Hu Mao and other minor characters likely wouldn't dare. No matter what, he was the Lan family's son-in-law. If this was discovered, Hu Mao and his cronies wouldn't be able to bear the consequences. Only Hu Hao, a disciple of Master Wang, could cover for them.
"Yes, yes, yes! It's him. Grievances have their origins, debts have their debtors. We're just people selling our lives, Young Master Ling, please show mercy and let us go."
"I let you go once before at the association, but unfortunately, you didn't seize the opportunity."
Ling Fan said expressionlessly.
"I'll fight you to the death!"
Hu Mao suddenly raised his head, his true qi surging through the twelve meridians of his body. He sprang up like a leopard.
His fist, carrying a terrifying gust of wind, slammed towards Ling Fan's chest.
Hu Mao's desperate punch was not something even an early-stage Qi Refining realm cultivator could underestimate.
But with a flash of saber light, Hu Mao felt his head suddenly become light, as if it were about to float away.
He then saw his headless corpse standing still, blood gushing from his neck.
With a thud, Hu Mao's head fell to the ground, his eyes wide open in death.
He never understood why Ling Fan, universally acknowledged as a cripple in Jiangnan City, possessed such astonishing power!
"It's your turn."
Ling Fan turned to the coachman.
Under Ling Fan's cold gaze, the coachman felt his soul freeze. The look was so devoid of emotion and so chilling, as if it disregarded everything!
"Spare me, spare me!"
The coachman prostrated himself deeply, his head pressed against the ground, trembling like a sieve. A foul odor emanated from between his legs, and yellow liquid flowed out.
Ling Fan frowned slightly, threw his saber, pinning the coachman to the ground, and then drove the carriage away.
...
In front of the Lan Mansion.
When Ling Fan stopped the carriage and entered the mansion carrying large bags, the Lan family members were stunned.
What was going on?
However, the precious materials were packed tightly, so they couldn't discern what they were, and could only suppress their curiosity.
As soon as Ling Fan returned to his residence, he sealed the door and went into seclusion. Lan Junjie, upon hearing the news, wanted to investigate but was met with a closed door and had to give up.
Inside the room, an ancient and majestic divine cauldron floated. Ling Fan took out various water-attribute spiritual items, herbs, and materials.
Thousand-year cold iron, dragon's tears, black water stone, coral sand, water spirit grass, heavenly leaf lotus...
Within the Samsara Divine Cauldron, drops of lustrous and clear water essence condensed, more and more...
Swallowing drop after drop of water essence, the vast and incomparably pure water-attribute power melted within Ling Fan's body, guided along the meridians according to the Five Elements Meridian Opening Art.
...
While Ling Fan was in seclusion.
A massive upheaval occurred in the weapon forging industry of Jiangnan City, an event no less than an earthquake for weapon smiths and forging families like Lan and Jin.
The Lan family had originally developed a weapon set, which was both offensive and defensive, a top-tier mortal weapon.
Moreover, a silver artifact pattern ran through the entire set of equipment, which could significantly reduce the user's true qi consumption and increase the circulation speed of true qi by about thirty percent.
Don't underestimate this thirty percent; it was a visible increase in combat effectiveness.
The Lan family had already spread the word and prepared to hold a press conference, immediately attracting the attention of various martial arts families in Jiangnan City.
But who would have thought that just before the Lan family released this product, the Jin family preempted them and launched a very similar set to the market first.
What was even more insidious was that the Jin family had secretly applied for a patent for this weapon set with the Weapon Smiths Association.
This move completely disrupted the Lan family's plans.
Because the Jin family had already obtained certification from the Weapon Smiths Association, the Lan family's product was stillborn.
Let alone selling it, they couldn't even forge it.
The Lan family had intended to use this trump card product to reverse their declining fortunes, which were being suppressed by the Jin family.
But the Jin family's move was a direct strike at the root.
The Lan family was immediately defeated.
The Jin family's set sold so well that even powerful individuals from surrounding cities, such as Yunmeng City, Xingsha City, and Baoqing City, flocked there upon hearing the news.
After all, such a weapon, which was both offensive and defensive and could reduce consumption, was considered top-tier among mortal weapons. Furthermore, to capture the market, the Jin family priced it even lower than ordinary top-tier mortal weapons.
For a time, the Jin family made a fortune, becoming famous throughout Jiangnan, practically earning money while lying down.
The Jin family's weapon workshop was operating at full capacity while simultaneously recruiting heavily, hiring senior and even top-tier craftsmen to mass-produce.
In contrast to the booming Jin family, the Lan family was in a dire state.
Not only did the business of the weapon workshop plummet, but a large number of suppliers and material merchants also came to demand payment.
Previously, for the incident where Ling Fan burned down the brothel, the Lan family had paid a full million taels. Although Lan Xueyi later sold her dowry and jade bracelets to help, it was still a drop in the ocean.
At one point, the Lan family reached a dead end.
All the Lan family members wore worried expressions, and the atmosphere in the Lan Mansion was extremely oppressive and low.
Many Lan family craftsmen, seeing no hope in this desperate situation, chose to defect and jump ship to the Jin family, further worsening the Lan family's predicament.
The Lan family, a prominent weapon forging family that had stood in Jiangnan City for decades, was on the verge of complete decline.
Lan Tianxiong pleaded with people and sought help in a subservient manner every day.
However, each time he went with hope, he returned disappointed.
Past friends and allies, seeing the unfavorable trend, had already sided with the Jin family.
As time passed day by day.
The Lan family's situation became increasingly perilous, teetering on the brink.
As a last resort, Lan Tianxiong had to convene a general assembly of the entire Lan family to discuss countermeasures.
All the high-ranking and middle-ranking members of the Lan family gathered, each with a worried expression, sighing.
After much deliberation, they were all at a loss.
"Alas, Xueyi's set was about to be released to the market. It was our trump card product for a desperate comeback, but who knew the Jin family would get ahead of us, and our efforts were in vain."
"Is Heaven trying to destroy our Lan family!"
"Bang!"
An elder of the Lan family slammed the table fiercely, his eyes bloodshot, saying, "There must be a traitor! There definitely is!"
He stated it with absolute certainty.
"The set developed by Xueyi is a top secret of our Lan family. How could the Jin family produce something identical? How could such a coincidence happen in the world? Someone must have tipped them off and leaked the secret!"
Upon his words, everyone chimed in agreement.
"Patriarch, this matter must be thoroughly investigated, the traitor must be found, and dealt with according to the strictest family laws!"
At this moment, Han Qing, Lan Xueyi's cousin, suddenly spoke up, "I saw Ling Fan carrying a bag to the Weapon Smiths Association a few days ago. Later, I inquired and found out he sold a top-tier mortal weapon!"
As soon as this was said, everyone erupted in an uproar!
At such a sensitive time, it was difficult for them not to connect the dots in that direction.
Lan Tianxiong's expression immediately changed, and Lan Xueyi also showed disbelief.
Lan Junjie clenched his fists tightly.
Lan Tianxiong spoke with difficulty, "This matter is of great importance. We cannot speculate without concrete evidence."