Wang Yue slowly opened her eyes, her vision blurry at first as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings. The events of yesterday flooded her mind, dampening her mood. As her gaze swept across the room, she noticed the bed where she had been lying. Realizing this was Chen Fan's room, her face flushed slightly in embarrassment.
"Awake already?" Chen Fan's voice broke the silence. He turned to look at her with a smile. Slowly, he got up, tidied the small bed, and casually placed it into his phone.
"Ye-yes. Sorry for taking your place," Wang Yue stammered.
"Then I'll take your place tonight," Chen Fan chuckled, a teasing glint in his eyes.
"W-wait, does that mean we'll be sleeping together from now on?" Wang Yue asked, her voice barely above a whisper, her cheeks turning even redder.
"Remember, we're lovers now," Chen Fan replied with a mischievous grin.
"Th-that…" Wang Yue was at a loss for words.
"Hahaha, don't worry, it won't be necessary anymore," Chen Fan added, casually relaying the information he had gathered to Wang Yue. For some reason, a feeling of disappointment crept into her heart, but she quickly shook it off. What am I thinking right now?
A sudden series of knocks echoed from the door.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Sir Chen, it's me," came the voice of Celestia. Chen Fan raised an eyebrow in surprise. Given her animosity toward him, it was strange for her to approach him first thing in the morning.
"Enter," Chen Fan called out nonchalantly.
"Wait!" Wang Yue panicked, rushing toward the door in an attempt to stop her. But before she could reach it, Celestia had already opened the door. The sight that greeted her made her pupils tremble—Chen Fan and Wang Yue sharing the same room. The implication was clear.
"No, it's not what you're thinking!" Wang Yue exclaimed anxiously, rushing to explain. But Celestia didn't seem to hear her. The thought that Wang Yue might have been deceived to the point of having her body violated caused a burning rage to rise in Celestia. In this kingdom, a woman's chastity was of the utmost importance.
The air around Celestia started to heat up, her mana unconsciously leaking out as she glared at Chen Fan, fury blazing in her eyes.
"You bastard!" Celestia shouted.
Wang Yue, feeling the sudden rise in temperature, panicked. Lacking any magical power to defend herself, she tried to step back, but stumbled and fell to the floor. Sweat poured from her face as the heat intensified. Celestia seemed to notice and immediately quelled her mana, walking closer to Wang Yue to apologize.
"Princess, what's going on?" Kazuki's voice broke through the tension. He had just finished his morning routine, running around the castle, sweat still dripping from his body. Behind him were Sakura and Aoki, who looked at the scene in the room with concern. They could see Wang Yue drenched in sweat, Celestia was holding her, still glaring at Chen Fan.
Sakura and Aoki exchanged knowing looks, their expressions turning cold as they glared at Chen Fan. Kazuki's face was filled with hostility as he faced him.
"What did you do?" Kazuki demanded.
Chen Fan watched the scene unfold, his mouth twitching slightly. Hahahaha, Ao Xue laughed loudly in Chen Fan's mind, entertained by the sight. Having witnessed Chen Fan's playful and teasing interactions with many women, seeing him now despised by so many brought a refreshing sense of satisfaction to Ao Xue. It had been a long time since he felt this kind of amusement.
Ao Xue's laughter annoyed Chen Fan, but seeing the hostility from Kazuki made him smirk. He wanted to test this so-called "Apostle of God." Was it naivety? Hypocrisy? Or determination that drove his decisions? He would find out soon enough.
"What do you think? Don't you have eyes and a brain, or do I need to explain it word by word?" Chen Fan's voice was dripping with sarcasm. As he sent a telepathic message to Wang Yue, signaling her to stay calm, he wanted to see how this would play out.
"You bastard!" Sakura immediately rushed toward him, but Kazuki blocked her path, spreading his arms to prevent her from moving closer. Aoki also began to advance, his cold gaze locked on Chen Fan.
"Let's fight," Kazuki said coldly, his voice steady but full of resolve.
"Oh? Are you acting all high and mighty because of your 'hero' title? Looks like your ego's inflated, huh?" Chen Fan's smirk deepened.
"Are you scared?" Kazuki's words were deliberately provocative, testing Chen Fan's limits.
Chen Fan saw through his attempt at provocation and decided to play along. "Hahaha, scared of a wimp like you? Don't joke with me. Fine, show me the way, and I'll show you your place."
