Chapter 707 - 688: What’s So Great About a Princess?

In the Divine Space, the fact that Golden Wolf had slain the Reincarnation Immortal Venerable was common knowledge. But in the outside world, the news hadn’t spread so widely, limited only to the major families and a circle of powerful Cultivators.

As for Master Wang himself, he was fast asleep, snoring away for three whole days. This terrified Zuojing and Youjing, who thought something had gone wrong with their master again. However, the two young ladies discovered that their master was simply asleep. And... he was snoring incredibly loudly, sleeping soundly, and even drooling.

This was something Master Wang would vehemently deny later.

He had mostly shed his mortal habits, but who would have thought they would all come rushing back after arriving in the Middle Thousand Realm? Still... it felt great.

At night, the two young ladies took turns watching over him. But when they fell asleep, Old Horse peeked in through the window. Its gray body was emitting a soft, faint glow. The light swept over Wang Meng, and only then did Old Horse’s eyes return to normal. It grunted a few times, swished its tail, and ambled off to sleep.

’Looks like this kid is tough. He won’t be dying anytime soon.’

On the bed, Wang Meng rolled over, a slight smile on his face. A bit more drool trickled down.

With the battle against the Reincarnation Immortal Venerable over, Wang Meng was still the one who had profited the most. A little fame meant nothing to him, but the fact that his Seed of Fate Grid had been greatly replenished brought him immense joy.

It was clear that the once-stubborn Life Seed had indeed changed after a few days of nourishment. It now felt vibrant, as if ready to burst with life. The Reincarnation Immortal Venerable’s Fate Grid had served its purpose. After all, he was a top-tier figure in this world; even if the Life Seed was greedy, it should at least show some results.

However, having experienced the level of one of the Seven Extremes, Wang Meng decided to lie low for the time being. It would be safer to wait until his True Essence rose another level. Although the Reincarnation Immortal Venerable was called the Leader of the Seven Extremes, his level of idiocy was also at the top. He was far too narrow-minded. If it had been the White Bone Sect Leader, the fight would have certainly been much harder. For one thing, that man would never agree to a straightforward one-on-one duel. Moreover, Wang Meng highly suspected that the one who launched the sneak attack at the end was the White Bone Sect Leader himself.

Although the Divine Space was currently bustling with activity as everyone searched for and inquired about Golden Wolf, his name was on almost everyone’s lips. Anyone even slightly related to him had become a hot topic, yet all of this seemed to have nothing to do with Master Wang.

Lately, Wang Meng had been keeping a low profile and training diligently.

His relationship with Zhan Yingluo had indeed grown a little closer. Whenever things got difficult, her gentleness always managed to make him feel less alone. For Wang Meng, romantic feelings were a distant concern, but there was no doubt she was a friend.

It wasn’t that Wang Meng didn’t understand Zhan Yingluo’s feelings, but he was very clear about his own situation. And unlike before, he now knew his own heart.

His goals were all focused on improvement: to reunite with his brothers in the Divine Realm, to lead a hundred thousand banners in a war against the Divine Realm, and to have a fair and square battle with Mingren.

This was what Wang Meng truly desired.

However, many things were difficult to avoid.

The Zhan Family and the Wang Family did have a good relationship. Furthermore, under the current circumstances in Haojing, the Yuan Family was growing increasingly powerful. Although the Fire Emperor didn’t meddle much in worldly affairs, the problem was that no matter how aloof he acted, he was still a member of the Yuan Family and would naturally be biased. The Wang Family needed the Zhan Family, and they even needed to improve their relationship with the Meng Family.

If the Wang and Meng families had little interaction before, they now had a foundation of mutual interest. In fact, the Meng Family Head was also leaning in this direction.

There are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests. Wang Meng wanted peace, but he was, after all, a member of the Wang Family. Sometimes, what was bound to happen would happen.

