A saucer-shaped super-car settled slowly into a quaint courtyard, surrounded by green hills and clear waters that carried the faint scent of Jiangnan.

Standing at the center of this small yard immediately brought forth a feeling of serene detachment.

The two-story small building was constructed of red bricks. Carved upon it was a divine beast, a Qilin, trampling upon clouds and mist.

This Qilin held its head high, its eyes surveying the earth below, truly akin to the supreme imperial authority of ancient times, looking down upon all living things.

Qin Fen turned his head to Lin Liqiang and asked, "Where is Song Jia?"

Lin Liqiang sighed, lifting his chin to indicate the red brick cottage. "Inside. She's grounded."

The window of the room on the second floor, directly facing the main gate, quietly slid open. A smiling face, where tears and laughter mingled, appeared in Qin Fen's line of sight.

Inside the room, Song Jia, clad in a cute pink sleep robe, offered a slightly mournful smile, waving her hand gently.

Qin Fen raised a finger towards Song Jia, then brought both hands down flat over his chest, sweeping towards his lower abdomen, before finally forming a heart shape with his hands.

Lin Liqiang watched from the side, utterly amused. "This kid Qin Fen is even using the sign language he picked up while working at that special needs school."

"Buddy, what did that sign language just mean?"

"Don't worry," Qin Fen replied.

Beep beep...

A text message notification sounded from Qin Fen's phone—it was from Song Jia.

"You've had a hard time."

Qin Fen read the message and offered a calm smile. The path was chosen by the traveler; since he had selected this road, there was no reason to regret it.

The two walked side by side to the front of the red brick house, where an elderly man in his late seventies or early eighties stood guard. He was tall, his face so thin it was almost devoid of flesh.

"Young Master Lin, are you also here to propose to our young mistress? If so, you may skip the initial test and enter the house directly."

The old man’s smile was deeply deferential, his back slightly bowed, bearing the air of a seasoned steward from an ancient noble family.

"Grandpa Hou, there are too many suitors for Jiajia. I don't want to be trampled to death by a crowd." Lin Liqiang quickly waved both arms. "I won't do something that means abandoning an entire ocean for a single drop of water."

The old man surnamed Hou’s eyes flickered with faint disappointment. He sighed, "Alas, it must be fate that you two are not meant to be. Truthfully, you are the candidate I favored most to win, Young Master Lin."

"I apologize for disappointing you." Lin Liqiang clasped his hands together, bowed deeply, and spoke with utmost respect, "It is this junior's fault."

"Heh heh..." The old man surnamed Hou accepted the bow with equanimity. His attention shifted to Qin Fen, and the kind, benevolent light in his eyes instantly turned sinister and terrifying—even somewhat bizarre. "Wild boy, you’ve come to participate in the selection too?"

Stared down by the old man’s gaze, Qin Fen instantly felt as if plunged into an ice cellar; his heartbeat nearly accelerated inexplicably, and the hairs on his neck shot straight up.

"Yes."

The bristling hairs on Qin Fen’s body quickly settled.

The sinister look vanished from the face of the Hou elder. A flicker of surprise, mixed with a hint of satisfied amusement, danced in his eyes.

"Not bad. You’re truly not just some pretty face." The Hou elder nodded. "Very well. Initial examination passed. You may enter and continue with the next test."

Only then did Qin Fen realize that the momentary surge of killing intent from the old man had actually been a screening test.

"Wait a moment."

A young man emerged from the red brick house. He had sharp, sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, stood about 1.83 meters tall, and wore a loose martial arts suit with a pair of ordinary old Beijing cloth shoes.

"Grandpa Hou, you are being too irresponsible." The youth’s eyes were filled with hostility, never leaving Qin Fen’s body. "The young mistress must never be profaned."

"Heh heh..." The Hou elder showed no anger, smiling cheerfully as he stepped aside. "Wu Xian, what do you believe is responsible behavior?"

"A man who truly loves a woman should rush to her side the moment he hears the news," Wu Xian slowly opened his fists. "He shouldn't wait until the last possible second to appear."

Qin Fen nodded silently. He offered no explanation for his tardiness; being late was a fact, and no amount of explanation could change that.

"Cheng Wu Xian." Lin Liqiang raised his eyebrows, displeasure coloring his face. "If you’re interested in a fight, I’ll indulge you. My brother still has plenty of energy-draining challenges ahead; he doesn't need to bother with trash like you."

Cheng Wu Xian, whose expression had been hostile, quickly changed his demeanor upon hearing Lin Liqiang’s words, bowing respectfully. "Young Master Lin, I am no match for you. If you intend to participate in the selection, I am willing to act as your vanguard. From the first moment I saw you, I believed you were the most suitable man for our young mistress. But..."

