Chapter 708: Master Wang's Business Philosophy

Chapter 708: Chapter 689: Master Wang’s Business Philosophy

Wang Zongzheng didn’t try to keep him. ‘A slow bird must start its journey early, is that it?’

Compared to those formidable beings who had already achieved godhood, and measured against the Dao Laws, Master Wang was indeed like a slow bird, forced to start its journey early.

After Wang Meng left, the conversation among the four Patriarchs shifted to matters concerning the entire continent. Naturally, the first topic was the battle between the Golden Wolf and the Reincarnation Immortal Venerable. No one had ever imagined that the Golden Wolf could be so formidable, felling the Reincarnation Immortal Venerable who had reigned supreme for a century.

Legend had it that this Golden Wolf was from Great Zhou, yet no one had ever heard of such a powerful individual. It was as if he had appeared out of thin air.

Before the battle, few had shown much interest, as the chances of defeating the Reincarnation Immortal Venerable were considered virtually zero. The reality, however, was the complete opposite. The Reincarnation Immortal Venerable had been defeated and killed—and in the Reincarnation Space of Tower 76, his own domain. It was as unbelievable as a fairytale. Rumor had it that this Golden Wolf was the true master of the Yin Yang Reincarnation Power.

The Golden Wolf naturally made his name in that single battle, vaulting into the ranks of the continent’s most elite masters. And he remained just as mysterious. Now, nearly the entire continent was searching for this expert.

Wang Ang and Wang Hantian were also deeply regretful that they had not witnessed the battle. They had assumed the Golden Wolf was no match for the Reincarnation Immortal Venerable, believing it would be a fight devoid of any suspense.

“Ningzi, I heard you’ve had contact with this man?” Meng Guangru suddenly recalled.

At the mere mention of the Golden Wolf, an inexplicable warmth filled Meng Ningzhi’s heart. She nodded at the question. “My first contact with him was because of the Tenth Princess. She found him interesting and invited him to join her team for a tower challenge. He displayed great strength even then, but I truly never expected him to be *this* powerful. After that, Zhang Yang fought him once.”

“Oh, that kid Zhang Yang is the same as ever. He’s lucky he’s still alive.” The group chuckled; the outcome of that fight was obvious without even guessing. A person who could defeat the Reincarnation Immortal Venerable had reached the apex of this world. Challenging him was certainly something Zhang Yang would do.

“He was very friendly to us. If it weren’t for him last time, we might have been trapped in Tower 28. As for his fight with Zhang Yang… he completely suppressed him without even giving him a chance to make a move. I was also lucky to have his help at the Pill Immortal Alliance,” Meng Ningzhi said, doing her best to remain composed. She didn’t mention her fight alongside the Golden Wolf against the White Bone Sect. Faintly, she felt it was her own secret, one she didn’t want to share.

“Heh, it seems the rumors about him being from Great Zhou are true. He likely knew the identities of Ningzi, Zhang Yang, and the others. Still, it’s best to keep your distance. A man like that would never pick a fight with the Reincarnation Immortal Venerable just for your sake. He was probably looking for a reason to go after the Seven Extremes for a long time. I’d wager the Reincarnation Immortal Venerable was just the first, and he certainly won’t be the last.”

Mo Zixiu said. Members of the Mo Family always seemed to enjoy analyzing people’s motives. In this case, he was at least half right.

Meng Ningzhi disagreed with this assessment, but the other three Patriarchs were very much in agreement. From their perspective, a cultivator of that caliber would never act impulsively, much less start a battle of that magnitude over a junior. In the end, the Golden Wolf had not only won a resounding victory but had also obtained the Reincarnation Immortal Venerable’s Fate Grid. One could only imagine what an enviable prize that was.

Meng Ningzhi felt an instinctive urge to defend the Golden Wolf. This was unfair to him. “I don’t think he’s like that. From my interactions with him, he seems very easygoing and just does as he pleases. Besides, Ni Yong said his age should be around the same as ours.”

The entire room fell silent.