The Wang, Meng, Zhan, and Mo families gathered together. The patriarchs of the four families, along with representatives of the younger generation, were all present. This was, in itself, sending a signal.

People like Wang Shifeng were not qualified to attend such an occasion.

Clearly, the elders of the four families hoped to start with the relationships of the younger generation, as being too obvious on the surface was not appropriate.

Wang Zongzheng, Meng Guangru, Zhan Yuange, and Mo Zixiu were all old acquaintances—figures who could influence the entire Great Zhou. This was the first time in many years the four had gathered privately, a clear sign they all felt the pressure from the Yuan Family.

As for the younger generation, Wang Ang, Wang Hantian, Wang Meng, and Zhuo Meng were naturally the Wang Family’s representatives. The Wang Family had initiated this gathering, mainly to improve relations among the major powers.

Meng Guangru had only brought Meng Ningzhi. Meng Ningzhi held great authority in the Meng Family. Among the younger generation, Meng Guangru favored only her. Despite being a woman, her intelligence and presence made her a standout among her peers, even among the Eight Saints.

Zhan Yuange naturally brought Zhan Yingluo; their two families had much in common. The Mo Family brought Mo Chengkong. Mo Chengkong really didn’t want to come, but it wasn’t up to him. In this kind of high-level decision-making, he was just a small fry.

After Wang Meng’s performance at the Royal Dao Field, Mo Chengkong had expected him to use the momentum to cause a stir. Instead, he had strangely fallen silent.

Mo Chengkong had been a bit apprehensive, but then a thought occurred to him. ’Even if Wang Meng is back, his life probably isn’t easy. Here in Haojing, he has to be even more cautious. Otherwise, all his past troubles will resurface. Plenty of people have held grudges against him for a long time. And with the Yuan Family being so powerful, he has to be extra careful.’ Thinking this, Mo Chengkong’s confidence returned.

Arriving at the Wang Family estate, Mo Chengkong was all smiles and chatter, showing none of the frustration he’d felt recently. In such settings, Wang Meng always seemed out of place.

The four patriarchs chatted amiably, making small talk, but their real focus was on the younger generation.

Wang Ang and the others tried their best to make a good impression. After all, they were in the presence of Meng Ningzhi and Zhan Yingluo. In Haojing, any man who could win the favor of either of these two would not only win a beautiful bride but also see his status completely transformed.

Women were another battlefield for men.

They had to do their best to perform in these private gatherings to leave a good impression on the beautiful ladies.

Wang Meng, however, remained silent, wondering inwardly, ’Can this bullshit be over soon?’

’A family isn’t formed just because of a name.’ He felt no sense of belonging here.

"Brother Zongzheng," Mo Zixiu suddenly said with a smile, "Young Wang Meng can be considered a prodigal son returned. His performance in Wang City truly astounded us. And he’s not so young anymore. Perhaps it’s time to revisit that agreement from back then?"

The topic abruptly shifted to the silent Master Wang.

The hearts of the young people present skipped a beat. ’What agreement? Could it be a marriage contract?’

Wang Meng’s heart also skipped a beat. He could come up with a pile of excuses if he wanted to, like how Wang Ang was older and should be first. But Master Wang felt no attachment to them at all; he couldn’t even be bothered to use them as an excuse.

Meng Guangru also laughed. "Zongzheng, Wang Meng has truly changed. He performed so excellently in Wang City, and upon returning to Haojing, I hear he earned endless praise from Han Chuxue. I think it’s time we talked about that matter from the past. I believe those two children are fated to be together."

"Hehe, there’s some truth to that. Don’t people say that bickering lovers are the most passionate? How can you become lovers if you don’t fight and argue?" Zhan Yuange laughed as well.

Apparently, the four patriarchs all knew what was going on, leaving only the group of youngsters in the dark. Each of them was feeling a little anxious.

Zhan Yingluo was a little hopeful and a little nervous. ’A family marriage alliance? It obviously involves Wang Meng... but who could it be?’

