Chapter 142: A Master from Outside the Family!

Lin Fan sneered; the man seemed intent on intimidating him. Little did he know that such clumsy tactics made him look like a clown.

Huang Hanxiong sat back down, clearly satisfied with Su Qianlong’s performance. "Your grandson is quite thoughtful. If my own grandson were as clever as him, my Huang family wouldn't have ended up being trampled on by a nobody. I truly owe you for today, Brother Su..."

Su Yan'en shot him a sideways glance, his eyes reflecting disdain and even disgust. Internally, he cursed, "With a grandson like that, my Su family is doomed! Clever, my foot! He uses all his brains to sabotage his own kin. If he’d put even half that effort into the business, the hotel wouldn't be in such a state of mismanagement."

Although both he and Huang Hanxiong were titans of the business world, they were vastly different. Huang Hanxiong had made his fortune serving as a lackey for powerful figures, with greater backers behind the Huang family. Su Yan'en, however, had built his vast empire bit by bit, wielding immense influence in Hangzhou—far superior to a lightweight like Huang Hanxiong.

Unfortunately, the generation of Su Mingxuan and Su Qianlong seemed to lack intelligence; they lacked professional expertise in family management and focused entirely on internal power struggles. The only talent, Su Tanmo, was constantly targeted by the brothers, leaving the Jitu Hotel in a state of decay and daily loss. He had privately urged Su Tanmo to return and save the hotel group, but she had insisted he find a way to remove Su Mingxuan and his brother first. That, however, was impossible; the majority of the Su Group's shares were currently controlled by Su Shisheng and his son, Su Mingxuan. Even if Su Tanmo were named CEO, she would be ousted in no time.

The only way out was to wait for the father and son to commit a blunder, allowing him to manufacture a reason to strip them of their power. Today’s opportunity was perfect. He intended to use Lin Fan to clear the obstacles for Su Tanmo, even if it meant casting out Su Mingxuan and his brother. As long as the family business could function properly, he was willing to sacrifice two grandsons. Compared to Huang Hanxiong, who cared deeply about the lives of his lackeys, Su Yan'en was the truly cunning old fox.

Lin Fan realized this only after seeing Su Yan'en remain unfazed by Su Qianlong’s antics. Not to mention that Su Tanmo, who was even sharper, had long since sensed the situation and was simply playing along with her grandfather.

"Su Qianlong, you had better think carefully. If I move, those three will either be dead or crippled..." Lin Fan stood unmoved. The Su family members had already retreated from the lawn, clearing a space.

"Stop spouting nonsense! The men in our Su family’s security team aren't ordinary martial artists; they are top-tier external experts, capable of killing a pig with a single punch!" Su Qianlong huffed with arrogant pride, fully confident in his security team.

However, the bald man in the distance had a different perspective. "How does this guy look different than before? His aura has improved significantly; it feels as if he has reached a state of profound mystery. The three of them need to be extra cautious..."

Hearing this, the other experts beside him laughed, accusing him of boosting the enemy's morale while dampening their own. "Keep in mind that their combined strength could crush five regiments of fighters. Even if he took some pill to force an increase in strength, he can't beat the three of them! Based on your previous description, his level is likely only at Mingjin. Little Song is at the Huajin level, the highest among us all. He can punch through a thick wall. Even if the boy practices hard qigong, he won't survive a full-force blow from Little Song!"

External martial artists were historically known as ancient martial artists, and their strength was categorized by levels: Mingjin, Anjin, Huajin, and Gangjin. Among the Su family's security guards, the strongest was the smallest of the three currently facing Lin Fan. He was the youngest, yet a martial arts genius who had reached the Huajin level before the age of thirty. Walking on walls, impenetrable skin, and killing without a trace were child's play for him. It was clear that Su Qianlong, fearing Lin Fan might flee, had insisted on three men, never expecting Lin Fan to be so stubborn as to demand a one-on-three fight.

Once the four men took their positions on the grass, Little Song struck first. He lunged at Lin Fan with speed too fast to track. In the blink of an eye, his hand transformed into a blade, slashing directly toward the center of Lin Fan's back.

*Smack!*

Lin Fan had not expected such speed and was struck while completely off guard. Yet, to the shock of Little Song and the others, Lin Fan remained unscathed.

"This... this is impossible. Are you practicing hard qigong?" Little Song stared at his own palm, bewildered. He had used fifty percent of his power, yet he hadn't moved Lin Fan even a fraction. He knew that with fifty percent of his power, he could kill an old ox with a single punch; even a seasoned fighter would be severely injured.

"Ah... yes! I do practice hard qigong. Your strength is too weak; I thought you were trying to give me a massage. Show me something impressive." Lin Fan grinned, taunting Little Song mercilessly under the gaze of the entire Su family.

"I don't believe it!" Little Song frowned and immediately launched a second sneak attack, throwing a punch at Lin Fan’s shoulder. This time, he used his full force, causing even Lin Fan to feel a sudden sense of unease and caution.

In the next second, Lin Fan quickly slid to the side, stepping left and narrowly avoiding the fist. Little Song looked surprised, then reached out with his left hand, employing the most common "Dragon Claw" technique. But eerily, Lin Fan seemed to anticipate the move, slashing his hand like a blade toward Little Song’s wrist. Seeing this, Little Song had no choice but to retract his hand to avoid the blow.

He couldn't help but admire Lin Fan, who had found a way to counter the move so quickly. However, Little Song’s experience was clearly superior; after three consecutive probes, he had only managed to force Lin Fan back.

"What kind of hard qigong are you practicing? I've never seen anything so formidable. You've been hit three times and remain unharmed? Could it be that you are also at the Huajin level?" Little Song was truly struggling to comprehend it. He saw no signs of hard qigong training on Lin Fan, and even if he were at the Huajin level like himself, in an evenly matched fight, he should have been able to break Lin Fan’s defense with a single strike. Furthermore, most who practiced hard qigong went bald or showed obvious physical traits, none of which Lin Fan possessed. He felt Lin Fan was at the weakest Mingjin level, yet he could withstand a full-force attack—a situation that could no longer be described as merely "eerie."