Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 762
The other guy's straight face twisted slightly. He was obviously withholding his anger as he spoke, "Mo Fan, humph, very well..."
"It's your turn to introduce yourself," Mo Fan reminded them fearlessly.
Rosie was utterly speechless about how the situation had developed. If she had known something like this would happen, she would rather have split them up. Her efforts to be smooth and slick while adjudicating between the two groups were completely in vain!
Mui Nuxin seemed to have a headache, too. She patted Rosie on the shoulder to comfort her. Wearing a fake smile was never going to work on someone as hot-tempered as Mo Fan...
Chapter 1629 - Enemies On A Narrow Path
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
"Zu Xiangtian," the man with thick brows said. He sounded like the others would immediately know who he was as soon as he mentioned his name.
Unfortunately, Mo Fan had never really cared about the renowned clans and their prominent figures. He was about to ask the man who he was when Leng Qing tugged his sleeve, hinting to him that there was no need to complicate the matter any further.
"How ignorant can you be? You should know who Zu Jiming is, right?" the proud handsome man spoke up.
"Zu Jiming... it sounds a little familiar," Mo Fan recalled. The name sounded familiar, but he was struggling to remember who the person was.
"He was a member of the national team!" the handsome man snapped.
"Oh, that guy. Are you two from the same clan as him?" Mo Fan finally realized.
So it was that idiot Zu Jiming, the guy that did nothing apart from sneering and trying to set them up? Even Guan Yu was less of an eyesore than Zu Jiming. That Zu Jiming was nothing but a retard!
Zu Jiming was replaced in the last match during the World College Tournament, Mui Nujiao taking his spot. Zu Jiming had visited many countries during the training that had lasted for more than a year, yet his contributions were inferior to Mui Nujiao, who only took part in the last match during the World College Tournament.
That being said, Zu Jiming was only a side character. The one who was influential back then was the chairman's secretary, Zu Huiyin. She was a powerful government official, yet she had lost her job under pressure from the people of the Ancient Capital because of her inappropriate remarks!
The chairman's secretary was comparable to the role of a Councilman, and their status was slightly higher than one. However, not only had the Zu Clan failed to earn any recognition during the World College Tournament and lost an important government position, they were greatly condemned by the people, too!
It was obvious why the people of the Zu Clan hated Mo Fan so much.
The Zu Clan was famous in China. The Mu Clan was known for their Mages, the Zhao Clan was known for their wealth, while the Zu Clan was said to be the country's pride...
The Zu Clan was extremely resourceful, with a massive network of connections. Many of their people were appointed officials, and Zu Huiyin was one of the future leaders that the clan had high hopes for.
The clan needed to hold a certain power in the country to be able to be well-received internationally. It was the key to extending their influence, so Zu Huiyin had been playing an important role in the clan. She had always behaved herself and worked diligently. Even though Councilman Shao Zheng was not too fond of her, he never had a reasonable excuse to stop her from climbing higher.
To her surprise, she fell so miserably due to some insignificant remarks, paying a great price for her words. Fortunately, the Zu Clan's main assets and influence leaned toward the international level, or the clan would have been severely impacted after their reputation was ruined in China.
Zu Xiangtian was Zu Jiming's elder brother. He had been a member of the national team during the previous World College Tournament. He was quite famous at the international level, on par with someone like Herr Casa!
As a matter of fact, those that had managed to earn a reputation during the World College Tournament in the past had often secured great fame and status from their achievements. The greatest factor in their success was their ability to achieve the Super Level at a young age!
The reputation they earned during the World College Tournament...
Strength in the Super Level at a young age...
Their formidable backgrounds...
Any of the three criteria above was enough for a person to shine brightly, let alone someone that had met all three criteria at a young age!
It explained why Rosie had delicately prepared the dinner to receive them. She was receiving Zu Xiangtian, who was on the same level as Herr Casa...
That being said, Rosie did not expect Mo Fan to ruin it all!