Meng Ningzhi, on the other hand, was a bit stunned. ’This couldn’t possibly have anything to do with me, could it?’

If it really did involve her, the very thought made Meng Ningzhi frown slightly.

Neither Wang Ang nor Wang Hantian gave it much thought. Given Wang Meng’s past reputation, they figured it couldn’t be a match with any decent family.

Wang Zongzheng smiled. "His Majesty the Emperor has also spoken to me about this. It’s fine for young people to be mischievous and make some mistakes, as long as they can correct them. In fact, I wanted to talk to everyone about this matter today."

Master Wang had a very bad feeling about this.

Wang Zongzheng looked at Wang Meng with a beaming smile. This was also related to family tradition; the patriarch’s eldest son typically could not marry into the Royal Family. The opportunity would thus fall to someone else.

"Wang Meng, His Majesty is quite pleased with you now, so he is prepared to honor the previous marriage agreement between you and the Seventh Princess. You must conduct yourself well. If this comes to pass, you can resolve the past misunderstandings between you two."

As soon as Wang Zongzheng said this, everyone was dumbfounded.

Wang Ang and Wang Hantian were overcome with envy, jealousy, and hatred. It was like seeing a ghost. ’This punk gets to marry a princess?’

’Pigs might as well fly.’

Wang Ang and Wang Hantian had a stomachful of things they wanted to say, but Wang Ang couldn’t speak up. Wang Hantian, however, couldn’t hold it in.

"Patriarch, how can Wang Meng possibly be worthy of the Seventh Princess? Isn’t this a disgrace to our Wang Family?!"

Wang Ang didn’t have time to stop him. It was one thing to say such things behind closed doors, but how could he expose their family’s dirty laundry in public?

Wang Zongzheng shot Wang Hantian a cool glance. This was precisely why he had a low opinion of Wang Hantian—he was far too immature.

The three other patriarchs present were all old foxes; none of their expressions changed.

"Let bygones be bygones. The princess has the magnanimity of the Royal Family, and His Majesty is pleased with your transformation. He was the one who brought this up. Wang Meng, what are your thoughts?"

Wang Zongzheng asked. In truth, he was using this matter to convey a message: the Royal Family was also becoming wary of the Yuan Family. Anyone who still got too close to the Yuan Family would clearly be asking for trouble.

Wang Meng gave a faint smile and stood up. "Patriarch, there are indeed many problems between the Seventh Princess and me. I am grateful for His Majesty’s favor, but the Seventh Princess should choose a more outstanding man. In fact, there are many excellent choices right here."

Everyone was stunned. They had imagined all sorts of responses, but no one had expected Wang Meng to actually refuse.

Wang Zongzheng, however, laughed. "The fact that you can say this just shows you’ve matured. Very good. You don’t need to worry about that part. His Majesty will speak with the princess himself. You just wait for the news."

He waved his hand, signaling Wang Meng to sit down. Master Wang was speechless. ’That works too? It seems I didn’t even have to do anything.’

But on second thought, ’given the Seventh Princess’s temper and her anger toward me, this matter will naturally resolve itself without me having to worry about it.’

Meng Ningzhi didn’t have strong feelings about Wang Meng, though his change was indeed quite significant. Zhan Yingluo, however, had been anxious, and only felt a little calmer after hearing Wang Meng’s words.

"Hehe, if this marriage comes to be, it will be a wonderful story. Wang Meng, you must work hard!"

As an elder, Zhan Yuange also offered his advice. The Zhan and Wang families rose and fell together, so he hoped Wang Meng could contribute. Besides, he really didn’t want Wang Meng and Zhan Yingluo to become more involved.

In truth, Master Wang was still the one nobody wanted.

Wang Meng had no interest in staying any longer. He stood up, excused himself, and gave the reason of needing to cultivate. After all, the clumsy bird must start flying early.

(To be continued.