C16 Snake and Rat Nest

Under Xiao Xiaofan's intense gaze, Huang Tailun couldn't suppress a shudder. Terrified, he hunched his body and scrambled backward, his face turning ashen and his lips quivering as he stammered, "You... What are you planning to do?! I... I am the Huang Family's young master! If you lay a finger on me, the Huang Family will never forgive you!"

Bao Jiaoli snapped out of her daze and quickly interjected, "Stop! This is the Golden Vault; such behavior won't be tolerated! If you cause trouble, the Golden Vault won't let you off the hook either!"

"That's right!" Huang Tailun, regaining his composure, nodded vigorously in agreement. "This is the Golden Vault, and if you harm me, the Golden Vault will not spare you either!"

"Oh? Fighting is prohibited within the Golden Vault?" Xiao Xiaofan scoffed. "That's quite odd. When the other party was attacking, why didn't you intervene?"

Caught off guard by his question, Bao Jiaoli hesitated before replying hastily, "Everything happened so quickly, I didn't have time to react!"

"Hmph! Then don't bother reacting now either!"

With those words, Xiao Xiaofan swiftly closed the distance to Huang Tailun and sent him sprawling with a slap, then fiercely planted his foot on Huang Tailun's chest!

A gush of blood sprayed from Huang Tailun's mouth as he shook with agony. Being nothing more than a pampered heir, lacking even the strength of a Warmaster, how could he endure Xiao Xiaofan's assault?

Bao Jiaoli, her face a mask of shock, exclaimed, "Do you realize what you've done?! You've struck the Huang Family's young master, and you've blatantly disregarded the Golden Vault's warning. You better be ready to face the consequences!"

"The Huang Family's young master? I've merely swatted a common thug!" Xiao Xiaofan withdrew his foot, his voice dripping with contempt. "And as for the Golden Vault, if it's filled with riffraff like you, then it's hardly impressive!"

"You... You dare to strike me!" Huang Tailun struggled to his feet, his eyes seething with rage. "You're a dead man. The Huang Family will not let this go unpunished!"

Xiao Xiaofan was unimpressed by the commotion. As he was about to respond, a booming voice interrupted, "What's the situation here? Who dares to cause trouble in the Golden Vault?"

Turning toward the source of the outburst, he saw an irate man in his forties approaching rapidly.

Xiaofan's brow furrowed slightly at the sight; the man's demeanor suggested he was a high-ranking official within the Golden Vault.

Bao Jiaoli's eyes sparkled as she quickly addressed the man, "Manager Wang, there's been a disturbance!"

"This individual cut in line, insisting on selling his pills before Young Master Huang Tailun. When I kindly pointed it out, he lashed out at Young Master Huang Tailun! He not only assaulted Young Master Huang Tailun's guards, but he also struck Young Master Huang Tailun himself!"

"And he had the audacity to insult our Golden Vault, claiming it was nothing special!"

Upon hearing Bao Jiaoli's accusations, Xiaofan's frown deepened. He retorted icily, "Humph! Quite the talent for twisting the truth. How can someone as despicable as you be employed by the Golden Vault?"

Bao Jiaoli seethed with anger, yet she held her tongue in Manager Wang's presence.

She wasn't concerned, though; her relationship with Manager Wang was far from ordinary. She was confident that her lover, who was none other than Manager Wang, would take her side in this matter.

Huang Tailun's face brightened at the sight of Manager Wang. With his intervention, he was sure this upstart was doomed!

After all, as a scion of the Huang Family, the advantages he brought to the Golden Vault were incomparable to those of a pauper like Xiaofan.

Manager Wang's expression turned to a frown. He was well aware of his mistress's character and, judging by Xiaofan's attire, he had a good idea of the situation.

Internally, he berated Bao Jiaoli for bringing trouble upon him at such a critical juncture.

At this moment, a person of significant importance was upstairs in the Golden Vault. Any mishap could spell disaster, not just for Bao Jiaoli but for him as well, Manager Wang.

Thankfully, he considered the young man before him to be of little consequence and unlikely to cause any severe repercussions.

Reflecting on the situation, Manager Wang stated calmly, "Violating the Golden Vault's rules and engaging in rude behavior! Guards, disable his limbs and throw him out!"

A chill flashed in Xiao Xiaofan's eyes as he responded coolly, "The people of the Golden Vault really are a den of vipers, judging without knowing the facts!"

"I've seen enough today. I'm leaving now, let's see if you can stop me!"

With those words, he turned to leave, but Wang Xingqing gestured dismissively, and the arriving guards instantly encircled him.

"Think you can stir up trouble at the Golden Vault and just walk away?" Wang Xingqing scoffed. "How naive! Even members of the three great clans must abide by our rules here!"

A grave look crossed Xiao Xiaofan's eyes as he sized up the guards, all of whom were Six-star Warmasters, with the most formidable among them being an Eight-star Warmaster. Despite Xiao Xiaofan's combat prowess far exceeding his Battle Aura level, he knew he was at a disadvantage against such a number of strong opponents. He also sensed an even more powerful presence lurking in the shadows, eyeing him intently.

Silently, he retrieved a mid-tier Great Rejuvenation Pill from his system bag, gripping it tightly, ready for a desperate struggle.

"Haha! Look at this bumpkin!" Huang Tailun burst into laughter, gloating over the scene. "Now you realize what happens when you cross me!"

Wang Xingqing's brow creased slightly in annoyance at Huang Tailun's outburst, but he held his tongue. Given the young man had injured Huang Tailun, a bit of venting seemed reasonable.

Xiao Xiaofan, however, ignored Huang Tailun, focusing on channeling his Battle Aura, poised to fight his way out.

"Golden Vault, this won't be forgotten," Xiao Xiaofan declared sternly. "From this day forward, you are an enemy of mine!"

Wang Xingqing shook his head dismissively, "After all this, you still have the audacity to make threats? After today, you'll be nothing but a cripple. I'd like to see how you plan to become an enemy of the Golden Vault!"

Wang Xingqing had encountered his fair share of arrogant individuals, but he had never met someone as foolish as Xiao Xiaofan before!

Xiao Xiaofan spoke with a tone of contempt, "If you're trying to detain me, it seems these people won't suffice!"

Wang Xingqing chuckled inwardly. A mere four-star Warmaster, and he thought he could make waves?

Sure, he had just bested three guards who were also at the four-star Warmaster level, but what did that matter?

Against overwhelming power, all efforts are in vain!

With a casual wave of his hand, Wang Xingqing commanded, "Begin!"

Xiao Xiaofan braced himself. Despite his relaxed words, he felt an immense pressure bearing down on him!

The guards, without a second thought, lunged at Xiao Xiaofan!

A glint of satisfaction flickered in Huang Tailun's eyes at the sight, as if he could already envision the pitiful state of his opponent's limbs being mangled, followed by his expulsion from the Golden Vault!

"Halt! Everyone stop right now!"

Just as Xiao Xiaofan was preparing to execute his Phantom Step, a commanding voice abruptly filled the air!