Chapter 370: The Dying Man

"Novel 'Realm of Nine Heavens (Nine Heavens)'” Search for the latest chapter!

Mermaids are born alluring, their charm irresistible. They don’t fear men who pretend indifference—they fear those who truly cannot be swayed.

Clara’s lips curled into a faint smile, a wisp of soul power shimmered subtly between her fragrant lips—a secret art of the mermaid race. In the dance between men and women, whoever falls for the other first loses, especially for mermaids. Wang Feng had always been unshakably composed, but now it seemed jealousy had finally stirred him.

They drew closer. Clara’s breathing quickened deliberately, heat passing between their bodies. Her slightly parted lips glistened, dewy and inviting, waiting for...

Suddenly, Wang Feng patted Clara’s cheek. "Wake up. Still trying to hustle me? Remember, you owe me a big favor."

Seeing his teasing expression, Clara felt both annoyed and amused, adjusting her slipping shoulder strap.

She collected her scattered thoughts and sat up straighter. "Let’s talk business. Anything else you need help with? Aside from the city lord matter, you don’t seem to be doing well in the Holy Sanctuary either. Several factions are targeting you."

"Just a bunch of clowns. I’ll deal with them later."

"If anyone else said that, I wouldn’t believe it. But if it’s you, I’ll grab some popcorn."

"Haha, the best shows run back-to-back. Better find yourself a good seat."

"A new batch of blue-striped snails arrived the other day," Clara said softly. "You like snails, don’t you? Dinner together?"

"Next time. I’ve got another appointment." Wang Feng chuckled, standing and waving his hand. Originally, the beastmen’s invitation was flexible, but now that he knew Sessis had saved Clara at great cost, this was a debt he couldn’t ignore.

"Who’s more important than me?" Clara couldn’t resist teasing again.

"Of course, a woman! See you later! Oh, right..." Wang Feng fished out a small trinket from his pocket and tossed it to Clara. "Picked this up for you in Dragon City. See what a good friend I am? Tsk, and here you went back to the ocean and couldn’t even spare a shell!"

Clara froze, instinctively catching the object. It was an iridescent pearl with a faint trace of soul power—not a soul crystal, nothing pricey, but novel nonetheless.

This was... She stared, dumbstruck, as he walked out without a backward glance, not even a hint of hesitation.

Clara studied the pearl for a long time, frowning slightly.

When she didn’t give, he fought for it. When she offered, he refused... What was his deal?

Mermaids were legendary for their allure. Given the atmosphere today, she’d expected Wang Feng to lose control—or at least take some liberties. Yet he hadn’t. Was there really a human, a man no less, more rational in desire than a mermaid?

Disappointed? Hardly. Terms like "love-struck" or "pining" were laughable to mermaids—they simply didn’t resonate. Everything was just transactional cooperation, and if there was even a hint of friendship, that was already unusual for a mermaid. But still...

Clara suddenly laughed and tossed the pearl into a nearby jewelry box.

Good that he stayed a mystery. If he were so easily decipherable, how could he stand with her against the princess? Wang Feng, Wang Feng... I’ll be waiting for your grand performance!

......

The beastmen owned half of Changmao Street. Every time Wang Feng met Uganda, the location changed. This time, Su Mei'er had invited him—so it was even more special.

A deceptively plain, quiet courtyard nestled in a small alley behind Changmao Street, far from the clamor of the district, lending the simple lane an air of elegance.

Only an elderly beastman sweeping the doorstep stood guard, indistinguishable from any other low-ranking beastman in Aurora City. He paled at the sight of a human and hurried inside to announce the guest. Soon, Su Mei'er helped Uganda out from the inner room.

Meeting Wang Feng in the courtyard, Uganda smiled. "This was meant to be a gathering for you youngsters. I hope you don’t mind an old man like me joining?"

Wang Feng laughed heartily. "Long time no see, Old Uganda! Still sharp as ever, I see—still got jokes!"

