As more and more people came to show their support, Chen Fan's arrogance grew.
These people were all fawning over him, doing their best to please him.
"Master Chen, thank you for healing my father. This is just a small token of my appreciation, please accept it, Master Chen."
The CEO of a major corporation sent someone with a chest of gold bars, worth tens of millions.
"Master Chen, congratulations on your engagement. These diamond rings were specially designed by a world-renowned jewelry master. I hope you like them."
A real estate magnate presented a pile of diamond rings as large as pigeon eggs.
And so on, countless big bosses presented their own carefully prepared gifts, each of immeasurable value.
Chen Fan was smugly satisfied, and Lu Guyu was beaming.
After all, with Chen Fan being so capable, she, as his fiancée, felt honored and proud.
"Mr. Lu, you've found a truly excellent son-in-law. Master Chen is making waves in the provincial capital; everyone knows his name. Your Lu family will soon be among the top wealthy families in the city."
At this moment, Lu Jingzhe and Lu Guyu's father, Lu Zhichang, made his appearance.
As soon as he appeared, various bosses began flattering Chen Fan.
Lu Zhichang was naturally overjoyed and humbly replied, "It's my daughter's good fortune. Chen Fan is a truly remarkable man. I am happy as a father that my daughter has found such an excellent husband."
"Indeed, indeed. Master Chen is so handsome and talented, and he's a descendant of the Ghost Valley Divine Doctors. Whoever marries Master Chen is blessed by a past life's good fortune."
Everyone echoed Lu Zhichang's sentiments. They all knew very well that with Chen Fan, the Lu family would rise to unprecedented heights.
Just then, a discordant voice rang out.
"Why do I feel that this young man Chen Fan isn't as legendary as you say?"
"A brash young kid, worthy of such high praise? Do you think our provincial capital has no one else?"
The speaker was an elder in a red Tang suit, probably in his seventies. Two rows of black-clad bodyguards followed him.
Among them was a middle-aged man in a Taoist robe.
As the elder appeared, not only did Lu Zhichang's expression change slightly, but everyone present bowed and greeted him, "Greetings, Elder Hu!"
"Elder Hu? Who is this old man? He has quite the entourage."
Lin Feng asked Lu Jingzhe in surprise.
"Elder Hu, whose real name is Hu Xianjin, is the most respected elder in the provincial capital. Even the four major families of the city show him considerable respect."
"It is said that Elder Hu used to be the head steward of the Ji family in the capital. After retiring, he returned to the provincial capital to live out his days."
"With his connections to the Ji family, Elder Hu carries significant influence in the provincial capital, and no one dares to disrespect him."
Lu Jingzhe explained.
Lin Feng understood. With the Ji family's backing, Elder Hu could indeed act with impunity.
Now, he was eager to see how Chen Fan would handle Elder Hu's challenges.
"Elder Hu, why didn't you inform us of your arrival? My daughter and my son-in-law would have come out to welcome you personally!"
Lu Zhichang dared not slight Elder Hu and greeted him with a fawning smile.
"Young Lu, I heard that a Master Chen had emerged in the provincial capital, causing quite a stir. I came specifically to see what this master was truly capable of."
"I did not expect, however, that this Master Chen would be more overbearing than myself. Is he trying to unify the provincial capital!"
Elder Hu spoke sarcastically.
"Elder Hu, my son-in-law is simply skilled in medicine, nothing as exaggerated as they say."
"With you here, Elder Hu, how could we dare to unify the provincial capital? This is purely groundless talk."
Lu Zhichang quickly defended himself, unwilling to offend Elder Hu.
"Uncle, there's no need to explain. Since someone has a problem with me, Chen Fan, then today I shall let everyone know who truly commands respect in this provincial capital!"
Chen Fan completely disregarded Elder Hu, walking forward arrogantly to face him.
"Old sir, I can tell you have a grievance with me. If that's the case, then let's have a contest."
"Whatever the competition, I, Chen Fan, accept."
Chen Fan spoke with a hint of arrogance.
Elder Hu was taken aback, not expecting Chen Fan to be so direct and dare to challenge him head-on.
"Very well, since you young man are so full of spirit, then this old man will have someone compete with you and see what your true capabilities are."
Elder Hu waved his hand, and the middle-aged man in the Taoist robe behind him stepped forward.
The middle-aged man opened a package, revealing a ball of light that crackled with electricity.
This orb was about the size of a fist, crystal clear, with arcs of electricity flashing across its surface.
Through the orb, one could see what looked like a self-charging thundercloud trapped within.
Seeing such a miraculous treasure orb, everyone's attention was captivated.
"Good heavens, is this a legendary artifact?"
"I heard from a friend that some truly enlightened masters can move mountains and fill seas with the help of artifacts."
