Chapter 117

Chapter 117

The middle-aged judge stammered, unable to speak.

His harsh words back then were spoken in front of everyone trapped in the ancient battlefield, and now he didn’t know how to retract them.

He was both embarrassed and annoyed: This Shen Wang, so young, yet lacking even the basic decency of respecting his elders!

For a moment, the middle-aged judge was caught in a dilemma.

In the end, it was Elder Bai who smoothed things over, "Young Shen, Daoist Ling didn’t mean it, could you please let this go for my sake..."

The middle-aged judge was from Baiyun Temple after all, and even a lean camel is bigger than a horse. Out of respect for Baiyun Temple, others also started persuading, "It’s just a trivial matter, no need to be so pedantic!"

"Indeed, we are all in the same circle. Why should there be such ruthless hostility when our paths cross again?"

"Shen, you are magnanimous..."

Hearing their words, Shen Wang suddenly scoffed. Raising an eyebrow, he said, "So now it's not his turn to insult me?"

Everyone was momentarily speechless.

"When he insulted me, I didn't see any of you stepping in with such earnestness to break it up." Shen Wang looked around, his smile unfading yet somehow unsettling, "The words he himself spoke, does he intend to swallow them back?"

Shen Wang was referring to the incident at the ancient battlefield, but what he didn't know was that they were already aware of it.

Ling Sheng had always disliked Shen Wang. Watching the live broadcast earlier, he often criticized and even tried to disqualify Shen Wang from the competition.

If this was his attitude behind the screens, one could only imagine how difficult he would make it for Shen Wang in person.

Everyone fell silent, too embarrassed to interject, while Mr. Bai sighed, "Shen, how about letting him apologize to you?"

Kneeling to apologize was indeed a humiliating demand.

Upon hearing this, Shen Wang didn’t dwell much on it and directly said, "If he doesn’t want to kneel, he must compensate with something... after all, I am not an unreasonably cruel devil, am I?"

...To compensate with something, that was very much Shen Wang's style.

Before, they thought Shen Wang's obsession with amassing wealth was vulgar, but now they saw the virtue in such vulgarity!

The virtue of vulgarity, indeed!

Everyone present heaved a sigh of relief and said, "That would be most agreeable, most agreeable!"

Saying this, their gazes turned to the middle-aged judge, their looks speaking volumes: "We've all lowered our pride to negotiate this far, it's your turn to show some gesture!"

Gritting his teeth and fuming, the middle-aged judge pulled out a small box from his pocket, "This is a healing pill named Dragon-Tiger Pill. It can heal even bone-deep wounds instantly!"

It was indeed a fine pill, showing sincere intent! Everyone was satisfied and turned their heads to Shen Wang, waiting for his reaction.

Shen Wang glanced at it and smiled again, "Such a faint scent from the pill, even if it's not a dud, it can't be far off..."

His meaning was clear: "Trying to dismiss me with such a shabby item? In your dreams!"

Others: "..."

The middle-aged judge's face turned red, "Impossible! It, it's just that the pill's fragrance is a bit faint, but its quality is still very good!"

But his stammering only exposed his insecurity.

Mr. Bai's gaze shifted, and he directly took the pill box from the judge's hand, opening it to inspect, "The spiritual energy is dim, and the fragrance is hardly noticeable, it's indeed an inferior pill."

Shen Wang looked disdainfully at the pill, thinking that in this world it might pass as an inferior pill, but in the world of cultivators, it was nothing but a useless one.

The judge thought to deceive him with such a thing, which was like performing a sword dance in front of Guan Yu.

Mr. Bai, trying to speak kindly on behalf of the judge, found himself embarrassed when the latter tried to deceive him with trashy pills, and his face soured, "Ling Sheng, what you did was wrong! If you truly feel remorseful, show some real sincerity!"

Even the usually calm Mr. Bai was angered, let alone the others.

Faced with everyone's angry stares, the judge reluctantly, and with a pained expression, pulled out another small box, "This is... This is my previously treasured Cloud Essence Pill, said to be a breakthrough pill from ancient times, and I've never had the heart to use it..."

