Chapter 609 - 590: A Hidden Master

Kun Yaoyang was caught off guard. He hadn’t expected this degenerate of the Wang Family to have lost even the last shred of his pride. ’What a hopeless piece of trash.’

"Brother Wang, as a man, I’m truly embarrassed for you. Someone stole your fiancée and broke your engagement. If I were you, I’d fight to the death to get some justice!"

At Kun Yaoyang’s words, the expression on everyone’s face changed.

Zhe Wulei chuckled coldly. "Brother Kun, if you’re here to stir up trouble, the Jiang Family, as the hosts, would be too embarrassed to kick you out. But I don’t mind meddling."

"Oh? Already acting like the Jiang Family’s son-in-law, are we? Brother Wang himself hasn’t even said a thing."

At his side, Wan’Er gritted her teeth, desperately wanting to land a few punches on Kun Yaoyang.

In reality, Wang Meng was an outsider to the whole affair, so there was no question of him getting angry. In his eyes, a minor character like Kun Yaoyang was no different from an ant.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Gentlemen, I have no further designs on Jiang Biyao. If you all have the energy for this, feel free to sort it out amongst yourselves. Could you just let me finish my meal?"

Wang Meng didn’t care what they thought. ’Such a hassle. This drama is never-ending.’

Hearing Wang Meng’s arrogant tone, the young men’s expressions shifted slightly, but none of them lashed out. This Wang Rencai wasn’t the focus here, and no one wanted to waste energy on him.

"Chairman Yang of the Wang City Divine Artifact Pavilion is here~~~"

This was a sign of immense respect. Yang Qi had received a personal invitation from Jiang Shiqing, and both Jiang Shiqing and Zhe Tiange came out to greet him personally. There was no room for putting on airs in front of such a person.

Pang Hong followed behind, carrying a large gift box like an attendant. In truth, Pang Hong was a proud man himself, but this wasn’t the place to show it. Looking at Zhe Wulei, Wu Yuan, and the others, he couldn’t help but feel a little resentful.

As Yang Qi and Jiang Shiqing exchanged pleasantries, Wu Yuan and the others all came forward to pay their respects. Even Kun Yaoyang reined in his temper. Every chairman was a core member of the Divine Artifact Pavilion, and no one wanted to offend one of these Masters.

Pang Hong didn’t want to watch them, so he let his gaze wander. And then, in a corner...

Pang Hong rubbed his eyes hard. ’...It’s really... It’s really him!!!’

THUD...

The gift box he was holding crashed to the floor. Yang Qi’s eyes shot wide. "Have you not eaten today?!"

"N-no, it’s not that, Master! Master... That Master..."

Pang Hong’s trembling hand pointed toward Wang Meng, who was feasting away in the corner. If not for having already promised to attend, Yang Qi wouldn’t have even been willing to step out of his Artifact Refining Room.

"What!"

Yang Qi spun around. "Where!"

"I-It’s him!"

Yang Qi immediately shot over like a bolt of lightning, just as Jiang Biyao and Muhe Xiaoyu were preparing to come over.

Wang Meng was still eating when Yang Qi charged right up to his table. Wan’Er, standing beside him, shot to her feet. She knew this ill-tempered old man was someone even her Patriarch had to respect. She quickly nudged Wang Meng with her foot and whispered, "Young Master, Young Master."

"Haha, Master Wang Meng! It’s not easy to get a meeting with you! I am Yang Qi of the Wang City Divine Artifact Pavilion."

The entire hall instantly fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was stunned by Yang Qi’s behavior.

Jiang Biyao’s mouth hung open, while Muhe Xiaoyu at her side staggered slightly, her face a mask of disbelief.

’...It’s actually him...’

Wang Meng, his hands greasy from the food, wiped them on his clothes. "Senior, you’re too kind. My name is Wang Meng. As for being a ’Master,’ there must be some misunderstanding."

"Haha, Master Wang, a true master never reveals his skills! This subordinate of mine was blind and failed to recognize your greatness. Please don’t take offense. Pang Hong, what are you waiting for? Apologize!"

