Chapter 114: Resolution

A surge of immense power radiated from Yang Fan, a terrifying pressure bearing down upon Zhou Lizhong and his two companions. Feeling that overwhelming force, fear flickered in the eyes of the trio.

"Don't kill me!" they pleaded in unison. Faced with such a formidable Yang Fan, they knew there was no hope of victory.

However, Yang Fan showed no mercy. He unleashed a brutal strike directly at their chests. With a sickening series of thuds, their chests caved in, ribs shattering instantly. They did not die immediately; instead, they were left with a final, flickering breath, their eyes wide with boundless terror.

Yang Fan’s aura shifted. He curled his hand into a claw and pressed it against the top of Zhou Lizhong’s head. A surging power of devouring erupted from his palm.

"Aaaah!" Zhou Lizhong let out a shrill, wretched scream, his aged face twisting in agony as he felt his very soul being consumed by that horrific force. He was utterly incapable of resistance. Watching this, Wang Gang felt his scalp tingle. He did not know exactly what Yang Fan was doing, but the method was undeniably ruthless.

When the life finally drained from Zhou Lizhong, his eyes went vacant, as if his soul had been extinguished entirely. Yang Fan closed his eyes, digesting the memories he had seized. Through the Soul-Searching Art, he had extracted everything from Zhou Lizhong’s mind.

"This fellow had quite a collection of good things," Yang Fan noted with a satisfied smile. He turned his gaze to the two remaining Seven Kill Sect elders, who were still clinging to life. With a wave of his hand, he unleashed a blast of energy that pulverized their bodies.

Back where Wang Gang had been, all the enemies were dead, and both Lu Yuxi and Zhang Meng were unharmed. Yang Fan walked over to Lu Yuxi and handed her a bottle of medicine. "Drink this; your injuries will improve."

He felt a pang of emotion in his heart. He had never expected Lu Yuxi to choose self-sacrifice to protect him. Yet, Yang Fan had already resolved to sever all ties with her; he wanted no further entanglement. He did not know what kind of enemies he might provoke in the future, and if Lu Yuxi remained connected to him, she would surely become a target. To focus on his cultivation, he had to be ruthless when necessary, without a hint of hesitation.

Lu Yuxi took the bottle but did not drink it immediately. Instead, she looked up at Yang Fan with pleading eyes. "Where is Yang Fan? I want to see him. I hope you can take me to him."

She was deeply disappointed not to see Yang Fan himself. Since the two men before her had been sent by him, they must know where he was.

"He said he doesn't want to see you. The two of you have no relationship left," Yang Fan replied coldly. "Furthermore, he is currently on a mission and cannot have any contact with outsiders."

Hearing this, Lu Yuxi’s expression turned bitter. "He must hate me so much, but I know I misunderstood him. It was my fault."

"You should leave now; I have matters to attend to," Yang Fan said flatly.

"Please, just tell me, cousin!" Zhang Meng stepped forward and begged. "My cousin really wants to see Yang Fan."

"I told you to leave," Yang Fan said sternly. "I will not tell you anything about him. He gave strict instructions that nothing is to be revealed." Having decided to cut ties, Yang Fan would not be easily swayed.

Seeing Yang Fan’s emotionless demeanor, Lu Yuxi felt a deep ache in her heart. She realized she would get no information about Yang Fan from this man, yet she could not let it go. "Can you at least give me his phone number?" she asked, staring at him. "I want to apologize to him." That misunderstanding had become a festering wound in her heart, a guilt she could not erase. She simply wanted to apologize in person to find some peace.

"Did I not make myself clear?" Yang Fan said, his tone indifferent. "Leave, now."

Ignoring her further, Yang Fan turned and walked away. Having saved them, his task was complete. Wang Gang cast a glance at Lu Yuxi and Zhang Meng before following him.

"Cousin, let’s go," Zhang Meng whispered, fearful as she looked at the corpses surrounding them. Lu Yuxi nodded and followed behind Yang Fan.

After an hour of walking, Yang Fan noticed they were still trailing him. He turned and snapped, "You are safe now. Do not follow me again."

But Lu Yuxi refused to leave, meeting his gaze with stubborn resolve. "I must know where he is." She was not afraid of this man who killed without blinking; she only wanted news of Yang Fan. She was certain that the man would not harm her.

Watching her stubbornness, Yang Fan said coldly, "Fine, follow if you must."

As soon as he finished speaking, his aura surged, and his speed accelerated drastically. Like a high-speed racing car, he vanished from Lu Yuxi’s sight in an instant. Wang Gang followed close behind him.

Unable to keep up, Lu Yuxi could only watch helplessly as they disappeared.

"Cousin, let’s go back," Zhang Meng said softly. Lu Yuxi nodded, and they headed home. She was left with a lingering question: what exactly did Yang Fan do for a living? And why was he not like this before?

After leaving them behind, Yang Fan and Wang Gang headed toward Yang City. From Zhou Lizhong’s memories, he knew the man had hoarded many rare medicinal herbs. His goal was to raid the Seven Kill Sect’s headquarters and strip them of the herbs they had collected over the years.

The sect’s lair was hidden within a villa in the Clear Water Mountain area. Guided by the stolen memories, Yang Fan infiltrated the villa alone and eventually reached an isolated basement. The walls were reinforced with thick steel plates, which would have been nearly impossible to break through, but with the password he had extracted, Yang Fan opened it with ease.

Inside, he found a cache of herbs and several pieces of jade. "Three-hundred-year-old Ganoderma, two-hundred-year-old ginseng—excellent materials for refining low-grade spiritual medicine," he smiled. His cultivation had reached the late stage of Qi Refining, and while these lower-grade herbs were of limited use to him directly, they were invaluable for refining pills that would fetch a high price in this world.

After stripping the stores bare, Yang Fan inspected the five pieces of jade. They were low-grade, suitable only for crafting basic talismans. Finally, he collected all the wealth Zhou Lizhong had accumulated over his lifetime.

Leaving the villa, Yang Fan and Wang Gang returned to Yuan City. After a day’s travel, they arrived back at his residence. Upon reaching the building, he saw a heart-shaped arrangement of red roses spread out before Li Qiuya’s door. A young, well-dressed man stood there.

"Qiuya, my feelings for you are sincere. I hope you can give me a chance," the man said earnestly.

Yang Fan glanced at the youth, guessing he was likely a rich second-generation heir.