Ma Wanliang’s silver tongue was honed to perfection, and he bombarded Zhao Ya with one sweet phrase after another. But the disciples of the Zhao Family were all masters of deflection. They advanced and retreated with perfect timing, skillfully stringing him along. Ma Wanliang grew impatient, but he didn’t dare make a reckless move.
Through this, Zhao Ya naturally learned a few things she wanted to know. ’It seems Ancestor Master Ma is trying to poach soone,’ she thought. ’But Ma Wanliang clearly doesn’t understand the situation; he thinks Wang ng is so nobody he can summon and dismiss at will.’
Ma Wanliang waited for a while before the ssenger disciple returned, alone.
"Where’s Wang ng?"
"Reporting to Elder Zhao, Junior Brother Wang is in closed-door cultivation..."
BAM!
Ma Wanliang slamd his fist on the table. "Closed-door cultivation? Cultivation my ass! Tell him to get his ass over here, now!"
Ma Wanliang’s back-and-forth with Zhao Ya had already left him seething. He wasn’t in a good mood to begin with, and now this Wang ng was putting on airs. A disciple who had joined less than three years ago actually had the gall to talk about being in closed-door cultivation.
The disciple stared blankly at Zhao Ya. "Go on. Deliver Elder Ma’s ssage."
Zhao Ya said it lightly. Her words were quite clever, making it clear this was Elder Ma’s command.
"Sister, forgive for being blunt, but you’re too rciful. If I were in charge of the Thunderlight Hall, I’d give any disciple who doesn’t understand hierarchy a hundred lashes, no questions asked!"
Ma Wanliang said with an air of arrogance.
Zhao Ya sighed softly. "I can’t escape the bla for the Thunderlight Hall’s current state."
"Heh, I’m not blaming you, Sister. That fellow Xu Huang just took off, leaving you with this ss. It’s got nothing to do with you. If it were , I would’ve just abandoned it."
Ma Wanliang said with disdain. The Thunderlight Hall was completely useless, yet it took up so many cultivation resources every year. It would be better to give those resources to the Ma Family’s Beast Hall than to these wastes of space.
Zhao Ya rely smiled without saying a word. ’Ma Wanliang is far too arrogant,’ she thought. ’Sooner or later, he’s going to run into a brick wall.’
After another mont, just before Ma Wanliang could explode, the ssenger disciple hurried back. Still alone.
"Where’s Wang ng?"
"Reporting to Elder Ma, Junior Brother Wang is in seclusion. He said that if it’s not urgent, he’ll co see you when he’s done. If it is urgent, you can go find him."
Instantly, Ma Wanliang’s eyes blazed with fire. ’Insubordination! Utter insubordination! Soone actually dares to challenge !’
"It looks like if I don’t teach this little bastard a lesson, he’ll never learn the rules of the Holy Hall!" Ma Wanliang said in a grim voice. "Where is he!"
The terrified ssenger disciple glanced at Zhao Ya. Zhao Ya nodded slightly. "Junior Brother Wang is in a thatched hut near the Spirit Fields at the foot of the mountain..."
Before her voice had even faded, Ma Wanliang was gone, streaking away with a howl. The disciple, who had been cowering on the ground, hardly daring to breathe, suddenly relaxed.
Zhao Ya watched Ma Wanliang’s retreating figure and smiled faintly.
"Well done. Go inform Elder Wang Bodang and Elder Wan Jing."
"Yes."
The ssenger disciple’s voice beca steady and respectful, as if he were a completely different person from a mont ago.
Ma Wanliang was about to explode with rage. Ever since he beca an Elder, who didn’t show him so respect? This was the first ti he’d been slighted by a re disciple. It was unheard of!
Ma Wanliang’s usual thod for dealing with disciples who let a little talent go to their heads was to give them a brutal dose of reality, making them understand their true worth and station.
However, it still took Ma Wanliang so effort to find the thatched hut where Wang ng was staying.
"You little bastard nad Wang ng, get the hell out here for this Elder!"
Ma Wanliang’s voice thundered, shaking the heavens. He had no intention of wasting words. As soon as he saw Wang ng, he would beat him half to death to make him understand a disciple’s duty.