This time, before Shen Wang could react, Mr. Bai took the Cloud Essence Pill, opening it to inspect first.

Unlike the dull Dragon-Tiger Pill from before, when the box of the Cloud Essence Pill was opened, its fragrance was overwhelming, and its shape rounder and more appealing, a snowy white color like a crystalline sugar ball.

Shen Wang glanced at the judge, noticing his longing gaze fixed on the Cloud Essence Pill, a look of heartache on his face, and then nonchalantly nodded in approval, "I’ll accept this. What about the apology?"

"Ah yes, the apology." Everyone's gaze shifted collectively back to the middle-aged judge.

The judge, teeth clenched and face contorted with humiliation, like a coerced innocent youth, bowed his head, humiliated, "Shen... young friend, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have spoken so harshly."

Shen Wang flashed a bright smile, "Louder, haven't you eaten?"

With frustration brewing inside and under the scrutinizing eyes of everyone, the judge raised his voice, "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have spoken so harshly!"

Only then did Shen Wang leisurely accept the pill, speaking slowly, "Since you've apologized so sincerely, though I'm very angry, I am a magnanimous person, so I forgive you. I hope next time you won't look down on others..."

Being lectured in front of his peers and juniors, the judge felt the utmost embarrassment, his face flushing red, wishing he could disappear into thin air.

Shen Wang, taking the pill, looked around and casually tossed it to the chubby boy who had been standing behind him.

The chubby boy, startled, held the obviously precious Cloud Essence Pill, stuttering, "Shen, Shen bro, why are you giving this to me?!"

Seeing the judge’s and the others’ expressions, the chubby boy knew this was no ordinary item, wondering why Shen Wang would casually give it to him.

Shen Wang nonchalantly said, "I don't need this. Aren't you claiming to be my little brother? As your big brother, I have to give you some benefits."

Chubby boy: "!!!"

The chubby boy, almost crying with excitement and looking at Shen Wang with stars in his eyes, said tearfully, "Shen bro, you're so good to me! I... I’ll never regret being your fanboy!"

Spotting Shen Wang in the crowd and inviting him to join his team had been the best decision of the chubby boy's life!

The others looked on with wide eyes, enviously watching the pill in the chubby boy's hand, their hearts filled with a bitter mixture of jealousy and admiration, "Shen Dao You is so generous, even gifting such a high-quality pill..."

At least half of the people present were calculating in their minds, wondering if it was too late to cozy up to Shen Wang and become his subordinate.

The middle-aged judge, who hadn't left yet, watched in disbelief as his cherished elixir changed hands, tossed around like trash among the others.

His heart ached, eyes reddening with fury, nearly losing himself to madness: This bastard!!!

Someone spitefully stirred trouble, "I heard you and Gu Dongting are on great terms. Why don't you give such a fine elixir to him?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Wang was surprised, "It's just a pill to aid enlightenment. Only those lacking in strength, talent, and temperament, with mediocre abilities, need such assistance."

"Haven't you heard that all medicines have their poison? Elixirs are good, but they shouldn't be overused."

After speaking, he looked at the troublemaker with pity and sympathy, "Dongting is powerful, talented, and particularly steadfast in temperament. He doesn’t need such things..."

The instigator felt a lump in their throat, realizing this was an implication of their inferior strength, poor talent, and weak character.

The onlookers were tearful with emotion: They were just watching the drama unfold and suddenly found themselves caught in the crossfire.

Shen Wang left everyone dumbfounded and, while they were all distracted, he grabbed Gu Dongting and ran out of the crowd before anyone could react.

Then, without stopping, he ignored the people chasing after them and just ran away.

Those who were just thinking about getting Shen Wang to resolve the ancient battlefield were left bewildered, "???"

Another group hoping to coax out secrets of advancement from Shen Wang was also perplexed, "???"

Both groups hadn’t expected Shen Wang to make such a clean getaway!

The two parties exchanged smiles, each with their own thoughts, maintaining a facade of friendliness while speaking of lofty principles, "This Shen Wang, as strong as he is, lacks a sense of the bigger picture."

"Indeed, given the current situation, his pride in his own mediocrity is truly absurd..."

