"Utterly ridiculous!" the strange old man sneered. "I've lived my life free and will never pledge allegiance to anyone. Moreover, your Dragon Group isn't qualified enough!"
"Such lofty words!" Han Bing said coldly. "The esteemed Dragon Group of Dragon Country isn't worthy of you?"
"There's always someone better, someone stronger. Within Dragon Country, the Dragon Group is indeed mysterious, but in my eyes, they are nothing more," the strange old man stated frankly. "And with just the two of you, how can you possibly keep me today!"
"Shamelessly boastful!"
With a swift movement, Jian Ying's sword transformed into ten phantom blades, conjuring a powerful array to trap the strange old man by the Chu Zhou Lake.
"What kind of divine ability is this!" Gu Wen exclaimed in shock. "Why have I never seen it before?"
"The methods of the powerful are not for you to witness," Han Yunhai said directly. "These individuals are not weak; they likely have significant backgrounds."
As sword energy swirled, the strange old man merely chuckled coldly. A powerful aura surged around him, and with a single palm strike, he sent the two flying, then vanished instantly, not daring to linger for a moment.
He knew very well that he was injured internally, his strength significantly weakened. If he were to confront these two, he would likely meet his end today.
The duo intended to pursue, but the old man's steps were swift, and he disappeared without a trace in the blink of an eye, leaving them to frown.
"That old bastard got away again!" Jian Ying said with a sigh of helplessness.
"It's all your fault!" Han Bing said coldly. "Since you unleashed your Sword Intent, you should have pressed your attack relentlessly. How could you have given him an opening!"
"I don't think this old man is a bad person. All the way here, he had countless opportunities to kill us," Jian Ying said with a wry smile. "But he held back each time, so I felt a pang of pity!"
"As a member of the Dragon Group, your priority is the Dragon Group's mission. Have you forgotten?" Han Bing stated. "If there's a next time, I will report you!"
"Don't do that!" Jian Ying said sheepishly. "We're partners, after all. If you report me, I won't be around next time. Do you want a new partner?"
Han Bing remained silent, his expression as cold as ever. He didn't even spare a glance at the many martial artists observing. He only looked at Lu Fan once, but his gaze did not linger.
"Master, that woman just looked at you," Gu Wen quickly said. "Among everyone here, she only looked at you!"
"You talk too much!" Lu Fan glared at him. "Don't say anything foolish when we get back. If Xiao Ke finds out, I won't let you off easily."
"I know, I know!" Gu Wen nodded repeatedly. "I won't say anything when we get back."
As everyone returned to the courtyard and were about to enter their rooms, Lu Fan stopped abruptly and gazed towards a particular room in the courtyard.
"Sir, what's wrong?" Han Yunhai asked.
Lu Fan didn't answer. He walked towards a room within the courtyard. Inside, an old man was lying on the bed, looking quite content. This person was none other than the strange old man.
"Senior! What are you doing here?" Lu Fan asked awkwardly.
Han Yunhai and Gu Wen were also stunned. They had just witnessed a great battle by Chu Zhou Lake, and now he was in the Jiangjing Villa, lying on a bed. It was quite startling.
"Just finding a place to rest. You're quite sharp, kid," the strange old man said. "With so many rooms in the courtyard, this one is mine now!"
"The room is not an issue!" Lu Fan replied awkwardly. "But those two are not to be trifled with. If they track me here, how will I deal with it?"
"My aura is concealed. Beyond ten meters, they won't be able to find me," the strange old man stated. "Rest assured!"
Lu Fan frowned. He didn't know if this strange old man was good or bad. Now that he was injured, Lu Fan wouldn't fear expelling him by force. However, if the old man sought revenge after his injuries healed, it would be a troublesome matter.
"Since you're staying, Senior, I won't disturb you!"
Lu Fan gave a wry smile and closed the door, then walked out.
"Sir, what should we do?" Han Yunhai frowned. "This old man's strength is formidable. He might not be here with good intentions."
"He has internal injuries, so he won't harm us," Lu Fan said. "You all should go to sleep!"
"But..." Gu Wen said worriedly. "If he has ulterior motives, it will be trouble."
"I will go and probe him myself!" Lu Fan waved his hand. "You don't need to worry too much. If this old man harbors ill intentions, I will definitely kill him!"
Han Yunhai and Gu Wen nodded slightly. Although they were quite worried, they dared not disobey Lu Fan's wishes.
After they left, Lu Fan returned to the old man's room. "I'm quite curious, what kind of information did you steal? Why are you being hunted?"
"It's better for you not to know these things," the strange old man chuckled. "It will only benefit you. However, I must thank you; I am severely injured now, and with your strength, you don't need to fear me!"
"I can help you heal your injuries," Lu Fan stated directly. "But you must agree to one condition!"
"What condition?" the strange old man asked in surprise. "You know medicine?"
"Of course I know medicine!" Lu Fan narrowed his eyes. "If I heal your injuries, you must agree to three requests from me, with the condition that you cannot harm anyone in this courtyard!"
"And if you can't heal me?" the strange old man narrowed his eyes. "Can I use you as a side dish?"
"You have old scars on your body, and your vital energy has been damaged. You might even have been an unparalleled expert before, who suffered a severe blow, causing your aura to become so weak, otherwise, you wouldn't have fallen to this state," Lu Fan stated. "If you don't believe me, then forget I said anything!"
Lu Fan made as if to leave. The old man was severely injured now, and if he were to argue further, Lu Fan wouldn't hold back.
"Wait!" the strange old man glanced at him. "Old man, I'll trust you one time today. As long as you can heal my internal injuries, I will agree to your three requests. Let alone three, even thirty wouldn't be a problem!"
"You said it!"
Lu Fan nodded in satisfaction and then took out silver needles to perform acupuncture on the strange old man. Simultaneously, he produced a pill. "Take this pill; it will help suppress your internal injuries. Your internal injuries have likely been present for thirty years. To heal completely, it might take a few years!"
After taking the pill, the strange old man felt a surge of energy within him, his heart filled with surprise. He could clearly sense his internal injuries gradually healing.
Although it wasn't perfect, the fact that his internal injuries could gradually heal demonstrated the potency of the pill.
"You really didn't lie to me!" the strange old man nodded with satisfaction. "I never imagined you would have such skills at such a young age!"
"This is a pill refined from a thousand-year-old spirit herb. There were only ten in total, and one is with you," Lu Fan said with a sigh. "If it weren't for your three promises, I wouldn't have done this!"
The strange old man understood. He knew what Lu Fan was thinking.