44: A roast chicken to win your heart?

In the Chaotic Delta, above the Gobi Desert, the smell of blood and gunpowder mixed together, pungent and unpleasant.

Ye Fan shielded the mysterious, stunningly beautiful young woman behind him, his eyes cold as he confronted the wolf-like mercenaries who had surrounded them.

"Kid, it seems you prefer a toast to a penalty, huh?"

Blood Wolf, the leader of the "Hungry Wolf" mercenary group, rested his still-dripping laser battle-axe on his shoulder, a cruel and bloodthirsty smile on his face. He sensed the A-Rank Martial Ancestor aura from Ye Fan, which, though pure, was clearly not yet stable, and his eyes filled with disdain.

"An A-Rank Martial Ancestor? You're certainly a Genius. Too bad you ran into me today!"

He abruptly waved his hand, issuing the coldest command.

"Brothers, attack! Chop the men into pieces and feed them to the dogs! As for the women... keep them alive, let the brothers have some fun!"

"Awoo—!"

Dozens of mercenaries, already parched with thirst, let out an inhuman howl and surged like a tide from all directions, pouncing on Ye Fan!

"Courting death!"

Ye Fan's eyes turned cold, and he held nothing back!

He gently propped the unconscious young woman against a relatively intact armor plate. Then, like a golden cannonball, he charged into the torrent of steel and blood.

"Human Emperor Suppressing World Art — Human King Seal!"

He formed ancient and profound hand seals. The golden Internal Energy within him, refined by ancient divine Cultivation Technique and far purer and more potent than that of Martial Artists of the same rank, surged wildly! A golden imprint phantom, filled with imperial majesty and seemingly capable of suppressing mountains and rivers, condensed above his head and fiercely pressed down towards the most densely packed area of the crowd!

Boom!!!

Golden light exploded, and Qi waves rolled!

The seven or eight mercenaries at the very front didn't even have time to scream before they were crushed into a bloody pulp, along with their weapons, by this single imperial and domineering seal!

However, these desperadoes, who lived by the sword, showed no fear. Instead, this bloody scene completely ignited their ferocity!

"Kill him!"

Ye Fan succeeded with one strike but dared not linger. He knew that he had just endured a fierce battle with a Three-Headed Demonic Wolf, and his Internal Energy was already more than half depleted. Facing dozens of enemies of the same or even higher cultivation level, he would surely die if he got caught in a prolonged fight!

His only path to survival was... to capture the leader first!

He moved with profound footwork, his figure ghost-like, weaving through the crowd, dodging deadly attacks, his target clear: the leader, Blood Wolf, who stood at the very back with a sinister grin!

"Interesting."

Blood Wolf watched Ye Fan, who was still moving with ease amidst his subordinates' attacks, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. Immediately, that surprise turned into an even more intense greed. "This kid definitely has a big secret! That Cultivation Technique is mine!"

He stopped observing. The terrifying aura of a Peak A+ Rank Martial Ancestor erupted from him, and he charged at Ye Fan like a tiger descending a mountain!

A brutal and incomparable battle thus began!

Although Ye Fan's Cultivation Technique was exquisite, two fists were ultimately no match for four hands, and with his Internal Energy depleted, he quickly fell into a disadvantage. New wounds constantly appeared on his body, and blood almost dyed him completely red.

But his eyes remained as bright as stars, filled with unyielding Battle Intent!

Finally, he seized an opportunity!

He forcefully used his left shoulder to withstand the slashes of two mercenaries, letting the sharp blades sink deep into his flesh, but in return, he gained precious time to get close to Blood Wolf!

"Die!"

He channeled all his remaining Internal Energy into his right fist, unleashing the strongest single-target attack from the Human Emperor Suppressing World Art!

"Human Emperor... God Slaying Stab!"

Pfft!

A golden spiral Qi, condensed to the extreme and seemingly capable of piercing through anything, erupted from his fist. It struck faster than expected, instantly piercing through Blood Wolf's Protective Aura in his disbelieving and terrified gaze, and fiercely slammed into his heart!

"Ugh..."

The sinister grin on Blood Wolf's face completely froze. He looked down at the bloody hole through his chest, his eyes filled with bewilderment.

To his dying breath, he couldn't understand how he, a renowned A+ Rank powerhouse, could be defeated by an unknown A-Rank Kid.

With the fall of their leader, the remaining members of the "Hungry Wolf" mercenary group, after a brief moment of shock, scattered like birds and beasts, daring not to linger for another second.

After confirming that all enemies had retreated, Ye Fan could no longer hold on. He spat out a mouthful of congested blood, knelt on one knee, and gasped for air.

He had won.

In the most tragic and difficult way, he had completed this textbook-like... hero saving the beauty... When the mysterious young woman slowly awoke from her unconsciousness, the first thing she saw was a bonfire, and beside it, the blood-soaked figure of the young man, sitting cross-legged and silently healing his wounds.

