Chapter 554: Alternative Lord

"Do you know the consequences of this? If you dare harm the dragon horse, you'll face a deadly disaster! It's not something a mere lord like you can bear." The people on the ground made these hollow threats, their hearts filled with trepidation.

"Oh, I'm so scared," Ye Fan said, walking forward. The crops, still young seedlings, were knee-high and vibrantly green. A large section had been ruined before fully growing, representing the villagers' hard work. No wonder even the elders were furious.

"You... what do you want?"

With a "bang," Ye Fan kicked one person, sending them flying like a sandbag dozens of meters through the air before they landed outside the field, letting out a shriek like a dying pig.

"Ah..." "Treating us like this, you're inviting disaster; you won't come to a good end!"

"So noisy," Ye Fan muttered, glancing at the person he'd kicked to the side of the road. He continued to pace through the field, approaching the other individuals.

"Don't... don't come closer, we'll compensate you for the damages." All of them were terrified, already injured and sprawled helplessly on the ground, unable to escape.

"What were you doing earlier? Scared now?" Ye Fan was unmoved. He stepped forward and kicked. His strength was immense; the men flew sideways like chicks, soaring dozens of meters before landing on the dirt path outside the cultivated field.

"Thud," "thud"... They tumbled like gourds. Though they were cultivators, they couldn't move and thus couldn't defend themselves, rolling their eyes and screaming in pain from the impact.

Two of them had even fainted, and the other four had broken bones, groaning miserably, their bodies convulsing and trembling uncontrollably.

The villagers were all dumbfounded. This sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy, who usually appeared so cheerful, had kicked a group of villains into the air, one by one, astonishing everyone.

"Lord Brother is so strong!" "Lord Brother dealt with all the bad guys, snotty-nosed kid, stop crying."

A group of children cheered, their tears not yet dry, looking like smudged kittens but radiating innocence, their emotions openly displayed on their faces, embodying a unique simplicity.

"Don't come closer..." These people were utterly terrified. Seeing Ye Fan emerge from the field, they all trembled, desperately trying to move backward.

"Bang," "bang"... Ye Fan unleashed a flurry of kicks. He had no sympathy for such individuals. The sound of bones breaking echoed, like slaughtering chickens and ducks, as the men wailed in agony.

"We'll pay compensation, please stop kicking!" "We apologize, please spare our lives!"

The group, still tumbling, cried out desperately, truly fearing Ye Fan would kick them to death. They realized this master had no scruples, being even more ruthless than their own lord.

However, one or two stubborn individuals among them continued to threaten fiercely: "Treating us like this won't end well for you. Let alone a petty lord like you, even a prince would have to think twice!"

"Do you think I'm easily intimidated?" Without a word, Ye Fan delivered two kicks, instantly crippling their Wheel Seas, turning their divine power to naught. Their Dao Palaces were also thrown into chaos, making further cultivation impossible.

"You... ah..." At this, everyone was horrified. They prostrated themselves on the ground, repeatedly kowtowing and pleading desperately.

"Please, spare us, we'll never dare again." "Young master, please be magnanimous and don't hold this against us."

One of the more astute individuals began to kowtow and apologize to the villagers in the field, saying, "We're sorry, we were wrong. Please forgive us, fellow villagers."

Under the deterrence of a figure like a little devil king, these people lost every trace of their arrogance, becoming utterly submissive. They pleaded desperately, fearing they would lose their lives there.

Ye Fan questioned them casually, and they answered every question without daring to conceal anything. As expected, they were from the Immortal Mountain, serving as horse trainers for the Qishi Mansion's geniuses, responsible for caring for exotic beasts.

"You're truly impressive, a few horse-raising servants, yet you strut around throwing your weight everywhere. Disappear, now!"

Ye Fan had no fondness for them. With a cold snort, the men stumbled as if granted a great pardon, turning and fleeing.

"I told you, leave that dragon horse here..." Ye Fan stood outside the field and spoke calmly.

Grittering their teeth, the men led away the other exotic beasts, leaving the dragon horse behind. They didn't dare breathe, fearing they would further provoke this ominous figure.

