Chapter 157: Disciple of the Heavenly Capital Sect

"Excuse me, the two of you, I am an outer disciple of the Heaven Capital Gate. We would appreciate it if you could move to another table."

Although the man sounded as if he were discussing a matter, his tone was utterly rigid, clearly issuing a command. This was hardly surprising; as disciples of the Heaven Capital Gate, they were undeniably the absolute darlings of the heavens within the Heavenly Martial Domain, and normally no one would ever dare to cross them.

"So they truly are disciples of the Heaven Capital Gate."

Lin Fan frowned slightly, then offered a helpless smile. The Azure Dragon Token on his person was glowing, which amply verified the young man's identity.

"Friend, the three of us martial siblings have no intention of letting you suffer a loss. This is a Yin-Yang Pill; for any mortal, a single pill is more than enough to prolong life and fortify longevity. Consider it compensation for our discourtesy."

The young woman among the three stepped forward. She retrieved a medicinal pill from her bosom and handed it directly to Lin Fan, yet her manner was fiercely assertive, leaving him no room for refusal.

"A Yin-Yang Pill, truly a fine treasure."

Lin Fan smiled faintly and accepted the pill. He could perceive that these three were not genuinely malicious; rather, they rarely ventured into the outside world and lacked worldly sophistication.

"Elder Yi, let us go."

Stowing the Yin-Yang Pill away, Lin Fan spoke to the ancestor of the Yi family. He had originally intended to leave anyway; the three disciples of the Heaven Capital Gate had merely appeared at an opportune moment.

"You go if you wish. These old bones of mine have no desire to be tossed about."

The ancestor of the Yi family spread his hands, shamelessly playing the rogue. He too had perceived that Lin Fan wished to avoid conflict, yet in his view, for an exalted and formidable figure of antiquity like himself to yield a seat to a few brats still in the Flesh-Refining Realm was a profound loss of face.

"What do you make of this?"

Lin Fan produced the Yin-Yang Pill once more, making a gesture to return it. He had not anticipated such stubbornness from the Yi family's ancestor, yet it was difficult to voice any complaint—truth be told, he was not entirely willing to yield his seat either.

"Lin, my boy, your temperament is far too accommodating. A true powerhouse should stand supreme above all. Even things you have no use for are yours to command; unless you bestow them yourself, others should never obtain them even if they kneel and beg, let alone seize them."

The telepathic voice of the Yi family's ancestor reached him, carrying a trace of dissatisfaction as he offered counsel.

Upon hearing this, Lin Fan lapsed into a rare state of deep contemplation. In the end, as though he had suddenly broken through some mental barrier, he resolutely reclaimed his seat with an imposing and unyielding posture.

"You..."

The man who had spoken first shifted his expression, his voice turning icy as a flicker of suppressed rage flashed across his features. The young woman's expression darkened as well, seemingly angered by the utter lack of tact displayed by the two men.

"Since Elder Yi is unwilling, the three of you should go find another table."

Lin Fan spoke indifferently, glancing sideways at the trio before taking another leisurely sip of tea from his cup.

Indeed, his demeanor had grown resolute. Lin Fan had carefully considered the words of the Yi family's ancestor and ultimately realized that his own temperament had indeed been far too yielding.

This was largely tied to his origins; as a former menial disciple, he had naturally been forced to weigh the thoughts of towering figures and constantly sought to preserve his own safety. Although Lin Fan was now a supreme overlord of the Heaven and Earth Realm, the ingrained caution within his nature had not yet shifted. Had the ancestor of the Yi family not pointed it out, he might never have recognized this flaw in himself.

Just as the Yi family's ancestor had said, true powerhouses looked down upon all creation. Such a temperament appeared thoroughly aloof and eccentric, yet it was precisely the true portrait of the strong, for they had already begun to comprehend the grand Dao of heaven and earth, aspiring to rival the heavens themselves.

"Do not toast to fine wine only to be forced to drink a forfeit of fine vinegar!"

The first young man narrowed his eyes, on the verge of erupting to teach Lin Fan and his companion a lesson. Having stepped out from the Heaven Capital Gate, he had never suffered such indignity, though he harbored no lethal intent.

