Chapter 002: Retreating Without Battle

The atmosphere in the hall remained intensely lively. It was unclear what tactics Princess Nina had used, but no one dared to discuss what had just happened.
After changing into his formal clothes and coming down from the second floor, Du Fan noticed that although others stared at him with somewhat ambiguous and strange looks, no one dared to approach and ask questions.
He sat with Old Mark in a corner for a while before seeing Mia enter from the main entrance. Emily, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen.
Du Fan glanced at Mia thoughtfully before losing interest. He picked up the fruit wine on the table, shook it, then took a grape and stuffed it into his sleeve.
After hearing a soft meow, Du Fan narrowed his eyes, his gaze wandering around the hall.
Finally, everything grew quiet. Everyone present understood the purpose of this banquet, so the noble young masters and ladies, who usually ended up completely drunk after each banquet, remained unusually sober this time.
The crystal lamps outside the hall gradually dimmed, until only the one in the center remained lit.
Princess Nina slowly walked from one side of the hall to the center, followed by a fully armed knight carrying a small box.
At the sight of the box, everyone present couldn’t help but swallow nervously, their eyes fixed on it as if eager to snatch it at any moment.
Du Fan watched from afar with a frown. After a while, he murmured, “Grandpa Mark, is that the Milak Elixir inside?”
Old Mark glanced at it and said, “I’m not entirely sure. After all, such a legendary item isn’t something an old servant like me can see easily. But with at least five experts stationed around the hall, plus the imperial guards outside, it’s likely that’s indeed the Milak Elixir.”
“Is that so?” Du Fan touched his nose and chuckled lightly. “If—just if, Grandpa Mark—you were to go up there and steal it now, what are your chances?”
Old Mark sighed bitterly. “To be honest, not even 10%. Though I still have some skills, I wouldn’t dare be reckless here. If Third Young Master had planned this from the start, I think it’s better to give up.”

“Hehe, would I be that kind of person?” Du Fan smiled faintly. “Grandpa Mark, how about we make a bet? The cost of obtaining this Milak potion is definitely beyond what ordinary nobles can afford. Do you… believe it?”
Old Mark thought for a moment before shaking his head. “Third Young Master, it’s better not to make this bet. No matter how you look at it, I’m certain to lose.”
Du Fan smiled faintly and said nothing more, but his gaze remained fixed on the Milak potion—after all, it was something that could change his life.
Princess Nina stood in the center of the hall, looking around. It seemed she was still waiting for someone, and none of the nobles nearby dared to urge her.
All this made the silence in the room somewhat eerie.
Finally, a flurry of footsteps came from the entrance. Judging by the sound, it seemed to be a group of people wearing armor.
Everyone wore a strange expression—no one had ever heard of anyone attending a royal banquet in armor.
But when a tall figure appeared at the door, everyone’s expression changed to one of understanding. Moreover, a mix of jealousy in the men and admiration in the women created an indescribable atmosphere around the newcomer.
This man in armor was nearly 1.8 meters tall, tall and strong, wearing a beautifully decorated silver armor set that resembled the kind used by the Holy Church. On the chest of his armor was a raised lion’s head emblem. His face was extremely handsome, even more so than that of ordinary women, with his lips slightly raised in a pleasing curve. But what caught everyone’s attention the most was his hair—though mostly black, it was mixed with strands of silver that seemed to emit a faint glow. For some reason, this mix of black and silver didn’t make him look old; instead, it made him appear even more handsome and striking.
Old Mark frowned as he looked at the newcomer, murmuring, “So it’s him…”
Du Fan stared at the man for a few moments, his gaze lingering on his somewhat familiar face before asking, “Grandpa Mark, who is this person?”

“Don’t you know him?” Old Mark looked a bit strange. “Almost everyone in the capital knows him. This man is the genius Aldas, the heir of the Belinger family, and also the elder brother of Miss Emily.” At this point, Old Mark glanced at Du Fan with concern, thinking that if Aldas had come to settle accounts with the third young master, things would get troublesome… Unexpectedly, upon hearing Old Mark’s words, Du Fan showed a faint smile. He said softly, “Aldas? It seems… the Belinger family is truly determined to get their hands on the Milak potion this time. Other families don’t understand the royal family’s intentions and haven’t sent any official family members, but the Belinger family…” Hearing Du Fan’s words, Old Mark’s expression changed slightly. “Young master… does that mean we…” Du Fan waved his hand, gesturing for calmness. “Let’s watch quietly together. This situation is getting increasingly interesting. It’s too early to say anything yet; no one knows who will win. But precisely because of that, it becomes even more intriguing.” Old Mark saw a strange look on his young master’s face and his heart skipped a few beats, but he said nothing more. He simply nodded and disappeared back into the darkness. Aldas stood at the entrance, making a few gestures behind him. Soon, a row of orderly voices came through—as if dozens of people stepped back from around him. His tall figure hesitated at the entrance for a moment before heading straight toward Du Fan’s direction. Princess Nina in the crowd frowned but said nothing, and the atmosphere of the banquet became extremely strange. Aldas stepped forward toward Du Fan, seemingly wanting to say something, but he remained silent. Du Fan swirled the wine glass in his hand, glanced up at him briefly, and felt slightly surprised. After all, Du Fan wasn’t as ignorant as Old Mark thought, especially when it came to such a genius-level figure. He had paid attention to him before. Ever since he was young, after hearing about the emergence of such an extraordinary person, Du Fan had wondered more than once whether it was he who had traveled through time or that person.

For the first time seeing this legendary figure up close, Du Fan couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Leaving aside everything else, just his presence alone was beyond comparison to that of some petty charlatan. If only he had such a physique—even if he couldn’t control weather at will, he could at least rule the world like a playboy. What a shame! Just like good vegetables being trampled by pigs, such a fine appearance would also end up being wasted.

As Du Fan sighed, Aldas was also scrutinizing him from head to toe. Of course, he didn’t have telepathy; otherwise, if he had known what that bastard charlatan was thinking, he might have couldn’t resist slapping him into a meat paste. In his eyes, Du Fan was nothing special—ordinary looks, ordinary build. Fortunately, he had an extraordinary background; otherwise, someone like him wouldn’t even deserve a second glance in a crowd. But why exactly was it this guy who had caused his fierce sister such a huge loss?

Aldas knew his sister well. Though she had a fierce temper, she would never do such a thing. So, the only possibility was that Du Fan was behind it. He had never met Du Fan before, and due to his years in the military, he wasn’t aware of Du Fan’s reputation among the common people. After all, as a genius famous throughout the capital, why would he bother investigating a charlatan, especially in a capital filled with more priests than pigs?

So, he had long assumed it was all Du Fan’s fault. Once he dealt with him, he could surely avenge his sister. But now that he saw Du Fan in person, he began to doubt. Aldas immediately noticed that there was not the slightest trace of magical energy or combat qi in Du Fan. In every way, he was just an ordinary person. Such a person, even if there were ten or a hundred of them, would be no different from targets in front of his fierce sister.

And most importantly, the calm, holy expression on Du Fan’s face gave Aldas an utterly absurd feeling—as if he wasn’t facing an ordinary youth but a priest who had been cultivating for who knew how long. Holiness that shook the heart!

Aldas sighed deeply in his heart, beginning to doubt—could it really be that his sister had lost control and attacked him?

At this thought, a wry smile appeared on Ordas’s face. He let out a soft sigh and ultimately couldn’t say anything, retreating in defeat. Ordas, the greatest genius of the imperial capital, withdrew without a fight in the face of the holiness of the white-robed priest Du Fan.