Chapter 44: The Society of Beauty Hunters

“What does Wu Fan do?” Lin Yuan had heard her mention this Wu Fan several times.

“Brother Wu Fan? He’s a celebrity! He’s acted in ‘Legend of Demon Hunting and Subjugation,’ and he sang that song ‘Big Splash,’ which is famous all over the country!”

“And that’s not all…” Talking about her idol, Zhou Xiaoyu became endlessly enthusiastic in her introduction.

Finally, she pulled out her phone and opened a picture. “Look, this is Brother Wu Fan. Isn’t he handsome?”

Lin Yuan took her iPhone and looked carefully. Wu Fan was indeed good-looking.

However, he was just a bit too effeminate. It was one thing for a man to wear makeup, but he completely lacked any masculine presence.

“You have a lot of photos of Wu Fan on your phone,” Lin Yuan remarked, swiping through, only to find Wu Fan in every picture.

“Of course! I’m his biggest fan!” Zhou Xiaoyu nodded adorably.

Then, Lin Yuan accidentally swiped to a selfie of hers. She was standing in front of a mirror, wearing only a camisole—her upper body otherwise bare. Truly, she had a baby face with generous curves; an astonishing sight.

Clearing his throat, Lin Yuan quickly scrolled back, pretending he hadn’t seen anything, and handed the phone back.

“Hehe, looks like you’ve been charmed by Brother Wu Fan too! He’s coming to Binhai for a concert this month. I’ll take you to see him!” Zhou Xiaoyu exited the photo album without noticing anything amiss, and put her phone away with a smile.

“But I don’t want to go,” Lin Yuan shook his head. He had no interest in watching an effeminate celebrity.

“Come on, come on! I’ll need your help!” Zhou Xiaoyu grinned.

“I don’t have time,” Lin Yuan refused. He wasn’t about to help without some benefit.

“Please, country boy, just help me this once…” She tugged at his sleeve, looking pitiful, as if she were about to cry.

“Is there any reward?” Lin Yuan asked.

“How about a kiss?” Zhou Xiaoyu’s beautiful eyes sparkled with anticipation.

Lin Yuan thought to himself, you’d send revealing photos to Wu Fan, but with me, all I get is a kiss.

“Xiaoyu, country boy, what are you two up to?” At that moment, Lin Shanshan came out.

“Oh, Shanshan, it’s nothing.” Zhou Xiaoyu immediately switched from pitiful to innocent, running over to her.

They paid the bill and left the boutique. Just a few dozen meters away, two young women came out of the store, laughing and chatting.

“Huh?” One of them glanced into the distance, as if she recognized a familiar figure.

“Lingling, what is it?” the other woman asked.

“It’s nothing, I thought I saw a friend, but it’s probably not him.” Han Ling smiled, unconcerned.

“Let’s go for hotpot,” Lin Shanshan suggested.

“I’m fine with anything, as long as it’s not spicy,” Zhou Xiaoyu replied absentmindedly, still playing with her phone.

“Then we’ll have clear broth,” Lin Shanshan said, linking arms with Lin Yuan as they entered the restaurant.

They got a private room and ordered their dishes.

Zhou Xiaoyu took a selfie and sent it to Wu Fan before turning off her phone. “Shanshan, country boy, when did you two get together?” she asked with a giggle.

“What do you mean, get together? Country boy and I are already engaged, you know?” Lin Shanshan rolled her eyes at her best friend.

“Oh, then you must have played poker by now, right? Tell me, what’s it like?” Zhou Xiaoyu looked at them with eager anticipation.

“Try it with Wu Fan and you’ll know,” Lin Shanshan blushed, embarrassed by the question.

“I’d love to, but Brother Wu Fan is so busy. He won’t be here until the end of the month,” Zhou Xiaoyu pouted, obviously daydreaming.

Lin Yuan was speechless. This girl was so bold—still a young, innocent-looking girl, yet constantly thinking about romance. The contrast between her pure appearance and her open thoughts was truly surprising.