Kazuki didn't seem to care about the mocking words, simply walking outside and gesturing for Chen Fan to follow.
"Are you alright, Miss Yue? I'm sorry, I lost control earlier," Celestia said, turning her attention to Wang Yue as she watched the others leave.
"I'm fine. You misunderstood, Princess. Chen Fan is not that kind of man," Wang Yue explained, trying to reassure her.
"No, you're deceived, Miss Yue. I've seen that kind of man many times before," Celestia insisted, her concern for Wang Yue apparent in her voice.
Wang Yue, understanding Celestia's misunderstanding, decided to let it go for now. She knew Chen Fan would eventually fix the situation. For now, she just followed him and Kazuki, curious to see how he would handle this.
They arrived at the arena, where the kingdom's knights had already begun their training. As Chen Fan and Kazuki entered the area, the knights looked at them in confusion. Kazuki explained the situation to them, but they weren't sure how to react.
"It's fine," the knight Commander said, stepping forward and allowing them to continue. He had heard about Chen Fan's attitude and didn't hold him in high regard. Now, he was curious to see the man for himself and to assess the skill of the so-called hero.
Chen Fan and Kazuki were surrounded by knights and the four women. Except for Wang Yue, the others seemed to be waiting for Chen Fan to be humiliated.
In the center of the arena, the two of them stood, each holding a wooden sword, ready for the challenge.
"What's wrong? Too scared to move?" Chen Fan taunted, his voice carrying a mocking edge. "Must be thrilling, trying to act all cool, huh?"
Yet, Kazuki remained silent, his gaze locked onto Chen Fan with unwavering focus. After a moment, he spoke, his voice calm. "I'll give you the first move."
Chen Fan studied Kazuki's cold eyes, his smirk widening. "First move against who?" He deliberately let his gaze sweep over the women standing behind Kazuki, making sure his voice was loud enough for them to hear. As expected, both women shuddered at his words, their eyes darkening with hostility. Kazuki's expression grew even colder, the weight of Chen Fan's implications settling in.
With a heavy sigh, Kazuki lowered his wooden sword slightly. "To think I actually planned to go easy on someone like you," he muttered, before suddenly stepping forward with swift, decisive movements.
Chen Fan observed him closely and quickly recognized his opponent's background. A martial artist, huh? Though Kazuki's skill only reached the level of a second-rate practitioner—comparable to the second stage of Qi Refining—considering his young age, he was likely regarded as a genius among his peers.
As Kazuki lunged, thrusting his wooden sword forward, Chen Fan effortlessly twisted his body to the side. Kazuki's eyes widened in shock, but before he could react, a sharp pain exploded in his abdomen. Chen Fan's knee had struck him squarely in the stomach.
"Ugh!" Kazuki let out a pained grunt, his body curling slightly from the impact. But Chen Fan didn't stop there—following up with a swift kick to the face, he sent Kazuki flying several meters back.
The sound of gasps filled the training grounds as the watching women let out sharp cries of alarm. The murmuring among the knights grew louder, their expressions shifting. Yet, Chen Fan's attention remained fixed on Kazuki, who was struggling to get back on his feet.
"What's wrong? Did you find a hidden treasure on the ground?" Chen Fan taunted, his voice dripping with amusement. He wasn't just provoking Kazuki—he wanted to see the limits of the so-called hero's mental resilience. If Kazuki had been pretending all along, then this would be the moment his true nature surfaced.
But what Chen Fan saw was not fear or anger. Instead, Kazuki's gaze remained steady, his expression calm as he carefully analyzed the situation.
"Oh?" Chen Fan raised an eyebrow in interest. His smirk deepened. "What's wrong? Are you scared already?" He began walking toward Kazuki, his presence exuding quiet confidence.
Kazuki tightened his grip on his sword and adjusted his stance. Without hesitation, he struck again. But Chen Fan effortlessly deflected the attack and delivered another swift kick to his abdomen, forcing Kazuki to his knees. Then, without ceremony, Chen Fan pressed his foot down on Kazuki's head, shoving his face into the dirt.
"What's the matter? Aren't you a hero?" Chen Fan sneered. "Where's all that spirit you had yesterday, talking about saving people? You talk so much, yet you're this weak?"
"Bastard! Let him go!"