"Folks, tonight I'm treating everyone to dragon horse meat," Ye Fan said with a smile.

In the distance, the servants stumbled, nearly falling. "What kind of person is this? He's actually going to eat the dragon horse?" they thought. It was a rare beast worth tens of thousands of jin of source; they couldn't bear the thought of it being eaten like donkey or horse meat.

"He's a monster!" They fled without looking back, not wanting to stay for another moment, feeling they had encountered a creature they absolutely couldn't afford to provoke.

"We can't just let this go. We'll go back and report to the County Princess, she must chop this bastard lord into pieces!" "Damn it, this isn't over! He beat us half to death and now he wants to eat the County Princess's dragon horse? He's utterly audacious; he must be tired of living!"

The men swore vengeance under their breath, then sped away, vanishing into the ancient immortal mountain range on the horizon.

"Will there be trouble?" Er Gouzi's old father in the field asked, trembling with fear that this incident would cause a major disaster. His broken bones had been set, but there were still traces of blood on him.

"Nothing serious will happen. At most, they'll come after me. Come on, I'm treating everyone to dragon horse meat; it's very nourishing," Ye Fan said with a smile.

In the evening, several figures arrived, piercing the air. One of them was exceptionally beautiful, descending like a celestial maiden from the Ninth Heaven amidst the fiery red sunset. Her long gown fluttered, her black hair streamed, and her entire being was imbued with a faint golden glow.

In the ancient village, a group of children looked up at the sky and cheered. "Look, a fairy! Such a beautiful elder sister!" "A fairy has descended and come to our village!"

The children clapped and shouted, and the snotty-nosed boy even called for Ye Fan to come and see with them.

Ye Fan was surprised; he hadn't expected Princess Yudie to arrive. After half a month apart, she had become even more beautiful and ethereal, appearing no different from a fairy in the sunset as her dress swayed when she landed.

Beside her were two men and one woman. The men were distinguished and upright, and the woman was as beautiful as a flower. All of them possessed extraordinary temperaments.

"Princess, what brings you here?" Ye Fan asked with a smile, as he didn't recognize the other three.

"I came to see if you're accustomed to life here," Princess Yudie replied with a smile. A jade hairpin was nestled in her coiled hair, from which an ethereal phoenix shadow flowed, its shimmering light subtly enhancing her noble and graceful presence.

"Everything is fine for me here, thank you for your concern, Princess," Ye Fan said, smiling.

"I heard you impounded County Princess Qi's dragon horse; is that true?" Princess Yudie, the third most beautiful woman in Zhongzhou, asked, her eyes sparkling with captivating charm.

"Yes, it's true, I did impound it," Ye Fan nodded.

"Where is it?" Princess Yudie inquired.

"There," Ye Fan indicated casually with a puckered lip, "it's cooking in that large iron pot."

"What, it's in the pot?!" "Are you saying that the dragon horse is cooking in that big iron pot?!"

Princess Yudie and the three people beside her were utterly flabbergasted, speechless with wide eyes. Princess Yudie, in particular, stood with her cherry-red lips agape, an expression of disbelief on her face that gave her a unique beauty.

"How could you actually eat a dragon horse?" The group stared at him as if he were a monster, truly at a loss for words. They had never encountered anyone like him. That was a dragon horse, a descendant of a divine beast, incredibly rare and precious.

This fellow, incredibly, had stewed it in a large iron pot, just like braising dog meat. It was the first time they had seen such a fierce individual; it left them speechless.

"This is a great tonic, containing a trace of dragon blood lineage. Since you've arrived, you're in luck," Ye Fan said with a smile.

"This... we're not here to eat horse meat!" one of the men beside him exclaimed, finding Ye Fan truly unconventional.

"We intended to intervene and return the dragon horse for you to resolve this conflict. Otherwise, County Princess Qi will absolutely not let this go when she emerges from seclusion," Princess Yudie explained.

"I've already cooked it. At most, I can send her back a bowl of horse meat, so she can have a taste," Ye Fan replied.

"..." The group was truly defeated by him.

