Chapter 290: Mr. Wang

On the balcony of the nearby fortress, Akray and several major generals were standing there.

They had just witnessed the battle, and although they were somewhat far away, with their abilities, they could see much more clearly than the group of Holy Sanctuary disciples surrounding the scene.

The control of that final sword stroke made the majors' eyes light up. It wasn't that they cared about Zhao Ziyue's life; coming to the Fortress of Sharpness meant being prepared to die at any moment. But dying in a friendly match at the hands of a comrade was too unjust, especially when the skill levels of both sides were evenly matched. Losing one of the top ten experts before setting out would surely be a significant blow to morale and strength.

It was fortunate that Hei Wu Kai managed to control himself even in such a situation.

"To still hold back at this critical moment, his Yasha Wolf Tooth Sword technique is truly at its peak," Tamucha praised without reservation: "This Hei Wu Kai, he has a bit of the old Yasha King's style!"

"Flatter all you want, but don't drag my idol into it," Gugilian shot him a glare: "As if you're so familiar with the Yasha King. He is one of the six true Dragon-level beings on the Nine Heavens Continent, capable of destroying a city with a single move. Do you think he knows you?"

"Cough... Don't hit below the belt!" Tamucha didn't get angry, smiling at her: "I was just making a comparison!"

"This young Yasha is indeed quite good," Akray smiled from the side: "But comparing him to that person is a bit exaggerated."

There's no false reputation under the sun; while the praise from the Light of the Holy Sanctuary might be exaggerated, it isn't baseless.

To be honest, from the moment Hei Wu Kai arrived, whether it was the Holy Sanctuary disciples outside or the people in the military camp, almost everyone believed that Hei Wu Kai was one of the strongest, and ranking among the top ten should be uncontested. The only question was the order of the rankings.

"I agree, I actually think that young Zhao fellow is pretty good," Gugilian said. She herself was an expert in spear techniques, and the Zhao family's spear techniques were one of the five most popular in the military camp: "His foundation in spear techniques is very solid, clearly the result of hard practice. He can endure hardship and has a strong presence. On the battlefield, he would definitely be a fierce warrior! You have to admit, the Zhao family's descendants do have something special."

"Hey hey!" Tamucha immediately frowned: "Did you receive some favor from the Zhao family? Why are you speaking up for them like this?"

"Alright, alright, what's there to argue about?" Akray found it amusing, wondering how grown-ups could behave like this: "It's just a friendly match; winning or losing doesn't mean much."

These two had been with him for over twenty years and were a pair of old rivals. One disliked the Zhao family, while the other always spoke well of them. Whenever the topic came up, they would argue, and he always had to mediate.

"Old boss is right, winning a match or two means nothing. True strength isn't just about a few moves. If you can survive in a harsh battlefield, then that's real skill," Gugilian said with a half-smile: "In recent years, the Blade's Inner Region has become too comfortable, with various competitions becoming popular. They seem strong, but in reality, they are soft. Back then, the old boss suggested to the council that the Holy Sanctuary stop hosting the Hero Tournament. Instead, those young men should be sent to the border for six months of training. If the council had passed that bill, we wouldn't be so troubled by the War Academy now."

Gujilian didn't mention the Zhao family again, especially since even Yakelei had stepped in to smooth things over. Tamucha said, "This Naga boy looks like he's tasted blood before; his adaptability is sure to be good. However, Nagas are warlike, and if he decides to stir up trouble once inside the illusion, that could be problematic... But isn't there Wang Feng with him? I think Wang Feng might be a bit weak, but he’s no fool. He’s full of cunning. With him and Hei Wu Kai together, they won’t suffer any losses in the illusion. These two complement each other well."

"Wow, Xiaocha, this is rare!" Gujilian laughed heartily. "It's rare for us to agree on something. I see Wang Feng the same way. From yesterday until now, how many times has this kid stirred up trouble, openly or secretly? Every glance is a performance. Karida from Rose is even worried about his safety. Old Boss, you don’t need to worry about this kid at all. Just watch, even if the other five hundred Holy Sanctuary disciples die off, Wang Feng will still be alive and kicking."

"That's quite an exaggeration," Yakelei chuckled. "Wang Feng has some small cleverness, but whether he has great wisdom remains to be seen. At least, it’s not obvious yet. We have to give Lei Long some face. Since Karida mentioned it... I have other plans for him."

………………

With Old Black displaying such prowess, the people from Bingling and Rose naturally had to celebrate.

Yesterday, most of the people from Bingling were keeping an eye on Wang Feng, but now their attention has shifted to Hei Wu Kai.

Impressive, incredibly impressive!

Jina felt her eyes couldn’t look away. Women of the Dari clan have always admired strength, and she thought she was an exception. But it turns out, she just hadn’t met someone worthy of her admiration before.