"By the way, I almost forgot to ask, Leng Qing, it was a surprise that you came to visit me all of a sudden. Was there something urgent?" Rosie attempted to switch the topic after noticing how tense the atmosphere was.
Mo Fan had no idea who Zu Xiangtian was, but Leng Qing was well aware of the man's identity, hence she had signaled Mo Fan not to make the situation worse. Leng Qing could not have cared less if he was just an ordinary disciple of a renowned clan, but Zu Xiangtian was no ordinary person!
"Oh, we only came to ask something. Did you buy the heart of a young Tyrant Titan from an auction recently? We noticed a potential threat that might endanger the lives of the folk in Athens, so we came to ask where the heart of the young Tyrant Titan was from and who the seller was?" Leng Qing said.
"Well..." Rosie did not know how to answer that.
"Humph, our subsidiary clan in Greece got it. What about it? Do you want it?" the handsome man grinned coldly.
"Basically, we were looking for a Tyrant Titan's heart, and the Luba Clan happened to find one. They were planning to sell it at a later date, but since we needed it urgently, we asked the Luba Clan to auction it off, and we'd bid for it at the highest price. The Luba Clan has done us a favor, therefore, I've invited their person-in-charge here to express my gratitude. I also hope that we can have more cooperation in the future," Rosie explained.
Rosie was feeling troubled now. She was trying to switch the topic, yet it somehow pointed back at the same issue.
In other words, the Zu Clan was the one that had provided her with the Tyrant Titan's heart. The Luba Clan in Greece was a subsidiary to the Zu Clan!
"You guys took the heart from a young Tyrant Titan recently, right?" Mo Fan asked blatantly.
"How is that your concern?" Zu Kuangli said.
"Are you seriously telling me that you didn't know a m.a.t.u.r.e Silver Moon Tyrant Titan is roaming on the outskirts of the city!?" Mo Fan retorted.
"Is that true?" Zu Xiangtian looked at Rosie.
Rosie nodded silently.
"Even so, it's the Parthenon Temple's concern. You're not from the Parthenon Temple. What right do you have to criticize us?" Zu Kuangli said.
"Yes, I believe the Hall of Knights will handle it appropriately. Let's not worry about it," Rosie said.
"We noticed that the Silver Moon Tyrant Titan might turn hostile from despair, but the Hall of Knights claims it's not going to do anything crazy. We are afraid that it's going to be a threat, so we came to find out the truth. We hope you will tell us if you obtained the Tyrant Titan's heart from the Silver Moon Tyrant Titan's kin. If so, we have to let the Hall of Knights know, and they will treat the Silver Moon Tyrant Titan more seriously," Leng Qing explained calmly.
Chapter 1630 - The Person Enchanted by Apas
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
"Are you sure that's the case?" Mui Nuxin looked surprised.
Rosie fell into deep thought for a moment before she asked, "Do you have any evidence to support your claim?"
"Our evidence..." Leng Qing looked at Apas, who was sitting there quietly. She was suddenly lost for words.
Their evidence was based on trust, yet if she told them it was from a young girl's instinct, not only would the Parthenon Temple not believe them, any person with common sense would struggle to believe them!
It was their biggest problem. They did not have clear evidence to prove that the Silver Moon Tyrant Titan was going to attack Athens.
"You didn't have any evidence, but you're fearing the sky is falling! You're really a busybody!" Zu Kuangli scoffed.
"You can go ahead and ask where they got the Tyrant Titan's heart from, provided that they are willing to say the truth..." Mo Fan said.
"Even if that's the case, we aren't responsible for it, either. Seriously, meeting you here has completely ruined my evening," Zu Kuangli exclaimed.
"It's true that even if the Silver Moon Tyrant Titan does turn hostile and kill many innocent people in the city, none of you have to bear any responsibility for their deaths. It's the Hall of Knights that will have neglected their duties, but I only hope that you can bear some conscience for the things you did," Leng Qing said, speaking as an Elder of the Enforcement Union. "It's the reason why we are here today. Leave personal grudges aside, this is a potential threat to the city. Since we don't have the same concerns, we shall excuse ourselves."
