Chapter 672 - 653: A Chance Encounter with the Little Princess and Old Fire

The sky and water merged into one.

This was the Eight Saints’ favorite place to meet. This time, Zhang Yang had been the one to call the gathering—an absolutely unprecedented first.

"Zhang Yang is treating us? You’ve got to be kidding. He’s not going to just not show up, is he?" Yuan Juhuo laughed.

"His character isn’t *that* bad. At worst, he’ll just make me pay the bill," Ni Yong said.

"Alright, you heartless bastards, talking about me behind my back!" Zhang Yang plopped down into a seat, grabbed the teapot, and started chugging it down. GULP, GULP, GULP.

Meng Ningzhi glanced at Zhang Yang. "Don’t tell me you got your heart broken again and want us to drink with you. I’m telling you, I’m not falling for it this time!"

"Heartbroken? You’re kidding. Who am I? I am the Mad Saint, Zhang Yang! Beauties faint the moment I appear!"

Zhang Yang flicked his slightly curly hair, revealing a brilliant, sunny smile.

"It’s a real shame you’re not a gigolo." Zhuo Meng’s voice sounded from outside the door. "Looks like I’m not too late."

"Zhuo Meng, it’s rare for you to arrive after us."

"Heh, Wang Meng is back. Something interesting happened," Zhuo Meng said.

"Wang Meng?... You mean Wang Rencai," Meng Ningzhi said faintly. "How... is he?"

Yuan Juhuo’s ears perked up as well. Back in Wang City, the people from the Yuan and Meng Families had all returned in defeat. Wu Yuan and Mo Chengkong were two prime examples of this tragedy. With Wang Meng back now, they had become laughingstocks.

Zhuo Meng mulled it over for a moment. "He’s very unusual. I can’t figure him out, but... I think he’s a decent guy."

Zhuo Meng had only recently joined the Wang Family and was usually diligent with his cultivation, so his knowledge of a character like Wang Rencai was based purely on hearsay.

"Alright, alright, forget about Wang Meng. I’m the one treating today, so can you at least let me cry on your shoulders first?" Zhang Yang said, looking like an aggrieved little wife.

Everyone rolled their eyes. "Spit it out. Did you get some girl pregnant?" Yuan Juhuo grinned wickedly.

"Screw you! I’m a man of integrity and dashing good looks! I was bullied, and I came to ask you all to help me get even," Zhang Yang said.

Everyone burst out laughing, but there wasn’t a trace of a smile on Zhang Yang’s face. The laughter died abruptly.

Ni Yong was taken aback. "You’re serious?"

"Duh! Otherwise, why would a pauper like me treat you to a meal, especially at a ridiculously expensive place like this to get ripped off!"

Zhang Yang roared.

"Ooh, now I’m interested in this person. Let me take care of him, and I’ll be the boss from now on!" Yuan Juhuo was delighted. The Eight Saints consisted of two women and six men. The two women didn’t compete, but as for the other six men, who was stronger?

They still hadn’t determined a pecking order, nor had there been a real opportunity to. They could only gauge each other by comparing themselves to outsiders.

"You? You wouldn’t even be enough to pick his teeth with. We have to go at him together!" Zhang Yang said.

Zhuo Meng frowned. "You didn’t offend someone from the Godbound Realm, did you?"

Zhang Yang shook his head. "I don’t know. But you’ve all seen this person before. It’s that guy with the Golden Wolf Mask. He’s appeared again."

Then, looking utterly miserable, Zhang Yang recounted his experience. Dammit, he hadn’t even gotten a chance to make a move before the guy’s aura sent him reeling. It was a huge loss of face.

"Is his presence really that strong? I felt like his cultivation wasn’t that high. It might even be lower than ours," Yuan Juhuo said with a frown.

"And he can’t be that old," Ni Yong added.

"But he displayed an unimaginable power!"

The group looked toward Meng Ningzhi, waiting for the Purple Saint to give her analysis. It was a habit the men had developed.

