545: Chapter 545 Brother Chu, help me!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The surrounding Bodyguards also opened fire one after another, the dense sound of gunfire exploding within the room.

Bullets rained down toward Ye Chen.

But then, a bizarre scene unfolded...

Just a foot away from Ye Chen's body, over a dozen bullets seemed to hit an invisible wall, their speed suddenly dropping until they hung suspended in mid-air, motionless.

The sight was so eerie it made one's scalp tingle.

The pupils of the black-clad Bodyguards suddenly constricted, their faces turning pale as they nearly lost their grip on their guns.

"How... how is this possible?"

Someone muttered to themselves, their voice filled with terror.

Ye Chen didn't spare them a single glance.

He continued to choke Lin Fan, speaking calmly.

"You said just now your name is Lin Fan?"

"The Lin family of Fucheng?"

"Never heard of them."

Lin Fan's eyelids were drooping, and his consciousness was beginning to blur.

Ye Chen looked at him, his tone devoid of any emotion.

"I will only say this once."

"Sophie is mine. Stay away from her in the future."

"Otherwise..."

He paused, slightly loosening his grip to allow Lin Fan to catch a breath.

"I will let you know the meaning of regret."

"I'm in a good mood today and don't want to kill anyone. You'd better behave yourself."

Lin Fan gasped for air, his face covered in tears, snot, and saliva, looking as pathetic as a dog.

He nodded frantically.

"I understand... I won't ever dare to again..."

Ye Chen released his hand.

Lin Fan's body slumped like a pile of mud, hitting the floor and curling up as he coughed violently.

Ye Chen turned around, his gaze sweeping over the black-clad Bodyguards.

Following his gaze, the dozen or so bullets suspended in mid-air all turned at once, pointing directly at the Bodyguards.

"Scram."

A single word.

The Bodyguards, as if granted a divine pardon, hurriedly helped Lin Fan up and turned to run.

In an instant.

Supported by two Bodyguards, Lin Fan stumbled out of the hotel and into his sports car.

Through the rearview mirror, he immediately saw the ring of dark purple bruises on his neck, and a flash of terror appeared in his eyes.

If that hand on his neck had applied just a fraction more force, his cervical spine would have been crushed.

The way that man looked at him was like looking at an ant.

He never wanted to experience that feeling again for the rest of his life.

But soon, his trembling body gradually steadied.

It was replaced by a different emotion.

Anger.

Endless anger.

The left side of his face shown in the rearview mirror was swollen beyond recognition, the blood at the corner of his mouth had dried, and the dark purple bruises on his neck looked exceptionally jarring under the lights...

His eyes slowly turned red, and a towering hatred surged within him.

"I... cannot swallow this insult."

Lin Fan gritted his teeth, forcing the words out from between them.

The head Bodyguard, who had just sat in the passenger seat, had a change of expression: "Young Master Lin, that young man is no ordinary person. We can't afford to provoke him."

"Can't afford to?"

Lin Fan sneered, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes. "There is no one I, Lin Fan, can't afford to provoke!"

Pausing, he pulled his phone from his pocket, swiped a few times on the screen, and found a number.

Then.

He dialed it.

The phone rang three times before it was picked up.

A boisterous voice came through the receiver, sounding somewhat impatient.

"Hello? Who is it?"

Lin Fan quickly put on a smiling face, his voice carrying a hint of sycophancy.

"Brother Chu, it's me, Lin Fan."

"Lin Fan?"

The person on the other end thought for a moment. "Oh, that Lin Fan from the Fucheng Lin Family?"

"Yes, yes, yes, that's me." Lin Fan nodded repeatedly, his smile becoming even more fawning.

"Is something wrong? If not, don't bother me. I'm busy here."

The voice on the other end was lazy, clearly not very interested in Lin Fan's call.

Lin Fan didn't get angry; instead, he smiled even more eagerly.

"Brother Chu, there is something, truly. I'd like to ask you for a favor."

"What favor? Speak."

The person on the other end was named Chu Niubi.

The name sounded a bit crude, but in the elite circles of the Capital, those three words carried terrifying weight.

The Chu family was originally a large family in Yanjing, but they weren't considered a top-tier clan in the Capital, at most a second-rate family.

But just a month ago, the Sima Family, one of the Five Great Families of the Capital, collapsed overnight. The Chu family seized the opportunity, rose up, and replaced them, becoming one of the new Five Great Families of the Capital.

And Chu Niubi was the eldest young master of the Chu family.

The Chu family's rise wasn't due to luck, but because they had latched onto a powerful supporter.

That supporter was the Chief Instructor of the Dragon Group Hidden Dragon Pavilion—Ye Chen.

It was said that through a stroke of luck, Chu Niubi had become Ye Chen's disciple. From then on, the Chu family's fortune changed...

Though Lin Fan didn't operate in the Capital, he was very well-informed about these matters.

After being beaten in the hotel, he had been mulling it over, and the more he thought, the more he felt something was wrong.

