63: Chapter 63 Fear stems from insufficient firepower

At three in the morning, a faint smell of burning still lingered in the air at Longhu No. 1.

Lin Fan stood on the second-floor terrace, an unlit cigarette between his fingers, looking down at the now-tranquil courtyard.

It was too easy.

He didn't mean that killing those few pieces of trash was easy, but rather that the enemies had found it too easy to sneak in.

The so-called security of this wealthy district was like a thin sheet of window paper that could be poked through at any moment in the face of truly powerful individuals. This time was just a probe, a stone thrown by the Wang Family to test the waters.

Lin Xiaoya was still in a deep sleep, her brow furrowed as if she couldn't find peace even in her dreams.

"It seems that relying solely on an official background isn't enough to deter true desperadoes."

Lin Fan applied pressure with two fingers, and the unlit cigarette was instantly crushed into powder.

The reputation of the City Lord's Mansion could scare law-abiding businessmen, but it couldn't intimidate gamblers who had lost everything. Entrusting one's safety to the deterrent power of others was, in itself, a suicidal act.

To forge iron, one must be strong themselves.

"System, open the warehouse."

A pale blue light screen expanded before his eyes, its densely packed item slots dazzling to behold. Through the blind box rebates during this period, he had accumulated a massive amount of resources.

Besides the pills and heavenly treasures used to increase cultivation, there was also a large quantity of special items gathering dust in the corners because he had no use for them.

Now, it was time for them to be put to work.

"Since you like playing at infiltration, I'll build a true hell for you."

With a flick of Lin Fan's wrist, twelve pitch-black metal pillars covered in complex runes appeared out of thin air.

[Item: Twelve Earthly Fiend Trapping and Killing Formation]

[Rank: Peak B-Rank]

[Effect: Channels Earthly Fiend Qi to create an independent space. Those who enter will suffer sensory deprivation and doubled gravity; unbreakable by anyone below the Grandmaster rank.]

"Go."

Lin Fan waved his hand casually.

The twelve metal pillars turned into streaks of light, accurately sinking into twelve positions around the villa's courtyard, instantly vanishing underground to merge with the ley lines.

Buzz.

The air vibrated slightly before returning to calm. However, through Lin Fan's Eye of True Sight, the entire courtyard was now shrouded in a layer of pale gray fiendish Qi.

But this wasn't enough.

A B-Rank formation could only trap people; its lethality was insufficient.

Lin Fan continued scrolling through the list.

"This thing looks decent."

[Item: High-Frequency Psionic Vibration Mine]

[Rank: C-Rank]

[Quantity: 50]

[Effect: Upon triggering, it instantly releases a high-frequency psionic shockwave that can directly shatter the internal organs of a Martial Master-level expert.]

Like a hardworking gardener, Lin Fan buried enough explosive yield to blow a whole building to the sky in the garden, hallways, and even under the doormat.

"Defense is handled, but I still need active offensive measures."

His gaze locked onto a box of large items in the corner.

[Item: Hive Sentry System]

[Rank: B-Rank]

[Configuration: Equipped with a miniature psionic reactor and a six-barreled Gatling psionic cannon. Rate of fire: 6,000 rounds/min. Includes auto-targeting and thermal imaging lock-on.]

*Click.*

The tiles on the villa's roof flipped open, and four sci-fi-looking silver turrets slowly rose. Their dark muzzles rotated once in the night before entering silent standby mode.

Infrared detectors, gravity-sensing floors, neurotoxin spray systems...

For a full hour.

Lin Fan moved every usable defensive item out of the system warehouse.

Now, unless a Grandmaster personally visited the Imperial Dragon Residence, any intruder would lose a layer of skin even if they didn't die. This was no longer a villa; it was a war fortress disguised as a luxury mansion.

Only after finishing all this did Lin Fan let out a long breath. The anxiety caused by insufficient firepower finally dissipated a bit.

He took out his phone and sent a mass message.

Fatty, Chu Yaoyao, Su Qingxue.

He briefly recounted the attack he encountered today and told them to stay safe as well.

Fatty's call came back almost instantly.

"Brother Fan! What happened? Is the Wang Family stirring up trouble?" Fatty's groggy yet anxious loud voice came through the receiver, accompanied by the sound of something heavy hitting the floor—likely the guy falling out of bed.

Lin Fan's tone was relaxed. "Things aren't peaceful lately. Stay put at school or home. By the way, those low-level recovery potions I had you stockpile? Put them all up for sale tomorrow and raise the price by twenty percent."

"Huh? Price hike? Isn't that... a bit too unscrupulous?"

"It's called a risk premium."

Hanging up the phone, Lin Fan looked at Su Qingxue's chat box.

It showed "Typing..." for a long time before she finally sent a voice message.

"Wait ten minutes for me."