Wang Ang’s mouth fell open. “That’s impossible! Even if he started his Cultivation in the womb, there wouldn’t be enough time!”

“Some powerful Cultivators can revert to a youthful appearance, and certain Secret Techniques can also create such an impression. Ni Yong may be sensitive in this regard, but he still lacks experience.”

Wang Zongzheng said, clearly unconvinced. The other three Patriarchs didn’t believe it either.

“Some Demon Techniques are even more capable of producing such an effect. Ningzi, do not associate with this person in the future,” Meng Guangru said. Meng Ningzhi’s natural talent was exactly the kind of prize that Evil Demons coveted.

In the past, the Divine Space had the Three Major Conferences to act as a deterrent, so there were still certain rules. But an expert of the Golden Wolf’s caliber obviously wouldn’t pay any mind to such regulations. Furthermore, with his identity completely unknown, he would surely act with even more impunity.

Faced with Meng Guangru’s stare, Meng Ningzhi could only nod. But no matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t believe the Golden Wolf was an Evil Demon. It was true that some Demon Techniques could project a deceptively righteous and powerful aura, but ‘could the Golden Wolf really be using one?’

The four Patriarchs each offered some guidance to the other families’ young elites as a gesture of goodwill. Meng Ningzhi and Zhuo Meng still clearly led the pack. Zhan Yingluo lagged somewhat behind; she followed the path of Spirit Control, but the Battle Abyss Pavilion clearly had higher expectations for her, both in her Cultivation and her Spirit Control.

But as things stood, if Zhan Yingluo couldn’t ultimately carve out a place for herself, she would likely be unable to escape the fate of a marriage alliance. After all, an outstanding successor of the Zhan Family was an important bargaining chip.

Zhan Yingluo understood this as well. To be the master of her own fate, she had to prove her strength.

Zhan Yingluo hadn’t really cared before. Now it was different. She had her own plans.

What was Master Wang doing?

After the day’s events, Wang Meng felt the need to accelerate his plans. Locations in Zuojing and Youjing had already been selected; all that was left was to raise the funds.

To prevent Wang Zongzheng from constantly creating trouble for him, Wang Meng decided to take matters into his own hands and become self-sufficient.

His plan, of course, was to open his own wine shop. In Great Zhou, and indeed across the entire continent, the most famous alcohol was that of the Wine God. Nearly every connoisseur considered it an honor to drink the Wine God’s creations.

In reality, however, the Wine God had rarely produced anything in recent years. His specially brewed fine wines were hidden deep in cellars and were incredibly difficult to obtain. Despite this, the Wine God’s wine shops were still ubiquitous in Haojing, and even throughout Great Zhou.

If Master Wang wanted to be independent, he first needed to be financially independent. If it were just him, it would be simple enough; he could always manage to feed and clothe himself. But he had others to support, including the gluttonous and lazy Old Horse, who had been rapidly developing a taste for luxury ever since arriving in Haojing.

Opening a wine shop might seem easy, but in reality, it was anything but. First, one needed a good location. In a place like Haojing, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold, the funds Master Wang had on hand were, frankly, not even worth mentioning.

If he asked the Wang Family, setting aside whether they would even give him the money, he would immediately be labeled as neglecting his proper duties. It was better to handle it himself.

As things stood, it seemed Wang Zongzheng intended to use Wang Meng as a pawn in a marriage alliance.

Wang Meng needed to pick up the pace, so he invited several people over that very evening. The Bai Family’s expenses were currently exceeding their income; they needed to expand their channels and, most importantly, recruit powerful Cultivator Groups, all of which required significant initial investment. Wang Meng had reviewed Fatty Bai’s plan and thought it was excellent, so he fully supported it. This just meant the funds for his wine shop would have to be sourced from somewhere else.

Wang Meng himself had no money, but Haojing was not short on wealthy individuals.

Having been in the city for so long, Wang Meng figured he could find a few people to help.

The first to arrive was Wang Shifeng. He took one look at the small tavern and said, “Wang Meng, why a place like this? Who are you treating? Let’s go somewhere better. It’s on me.”

