Starting Cultivation During a Trip

Chapter 263: Chapter 154: Model Worker Zhang Fan! Li Yishan’s Stepmother_3

”From now on, we’ll follow Brother Fan.”

Gotta admit, the older brother could see things a lot more clearly than the younger one—even the way he addressed people just rolled off his tongue.

Liu Xingyu froze for a second. Under Liu Xingtui’s glare, he finally muttered awkwardly, ”Brother Fan...”

”Alright, you two head back. I’ll call if there’s anything.” Zhang Fan nodded.

The Liu brothers’ skills spoke for themselves—practicing Daoist True Flame, they were top-notch experts in Yujing City, not to mention out of a reputable sect.

Sure, Zhang Fan already had Shi Shougong and Su Shiyu, his two little Demons, but their identities were sensitive. They were fine for covert stuff, but sometimes, when more manpower was needed, the Liu brothers were actually indispensable.

”Take care, Brother Fan.” Liu Xingtui put on a proper attitude, watching Zhang Fan walk away.

”Bro, what’s going on now? Meng Qingtong’s done for, so we just tag along with him?” Liu Xingyu grumbled as he stared after Zhang Fan’s departing figure.

”It’s our only shot right now.” Liu Xingtui said thoughtfully.

With Meng Qingtong’s trouble, they were dragged into it too. They were part of Match-3 Puzzle, and now it’s like mud on your pants—shit or not, it sure looks like it. Even if they cleared their names and returned to the mountain, their record was tainted. Who knows if they’d get valued at all.

At this moment, Liu Xingtui already saw the bleak future awaiting the brothers.

But Zhang Fan gave him a shred of hope.

This guy’s cultivation needed no further proof—able to kill Meng Qingtong in that state, his Daoist Skill left even the brothers convinced. More importantly, this involved the Three Corpses Primordial Pill. As the last person in contact with Meng Qingtong, Zhang Fan actually walked away scot-free—not quarantined, not interrogated, and Zhenwu Mountain even handed them over to him...

That said quite a lot, didn’t it?

Liu Xingtui guessed that, although he’d never heard of Zhang Fan at Zhenwu Mountain before, his position there definitely wasn’t simple.

No point hesitating anymore—just follow him down this path; hell, maybe it’s their way out, a twist of fate.

”If picking a faction actually matters, he’s the only one left we can rely on.” Liu Xingtui whispered gravely, glancing at Liu Xingyu with meaningful eyes.

”My foolish little brother, just drop whatever else you’re thinking.”

With that, Liu Xingtui gave Liu Xingyu’s shoulder a pat and turned to leave.

...

At this moment, Zhang Fan detoured over to Rongyang Square a couple streets away—he’d arranged to have lunch there with Li Yishan.

”I’m here. Where are you?”

Zhang Fan pulled out his phone and sent Li Yishan a text.

”I’m already here, at the corner.”

Li Yishan replied almost instantly.

Zhang Fan looked up and saw a Maybach parked at the street corner. The door opened and Li Yishan hopped out, spotting Zhang Fan from a distance and waving hello.

”Who dropped you off?” Zhang Fan eyed the car, unable to resist asking.

”Yun Ma!” Li Yishan replied casually.

Zhang Fan knew that when Li Yishan was young, his dad married another woman—a stepmother. After his dad passed, it was the stepmother who raised him.

Li Yishan called her Yun Ma. Zhang Fan figured her name probably included ’Yun.’

”Suddenly I just had a question,” Zhang Fan said, dead serious.

”What question?” Li Yishan asked.

”Why do people say ’stepmother,’ but not ’stepmom’?” Zhang Fan wondered aloud.

Li Yishan blinked, squinting, ”If you call her ’stepmom,’ then what would a stepdad be?”

”Well, that would be...” Zhang Fan stopped short, then burst out laughing, ”Never mind, never mind. Let’s eat, let’s eat...”

Grinning, Zhang Fan slung an arm around Li Yishan’s shoulders as they headed into Rongyang Square.

Meanwhile, that Maybach drifted off from the corner, the rearview mirror inside reflecting an elegant, gorgeously dressed woman with a slim figure.

”Sister Yun, that woman’s back in Yujing City. The young master should know too. Just a few days ago, she met with Meng Qingtong from Match-3 Puzzle.”

At that moment, a well-dressed middle-aged man in the front passenger seat turned to speak.

”Interesting. She actually has the nerve to come back?”

From the back, a lazy but mocking voice sounded—tinged with more than a hint of ridicule.

”Since she’s back, she doesn’t need to leave again.”

The beautiful woman’s slender fingers flicked gently, her tone suddenly going cold as ice.

”Sister Yun, you mean...”

”Li Linglang. She probably wants to die right here in Yujing City.”

The car window rolled down, the wind howled in, lifting her tousled hair, carrying that icy voice farther on the breeze.