Chapter 671 - 652: It’s Not Easy Being a Salted Fish

A shoutout to my friend Ao Wuchang’s new book, *The Twelve Belles of the Flower Capital*. Let’s get hyped! ^_^

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These past few days, he had been pondering the problem of his missing Five Elements. When he first arrived in the Middle Thousand Realm, he hadn’t had the mind for it, but now he had all the time in the world.

However, Master Wang hadn’t been pondering for long before the main players arrived.

The Wang Family had three direct descendants: besides Wang Meng, there was the eldest, Wang Ang, and the third, Wang Hantian. Now, one had to add an outsider, Zhuo Meng. Zhuo Meng’s entry into the Wang Family was, of course, due to his extraordinary talent.

Wang Ang’s arrival was what truly raised the curtain on the banquet. Everyone present, even the elders, had to show some respect to the future heir of the Wang Family. Cultivators had long lifespans, so seniority wasn’t the main point—talent was what mattered. Both Wang Ang and Wang Hantian were considerable figures. Although they hadn’t managed to squeeze into the ranks of the Great Zhou Eight Saints, they were only off by a little. There were also rumors that this was just the Wang Family’s strategy of hiding their strength. The family had been too prominent in recent years, attracting unwanted attention.

The moment he saw the three arrive, Wang Shifeng immediately scurried over. "Haha, my three worthy nephews, we were all waiting for you."

Although Wang Shifeng was an elder, he still had to suck up. ’A piece of work like him could collude with Wang Rencai on a normal day, but when it mattered, he still had to rely on these two orthodox heirs of the Wang Family to save his own skin.’

Wang Hantian shot Wang Shifeng a look of disgust. Wang Shifeng and Wang Rencai had always been two cancerous tumors. After getting rid of Wang Rencai, Wang Shifeng had quieted down quite a bit. Who would have thought that Wang Rencai would come roaring back under a new name, making Wang Shifeng all smug again lately.

Wang Ang gave a faint nod. As the Crown Prince, he carried himself with an impeccable air. Seeing the two younger men act so haughtily, Wang Shifeng, despite his frustration, could only stand aside with a smile.

As for Zhuo Meng, he quietly walked off to the side. His position in the Wang Family was unique. He was a loner who usually only interacted with Wang Ang and Wang Hantian. Everyone knew his temperament, and moreover, he was someone the Patriarch valued, so no one wanted to provoke him.

"Second Brother, why don’t you greet your Eldest Brother? Don’t tell me a little time in the barren lands has made you forget your manners!"

Wang Ang said faintly. Though his voice was soft, his tone was quite severe.

Wang Meng was casually chatting with Nine Discount, telling her the story of Eight Discount, completely ignoring Wang Ang’s provocation.

"Wang Rencai, are you itching for a beating?!"

Wang Hantian grabbed Wang Meng’s shoulder, his hand like an iron clamp as immense force instantly bore down.

Had it been Wang Rencai, that move would have been enough to knock him to the ground.

Wang Meng frowned. ’They’re still blood relatives, after all. No matter how bad Wang Rencai was, there was no need to be so heavy-handed.’

Without a hint of politeness, Wang Meng shook off Wang Hantian’s arm and, in the same motion, did something that stunned everyone.

SLAP~~~~~~~~

A slap sent Wang Hantian staggering.

With Wang Hantian’s skill, he had somehow failed to dodge it. It was hard to say if he simply hadn’t expected it or if he was truly out of his mind.

The noisy hall instantly fell silent. Wang Hantian had been slapped. Wang Hantian, the little tyrant of the Wang Family! He wasn’t old, but he had the biggest temper. Besides Wang Ang, he submitted to no one!

He got slapped???

Wang Hantian’s eyes instantly turned bloodshot. His clothes burst apart, revealing ferocious, bulging muscles. At fourteen, Wang Hantian was indeed a formidable Body Cultivator. His True Essence erupted—Ninth Layer of the Earth Wheel!

With that Cultivation at his age, he certainly had the capital to be arrogant.

If this punch landed, it would have been enough to beat Wang Rencai to a pulp. Unfortunately for him, he was facing Wang Meng.

’Master Wang’s patience had been severely tested these past few days. Sure, Wang Rencai owed debts, damn it, but they weren’t his. With women, there was nothing to be done, but as for men? To hell with them!’

BOOM...

Wang Meng met the attack with a sudden punch of his own. With a loud BANG, Wang Meng’s body swayed slightly, but Wang Hantian didn’t move an inch.

The hall was still deathly quiet. Wang Rencai had actually blocked a punch from Wang Hantian?

