Chapter 687 - 668: Casting a Jade to Attract a Brick

Wang Meng gazed at Han Chuxue’s familiar aura, as vibrant and spirited as Little Zhen’s had been. No matter where a Ninefold Heaven physique was reincarnated, it would always possess a subtle wisdom and a pure sense of purpose.

"Treat a True Essence Beast as you would have it treat you."

Wang Meng said calmly.

From a short distance away, Zhan Yingluo once again saw that familiar expression on Wang Meng’s face. She knew that in this moment, Wang Meng was completely self-assured; he wasn’t taking any of these people seriously at all.

Everything that had been said before was nonsense. If you don’t treat True Essence Beasts as friends, why on earth should they treat you as one? It was a matter of empathy.

At their core, the cultivators of the Middle Thousand Realm still saw True Essence Beasts as mere tools. Han Chuxue had realized the problem, but unfortunately, her thinking was still somewhat limited. In contrast, a simple personality like the Tenth Princess’s had unintentionally achieved the desired effect.

The Dao Field fell silent, then someone immediately began to jeer. "What kind of method is that? It’s the same as saying nothing at all."

But few people echoed the sentiment, and the crowd quickly fell silent again. Han Chuxue was deep in thought. Wang Meng’s words had truly hit the nail on the head.

’Everything else is superficial; only a true heart in exchange for a true heart is real. All methods must be built upon this foundation.’

"Chuxue has learned a valuable lesson. I wonder when I might be able to discuss other matters with Brother Wang?"

The moment Han Chuxue spoke, Wang Meng felt the temperature around him rise by several degrees. ’If I agree to this,’ he thought, ’I probably won’t survive the night.’

He waved his hand. "I was just speaking off the cuff, hoping to inspire some better ideas. Oh, my stomach! I’ve got to go."

Without waiting for Han Chuxue to call out, he took off like a shot. Seeing Little Zhen again was a joyous occasion in itself, but of course, that didn’t mean Wang Meng had to get involved with her.

The Ninefold Heaven physique has its own destiny, and he had his. Still, he was grateful for the parting gift Little Zhen had left him back then. If she were ever in real need, he wouldn’t just stand by and watch.

For now, though, it was best to keep his distance.

This was the way of the Middle Thousand Realm: being caught up in the mortal world, with its families and various entanglements.

Wang Meng’s arrival and departure were both rushed, yet he had completely stolen the show. However, everyone present was an elite. The topic of discussion soon resumed, and Ji Shuangtian and Yan Luoqi each put on a performance. They were all genuinely skilled, after all, and the discussion quickly grew lively.

After Wang Meng left, however, Zhang Yang felt bored. Deep down, he suddenly realized that this Wang Meng fellow was very much to his liking. Despite being one of the Family Disciples, he didn’t have any of their annoying airs. He was straightforward and quite interesting.

The brothers Wang Ang and Wang Hantian couldn’t resist showing off a little themselves. In any case, Wang Meng’s performance hadn’t been disgraceful; in fact, it had brought the Wang Family some prestige. As for all the sordid business from Wang Meng’s past, that was none of their concern.

Wang Hantian, however, was too impetuous—a classic case of all brawn and no brains. His comments only elicited a roar of laughter from the crowd, and luckily Wang Ang was there to cover for him.

Ultimately, it was Yan Luoqi who stood out the most. The unflappable Golden Saint once again won everyone over with his humorous yet incisive opinions.

It was truly difficult to stand out in such a competitive, sharp-witted gathering.

Finally, Han Chuxue demonstrated a new method for controlling True Essence Beasts, one that raised the level of compatibility between the cultivator and their beast by an entire layer—a feat many were incapable of.

Wang Meng had left, and the gathering grew even more lively, but Zhan Yingluo was already lost in thought. Little Yu, beside her, was still cheering for every handsome man she saw, but Zhan Yingluo’s mind was filled only with the image of Wang Meng’s nonchalant composure.

It stood in stark contrast to the others, who were all trying so desperately to show off.

