C20 Surrounding!

Lin Han was on edge, but someone else was even more so. Thankfully, the group's leader acted swiftly to intervene.

"Why the rush, you oaf? Do you think this fellow could slip through our grasp? Let me question him first. If we've nabbed the wrong guy, our employer will surely mock us to death."

The leader noticed Lin Han's face, red and verging on purple with suppressed fury, and quickly stepped in to calm the situation. That scoundrel Zhao Yan had only ordered the death of a scholar named Lin Han, not anyone else. Those who frequented the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion were of wealth and stature. A misstep with the wrong person could spell disaster for them.

Zhao Yan had provided a description of Lin Han's attire and features, painting him as a frail scholar with a pale complexion and a vacant stare. Yet, unknown to them, Lin Han had left his green garment behind in Su Xiaoxiao's chamber at the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion. On his departure, the Pavilion, in consideration of Moo Lingfei, had outfitted Lin Han with a set of opulent silk outerwear.

Now, Lin Han's attire made him resemble a noble young master rather than the impoverished scholar Zhao Yan had described. It's true what they say: clothes make the man. It wouldn't be a stretch to mistake Lin Han for a scion of a distinguished family. Little did he know that today, his coat would be his savior...

Moreover, with his face now a rosy red and his eyes sparkling with intelligence, Lin Han bore no resemblance to the pallid, lifeless figure they were seeking. The leader's mind raced with new plans. This man, having come from the direction of the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion and appearing well-bred, could provide valuable information about Lin Han and perhaps even be a source of unexpected wealth. Why pass up such an opportunity?

As the leader spoke, Bear, the hulking man holding Lin Han, relaxed his grip slightly, as though worried he might accidentally crush Lin Han with too much force.

With the leader's words, Lin Han's anxiety eased, and his heart settled back into place. It seemed they weren't eager to kill him after all. Could there be an angle for him to work here? Lin Han's mind raced with possibilities.

"Kid, you'll answer my questions truthfully. If I catch even a hint of a lie, you know what'll happen to you..."

A voice, chilling and serpentine, slithered into Lin Han's ears. Accompanied by the icy tone, the gang's leader stepped into view before Lin Han.

At last, Lin Han could see the man who had taken charge. The first thing he noticed was a pair of profound eyes, tinged with an eerie green, radiating a frightening brilliance. Bloodthirsty, murderous? Lin Han never imagined that he could be so utterly captivated by someone's gaze.

The man quickly picked up on the panic and fear in Lin Han's eyes, which somewhat alleviated his suspicions. He found it odd that despite having kept watch all night, there was no sign of Lin Han. Finally catching someone, and it seemed it wasn't Lin Han after all. Could that kid have been planning to stay at the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion?

"I... I will tell you everything... Just spare my life, and all my money is yours..."

Lin Han was shivering like a quail in the cold of winter, his body shaking as if he were on the verge of losing control. His fear was genuine, but there was also an element of pretense.

Were these people after him? Or was there something more? Lin Han himself had many questions he wanted answers to.

"What's your name?" the leader demanded, his expression fierce, his voice cutting through the air like a bone-carving knife. The mere sound of it was enough to make Lin Han feel an excruciating pain, as if his ears were bleeding.

"I... my name is Lingfei," Lin Han stammered, his voice quivering as if he might pass out at any moment. His teeth chattered as he spoke, the very picture of a man desperate to cling to life.

Lingfei was the name Moo Lingfei had used the previous night. Given the current situation, it appeared these people were unaware of his true identity. In that case, Lin Han couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt towards Moo Lingfei.

"Lingfei? Remember, Young Master Lingfei, you won't always be this fortunate. Since you've come from the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion, tell me, do you know Lin Han?"

The leader effortlessly yanked the dagger from the tree trunk and brandished it before Lin Han, his eyes flickering with suspicion. It was challenging to tell Lin Han apart from Lingfei. Lin Han's response left the leader pondering the situation.