Pang Hong shuffled over, trembling. "Master, I’m sorry, it was all my fault, I..."

Just as he was about to fall to his knees, Wang Meng made a small gesture, stopping him.

"Brother Pang, what are you saying? I should be thanking you for your help."

Yang Qi was filled with admiration. ’To be so capable, yet so humble... you’d never find a second person like him in all of Wang City.’

"I wonder, Younger Brother Wang, which school of artifact refining do you belong to? It doesn’t seem you’re a member of our Divine Artifact Pavilion."

Wang Meng smiled. "I’m just self-taught. I have indeed never joined the Divine Artifact Pavilion."

Yang Qi beamed. "Younger Brother Wang, as long as you’re willing to join, the position of Vice-Chairman of the Wang City Divine Artifact Pavilion is yours!"

Wang Meng was exasperated. He had no interest in that kind of position.

"Chairman Luo of the Spirit Control Association is here~~~"

"Ah, Younger Brother Wang, just a moment. My old rival is here. I’ll go deal with him first!"

Finding Wang Meng had truly made Yang Qi ecstatic.

Everyone who knew of Wang Meng was petrified, including Wan’Er at his side. ’A man whom even the Patriarch must respect is calling the Young Master his brother?’

’And it looks like the Young Master isn’t even that interested!’

"Luo Shan, you rascal! Why’d you show up later than me? Trying to act all high and mighty?"

Yang Qi was obviously trying to pick a fight. The people of Wang City were used to it by now; it would be stranger if the two of them *didn’t* bicker when they were together.

Luo Shan ignored Yang Qi. "My dear niece," he said to Jiang Biyao, "my apologies. There was a little problem with the gift I had originally prepared for you, so I had to bring something else."

"You honor me too much, Chairman Luo. Your presence alone is more than enough."

"Luo Shan, what happened? Did you screw up something simple? How embarrassing! Can’t even follow through on a promise!"

Even the good-tempered Luo Shan couldn’t take Yang Qi’s needling. "Old Yang, today is our dear niece’s birthday, and I can’t be bothered to argue with you. If you’ve got a problem, we can pick another day to see who’s superior!"

These two chairmen were not just Masters; they were also two of the few Earth Wheel Realm experts in Wang City.

"Seniors, for my sake, please don’t fight," Jiang Biyao interjected. "Today is a happy occasion, and Little Yu just returned as well."

"That’s right, please stop arguing, Chairmen."

"U-Uncle... Brother Wang is here too," Wu Xueyou said, tugging on Luo Shan’s sleeve.

Muhe Xiaoyu had been uncertain before, thinking there was only a vague resemblance. But hearing Wu Xueyou confirm it, she realized it really was him.

"Oh, Old Yang, I’m in a good mood today," Luo Shan declared. "I don’t have time to waste on your nonsense."

With that, he strode right up to Wang Meng, interrupting Master Wang’s meal yet again.

"Brother Wang, do you remember me? This is my master, Chairman Luo."

"Little friend! Haha, we meet again! See? I told you we were fated to meet!"

"Heh, I still remember that wine of yours, Senior."

"Haha, you truly are a hidden master! So, the Fire Rabbit I planned to gift to our dear niece was captured by you!"

Wang Meng smiled. "Oh, you needed it, Senior? Then you can have it back. I don’t really have a use for it."

"Now you’re just making me look bad. A gift from you is better than a gift from me. But that’s not the point! Join my Spirit Control Association! I guarantee you can shake the very foundations of the Great Zhou!"

"Old Ghost Luo, have you no shame?!" Yang Qi shouted. "He is the Vice-Chairman of my Divine Artifact Pavilion! You want him to go to your association just to be a regular member? The nerve!"

’Sworn rivals, indeed. The bastard is trying to poach someone right from under my nose! This is the last straw!’

Luo Shan froze, not expecting Yang Qi to suddenly interfere again.

"Looks like we’ll have to settle this once and for all," Luo Shan said, "to save ourselves the trouble later!"

"I’ve been waiting for you to say that! Let’s go! We’ll settle this one-on-one outside!"