Gu Shanhe, who remained in place to maintain the status quo, glanced indifferently at the speakers: "If that's the case, why don't you offer all the resources of your sect in exchange for Shen Wang's cooperation? I believe he wouldn't refuse."

The speaker was caught off guard, offering an awkward smile as he tried to blend back into the crowd.

Seeing this, the others sighed: It was unexpected that, apart from Gu Dongting, even Gu Shanhe held Shen Wang in high regard, and now he was even defending him.

"The Gu family is indeed known for their fierce loyalty."

Shen Wang hadn't taken Gu Dongting very far; the two darted through alleys, eventually returning to the main road.

They found themselves in a commercial district, free from the presence of the metaphysical community. They exchanged glances, their eyes brimming with laughter.

Shen Wang's smile was evident as he winked at Gu Dongting: "Since the issue at the ancient battlefield is resolved, those with nothing better to do can only besiege me. We might as well flee."

After saying this, he playfully added: "You're not upset that I dragged you out, are you? I've kept you from working with them."

His voice was deliberately affected, almost coquettishly saying, 'big brother'.

Gu Dongting, unfamiliar with internet slang and unaware that Shen Wang was mimicking a flirty tone, earnestly replied: "It's fine. My uncle is there; he can handle the aftermath."

Unbeknownst to Shen Wang, this was the first time workaholic Gu Dongting had abandoned his duties; Shen Wang found his earnest response endearing, prompting him to laugh.

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

Gu Dongting's phone rang; upon checking, he saw it was from his uncle, Gu Shanhe.

The two exchanged glances, both inexplicably feeling guilty as if caught in a misdeed. Shen Wang hastily let go of his hand, signaling Gu Dongting: "Go ahead and take the call... I won't eavesdrop!"

Gu Dongting didn't mind Shen Wang listening, but being nudged aside, he obligingly moved to a quieter spot.

Shen Wang turned and walked to the other side, touching his fingertips, his mood subtly changing.

Until just now, he hadn't realized that since fleeing the ancient battlefield, he had never let go of Gu Dongting's hand... What perplexed him most was that their grip had somehow evolved into an intertwined fingers hold.

"Was it this interlocked fingers pose when I pulled him out?" Shen Wang's ears felt inexplicably warm. With his current memory, he couldn't recall the initial position in which he had grasped Gu Dongting's hand.

The thought of leading Gu Dongting away under everyone's gaze with their fingers interlaced made his face heat up.

Touching his forehead, Shen Wang was surprised to find that it wasn't an illusion!

With his usual thick-skinned nature, he was incredibly astonished to find himself feeling embarrassed...

As Shen Wang doubted himself, Gu Dongting had finished his call. Returning, he noticed Shen Wang's peculiar expression and faint blush, subtle yet there.

Compared to his usual flawless pallor, Shen Wang now seemed much more innocent, lacking his habitual lazy demeanor and intimidating presence.

Especially his ears, which were conspicuously red.

Gu Dongting slowed his steps, for the first time entertaining the unethical thought of capturing this scene on his phone, to keep it stored.

Before Gu Dongting could resolve his dilemma, Shen Wang had already noticed him and naturally looked up: "Finished with your call?"

Gu Dongting, feeling like a mischievous culprit, instinctively raised his phone, as if to prove something: "Yes, it's done. My uncle, he..."

Shen Wang didn't catch a single word; he stared blankly at Gu Dongting's phone, his expression one of surprise.

Gu Dongting sensed something amiss and looked at his phone too, his face starting to redden as well.

On Gu Dongting's phone screen was a photo of him and Shen Wang together.

That photo was taken by a passerby girl during their first meal out. Both had liked the atmosphere of the photo so much they had asked her to send them a copy.

Gu Dongting was particularly fond of that photo, so for the first time, under his brother's guidance, he had changed his phone's default screensaver to it.

And now, the screensaver, featuring the other person in the photo, was discovered.

The two exchanged glances, both awkwardly embarrassed.

Perhaps it wasn't embarrassment but something else. They were both bewildered, with the final answer obscured by a layer of mist.

The metaphysical competition's semi-finals began with a bang but ended in a whimper.