"Brother Kai, let’s get reacquainted!" Jina said with burning eyes, extending her hand. "I’m Jina of Dari! A female warrior of Bingling!"

Yesterday, she called him Hei Wu Kai, but now it’s Brother.

Hei Wu Kai smiled and shook her hand, but little did he know, once he extended his hand, he couldn’t pull it back.

Jina held onto his hand tightly, refusing to let go, her eyes blazing with passion as if she wanted to devour Hei Wu Kai whole. "Brother Kai, you’re so strong, the strongest man I’ve ever seen! I like you, date me, and we’ll have the strongest child together!"

The others, who had been chatting and laughing, nearly choked when they heard this, all staring at them with wide eyes.

Fantasy couldn’t help but look at Old Wang beside him, his face full of questions: Are women in Bingling this forward?

Hei Wu Kai cleared his throat. Honestly, Jina was quite beautiful, with golden hair and a tall, curvaceous figure, fitting his tastes perfectly. If it were a one-night stand, Old Black would be more than willing, but having children... that’s going too far!

Before he could refuse, Mo Tong, who was standing beside him, jumped out in defiance.

"Damn it, I can accept that Hei Wu Kai is strong, but when it comes to sheer strength, I’ve never admitted defeat to anyone: 'There’s something wrong with what you’re saying. What kind of eyesight do you have? The strongest man here is clearly me!'"

"Forget it." Kela had become quite familiar with Mo Tong, and she often sparred with both Mo Tong and Hei Wu Kai. She could exchange a few blows with Mo Tong, but against Hei Wu Kai, she couldn’t stand a chance; the difference was obvious: "You’re far from Hei Wu Kai."

Mo Tong retorted, "How can you say that too, Kela? I even bought you shoes yesterday... This is just blind admiration!"

"Save it, yesterday you lost an arm-wrestling match to Badeluo... I’ve never seen a weaker member of the Eight Guardians." Jina rolled her eyes, showing utter disdain for the guy who couldn’t even handle Badeluo yesterday: "None of you are worthy to compare with Brother Kai!"

"Hey, Jina, I can’t let that slide!" Badeluo shouted: "What do you mean 'lost to me'? The men of our Frostwinter are all very strong! Especially my older brother... no, my second brother Aota!"

Aota immediately lifted his head proudly. Although he had already become brothers with Hei Wu Kai the day before, when it came to discussions about who was stronger, he couldn’t afford to lose face in front of Zhiyu: "Alright, alright, maybe I’m about the same as Hei Wu Kai... we’re both very strong!"

Jina burst out laughing: "Come on, you and my Brother Kai being about the same? Do you really think those few seconds of invincibility are useful? I heard there’s a sword technique among the Yaksha that specifically breaks through such invincible states. Brother Kai, isn’t that right?!"

Hei Wu Kai smiled.

Beside him, Aota’s eyes widened. While he believed that some skilled fighters might use delaying tactics to outlast his invincibility, breaking it entirely was another matter.

During the recent Ice Bee siege, his Adamantine Invincibility Technique had withstood both rune cannons and Ice Bee attacks, even those terrifying creatures couldn’t penetrate his defenses. Could Hei Wu Kai do it? He wasn’t so sure.

"I guess I’ll have to try then!" Aota said, his face turning red: "Come on, Old Black, let’s practice a bit!"

"Forget it," Hei Wu Kai replied with a mix of amusement and exasperation: "We just finished fighting, and I haven’t even had breakfast yet!"

It wasn’t just about breakfast; the main issue was that Aota was ‘too weak’ for him.

Aota was a brute-force warrior, excelling in direct confrontations. His renowned skill at the Holy Sanctuary, the Adamantine Invincibility Technique, was defensive. Against ordinary experts or in the chaos of battle, Aota was truly formidable, charging forward recklessly, almost invulnerable and unstoppable. His inclusion among the top ten was based on this strength.

For Hei Wu Kai's sword, such super defense was nothing more than a live target; what was there to challenge?

"Alright, alright, everyone is strong, everyone is strong!" Old Wang tried to mediate, these kids were always making things complicated. Jina's heartfelt confession had been ruined by this group, but Old Black wasn't the type to be tied down by a woman. Jina's passionate feelings would likely go to waste: "Are we here to celebrate for Old Black or to cause trouble? Don't talk about useless things. Today, Old Black won, and I'll treat you all. Whatever you want to eat or drink, it's on me!"

"Haha, Wang Feng, you're getting generous now. How about paying back our Highness's money first?" Tatashi said. His sister Tassia was Xue Zhiyu's half-manager. While the Highness might have forgotten about the loan to Old Wang last time, the two siblings hadn't.

"Ah? What money?" Old Wang feigned ignorance.

