Chapter 169: 169, who can stop me!

“Ying… Lin Fan! You must not act rashly! The Old Commander was good to you; it took a great deal of effort to arrange a state funeral for you!”

Tie Hao hurriedly came forward, his eyes filled with vigilance and panic. The man before him was once the reigning champion of the Hulin Guard, unmatched by anyone. On his first day of enlistment in the new recruits’ camp, he clashed with his instructor. Unwilling to accept this, Lin Fan proceeded to break every training record. He caused a sensation and was immediately noticed by the Old Commander, Xia Jiangnan!

After being exempted from the three-month new recruit training period, Lin Fan was exceptionally recruited into the special operations training team. They were assigned a one-week wilderness training exercise on the frontier. However, the team leader looked down on him, believing he had gotten in through connections. He deliberately sabotaged Lin Fan, causing him to fall behind the group, where he eventually ran into a small enemy detachment.

Who would have thought that Lin Fan, at only sixteen years old, would achieve the heaven-defying feat of annihilating the enemy in his first-ever battle? Moreover, he was completely unharmed and miraculously found his way back to the main force in the wild jungle.

This kid was the epitome of defiance and pride. He had achieved a tremendous military accomplishment, yet he didn’t say a single word about it. Instead, he gritted his teeth and accepted the corporal punishment from the leader for falling behind! If Xia Country hadn’t received accurate intelligence a few days later, the truth might have remained buried forever!

In the subsequent national War Zone combat competition, Lin Fan was in a league of his own. Winning the competition on his first attempt, he caused a sensation throughout the arena! Many bigwigs from other War Zones were so envious their eyes turned red, and some even had the audacity to try and poach him on the spot. But Lin Fan refused them without hesitation. In his own words, a person must know how to be grateful. Without the Old Commander’s appreciation and trust, and the repeated exceptions made for him, he would never be where he was today.

“Leave! Leave right now! Your stubbornness will only tarnish the Old Commander’s lifelong reputation!”

Memories of Lin Fan’s past glories and heaven-defying feats surfaced in Tie Hao’s mind. Who would have thought that the Old Commander and the new recruit, who once shared mutual respect, would end up at this point, facing each other in a matter of life and death?

Tie Hao’s heart was filled with a mix of emotions, and he couldn’t help but roar, “Leave! Leave! Leave!”

Many surrounding warriors, tears welling in their fierce eyes, shouted in grief and indignation. There was no other way. Only if Lin Fan left quietly could he survive. Only then could the god in their hearts retain his posthumous honor!

“I will not leave.”

A deathly silence fell. After a long moment, Lin Fan, his expression heavy, decisively shook his head.

“My mother’s ashes were dug up and brought back to the Imperial Capital by people Shen Yueli sent! My good brother, Director Shen, had his family ruined by her! I have to rescue Director Shen, take back the family fortune that was stolen from him, and most importantly, get my mother’s ashes back!”

What? The crowd was stunned. So this was the reason Lin Fan had finally resurfaced after seven years in hiding? It was outrageous! Utterly outrageous! They had long heard that the Ying family looked down on him and his mother. And his stepmother, Shen Yueli, while appearing gentle and graceful, was in fact a ruthless and cold-hearted femme fatale! No wonder Lin Fan was so insistent on staying in the Imperial Capital. Anyone in his shoes would find it impossible to suppress their righteous fury and would surely fight Shen Yueli to the death!

“…If you haven’t come to overturn the verdict from seven years ago, then I can step in and help you seek justice for those two matters,” Mr. Xia Sr. said, visibly moved, nodding with a grave expression.

Tie Hao, standing in front of him, clenched his fists tightly, feeling a silent fury on Lin Fan’s behalf. The surrounding warriors exchanged looks, wanting to speak but hesitating.

“There’s no need. I told you, I am Lin Fan now. I will handle this myself. I don’t need anyone’s pity!” Lin Fan stared directly at the conflicted Mr. Xia Sr. and shook his head firmly once more.

“And what if I insist that you leave the Imperial Capital? What will you do then?” Mr. Xia Sr. countered, his aged voice tinged with anger.

“My mind is made up. Who can stop me!”

Lin Fan’s jaw tensed. Then, his eyes blazed with a sharp light as he roared!

BOOM!

A majestic aura erupted from his body, exploding outward with Lin Fan at its center! In that instant, Tie Hao, who was closest, felt his face flush. It felt as if a sledgehammer had slammed into his chest, the pressure so intense he could barely breathe! The numerous warriors around him were aghast, taking a unified step back in shock.

He was truly worthy of his former title as the Heavenly Pride War God. The power of a single roar was terrifying!

