Chen Fan's pupils contracted.
A bit of surprise.
He had expected the master of the Fish Dragon Association to ask this, not a guest attending the event.
"Who are you?" Chen Fan asked.
"My humble surname is Hua," the old man said in a low voice.
Chen Fan said, "Hua Yunping?"
"That was my grandfather," the old man said. "It seems Mr. Chen has investigated some things."
"Do you have a compass fragment in your hand?" Chen Fan asked, narrowing his eyes.
The old man shook his head. "No longer."
"Hmm?" Chen Fan frowned slightly.
"My grandfather obtained three fragments from the Su family's ancestral home back then," the old man explained. "One was taken by Saito, one was given to another person, and the last one, when it was with my father, was lost in the capital."
"After giving away that one, he knew it wasn't simple and deeply regretted giving the one to Saito."
"Knowing that Mr. Chen is looking for the whereabouts of the fragments, I have come to inform you. The one belonging to Saito should have been taken back to Sakura Country."
"I don't know how many Mr. Chen has collected now, but if you have the ability to retrieve the one from Sakura Country, I hope Mr. Chen can achieve your wish. This way, my grandfather's regret can also be somewhat compensated!"
Chen Fan was slightly stunned.
"Only three?" Chen Fan asked, confused.
The old man nodded. "Before the incident, the Su family did not have a complete Dragon Pattern Compass in their possession."
Chen Fan's brow furrowed.
Old Mrs. Su had said that the father of Mr. Su, when he was young, had seen a complete compass.
Of course, perhaps Old Mrs. Su was mistaken, or maybe she had made it up.
"What was the situation with the Su family back then?" Chen Fan pressed.
The old man shook his head. "The destruction of the Su family was not accidental. I don't know much more than that."
"Then where is the piece your Hua family gave away?" Chen Fan asked again.
The old man smiled. "The master of the Fish Dragon Association will give you the answer. I am telling you these things at their behest. Mr. Chen, after the Fish Dragon Secret Meeting ends, I will take my leave."
The master of the Fish Dragon Association?
"Tsk tsk, the events of those years were truly convoluted," Tao Xiaoyan said from the side, listening. "Chen Fan, what is the use of those Dragon Pattern Compasses?"
Chen Fan did not answer and walked towards the screen.
Many of the guests had already left. At this moment, Gu Zi'an and Shen Tinghao, along with others, were also heading towards the main entrance together.
Upon seeing Chen Fan's actions, they stopped at the entrance and looked over.
Chen Fan, however, walked directly towards the side of the screen, intending to go behind it.
Two maids stepped forward, blocking Chen Fan's path.
"Sir, please stop."
These two maids were different from the previous ones. Chen Fan could feel the aura of internal energy from them.
Chen Fan said faintly, "I want to see your master!"
"I apologize, our master does not see external guests," the maid said coldly. "If all guests attending the Fish Dragon Secret Meeting demanded to see our master, how could our master possibly have the time?"
Chen Fan smiled and said, "She invited me, but she refuses to see me. Isn't that too impolite?"
He narrowed his eyes, his tone becoming a bit more chilling. "Or, does she think it's fun to play coy?"
"Sir, please conduct yourself with dignity!"
The cute, round-faced maid on the left raised her eyebrows, saying with great dissatisfaction, "Since you are attending the Fish Dragon Secret Meeting, you must abide by the rules."
Chen Fan shrugged and said, "What if I insist on seeing her?"
"Then you will pay the price," the maid insisted.
Gu Zi'an and Shen Tinghao both wore expressions of schadenfreude, not rushing to leave but stopping to watch the unfolding drama.
Several others had not left, such as the two monks and the two middle-aged men.
Their faces also showed surprise.
The master of the Fish Dragon Association was by no means an ordinary person. Causing trouble here was like a birthday boy eating rat poison – was he tired of living?