What Zhan Yingluo saw in Wang Meng was maturity and a deep-seated poise. That kind of man was far more charismatic.

Lost in her thoughts, Zhan Yingluo’s mind began to drift.

"Yingluo, what are you thinking about? I’ve decided Yan Luoqi is the most handsome, and the richest too! Tsk, tsk. If only I could marry him."

Little Yu was swooning again.

Zhan Yingluo chuckled. "Then why don’t you go after him?"

"Sigh... he only has eyes for Han Chuxue. I can’t possibly compare to Fairy Han," Little Yu said, dejected. Han Chuxue, the focus of everyone’s adoration, handled the attention with ease, never making anyone feel slighted. She was a natural center of attention.

’I hope no one competes with me for Wang Meng,’ Zhan Yingluo thought with a small smile. ’That way, I’ll have a better chance. Once he gets to know me better, he’ll definitely come to like me.’

Leaving that hotbed of gossip, Master Wang felt quite pleased. To be honest, being in there had been like sitting on pins and needles. Seeing Han Chuxue had dredged up all his memories of the Small Thousand Realm, and now Wang Meng wanted to find a place to have a good, long drink.

After leaving the Dao Field, he found a tavern not far away. Wang Meng asked for a seat by the window. Since everyone was busy discussing Han Chuxue’s lecture, no one paid him any mind.

Wang Meng ordered a few random dishes and brought out his own wine. This was a vintage Master Wang had brewed himself in the Divine Space. Tempered by the Law of Space, it was truly a fine liquor.

He set a bowl on the opposite side of the table. ’Truth be told, drinking alone is a pretty sad affair for a man,’ he thought. ’Zhang Xiaopang and the others are probably chugging from massive bowls in the Divine Realm right now.’

Wang Meng gazed at the scenery outside, the chatter of others drifting past his ears. Whether it concerned him or not, he let it all wash over him. As he watched the bustling crowd, his mind was at peace.

He downed a bowl of wine. It was a fine vintage, aged for a hundred years. Master Wang had certainly put in the work. Although the ingredients were slightly different, the base was still there. The key was its age—something other Brewers could never replicate.

"What a fragrance! ’Happiness is best shared,’ as they say. And since you’ve already prepared an extra bowl, I won’t stand on ceremony."

Zhang Yang plopped down and unceremoniously poured himself a bowl. The wine, like a divine Jade Dew, splashed into the porcelain, releasing a rich aroma.

Without a second word, Zhang Yang downed it all in one go. He wiped his mouth. "Tsk, tsk... incredible!"

Zhang Yang’s eyes went wide. "Son of a bitch, where did this wine come from? It’s been aged for at least fifty or sixty years!"

Wang Meng smiled, not having expected Zhang Yang to be a fellow connoisseur. "If it’s here to be drunk, then drink it. Who cares where it came from?"

"Makes sense! ’Let’s get drunk while we have wine today!’ Come, a toast to this fine vintage! Bottoms up!"

With that, he refilled his bowl. Wang Meng let out a hearty laugh, filled his own, and clinked it against Zhang Yang’s. Wine splashed, and he drained the bowl with gusto.

That’s just how people are. When you click, you click. Even though Wang Meng was "notorious," Zhang Yang was a man who trusted his gut.

"How come you left too?" Wang Meng asked.

"Everyone in there is acting like they’re on stimulants. I couldn’t even get a word in, so I slipped out. The aroma of wine led me right here." Zhang Yang truly did love his drink.

"Han Chuxue really is something else," Wang Meng nodded.

Zhang Yang sized up Wang Meng. "Something else? She’s a fairy as radiant as the bright moon, Mingyue! Countless men would kill for a chance to get her attention, yet you just let an opportunity like that slip away."

"Really? I didn’t get the impression you were in that crowd, Brother Zhang."

"You give me too much credit. I know my own limits. A beautiful woman is trouble, and a stunningly beautiful woman is a world of trouble. I’m a simple man: if I want to fight, I fight; if I want to drink, I drink. And when I get tired of living and decide to die, I won’t have any lingering attachments," Zhang Yang said with a laugh.