After the incident at the ancient battlefield, Shen Wang, who resolved the malevolent spirits there, deservedly became the top contender. Even other participants trapped in the evil aura benefited from his actions, gaining significant points.

The rankings of the metaphysical competition changed again, with Shen Wang soaring from the bottom directly to the top spot.

This time, no one questioned his points or ranking. All competitors were convincingly accepting, at most expressing their complex feelings.

Among all participants, the most distressed was Bo Yu from the Metaphysical Association.

Known as the perennial runner-up, always overshadowed by Gu Dongting, Bo Yu could only clinch first place in competitions Gu Dongting did not participate in.

But now, even securing first place in these competitions seemed unattainable.

Apart from the exceptional Gu Dongting, Shen Wang had emerged out of nowhere, equally dominating over him.

Bo Yu, who had hoped to redeem himself, lost his spirit upon learning of Shen Wang's entry into the Foundation Establishment stage.

In recent centuries, only Gu Dongting, in his twenties, had reached the Foundation Establishment stage. Now, there was also Shen Wang.

The only silver lining was that such cultivators wouldn't participate in metaphysical competitions again, except possibly as judges.

Analyzed by his colleague Wu Shu, it seemed like the next metaphysical competition's first place was practically in his pocket.

But with the two best competitors moving to other arenas, Bo Yu wasn't sure whether to be happy or not about this seemingly assured victory.

Shen Wang, oblivious to others' complex feelings and the various discussions, was just beginning his Foundation Establishment. It was a phase where consolidation of his cultivation was crucial.

In the world of cultivation, Shen Wang would only need to find a safe mountain hideaway, where the abundant spiritual energy in any deep forest would be sufficient for his consolidation.

But this was the damned era of declining law.

Shen Wang closed his eyes and introspected. As a beginner in Foundation Establishment, particularly with a foundation built on purified evil energy, the spiritual energy within him was not docile but rather lively, circulating in a chaotic pattern.

In his sea of consciousness, the Xuan Jade Immortal Book, having absorbed some spiritual energy, now emitted a denser aura of golden light, clearly of extraordinary origin, finally resembling a semblance of an immortal artifact.

Inside him were three small swords, quietly suspended in his dantian, each emitting a green, golden, and yellow glow, expanding and contracting as if breathing.

The tri-colored lights were distinct in their boundaries yet cyclically interwoven, as if containing some kind of law.

After a brief examination, Shen Wang gathered his spirits, intending to straighten out all the uncontrolled spiritual energy and press them into his dantian, converting them fully for his use.

Just as he was about to make a move, there came a knock at the door.

Shen Wang's eyebrows twitched; hadn't he told people he was in closed-door cultivation? Why would someone come knocking now?

After a moment's thought, Shen Wang got up to open the door, swearing to himself that if it were those coveting his possessions, he'd give them a 'thorough, thorough' lesson, a warning to others.

Opening the door, Shen Wang's expression, caught between exploding in anger and not, looked quite conflicted: "Don't you know I'm in closed-door cultivation? Why knock now?"

Outside stood Shi Yan.

Shi Yan could only smile wryly: "There are some matters you must be informed of, so I had no choice but to come to you."

In fact, both the special department and the Metaphysical Association were in favor of telling Shen Wang, but understanding his independent nature and having been sternly warned not to disturb his cultivation, no one wanted to offend him.

In the end, this task fell to Shi Yan, who had some rapport with Shen Wang.

Shi Yan felt like crying.

As a member of a special department's branch, sidelined in the capital, when it came to good things, they never thought of him, but for troubles, they always did.

Shen Wang's expression changed, and he was about to shut the door: "Whatever it is, wait until I finish my cultivation."

Shi Yan, prepared to be turned away, spoke up: "Elder Gu has already gone to handle the matter. It's a serious issue, so I had to disturb you."

Hearing Gu Dongting's name, Shen Wang paused in closing the door, giving Shi Yan a disdainful glance before opening the door wider: "Come in, then."

"Knew that bringing up Brother Gu would work." Shi Yan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thankful for having the trump card of Brother Gu.

Once inside the room, Shen Wang didn’t even offer Shi Yan a glass of water, cutting straight to the chase, "Keep it short and sweet. Speak quickly and leave."

