But Han Liang’s murderous air froze. He turned woodenly towards his distorted grandson Han Tongfei and asked, “What did you call him just now?”

Han Tongfei thought that the expression on his Grandfather’s face was a little strange, but answered just the same, “Huang Xiaolong ah, Grandfather, what’s wrong?”

“Huang-Huang Xiaolong!” Han Liang dazed momentarily, stuttering the name. All of a sudden, the overwhelming pressure that he was exuding receded like the tide.

Han Liang had recently returned from his Enforcement Hall duties outside, due to which he had missed spectating the last batch’s disciples’ rankings competition with other Elders and Grand Elders. But he had learned about Huang Xiaolong from other Elders and Grand Elders’ messages. In the last batch of disciples’ rankings competition, not only Huang Xiaolong had snatched the first place, but he was also the overall champion!

The number of Fortune Divine Fruits Huang Xiaolong had obtained were twice as much as Sun Shihai had!

Not to mention, Huang Xiaolong’s performance during the rankings competition had alerted their Fortune Emperor as well as the several Ancestors!

Furthermore, Ancestor Chen Yirong had said that he was willing to bend the rules just once and accept Huang Xiaolong as his disciple-in-name!

All these add ups had ingrained Huang Xiaolong’s name in Han Liang’s memory, even though Huang Xiaolong was only a new outer sect disciple.

Han Liang looked at Huang Xiaolong with a complicated expression and asked, “Are you Huang Xiaolong? The same Huang Xiaolong from the last batch of rankings competition’s disciples?”

Huang Xiaolong saw the changes in Han Liang’s face and guessed what must be transpiring in his head. He nodded and confirmed, “That’s right, I participated in the last batch of disciples’s rankings competition.”

A cold shiver ran down Han Liang’s spine, and his hands trembled for a second.

“Grandfather, what’s wrong?” Han Tongfei asked, confused by Han Liang’s suddenly strange behavior. He pointed at Huang Xiaolong again “Shall we capture Huang Xiaolong and take him back to the Enforcement Hall?”

Does this Huang Xiaolong have a great backing somehow? If that was the case, they could only capture him and take him back to the Enforcement Hall.

But Han Tongfei barely finished his suggestion, when Han Liang suddenly gave him a backhanded slap, and the force sent Han Tongfei whirling across the air.

Han Tongfei howled miserably as he crashed to the ground, raising a curtain of dust.

Other than Huang Xiaolong, everyone was dumbfounded by Han Liang’s reaction, especially Zhu Feng and the Enforcement Hall’s disciples were flabbergasted by this.

After slapping Han Tongfei, Han Liang turned to Huang Xiaolong and cupped his fists. He said smilingly, “So, you’re Junior Brother Huang. This is really true to the proverb—flood inundates the dragon king temple [1], this is just a misunderstanding between family. A misunderstanding ah, I am the Enforcement Hall’s Grand Elder Han Liang, and I hope Junior Brother Huang can forgive Tongfei’s folly if he has somehow offended you.”

Hang Liang tried to correct his previous action quickly, thinking that Huang Xiaolong would soon become Ancestor Chen Yirong’s disciple-in-name, while he had almost killed Huang Xiaolong driven by his anger!

There would be terrifying consequences for his actions! Han Liang shuddered as the thought crossed his mind. Whilst being fearful of the consequences, Han Liang was thankful that he had not abolished Huang Xiaolong, or else...!

Zhu Feng and all of the Enforcement Hall’s disciples’ eyes fell to the ground in shock watching Han Liang courteously cup his fists at Huang Xiaolong, while calling him Junior Brother Huang.

Han Tongfei, who was flung into the distance by Han Liang’s slap, climbed up from the ground awkwardly, and his mind started buzzing when he heard Han Liang’s words.

Yet Huang Xiaolong remained indifferent as he looked at Han Liang and said, “I wouldn’t say forgive. Grand Elder Han’s surname is Han, we are not one family.”

Han Liang’s face was a little sullen but he still squeezed a smile. “Junior Brother Huang is acting like a stranger saying such words; as disciples of Fortune Emperor Palace, everyone is family.” He then glared fiercely at Han Tongfei and reprimanded, “Why aren’t you hurrying over here and asking for your Grand-Martial Uncle Huang’s forgiveness!”

Grand, Grand-Martial Uncle Huang...!

Han Liang’s words sounded like several thunderclaps to Han Tongfei and Zhu Feng’s ears.

“Ask for forgiveness? No need.” Huang Xiaolong declined. “Grand Elder Han, if there is nothing else, can I go inside my residence?”

