No one expected the middle-aged man to be so insane. Ye Fan's back was turned to him, leaving him no chance to dodge.
"Ye Fan."
"Be careful."
Shen Tianyin and Liu Piaoxu cried out simultaneously. At the same time, Shen Tianyin lunged forward without regard for her own safety.
At the critical moment, Shen Tianyin blocked Ye Fan.
"Puchi."
The dagger plunged directly into Shen Tianyin's arm, and blood gushed out.
Ye Fan turned around, saw Shen Tianyin falling backward, and instantly caught him, pulling him into his embrace.
Pressing a hand to her arm, Shen Tianyin's face was pale.
"Ye Fan, be careful," she whispered, then fainted.
Ye Fan's body trembled. Gritting his teeth, he looked up at the middle-aged man, "You're asking for death."
Like a beast's growl, his terrifying gaze said it all.
The middle-aged man's face was contorted, his features already twisted.
Old Chen's concession meant his own defeat. From then on, he would face contempt, his status in the Antique Association would plummet, and he would likely never recover. He couldn't tolerate such a situation, which led him to resort to direct action.
As long as Ye Fan was killed, all previous contests would be void. He had countless reasons to quibble.
But unfortunately, this perfect opportunity was disrupted by Shen Tianyin.
Now, looking at Ye Fan's cold, killing-intent-filled gaze, the middle-aged man's heart trembled. However, with the arrow already loosed from the bowstring, he had to kill Ye Fan since he had made his decision.
"Ye Fan, even if I die, I'll take you with me."
Roaring, the middle-aged man swung the dagger and charged at Ye Fan again.
The dagger sliced through the air, a blur with a sharp glint, seeming ready to consume Ye Fan's life at any moment.
But in an instant, Ye Fan raised his hand without hesitation, grabbed the middle-aged man's wrist, and allowed the blade to stab into his shoulder.
Blood slowly flowed out, but Ye Fan showed no fear, his cold eyes filled with frenzied killing intent.
The middle-aged man's face turned red with effort, and he desperately tried to force the knife deeper into Ye Fan's shoulder, severing his blood vessels and taking his life.
But Ye Fan's large hand, like a vise, clamped onto his wrist, preventing the blade from moving any further.
"Die," Ye Fan said coldly, his eyes narrowing gradually.
Then, he suddenly lifted his leg and fiercely kicked the middle-aged man between the legs.
The middle-aged man was focused entirely on the dagger, intent on killing Ye Fan, and never expected Ye Fan to launch such a sudden, deadly attack.
"Ouch."
A pig-like scream erupted, making the surrounding onlookers tremble with fear.
Especially when they saw the middle-aged man doubled over on the ground, curled up like a shrimp, his face contorted in pain, their hearts skipped a beat.
Slowly pulling the dagger from his shoulder, Ye Fan walked towards the middle-aged man with heavy steps.
The man was on the verge of collapse; Ye Fan's kick had completely crippled him.
Enduring the searing pain, the middle-aged man looked at Ye Fan, his heart filled with even greater dread.
"You, what do you want to do?" he croaked, forgetting his pain and trying to crawl backward on the ground.
But Ye Fan's face was expressionless as he continued to advance.
"Ye Fan, how dare you!"
Old Chen could no longer contain himself and quickly stepped forward, blocking Ye Fan and looking at him coldly.
But Ye Fan said grimly, "Today, even if the King of Heaven himself comes, no one will save him."
With that, he raised his hand, grabbed Old Chen by the neck, and violently flung him aside.
Old Chen, being an elderly man, was no match for Ye Fan. He was easily thrown aside, and Ye Fan then stepped forward and stomped fiercely on the middle-aged man's head.
One kick after another, with no other fancy moves.
The middle-aged man's screams continued, causing the onlookers to retreat a few steps.
But Ye Fan showed no sign of stopping, lifting his foot and bringing it down again.
Blood flowed from the middle-aged man's mouth, nose, and lips. He was on the verge of death, gasping for breath, hanging by a thread.
Seeing this, Old Lei quickly stepped forward to hold Ye Fan back. "Ye Fan, you can't keep hitting him. If you kill him, you'll be in trouble." He knew Old Chen's character too well; if Ye Fan killed the middle-aged man, Old Chen would never let it go.
Ye Fan slowly turned his head to look at Old Lei, a cold smile curving his lips.
Then, he raised his foot again and stomped down hard on the middle-aged man's throat.
"Crack."
With a crisp sound, the middle-aged man's eyes bugged out, his head then lolled to the side, and he moved no more.
Everyone gasped. No one had expected Ye Fan to be so decisive.
Old Chen's body trembled, and he gritted his teeth, roaring furiously, "Ye Fan, you brazenly disregard human life. I will bring you to justice." His pride and joy of a disciple had been killed before his eyes, and Old Chen could not let it stand. Moreover, he had already been thoroughly humiliated by Ye Fan today. He had to avenge both the humiliation and the death of his disciple.
"Is that so? I'll be waiting," Ye Fan said coldly, then walked over to Shen Tianyin.
By now, Shen Tianyin had woken up. Her face was still a little pale but was gradually regaining its color.
"Have Divine Doctor Hao come over," Ye Fan instructed Jiang Zhitao.
Jiang Zhitao had already notified Divine Doctor Hao without Ye Fan needing to say anything.
Meanwhile, Zheng Zhilong's heart pounded wildly. Fortunately, he hadn't provoked Ye Fan too much, otherwise, he would have been the one killed. It was only now that he truly understood Ye Fan's terrifying nature. This man, once he lost his temper, would stop at nothing!
Due to this unforeseen event, the appraisal convention was temporarily suspended, and everyone was free to move about.
Soon, Divine Doctor Hao arrived and gave Shen Tianyin a quick treatment.
"It's just a superficial wound, nothing serious," Ye Fan said, finally relieved and sighing.
Looking at Ye Fan's worried expression, Shen Tianyin felt a warmth in her heart.
"Is it worth it to get into trouble for me?" she asked Ye Fan softly. Shen Tianyin was both touched and worried that Ye Fan had killed the middle-aged man because she was injured.
Ye Fan let out a cold snort. "Anyone who dares to harm you, unless they step over my dead body, I will make them pay with their life." Ye Fan's voice was cold, his aura domineering, and in that moment, he seemed to grow taller.
This scene was deeply etched into Shen Tianyin's heart, and a warm current flowed through the depths of her being. Biting her lip lightly, she looked up and kissed Ye Fan's cheek.
"It's so good to have you by my side." Nestled in his embrace, Shen Tianyin felt an unprecedented sense of peace.