A Dish Best Served Cold (The Man In Rage)

Chapter 2216 You Want To Die

In life, there were no ifs, but looking back, it seemed that all the coincidences that had occurred so far were predestined.

For example, Ye Fan's inability to get along with the others during the rainforest trip, Kong Ming's and Lu Yanxi's survival against all odds, and Lu Hua's self-destruction.

“Lu Hua dug his own grave,” someone remarked.

“He had no right to harm the man's family and friends after what he did to him in the rainforest. I heard he even tried to steal the man's girlfriend,” another person added.

“It's obvious that he brought this upon himself with his actions,” a third person chimed in.

Almost everyone in the martial arts world knew about the conflict between Ye Fan and Lu Hua back then. Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

It was rumored that Ye Fan had made his way to Mount Yan and forced the supreme pillars of China from the War God Castle to back off.

The events that unfolded were still unbelievable to many.

“Mr. Kong, are you referring to Chu Tianfan from Jiangdong?” a bystander asked.

“He was young and impulsive back then, but he's changed now.”

Another person chimed in, “Have you heard? The Dragon God Hall has disbanded, and Chu Tianfan is rumored to be withdrawing himself from society.”

“What does that mean?” a man who overheard their conversation interjected with a faint smile.

Many people crowded around to greet the man as soon as they saw him.

“Hello, Mr. Zhao.”

“You're so young and talented, taking over the War God Castle at such a young age.”

“I heard that you oversaw the selection process for the Dragon Gate Project.”

The crowd offered compliments and flattery to the man.

Zhao Zhenlu waved his hand in response. “It was all for the sake of Hall Master Chen. I'm just an errand boy at most. It's not a big deal.”

Kong Ming greeted him with a fist-and-palm salute, recognizing him as an acquaintance from years ago.

Back then, Zhao Zhenlu was a nobody in the martial arts world. He had even trained under Kong Ming for a short period but was eventually dismissed due to what Kong Ming perceived as a lack of talent.

But who would have thought that such an untalented person would eventually become a prominent figure by Chen Jiuzhou's side?

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Zhao Zhenlu held immense power as he was responsible for everything related to the War God Castle.

One could even say that Zhao Zhenlu's rise to prominence was a topic of discussion in and of itself.

During the banquet at Mount Yan, Chen Jiuzhou was unexpectedly chosen as the Hall Master of the War God Castle.

Many people simply watched on at the time, but Li Er and his subordinates publicly opposed the decision.

It was Zhao Zhenlu who led the charge in supporting Chen Jiuzhou to take over China's martial arts world.

That was how Zhao Zhenlu caught Chen Jiuzhou's attention, and he was subsequently promoted from a low-ranking officer to the person in charge of the War God Castle.

As a result, even veteran martial artists like Kong Ming had to bow to him.

As the Hall Master's most trusted advisor and the person in charge of the highly coveted Dragon Gate project, which every martial artist wanted to be a part of, it was no surprise that Zhao Zhenlu was treated with respect by everyone.

“That's right. Please continue, Mr. Zhao.”

“What exactly happened to Chu Tianfan?”

As soon as Zhao Zhenlu arrived, a crowd of martial artists gathered around him.

It was the day for the second round of selection for the Dragon Gate Project.

Hence, many martial artists had gone to Mount Yan.

Zhao Zhenlu crossed his arms and chuckled. “What I mean is that Chu Tianfan has been scared out of his wits by our Hall Master Chen. He disbanded the Dragon God Hall because he was afraid that Hall Master Chen would cause him trouble. He's now hiding, too scared to show his face. People like him only dare to bully others and show off their power before Hall Master Chen shows up. Now that Hall Master Chen is in power, he's acting like a coward, isn't he?” Zhao Zhenlu mocked, displaying his disdain for Ye Fan.

“Um...”

The crowd stared at each other quietly, and nobody dared to interrupt.

Among them were Grandmasters who had previously interacted with Ye Fan.

Despite their different opinions, no one dared to speak up for Ye Fan because of Zhao Zhenlu's status.

Lu Yanxi couldn't hold her tongue any longer and retorted, “Chu Tianfan is the top-ranked martial artist on the Sky Ranking. I agree that he may fear Hall Master Chen, but I don't think it's fair to call him a coward.”

Kong Ming chimed in, “Indeed. During the war with Chu Sect, the Unrivalled Supreme fought bravely and made significant contributions. He's a hero in his own right.”

Having been through life and death with Ye Fan, they believed they knew him better than most.

However, Zhao Zhenlu burst into laughter at their words.

“You two sound like you're idolizing him. Let me tell you, that's a problem. If you continue with that attitude, you won't be selected for the Dragon Gate Project. I'm not saying that Chu Tianfan is weak, but why hasn't he shown up if he's not a coward? Hall Master Chen destroyed his statue and invaded Jiangdong. As the master of Jiangdong, where is he now?” Zhao Zhenlu sneered; his tone laced with anger.

It seemed he was unhappy that Kong Ming and Lu Yanxi spoke up for Ye Fan.

The audience quickly chimed in.

“Mr. Zhao is absolutely right! Even the most virtuous people can make a name for themselves during chaotic times. Chu Tianfan only gained notoriety because there was no one else to rival him

at the time. But now that Hall Master Chen has emerged as a force to be reckoned with, Chu Tianfan is no longer needed.”

“Exactly. Besides, with Moryana keeping watch over Mount Yan alongside Hall Master Chen, Chu Tianfan wouldn't dare to cause any trouble here. It seems he can only hide like a coward from now on. China will now enter the era of Hall Master Chen. Hahaha!”

The crowd laughed and offered their praises to appease Zhao Zhenlu.

However, no one noticed a slim figure walking up from the foot of the mountain and standing behind the crowd.

“What's so funny? Did something good happen? Tell me about it so I can share in the joy,” he said as he stood with his hands behind his back on the peak of Mount Yan.

His faint laughter cut through the air abruptly.

“It's nothing. We were just talking about that coward, Chu Tianfan...” A man turned around and was about to offer an explanation.

However, he trailed off, and his knees went weak when he saw who it was.

“Hey, what's wrong?”

“Why are you squatting on the ground?”

The crowd noticed his strange behavior and began to mock him.

However, their laughter soon died off as they noticed the newcomer.

He was dressed in black, his bangs fluttering in the breeze as he stood with his hands behind his back on Mount Yan, his face maintaining a slight smile.

However, it was precisely this harmless smile that scared the wits out of every martial artist present.

Kong Ming and Lu Yanxi were also dumbfounded.

Kong Ming's eyes widened like saucers, whereas Lu Yanxi paled and shuddered.

It had been two years.

She had not seen this man ever since the fight in the rainforest.

However, there were always rumors about him while he was gone.

Yes.

It was none other than Chu Tianfan.

The legendary man in China's martial arts world.

He came alone and stood at the peak of Mount Yan.

Amid the fearful silence of the crowd, Zhao Zhenlu's brow furrowed as he angrily rebuked the man standing before him with a haughty pose. “Who do you think you are, showing off in front of me in the presence of the Emperor and the War God Castle? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Leave now!”

Zhao Zhenlu had never met Ye Fan before.

Before he rose to fame and fortune, he was just a nobody in the martial arts world. Therefore, it was not surprising that he had never crossed paths with Ye Fan, who was considered far above his station.

Zhao Zhenlu's only impression of Ye Fan was the statue that Chen Jiuzhou had destroyed.

But the real man standing before him was vastly different.