“You brat, you’re really going to be the death of me!” Mr. Xia Sr.’s face twitched. Fuming, he habitually pulled off his belt and stepped forward, whipping it mercilessly at Lin Fan.

SMACK!

The belt buckle struck Lin Fan’s face with a crisp sound that made everyone’s scalp tingle, yet it failed to leave a single mark.

A collective gasp of awe rippled through the onlookers. No wonder he was the youngest Great Commander in the history of the Xia Country military. That invulnerable hide alone was astonishing! Seeing this, everyone was stunned, filled with silent admiration.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

Mr. Xia Sr. was clearly growing more infuriated. Even though Lin Fan didn’t dodge or flinch, the old man continued to lash out relentlessly. In no time, he was panting and drenched in sweat. Seeing Lin Fan remain unmoved, not even blinking, he finally stopped.

“You stubborn mule! You’re just a stubborn mule that won’t turn back until it hits a wall! If you had only been a bit more tactful back then, would you have ended up in a situation where everyone turns on you when you’re down?” Mr. Xia Sr. pointed at Lin Fan, cursing furiously.

“I said, no one can stop me!”

Even with the protection of his Gang Qi, Lin Fan’s face stung from the blows. Still, he clenched his jaw and roared back in defiance.

“Hmph, what an absolute joke! You dare spout such arrogance here in the heart of the Capital?”

Before Mr. Xia Sr. could respond, a sarcastic voice suddenly rang out from the edge of the crowd, accompanied by the heavy, rhythmic stomping of countless combat boots!

“Lin Fan, you’ve truly misunderstood the Old Commander. His rushing here ahead of time was all for your own good!”

At this, Mr. Xia Sr.’s expression changed slightly. He snorted angrily and threw the nearly broken belt at Lin Fan’s feet. Tie Hao let out a long sigh, shaking his head at Lin Fan with a look of pity.

“Your sudden appearance has alarmed the higher-ups of all the major War Zones in the Imperial Capital. They don’t just want you to leave. You… sigh! You have truly failed to appreciate the Old Commander’s painstaking efforts!”

“Iron Guard Officer, Mr. Xia Sr., thank you for paving the way,” a burly man in his thirties, dressed in the blue uniform of the Imperial Capital War Zone, said as he swaggered through the crowd with his men. “From now on, we, The Four War Gods, will take over. You may leave.”

The burly man’s tone was lukewarm, showing little respect for Mr. Xia Sr. He then turned, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Lin Fan. “Let me introduce myself. I am Zhang Ao. Out of respect for Mr. Xia Sr., I advise you to kneel and surrender without a fight. Don’t waste my time.”

Zhang Ao! The renowned leader of the Imperial Capital War Zone’s Four War Gods! Revered as the Hector War God, he had been the champion of the national War Zone combat competition for three consecutive years! Moreover, he was ranked seventh on the Xia Country War God Ranking!

Hearing his name, the surrounding warriors’ faces paled as they gasped in shock. The men in blue uniforms behind Zhang Ao puffed out their chests, their expressions filled with a sense of superiority.

“Tibetan Mastiff?”

The next moment, Lin Fan’s mouth curved into a mocking smile as he shook his head. “Is this all the Imperial Capital War Zone has to offer? Just as they say, a bunch of ’young master soldiers.’ Can even a dog climb to the rank of War God?”

The vast area fell completely silent for a moment before erupting into chaos.

“What audacity! How dare a deserter like you insult the Hector War God!”

“Hmph, do you really think you’re the man you used to be? You’re courting death!”

The warriors in blue uniforms exploded with rage, shouting and cursing.

Mr. Xia Sr. and Tie Hao exchanged a speechless glance. They both realized that while the kid might seem calmer and more collected on the surface, deep down, he was still as defiant and proud as ever, unwilling to submit to anyone.

“Fine. I’ll make an exception and test you myself, to see what this so-called Heavenly Pride War God is really made of,” Zhang Ao sneered, his anger turning into a twisted laugh. He dug his feet into the ground and charged at Lin Fan.

In an instant, the force of his punch created a sonic boom, causing the onlookers to grimace as a sharp pain shot through their eardrums.

SMACK!

Lin Fan’s eyes turned cold. He lifted his arm and swatted forward.

THUD!

In the blink of an eye, the burly, swift figure was sent flying backward through the air, crashing hard into the crowd behind him!

“You… your strength is still intact…!”

Amidst the uproar, Zhang Ao lay on the ground, his pupils trembling violently as he coughed up a mouthful of blood. He raised a shaking hand to point at Lin Fan, his face a mask of utter shock and panic.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep