Upon hearing Teng Qingshan’s voice, Fan Anran’s eyes flared with a faint, bloody light. He unleashed his spear techniques with frantic intensity, roaring from his throat, "Kill! All of you die! None of you will escape! You will all die!" In that instant, explosive energy erupted from his spear movements.

"Hiss, hiss~~"

The five-colored power of the world instantly saturated the entire study. Any part of the study that Fan Anran's spear was about to strike was automatically deflected by this Heaven and Earth power.

"Heh, heh~~" Fan Anran made strange noises from his throat, like a wild beast.

"Hmm?"

Teng Qingshan’s expression turned extremely serious. "I didn't expect that this Fan Anran harbors such a ferocious, violent aura deep within his heart." Originally, Teng Qingshan had assumed that even if Fan Anran harbored grief or hatred, it wouldn't be overwhelmingly intense. But now, the power of this violent aura was astonishingly strong.

"Strange, truly strange."

"This Fan Anran speaks of killing everyone—just who is he planning to slaughter?"

"And... he appeared so simple and kind-hearted before me. Yet, such brutal violence is hidden in his core. How can a person's exterior and interior contrast so drastically?" Teng Qingshan had already mentally dismissed this young man named Fan Anran. Even if there were differences between one's inner self and outward appearance, they shouldn't be this vast.

Living life behind a mask was normal.

But someone like Fan Anran, with such an extreme disparity, was abnormal. It meant his capacity for concealment was too powerful, burying everything deep within his soul.

...

Suddenly, footsteps sounded from outside.

"What's wrong?"

"What is happening?"

Teng Qingshan glanced outside. Li Jun and Lin Lin had rushed over. Teng Qingshan had deliberately not isolated the sound, wanting his daughter to witness Fan Anran’s frenzied, violent side firsthand.

"This, this..." Hong Lin stared at the scene in astonishment, unable to believe that the man acting like a raging beast was the one she held dear.

"Anran!" Hong Lin suddenly cried out.

That single shout was like a bucket of icy water doused over Fan Anran, causing him to snap abruptly back to consciousness.

"I... what happened to me?" Fan Anran was somewhat flustered.

"Anran, what was wrong with you just now? What happened?" Hong Lin was anxious, while Fan Anran looked toward Teng Qingshan. Hong Lin also turned to her father, asking urgently, "Father, Father, what exactly happened to Anran just now? Why did Anran become like that? Father, please tell me quickly."

Teng Qingshan looked at his daughter, Hong Lin. "Nothing much, I simply allowed the true nature hidden deep within Fan Anran to reveal itself." Then, his gaze fell upon Fan Anran, cold as ice.

Fan Anran instantly felt as if he had plunged into an ice cellar.

Fear.

Teng Qingshan instantly caught that look in his eyes. "He's panicking? Panicking about what? Alarmed by his loss of control, or... afraid that something deep inside him has been exposed by me?"

"Uncle. What... what exactly did you do to me? What was wrong with me just now?" Fan Anran looked at Teng Qingshan, then quickly turned back to Hong Lin. "Lin Lin, what happened to me just now?"

"You looked like you were about to kill someone, just like a crazed beast," Hong Lin said with concern.

Li Jun, standing nearby, frowned as she watched Fan Anran.

"Young man."

Teng Qingshan spoke indifferently. "Can you explain why you acted that way just now?"

Fan Anran glanced at Teng Qingshan, then at the worried expression on Hong Lin’s face. He took a deep breath and said, "Lin Lin, I will tell you the truth. My father, he wasn't always a blacksmith. In fact, he used to be a bandit, one of the horse-riding gangs. And I... I am the son of a bandit!"

"A bandit?" Hong Lin was taken aback.

Teng Qingshan’s brow furrowed slightly; he had actually investigated this fact already.

"Yes," Fan Anran nodded slightly. "When I was very, very young, I lived in the bandit's lair."

Fan Anran seemed to drift into memory.

"Although I was in the bandit lair, those uncles treated me very well. But then, when I turned seven... the gang my father belonged to was brutally attacked by another faction!" Fan Anran's body trembled slightly.

"In that devastating catastrophe, my father's entire gang was annihilated—all of them! The Great Chieftain, all the esteemed uncles... they were either killed or scattered in flight. And my mother—" Fan Anran gritted his teeth. "Mother was shot dead by arrows right at the start. The other women in the lair were either slaughtered or captured. My father and I managed to flee in panic, just barely preserving our lives."

"Later, my father and I arrived at Yong'an Prefecture."

"My father often helped forge weapons back in the bandit lair, so he had a skill in blacksmithing. Relying on that skill, he managed to establish a life in Yong'an Prefecture." Fan Anran’s eyes flashed with ruthlessness. "But that bandit gang that killed my mother and all those uncles... I never stopped thinking about revenge! However... I later learned that when I was ten, that entire gang had already been wiped out by yet another group. I didn't even have a place left to exact my revenge!"

Fan Anran’s body shook with pain.

"Don't be sad," Hong Lin walked over and took Fan Anran's hand.

Fan Anran showed Hong Lin a look of gratitude.

"Young man." Teng Qingshan's voice cut in.

"Uncle," Fan Anran looked toward him.

"This matter is not something shameful. Why did you hide it for so long?" Teng Qingshan looked at him calmly.

