Guards surged forth from every corner of the Manor, and on the steps inside, a humpbacked elder slowly made his descent, glaring at Ning Fan with a cold snort.
"What mongrel dares to run wild here, not even bothering to look at what place this is!"
The humpbacked elder walked down, his steps steady, unlike those of an ordinary old man, exuding a presence even more terrifying than some of the most ferocious evildoers.
Ning Fan gave the elder a steady look, sizing him up slightly, and spoke indifferently, "What a barking old dog, call out your master for me, or I will beat you along with this old dog!"
Immediately, the elder flew into a rage, his few remaining eyebrows shooting up. He took a step and paused; within a moment, he rushed forward, unleashing his full speed.
The elder's speed was very fast, unbelievably so for an old man in his twilight years.
A thick murderous intent flashed in the elder's small eyes as his fists generated wind, pummeling towards Ning Fan.
Ning Fan reacted extremely quickly; instead of dodging, he threw his fist head-on to meet the attack.
With a thud, both men threw their punches simultaneously, producing a muffled boom.
"Good lad!" The elder was shaken by the immense force, stepping back, his gaze fixed on Ning Fan, now devoid of his previous scorn.
On the other side, Ning Fan's expression remained unchanged, stabilizing his stance after retreating three steps.
The exchange was just a probe; from it, Ning Fan confirmed that the humpbacked elder was a martial arts master not to be underestimated.
"Hmph, Xi is personally taking action; this young man is out of luck!"
A legion of bodyguards streamed out from all directions, their gazes converging on the humpbacked elder.
"To think that Xi himself would take action, once in his hands, this lad will probably wish he were dead!"
The humpbacked elder was the top martial artist by Situ Yuanhua's side, following him for decades with significant prestige.
Seeing him engage personally, everyone held back, watching Ning Fan with a mix of sympathy and mockery.
"Dog servant, to have such ability at such a young age, I underestimated you," the humpbacked elder squinted at Ning Fan, sneering coldly.
Though he hadn't put his full strength into that punch, anyone else would have certainly bled from all seven orifices and died by now.
But Ning Fan stood there as if nothing had happened after firmly catching that punch, and that concerned the humpbacked elder.
The elder looked at Ning Fan with interest; although he often followed Situ Yuanhua in overseas business, he had heard of some young talents in Huaxia.
Yet, he had no recollection of Ning Fan. Among the younger generation, when had such a person emerged?
"State your name; don't die as a nobody," the elder insisted.
With such skill at a young age, Ning Fan was indeed a rare being, but the humpbacked elder felt no pity for the talented, instead, he took pride in the thought of crushing a prodigy, reveling in the old saying, "an old ginger is hotter than the new."
At the same time, the humpbacked elder was curious about Ning Fan's identity and lineage.
Ning Fan looked at him defiantly, his eyes playful, replying indifferently, "You don't have the right to know my name yet."
"Dog servant, so young and yet so insolent. Let's see how I deal with that smart mouth of yours!"
Far from angering Ning Fan, the humpbacked elder's words only provoked hearty laughter from him.
The elder's expression turned feral, appearing enraged and humiliated. He leaped into the air, hands clawed like a hunting eagle, one talon sweeping through the air carrying a sinister wind towards Ning Fan's neck.
Ning Fan took a slight step back, easily dodging the hunchbacked elder's attack, while also creating some distance between them.
He grinned, his voice tinged with a hint of mockery, "What a good old dog, not only can bark but can also fight. I just wonder, if I call you an 'old dog,' would you dare to respond?"
The hunchbacked elder looked at Ning Fan in shock and anger, his wrinkled face turning the color of liver as his eyes brimmed with intense murderous intent.
"Could it be I'm wrong? Aren't you just one of the Situ Family's old dogs, who'd bite anyone if your master gave you a bone?"
Ning Fan, stroking his chin, wore a smile that appeared exceedingly loathsome in Xi Lao's eyes.
"You dog servant, you're courting death!"
Xi Lao, trembling with rage, felt a deep urge to tear Ning Fan to shreds.
Unfazed by Xi Lao's murderous gaze, Ning Fan chuckled, "I just love to see you, this old dog, frantic and helpless against me!"
Xi Lao's originally liver-colored face now suddenly turned green. The juxtaposition of red and green made him look quite ridiculous.
"Red and green, I'm afraid this old dog might have some contagious disease. Let's get something straight—I'm a fine young man who respects the old and loves the young, and I only fight one kind of dog, especially those arrogant ones that drool over a bone with a simple 'woof woof!'"
"You little brat, who are you talking about?!"
Xi Lao raised his hand, pointing shakily at Ning Fan.
Seeing this, Ning Fan's expression changed as he snorted coldly, "Hmph, I'm talking about you, this old dog. Running around barking at your age, aren't you afraid of injuring your bones?!"
The bodyguards nearby, and the maids who had come to watch the scene from a distance, were privately shocked as they observed Ning Fan relentlessly mocking the hunchbacked elder.
"This young man is truly bold; he doesn't even regard Xi Lao!"
"Xi Lao is known as the number one master beside Master Situ, and yet..."
"This young man is in trouble!"
The hunchbacked elder's name was Xi Qianren, and everyone called him Xi Lao.
Everyone knew how long Xi Lao had been with the Situ Family, and he held great authority there. As an elder in the Situ Family and Situ Yuanhua's right-hand man, people both respected and feared him.
Now they saw a young man not only holding his own against Xi Lao but also repeatedly provoking him to anger. It was unbelievable!
Xi Lao's methods might be unknown to outsiders, but they knew him well; the seemingly feeble old man possessed formidable martial arts skills and was extremely ruthless.
And now, Ning Fan was openly insulting Xi Lao. Everyone thought that Ning Fan truly had a death wish.
"You dog servant, I've decided not to kill you now!" Xi Lao's face was incredibly dark, his eyes glinting with a sinister light.
"It just so happens my side is lacking a dog, and right now, I see a suitable one!"
Xi Lao's face darkened, his tone filled with deep hatred.
Ning Fan responded with a laugh rather than anger, his gaze at Xi Lao full of amusement, "A dog is a dog; do you even aspire to be human?"
Xi Lao could hardly contain his fury. In the war of words with Ning Fan, he was repeatedly losing ground. Not only was Ning Fan unharmed, but he also seemed increasingly jubilant. This caused Xi Lao's old face to turn shades of green and purple, which was very unsightly.
If Ning Fan kept talking, Xi Lao feared he might actually die from rage incited by this man.