Chapter Eighteen: First Encounter with the Dragon Squad (Part Two)

Hearing Liu Fan’s call, Long Yanyu finally regained her senses. She immediately noticed Liu Fan’s hand resting on her soft chest, and her expression changed drastically. She raised her hand, intending to slap him, but halfway through, Liu Fan caught her wrist.

“Hey, beautiful, what’s wrong with you? I kindly healed your wounds, and not only do you not thank me, but you try to hit me? That’s just unreasonable,” Liu Fan said angrily, seeing Long Yanyu try to slap him without a word. What he failed to realize was that his hand was still pressing on her chest.

Yet, upon hearing Liu Fan’s words, Long Yanyu was momentarily stunned. Then she felt a cool, soothing current coursing through her wounded chest. Glancing into Liu Fan’s clear, unblemished eyes, she began to believe him. Realizing the ambiguous position they were in, a flush crept over her cheeks. The sensation of that cooling energy at her chest was as if someone were gently caressing her proud peaks, leaving her whole body limp and tingling, her expression becoming impossibly alluring. She bit her lip, soft moans escaping her throat.

As Long Yanyu was swept up in this unprecedented sensation, Liu Fan’s voice snapped her back. “Alright, your wounds are healed now. There won’t be any scars. As for those three on the ground… Do you want me to save them?”

“Ah…” The moment Liu Fan’s hand left her chest, Long Yanyu felt a complex mix of emotions—loss, relief, shyness. Unconsciously, Liu Fan had left a seed in her heart. Hearing she was healed, she quickly checked her wound. Just as Liu Fan had said, her skin was smooth as new. She finally relaxed—who doesn’t care about their looks, especially a delicate beauty like her?

“What? You said my three comrades can still be saved?” After checking her wound, Long Yanyu suddenly recalled what Liu Fan had said. Joy lit her face as she grabbed his hand, paying no mind to propriety.

“Hey, beautiful, don’t get so worked up. You’re part of a national secret unit? I really doubt you didn’t get in through connections,” Liu Fan grumbled, frowning a bit at her lack of composure.

“Just tell me—can you save my comrades or not? I beg you, please save them.” From Liu Fan’s actions, Long Yanyu could tell this man could indeed save them. If she wanted his help, she’d have to use a softer approach. With her mind made up, she began behaving coquettishly, her ample chest brushing repeatedly against his arm. If the playboys of the capital saw this—the famed, fiery Miss Long acting so demure and intimate with a man, while he acted indifferent—it would surely shatter their worldview.

Yet when Liu Fan remained unmoved, she switched tactics, her beautiful eyes filling with tears, her lovely face full of sorrow—a sight enough to melt anyone’s heart. This was Liu Fan’s weakness; he could never stand to see a woman cry, and had lost to this trick before.

Now, however, Liu Fan found himself both amused and exasperated. He had already planned to save the men, but Long Yanyu’s little performance was obvious, though he said nothing and let himself enjoy the moment. He then put on a stern face and said, “Look, beautiful, if you keep holding my hand like this, how am I supposed to save them?”

“Oh…” Long Yanyu finally realized how intimate her actions were. Her face flushed crimson as she quickly let go, saying shyly, “Well… then, please hurry and save them.”

Liu Fan didn’t waste any more words. He walked over to the three men and checked each of them. Since they all had extraordinary abilities, there was no need to hide anything. He activated his celestial sight to examine them. Two had already lost all signs of life; only one still clung to a thread. Liu Fan turned to Long Yanyu and said, “Out of the three, only one still breathes and can be saved. The other two are gone. However…”

When Long Yanyu heard that two were dead and only one barely survived, she felt as if plunged into icy water, trembling uncontrollably, tears streaming down her beautiful face, her whole world spinning. Hearing Liu Fan’s pause, she realized that if there was any hope, it lay with this man. With tears in her eyes, she pleaded, “You must have a way, don’t you? They died for me—I beg you, please save them. I’ll give you anything you want.”

“Sigh, fine, I won’t tease you anymore. I can save them, but I have one condition.” Seeing her weep so pitifully, Liu Fan was annoyed; he’d only meant to tease her, not expecting her to cry even harder.

“Name it. As long as you can save them, I’ll do anything you ask.” Hearing there was hope, Long Yanyu was prepared to sacrifice anything, clearly mistaking Liu Fan for a lecher. It was understandable—under such circumstances, any man’s request would be predictable. But Liu Fan was no ordinary man, and her misunderstanding left him helpless.

“My condition is this: When I save them, no matter what happens, you’re not to tell anyone. Do you understand?” Liu Fan’s expression grew solemn as he spoke.

“Yes! I’ll never tell. I swear.” Seeing Liu Fan so serious, Long Yanyu realized he wasn’t joking and nodded earnestly.