The hut creaked open, and a head poked out. "Who’s the ill-bred dog barking out here?"
Zhou Feng walked out. He’d only dared to return after getting permission from his Ancestral Master. Seeing that Wang ng was in seclusion, Zhou Feng hadn’t disturbed him. His desire to protect Wang ng was genuine; it wasn’t for the sake of the Zhou Family, but for the Holy Hall, and even for his own dream as a Pill Cultivator.
Ma Wanliang was on the verge of exploding, but when he saw who it was, he was stunned. It was Zhou Feng.
It had to be said, Ma Wanliang was quite sothing. Despite being so enraged, he managed to squeeze out a smile. "Well, look who it is. If it isn’t Brother Zhou. I’m here looking for a little punk nad Wang ng. I didn’t an to disturb your quiet cultivation, Brother."
If it had been any other Elder, Ma Wanliang would have steamrolled them all the sa. But Zhou Feng was different. This kid was the primary heir to Ancestor Master Zhou. Pill Cultivators were well-connected, and everyone knew Zhou Feng didn’t get involved in conflicts—he only cared about Alchemy. Thus, everyone, for their own reasons, would protect him.
"Then you’ve co to the right person. Whatever it is, you can just tell ." Zhou Feng showed Ma Wanliang no respect at all. ’The Ma Family, the Donkey Family, who gives a damn.’
This ti, Ma Wanliang was truly about to choke on his anger. His patience had its limits. "Zhou Feng, I’m trying to be polite, but you’re being shaless! I’m looking for Wang ng. This has nothing to do with you. Get out of the way!"
"Shouldn’t you have just been like this from the start? Why put on an act? Wang ng’s business is my business. What, you got a problem with that? Na the terms, and I’ll take you on!"
Inside the hut, Wang ng, who hadn’t gone out, didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The truth was, he had intended to go when the Elder summoned him, but Zhou Feng had stopped him. Zhou Feng said that Ma Wanliang was a piece of trash and that he was like a weasel visiting a chicken—he clearly had no good intentions. Wang ng hadn’t had a good impression of Ma Wanliang anyway, not since his arrival at the Holy Hall when Ma Wanliang had acted high and mighty over trivial matters, so he hadn’t bothered to respond.
But because of this ruckus, he got to see such a tough side of Zhou Feng, which was quite a surprise.
"Zhou Feng, others may fear you, but I don’t. You’d better move aside, or don’t bla for disrespecting Ancestor Master Zhou."
Ma Wanliang said grimly.
"Who the hell do you think you are? You think you’re qualified to show respect to an Ancestral Master? You’d better get as far away as possible and never co near Wang ng again!"
Zhou Feng would let Wang ng choose freely, but the Ma Family was absolutely not an option. That place was a hellhole. Aside from Ma Tian’Er, there wasn’t a single person in the Ma Family worth befriending.
"Zhou Feng, I am acting on the orders of my Ancestral Master. Are you trying to defy an Ancestral Master?!"
"Stop trying to pin labels on . Even if Ancestor Master Ma himself were here, I’d say the sa thing."
"You’re courting death!"
Ma Wanliang was waiting for Zhou Feng to say just that. An Eight Trigrams Disc appeared in his hand, and the very air around them shifted and roiled.
Zhou Feng might be obsessed with his craft, but he wasn’t stupid. He just couldn’t be bothered to muddle through life. For him, you were either a friend or a foe.
A Fire Talisman shot out, growing to over a hundred feet in the wind, threatening to block out the sky. At the sa ti, Elental Power radiated from the Eight Trigrams Disc as lightning flashed and thunder rumbled in the air.
The two were ready for a full-blown fight from the very start. Ma Wanliang was a petty and narrow-minded man by nature, while Zhou Feng was reckless—he either did nothing, or he went all in without a care for the consequences.
Just then, a streak of golden light cut across the sky. Simultaneously, with a deafening roar, the ground shook violently, forcibly separating the two.
Zhao Ya, Wang Bodang, and Wan Jing had arrived.
"Elder Zhou, Elder Ma, please stop. This is the Thunderlight Hall. If you have any personal grudges, please settle them outside."
Zhao Ya said coldly.
"Ma Wanliang, this isn’t the Ma Family, nor is it the Beast Hall. If you want to run wild, you’d better check where you are."