Up to this point, no one had dared to scheme against the Fish Dragon Association. The reason was obvious: whether in terms of wealth or capability, the master of the Fish Dragon Association was superior to all the guests.
However, there had been individuals of extraordinary status and background who, while not daring to cause trouble, were not entirely willing to abide by the rules. The outcome for them was often less than ideal.
Under the astonished gaze of everyone, Chen Fan's expression was indifferent. "I have no patience for her games."
The two maids' expressions turned grim. They each let out a cold snort and lunged towards Chen Fan's arms.
"You dare to be disrespectful to the master, and you must be punished."
However, before their hands could land, a surge of energy suddenly erupted.
The two maids stumbled backward, knocking over the exquisitely expensive screen.
The screen fell to the ground, revealing a soft couch made of huanghuali wood behind it, which was empty.
Chen Fan was not surprised and strode towards a passageway on the side behind the screen.
The two maids, in a panic, rushed towards Chen Fan again.
But they lunged at empty air. Chen Fan's body flickered, and the two nearly collided with each other.
Gu Zi'an watched Chen Fan's figure disappear from sight. His going so openly to see the master of the Fish Dragon Association evoked a mix of gloating and complex feelings.
Others might not know, but he knew Chen Fan's strength.
However, the master of the Fish Dragon Association was certainly not comparable to his family's Gu Xiang. He was eager to see Chen Fan embarrassed.
It would be wonderful if Chen Fan were killed by the master of the Fish Dragon Association.
"Let's go!" Shen Tinghao considered for a moment, then suddenly took a step and said, "Let's go and see!"
Gu Zi'an's spirits lifted, his heart filled with anticipation, and he followed suit.
Tao Xiaoyan immediately followed.
Aunt Liu's expression showed considerable surprise. She beckoned a maid, telling her to watch her belongings, and followed closely.
The remaining guests were spurred on and also followed.
The passageway was not long. After several meters, there was a spiral staircase.
Ascending the stairs led to another large hall, presumably the floor above the hall they had just been in.
When they arrived here, their expressions turned to surprise.
On the other side of the hall was another door.
And in the hall, a man in his fifties stood blocking the door.
The two maids from before were now dispersed to the sides.
Chen Fan was striding towards that man.
"Mr. Bai? So he's here," Aunt Liu said with some surprise.
"Mr. Bai, the Mr. Bai who went to deliver a congratulatory gift when I was born?" Tao Xiaoyan asked in a low voice.
Aunt Liu nodded and said, "This Mr. Bai is a peak Huajin master, his strength is not inferior to our family head!"
Shen Tinghao, who was not far from them, heard this and his expression turned solemn, showing reverence.
The existence of the martial arts world was not a secret to top families like the Shen family.
Of course, due to the distance, although the Shen family paid attention to matters of the martial arts world, they did not invest too much energy in them.
Chen Fan approached Mr. Bai step by step.
Mr. Bai's expression was calm. As Chen Fan got closer, his slightly thin and small body suddenly trembled slightly.
With a rustling sound, like a murmuring stream flowing within his body, Mr. Bai's entire presence changed. He gave off a feeling of flowing water.
His aura was not particularly strong, but it was very profound.
Chen Fan raised his fist and punched.
The internal energy condensed within three feet, not outwardly displayed.
But his entire being was like a drawn sword, irresistible, his punch shattering ten thousand mountains.
Mr. Bai's expression became a bit more solemn. His hands intertwined as if they had no bones.
It was difficult to imagine a person's arms could twist so much.
After entangling Chen Fan's fist and wrist, he became like a swirling vortex, so indistinct that it was hard to see clearly.
In a flash, Chen Fan's figure seemed to be swallowed by countless streams of water.
But in the next moment, after a resounding crack, Mr. Bai's body shook violently. The clothes on his arms burst open, and his face turned red as he retreated.
Disbelief flashed in his eyes.
Chen Fan took another step forward.
Just then, a voice rang out.