Wang Meng smiled. “Have a seat. We’re here to talk business today, the venue doesn’t matter. I have a few more friends on the way.”

Wang Shifeng paused, then gave a wry smile. “There goes that stubborn streak of yours again. I know you don’t like the Seventh Princess, but this attitude won’t get you anywhere. You’re better off than me now; your strength has soared. If you marry the princess, you’ll have status and position for the rest of your life. Just bear with it for a bit. Honestly, the Seventh Princess is truly beautiful. It’s really not a bad deal for you.”

Wang Shifeng knew the kid, Wang Rencai, had always been devil-may-care, but deep down, he had a stubborn and arrogant streak. The whole affair with the princess had been a huge blow to him. He and the Seventh Princess were like mortal enemies, so trying to set them up now was proving to be quite difficult.

Honestly, with the Seventh Princess’s beauty and talent, marrying her would be an incredible honor.

Wang Meng had no idea Wang Shifeng’s thoughts had traveled so far. “That’s a separate issue. Don’t get sidetracked.”

Wang Meng’s commanding presence was growing stronger by the day. Even though Wang Shifeng was his elder, he found himself unconsciously hesitant to argue with him. Wang Shifeng sighed. He was in a difficult position, caught in the middle. The Patriarch had tasked him with talking sense into Wang Meng and making this marriage happen. The problem wasn’t even with Wang Meng, but with the princess. What was needed now was for Wang Meng to take the initiative and coax the princess into a better mood.

Wasn’t that asking for the impossible?

The old Wang Rencai was difficult enough; the current Wang Meng was on another level entirely. His word was law.

Wang Shifeng complained bitterly to himself but was at a complete loss. All he could do was wait.

Wang Meng truly had no interest in the Seventh Princess. She could be as beautiful as a goddess, but ‘what did that have to do with him?’

Once this business was settled, he wouldn’t have to worry so much about his daily finances.

“Wang Meng, what is this all about? Who else is coming?” Seeing Wang Meng remain silent, Wang Shifeng was growing impatient.

“It’s a good thing, I promise,” Wang Meng said with a smile. “Have a little patience. You can’t rush a good thing.”

Wang Shifeng felt like he was being treated like a child. But it didn’t matter. His greatest strength was his attitude; these days, the capable were always given precedence.

Before long, another person arrived. Wang Shifeng recognized him, though they didn’t travel in the same circles. To be precise, Wang Shifeng was the type of person this newcomer wouldn’t give the time of day.

Zhang Yang, one of the Eight Saints.

Zhang Yang plopped down in a seat, grabbed the teapot, and started guzzling straight from the spout. “Wang Meng, what was so important you had to call me here?”

Zhang Yang completely ignored Wang Shifeng as if he were thin air. With a personality like his, there were few people he respected, and someone like Wang Shifeng was completely beneath his notice.

“Sit down. We’ll talk once everyone is here,” Wang Meng said, gesturing to a seat. Zhang Yang had no idea what Wang Meng was up to. Honestly, he had been a bit surprised to receive the invitation; the two hadn’t had much contact since they last shared a drink.

After all, Zhang Yang was busy with his Cultivation. But “a man’s character is reflected in how he drinks” was Zhang Yang’s motto, so he had come.

“Who else is coming? They’re quite the big shot, making us wait. By the way, did you go see the fight between the Golden Wolf and the Reincarnation Immortal Venerable?”

“I heard about it. Why?” Wang Meng also wanted to know others’ opinions of the Golden Wolf.

“It was exhilarating! So damn satisfying! Once I reach the Divinity Transformation Realm, I’m going to challenge every one of the Three Immortals and Five Emperors! Only then will I have truly lived!”

Zhang Yang declared. At the side, Wang Shifeng broke out in a cold sweat. ‘What’s the point of all that?’ he thought. ‘Even if you reach the Divinity Transformation Realm, you could make more friends and live a comfortable life. Why all the fighting and killing?’