"Zhou Fan!"
Jiang Yan was startled by the handsome man who suddenly appeared beside him. He reached out to cover his empty crotch, puzzled, and asked, "Why are you here? Are you following me?"
"No, little brother, why are you so narcissistic? It's been half a year since we last met, hasn't it? Why aren't you staying at your Jiang Family and lingering here in the Xuanyuan Dynasty?"
Zhou Fan was speechless by Jiang Yan's mysterious confidence. He really didn't know where some Sons of Destiny got their self-confidence.
Jiang Yan's expression was very wary. He took two steps back, moving away from Zhou Fan, and said, "What does my returning to the Jiang Family have to do with you?"
"I see you're truly stubborn until you see the coffin. Do you want to have another leg crippled?"
Zhou Fan revealed his Core Formation aura, directly pressing Jiang Yan to his knees.
"From now on, I ask, you answer. Dare to utter one word of nonsense, and your other two legs won't be spared either."
Jiang Yan nodded repeatedly like a chick pecking rice. Under the huge disparity in strength, he finally recalled the fear of being casually dominated by Zhou Fan half a year ago.
"Where is Jiang Mei? What have you been doing these past six months?"
"After leaving Luoyun Temple, Jiang Mei returned to the Jiang Family alone on her Flying Sword."
Jiang Yan remembered how he had begged Jiang Mei to give him a ride half a year ago, but Jiang Mei didn't even look at him, only leaving Jiang Yan with a cold and indifferent back.
"Later, I walked back to the Jiang Family alone. On the way, I was robbed by Cultivators. Passing through the Xuanyuan Dynasty, I suddenly felt that being a wealthy Mortal wasn't so bad."
"So I slowed down my pace back to the Jiang Family, spending half a year just to get here."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Fan keenly noticed the loopholes in Jiang Yan's words.
"Weren't you robbed? Where did the money for these clothes and the carriage come from?"
Jiang Yan's expression froze. After a moment of silence, he said with a normal face, "Those Cultivators only robbed me of my Spirit Stones and Magical Artifacts, not my mundane possessions."
"It seems you haven't taken my words to heart at all."
Zhou Fan increased the Spiritual Qi pressure, forcing Jiang Yan to his knees with his back bent.
"I'm not lying. Those Cultivators really only robbed me of my Spirit Stones and Magical Artifacts, not my mundane possessions."
Zhou Fan said nothing, merely walked in front of Jiang Yan, placed his foot on the bend of his leg, and slowly applied pressure.
Jiang Yan felt his knee was about to be crushed. He was afraid that if he continued to be stubborn, Zhou Fan would really break his leg.
"Don't step, I'll talk, I'll talk! Those Cultivators indeed robbed me clean. These mundane possessions are my reward after I helped a princess from a royal manor."
"Since it's wealth obtained through legitimate channels, why hide it?"
Zhou Fan sneered, directly breaking one of Jiang Yan's legs, then said, "Still lying at this point, it seems you don't want your last leg either."
As he spoke, Zhou Fan placed his foot on Jiang Yan's other leg.
Jiang Yan felt the excruciating pain from his broken leg. After two mournful cries, he finally told the truth, "This money was stolen from the homes of those local wealthy landowners. After stealing from one, I would quickly move to another town."
"Those wealthy landowners at most have some martial arts guards, they can't guard against me at all. Even if they discover their money is missing afterwards, I'll already be long gone."
"You're really something, kid, even stooping to petty theft."
"Don't you still have Qi Refining early-stage cultivation? Wouldn't you earn money by working normally in the Mortal world?"
Jiang Yan's head was bowed, his face buried in shadow.
"Qi Refining early-stage cultivation isn't high. In a town, at most, I could find work guarding a wealthy family's home. As the dignified Young Lord of the Jiang Family, how could I do such a thing?"
Jiang Yan argued righteously, "Moreover, most of the wealthy landowners I stole from were exploiters of the common people, rich but unkind. My taking their wealth was merely to rob the rich and help the poor."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Fan was amused by this Son of Destiny's Heaven-Defying rhetoric.
"Robbing their rich to help your poor, is that it?"
"What's wrong with that? Although I, Jiang Yan, am currently in decline with my cultivation regressed, one day in the future, I will reclaim everything I've lost."
"By then, no matter from what perspective, I will be more valuable than those useless wealthy landowners. Wealth should naturally gather with more valuable people."
Jiang Yan continued to spout his twisted logic, "Those wealthy landowners merely inherited wealth far exceeding ordinary families by relying on their ancestors' legacy."
"But as the saying goes, virtue not matching position leads to disaster. Those wealthy landowners do not cultivate virtue and lack strength. Isn't it only right that their wealth is plundered? Even if I didn't steal it today, others would steal it in the future."
"Then, according to your theory, what those Cultivators who robbed you did was also correct?"
Jiang Yan heard Zhou Fan's question and tried to argue again, but before he could speak, Zhou Fan interrupted him.
"Enough, I'm too lazy to educate and reform you."
Casually pulling out a disposable Flying Sword, Zhou Fan controlled Origin Qi to form a rope, tying Jiang Yan and the Flying Sword together.
"Remember to remain true to your original intention and maintain your 'excellent' character even after returning to the Jiang Family."
"What are you going to do?"
Jiang Yan turned his head to look at the naive little village girl he had just been half-way fooling, feeling very annoyed.
If he had known Zhou Fan was coming, he would have acted sooner. Although the little village girl's skin wasn't good, her eyes and brows bore a two-point resemblance to Xun'er, making her a rare beauty in the making.
During his half-year travels in the Xuanyuan Dynasty, Jiang Yan had developed a habit of getting quick money and then spending it in taverns and brothels.
As a Qi Refining Cultivator, even if his third leg was gone, Jiang Yan could still use his hands, mouth, or even Spells as substitutes.
So, after this half-year, Jiang Yan, having frequented places of pleasure many times, could already be called an old lecher.
He had come to this village a few days ago, intending to make some quick money and leave. He accidentally discovered this somewhat attractive little village girl, and Jiang Yan, who had never tasted the delights of a virtuous woman, immediately had ideas.
Thus, there was the scene today of him dressing up like a proper person, pretending to be a rich man, and entering the village to fool the little village girl.
Zhou Fan didn't know that Jiang Yan had degenerated to such an extent in just half a year. He could only see that Jiang Yan had ill intentions towards this teenage girl.
He simply took action to send Jiang Yan flying, letting this Heaven-Defying Son of Destiny go back to harm the Jiang Family, instead of staying outside and being an eyesore.
The disposable Flying Sword soared into the sky. Zhou Fan had previously seen the map of the entire Qingyun State from Yin Yang Peak, so he naturally knew where the Jiang Family's base was.
Controlling the speed of the Flying Sword and providing just enough Origin Qi as power for the Flying Sword, the one-legged Jiang Yan quickly disappeared into the horizon.
Picking up Jiang Yan's "lost" money pouch, Zhou Fan divided it equally among the two carriage drivers and the little village girl. Then, amidst their thanks, he flashed away to rendezvous with Nangong Wan and the others, continuing south.