Wang Bodang said, not holding back in the slightest. He and Wan Jing had both heard that the Ma Family’s interests were involved in Xu Huang’s ousting.
"Fine, fine! So you’re all ganging up to bully soone from the Ma Family. I’ll rember this!"
Ma Wanliang sped away on a red Dharma Wheel. From the looks of it, he was going to file a complaint.
Wang ng walked out of the hut with a wry smile. "Old Zhou, was that really necessary?"
Zhou Feng’s expression was still grim. "I wouldn’t defy an Ancestral Master for just anyone, but this Ma Wanliang is nothing but a petty, narrow-minded scoundrel!"
"Haha, Brother Zhou, that was satisfying! You said everything I wanted to say," Wang Bodang laughed heartily.
Zhao Ya smiled faintly. "Wang ng, Elder Zhou was truly helping you. Otherwise, you would have had a very difficult ti getting through this."
"Wang ng, don’t worry. The Holy Hall doesn’t belong to the Ma Family; it’s not his place to run wild here," Wang Bodang said, full of confidence. He knew perfectly well how much Ancestor Master Lei valued Wang ng. Besides, he’d been looking for a reason to go against Ma Wanliang for a long ti, and it would be a sha to waste this opportunity.
"Elder Zhao, please look after Wang ng. I need to head back to the Main Hall. That villain is definitely going to stir up trouble."
"Go ahead. If you need our help, don’t hesitate to ask," Zhao Ya said.
Wang ng couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. ’Even the lives of Saint Cultivators are full of conflict. Or rather, wherever there are people, there is conflict.’
But Wang ng wasn’t concerned. He would deal with problems as they arose.
"Elders, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be returning to my seclusion."
The three Elders looked at each other, speechless. ’Is this kid just dense, or is he really that strong-willed?’
’He offended an Elder, and one from the Ma Family at that, yet he’s still so calm. He doesn’t actually think the Ancestral Masters will protect him when push cos to shove, does he?’
Zhao Ya couldn’t see through him; she couldn’t figure him out. If Wang ng thought the Ancestral Masters would fall out with the Ma Family over a single disciple when real interests were at stake, he was sorely mistaken.
Wang ng closed the door and continued to consolidate his insights into the tal of the Five Elents. Most attacks involved either the Fire or tal attributes, and what Wang ng wanted to do was fuse them.
Wang Bodang laughed loudly. "With this kid’s nerve, he really should have been a Power Cultivator."
Wan Jing gave Zhao Ya a light glance and sighed softly. ’...Wang ng draws too much attention to himself.’
Wang ng didn’t care about Elders at all; they held no value for him. But the more he acted this way, the more Zhou Feng felt he had to fight on his behalf. Why should his friend suffer such an injustice? There was no reason for it in this world.
Zhou Feng was gone for three days. The matter seed to have died down, and that Elder Ma-sothing or other didn’t show up again.
The first to return was Yang Ying. It seed the Senior Sister of the Flying Phoenix Hall was in a good mood, her face wreathed in smiles.
"It looks like things are going well for the Flying Phoenix Hall. Is our Senior Sister planning to take first place in the upcoming tournant?"
Wang ng said cheerfully. He had also made good progress with his own insights over the past few days.
"I wouldn’t say I’m aiming for first place, but at least we’ve made so progress. You should start focusing, too. The Fifteenth Layer of Life Mark might be good for comprehending techniques, but battles are ultimately decided by Elental Power."
Yang Ying couldn’t help but remind him. Wang ng’s strength hadn’t progressed at all. If this continued, he probably wouldn’t have an easy ti in the tournant.
"Haha, thanks for the reminder, Senior Sister. But it sounds like you’re giving advice to your rival."
Yang Ying smiled faintly. "A rival isn’t an enemy. Besides, without powerful rivals, wouldn’t life be too lonely?"
Wang ng smiled to himself. ’Yang Ying really is a woman who’s a match for any man—so bold and heroic.’
"So what are your plans now?"
"I ca to say a formal goodbye. From now on, I’ll be making a final push with my junior sisters from the Flying Phoenix Hall. Of course, the ’protective umbrella’ is still on, just as we agreed."
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