The two old men had incredibly short fuses. With a burst of True Essence, they flew out of the hall.

Wang Meng shrugged, sat back down, and went on eating, as if the whole affair had nothing to do with him.

Wan’Er’s jaw dropped. Now she finally understood just how amazing her Young Master truly was.

Jiang Biyao couldn’t believe her eyes. ’How is this possible?’ She had found out about Wang Meng’s whereabouts from Wan’Er, but... ’This is absolutely impossible!’

The Jiang brothers and the others were completely dumbfounded. ’How could something like this be happening?’

They’d never heard that Wang Rencai possessed such talent. If he did, there was no way he could be considered trash!

’And why did he change his name to Wang Meng?’

Muhe Xiaoyu didn’t approach him. ’Is this person really the infamous Wang Rencai?’

’He does look a bit like he overindulges in wine and women, but... my intuition tells me it’s unlikely he’s the kind of person to do the things I’ve heard about in the rumors.’

’Is this all just a coincidence?’

Jiang Biyao was also completely bewildered by what was happening.

Wang Meng had no intention of explaining anything, and even less of paying them any mind. He was just an outsider. Although the banquet resumed, the hall was now filled with a strange atmosphere.

From start to finish, Wang Meng remained polite but distant, showing no sign of having any interest in Jiang Biyao whatsoever.

Muhe Xiaoyu had been observing Wang Meng ever since he was revealed. The "Wang Meng" she’d heard about was supposed to be a brainless lecher who would pounce on any beautiful woman in sight, completely devoid of any talent.

’They say the great families are rife with schemes. Could it be that Wang Meng was just putting on an act back in Haojing?’

After all, neither Artifact Refining nor Spirit Control were skills one could master overnight.

And yet, everyone in Haojing knew him as a lawless, profligate silk-pants.

Yet the Wang Meng that Muhe Xiaoyu saw before her was composed and self-assured.

’Which one is the real him?’

The formalities of the banquet proceeded, with guests offering their congratulations. After Luo Shan’s comment, Wang Meng went ahead and gave the rabbit to Jiang Biyao as a gift. Since he was enjoying their food and drink, it was only right to offer something in return.

A Fourth-Grade Fire Rabbit, and rumor had it that Wang Meng had caught it himself. The ring it came in, while having a rather unique design, was apparently forged by Wang Meng himself—a Master Level creation, according to Pang Hong.

How many Artifact Refining Masters were there in the entire Great Zhou?

The gazes everyone directed at Wang Meng were somewhat dazed. Jiang Biyao had no choice but to accept the gift, even though this ring... carried a rather rich meaning.

"Sister Jiang," Muhe Xiaoyu said, "don’t underestimate this Spirit Containing Artifact just because it looks unassuming. It is absolutely a Master’s work. In Wang City, aside from Master Yang, I’m afraid only Brother Wang is capable of making it."

Muhe Xiaoyu had handled the ring while sealing the rabbit inside it. She had been puzzled then by its incredibly high quality, which was at odds with its bizarre appearance. It didn’t look like something Master Yang would make. ’To think it was... his creation... How can one person master both Artifact Refining and Spirit Control?’

’In the entire Great Zhou, you could count the number of people capable of such a feat on one hand, and not a single one of them is this young!’

At first, everyone had looked at Wang Meng with a sense of gloating, finding a measure of dignity and satisfaction in his supposed failure. But in an instant, that had all been turned on its head.

This psychological shift was for the others to experience; Wang Meng himself felt nothing. His time in the Small Thousand Realm had made him far more mature than anyone here. Trivial matters like this couldn’t possibly shake his Dao Heart.

The Celestial Dao is indifferent; all paths lead to the same destination. There was some truth to this. The higher one’s Cultivation, the more detached one becomes from worldly affairs.

After the exchange, Wang Meng returned to his corner. Jiang Shiqing was left in an awkward position, unsure whether to invite him over or leave him be. He knew that with the status of men like Yang Qi and Luo Shan, they would never put on an act for someone like Wang Rencai.

’What in the world is going on?’ He was getting completely confused. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)