She struggled to sit up and then realized that her wounds had been treated with professional medical spray and neatly bandaged with clean strips of cloth.

"You're awake?"

Ye Fan heard the movement, slowly finished his cultivation, and turned his head, giving her a slightly pale but sunny smile.

"My name is Ye Fan. What's yours?"

The young woman looked at him, a flicker of gratitude and wariness in her clear eyes, like mountain springs. She softly replied, "My name is... Qin Yubing. Thank you... Young Master for saving my life."

She told Ye Fan that she was a descendant of a medicinal Family from the Eastern Continent. This time, she had followed her Family's merchant caravan to the Chaotic Delta to collect a rare medicinal herb but unexpectedly encountered successive attacks from a Three-Headed Demonic Wolf and the "Hungry Wolf" mercenary group, becoming separated from her escort team.

After listening, Ye Fan looked at her weak and helpless appearance. The sense of justice and protectiveness belonging to a "protagonist" instantly surged. He patted his chest and grandly declared, "Miss Qin, don't worry. Your injuries are not light, and this place is fraught with danger. I will surely escort you safely to the nearest safe city!"

Thus, the two officially became traveling companions... Night deepened.

The night in the Chaotic Delta brought a sudden drop in temperature, with cold winds howling like ghosts and wolves.

The two found a sheltered cave, lit a bonfire, and made it their temporary campsite.

Qin Yubing huddled by the bonfire. Although she was wrapped in Ye Fan's jacket, her delicate body still trembled slightly due to her injuries and hunger, and her mood seemed somewhat low.

Ye Fan looked at her, and his heart stirred.

He said nothing, simply got up and walked into the darkness.

Half an hour later, he returned.

In his hand, he carried a plump wild chicken, already cleaned.

He didn't speak, but silently skewered the chicken with a branch, placed it over the bonfire, and skillfully roasted it. Soon, a powerful aroma, a mix of grease and spices, filled the entire cave.

He tore off the fattest chicken leg, roasted to a crispy outside and tender inside, sizzling with oil. He wrapped it in clean leaves and handed it to Qin Yubing, whose eyes were already shining and saliva was almost dripping.

"Eat, it's freshly roasted."

Qin Yubing, a favored daughter of heaven who had grown up in luxury, cherished as a pearl by her Family, and had never suffered any hardship in the wild, looked at the roasted chicken leg emitting a primal aroma. Then she looked at Ye Fan's face, illuminated by the firelight and filled with sincerity and simplicity. The softest part of her heart felt as if something had gently touched it.

She took the chicken leg and cautiously took a bite.

The exquisite taste, crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, instantly conquered her taste buds.

And it conquered her heart.

This most unadorned care, full of "earthly warmth," moved her far more than any Heaven And Earth Treasure or rare delicacy she had ever received since childhood.

In the ambiguous firelight and the aroma of food, the atmosphere became harmonious.

Qin Yubing finally let down her last bit of guard and, out of curiosity, inquired about Ye Fan's past.

"Young Master Ye, with your strength and talent, why are you venturing alone into this Chaotic Delta for training?"

Upon hearing this question, Ye Fan's eyes instantly dimmed.

He picked up a wineskin nearby, took a fierce gulp, and his eyes revealed a "just right" complex emotion filled with grief, indignation, unwillingness, and endless humiliation.

In a magnetic, hoarse voice, he slowly recounted a carefully crafted, "half-true, half-false" tragic story.

A tragic story about how a grassroots Genius was ruthlessly humiliated, had his cultivation crippled, and even... had his beloved fiancée stolen by a "favored son of heaven" from a top wealthy Family.

He omitted the parts where he actively provoked, and he concealed the shocking secret of his "Human Emperor" Legacy.

He only portrayed himself as a strong and tragic protagonist: resolute and unyielding, enduring humiliation, and struggling to survive in desperate circumstances.

And Lin Tian, he portrayed as the ultimate villain: arrogant and overbearing, treating human lives as mere grass, relying on his Family background to do as he pleased.

Qin Yubing listened quietly, the emotions in her clear eyes constantly changing as Ye Fan narrated.

From initial curiosity, to shock, to sympathy, and finally... to endless righteous indignation towards Lin Tian's so-called "evil deeds"! And, a deep, heartfelt admiration for Ye Fan, this young man who still fought unyieldingly in despair!

"Don't worry!"

After Ye Fan finished his "tragic" story, Qin Yubing looked at him and promised in a solemn and firm tone:

"I will help you avenge this!"

"That bully named Lin Tian, relying on his Family background, acts recklessly. He is truly a disgrace among our top powers!"

"My Qin Family... will never let him off!"

Through a classic fortuitous encounter, Ye Fan had won himself a powerful and mysterious external ally.