"What? Hmph! So arrogant at such a young age! Do you know that the Shadow's influence spans the entire world? No one knows how many people they truly have," Zhuge Qingyun scoffed when Lu Fan declared his intention to eradicate the Shadow's forces.
The Shadow's power was immense, akin to China's Huarong Mansion, which had informants everywhere within the country. Similarly, the Shadow had eyes and ears in every corner of the globe. While the Huarong Mansion and the Six Great Families were secrets, their origins unknown to the world, the Shadow was a public secret globally. Everyone knew the name, but no one knew its foundation.
"Hahaha! Am I arrogant? It's because I don't like to create mystery for others; I only like to instill terror! I want all my enemies to have their legs tremble at the mere mention of my name," Lu Fan burst into laughter.
The mystery surrounding the Six Great Families and the Huarong Mansion hadn't stopped enemies from provoking them time and again. However, Lu Fan didn't want to operate that way. He believed in a direct response: if someone punched him, he had to kick back.
"Hmph! If that's the case, we have nothing more to say. We know very little about the Shadow, though we suspect their roots are in Country M. However, we won't offer you much assistance. Go back and find Boss Hua; he will provide you with a contact in Country M. That's all. If you wish to proceed, then do so!" With that, Zhuge Qingyun turned and vanished in a few blinks.
The Fourth Elder beside him, his face darkening, also turned and left in a huff. It was embarrassing; he couldn't even deal with a mere youngster.
"Sigh! The Six Great Families... Hmph! They're nothing special!" Lu Fan sighed softly, concluding that the Six Great Families were a bunch of old fossils. It was one thing to hide what needed to be hidden, but to hide everything was pointless. True strength lay in demonstrating power to deter the enemy. Otherwise, it was a sign of weakness, emboldening the enemy!
Since the Zhuge family was unwilling to provide more information, Lu Fan turned to leave. Even without their intel, he would find it himself. Since the Shadow had hired the Eagle Hunter Group, he would start with them.
Lu Fan crossed the mountains and returned to his car. Just as he was about to drive away, he heard hurried footsteps behind him.
"Hua Thirty-Five!" a soft call came as Zhuge Xian chased after him from a distance.
"Zhuge Xian? I've already returned your book, why are you here?" Lu Fan was slightly taken aback, not expecting Zhuge Xian to follow him.
"Hua Thirty-Five! Are you really going to Country M?" Zhuge Xian asked, slightly breathless, as she caught up.
"Yes! They've already attacked me. If there's a first time, there will be a second! So I won't let the second happen!" Lu Fan nodded.
"I'm going with you!" Zhuge Xian declared, getting into Lu Fan's car directly.
"Ah...?" Lu Fan was stunned.
...
On the way back in the speeding car, Lu Fan stole a glance at Zhuge Xian in the rearview mirror. The girl was attractive, and more importantly, possessed a strong physique, clearly indicating a dedication to martial arts.
"Zhuge Xian! Why do you want to go with me?" Lu Fan asked, puzzled.
"I... I'm afraid no one will be there to collect your body if you die," Zhuge Xian replied, her face flushing. It was evident she was not good at speaking and couldn't lie.
"Uh...!" Lu Fan swallowed. Her words had completely killed the conversation.
"Zhuge Xian! It's getting cold, and your clothes seem a bit light. Shall we go buy you some new outfits?" Lu Fan changed the subject.
"I didn't bring any money!" Zhuge Xian suddenly said.
"Heh! You probably don't need money in your small village, do you?" Lu Fan smiled faintly. Living in such a village, they likely had little concept of money. This was why Lu Fan had left them a bank card last time. Spending thousands on a meal might have been shocking to them.
The two found a department store. As soon as Lu Fan entered with Zhuge Xian, her eyes widened in amazement at the dazzling array of clothes. They were so beautiful!
"What kind of clothes do you like?" Lu Fan asked.
"I don't know! I... I've never seen so many clothes!" Zhuge Xian said meekly.
"Alright then! Try them all on! Buy whatever you like!" Lu Fan suggested.
The sales assistant nearby was overjoyed and immediately brought out all the suitable clothes for Zhuge Xian, amounting to over a dozen sets.
Lu Fan gulped. The sales assistant was quite aggressive! Fortunately, he wasn't short on money.
Zhuge Xian seemed unsure how to choose clothes. Her naturally good figure made her look good in anything. After trying them on, she wouldn't say if she liked them, instead asking Lu Fan for his opinion.
Consequently, all the outfits were purchased. The sales assistant beamed with delight, confident she would secure the top sales position for the month.
"Little brother! Come here for a moment!" While Zhuge Xian was in the fitting room, the sales assistant secretly called Lu Fan aside and mysteriously produced a small box.
"What the... Some kind of miracle oil? Miss, what do you mean by this?" Lu Fan was utterly bewildered.
"Little brother! Your girlfriend is quite robust. I imagine..." The sales assistant gave Lu Fan a knowing look, then slipped the small bottle and a business card into his hand. "Take this! It's guaranteed to last twenty minutes longer! And don't forget me when you buy clothes for your girlfriend next time!"
"Cough cough..." Lu Fan glanced at Zhuge Xian, who had just emerged from the fitting room, and quickly pocketed the items.
"Hua Thirty-Five! Are you really willing to buy so many clothes for me? This... it must cost a lot!" Zhuge Xian approached, looking blissfully happy.
"Miss! Your boyfriend is so good to you, it's truly enviable. He's spent over a hundred thousand!" the sales assistant exclaimed enviously.
"Over a hundred thousand? Hua Thirty-Five, perhaps... we should just buy one set!" Zhuge Xian suddenly said, feeling a bit embarrassed. She hadn't realized the clothes were so expensive; they could likely sustain their entire village for over a decade.
"It's fine! I'm not short on money!" Lu Fan picked up the dozen or so outfits and turned to leave. Since he had accepted the miracle oil, he couldn't back out now.
"Little brother! Have fun! Welcome back anytime!" the sales assistant called out from behind.
Lu Fan nearly stumbled, almost falling over.