Shi Yan took a deep breath, reminding himself not to get angry.

After taking three deep breaths, Shi Yan spoke seriously to Shen Wang, "Do you still remember Chen Yinyang?"

Hearing this start, Shen Wang knew it wouldn't be a short talk, replying irritably, "I'm not senile, my memory isn't that bad."

Unperturbed by Shen Wang's tone, Shi Yan continued, "Chen Yinyang was originally from the Ghost Mastery Sect, but resentful that the position of sect leader went to his senior, he left and sought to artificially create a ghost king under his control."

Shen Wang looked displeased, "Why don't you start from Pangu creating the world?"

Shi Yan, looking at Shen Wang, added, "Do you remember Qingcheng Mountain?"

"The head of Qingcheng Mountain, Chen Xingzhi, dissatisfied that his master favored his senior brother and intended to pass the leadership to him, killed his senior brother and seized the position of head of Qingcheng Mountain..."

Shen Wang's expression shifted slightly.

"Recently, the number of supernatural incidents in the country has surged... But most are minor and haven’t threatened ordinary people’s lives, so they haven’t attracted attention."

Shen Wang recalled, narrowing his eyes, "Like that woman who made a scumbag man pregnant with a ghost?"

"And that petty thief you caught before, who somehow got hold of a ghost mastery cultivation method and started haunting people's houses to force them to sell at a lower price."

Without connecting these incidents, they seemed like ordinary, unremarkable supernatural events.

But picking up one pearl and finding that seemingly scattered pearls are actually connected by an invisible thread... Shen Wang’s brows slowly furrowed.

Encountering two such incidents in such a short time, how many more had occurred nationwide, and how many had gone unnoticed?

Shi Yan sighed heavily, his tone grave, "We followed the clues, but the matters of Lin Yinyang and Qingcheng Mountain are too old. We've only vaguely grasped that it's related to foreign elements."

Shen Wang glanced at Shi Yan, finishing his unfinished sentence, "Supernatural incidents are traceable, but who knows if there are more like Qingcheng Mountain's head among the existing sects?"

Shi Yan bitterly smiled, "Powerful cultivators can cause immense harm to ordinary people..."

It's like finding a cockroach in a house and not knowing if the house is infested with them.

The most terrifying thing is the imaginative unknown.

Shen Wang bluntly asked, "Isn't this something for you to worry about? It's an internal issue of your metaphysical community. Why tell me?"

To put it bluntly, Shen Wang, being unaffiliated and mysterious, could never gain 100% trust from the metaphysical community, no matter how powerful he was.

Even if he was strong enough to overturn a sect, it would be impossible for him to undertake such a task without facing the backlash and pursuit of the entire metaphysical world.

Shi Yan smiled awkwardly, continuing, "Apart from Lin Yinyang and the Qingcheng Mountain issue, there’s also... the matter of the ancient battlefield."

That wasn't surprising.

On reflection, whether it was Lin Yinyang, the Qingcheng Mountain head, the petty thief who stumbled upon a cultivation method, or the woman seeking revenge for her friend... they all involved ghosts and spirits.

And the ancient battlefield was, most notably, filled with evil ghosts.

Only then did Shen Wang belatedly realize, where did so many ghosts and spirits come from in this Dharma-ending age?

In the cultivation world, ghosts and spirits were rare, not something one would just encounter walking down the street, except in extremely yin places like ancient battlefields, where they could appear in large numbers.

Those practitioners needing ghosts and spirits for their cultivation had to find a place with heavy yin energy, and only with the right conditions could they produce some ghosts and spirits, much like harvesting watermelons.

Previously, Shen Wang thought it was due to the lack of spiritual energy in this Dharma-ending age, leading to an overflow of yin energy, allowing these ghosts and spirits some leeway to exist.

Now, it seemed he had been confined by his own understanding, making assumptions too readily.

Even if there was an abundance of yin energy, it wasn't possible to encounter ghosts everywhere – it all had to be artificially created.

Thinking of some past events in the cultivation world, Shen Wang felt quite displeased.