"Enough, Junior Brother Yun. Since they are unwilling, we should not force the matter. Might I ask if the two of you would allow us to share this table?"

The young man who had remained silent finally spoke. He appeared much steadier, unlike a mere junior who had just ventured out into the trials of the world.

"Senior Brother Feng..."

Junior Brother Yun seemed on the verge of retort, but was promptly cut off.

"Do the two of you mind?"

Senior Brother Feng waved a hand, inquiring in a consultative tone. A lingering intuition told him that the two men before him were extraordinary. Under normal circumstances, ordinary mortals would be so terrified upon learning of their Heaven Capital Gate affiliation that they would lose their wits entirely. Yet, the two men opposite him remained utterly calm, seemingly indifferent to their status—a reaction that compelled him to exercise a degree of caution.

"Sit, then. Meeting here is also a form of destiny."

Lin Fan cast an assessing glance at Senior Brother Feng, though he said nothing further, gesturing for the three of them to be seated.

Seeing that Senior Brother Feng had made his decision, Junior Brother Yun held his tongue, though traces of lingering resentment remained. However, it was evident that Senior Brother Feng commanded considerable authority, and the junior dared not act presumptuously.

The young woman also took her seat with an aggrieved expression, studying Lin Fan and his companion closely as she failed to comprehend why a single Yin-Yang Pill had utterly failed to move these two ordinary mortals.

Seeing the conflict resolved, the patrons within the tavern finally breathed a collective sigh of relief. The establishment gradually returned to a bustling clamor, though the volume was noticeably subdued, and several patrons hastily settled their bills and departed, clearly unwilling to dine in the immediate vicinity of three cultivators.

This was hardly unexpected; the chasm between cultivators and mortals was akin to the distance between heaven and earth, and harboring reverence was entirely natural.

"You must be disciples of the Heaven Capital Gate, am I right?"

Lin Fan cast an inquiring and intrigued look toward Senior Brother Feng as he spoke. He had already sensed a familiar bloodline aura emanating from Senior Brother Feng, and coupling it with the latter's surname, he suspected this youth was likely a clansman of Feng Yu, which instantly made Lin Fan feel even more favorably disposed toward him.

"Needless to say, did you miss our attire?"

Junior Brother Yun shot Lin Fan a sidelong glance, though he restrained himself in the presence of Senior Brother Feng.

"Heh."

Lin Fan could not help rubbing his nose. He had focused solely on the resonance of his Azure Dragon Token, forgetting that all disciples of the Heaven Capital Gate wore uniform attire that made them easily identifiable.

"Greetings, brother. Judging by your demeanor, you must not be an ordinary person yourself."

Senior Brother Feng glanced at Junior Brother Yun, then probed cautiously.

He sensed an unfathomable depth within Lin Fan, one that prevented him from treating the man as a mere nobody.

"Not at all. I dabble in small businesses and have crossed paths with a few cultivators here and there, though disciples of the Heaven Capital Gate remain a rare sight indeed."

Lin Fan spun the excuse effortlessly, his words sounding as though they had been rehearsed long in advance.

"So that's how it is."

Senior Brother Feng eyed Lin Fan suspiciously, unable to determine whether the claim was true or false.

The rest of the journey was uneventful. After quickly partaking of some food, the trio prepared to depart, evidently driven by a pressing mission of their own.

"Very well, it is time for us to move as well."

Once the three had left, Lin Fan rose to his feet, a flicker of profound interest crossing his eyes as he glanced in the direction of their departure.

"What is it? Are you interested in the three of them? Or perhaps you've taken a fancy to that young lass?"

The ancestor of the Yi family teased playfully, "From where I stand, that little girl isn't bad at all, even if her cultivation is a bit lacking, and her appearance is quite passable."

Having perhaps been silent for too long, the ancestor of the Yi family began spouting nonsense and even ventured into matchmaking banter.

"Spare me the nonsense. Those three belong to the same sect as I do, and moreover, their current mission has piqued my curiosity."

Lin Fan shot a sideways glare at the ancestor of the Yi family. He harbored a strong suspicion that the three Heaven Capital Gate disciples had not come to the Ancient Demon City without reason, especially since they carried supreme healing treasures upon their persons.