Han Liang blanked for a second, and squeezed out another smile. “Naturally. Junior Brother Huang, as you please.”

With Han Liang and the others watching, Huang Xiaolong led the little cow, Xiang Xun, and his groups back inside the Edge of the World Manor.

After Huang Xiaolong’s group disappeared inside the manor, Han Tongfei asked Han Liang very cautiously, “... Grandfather, this, this Huang Xiaolong? He’s?”

He was simply too curious about why Grandfather had made a one hundred and eighty degrees turn after learning Huang Xiaolong’s name.

Could it be that Huang Xiaolong had some connection to one of the Hall Masters?

Then again, even if Huang Xiaolong had some connection to one of the Hall Masters, his Grandfather Han Liang didn’t need to act so humble?

Not to mention, how could a newly arrived outer sect disciple have any direct connection to a Hall Master?

Wait—! Grand-Martial Uncle Huang?

That means...

Han Liang glared sullenly at Han Tongfei but did not mention Huang Xiaolong’s rank in the rankings competition. Instead, he questioned Han Tongfei about why he had a conflict with Huang Xiaolong.

When Han Liang heard Han Tongfei repeat what Zhu Feng had said, Han Liang looked piercingly at Zhu Feng.

Zhu Feng felt his limbs grow cold under Han Liang’s piercing glare. His mouth moved as he tried to say something, but he couldn’t think of anything to say.

“Bring Zhu Feng back to the Enforcement Hall!” Han Liang ordered the surrounding Enforcement Hall’s disciples.

“Yes, Grand Elder Han!” The surrounding disciples complied in sonorous voices.

Zhu Feng blacked out at Han Liang’s order. Although he had been a frequent visitor to the Enforcement Hall, and had always wanted to be a member of the Enforcement Hall, there was a huge difference in ‘visiting’ and ‘being brought in.’

“Grandfather.” Han Tongfei tried to plead on Zhu Feng’s behalf, but he was cut off by Han Liang, “Let’s go back first.”

With Han Liang leading them, Han Tongfei and all the Enforcement Hall’s disciples departed from the Crimson Crescent City and flew back to the Fortune Enforcement Hall.

After the group was out of the city, Han Liang spoke, “You are curious about why I was so polite to Huang Xiaolong, aren’t you?”

Han Tongfei nodded his head, while other Enforcement Hall’s disciples quietly perked up their ears to listen.

“Huang Xiaolong won the first place in the last batch of rankings competition!” Han Liang began slowly.

“What, first place!” Han Tongfei and the other Enforcement Hall’s disciples were astonished.

No, wait!

Han Tongfei blurted out, “Grandfather, I’ve heard that in the last batch of disciples’ rankings competition, there was a God King Realm supreme godhead genius called Peng Xiao. Apart from Peng Xiao, there were two other God King Realm disciples as well, is that so?!”

Han Liang looked at the sky and sighed. “Even though Huang Xiaolong’s cultivation realm is just at the peak early Tenth Order Ancestor God Realm, neither Peng Xiao nor the other two God King Realm disciples were a match against him!”

There was a dumbfounded expression on Han Tongfei and the other disciples’ faces.

“I think you can imagine his battle strength.” Han Liang’s eyes fell on the injury on Han Tongfei’s chest where Huang Xiaolong’s punch had landed.

Han Liang added, “Huang Xiaolong not only took the first place in the last batch of the disciples’ competition, but he also became the overall champion!”

Han Tongfei cried out, “Grandfather, yo-you’re saying... that... Huang Xiaolong has accumulated more Fortune Divine Fruits than the supreme godhead genius Sun Shihai?!”

“Not only surpassed, but Huang Xiaolong has accumulated more than three thousand five hundred Fortune Divine Fruits!” Han Liang said with a complicated expression.

Over three thousand five hundred!

Han Tongfei and the other disciples found this information unbelievable.

That was three times more than Sun Shihai’s result!

“Huang Xiaolong’s performance has even alerted the Chief of Hall Masters, our Fortune Emperor, and Ancestor Chen Yirong, Ancestor Li Shan, and Ancestor Zhou Chen!” Han Liang’s voice was trembling slightly as he continued, "In the examination hall, Ancestor Chen Yirong publicly said that he’s willing to break the rules and accept Huang Xiaolong as his disciple-in-name!”

[1] The Dragon King, also known as the Dragon God, is a Chinese water and weather god. He is regarded as the dispenser of rain. So, when a flood inundates/washed over the dragon king temple, it refers to conflict between people on the same side.