Cold sweat dripped from the forehead of Wang Anming, the City Lord of Yu Yi City. His face was pale, and his heart trembled with dread.
He had thought Jiang Lan's talk of an assassination was just an offhand remark, but now, it sounded like it might actually be true...
And… it seemed to have been premeditated for a long time.
The Su Family's live-in son-in-law was the most infamous piece of trash in all of Yu Yi City. Everyone knew he had no cultivation, yet today he had suddenly revealed tyrannical strength and nearly killed the Son of the Prime Minister.
'Why has he been lying low and hiding his abilities in Yu Yi City all these years? Could things really be this coincidental?'
Zhao Tianhe's brow furrowed. Even he felt that Jiang Lan's words made a great deal of sense. If one were to peel back the layers, they would discover that numerous coincidences had all happened to align perfectly.
He couldn't help but give Jiang Lan a deep, searching look.
Jiang Lan might be a spoiled heir with no cultivation who relied on his background to bully others, but that didn't mean he was stupid.
'Could the child of the Prime Minister and *that woman* truly be an idiot?'
Over the years in Yangjing City, he had run rampant, acting with arrogant and domineering impunity, and had caused a great deal of trouble.
But after interacting with him today, Zhao Tianhe discovered that the Son of the Prime Minister had a meticulous and flawless mind, far more intelligent than anyone gave him credit for.
'It's a good thing he can't cultivate, and the Prime Minister has only this one son. It's the only reason the Royal Family can breathe. Otherwise, the situation in the imperial court would likely be even more chaotic and terrifying...'
Zhao Tianhe breathed an inward sigh of relief, feeling somewhat fortunate.
If Jiang Lan could cultivate, given the talents of his father and mother, his own aptitude would reach a terrifying level. It would be no exaggeration to call it unprecedented in all of history.
But as he thought of this, a sudden, chilling idea popped into Zhao Tianhe's head.
'Is Jiang Lan truly unable to cultivate? Or has he been hiding his abilities all this time? Is he just playing the part of a good-for-nothing for all the world to see?'
'If that's true...'
He didn't dare to think about it any further. His back was drenched in cold sweat.
"Vicious slander! Utter nonsense! How laughable. Frame me all you want, you shameless villain. I am an upstanding man with a clear conscience."
Lin Fan's eyes were filled with fury and a cold light. His eyes were becoming bloodshot; he was clearly enraged to his very limits.
However, the mental fortitude from his past life eventually allowed him to gradually calm down from his extreme rage.
He simply stared coldly at Jiang Lan, his eyes filled with indifference and disdain.
He knew that no matter what he said, any explanation would be useless now. So he simply stopped trying.
"Young Master Lin, although I believe in your character, this matter today..."
Looking at Lin Fan's expression, Zhao Tianhe felt a headache coming on. He wanted to help Lin Fan, but today's events had far exceeded his expectations.
He was even starting to believe Jiang Lan's speculations.
For someone as young as Lin Fan to possess such ability... not even the Celestial Prides from the great Immortal Sects could necessarily achieve that.
He couldn't possibly be an ordinary person, yet he was living in Yu Yi City as a live-in son-in-law, suffering constant humiliation. Wasn't that ridiculous?
'If Lin Fan really is plotting to assassinate Jiang Lan, then I must be careful. I need to draw a clear line and sever ties immediately to avoid being implicated. Otherwise, when the Prime Minister comes to settle the score, I'll be in for a world of hurt.'
'Lin Fan had indeed done Zhao Dieyi a great favor, but that debt of gratitude wasn't worth sacrificing the entire Zhao Mansion.'
Zhao Dieyi's expression was complicated. "Young Master Lin," she said, "if you are innocent, then why..."
'In her opinion, the biggest question right now was why Lin Fan would remain in Yu Yi City as a live-in son-in-law, hiding his true strength for so many years.'
'If he could just explain that, wouldn't all these misunderstandings be cleared up?'
Hearing this, Lin Fan shot her a cold glance. "Even you suspect me, Miss Zhao?" he asked.
A surge of disappointment welled up inside him.
'And to think he had considered Zhao Dieyi intelligent, quick-witted, and talented—a promising student. He'd believed that with just a little guidance from him, she could achieve great things in the future.'
'Yet at a moment like this, she would rather believe the one-sided claims of that shameless villain, Jiang Lan, than trust him.'
Zhao Dieyi was struck speechless. Taking the hint, she silently closed her mouth.
'She wanted to help clear Lin Fan's name, but if he was going to be so unappreciative, there was nothing more she could do.'
"I can let you off the hook for what happened today. As long as you know what's good for you and confess who your accomplices are and where you come from, I might consider pardoning you this one time."
Jiang Lan said slowly, his gaze fixed on Lin Fan.
"Now what have you got to say for yourself?"
"Seize him."
The City Lord of Yu Yi City had been waiting for this moment. Now that even the mysterious Great Scholar, Zhao Tianhe, had fallen silent, he saw his chance.
With a wave of his hand, he ordered the guards to charge forward and capture Lin Fan directly.
Lin Fan simply watched the scene unfold with a cold expression, in no hurry to make a move.
He still had his greatest trump card, one that would allow him to escape unscathed should his life be threatened.
'He just wanted to see what other tricks and schemes this spoiled heir had up his sleeve.'
Su Qinghan's mind was in a daze.
'No matter how you looked at it, everything that happened today was because of her younger sister, Su Qingyao. Lin Fan had come here to save Qingyao; his intentions were entirely good.'
'And yet, this was the fate he now faced.'
Suddenly, as if she had made up her mind, her expression shifted several times before she finally gritted her teeth.
"Young Master Jiang, please, for Qinghan's sake, forgive Lin Fan this once."
"Everything today was caused by Qinghan alone. I don't want to involve others. Lin Fan was unaware of the full story. I hope Young Master Jiang will be magnanimous and forgive his rash offense this one time."
She looked at Jiang Lan, her flawless, jade-like face filled with pleading and humility.
Her slender, pale, jade-like hands tightly gripped his sleeve.