"Haha! Here’s to trouble, then. I actually feel the same way," Master Wang agreed.

Zhang Yang narrowed his eyes. "I knew we were kindred spirits. Cheers."

After downing several more bowls, they both loosened up. Wang Meng laughed. "You know, hanging around me too much won’t make your life any easier."

"Hah! Who have I, Zhang Yang, ever been afraid of? Life’s too short not to enjoy it! But if you ever turn to villainy, I won’t hesitate to uphold justice myself," Zhang Yang said bluntly.

Wang Meng liked people like this—forthright, principled, and never hiding their true feelings. It’s true what they say: when drinking with a kindred spirit, a thousand cups are still too few. Master Wang had brewed a total of two jars, and just like that, they were both empty.

That guy Zhang Yang was a bottomless pit, drinking wine as if it were water.

Still, Wang Meng had met an interesting person. This gathering at the Dao Field had effectively announced his official return. The days to come were sure to be even more interesting, and Master Wang was looking forward to it.

He staggered home, only to find the place completely transformed. It wasn’t just the new furniture that was added; the key was that everything was neat and tidy, and a faint, pleasant fragrance hung in the air.

Only then did he remember that Wang Shifeng had left two servant girls for him.

"Young Master, you’re back."

The twin sisters really did look alike. One had a dimple on her left cheek, the other on her right. The sight was a bit dazzling to Wang Meng.

The two of them moved to attend to him, but Wang Meng waved them off. "I can handle my own affairs. From now on, just focus on keeping the house tidy. Oh, and as for that Old Horse, don’t pay it any mind. Let it do whatever it wants."

"We shouldn’t mind it at all?" the girl with the dimple on her left cheek asked, tilting her head.

"Haha, even if it tears the house down, you don’t need to worry about it. I don’t believe I know your names yet."

The two girls exchanged a glance. "Our names were given to us by our master."

"There’s no need for that ’master’ business. You’re free to leave or stay as you please. To make things simple, let’s call you Zuojing and Youjing."

The two sisters beamed, their twin dimples showing.

Master Wang, still in high spirits from the wine, hummed a little tune as he returned to his room. It was spotless—nothing like the pigsty it used to be.

After Wang Meng had gone, Zuojing and Youjing both heaved a huge sigh of relief.

"The master... he doesn’t seem like a bad person, does he?" said the younger sister, Youjing.

"But he has such a terrible reputation."

"Reputations aren’t always reliable. Every other man who’s seen us has stared at us with lecherous eyes. At least he didn’t."

The two sisters had been mentally prepared for the worst, but they had still prayed for divine blessing to grant them a kind master. As for his offer to let them leave, how could they dare? They had nowhere else to go. Without protection, their fate would likely be even more tragic. At least Wang Meng didn’t seem so bad.

Suddenly, a turquoise stone caught Wang Meng’s eye. It was a Jade Fire Stone, a material used in forging to enhance the fusion between other materials. On the plaque beside the stone was an engraving of the Divine Sealing Tower, and beneath it, the small number fifty-seven.

"Lord Golden Wolf, this is a Jade Fire Stone from Tower Fifty-Seven. It increases fusion by ten points. The market price is three thousand three hundred gold coins, but if you need it, I’ll charge you just two thousand eight hundred—purely the cost price."

The owner of the forging materials shop, a cultivator at the Fifth Layer of the Earth Wheel Realm, explained from the side.

Wang Meng was taken aback. A Jade Fire Stone like this would sell for at least thirty-five hundred gold coins outside. While things were a bit cheaper in the Divine Space, even at a clearance sale, it would still go for at least three thousand. Twenty-eight hundred was indeed the cost price, not earning him a single silver coin.

"Aren’t you afraid of losing money by doing business this way?"

In truth, Wang Meng didn’t need the Jade Fire Stone himself; he had just thought of Yang Qi. This would be very useful for him. Materials like this were relatively rare in the warehouse of the Wang City Divine Artifact Pavilion.