3: Chapter 3 Coercion and Enticement

Han Ming looked at Su Wanning's cold face and suddenly felt like laughing.

Did this girl really not know that the more she spoke up for Lin Fan, the more the original owner hated him?

However, now was not the time to worry about such things.

"Su Wanning," Han Ming said indifferently, "My business with Lin Fan has nothing to do with you."

After saying this, he walked past Su Wanning and continued forward.

Su Wanning stood frozen in place.

She had assumed Han Ming would come up to fawn over her like before or retort in a fit of shame and anger, but this indifferent attitude from him actually made it difficult for her to accept for a moment.

By the time she came back to her senses, Han Ming had already walked far away.

Su Wanning frowned, feeling that Han Ming was somewhat different today, but she couldn't quite put her finger on exactly what was different.

Han Ming didn't care about Su Wanning's reaction; he headed straight for the Class 3 classroom.

According to his memories, Lin Fan was in this class.

The classroom door was half-open, and sparse sounds of conversation drifted from inside.

It was still early, so there weren't many students who had arrived for class.

Han Ming stood at the doorway, his gaze sweeping across the classroom, and he quickly locked onto a figure.

In the seat by the window in the last row, a youth wearing a washed-out school uniform was looking down at something.

The youth had a slim build, and there was a sense of composure between his brows that belied his age.

Although his clothes were old, they were washed very clean, and he exuded an air of stubbornness.

Lin Fan.

The protagonist of this book, the future Martial God, the child of Luck who had experienced Rebirth.

But for now, he was just an ordinary third-year high school student, rushing about for a living every day while having to endure the bullying of the original owner.

Han Ming took a deep breath and pushed the door open to walk in.

The sound of footsteps startled Lin Fan; he looked up, saw who it was, and his eyes instantly turned cold, his body instinctively tensing up.

"Han Ming?"

Lin Fan's tone was calm, but deep in his eyes lay hidden wariness and disgust.

For three years, this playboy had caused him trouble countless times, and he had already gotten used to it.

Every time Han Ming appeared, it meant trouble was brewing again.

Han Ming didn't care about Lin Fan's attitude; he walked straight to Lin Fan's desk and looked down at him from above.

The two locked eyes.

The air in the classroom seemed to freeze.

Lin Fan gripped the book in his hand, already calculating how to counterattack if Han Ming made a move.

Although the other party's Qi and blood were higher than his, he wouldn't necessarily be at a disadvantage if they really fought.

However, Han Ming's next words left him completely stunned.

"Lin Fan, I want to take you as my apprentice."

"???"

Lin Fan thought he had misheard.

He looked up at Han Ming, his expression shifting from wariness to strangeness, as if looking at someone with a brain problem.

"What did you say?"

"I said, I want to take you as my apprentice."

Han Ming repeated it, his expression so serious that it didn't seem like a joke.

Lin Fan was silent for two seconds, then lowered his head and continued reading.

"Not interested."

He couldn't even be bothered to say an extra word.

Han Ming's mouth twitched.

He knew it would be like this.

The original owner had bullied him for three years, and now he suddenly ran over saying he wanted to take an apprentice; anyone would think he was crazy.

With himself being a weakling of only a one-star Martial Apprentice, what right did he have to take an apprentice?

But he was prepared; he looked at Lin Fan and said in a low voice:

"Lin Fan, your sister, Lin Xiaoyu, should be due for her Awakening this year, right?"

Lin Fan jerked his head up, his eyes instantly becoming as sharp as knives: "What do you mean? If you dare touch my sister, I won't let you go even if I become a ghost."

"Don't be nervous."

Han Ming raised his hands in a calming gesture, "I have no ill intentions, I just want to make a deal with you."

"A deal?"

Lin Fan sneered, "What kind of deal could I possibly have with you?"

Han Ming didn't answer but swept a glance at the students around them who were pricking up their ears to listen: "Are you sure you want to talk here?"

Lin Fan was silent for a few seconds, then finally closed his book and stood up: "Let's go."

The two walked out of the classroom one after the other and arrived at the stairwell at the end of the corridor.

This was a dead end, and rarely did anyone come here.

Lin Fan leaned against the wall, arms crossed, staring vigilantly at Han Ming: "Speak, what exactly do you want to do?"

