Chapter 78: The Great Exam (II)

"You must be joking!" Bai Fan's face turned bitter, shaking his head, "I don't even have a single tael of silver on me, let alone ten."

The Madam's face darkened, anger surging.

"Young Master, are you toying with me! Then don't blame me for being impolite. Men! Beat him!"

At her command, several burly men rushed out from the back, muscles bulging, looks ferocious, closing in on Bai Fan.

"Let's talk this out!" Bai Fan hurriedly waved his hands.

However, the thugs showed no mercy, a heavy uppercut smashing towards Bai Fan's face.

Bai Fan felt a sense of urgency. Although he had lost his memories of Lin Fan, the muscle memory of a Body Cultivator remained.

He instinctively sidestepped, the uppercut grazing past his face, narrowly avoiding it.

The thug's fist smashed into the pillar behind him, making a dull thud.

"Ah! My hand."

"Don't hit, don't hit!" Bai Fan continued to wave his hands.

"Interesting, little brat, I'm going to crush you!"

The surrounding thugs grew even more excited, a cruel grin curling on their lips as they continued to attack Bai Fan.

Fists carved arcs in the air, but they never hit the target, instead hitting each other every time, producing dull collision sounds.

"Bang."

"Ah!!"

One thug roared in pain, clutching his abdomen, clearly hit by his own companion.

"Why are you hitting me! The little brat is right there!"

"Die!"

The thug was burning with rage, swinging his fist towards Bai Fan.

Seeing he couldn't dodge, Bai Fan quickly crouched down and decisively kicked his ankle.

The thug lost his balance, letting out a cry of panic, and slammed into the vase next to him.

With a crisp shattering sound, the vase tipped over and exploded into countless shards, scattering like sharp raindrops.

"Ah!"

Several girls screamed in fright, scrambling to hide in the corner.

But the shards were still flying in the air, some heading straight for them, threatening to cut their delicate skin at any moment.

Bai Fan lunged forward, his body instinctively executing a Move, "Hundred-Change Scattered-Flower Hands."

His hands danced like the wind, weaving an unclear web of hand shadows in the air, catching all the flying shards.

The last sharp shard was even caught in his mouth, instantly resolving the crisis.

Bai Fan spat out the shard and waved his hands to soothe the girls, "It's okay, it's okay."

The girls watched in astonishment, admiration and awe welling up in their hearts.

Just then, applause came from the next room.

"Good Move, young hero!"

As the voice came, a nobleman draped in yellow robes walked out.

The Madam's expression changed instantly upon seeing him, and she hurriedly bowed.

"This lowly slave pays respects to the Ninth Prince! I did not know which wild brat came here to cause trouble and disturb your leisure; I will deal with him immediately."

"Hey, wait!" The Ninth Prince blocked her with the folding fan in his hand.

He looked at Bai Fan with great interest.

"Who are you?"

Bai Fan was now a refined scholar well-versed in books, so he naturally acted politely, cupping his hands in a salute:

"This one is Bai Fan, a Disciple of Medicine God Valley, a scholar here in the capital for the exams. Greetings to the Ninth Prince."

"Medicine God Valley?" The Ninth Prince's eyebrows arched slightly, his tone revealing a hint of surprise and meaningful playfulness.

"I didn't expect you to also be proficient in pharmacology. Both literary and martial, not bad, not bad."

He paused, a slight smile curling on his lips, his tone becoming a bit more intimate:

"Young Brother Bai Fan, this Move of yours doesn't look like something an ordinary weak scholar could use."

"Young Brother?"

The Madam to the side trembled fiercely upon hearing this, secretly swallowing her saliva.

The Ninth Prince actually called Bai Fan "Young Brother"; he was trying to recruit him!

The Ninth Prince's "Young Brother" was no ordinary person. She was completely finished today!

The more the Madam thought, the more afraid she became, cold sweat seeping down her back.

If she showed even the slightest negligence, she feared she wouldn't be able to keep her life after the Ninth Prince left.

She couldn't help but lament internally; even if she had ten times the courage, she wouldn't dare say another harsh word.

The Madam hurriedly squeezed out a stiff smile and said respectfully:

"Ninth Prince, please understand. This lowly slave did not know Young Master Bai was the Ninth Prince's Young Brother. I have offended you, please forgive me."

The Ninth Prince glanced at her coldly, his smile undiminished, yet it made the Madam even more terrified.

He gently shook his folding fan and waved his hand casually: "It's fine, you were just following the rules. But let this matter today end here; do not pursue it any further."

"Yes, yes, yes, this lowly slave will certainly remember the Ninth Prince's instruction and will never let it happen again!"

The Madam nodded repeatedly, cold sweat already streaming down her forehead, almost soaking her clothes.

The Ninth Prince couldn't be bothered to look at her again and turned his attention back to Bai Fan.

"Young Brother Bai, meeting here today is a rare stroke of fate. Now that you have just arrived, you must have many inconveniences. If you don't mind, you can come to my estate later to have a chat and share some brotherly sentiment."

Bai Fan was flattered upon hearing this. Why would the Ninth Prince treat him with such courtesy?

"This younger brother would not dare accept such an honor. Ninth Prince's great kindness, Bai Fan is deeply grateful and will certainly keep it in mind."

"Haha, no need to be so formal."

The Ninth Prince smiled and patted Bai Fan on the shoulder, then his gaze shifted to the pale-faced girls, a flash of sympathy in his eyes.

"Since Young Brother stood up for these girls today, I will do a favor."

He turned back to the Madam and said lightly: "From today on, they will rest for half a month. If anyone dares to disturb them during this period, you know the consequences."

Upon hearing this, the Madam was both shocked and delighted, hurriedly kneeling to kowtow:

"Thank you for your grace, Ninth Prince! This lowly slave will certainly obey and will never dare let them suffer any more grievances!"

"Get up."

The Ninth Prince waved his hand and turned his gaze back to Bai Fan.

"Young Brother, it is settled, you can rest assured."

Bai Fan was stunned; he had not expected the matter to be resolved so smoothly.

The Ninth Prince's help not only resolved his predicament but also gave the girls a rare chance to breathe.

"Thank you, Ninth Prince!" Bai Fan bowed deeply again, his eyes full of gratitude.

The Ninth Prince waved his hand and said with a smile:

"Young Brother, no need for formalities. If there is a chance to meet again in the future, I would like to see how much of a stir a Disciple of Medicine God Valley can cause in this capital."

Having said that, he said no more, turned, and strode towards the door, his attendants swarming after him, leaving only the Madam and Bai Fan staring at each other, their expressions different.

The Madam lamented internally. She had intended to make things difficult for Bai Fan today and fleece him, but she hadn't expected Bai Fan to gain the appreciation of the Ninth Prince.

Now it seemed she not only wouldn't get any money but instead owed him a huge favor.

Bai Fan sensed the Madam's complex gaze and smiled gently, saying in a soft voice:

"I only intended to do my small part. Now that the Ninth Prince has resolved this matter for me, thank you for your tolerance just now. If there is an opportunity in the future, I will certainly come to visit the girls again."

The Madam smiled awkwardly, her face full of forced kindness:

"Young Master Bai truly has a heart of a Bodhisattva. I was rude today, I hope you will be magnanimous."

Bai Fan nodded, said nothing more, and turned to walk out the door.

After he walked far away, the Madam finally breathed a sigh of relief, the panic in her heart finally subsiding slightly.