Unlike the peace of this world, the cultivation world operates on the law of the jungle; to ordinary people without cultivation, they are nothing but ants.

He thought the cultivators of this world, despite their weaker strength and various worldly desires and schemes, would not be like the madmen of the cultivation world, sacrificing others' lives for their own gain.

Now, it seems... Shen Wang lowered his eyes, people are all the same.

He had overestimated human nature.

Shi Yan wanted to say more, but noticing Shen Wang's expression, he suddenly fell silent.

Shen Wang always presented himself with a carefree attitude, jesting and scolding, clear in his affections and grudges, always making others feel troubled, never the other way around.

But now, seeing Shen Wang's expression, Shi Yan almost doubted his own eyes.

How did he feel... that Shen Wang, at this moment, seemed very sad?

Lost in thought, and when he looked again, Shen Wang had already resumed his usual disdainful expression, "Wanting the horse to run without feeding it grass, is your metaphysical community that shameless?"

Shi Yan was still in a daze, his face full of confusion, "What?"

"If you want me to solve the issue of the ancient battlefield, you need to offer something that truly interests me," Shen Wang said coldly, "I won't work for free."

Shi Yan heard it clearly this time, his expression complex: How could he have thought this man showed pity, sympathizing with those ordinary people?

Surely it was an illusion, he must have been mistaken.

Shen Wang, bold and self-assured, declared, "Clearing the ancient battlefield is hard work. Even Confucius said, 'Accepting gold makes one not incorruptible; how then can one redeem oneself?'"

"If doing good deeds brings no good results, who would bother doing them?" Shen Wang said with a slight smile, "Right?"

Shi Yan, finding himself at a loss for words, could only gesture in respect, acknowledging the lesson learned, "Alright, I came just to discuss this matter with you."

Having said his piece, he prepared to leave.

Shen Wang remained seated, unmoving, but just as Shi Yan was about to step out of the room, suddenly asked, "Where did Gu Dongting go?"

Since returning yesterday, Gu Dongting had completely vanished without even a chance to say goodbye.

Shi Yan paused in his steps, hesitating for a few seconds, "He went to Yunnan. Those heretical cultivators seem to have smuggled in from there; it’s likely their stronghold."

After saying this, Shi Yan turned back to see Shen Wang sitting still, slightly lost in thought.

Technically, this information was confidential and shouldn't have been shared with Shen Wang. But Shi Yan didn’t feel any guilt about telling him, after all, it was Shen Wang.

Not just because of his strength, but also because of his relationship with Gu Dongting... The door slowly closed, and Shi Yan sincerely hoped that Master Gu would return soon.

Shen Wang now had no inclination to cultivate. He sprawled on the wicker chair, his fair and delicate fingers slowly tapping the chair’s armrest. He stared at the ceiling, as if lost in thought or haunted by some unpleasant memories.

While Shen Wang was lost in thought, in a room below his.

Tang Jiu sat stiffly, teeth clenched, as if he was looking at a sworn enemy, filled with hatred and a desire for vengeance.

Opposite him sat a man with an ordinary appearance but a sinister aura.

Separately, they might not seem notable, but together, their resemblance was striking, especially their similar, slightly heavy-lidded monolid eyes, as if carved from the same mold.

The two sat in silence for a moment, as if unfamiliar with each other, before the man cautiously broke the silence, "About this competition..."

Just at the start of the conversation, Tang Jiu's eyes flashed with a fierce light, "Shen Wang has stolen the spotlight again!"

Tang Jiu felt he was always overshadowed by Shen Wang, as if no matter how hard he tried, he could never outshine him.

He had prepared thoroughly, everything was his meticulous plan, but in the end, it all served to benefit Shen Wang!

If it were anyone else, Tang Jiu might not have felt such deep-seated hatred, but it was Shen Wang, his lifelong nemesis!

The man across from him frowned slightly, skepticism and impatience in his eyes, "What about the formation I gave you? Wasn’t it useful?"

Mentioning this made Tang Jiu nearly choke with rage, glaring at the man, "What garbage formation you gave me, it’s nothing compared to Shen Wang’s!"