"Greetings, Brother Wang." Su Mei'er bowed slightly beside him.

Wang Feng reached out to help her up. "No need for formalities, Sister Mei'er. We’re all family here." Su Mei'er smiled and nodded. Knowing her grandfather and Wang Feng had matters to discuss—with her grandfather as today’s main speaker—she said obediently, "Brother Wang, you and Grandfather take a seat first. I’ll check on the kitchen. Your legend echoes, and my cooking’s just as memorable. Today, I’ll make sure you and Grandfather savor every bite!"

Watching her skip away, Uganda chuckled, "Ever since coming to Aurora City, this girl has taken up cooking as a hobby—and she’s surprisingly talented. You’re in for a treat today; it definitely won’t lose to your human chefs."

"Perfect timing!" Old Wang casually placed a small box he was carrying onto the stone table in the courtyard and patted it with a smile. "I was just worried this Five Poisons Wine wouldn’t have good snacks to go with it."

Uganda didn’t have many hobbies in life, but wine was one of them. He laughed heartily and touched the box. "With the Five Poisons of Dragon City here, no wine lover crosses Sand Mountain without it! The Five Poisons Wine from Dragon City has been famous for ages. You’ve got a good memory!"

The two sat down by the stone table, laughing. Servants immediately took the wine box away and brought out drinking vessels. Uganda smiled and said, "Back from Dragon City, I figured you’d have a lot to handle, so I didn’t reach out. But I never expected Aurora City and the Sanctuary to undergo such sudden changes... How are you holding up?"

"Come on, old man, what’s there for a young guy like me not to handle?" Old Wang grinned, lowering his voice. "To be honest, I wake up every morning standing at attention—hard as a rock!"

Uganda, sensing his relaxed attitude, burst into laughter. "Youth’s your edge—no fear, full speed ahead."

"Even charging ahead needs friends’ help." Old Wang smiled. "I only found out today and came specifically to thank you. Sessis..."

Uganda waved his hand, cutting Wang Feng off. Just then, the servants brought out the opened Five Poisons Wine. Uganda personally poured a cup for Old Wang and raised his own with a smile. "We’re family. Skip the niceties. Consider this a welcome-back toast—bottoms up!"

"To you, old man!"

The Five Poisons Wine burned fiercely, its kick was heavy but smooth, like the desert sands—harsh against the face yet grand and boundless.

After a few cups, the conversation flowed more freely.

Uganda inquired about recent developments within Rose Sanctuary before shifting the topic to the New Lord.

Contrary to Old Wang’s expectations, he had assumed Uganda was merely wavering between the New Lord and himself, hence the delay in visiting Rose. But after hearing Uganda’s words, he realized it wasn’t the case. The hesitation wasn’t because Old Wang was easily swayed—it was because of Su Mei'er.

The New Lord wanted Su Mei'er. From the very beginning, he had pushed the beastmen to his absolute opposition. Having come from the Holy City, he had seen too many beastmen elders kneel to human bigwigs. In his eyes, beastmen wouldn’t dare oppose him—they should feel honored, even if it meant offering Uganda’s granddaughter as his toy.

Offering the finest mangy beastwomen as pets to certain Holy City dignitaries—wasn’t that what beastmen often did? Without such connections, those lowly beastmen would be trembling in fear! The New Lord probably even saw this as a way to win them over. Too bad he didn’t realize the difference between the underground beastmen of Aurora City and those groveling ones in the Holy City...

Thus, Uganda and the New Lord were destined to clash from the start—with no room for compromise. Uganda wasn’t hesitating; he was simply waiting for the right moment to meet Old Wang.

"We beastmen have no retreat left. The New Lord is our shared enemy." Uganda smiled faintly. "Wang Feng, I’ve long understood your style. Waiting idly for death isn’t like you. Every angle covered now means you’ve got something planned. If there’s any way we beastmen can assist, we’ll give it our all!"