"This person is either hiding his true strength or practices some special kind of Cultivation Technique. But based on what Zhang Yang said, his killing of the White Bone Cultists must have involved a Space Skill. To be able to use Magic of that level so freely is indeed rare. At the same time, he must also be skilled in Heart Spirit Magic, which is why Zhang Yang was caught off guard and defeated. The Divine Space is full of such strange and skilled individuals," Meng Ningzhi said, cautioning against overestimating their opponent indefinitely.

Zhang Yang scratched his head. "Huh, now that you put it that way, it does make some sense. Maybe he’s just skilled in that type of Magic and used it to put me in my place. His display last time was so spectacular, I didn’t even dare to chase after him."

"So you can be a coward sometimes."

"Screw you! It’s not like I have nine lives. You have to size up your opponent before picking a fight." Zhang Yang was known for being wild and unrestrained, but he wasn’t an idiot.

"For him to kill members of the White Bone Sect so brazenly, he’s probably just invited endless trouble," Meng Ningzhi said. Everyone knew of the White Bone Sect’s reputation. They had considerable influence in both the Divine Space and on the continent, and they were involved in countless behind-the-scenes dealings.

"If we run into him again, you guys have to help me test him out. Ni Yong, are you really sure he’s young?" Zhang Yang asked, looking at him sideways.

Ni Yong gave Zhang Yang a cool glance. "Are you questioning my professional expertise?"

Pill Masters were extremely sensitive to life. Such abundant and vibrant Vitality was not something a top expert could imitate. While power could bring strength and even change one’s appearance, it couldn’t alter the fundamental essence of life.

Each of the Eight Saints had their own unique set of skills.

A top expert who was about their age but possessed extraordinary strength—this indeed left Yuan Juhuo and the others a bit speechless.

"Regardless, if we meet him again, it’s always good to test him. And I have to say, I’m genuinely curious!" Even the usually calm Ni Yong was intrigued.

"Everyone, be measured in your approach. For now, this person seems to be on good terms with us," Meng Ningzhi said. These men were so hot-blooded they’d cause trouble at the drop of a hat. This Golden Wolf dared to kill members of the White Bone Sect in public; he was definitely a reckless character.

Wang Meng wasn’t nearly as complex as them. After teaching the two Wang Family brothers a small lesson, he returned to his own place. His routine was simple: finish practicing his Cultivation Technique, play with Nine Discount and the others for a while, and then fall peacefully asleep.

The next day, news of the clash between Wang Meng and Wang Hantian spread throughout the Wang Family. Everyone knew that the upcoming clan competition was sure to be a lively one. Most importantly, Wang Meng had been stirring up quite a bit of trouble since his return, yet Wang Zongzheng hadn’t made a single move, allowing Wang Meng to do as he pleased.

Many people had thought Wang Meng would keep a low profile after provoking Wang Hantian, but instead, they saw him stroll out of his residence early in the morning, acting as if nothing had happened.

The winds foretold a coming storm. While everyone in the family was preparing for the clan competition, Master Wang himself went out to have fun.

No one knew if he was just putting on a show for others, but he really did sling a fishing rod over his back and go fishing.

Wang Meng wasn’t actually going fishing, though. That was Wang Rencai’s hobby. He was now discovering that Wang Rencai wasn’t entirely useless; at the very least, he was a connoisseur of leisure, and there was no pastime he didn’t know about.

Jade Forest Lake in Haojing was hailed as a beautiful lake that had fallen from the heavens. Not only was the scenery gorgeous, but the environment was also secluded. Wang Rencai often used fishing as a pretext to pick up girls, finding a deserted spot where their cries for help would go unanswered.

Master Wang, for his part, couldn’t be bothered to dig deeper into such matters. He had only come here for some peace and quiet, not wanting to stir up any trouble before the clan competition. In any case, there would be a reckoning within the Wang Family after the grand tournament.

He found a corner with a nice view, cast his line, and leaned back to gaze at the sky, feeling utterly relaxed. He remembered how he and Zhang Xiaopang used to sneak off to catch fish back in the day. And man, Zhang Xiaopang was an incredible swimmer.