Leng Qing rose to her feet. She had no intention to stay any longer.
Mo Fan stood up and patted Apas beside him.
Apas was constantly observing everyone throughout the confrontation. She seemed rather interested in everyone's reactions.
"Hope you won't mind if I don't send you off," Rosie said. She remained seated.
Mui Nuxin surprisingly rose to her feet and said, "I'll come with you."
---
Zu Kuangli was staring at Apas as she left. He said after some time, "Are we really going to let them leave just like that?"
"We aren't savages," Zu Xiangtian watched Mo Fan and the others leave. He said with a grin, "We have many civilized ways to deal with a person."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know there was a conflict between you. If I had..." Rosie said apologetically.
"It's fine, I've long wanted to see what kind of a person that Mo Fan was. I kept wondering if he had three heads and six arms, but he seemed pretty ordinary to me!" Zu Xiangtian declared.
"A guy like that only knows how to please the crowd. He's nothing apart from having some luck!"
---
Mui Nuxin followed the three of them out. She said after noticing the weird atmosphere, "I couldn't even stop you if I tried, so why do you always behave like an ox?"
"There's no point in hiding," Mo Fan replied.
"You've stated your stance clearly since you've come with us. I'm afraid those two aren't going to treat you nicely." Leng Qing was quite observant. She was actually quite surprised that Mui Nuxin, who was initially tagging along with Zu Xiangtian and Zu Kuangli, was now sending them out instead.
"It's only business. If we can reach a deal, we can be business partners, but if we can't, it's not like we are going to fall out with one another right away. Well, I'm more worried that someone might end the cooperation with our Mu Clan in the Kunlun Mountain Range if I don't come and send him off… in my opinion, he's the last person whose tail I want to step on," Mui Nuxin said, looking at Mo Fan with a smile.
"Am I that narrow-minded? If I do so, your sister is going to stab me to death in the middle of the night!" Mo Fan exclaimed.
"You don't have to send us off. You should go back to them," Leng Qing said.
Mui Nuxin shook her head and said, "Forget it, I don't think I will be reaching a deal with them after what happened. There's no point in me going back. Besides, I haven't had any time to enjoy myself, even after being here for a few days. I wouldn't mind following you guys around."
"Miss Mui Nuxin, we didn't come here for a vacation. We are worried about the people's safety," Mo Fan stated.
"Then allow me to witness your heroic bearing. As the Tyrant Titan's heart, I might be able to ask someone for help. Give me some time," Mui Nuxin said.
"That would be doing us a huge favor!"
Mui Nuxin dialed a number and talked on the phone briefly.
She looked at Apas after she was done and asked with glittering eyes," Mo Fan, you haven't introduced the little girl to me yet. I was wondering, where did you even find such a gorgeous young lady? Even I feel ashamed of myself."
"Oh, her? I found her on my way to Cairo. She told me that she was deeply attracted to my mysterious charm of an Asian man after taking a quick glance at my elegance, so she's been following me around and insisting that I treat her like my sister. You do know that a gentleman like me can never turn a beautiful lady's request down..." Mo Fan rambled on.
Apas rolled her eyes. Her disdainful expression clearly told Mui Nuxin that it was nothing like he had said...
Mui Nuxin giggled. She conveniently gave Mo Fan a push when she saw his mouth was going to keep wandering, "So that's how my sister fell for you?"
"Isn't that obvious? After we fought one another during the orientation, she quickly found out where I was staying and insisted on being my flatmate!" Mo Fan sighed.
"Mo Fan, I will tell Xinxia everything you just said!" Leng Qing could not stand it any further. If she did not remind him now, he might even forget that they had some important matters to attend to!
"(Cough cough) I was just kidding! Aren't we waiting for her news anyway? Why can't I fool around to kill some time?" Mo Fan protested.
"Big brother, something caught my attention," Apas said smoothly.
Apas' voice was so soothing that it surged through Mo Fan's body like an electric shock. He simply had an urge to hug her tightly and let her whisper into his ears with that voice.