“Good. Let’s begin.” With that, Liu Fan moved to Wang Guozheng’s side, helped him into a cross-legged position, and placed his palm atop his head, channeling a thread of celestial energy through his meridians. After one cycle, he withdrew his palm and let Wang recover on his own. Normally, Liu Fan’s cultivation meant he could have done this with a simple spell, but that would have been too shocking—some drama was necessary to avoid future trouble.

Needing to complete the act, he solemnly told Long Yanyu, “The spell I’m about to use—you must never mention it to anyone. Otherwise, you know my abilities; if I do something… unfortunate, don’t blame me.”

Long Yanyu didn’t dare object, especially as she watched Wang Guozheng’s complexion quickly return to a healthy glow—she was utterly stunned and nodded repeatedly.

Having finished his performance, Liu Fan stopped talking. Forming a hand seal, he began chanting, “Return, wandering souls, Soul Summoning Art—hasten!” If he’d had a peachwood sword and a Taoist robe, he would truly resemble a wandering priest.

As he finished, a strange scene unfolded—the souls of Qin Feng and Du Haitao floated in the air like drifting paper, their forms faint and uncertain, slowly drawing together, their gazes vacant and confused.

“Three souls return, seven spirits gather, soul return to the body—” Two green beams shot from Liu Fan’s fingertip into the foreheads of the wandering souls, which then drifted back into their bodies. Liu Fan helped them sit cross-legged and repeated the process for each.

When all was done, Liu Fan told Long Yanyu, “They’re all alive now. Let them recover on their own, and be sure no one disturbs them. By dawn, they’ll wake naturally…”

Halfway through, Liu Fan noticed Long Yanyu’s dazed expression, her wide eyes full of shock. He quickly nudged her and said impatiently, “Hey, beautiful, did you hear what I said?”

“Ah… What, just now, that… was…” Long Yanyu snapped back to herself, but the sight of the wandering souls had rattled her so much her words came out inarticulate, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

“As long as you know what it was, don’t hold it in. Remember what I said—don’t let anyone disturb them. There might be unexpected gains from this, who knows.” Seeing her discomfort, Liu Fan offered a gentle reminder.

“Gulp! It… it really was a ghost… a soul?” Long Yanyu’s voice trembled as she asked Liu Fan. There isn’t anyone in the world who wouldn’t fear seeing a ghost—let alone a woman.

“What do you think? Heh… heh… heh…” Seeing how adorable Long Yanyu looked, Liu Fan couldn’t resist teasing her with a sinister tone.

“Gulp!” Hearing Liu Fan’s confirmation, Long Yanyu swallowed hard, cold sweat beading on her brow as she trembled. Clearly shaken, she let out a startled scream, and like a frightened rabbit, leapt into Liu Fan’s arms, trembling as her soft, ample chest pressed against him, making it hard for him to compose himself.

Liu Fan was stunned—his arms full of a voluptuous beauty. Though still a novice in romantic matters, he knew enough to feel awkward, thinking, “This is insane. For twenty years I never once had such luck, and now, twice in a single day. Being handsome really is a crime.”

Yet, thoughts rarely match reality. Though he could now chat confidently with beautiful women—proof his outlook had changed with newfound power—he still lacked experience. Chasing women wasn’t just about strength; wisdom was required too.

Caught in this awkwardness, Liu Fan stammered, “Um… well… beautiful, it’s getting late and I need to rest. After all the fighting, I’m exhausted, so maybe you could…”

“Ah!” Realizing she was still clinging to Liu Fan, Long Yanyu blushed furiously, quickly pulling away and lowering her head. She said softly, “My name is Long Yanyu, a member of the China Dragon Squad. Thank you so much for tonight. Without you, we wouldn’t have completed the mission, and might have lost our lives. If you ever need anything, I’ll do my best to help.”

“Heh, no need for thanks. I just happened to pass by. Besides, when foreign devils cause trouble in our land, any child of China would step up,” Liu Fan replied after hearing her introduction, confirming his suspicions. But he knew if the country’s leaders learned of his existence, they’d never let him be—either recruiting him or destroying him. But Liu Fan was not so easily handled; he cherished his freedom, unwilling to be bound or become anyone’s tool.

“I know what you’re thinking, but I won’t join any organization. I value my freedom and refuse to be boxed in by rules.” Clearly, Liu Fan had guessed her thoughts and cut her off.

“I suppose it’s time for me to go. There’s nothing more for me here. Until we meet again.” With those words, he didn’t wait for Long Yanyu to reply—he simply turned and vanished in an instant.

Long Yanyu was left standing there, a look of loss on her face, her lips murmuring, “Is it really farewell forever?” Eventually, she slumped to the ground, slowly took out her phone, and reported the night’s events to her superiors—though she kept Liu Fan’s abilities a secret.