The way that young man fought, that aura, and the bizarre ability to stop bullets—it was definitely not something an ordinary person could possess.

In all likelihood, he was a Cultivator.

Although Lin Fan was an ordinary person, he knew there was a class of people in this world who stood above ordinary people: Cultivators.

Those people had the ability to move mountains and fill seas, possessing power beyond a normal person's imagination.

When an ordinary person provoked a Cultivator, they wouldn't even know how they died.

But Lin Fan was no ordinary person.

He had the Lin family behind him. While the Lin family wasn't a cultivation clan, the connections and wealth they had accumulated over the years were enough for him to access things ordinary people couldn't.

Like...

Chu Niubi.

Lin Fan took a deep breath, his voice tinged with grievance.

"Brother Chu, I was beaten by someone today."

"Beaten by someone?"

Chu Niubi was stunned for a moment. "Wait... do you have water in your brain? If someone beats you, call the police. Why the hell are you calling me, Chu Niubi?"

Even after being cursed at like that, Lin Fan didn't get angry, only giving a bitter laugh: "That person is a Cultivator."

"A Cultivator?"

Chu Niubi's voice changed noticeably, his lazy tone tightening slightly. "Are you sure?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but that person..."

Lin Fan recalled the scene in the hotel room. "My men fired over a dozen shots, and when the bullets reached him, they all stopped, hanging in mid-air, motionless."

"Really?" Chu Niubi asked coldly.

"I'm telling the truth, Brother Chu!"

Lin Fan quickly guaranteed, "My Bodyguards all saw it; they can testify! That person is definitely not an ordinary person!"

The other end of the phone went silent again.

Lin Fan gripped his phone, his palms covered in sweat.

In the world of Cultivators, there was an ironclad rule...

Cultivators cannot attack ordinary people, at least not initiate an attack!

Once they do, it's a violation of the rules!

After waiting a few seconds, Chu Niubi's cold laugh came through: "A Cultivator taking it upon himself to attack an ordinary person. How bold."

Hearing this, Lin Fan was overjoyed and quickly agreed.

"Exactly, Brother Chu!"

"In the Secular World, it's a major taboo for Cultivators to use force. This is the rule, everyone knows it!"

"That person used force knowing full well what the rules are. He clearly doesn't respect the rules!"

"And even less respect for the people who maintain those rules!"

He deliberately emphasized the last sentence, the meaning couldn't be more obvious.

Chu Niubi snorted, his tone carrying a hint of annoyance.

"Fine, fine. Normally, you getting beaten would have nothing to do with me."

Lin Fan's face stiffened slightly. Just as he was about to beg again, Chu Niubi spoke once more.

"However... a Cultivator taking it upon himself to attack an ordinary person indeed breaks the rules."

"As the disciple of the Chief Instructor of the Dragon Group Hidden Dragon Pavilion, I cannot ignore this."

Lin Fan's eyes instantly lit up, his heart pounding.

"Brother Chu, you're willing to help me?"

"Help you?"

Chu Niubi scoffed. "I'm not helping you; I'm maintaining the rules."

Lin Fan nodded repeatedly, his smile more radiant than a blooming chrysanthemum. "Yes, yes, yes, Brother Chu is right. We're maintaining the rules."

Chu Niubi didn't want to waste words and asked directly for the address.

"I happen to be free today. Give me the address, and I'll go take a look."

"I want to see which blind fool dares to attack an ordinary person in the Secular World."

Lin Fan was overjoyed, his voice trembling.

"Thank you, Brother Chu!"

"I'll send the address to you right away!"

Chu Niubi gave a brief acknowledgment and hung up.

Lin Fan gripped his phone, his smile gradually fading, replaced by a look of ruthlessness.

"Bastard! You just wait!"

"I might not be able to handle you, but someone can."

He lowered his head, his fingers flying across the screen as he sent the hotel address.

After finishing.

Lin Fan clutched his phone, finally feeling a bit more at ease!

He had even begun to imagine...

What kind of face that young man who hit him would make once Chu Niubi arrived.

Terror?

Begging for mercy?

Or so scared he'd wet his pants?

No matter which one it was, he wanted to see it with his own eyes.

"Kid, weren't you pretty arrogant just now?"

"Wait until Brother Chu gets here, let's see how arrogant you are then!"

The head Bodyguard in the passenger seat hesitated but finally couldn't help himself and said cautiously, "Young Master Lin, that person... is really not someone to mess with. How about we just forget it?"

Lin Fan opened his eyes, glanced at him, and sneered.

"Forget it? Since I was a child, I've never been beaten like this. You want me to forget it?"

"Say one more word of nonsense, and I'll 'forget' about you first!"

The head Bodyguard shrank his neck, not daring to speak again.

Lin Fan snorted and was about to say something else when he suddenly caught sight of two figures appearing at the hotel entrance.

He sat bolt upright, his eyes fixed intently in that direction.

Because.

Ye Chen and Sophie had actually come out!