Chapter 601 - 582: A Preemptive Strike

Master Wang had gained an epiphany from the art of Borrowing Spirit: borrow, but don’t return.

"Little Round Mountain... Yuan Mountain. What auspicious names."

Now that he had found his target, Wang Meng was in no hurry. He sat down cross-legged to one side, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, silently enjoying the cool mountain breeze.

Wan’Er was a fast cook, as if she’d specifically trained for it. Before long, her call came from a distance, "Young Master, it’s time to eat!"

Wang Meng walked over. A clean, woven floral mat had been spread on the grass, laden with all sorts of exquisite food.

About ten feet away, Wan’Er was still grilling various meats on a rack—wild rabbit and fish, all of which she had caught herself while playing around on their way up the mountain.

Under Wan’Er’s expectant gaze, Wang Meng began to eat.

"Delicious! Wan’Er, you’re a master chef! Is this still fish? Why does it taste like dragon meat?"

"Young Master, you’re teasing me! How could anyone possibly eat dragon meat!"

"Hehe, I’m not teasing you about this." Wang Meng smiled. "This is exactly what dragon meat tastes like. You try some!"

"No way..." Wan’Er was still skeptical. She took a bite. It was indeed a little tastier than her usual cooking, but not so much that it could be praised as being like dragon meat.

"You two little ones are going to be the death of me. If you’re going to have a rendezvous, couldn’t you at least find a place with beautiful scenery? What are you doing out here?"

As he spoke, a red-faced old man came staggering over from not far away. His nose twitched a few times. "Smells wonderful! I wonder if you could spare a little for this old man?"

Wan’Er looked at Wang Meng, who smiled and nodded. The girl immediately ran over. "Grandpa, come on over! I’ll get you something fresh."

The old man looked around. "Eh? Where’s a grandpa? I’m a young man... At most, I’m an uncle."

The old man said with a grin, taking out a small, exquisite jar. "I don’t freeload. I have some fine wine here."

"To meet is destiny. Senior, please, don’t be so formal."

"This kid may look like he’s overindulged in wine and women, but he sure knows how to talk. Little girl, you’d better be careful."

The old man sized up Wang Meng. He was smiling, but his words were anything but polite.

Before Wang Meng could say anything, Wan’Er got upset. She stomped her foot. "Sir... Uncle, don’t talk nonsense! My Young Master is a good person!"

"Is that so? Bringing you out to the middle of nowhere... You don’t see many ’good people’ like that."

Clearly, no matter how well a certain someone behaved, he couldn’t "deceive" such sharp, old eyes.

Ever since Master Wang arrived in the Middle Thousand Realm, being mistaken for a lecherous Demon had become a daily occurrence. How was the Master of Star Alliance, who once dominated the world, supposed to endure this? He... Wang Meng... did he even *need* to be lecherous?

’A tiger stranded on the plains, a dragon trapped in shallow waters’—the proverbs might as well have been tailor-made for him.

Wang Meng couldn’t explain. Although he had been recuperating recently, Wang Rencai’s body had been depleted for more than a day or two. For now, it had only slightly improved.

"Wan’Er, what this senior said isn’t entirely wrong. It’s fine," Wang Meng said with a smile.

The old man was taken aback for a moment. "Ah, a little lecher with some guts. Looks like this is a case of ’one is willing to hit, the other is willing to be hit.’ I guess I was being nosy. Still, I’d advise you two to find another spot for your rendezvous. This place isn’t safe, and there’s going to be trouble here in a little while."

"Hehe, you don’t seem to be in a hurry, Senior. Why not sit down and have a bite? Besides, I’m very interested in your wine."

Wang Meng said. Though the jar was still sealed, his craving for alcohol was already stirring. He had caught a whiff of its aroma. ’Wine and meat pass through the gut...’ He remembered the exhilarating days of drinking and fighting alongside his brothers. Now he was all alone, unable to even find a drinking companion.

"Oh? Kid, I didn’t take you for a connoisseur. Fine, there’s still a little time."

The old man was an easygoing person. He sat down with a grin, opened the small jar, poured two cups, and then quickly and preciously sealed it again before stowing it in his Qiankun Bag.

Wang Meng didn’t stand on ceremony. He took a sniff. "It’s really not bad."

Hearing this, the old man across from him grew displeased. "What do you mean, ’not bad’? Kid, do you have any taste? This is one of a kind in the entire Great Zhou! It’s from the Wine God’s personal stock. You think just anyone can drink this?"

Wang Meng took a small sip, savored it, and smiled faintly. It was indeed a fine wine. Among all the wines he had ever tasted, its quality could rank in the top ten, but it was still a ways off from the very best.

"Senior, this wine has been aged for about twenty years. It’s a good wine, but it was opened a bit too hastily. The flavor is just a tiny bit off."

The old man across from him was stunned. He looked Wang Meng up and down. "Damn, what’s your background, kid? You can tell all that just by tasting it?"

"Hehe, a lucky guess. I studied it a bit in the past." ’Back when he was researching ascension, Wang Meng had also specifically studied winemaking. What was even more ridiculous was that he had used the Qiankun Dragon Roar Moon God Statue to accelerate the flow of time, brewing a ’Drunkenness for the Ages’ that was the best in the world!’

"Haha, looks like I misjudged you. So you’re one to get yourself drunk, eh? Still, young brother, youth is youth, but your health is still important."

The old man winked. It seemed he wasn’t such an old stick-in-the-mud.

"Here, eat up, eat up!!!" Wan’Er unhappily placed the prepared food in front of the old man.

"Haha, the little girl is displeased. Alright, alright, I’ll pretend I didn’t say anything."