This was as shocking as seeing a Fairy suddenly blossom.

Even Wang Hantian himself was stunned. ’Is this the same good-for-nothing Wang Rencai?’

Wang Ang’s eye twitched. ’So the rumors were true. The kid really did make a comeback.’

CLAP, CLAP, CLAP...

"Heh, Rencai, it seems your trip to Wang City was quite fruitful!" Wang Ang said with a faint smile.

Wang Meng brushed his sleeves. "Rencai is dead. There is only Wang Meng now."

"What’s in a name? You are still my second brother, a member of the Wang Family," Wang Ang said.

A smile touched the corners of Wang Meng’s mouth. "Let’s drop the ’Second Brother,’ ’Third Brother’ business. Even if I have returned to the Wang Family, those past relationships are meaningless to me now. Just think of me as an ordinary member of the family."

Wang Shifeng hurried over. "Ren... Wang Meng, how can you speak like that? Young Master Ang is also..."

Wang Meng shot a glance at Wang Shifeng, and Wang Shifeng’s words caught in his throat. ’Damn it, this Wang Meng is getting more formidable by the day.’ Wang Shifeng immediately shrank back. ’Why is it so hard to make a living these days?’

Wang Ang hadn’t expected this either. He had been exceedingly gracious, yet Wang Meng refused to take the olive branch.

"I don’t care what you’re called, Wang Meng! Don’t get cocky just because you learned a trick or two! A good-for-nothing is still a good-for-nothing! Let me teach you a proper lesson!"

What was that little exchange? Wang Hantian wasn’t satisfied yet. He had a Fire and Earth Physique that granted him Innate Divine Strength. He had held back just now, afraid he might kill Wang Meng with a single punch.

Wang Hantian was truly strong. Just the shockwave from his clenched fist created ripples of power. The kid was about to explode.

But his fist was stopped by a hand. It wasn’t Wang Ang—Wang Ang wanted Wang Hantian to teach Wang Meng a lesson. Since he was more durable now, he could take a few more hits.

The one who stopped Wang Hantian was Zhuo Meng.

One of the Eight Saints of Haojing—that title wasn’t just for show. Zhuo Meng hadn’t become one of the Eight Saints because of the Wang Family; rather, the Wang Family had done everything in their power to recruit him because he was one of the Eight Saints.

Even Wang Hantian didn’t dare to provoke Zhuo Meng lightly. He couldn’t help but frown now. "Zhuo Meng, what’s the meaning of this?"

Zhuo Meng was expressionless. "The family test is imminent. The Patriarch has forbidden any extraneous trouble. If you keep fighting, you’ll be crossing a line."

Wang Hantian tried to shake his hand free from Zhuo Meng’s grip but failed. He knew Zhuo Meng was determined to stop him.

Wang Ang smiled and separated the two. "Heh, Hantian is just happy to see Wang Meng has changed so much. But it’s true, the grand family competition is about to start. There will be plenty of opportunities to spar."

The Wang Family disciples who had been waiting for a good show were all disappointed that the opportunity had passed.

Wang Hantian viciously shook his fist, let out a roar, and turned to leave. Clearly, he had never been so aggrieved. Wang Ang, still maintaining his smile, departed gracefully.

The conflict was now out in the open.

Wang Meng gave a bitter smile. ’He had hoped to experience the feeling of family, of brotherhood, but the result was the exact opposite.’

’Blood ties don’t make you brothers.’

"Thanks." Wang Meng was surprised that Zhuo Meng had helped.

Zhuo Meng smiled faintly. "I heard you’re quite skilled at Artifact Refining and that you defeated Mo Chengkong. I’d like to have a spar with you."

’Master Wang had just thought he could finally get some rest, and now here was another one wanting to spar. Great. So I’m just here to wait for every man and woman to come looking for trouble.’

"Actually, I only know a few tricks. It’s nothing worth mentioning," Wang Meng said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Is that so? The Divine Whip you crafted has already been graded by the Divine Artifact Pavilion. It’s a top-tier masterwork."

Zhuo Meng’s gaze was intense; he had no intention of letting Wang Meng off the hook.

"Let’s talk about it when there’s a chance. As you know, I’m pretty busy."

Master Wang said a quick goodbye to Wang Shifeng and slipped away. ’What is wrong with these people? Does a nobody making a comeback really warrant divine retribution? It’s like every single person wants to test me.’

Zhuo Meng’s personality was different from Zhang Yang’s. He didn’t block Wang Meng, just smiled faintly. He glanced at the time; he had another place to be.

(Make-up Chapter, please vote with your monthly tickets!!!!) (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)