“Lin Yuan, it really is you!” The private room door opened, and Han Ling entered, her face alight with joy.

“Ling, what are you doing here?” Lin Yuan’s eyes lit up.

“I was shopping with my friend. I thought I saw you earlier, but wasn’t sure. Then I heard your voice from the next room, so I came to check.”

She walked in, but upon seeing how close Lin Yuan and Lin Shanshan were, her expression changed. Forcing a smile, she said, “Sorry, I must be interrupting,” and turned away, wiping away a tear as she quietly left.

“Ling…” Lin Yuan felt helpless but didn’t chase after her.

“Was she your ex-girlfriend?” Lin Shanshan asked.

“No,” Lin Yuan replied.

“Oh.” Lin Shanshan didn’t press further. She trusted he would handle it.

A while later, Lin Yuan received a text. It was from Han Ling.

It read: “Lin Yuan, thank you for being part of my life.”

Lin Yuan didn’t reply. He silently turned off his phone.

…

After their hotpot meal, Lin Shanshan and Zhou Xiaoyu returned to school.

Lin Yuan was about to head home when a Maserati slowly pulled up beside him.

“Get in, little brother!” Xiao Daier called out.

“Daier, what brings you here?” Lin Yuan walked over, opened the car door, and got in.

Xiao Daier drove them to a secluded spot, then took out a file and handed it to him.

“Take a look at this.”

“What is it?” Lin Yuan asked, examining the file closely.

“The Society of Beauty Hunters?” The name sent a chill down Lin Yuan’s spine.

Xiao Daier’s expression was serious. “I’ve discovered that Jiang Shang has close ties with this organization.”

Lin Yuan stroked his chin. “Jiang Shang was rescued by Yi Chongwen. They must both be part of the Society of Beauty Hunters. My master once mentioned this group to me, but never went into detail.”

“To be honest, I’ve only uncovered the name. The true extent of the Beauty Hunters’ power is beyond anything we can imagine,” Xiao Daier said, her voice full of awe. She knew she had no right to probe further into such a powerful organization.

“Do you know who’s involved in this group?” Lin Yuan asked.

“My contacts tracked down Jiang Shang. It’s believed that Yi Chongwen, Xiao Bing, and Wu Fan are all peripheral members of theirs in Yanhuang,” Xiao Daier speculated.

“Xiao Bing?” Lin Yuan didn’t recognize the name.

“That’s my fiancé,” Xiao Daier replied.

“Oh?” Lin Yuan fell into deep thought.

Jiang Shang’s target was Lin Shanshan.

Yi Chongwen and Lin Weiwei were a couple.

Wu Fan and Zhou Xiaoyu.

Xiao Bing and Xiao Daier…

Looking at it this way, none of it was coincidence.

It was all premeditated!

“What exactly are they planning?” Lin Yuan was filled with doubts.

He also recalled that Lin Shanshan’s primal energy had helped him break through the peak bottleneck of the Earth Rank, leaving him only a step away from the Heaven Rank.

“Do you know where Jiang Shang is?” He was desperate for answers.

“Don’t even think about it—he’s at the Dragon Group base. You won’t be able to break in,” Xiao Daier said.

“The Dragon Group again!” Lin Yuan was already fed up with that name.

“Even though you’re strong, there are powerful forces in the mundane world too. There’s no shame in that,” Xiao Daier said sweetly. “Besides, tomorrow is the day of the Martial Alliance Fair. All the martial artists in Lingnan will be gathering on Temple Street.”

“The Martial Alliance Fair? What’s that?” Lin Yuan was intrigued.

“It’s a place where warriors gather. If you have any treasures to sell, you can bring them to Temple Street. Of course, if you have a discerning eye, you might even find some rare treasures there,” Xiao Daier explained.

“I see. Then I’ll go have a look tomorrow,” Lin Yuan nodded.