Chapter 43

Amidst a tangle of interests and threats, Master Master Hongmei awkwardly reached a peculiar equilibrium with the Wang Shi uncle and nephew.

If he strikes, the three will definitely flee, and he will be finished.

If he does not strike, the three will report it to Wang Xianmao, and he will be half-finished.

Ultimately, his cultivation was insufficient; tempted by the allure of Foundation Establishment, he took a risk and ended up ruining everything.

Most importantly, Wang Yulou's alertness meant that the moment Master Master Hongmei revealed his murderous intent, Wang Yulou noticed it immediately.

Master Master Hongmei's decisiveness allowed him to successfully plunder Jin Guang Pavilion, but his subsequent hesitation and vacillation squandered it all.

What he least expected was that all three of the Wang Shi possessed a Hundred Li Free Escape Talisman.

After much thought, Master Master Hongmei still wanted to repair the relationship, since he was now definitely unable to avoid going before Wang Xianmao.

Even if he became a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he would still have to answer for this matter—he could not fool Wang Yulou, could not fool Wang Xianmao, and dared not face the Foundation Establishment cultivator behind Jin Guang Pavilion in the Xian Alliance!

Thinking of this, Master Master Hongmei spoke with a pained expression.

"Wang Yu, come, these two magical artifacts are rewards for you; you performed very well today!"

"Remaining calm in the face of danger and possessing steadiness in the face of great matters—you two are both good children."

He took two top-grade magical artifact flying swords from his storage bag, one agate jade sword and one cold-iron silver sword, and handed them to the two brothers.

Looking at the top-grade magical artifact flying swords his master had handed over, Wang Yulou shook his head slightly and said,

"Today we did not help much, Master; we should not accept such a treasure bestowal~"

This old fellow Master Master Hongmei had truly harbored murderous intent against him.

Wang Yulou believed it was inappropriate to think two flying swords could settle this matter.

When your enemy compromises, you must press your remaining courage to pursue the fleeing foe.

Of course, Master Master Hongmei was not Wang Yulou's enemy, but Wang Yulou's master.

Yet at this moment, both sides were in fact in a state of adversarial game.

Master Master Hongmei did not truly act, and the Wang Shi had no inevitable reason to kill Master Master Hongmei.

However, Master Master Hongmei's attitude turned his plundering of Jin Guang Pavilion into a bargaining chip for the Wang Shi to constrain him.

How high the value of this bargaining chip could be was not up to Wang Yulou to decide; after all, he was merely a small cultivator with a thin frame.

Regarding the matter of squeezing potential, obviously Wang Xianmao, who had been a cultivator for at least a hundred years, was more proficient.

If he accepted the flying swords Master Master Hongmei sent to coax the two of them, then the utility value of this bargaining chip would be greatly reduced.

This was something Wang Yulou absolutely could not accept!

The Wang Shi treated him well; he could not think only of himself. In Wunan, if everyone wanted to live a bit better, they must stick together!

"What exactly happened today? Wang Yulou, tell me the details!"

Wang Rongsheng spoke from a distance; although he had already guessed most of the truth, he now needed further confirmation.

"Master killed the Shopkeeper of Jin Guang Pavilion and also killed those assistants, then took their storage bags and magical artifacts.

Then Master plundered the treasury of Jin Guang Pavilion, took the valuable items, and set fire to the corpses of everyone in Jin Guang Pavilion along with Jin Guang Pavilion itself.

Master is truly amazing, isn't he, Clan Uncle?"

Wang Yulou's calm response made Master Master Hongmei break out in a cold sweat.

Jin Guang Pavilion was backed by a Foundation Establishment cultivator serving in the Xian Alliance; Wang Yulou had calculated that he definitely could not hold back!

In those three sentences, Jin Guang Pavilion was mentioned at least ten times; the threatening intent was self-evident.

Before, Wang Yulou was not like this; he was so filial to Master Master Hongmei.

Developing to this point, truly one can say that worldly affairs are unpredictable.

Wang Yulou's final words, 'Master is truly amazing,' were like a curse echoing in Master Master Hongmei's mind.

He once again felt murderous intent; the Wang Shi were trying to squeeze him to death!

No, to be precise, they wanted to squeeze me to death!

Looking at Wang Yulou's calm expression, Master Master Hongmei smiled and said,

"Yes, we took quite a few magical artifacts, spirit stones, and spiritual materials; when we return to Qing Xi Fang, we will exchange them for spirit stones.

