Ling Muyun reacted quickly, dashing to Ling Han's side and reaching out to grab him. He wanted to subdue Ling Han first, not giving him a chance to speak.

He was at the seventh layer of Body Tempering, far stronger than Zhang Yuan.