"This orb is filled with the power of lightning. Could it be used to summon lightning?"
Someone whispered.
As soon words were spoken, everyone's interest piqued further.
These were all businessmen, accustomed to the world of commerce, and had never seen such a marvelous object. The term "artifact" was entirely new to them.
"Hmph, a mere lightning-attracting bead. Do you think this Master has never seen anything before?"
Chen Fan scoffed disdainfully.
"Kid, you have some knowledge. Since you know this is a lightning-attracting bead, aren't you afraid I'll summon heavenly lightning to turn you into charcoal?"
The middle-aged man glared at Chen Fan. He had revealed the artifact precisely to intimidate Chen Fan.
As he spoke, the middle-aged man demonstrated the power of the lightning-attracting bead.
He pointed his hand, and the bead immediately floated in mid-air. He chanted a spell, channeling its internal lightning power with his true qi.
*Crack!*
A lightning bolt as thick as a water bucket erupted from the orb, striking the table behind Chen Fan with great force.
The table, struck by the lightning, was instantly shattered.
This scene deeply shocked everyone present.
They couldn't imagine what would happen if this lightning bolt struck a person.
But they were all clear that Elder Hu was trying to put Chen Fan in his place, to show him who was the true authority in the provincial capital.
Only Lin Feng and Ying Tianqing remained unfazed. The two old friends sat at the dining table, watching the spectacle while enjoying delicious pastries.
"Mere mortals daring to show off before this venerable one? How laughable."
Ying Tianqing snorted coldly.
"Brother Ying, they are all unworldly. They can't compare to you. However, that Chen Fan is worth paying attention to."
Lin Feng knew Ying Tianqing disdained such trivial displays, but Lin Feng himself sensed something mysterious about Chen Fan.
"You mean that kid? He does have something about him. I sense a very strange aura from him, as if he possesses some kind of secret treasure."
Ying Tianqing smiled slightly, as if seeing through Chen Fan.
"Secret treasure?"
Lin Feng's interest was piqued. He had always suspected Chen Fan had hidden cards up his sleeve.
Hearing Ying Tianqing's words, it seemed Chen Fan truly had something yet to reveal.
Just as Ying Tianqing surmised, Chen Fan was utterly unimpressed by the middle-aged man's display of the lightning-attracting bead.
"Elder Hu, if you think a single lightning-attracting bead constitutes an artifact, then I truly believe you haven't seen much of the world."
Chen Fan sneered.
"What do you mean? You have even more powerful artifacts?"
Elder Hu's expression darkened. He had been quite proud of his subordinate's display, only to find it failed to intimidate Chen Fan.
"Naturally. I am the sole successor of the Ghost Valley lineage. We have numerous Ghost Valley artifacts, any one of which is a hundred times stronger than this broken bead."
"Watch closely, and see what a true artifact is!"
Chen Fan said coldly, waving his hand to unfurl a scroll.
The scroll was pure white. Everyone initially thought it was a painting or calligraphy. But as the scroll fully unfurled, they realized it was a blank piece of paper.
"Kid, what do you mean by showing a blank piece of paper?"
Elder Hu was bewildered.
"This is no ordinary blank paper. This is the priceless Wuzitian Shu, the Wordless Celestial Book of the Ghost Valley. Though it has no words, it can contain all things!"
"Absorb it!"
Chen Fan closed his eyes, concentrated, and chanted a spell.
The next moment, the lightning-attracting bead in the middle-aged man's hand vanished into thin air.
Then, an orb appeared on the scroll out of nowhere.
Chen Fan had used the scroll to absorb the lightning-attracting bead into it.
This magical feat left everyone present wide-eyed with astonishment. Even Elder Hu stood frozen in shock.
"Old sir, my Wordless Celestial Book can not only absorb lightning-attracting beads but can also swallow living people. Are you sure you still want to oppose me?"
Chen Fan was pleased with the crowd's reaction. With a fierce glare, he questioned Elder Hu.
He unleashed his full aura, his imposing presence already intimidating many.
Lu Guyu watched Chen Fan, who seemed to disdain the world, and her heart fluttered. She felt Chen Fan was increasingly tall and majestic.
Lu Zhichang was also very pleased with Chen Fan's performance and secretly proud.
As for Liu Mengyao and the other girls, they showed no particular reaction. Perhaps having witnessed the wonders of Lin Feng and Ying Tianqing so often, they had become desensitized to Chen Fan's display of power.
This caused Chen Fan some disappointment, as he had specifically paid attention to the reactions of Liu Mengyao and the other beautiful women when he showcased his abilities.
Seeing these beautiful women remain unmoved, Chen Fan was confused and disappointed.