"Listen, brother, you're in deep trouble," another man beside him said. "County Princess Qi cherished that dragon horse the most. Now that you've eaten it, it'll be a miracle if she doesn't come after you with a vengeance!"

"You can't blame me for this. They really pushed people too far. Not eating the horse meat would make it hard to appease the public," Ye Fan said, not particularly bothered.

"Princess, your friend is truly... unique!" the beautiful woman could only comment.

"Esteemed immortals, I'm truly sorry, this has nothing to do with young Lord Ye. It's all our fault," Er Gouzi limped over, fearing serious trouble. He added, "This horse has already been stewed. How about I compensate you with my family's donkey?"

Princess Yudie and the others were torn between laughter and tears. They had already spotted the limping old donkey not far away. Offering it as compensation for a dragon horse would surely enrage County Princess Qi to death.

"Never mind, never mind, I'm not getting involved in this," the beautiful woman beside them said, almost laughing in exasperation.

"I appreciate your kind intentions. But for now, let's set that aside. The dragon horse meat is fully cooked, so let's all enjoy it together," Ye Fan cordially invited.

"No, we won't eat. Let's just go," one of the men said.

"Don't be like that! You've already made it here. Let me tell you, this dragon horse is incredibly nourishing, simply marvelous. You'll regret it for a lifetime if you miss out," Ye Fan said, pulling them back.

By the ancient locust trees, there were stone tables and stools. The villagers had already prepared everything, bringing out large basins and small bowls. The aroma of meat filled the air, along with jars of aged wine.

Besides the dragon horse meat, there were also over a dozen roasted sheep, all brought by Ye Fan. Otherwise, though the village was small, one dragon horse wouldn't be enough to feed everyone.

"Time to eat dragon meat!" a group of children cheered, creating a lively atmosphere. The other villagers were also very eager.

"Come, brothers, I'll toast you." "This piece is the essence of the dragon meat; come, everyone, try it!" "This is dragon sinew, truly exquisite, give it a taste."

Ye Fan was very hospitable, toasting them and serving food. The ancient locust trees swayed gently, and the aroma of wine permeated the air. The guests were drawn in and, without realizing it, began to eat.

"Since we've all eaten this dragon meat together, I hope you'll lend me your support when the time comes," Ye Fan said with a laugh.

The guests suddenly felt something was amiss. One man spoke up, "Brother Ye, aren't you being a bit unfair? You invited us to eat dragon horse meat because you want to drag us down with you, right?"

"How could that be? Am I such an unkind person?" Ye Fan said, feigning righteousness. "I merely wanted to entertain you. If you happen to hear any news later, I'd be immensely grateful if you'd let me know."

The two men were Princess Yudie's suitors, and the woman was her close friend. Though they weren't like Xiao Mingyuan, they couldn't help but roll their eyes.

"Come, come, don't be shy, everyone! Eat the dragon meat, drink the fine wine. There's no greater joy in life," Ye Fan said, continuously refilling their cups.

"Brother Ye, I advise you to be careful. As soon as County Princess Qi emerges from seclusion, she's guaranteed to come kill you." "That's right," another added. "She personally raised that dragon horse; she definitely won't let you off. No amount of persuasion will work."

The two powerful men, named Cheng Hui and Zhang Wen, along with the woman, Li Xinyue, elaborated on the situation.

"You might not know this, but many in Qishi Mansion have heard that there's an eccentric lord outside our mountain gate, and a lot of people want to come see you." "Indeed," another said, "eating County Princess Qi's dragon horse has shocked everyone. A whole crowd wants to come and see who you are."

Hearing this news, Ye Fan rubbed his chin and said, "I've hit a bottleneck recently and need some combat. I just hope they don't *all* come."

"Why do I get the feeling you're actually looking forward to it?!" Princess Yudie retorted, giving him an annoyed look. Her skin was like jade, and her eyes were intoxicating.

"They're coming to kill you, so be careful," Li Xinyue warned.

"Lord of Lu City, come out and face your death!" Just then, a shout echoed from a distance, reverberating through Arid Lu. Even the ancient locust trees in the area trembled.