219: Chapter 218 Qin Hao's Son
Examiner Qin Yuan's Face flushed red instantly, though it was unclear whether it was from shame or anger.
He spun around abruptly, facing Lin Fan directly, his voice strained and slightly off-key.
"You have such cultivation ability, yet you insisted on doing it step by step. Was this intentional? Are you intentionally trying to humiliate us?"
Before Lin Fan could reply, Xiao Yishan burst out laughing.
He laughed loudly, not giving Examiner Qin Yuan any Face at all.
"Examiner Qin Yuan, did you get triggered? How someone cultivates is their own business; what the hell does it have to do with you!"
He laughed and patted his own chest, still maintaining that devil-may-care attitude.
"Anyway, I don't feel humiliated. If your skills are inferior, you admit it; what's there to talk about? What, are you people in the Qin Family really that unable to accept defeat?"
Examiner Qin Yuan's lips trembled. He pointed a finger at Xiao Yishan, then at Lin Fan, before finally waving his hand and saying nothing more.
Lin Fan glanced at Xiao Yishan, and Xiao Yishan looked back at him; the two shared a smile.
The enemy of an enemy is a friend; that saying holds true everywhere.
At the judges' table, Old Zhou took off his reading glasses and slowly wiped the lenses with a cloth.
His movements were unhurried. Once the hall quieted down, he put his glasses back on and began to speak.
"The reason Lin Fan evolved it in stages was not to deliberately delay time, but because of the Rank restrictions of the evolutionary path."
He paused, glanced at Lin Fan, and continued.
"Most Armor Spirit evolutions require meeting certain Rank requirements. The Myriad Elephant Bug is not high Rank, so it cannot reach many Advanced evolutionary paths. However, the path Lin Fan chose—from Thorn-Feather Insect to Mystic Crystal Wing Bug to Green Wood Healing Moth—is one of the few that does not require a Rank threshold, needing only Materials to guide it."
Lin Fan nodded. "Senior, your words are absolutely correct."
Old Zhou said nothing more; he picked up the scorecard and wrote down the final score after Lin Fan's name.
The other four judges also submitted their scores one after another. The host took the summary sheet, glanced at it, and announced the final results.
"First place, Lin Fan, number 073. Second place, Lin Waner, number 022. Third place, Ye Qing, number 074. Fourth place, Examiner Qin Yuan, number 075. Fifth place, Xiao Yishan, number 011."
Examiner Qin Yuan's Face was as pale as his Camouflage Moth.
As a dignified Prodigy of the Qin Family, failing to even make the top three made him feel like a clown.
He didn't even wait for the host to finish speaking before turning and leaving in a rage.
Old Zhou sighed and shook his head.
With such a Heart-Nature, his future will be limited.
The subsequent award ceremony was short and efficient.
When Lin Fan accepted the certificate, brocade box, and prize plaque, Old Zhou had no superfluous words, only saying, "The future is promising."
Inside the brocade box lay a deep blue crystal with silvery-white veins slowly flowing within it; it was exactly the lunar ethereal crystal.
As soon as the awards ended, Xiao Yishan came over.
"Brother Lin Fan, dinner tonight at the Longjiang Hotel, my treat!"
Without waiting for Lin Fan to answer, he waved to Lin Waner and Ye Qing, "You guys come too!"
Lin Waner glanced at him and gave a slight nod.
Ye Qing laughed, "You're treating? Is the class high enough?" Xiao Yishan patted his chest to guarantee it.
At the Longjiang Hotel, the private room was by the window, overlooking the night view of Longjiang.
Xiao Yishan ordered enough food for six people in one go. Ye Qing told him it was wasteful, but he didn't mind.
Once the four were seated, Xiao Yishan spoke first.
He was now a physical education instructor at Beique University. After graduating from Beique University, he chose to stay on, and he was now a Rank 67 Armor Sovereign.
Upon hearing this, Lin Fan quickly raised his glass and leaned in.
"I plan to apply to Beique University. When the time comes, I'll have to ask Teacher Xiao to take care of me."
Xiao Yishan slapped his thigh and laughed heartily.
"What a coincidence! Don't worry, when you get to Beique, just mention my name! Although I'm not some big shot, looking after a freshman like you is no problem."
Afterward, Lin Waner also put down her glass and briefly explained her situation.
She had also graduated from Nanshu University last year and was currently working at an Armor Beast research institute in Chengchuan City, focusing on Armor Spirit genetic stability and evolutionary path optimization.
After saying this, she paused, as if hesitating about something, her gaze lingering on Lin Fan's Face for a few extra seconds.
Lin Fan felt a bit uncomfortable under her gaze and asked what was wrong.
She withdrew her gaze, picked up her glass and took a sip, her voice returning to its usual indifference.
"It's nothing. You look very much like a relative of mine."
Lin Fan joked, "We both have the surname Lin; maybe we really are distantly related."
Upon hearing this, the corners of Lin Waner's lips curled up ever so slightly.
"Perhaps."
As they talked, Xiao Yishan put down his glass and suddenly stopped smiling.
"There is something I must remind you of."
He looked at Lin Fan, "This Examiner Qin Yuan is petty. You made him lose Face in public today; he won't let it go easily."
Before Lin Fan could reply, Xiao Yishan continued.
"Who in the Federation doesn't know the style of the Qin Family? The head of the Five Great Families, accustomed to being overbearing. The children of the Qin Family are even more so, especially Examiner Qin Yuan. He is the son of Patriarch of the Qin Family; he has been outstanding in everything since he was young, holding a post in the military and also a name at Beique University."
"He is currently a 'Specially Appointed Combat Instructor' at Beique University, affiliated with the Battle Academy, mainly responsible for students' combat simulation training and tactical deduction courses. This position isn't a formal faculty role, but it carries the Beique title, and he teaches a few elective courses each semester. The real purpose is to let the Qin Family occupy a spot on Beique's faculty list."
Son of Patriarch of the Qin Family?
Lin Fan's hand holding the wine glass paused.
He had offended Patriarch of the Qin Family in the Secret Realm and offended Examiner Qin Yuan in the competition; one after another, he had managed to offend both father and son completely.
He twitched the corner of his mouth, not knowing whether to call it a coincidence or fate.
The Qin Family... What relationship did he actually have with the Qin Family?
"Isn't the Qin Family's main stronghold in Longjiang City? Why would Examiner Qin Yuan be at Beique?" Lin Fan asked.
Lin Waner suddenly interjected.
"Beique University is currently a Domain that the Five Great Families are fighting over."
She put down her chopsticks, her tone flat, as if stating a well-known fact.
"In recent years, the power division among the Five Great Families has become increasingly stable. It's hard to move against the territories on the surface, so they have reached their hands into Beique."
"First, it's to snatch talent; second, it's to occupy resources. All the Five Great Families are stuffing people in, and the Qin Family naturally wouldn't be left behind. It's not strange that Examiner Qin Yuan holds a military post while also occupying a spot at Beique."
Lin Fan couldn't help but laugh; he had such good judgment, choosing to apply to Beique, the very core vortex of the Five Great Families' infighting.
Ye Qing looked at Lin Fan with some concern.
Lin Fan noticed Ye Qing's gaze and reached out to pat the back of her hand.
"Thank you all for telling me this; I will be careful."
After Lin Fan finished speaking, he picked up his wine glass and took a sip, not mentioning the Qin Family again.
Xiao Yishan tactfully changed the subject and chatted about some interesting anecdotes at Beique.
After a few rounds of drinks, it was time to disperse.
After the four exchanged contact information, they each went their separate ways.