Her voice was cold, yet she was clearly out of breath. In the background, there was the whistling of wind and the roar of an engine.

Lin Fan glanced at the time.

4:10 AM.

Ten minutes later.

Blinding high beams tore through the night at Longhu No. 1.

It wasn't just one car, but a whole convoy.

Six black bulletproof SUVs sped toward them in a combat formation, the gold-embossed character for "Su" on the vehicles gleaming under the headlights.

The convoy came to a sudden halt at the entrance of the Imperial Dragon Residence.

The doors opened in unison, and twenty elite guards in Su Family standard-issue battle armor quickly disembarked. Their movements were perfectly synchronized as they immediately seized all high ground and sentry positions around the villa.

The door of the middle vehicle opened.

Su Qingxue stepped out.

She wasn't wearing her usual exquisite long dress, but a sleek black combat suit. Her long hair was tied in a high ponytail, and she carried a silver-white metal briefcase.

That perpetually cold, pretty face was currently covered in frost.

"Who did it?"

Su Qingxue walked up to Lin Fan, her gaze sweeping over the freshly turned soil in the courtyard. Although the bodies had been dealt with, the scent of blood could not be hidden from a martial artist's nose.

"Just a few rats. They've been taken care of."

Lin Fan leaned against the doorframe and pointed at the display behind her. "Are you planning to move the whole Su Family over here?"

"Grandfather heard you were attacked and sent a squad of the Su Family's hidden guards."

Su Qingxue wasn't joking. She stared at Lin Fan seriously. "The Su Family doesn't look for trouble, but we aren't afraid of it either. The Wang Family broke the rules this time. Grandfather has already gone to the City Lord's Mansion to demand answers. After tonight, the Su Family will launch a full-scale blockade against all of the Wang Family's commercial channels in Jianghai City."

This was the confidence of a top-tier clan.

Touch my ally, and I'll cut off your livelihood.

Lin Fan felt a slight warmth in his heart.

Although he believed in the exchange of interests, the Su Family's "after-sales service" was indeed beyond reproach.

"Thank the old man for me."

Lin Fan straightened up, his gaze landing on the silver briefcase. "Did you bring the items?"

"Yes."

Su Qingxue handed over the briefcase, her fingers flying across the combination lock. "These are the mental-type exotic beast materials you asked for. To gather these, the Su Family used our connections in the provincial capital and even intercepted a shipment from the black market at a high price."

"The eyeballs of a Phantom-Eyed Cat Demon, the core of a Nightmare Beast, and this..."

Su Qingxue opened the case.

A strange ripple instantly filled the air.

In the center of the case lay a bizarre plant, purple-black and shaped like a human brain. The air around it seemed to be slightly distorted.

"Soul-Snatching Grass."

Lin Fan's pupils constricted slightly.

This was a primary ingredient for making A-Rank mental potions, a treasure that was often sought but rarely found.

"This grass was a collection from Grandfather's private vault," Su Qingxue said, looking at Lin Fan. "He said that since it's for your sister, use the best. He only had one message: you must bring her back."

Lin Fan took the case; it was heavy.

These weren't just materials; they were the heavy stakes the Su Family was placing on him.

"Don't worry."

Lin Fan then issued a dismissal. "It's... not quite suitable for ordinary people to stay here right now."

Su Qingxue was taken aback. "I'll leave these guards for you. They are all skilled Martial Masters..."

"No need."

Lin Fan pointed at the floor tiles beneath his feet and then at the seemingly ordinary eaves above. "Believe me, as the Imperial Dragon Residence is now, even if a fly enters, it will have to leave its wings behind."

Su Qingxue gave him a deep look.

She keenly sensed that Lin Fan had changed tonight.

If he was previously a blade hidden in its scabbard with its edge restrained, then now, the blade was halfway out, exuding a heart-palpitating sense of danger.

"Alright."

Su Qingxue didn't insist and turned to get into the car. "Contact me anytime you need. The Su Family stands by your side."

Leaving a squad to keep watch at the neighboring villa, the convoy left as quickly as it had arrived.

Lin Fan carried the case and turned back into the villa.

The main door slowly closed.

*Click.*

As the final lock engaged, the villa's entire defense system began operating at full power.

Lin Fan went straight to the second floor.

He pushed open the door to Lin Xiaoya's room.

The young girl was still in a deep sleep, but her face was even paler than before. A mass of black Qi flickered between her brows, like some hideous living creature writhing under her skin.

The backlash from the S-Rank Talent awakening was intensifying.

"Big brother is here."

Lin Fan placed the briefcase on the nightstand and opened it.

[High-level mental-type materials detected.]

[Would you like to start the crafting mode?]

"Yes."

Lin Fan took a deep breath, golden flames dancing in his eyes.

"System, give me something big this time."

"I want to customize an S-Rank Awakening Guidance Potion."