Hearing this, the man also became angry, "Impossible! Those so-called formation masters in the metaphysical world have barely scratched the surface. I am the only one who truly possesses the complete knowledge of formations. No one's formation could be better than mine."

If Tang Jiu had doubted anything else, the man might have remained calm, but Tang Jiu had questioned his most prized skill in formations.

Tang Jiu stated plainly, "Believe it or not, now he's stepping all over me, your perfect plan has fallen through."

The man’s face contorted for a moment.

As if not provoking enough, Tang Jiu added, "You should have killed him when you had the chance, leaving him alive, now see, endless trouble, feeding a wolf in hopes of mercy."

The man's face turned ugly, "How could I have foreseen his fortune... I spared him because his blood was useful for you, his soul could have aided you."

Unfortunately, no matter how perfect the plan, it had now gone off track.

All they could do was regret here.

Tang Jiu remained silent, and the man, observing his expression, suddenly asked, "Have you made your decision?"

Tang Jiu was startled.

The man continued, "Now that the situation is out of control, and your power is not enough, you must find a way to obtain the Tang family's cultivation method. Otherwise, you will always be looking up to Shen Wang, coveting what should be yours."

"Power, status, women..."

"Are you content with that?"

Tang Jiu's gaze flickered, "What does it matter if I'm not content? Can Shen Wang still lie down and offer his blood for me now?"

The man laughed, "If not Tang Jiu, there's still Tang Zhaoming."

Tang Zhaoming was Tang Jiu's father's name.

Tang Jiu fell silent.

The man softened his tone, coaxing, "Tang Zhaoming has always been our sworn enemy. You’ve played Tang Jiu for so long, do you really think you are a Tang?"

"Don’t forget, you are Qiu Fu, the son of Qiu Zesheng."

Remembering the kindness Tang's father once showed him, Tang Jiu's heart softened momentarily, but thinking of his father's attitude after his identity was revealed, his heart immediately hardened again.

"If I get the ancestral cultivation method of the Tang family, I can have everything..."

Seeing the look in Tang Jiu's eyes, Qiu Zesheng knew that his long-lost son had made a decision.

After resting for a few days and smoothing out the spiritual energy in his body, Shen Wang emerged from his cultivation, his foundation now solidified. Upon exiting, he learned some news from Xiao Pangzi.

"Tang Zhaoming is dead?"

Xiao Pangzi nodded, his face showing a smile that wasn't quite a smile, torn between thinking it was good that Tang's despicable father was dead, and feeling it inappropriate to laugh, as he was Shen Wang's biological father.

Besides him, there were several others in the room – Si Ke, Bai Fuchun, Chou Yin, and others, gathered in Shen Wang's room, chatting and having fun.

When Shen Wang knew they were all coming over, his first reaction wasn’t how these people knew each other, but when did he become so popular?

They actually gathered in his room for a party.

Hearing the news from them, Shen Wang was momentarily stunned, unable to articulate his feelings, and instinctively asked, "Has it been investigated? Any foul play involved?"

It wasn't that he had deep feelings for Tang's father that he needed to find out the cause of death; rather, he inexplicably felt that this matter was inextricably linked to Tang Jiu.

In the original plot, Tang's father survived until the end, even outliving Tang Jiu, who was killed by Gu Dongting.

Yet now he died so easily... Shen Wang didn't believe there wasn't something suspicious.

The others exchanged looks, communicating with their eyes.

[I told you, Shen Ge looks carefree but he's actually very sentimental]

[Even asking about his worthless father's cause of death, Shen Ge is really too kind]

Xiao Pangzi became serious, setting aside his smile and adopting a grave expression, "The police checked; it was sudden death due to heavy drinking. After the incident, he often drank excessively... not entirely unexpected."

"Has anyone from the metaphysical community checked?" Shen Wang frowned, standing up, "Never mind, I'll go have a look myself..."

Xiao Pangzi was shocked: Really? Is Shen Ge that attached to his father?

Tang Zhaoming doesn’t deserve it!

Xiao Pangzi inwardly cried for his Shen Ge, unable to find a reason to object, so he stood up too. Just as they were about to leave, someone rushed in hastily.

"Shen Ge, something has happened to Master Gu!"