Cheng Wu Xian looked back at Qin Fen, saying nothing further this time, merely shaking his head gently, his eyes conveying an unshakeable resolve.

"I have to fight my way in, is that it?"

Qin Fen looked at the Hou elder. If this elder also chose to fight, his chances of winning weren't slim—they were virtually non-existent.

The Hou elder smiled. "You have already passed my test. So, young man, you don't need to worry about me. Focus on dealing with Wu Xian. This boy, who vowed from childhood to guard Jiajia with his life, does possess some skill."

To guard Song Jia with his life? Qin Fen felt the situation was tricky. If the opponent were merely another suitor vying for Song Jia, a fight to the death would be normal. But when the one fighting was sworn to protect her, Qin Fen knew he had to exercise restraint.

Cheng Wu Xian stopped talking and retrieved two one-foot-long steel rods from behind him, settling into the posture of a Yaksha demon-subduing figure from a temple.

Little Yaksha Rod Technique!

Qin Fen frowned. This obscure rod technique was strange enough, but the two short rods were even weirder.

He could see that on one side of each steel rod was a slightly raised edge, less than a millimeter high! Although Cheng Wu Xian had tried hard to conceal it, he couldn't entirely hide the subtle blade energy emanating from the rods. As his Four-Star martial artist power bloomed, the chilling rod qi intensified, causing Qin Fen's skin to prickle repeatedly.

"Be careful... don't hurt him..."

Song Jia's worried voice drifted from the second floor. Cheng Wu Xian smirked. "Young Mistress, I will try my best not to injure him..."

Before the words were finished, he stomped his raised right foot. The stone slab beneath him exploded as if a bomb had been placed there. His body moved forward as if surfing a wave, the two steel rods in his hands sweeping towards Qin Fen's head. Simultaneously, the qi inside him surged, his body hair stood up nearly two centimeters, radiating an oppressive ferocity.

These two rods, thick as an infant's arm, whistled as they were swung violently, sounding like the biting north wind in deep winter, causing Qin Fen's eyebrows to twitch repeatedly.

Yaksha Rages at the Sea—it certainly lived up to its name!

Facing such a fierce assault, Qin Fen’s expression remained unchanged. He immediately pushed his Dragon-Elephant Prajñā technique to the Five-Star level and casually stepped back one pace, evading the strike aimed at his head. He followed up with a sudden forward step, placing himself right in front of Cheng Wu Xian, raising both arms to block the backs of Cheng Wu Xian’s elbows after the twin rods swung past. His ten fingers spread wide, clamping down, gripping the young master’s elbows.

"You...?"

Cheng Wu Xian struggled with all his might but could not break free. The harder he struggled, the more painful his elbows became, as if the pincer holding his arms was not a human hand but a heavy-duty machine with ten thousand pounds of force.

With Cheng Wu Xian’s arms trapped, Qin Fen ignored the struggling Four-Star expert. He looked up at Song Jia, whose tear tracks were not yet dry, and said calmly, "I understand."

Cheng Wu Xian stared blankly at Qin Fen. It was then he realized that the young mistress’s call to "hold back" was not meant for him. The immense sense of shock, turning into fury, made him swing a kick towards Qin Fen's vital area.

Qin Fen raised his foot, intercepting Cheng Wu Xian’s kick, kicking the leg that had just left the ground back down. Simultaneously, he pulled his arms sharply to the right while relaxing his grip, sending the 170-pound opponent flying over five meters away.

After Qin Fen’s foot intercepted Cheng Wu Xian’s lower leg, it felt as if he had been kicked by an elephant; the immense force threw his legs off balance. Before he could regain his footing, Qin Fen's powerful arms lifted his entire body off the ground, utterly robbing him of all equilibrium.

Bang...

Cheng Wu Xian slammed heavily onto the ground, rolling twice before his undignified fall ceased.

Qin Fen stood still, hands behind his back, watching Cheng Wu Xian. Initially, he had only intended to secure victory by trapping the man’s arms. He hadn't expected the opponent to resort to dirty tricks.

Given that, the force used in intercepting the kick and the subsequent throw was no longer a restrained effort merely aiming for victory. Qin Fen now deliberately wanted to humiliate the man.

This red brick compound didn't look very large. Who knew how many other martial artists were inside? If the Song family had several more young men like this, would he have to fight for half the day just to get through the door? It was better to deliver a show of force immediately, making those inclined to fight reconsider their positions.

Qin Fen had thought it through completely when he made his move. He was clearly an unwelcome presence here, and humbling himself before martial artists would never earn him approval. Instead of enduring silent contempt that yielded no goodwill, it was better to use force from the start, displaying his strength in the simplest, most direct manner to gain recognition.