Honestly, being frugal before was to save money to return home. Now that he decided to stay, there was no need to be so tight-fisted. But... why should he repay the money he borrowed with his own abilities? Even the landlord doesn't have extra grain~

"Even my life was saved by Senior Brother Wang Feng, so what does that bit of money matter?" Xue Zhiyu smiled gently, showing the grace of a princess, "Why should we still be so formal with each other?"

Aota was still pondering the meaning of her words, but Winnie beside him gave Old Wang a meaningful look. She had noticed something off about the princess yesterday and subtly hinted and encouraged, trying to push things from behind. The result...

"Cough, no need to be so polite..." Old Wang's heart skipped a beat as he glanced at Winnie, immediately understanding the situation. He felt a headache coming on. This was just causing trouble for himself. He quickly changed the subject: "Come on, come on, I heard the cook at Fortress Sharp is pretty good. They have spicy rabbit heads and roasted scorpions. We should try them!"

Aota didn't fully understand Xue Zhiyu's words, but seeing everyone's attention shift to food, he felt a great relief. It was just a slip of the tongue. Given Hei Wu Kai's overwhelming victory over Zhao Zi Yue today, if he had to face Hei Wu Kai, he would likely lose. Not fighting was definitely better.

During the meal, he finally found an opportunity to pull Old Wang aside quietly: "Brother! There's something I don't know if I should say!"

"If you don't know if you should say it, then don't say it." Old Wang smiled and blocked him, "Look at how good the atmosphere is. It would be a shame to ruin our drinking mood."

"I think I should say it..." Aota smiled awkwardly, then without waiting for Old Wang to object, he asked expectantly: "Boss, what about the lamp?"

For that broken lamp, he had indeed taken a beating. Although the elders didn't demand he bring it back, from his father's tone, the oil lamp seemed to be no ordinary item. Giving it to Wang Feng like this felt like a loss.

"You really are something." Old Wang said earnestly, "You're not a three-year-old anymore. Once you give something to someone, do you want it back? Men should stand by their word. Breaking a promise is not good..."

"Cough, cough... slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue. That's not what I meant!" Aota's face turned red and white, realizing he wouldn't get it back. Unwillingly, he said, "I mean, where's Taluo?"

"What Taluo?" Old Wang asked with a calm demeanor.

Aota reminded him, "It's the Snow Wolf King that your brother lent you last time."

"Didn't you give it to me?"

Aota was taken aback; he clearly said 'lend.' He hesitated, unsure how to respond.

"Sigh, it's fine, you don't have to say anything. I can tell from your expression." Old Wang looked at Aota with disappointment and said earnestly, "I thought we were brothers. For you, I ignored Zhiyu's advances, but you can't even part with a wolf..."

"..." Aota's face turned red instantly: "I, I was just asking..."

"You're lying. The way you spoke just now clearly showed you wanted it back!"

Aota's mouth dropped open.

"Aota, let me be honest. The Snow Wolf King is a small matter; I can return it to you anytime." Old Wang sighed, pained, and continued, "But let's be reasonable. Why did I make that agreement with you in the first place? Was it really for the wolf? No, it was because I saw your deep affection for Zhiyu, which moved me. We are both the people who care most about Zhiyu in this world. Who doesn't want Zhiyu to be happy?"

"Brother truly sees through everything! Such magnanimity..."

"But..." Old Wang looked at him with regret and said, "I didn't expect you to think that the wolf was more important than Zhiyu. If you don't truly love her, then I need to reconsider our agreement. After all, Zhiyu's happiness comes first. We can't let her end up with the wrong person..."

Aota was stunned, finally reacting: "Brother! I don't want the wolf anymore, it's yours!"

Old Wang said meaningfully, "Forced affection never lasts. Don't force yourself. You actually spoke your true feelings from the start. I think it's best if I return the wolf to you..."

"Brother! Brother, I was wrong, Brother!" Aota was almost scared out of his wits: "I really just wanted to check on Taluo. That guy has a big appetite, and I wasn't sure if Brother could afford to keep him... Don't misunderstand, Brother! I meant if Brother can't afford it, I still have some spare money..."

"Not forcing yourself?"

"Absolutely no problem!" Aota patted his chest, saying insincerely: "These are words from the heart!"

"Er Tong has been eating a bit more, and I’ve been worrying about it." Old Wang spread his hands with relief: "Good brother, you truly are a man of deep feelings. I’ll thank you in advance for Er Tong’s sake!"

Aota stared at Old Wang’s outstretched hand for a moment, then understood, and with a pained expression, he fished out his wallet from his pocket and handed it over: "Big Brother, you, you must feed it well!"

"Brother, rest assured!" Old Wang patted his chest and said: "For your sincerity, even if I go hungry, I won’t let it go hungry!"

Without getting the lamp or the wolf back, Aota ended up spending a large sum of money, and he was so regretful that he felt like his intestines were turning green. He shouldn’t have talked to Wang Feng about this at all.