"After last night's debacle, I'd wager there's hardly a soul who doesn't know who Lin Han is. That man is nothing short of a troublemaker, a real agitator, stirring up a stink in a cesspool... The poetry gathering we've all been eagerly anticipating, our chance to shine, was utterly ruined by that despicable wretch. And if that wasn't enough, have you heard about the stunning Su Xiaoxiao from the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion? That scoundrel actually spent the night with her—it's like watching a fine cabbage get ruined by a pig..."

Upon hearing this, any trace of fear on Lin Han's face was replaced by fiery indignation, and he launched into a tirade of curses as if Lin Han had committed the most heinous of deeds. Astonishingly, Young Master Lingfei cursed non-stop for a solid fifteen minutes without repeating a single insult.

The leader found himself at a loss, unexpectedly showered in Lin Han's spittle during his rant. Over time, it became clear to the onlookers that the young man was berating Lin Han, although those out of the loop might have mistaken the tirade as being directed at the leader himself.

Bear, who was holding Lin Han, watched as he continued his relentless verbal assault, his mouth agape. Initially dismissive of the leader's words, Bear was now starting to believe them, given Lin Han's vehement outburst. If Lin Han were truly before him, Bear mused, he might well have been cursed to death.

The leader stood there, dumbfounded, wanting to intervene but realizing that Lin Han seemed to have entered a trance, completely oblivious to his current predicament as a hostage. As the invectives poured forth, any lingering doubts in the leader's mind evaporated. How could this young man be Lin Han? His ease with insults was unparalleled; even the most vulgar of ruffians couldn't match his extensive lexicon.

He was a master at hurling insults, never repeating a single one!

Lin Han, a scholar, was known for his devotion to the classics. Could someone so engrossed in his books truly possess such eloquence? Indeed, Lin Han was the epitome of a bookworm, so absorbed in his studies that he seemed to have lost touch with reality. And then there was this fellow... he was the very picture of a wastrel from some unknown noble family.

"It's as if he's utterly incapable of fathering children... That young rascal had better not fall into my clutches. If he does, I'll make sure he learns why the flowers are so brilliantly red... I'll dose all the stallions in the stable with medicine, strip that scoundrel bare, and toss him in..."

Lin Han continued his relentless tirade. Both the gang leader and Bear felt a chill run down their spines upon hearing his words. Whether Lin Han himself was a scoundrel, they couldn't say, but they were certain the man they had captured was a thoroughly vile creature. Could any ordinary person come up with such threats?

Bear's grip on Lin Han's wrist began to shake. Damn it, next to Lin Han, they all seemed like upstanding citizens. For the first time, Bear entertained the thought of strangling this man as an act of divine retribution.

"Enough... I said... Shut up!!!"

The leader couldn't take it anymore. He had always considered himself quite the villain, but the man he had apprehended was far worse—a thousand times more malevolent. His words were like venom.

Lin Han kept up his rant until the grip on his neck tightened slightly, prompting him to finally cease his tirade, though he clearly had more to say.

"That... Gentlemen, I... I just couldn't contain myself, truly couldn't. If your own lady betrayed you, you might understand the turmoil I'm in right now... Alas, it's a long story. My dear Miss Su..."

Lin Han finally seemed to come back to his senses, sheepishly addressing the gang leader with a knowing look that only soured the leader's mood further. It was indeed 'a long story.' After all this time, surely Su Xiaoxiao wouldn't choose someone like him.

"I'll ask the questions, and you'll answer. If you speak out of turn, I'll ensure you never get the chance to speak again. Got it?"

The ringleader menaced Lin Han with a ferocity that was palpable. There was an inexplicable weariness weighing on him; how had he managed to encounter such an oddity? Yet, the more Lin Han behaved in this manner, the more reassured he became. Such brazen, venomous behavior was characteristic of the spoiled scions of wealthy households, after all.

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