Clap, clap, clap...

The Hou elder clapped softly, a genuinely happy smile on his face, showing no sign of anger at the defeat of a Song family adherent.

"Boy, excellent, excellent." The Hou elder pushed open the door of the red brick house. "Now, you may go in. I believe no one else will come out to trouble you."

Qin Fen bowed respectfully again to the Hou elder before stepping into the red brick building, unsure of what awaited him inside.

As Qin Fen entered, the main door slowly closed again, the sound of the two panels meeting resonating like the large drums in an ancient court, immediately placing an indescribable pressure on the spirit.

Lin Liqiang sat on a stone bench outside the house, smiling broadly at the Hou elder beside him. "Old Butler Grandpa, what brings you out here? Grandpa Song, I assume no one else would suffice for his attendance?"

"Miss Jiajia's situation is no small matter," the Hou Butler replied with a smile. "The Master naturally could not appear under these circumstances, so he had to send this old bone of mine out. That young man is not bad, but it’s useless. He is sure to be eliminated."

"Is that so?" Lin Liqiang rested his arms on the bluestone slab. "Grandpa Hou, I don't think I’ve ever won a bet against you, have I?"

"That is true." The Hou Butler was blunt. "What? Does the little fellow want to give this old man his pocket money again?"

"Hmph." Lin Liqiang sat up straight and stretched leisurely. "This time, I'm afraid I'll win enough for your coffin money. Don't go backing out later and making excuses to spar with me, beating me up... I haven't enjoyed being beaten as much as he has, unlike you."

"Heh heh, how shall we bet?" the Hou elder asked with a smile. "Young Master, it seems you were defeated on the Sky Martial Arts Network. A while ago, you sparred with this old bone twice and nearly took my old frame apart."

Lin Liqiang stuck out his tongue. "Took your bones apart? He’s probably back in the hospital again, hasn't he?"

The Hou Butler narrowed his eyes, which seemed barely open, and gazed at the sky. "Where is that? As a servant, how would I dare strike him? He just accidentally bumped his head against the wall a few times during our sparring sessions with this old frame..."

Hearing this, the hairs on Lin Liqiang’s back stood on end. This old fellow was indeed the most favored butler of Earth's Martial God, Song Wendong; his methods were ruthless. Despite having some relation to Song Wendong, he showed no mercy. His head hitting the wall?

"How shall we bet?" The Hou Butler returned to the subject of the wager.

"I bet that my brother here will ultimately marry Song Jia," Lin Liqiang stated confidently with a smile. "Since you are wealthy, let's make it a hundred thousand."

"Oh my, the young fellow really has money now," the Hou Butler chuckled happily. "But that's not enough, is it?"

Lin Liqiang’s interest was piqued. "Then you want to raise the stakes?"

"Of course." The Hou Butler’s narrow eyes suddenly flashed with a startling gleam. "Since this little fellow is showing such confidence for once, this old bone of mine must oblige. How about this: if you lose, you will become a bio-beast for Wu Xian."

"Oh~~" Lin Liqiang pointed his index finger at the Hou Butler in mid-air. "I thought that as a grandfather, you wouldn't have any thoughts after seeing your own grandson get beaten. It turns out..."

"Heh heh..." The Hou Butler nodded. "How about it?"

"No problem." Lin Liqiang frowned slightly. "There are two things I don't understand."

"Speak."

"First, even without using Grandpa Song's name, based on your status alone, you could surely acquire top-tier bio-beasts from the Superbeast Group. Why bother betting with me?"

The Hou Butler tapped his head. "Their thinking has ossified. They aren't as flexible as you."

"Second, if I wager a bio-beast, what do you offer?"

"How about a set of palm techniques I created myself?"

Lin Liqiang’s gaze shifted. A self-created palm technique by Song Wendong's personal butler—this was something the Sacred Martial Hall would have to venerate. This was a high-stakes gamble.

"What are you aiming for...?" Lin Liqiang felt a bit confused. Perhaps ten years from now, a bio-beast he personally crafted might be worth that price, but currently, its value couldn't match the Hou elder's self-created palm technique.

"Nothing much," the Hou Butler laughed. "I will teach you the first three forms now. If you win against me later, I will teach you the entire set. Of course, once this technique is passed to you, it is yours. You are free to teach it to whomever you wish; this old man won't interfere."

"Oh..." Lin Liqiang’s eyes lit up.

"Don't overthink it," the Hou Butler quickly shook his head. "I haven't said anything. I am merely making a bet with you."

"Haha, yes, yes, a bet, a bet." Lin Liqiang laughed nonstop as well. "Although I don't know why you are doing this, I thank you nonetheless."