However, every time Apas talked to him like that, it meant that she was up to something!
"What is it?" Mo Fan asked quickly.
"One of the guys was having very strong thoughts about me… if I'm not mistaken, he might have started asking about me and is trying to find out how I am related to you as soon as we left. He will look for a chance to get close to me at all costs," Apas said.
"How could I not notice it as a man? That Zu Kuangli's eyes were about to pounce at you!" Mo Fan said.
"I wasn't referring to him!" Apas smiled, which soon turned into a cunning and seductive grin.
Chapter 1631 - The Titan Loses Its Calm
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
Mo Fan was stunned after hearing Apas' words.
Who else could it be, if Apas was not referring to that long-faced Zu Kuangli?
Zu Kuangli was obviously l.u.s.ting after Apas the moment he saw her. If Mo Fan had not been there, he might have tried his best to approach Apas.
Mo Fan was fully aware of it at the dining table, but he did not really think too much about it. Apas' beauty was disastrous. Mo Fan was already aware of how easily he could attract hatred by bringing Apas along somewhere.
"If you weren't referring to Zu Kuangli, doesn't that mean..." Mo Fan's face was filled with disbelief.
Mui Nuxin and Leng Qing were ahead of them, discussing something else. Mo Fan had purposely slowed down behind them.
After a while, he still thought something was strange about what Apas just said.
"Apas, I thought I was overdoing it just then, but I didn't expect you to be more confident than I am… I do admit that you're pretty good-looking, just as pretty as my first wife. It's normal for a man to have some thoughts about a beautiful girl, but why do you sound like that Zu Xiangtian was going to eat you alive? Shouldn't it be that Zu Kuangli instead?" Mo Fan had to ask.
Apas shook her head. She said in a very serious voice," The reason I can tell the Silver Moon Tyrant Titan is about to go berserk is by observing minor things like its voice, expression, movements, state of mind, and psychological struggles. It's like how some spiders in a desert can avoid danger by predicting it through the movement of the wind and the temperature of their foe's blood."
"Predict danger?" Mo Fan repeated. He had heard that some special creatures were capable of doing so instinctively.
"Mm, something like that," Apas nodded. "A person's expression, eyes, limbs, and state of mind are a direct reflection of their thoughts no matter how hard they are trying to hide them. That Zu Kuangli seemed pretty interested in me, but that's a normal reaction for a man. It's just that he wasn't good at concealing it, or perhaps he didn't bother concealing it. You were just like him when you saw me..." Apas said.
Mo Fan blushed. Fine, he did admit that he had been struck by Apas' beauty. "What about that Zu Xiangtian?" Mo Fan said hastily.
Apas was now his Contracted Beast. She had no reason to trick him!
"You might think that Zu Xiangtian wasn't paying any attention to me. He had a stern face, and his eyes were perfectly calm, but I could sense his true emotions under his calm appearance. He was already treating me like prey as we left!" Apas claimed.
"His prey?" Mo Fan harrumphed coldly, "So you're telling me that he's worse than that Zu Kuangli? He's extremely good at concealing his emotions?"
"I think it has something to do with his s.e.x.u.a.l orientation. I noticed that he wasn't interested in Rosie and Leng Qing, who were m.a.t.u.r.e, nor was he interested in Mui Nuxin, yet he had strong thoughts about me," Apas went on.
"Oh?" Mo Fan raised his brows.
Apas was still a teenage girl. She might be good-looking, but most people would prefer Rosie or Mui Nuxin, who had a more m.a.t.u.r.e womanly temperament, yet Zu Xiangtian was particularly interested in Apas...
"I've heard that some men prefer younger women the older they get. I didn't expect that Zu Xiangtian to have such a fetish. He's hiding it pretty well!" Mo Fan said.
"You're being too easy on him… his obsession… it might be worse than that," Apas clarified.
Mo Fan's jaw dropped.
Was she claiming that Zu Xiangtian had seriously treated her as his delicate prey, and would try to pull something soon?