Wan’Er was the type to forget her troubles easily, and the old man was humorous. The pleasant lunch soon came to an end. The old man wasn’t too stingy, either. Though it clearly pained him, he still poured a few more cups.

’When drinking with a true friend, a thousand cups are too few,’ but Master Wang was not one to overindulge.

After they finished eating, the old man stood up and patted his rear. "You two are too weak. You should leave quickly. Something is about to happen here."

"Thank you, Senior. We’ll pack up and leave in a moment."

The old man nodded and, humming an unknown tune, sauntered into the woods.

"Young Master, you’re just too kind-hearted. If it were me, I definitely wouldn’t have let him eat."

’Who knew the little girl was so protective.’

"Mm, Wan’Er, you should head back first. I have something to take care of, but I’ll leave in a bit."

Wang Meng said. ’Considering the safety issue, it’s better to have Wan’Er leave first.’

"No, Young Master! I have to protect you!"

Master Wang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He coughed dryly a few times. "Well, actually, I need to use the bathroom. You should go on ahead. I’m a coward, so I’ll definitely hurry to catch up with you."

Wan’Er’s face instantly turned beet red. She quickly lowered her head, gathered her things, and vanished in a flash.

Wang Meng smiled. ’Ah, youth. The little girl is so easy to fool. If it were Cheng Cheng, she would have seen right through it.’

His Heart Spirit gradually spread out. Wang Meng walked into the woods, the Demon-Binding Rope ready in his hand.

No matter how agile a Spirit Beast was, or how skilled it was at hiding, it could not escape Wang Meng’s Heart Spirit. Soon, he discovered the Spirit Beast’s true form.

A fiery red rabbit... The little creature was incredibly vigilant, with exceptionally long ears. Its Five Elements Flame was remarkably pure.

As his Heart Spirit swept over, the Fire Rabbit also looked around warily, its eyes filled with confusion.

Suddenly, a warning flared in its mind. The Fire Rabbit erupted in flames, its gentle form swelling into something terrifyingly monstrous. Its two large teeth became massive fangs, and it was about to pounce, but coils of the Demon-Binding Rope descended from the sky, binding it tightly with perfect precision.

Only then did Master Wang’s figure appear, sauntering into view. ’Sigh, even catching a rabbit is so much work these days.’

The Demon-Binding Rope that Wang Meng had re-forged was clearly enhanced with a stronger binding function. He had also integrated a bit of his Heart Spirit into it, making its suppressive effect extraordinary.

The Fire Rabbit’s combat state was quickly suppressed. After a moment, it lowered its head and looked at Wang Meng with a whimper.

Wang Meng smiled. "There, there. It’s alright."

Tossing the Fire Rabbit into his Qiankun Bag, Master Wang sauntered away. He still had many things to do.

While Master Wang was taking his leisurely leave, deep in the forest, an old man was pacing from one end to the other, walking in endless circles.

"Impossible! I laid down a formation; there’s no way that thing could have escaped. Where did it go? Don’t tell me it could fly?"

The old man was a bit embarrassed. This was a huge loss of face. He had promised to get a Fifth Transformation Fire Rabbit as a gift.

’No, that’s not right. These little things are extremely cunning. It must be hiding. I have to find it!’

’Could it have been that man and woman?’

’Impossible. They looked like amateurs. Besides, even a disciple of the Spirit Control Association couldn’t catch such a cunning little creature. If there had been any disturbance, I would have sensed it. The person who could silently capture a Fifth Transformation Fire Rabbit has yet to be born in Wang City.’

And so, the stubborn old man began to tirelessly wander through the woods...

As soon as Wan’Er returned, she was summoned by Jiang Biyao. Her birthday was fast approaching, and she was being cautious, afraid that "the other party" might cause some trouble. Basically, she planned to execute her plan to drive Wang Meng away at the birthday banquet. Of course, she was calling it "retreating in the face of difficulties."

"Just sightseeing, eating, and drinking? Nothing else?" Listening to Wan’Er’s report, Jiang Biyao was a little incredulous. ’Has that guy changed his ways?’

"Did he make a move on you? People like him always promise a sweet future. Wan’Er, if he said anything to you, you must tell me!"

Wan’Er paused, then dejectedly shook her head. She didn’t understand why her lady believed the rumors. Over the past few days, Wan’Er had come to see Wang Meng as the most polite, approachable, and good-tempered person she had ever met. How could he be a bad person?

’Bullying men and tyrannizing women? She couldn’t imagine it. But she couldn’t disobey her lady’s words.’

"Forget it. Just be careful yourself." Jiang Biyao rubbed her temples. To be honest, she wasn’t that concerned about a mere servant girl. "There’s a boat party tonight. Come with me. You can help me with my hair in a bit."

Wan’Er blinked. "Yes, my lady... but, could I deliver the Young Master’s meal first?"

"Go on. Go and come back quickly, and don’t pay him any mind!" Jiang Biyao waved her hand dismissively. Zhe Wulei and Wu Yuan both knew about the situation. In truth, Jiang Biyao was quite satisfied with both of them. This incident had also put an end to the Jiang Family’s thoughts of a marriage alliance with Haojing. Jiang Biyao would have to choose carefully between these two men.

Wang Meng ate the dinner Wan’Er brought over. Today’s portion was especially large.

"Young Master, actually, my lady has many suitors. But there are only two who are particularly impressive... Zhe Wulei and Wu Yuan."

"Oh? Isn’t that great? It means your lady is charming." Wang Meng was stuffing his face. Man is made of iron, and food is steel; this small body of his got hungry at the drop of a hat.

(I’m so hungry! Asking for monthly tickets! The date for the ’Day Day Up’ appearance is set for the 22nd, next Friday ^_^)(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.)