Han Ming didn't rush to speak, instead looking Lin Fan up and down.

To be honest, if he didn't know the plot, it would be hard for him to connect this malnourished, weak-blooded youth with the decisive God of War from the story.

But Han Ming knew how much potential was hidden within this person.

The memories of someone who experienced Rebirth, a spatial Divine Artifact, a Divine-Grade Cultivation Technique...

Any one of these, if brought out, could drive the entire Blue Star martial arts world crazy.

And now, this person was standing right in front of him.

Han Ming took a deep breath and began to speak.

"Lin Fan, I know the situation of you and your sister.

The little money you earn from working after school every day is barely enough to maintain your lives, let alone afford resources to Cultivate."

"Your sister is undergoing her Awakening this year; given her talent, she will need even more resources.

As long as you agree to take me as your Master, I can provide you with one million in resources.

And I will never cause you trouble again in the future."

Lin Fan was silent.

Han Ming was right; his current situation was indeed very difficult.

The money he earned from working every day was barely enough to even eat his fill, let alone buy resources to Cultivate.

His sister was about to undergo her Awakening, and he was worrying about this very matter.

But why would Han Ming give him resources?

He, Lin Fan, was not a fool; where in the world was there a free lunch?

Furthermore, the relationship between Han Ming and him could be described as fire and water; why would he want to help him?

Could it be that he was plotting something against his sister?

Thinking of this, the look Lin Fan gave Han Ming turned even colder.

"Han Ming, stop acting like a good person here."

He gritted his teeth and said, word for word, "For three years, you've bullied me in every way possible, and now you suddenly want to give me one million? Do you think I'm a three-year-old child?"

Han Ming sighed.

The sins committed by the original owner now all had to be shouldered by him.

"I know you don't believe it."

Han Ming spread his hands, "But I can give you the money right now. You don't need to sign any contracts, and you don't need to write any IOUs. As long as you call me Master and say you are willing to be my apprentice, that's enough."

Lin Fan was stunned.

What kind of move was this?

One million, just to have him call him Master?

Lin Fan stared at Han Ming's face, wanting to find some trace of a conspiracy.

But Han Ming's expression was excessively sincere, and his eyes were clear, as if he were truly thinking of him.

Lin Fan's expression flickered; the temptation of one million was simply too great for him.

The current Lin Fan was not the Lin Fan after his Rebirth; his and his sister's monthly living expenses weren't even one thousand.

So, looking at Han Ming, he gritted his teeth and said: "Transfer the money first; we'll talk once the money arrives."

He was determined; if Han Ming made excuses to back out, then everything just now was just bullshit.

As it turned out, Han Ming took out his phone without a word: "Account number."

Lin Fan rattled off a string of numbers.

Ten seconds later.

Lin Fan's phone, with its half-shattered screen, rang.

He looked down, his pupils suddenly contracting.

[Account ending in 3721 has transferred 1,000,000.00 Yuan to your account ending in 6842; balance is 1,000,023.50 Yuan.]

One million.

A full one million.

Lin Fan stared at that string of numbers, his fingers trembling slightly.

He couldn't even earn one thousand in a month of hard part-time work; this one million was enough to cover decades of working.

Lin Fan looked up, eyeing Han Ming with a complex expression.

This guy... really gave it?

"How about it?"

Han Ming put away his phone, "The money has arrived; can you call me now?"

Lin Fan was silent for a long time.

He was thinking about what this money meant.

If Han Ming really wanted to harm him, there was no need to give the money first.

One million was not a small amount, even for a third-rate Family like the Han Family.

Going to such great lengths, just to have him call him Master?

Lin Fan couldn't figure it out.

But the money had arrived; that was a fact.

He, Lin Fan, might be poor, but he was not someone who didn't keep his word.

Since he had taken the money, he should do the task.

And...

It was just a matter of one sentence; it wouldn't cost him a piece of flesh.

Lin Fan took a deep breath and opened his mouth, but found that the title was stuck in his throat and he couldn't spit it out no matter what.

Suddenly being asked to call this guy who had bullied him for three years Master made him unable to open his mouth.

Looking at the one million in his phone account, he gritted his teeth and called out in a low voice:

"Mas... Master!"