Fan Anran gave a wry smile. "After coming to Yong'an Prefecture, my father did everything he could to send me to the Guiyuan Sect. Most disciples there were either from wealthy families or rural backgrounds. They all looked down upon bandits and robbers. If they had known my father was a bandit, I would certainly have been scorned. When I was little... I didn't want to be looked down upon, so I never spoke of it. As time passed... I just didn't want to say anything anymore."

"Anran." Hong Lin thought about her own life and then considered Fan Anran's tragic past, feeling even closer to him.

"Father, enough now," Hong Lin looked at Teng Qingshan with clear dissatisfaction.

"Let Anran go rest," Teng Qingshan instructed.

Watching his daughter and Fan Anran leave, Teng Qingshan’s expression darkened.

Only Teng Qingshan and his wife remained in the study.

"Qingshan, what do you think?" Li Jun inquired.

"He's unsuitable," Teng Qingshan shook his head. "If a normal person endured such hardship when young—suffering that calamity at age seven and entering the Guiyuan Sect at eight—how should he behave?"

Li Jun paused, then said, "Hmm, facing such a disaster at such a tender age... he should, he should probably have a strange temper. Or perhaps be cold and withdrawn."

"But according to the intelligence report, this Fan Anran, since entering the Guiyuan Sect as a child, has always been an exceptionally good child, exceedingly obedient. And he gets along splendidly with his martial brothers. When they mention Fan Anran, his peers all speak of him with great admiration," Teng Qingshan smiled faintly. "A child who just survived a massive disaster joins a sect and can be that obedient, with such good relationships? Doesn't that strike you as odd?"

Li Jun nodded slightly.

"Moreover, just now in the study, based on my experience and intuition, Fan Anran is hiding something else from us," Teng Qingshan shook his head. "A person like that is not suitable for Lin Lin."

...

As evening approached.

"Father, you said unsuitable?" After dinner, the family of three was together when Hong Lin froze upon hearing Teng Qingshan's words.

"Yes."

Teng Qingshan nodded. "This Fan Anran is inconsistent—his outside doesn't match his inside. He is not right for you."

"What do you mean, inconsistent?" Hong Lin suddenly flared up, her chest heaving with anger. "Anran suffered such a great tragedy since childhood; even his mother died. Of course, his heart is filled with pain and hatred. But he has always been forced to bury it, never daring to speak of it to anyone... Now, you force out the hatred hidden deep within him, which was already wrong enough. And now, Father, you still call Anran inconsistent?"

Teng Qingshan’s brow furrowed slightly.

Li Jun interjected, "Lin Lin, sit down. How are you speaking to your father?"

Hong Lin took a deep breath and sat down again.

"Lin Lin," Teng Qingshan looked at his daughter calmly. "If you trust your father, then stop associating with this Fan Anran."

"Father..." Hong Lin looked at Teng Qingshan, her eyes filled with pain.

In Hong Lin's heart, her father was the person she admired most; she had grown up listening to Teng Qingshan's legends. Although she was sometimes mischievous, when Teng Qingshan made a serious request, Hong Lin absolutely dared not disobey. But this time, it concerned the very first person she had truly loved in her life.

"Father, please don't," Hong Lin’s eyes welled up with tears.

"Fan Anran is not right for you. If you need evidence, I will find it for you within a year," Teng Qingshan stated. "For now, break off contact with him."

Hong Lin made no sound, remaining silent for a long time.

"Father, I’m going to sleep now." Hong Lin left the room directly.

Teng Qingshan watched her go and frowned... He didn't know how to convince his daughter. Li Jun also looked worried.

The next day, at the break of dawn, before the sun had fully risen.

In the East Blossom Courtyard, inside Hong Lin’s private chambers.

Teng Qingshan and Li Jun both entered.

"Lin Lin left. Aren't you going to stop her?" Li Jun frowned, displeased.

Teng Qingshan shook his head and pointed toward the dressing table nearby. "Last night, Lin Lin stood at that dressing table all night; she didn't sleep. I know this child... she is exceedingly stubborn. If I tried to forcibly stop her, it wouldn't work. If she wants to leave, let her go. Little Qing is secretly following her, so nothing will happen." Teng Qingshan also hadn't slept the previous night; he had been constantly sensing his daughter's location, trying to divine her state of mind.

"Hmm?" Li Jun walked to the dressing table. "There are two letters here, Qingshan. This one is for you, and the other is for me."

Teng Qingshan took the letters.

"For the Esteemed Father's Personal Reading!"

Teng Qingshan opened the envelope and took out the paper inside. Seeing it, his heart jolted; tears stains were still visible on the paper.

There were two full sheets.

As he read, Teng Qingshan’s face grew increasingly grim, finally turning pale.

"What is it?" Li Jun came over and glanced at the letter in Teng Qingshan's hand. Upon seeing it, she exclaimed angrily, "How can this child write such things!"

"Qingshan, don't be angry. Lin Lin is just acting rashly because she's emotional," Li Jun said soothingly.

Teng Qingshan lowered his gaze to the letter, feeling a sharp pain in his heart, then forced a bitter smile and shook his head. "I truly want to see who was mistaken—was it my judgment of character, or is my daughter's insight superior!"