A furious voice rang out as Sakura sprang toward Chen Fan, her aura fluctuating wildly. But Chen Fan sidestepped her attack with ease, landing a precise punch to her stomach before tossing her out of the ring. Sakura gasped, clutching her abdomen as she collapsed to the ground. Aoki rushed to her side immediately, her expression dark with anger.
"AAHHHHH! How dare you?!"
A sudden surge of power caught Chen Fan's attention. Kazuki's aura had grown significantly stronger, his energy now spiking to the level of Qi Refining Stage Seven. As Kazuki lifted his head, a forceful burst of energy caused Chen Fan's foot to slip slightly, forcing him to step back and put some distance between them.
Chen Fan observed the transformation with keen interest. So, this is what divinity can do, he mused. Kazuki's speed had visibly increased as he dashed forward again. This time, Chen Fan decided to block the incoming sword strike directly.
"What's wrong?" Chen Fan smirked as he held firm against the blow. "Shouldn't you be blaming her? We're in a duel right now, you know."
"Shut up!" Kazuki growled, his grip tightening on his weapon as he tried to push forward with sheer force.
Chen Fan, however, easily dodged, causing Kazuki to lose his balance slightly. Without missing a beat, Chen Fan drove a fist straight into his stomach, followed by a rapid flurry of blows to his face, before sending him flying once again with a powerful kick.
As Kazuki struggled to stand, Chen Fan's smile deepened. I see. So, the power boost is only temporary, huh? His gaze flickered toward Sakura, then back at Kazuki. And judging by how he lost control when I attacked her, he must truly care about her. So, it's naivety after all…
Chen Fan chuckled to himself. Just another ridiculously kind fool willing to suffer for strangers.
"So, this is the requirement for an Apostle of Divinity?" he mused aloud.
"It varies between gods," Ao Xue replied inside his mind. "But in this case, it means he's just a genuinely good guy." There was a hint of something nostalgic in Ao Xue's tone. He had encountered people like Kazuki before—those who stubbornly walked a thorny path, clinging to their childish ideals.
Chen Fan let out a quiet laugh and began walking toward Kazuki once more.
"That's enough."
The knight commander suddenly appeared in front of Chen Fan, his expression grave. He had been carefully watching the fight and had come to a realization—Chen Fan was far stronger than he had initially assumed. And, more concerningly, he had yet to reveal his full power.
"Who are you?" the knight commander asked, his voice laced with suspicion.
Chen Fan merely smiled. "Come on now, I wouldn't go so far as to keep attacking him in this state, you know?"
Despite his casual tone, the knight commander remained wary, his sharp gaze studying Chen Fan intently. The other knights had also started to enclose around him, their hands gripping their weapons tightly. Sakura, Aoki, and the princess had gathered around Kazuki protectively, their expressions filled with hostility.
"What's this? Are you all wary of me?" Chen Fan's tone remained relaxed, but his eyes gleamed with amusement. "Aren't you the ones who summoned me here? Shouldn't you be pointing your swords at the summoner instead?" He glanced at the guards who were now drawing their weapons.
His words sent a ripple of uncertainty through the knights. Many of them hesitated, their expressions conflicted.
"Or…" Chen Fan's smirk took on a sharper edge. "Are you about to arrogantly claim that only you are allowed to test and judge others?" His gaze narrowed slightly, his voice carrying a hint of mockery.
The knight commander's pupils trembled at the accusation. Could it be…?
"Are you saying you've been acting this whole time?" he asked, his voice filled with doubt.
Chen Fan chuckled. "Come on, now. I was suddenly dragged into another world. Do you really think I'd just smile and act like we're long-lost friends reuniting?" His tone remained light, but his words carried undeniable weight. "You're a knight commander—surely you don't live so naively."
The knight commander fell silent for a moment before suddenly chuckling. Turning to the other knights, he issued a firm command.
"Lower your weapons."
"But, sir—"
"Did you not hear me?" The knight commander shot them a sharp look, and they reluctantly lowered their swords.
He understood Chen Fan's meaning. If Chen Fan had truly harbored hostility toward them, he would not have gone to such lengths to reveal his power so openly. His actions indicated that he was willing to offer a level of trust. And if that was the case, then it was only right to answer that trust in kind.
After all, a man like Chen Fan—possessing both strength and intelligence—would undoubtedly become a powerful force in this world.