Ding Wanchang, who was already sixty-one this year, was well preserved; he looked to be in his early fifties, while Han Fang was a whole fifteen years younger than him.
"Xiao Fang, how are you feeling, are you hurt?" Ding Wanchang asked with a face full of tense concern.
"Shicheng's arms and legs are broken. If you don't kill this bastard today, I will die right in front of you," Han Fang said, enunciating each word clearly.
The words Ling Fan had just uttered startled her, or more accurately, scared her; she wasn't sure what the other party actually knew.
However, this man must die today.
Hearing Han Fang's words, the authoritative aura of Ding Wanchang, who had climbed his way to the top over the years, burst forth completely—he had started his career in the underworld and was responsible for countless lives.
His gaze was as sharp as a blade as he glanced at Ding Shicheng, his pupils constricting slightly—broken arms and legs meant the attacker was ruthless.
"You did this!" Ding Wanchang looked at Ling Fan and said in a deep voice.
It wasn't a question, but rather a confirmation.
"Indeed," Ling Fan replied, as unperturbed as ever.
The spectators around them didn't dare make a sound, and Xiao Jingjing, Liu Yuqiong, and others stared fixedly at Ling Fan.
Li Mengying's lips curled into a cold smirk. Considering the situation, how could he still be so composed?
"Old Chen, cripple him, but don't kill him—I want him alive," Ding Wanchang ordered without giving Ling Fan another glance.
At this moment, Ding Wanchang seemed calm, but those who knew him were aware that he was extremely angry.
"Yes!" an elder behind him responded.
Ling Fan glanced over; he had noticed this person when he entered, dressed in a black robe, sprightly despite looking over sixty, his real age likely even greater.
"Not bad, having a martial artist as a personal bodyguard. It must have not been easy to find someone like him. Out of respect for Xiao Chubing, I'll give you a chance to talk privately," Ling Fan said, ignoring the elder and staring at Ding Wanchang.
"Hm?" Ding Wanchang was taken aback, puzzled.
He still didn't know Ling Fan's identity; after all, the wastrel was too infamous—many had heard of him but hadn't seen him in person.
"I'll say this once only; considering that you were the only one among the few families who didn't kick Tian Yun when it was down, I'm giving you a chance," Ling Fan said indifferently.
"Wanchang, he is just a worthless son-in-law of the Xiao Family; even the Xiao Family has left him to fend for himself. What are you hesitating for?" Han Fang said furiously.
Ding Wanchang was stunned. So it was that waste from the Xiao Family. He stared at Ling Fan, punctuating each word, "Did you just threaten me?"
He had business dealings with Xiao Chubing and found her forthright nature quite agreeable; the two were personally on good terms.
"It seems you've misunderstood. There's only one chance—weigh it for yourself," Ling Fan said without even the slightest concern for Ding Wanchang.
Everyone around was utterly shocked. What the hell was happening?
Xiao Jingjing, Liu Jian, and others felt like their heads were going to explode; this plot twist wasn't what they had expected.
Li Mengying's expression grew serious as she silently watched the unfolding situation.
Indeed, Ling Fan didn't fear Ding Wanchang. With his memory restored, he was no longer the useless person ridiculed by everyone but Ling Beiming, War Emperor Beiming. Even if he truly annihilated the Ding family, so what?
He was the one with the real power now; he couldn't care less about appeasing anyone. Annoyed? Tough luck.
Ding Wanchang's expression changed again and again. He had come over as soon as he got the message, totally unaware of what exactly was happening.
But seeing the other party's confident demeanor, it seemed that he was no simpleton and certainly not the waste people spoke of. Moreover, at a glance, he could tell that Old Chen was a martial artist.
It should be noted that apart from Ding Wanchang himself, no one knew of Old Chen's identity as a martial artist—not even his wife and children.
In a moment's time, his thoughts raced. "Let's speak a step aside. If you can't give me a satisfactory answer, you know the consequences. I, Ding Wanchang, didn't get to where I am today by being easily fooled."
Upon Ding Wanchang's words, everyone's expression turned as if they had seen a ghost. That was Ding Wanchang, for heaven's sake. Was he actually... compromising?
"Wanchang, if you're not willing to kill this son of a bitch, do you still have the mood to listen to his nonsense?" Han Fang was angry, or more precisely, terrified.
"I have my own considerations and will surely give you a satisfactory answer," Ding Wanchang waved his hand, curious about what Ling Fan had to say.
Han Fang knew further talk was pointless. Although Ding Wanchang doted on her, when it came to serious matters, he was firm in his decisions.
Ling Fan whispered rapidly into Ding Wanchang's ear, without a single pause, providing no time for Ding Wanchang to deliberate, and finished saying everything in less than two minutes.