I will reward each of you two hardworking lads with two thousand coins!

Daoist Friend Rongsheng arrived a step late, but I know Daoist Friend also wanted to help me; I will certainly have....."

Wang Rongsheng did not take Master Master Hongmei's words but said,

"We have rested enough, Daoist Friend Master Master Hongmei; let us continue on our journey."

Sugar-coated bullets?

Completely useless!

First, escort them back to Qing Xi Fang and see!

It was only because the distance from here to Wang Family Mountain was too far for a sound-transmission talisman to reach; otherwise, Wang Rongsheng would have sent one long ago.

By then, my Ancestor will come over and beat you into a pig's head.

You dog with such audacious guts!

Among the four people, Master Master Hongmei's cultivation was clearly the highest, and he was even carrying Wang Yulou and the other two on a flying vehicle.

But, this journey back to Qing Xi Fang was literally turned into an escort route.

Of course, the one being escorted was Master Master Hongmei.

At this moment, Wang Yulou felt for the first time the benefits of the Xian Alliance's constraints.

Because the Xian Alliance exists above, the world of Wunan is not so chaotic; these cultivators still retain a little awe.

If there were no powerful institution to constrain cultivators, then what outrageous acts would cultivators, with great power added to themselves, commit?

At that time, I'm afraid even more outrageous things would happen.

"Wang Yuan, do you like your senior sister?"

Red Eyebrows drove the carriage, his heart already in a panic, yet still trying to find some semblance of dignity.

Holding his younger brother down, Yulou answered for him.

"Yes, Yuan likes Lin Lin Lin Lin Shijie Ningyao."

Red Eyebrows still had some stress resistance; he began to parley with Yulou.

"You two are both my good disciples. As the first batch of disciples under my sect, I even gave each of you two magical artifacts.

Of course, this is just what a master should do. On this journey, I also taught you the Secret Technique of refining the Dao; it is all as it should be."

As for me, your master, I am a good master; this, you must acknowledge."

Yulou, don't you agree?"

"Yes, Master, you even taught us how to burn the Jin Guang Pavilion. Thank you for teaching by precept and example."

He agreed, but agreed a bit too much.

Red Eyebrows frowned and continued.

"Yulou, there may be some small misunderstandings between us, but there is one thing I must make clear.

All this time, I have been raising Yuan, Yuan, listen well, I have been raising you as a son-in-law.

Ningyao is grown, and you are sixteen; she is now at the seventh layer of Qi Refining, while you are at the fifth layer.

I will make the decision: as long as you break through the Qi Refining stage, I will betroth Ningyao to you. Yuan, what do you say?"

Red Eyebrows knew that this little brat Yulou was difficult to deal with, very difficult.

But, Yuan was different from his older brother; he was a pure, simple fool.

Wasn't this the breakthrough point?

Fortresses are always breached from within; Yuan's biological father, Rong Wen, is a backbone force of the Wang Shi!

Yulou guarded the value of the bargaining chip; what Red Eyebrows was doing now was constantly searching for a breakthrough point to suppress that value.

"I listen to my older brother!"

Yuan's heart was in such turmoil; he was truly tempted.

No one has become an immortal yet; Red Eyebrows being greedy and Yuan being infatuated is very normal.

But Yuan, sitting on the flying carriage with his feet off the ground, still had a bit of intelligence, so he understood he must listen to his big brother.

"Yulou, what do you think? Yuan is your own younger brother."

Red Eyebrows looked at Yulou; to secure his Foundation Establishment, he had offered his daughter to his second disciple.

Going this far was already his limit.

He only hoped the Wang Shi would not trouble him!

Yulou understood clearly; he could not afford to offend Yuan.

Matters of emotion have no absolute hierarchy between brotherly love and romantic love, especially when Yuan is still immature; problems arise easily.

What if this matter caused them to no longer be brothers?

Don't say it's impossible; everything is possible.

Therefore, it should not be Yulou who blocks it.

Since this dog Red Eyebrows threw the problem at him, he naturally would not accept it.

"Master, you are still my own master.

We are a loving family.

In that case, Yuan's marriage shall be decided by the Clan Elder himself.

Yuan said he listens to me; then I say, I listen to the Clan Elder!"

Yulou answered with resounding force.