As he reminisced about the good old days, a smile couldn’t help but touch Wang Meng’s lips. However, an extremely powerful aura was approaching, disturbing his peace. The other person’s presence was completely concealed, but it couldn’t escape Wang Meng’s Primordial Spirit.

"WAHAHAHA, you little rascal, I finally caught you!"

Wang Meng started, dodging to the side with a flash. An old man appeared before him. Master Wang gave a wry smile. No matter how bad his memory was, he could never forget this person. It was the Fire Emperor, whom he had met when he first arrived in the Middle Thousand Realm.

The old ancestor of the Yuan Family.

Yuan Gang was used to wandering far and wide. Returning to the Yuan Family had felt novel at first, but after a while, he grew restless and couldn’t stay put. He would occasionally go out for a stroll. He had suddenly sensed a familiar aura and hadn’t held out much hope, but as it turned out, he had really found the little fellow he’d been looking for all this time.

It was truly a case of ’wearing out iron shoes to no avail, only to find it by chance without any effort’.

"Ah, haha, Senior, we meet again."

"Kid, you’re not getting away this time. What do you say? Be my disciple."

’Who poaches disciples these days?’ Wang Meng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The Fire Emperor’s strength was impressive, but unfortunately, he wasn’t qualified to be his master. Deep down, ever since leaving the Small Thousand Realm, Wang Meng no longer had a master.

"Senior, I’m sorry, but I already have a master. I cannot take another,"

Wang Meng said.

The Fire Emperor froze. Before he could speak, a fiery red figure came bouncing out. "Old Fire, you ran off so fast again! I want to see if you can really catch a Flame Dragon Carp!"

A girl dressed in a fiery red, butterfly-patterned dress ran over.

Another acquaintance: the Tenth Princess, Ji Jin’Er.

"Ah, Old Fire, who’s this kid?"

"This is the person I told you I’ve been looking for. Unfortunately, he refuses to become my disciple," the Fire Emperor said.

Ji Jin’Er’s large eyes blinked as she sized up Wang Meng like he was some kind of monster. "Do you have any idea who this old man is?"

Wang Meng smiled. "The Fire Emperor, one of the Five Emperors, a supreme expert."

"You know that and you still refuse? Becoming his disciple is the key to becoming a supreme expert yourself. You’re rejecting that?"

Ji Jin’Er was like a curious baby with an insatiable thirst for knowledge.

Wang Meng smiled. "Yes. Thank you for your generous offer, Senior."

"Ahem, just think about it some more. Hey, kid, not bad. You’ve changed a lot since last time. Now I’m even more interested in you. Let’s not be hasty. Look, our meeting is fate. Just give me a chance."

Yuan Gang didn’t want to give up. At his level, all he wanted was to find a disciple who could inherit his legacy. Yuan Juhuo was passable, but he still didn’t meet Yuan Gang’s standards. The aptitude he was looking for was in someone who could surpass him in the future.

"Actually... I already have a master," Wang Meng said. "Although he hasn’t formally accepted me as his disciple, I already consider him my master."

"Ah, it couldn’t be that Water Ghost, could it? Dammit, poaching from me again! I’ll destroy him!" Yuan Gang’s eyebrows shot up, and he looked like he was about to fly into a rage.

Wang Meng shook his head. "I don’t know who he is either."

Ji Jin’Er’s gossip soul began to burn brightly. This was too interesting! "Then who are you?"

Wang Meng faltered, hesitating over whether to tell her who he was. He just didn’t know if the moment he revealed his famous name, the Tenth Princess before him would immediately team up with the Fire Emperor to eliminate him.

But Ji Jin’Er was even more impatient than he was. "It doesn’t matter who you are! What matters is we’re going to catch a Flame Dragon Carp right now. You should come with us!"

(Please vote with your monthly tickets! You know the drill. It’s gotten to the point where I feel uncomfortable if I don’t ask every day. To all my dear readers, please spare a vote.)(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)