Han Fang, observing the two standing side by side, clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white, her long nails digging into her flesh, yet she felt nothing.
"Boss Ding, if you insist on seeking revenge, I won't stop you, but let me remind you one last time, relying on Old Chen to deal with me is still not enough," Ling Fan said indifferently.
Everyone's minds were swirling with stars and question marks, unsure of what Ling Fan had said to Ding Wanchang, who stood motionless for a long time, his shoulders occasionally trembling, his hands clutching his hair, seemingly in great pain and conflict.
"Could it be that this good-for-nothing brought out some powerful backer, making Ding Wanchang extremely wary and unable to contemplate revenge?" The crowd conjured up a ridiculous idea.
"Did Ding Wanchang really let this bastard off just like that?" Xiao Jingjing looked as though she had seen a ghost, hardly believing it.
If Ding Wanchang could swallow this insult, it would be akin to Mars colliding with Earth.
Han Fang hesitated briefly, then approached Ding Wanchang, and the two conversed face to face, though no one knew about what.
Fang Jun, Liu Jian, and others exchanged puzzled looks. That's it? The good-for-nothing subdued Ding Wanchang with just a few words?
Li Mengying also watched Ling Fan with complex eyes, feeling uncertain. Today's events had overturned everything she had imagined.
"Could this worthless son-in-law of the Xiao Family be hiding something?" Li Mengying silently wondered.
Just then, an astonishing turn of events occurred.
"Slap!"
A crisp slap echoed unexpectedly in the hall.
The crowd's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as they processed what they had seen—Mars colliding with Earth.
They saw the Wife Doting Demon, Ding Wanchang, actually slapping Han Fang across the face. Due to the excessive force, Han Fang was sent flying to the ground, her face quickly swelling up.
"Hiss..."
The hall filled with the sound of sharp intakes of breath as everyone's gaze immediately fixed on Ling Fan's location.
Was it this young man who said something to Ding Wanchang, prompting the man known as the "Wife Doting Demon" to strike his own wife? Could this universally despised good-for-nothing possess some heaven-defying background?
Fang Jun and others naturally considered this possibility as it was the only explanation that made sense.
What kind of person was Ding Wanchang, to be so frightened that he hit his own wife? If it had been an ordinary man, it would be one thing, but this was the legendary "Wife Doting Demon."
Furthermore, he had struck his wife in public. No later than tomorrow, this news would likely spread throughout the upper circles of Binhai.
Contemplating the various possibilities, Fang Jun, Liu Jian, and others who had previously mocked and ridiculed Ling Fan turned pale and weak at the knees. This was trouble with a capital T.
In the midst of the shocked and puzzled crowd, Ding Wanchang was seen leaving with a dark expression on his face. His bodyguards carried the already unconscious Ding Shicheng to receive medical attention, while Han Fang followed behind, looking utterly despondent and drained.
Just then, a group of people poured in from the entrance. Upon seeing Ding Wanchang, one of them, panic-stricken, said, "Boss Ding, I heard your son was injured. I will definitely give you a satisfactory explanation and severely penalize..."
"Get lost!" Ding Wanchang burst out furiously and stormed off.
The man immediately lost his fire, but still wore a smile full of apologies. He was none other than Shen Zhengyang, the manager of the five-star Tian Hao Hotel.
He had received a call from Chen Biao the moment the incident occurred and, after a brief understanding of the situation, had hurried over as if his backside was on fire.
He had heard that the Li Family was hosting a banquet here today to resolve grievances with that waste son-in-law from the Xiao Family. But how did it somehow become involved with Ding Shicheng being beaten and crippled?
Standing beside Shen Zhengyang was a young man, his master, Zhou Tai, the heir to the Zhou Group, who had just returned from studying business management abroad to take over the family business.
This Tian Hao Hotel is one of Zhou Family's properties. Only a few days after taking over, he was informed that someone had come to make trouble and mess up the place. This was nothing less than a slap to his face, and he heard the troublemaker was a notorious waste son-in-law from Binzhou.
Especially after seeing Ding Wanchang's complexion, he had not been back long and had not yet managed to network; he had already offended someone.
Anger boiling over, he cursed, "Damn it, who dares to cause trouble on my turf, come forward immediately and amputate your own arms."
Witnessing this, everyone was thrown into a state of shock as the Zhou Family in Binhai was a top-tier power, surpassing the Ding Family and considered on par with the Feng Family, both having significant backgrounds.
Liu Yuqiong's complexion drastically changed the moment Zhou Tai appeared, knowing well that he was interested in Li Mengying.
He may well use this opportunity to capture her heart. If Ling Fan clashed with Zhou Family, his fate would be sealed.
"Are you calling for me?" Ling Fan had, at some point, appeared right in front of Zhou Tai.