"This New Lord won’t rest until Rose is destroyed. I was already planning to settle this score with him, but now he dares covet Mei'er too?" Old Wang clapped his hands, impassioned. "Mei'er and I share a love for music, and she’s such a sweet girl. Even without your connection, I’d see her as a sister. And that New Lord? He’s nothing but a corpse on borrowed time—who does he think he is?"

A corpse on borrowed time?

Uganda was taken aback. Truthfully, as long as Thunder Dragon didn’t act, everyone knew Rose had a backup plan. And given Uganda’s understanding of Wang Feng, this kid wouldn’t just sit and wait for death. The calmer Rose appeared now, the more it signaled they were strategizing—they definitely had cards up their sleeves. The New Lord wouldn’t find it easy to move against Rose.

Uganda had merely hoped to survive in the cracks between Rose and the New Lord, protecting Su Mei'er. But from Wang Feng’s tone, he actually wanted to kill the New Lord? That was a stretch. This was a legitimate city lord approved by the council—how? Besides, the New Lord was exceptionally bold. By now, whether in business, politics, or the underground, Aurora City was in his pocket.

"He’s got that investment project, right?" Old Wang smiled leisurely at Uganda’s confusion. "Why don’t the beastmen invest? How about ten billion?"

Buying time?

"I’m afraid we can’t gather that much..." Uganda frowned. Though his underground empire was wealthy, ten billion wasn’t small change—it’d take time to assemble. And if this was just buying time, the cost was far too steep...

"Just toss in a few mil for optics." Old Wang grinned. "It’s just a contract—clear-cut terms. Don’t hold back on the breach terms. Triple, quintuple—your call."

Uganda was genuinely stunned now. After a pause, he asked, "There’s a trick here?"

"Haha, old man, some details can’t be spelled out—not for lack of trust, but other reasons." Old Wang chuckled. "But the outcome? No harm telling you in advance. This New Lord walked into a noose—no coming back from this. It’s a done deal. Afterward, we plan to nominate Anbolin as city lord. His qualifications, connections, and strength are all sufficient. He’s wired into the council and isn’t part of Thunder Dragon’s faction. No one will find fault with this."

Uganda fell silent, his expression shifting as he studied Wang Feng’s eyes.

He had delayed meeting Wang Feng to avoid appearing too desperate. Only when Wang Feng was equally frantic could the beastmen stand on equal footing with him—after all, better a lifeline than a pat on the back. But Wang Feng had surprised him. Not only was he not panicked, he had everything meticulously arranged. His tone left no room for doubt—this wasn’t hot air. But... some lousy contract? Even if Wang Feng could disrupt it, how would that take down a city lord?

No clue. No read. No idea!

"Brother Wang, Grandpa!"

Uganta was deep in thought when Su Mei'er arrived carrying a tray of dishes. The presentation was exquisite—small plates filled with dainty, artfully plated bites, each portion modest but beautifully arranged.

Behind her, seven or eight servants followed, carrying steaming main courses. The dishes were meticulously presented, featuring refined ingredients far removed from the hearty, meat-heavy fare typical of the beastfolk.

"Brother Wang, I feared a traditional beastfolk feast might not suit your taste, so I tried to blend the best of both worlds—our bold flavors with human culinary techniques. These four cold dishes are lard cakes, shredded tripe, flaky pastries, and glazed ribs. The five hot dishes are..." Su Mei'er introduced as she served.

It had to be said that Su Mei'er was truly gifted. She managed to seamlessly fuse the robust flavors of beastfolk cuisine with the delicate techniques of humans while preserving the essence of both. Her culinary talent was undeniable. Old Wang had initially planned to just go through the motions of politeness, but one bite was enough to surprise him—each dish was exceptionally delicious and uniquely distinctive, awakening his appetite in no time.

Old Wang couldn’t stop praising, "Mei'er, your cooking is truly outstanding! Whoever marries you in the future will be incredibly lucky!"

Uganta sipped his drink and chuckled, "Her cooking’s decent, but that temper... Even I can’t rein in this spitfire. But Wang Feng, I’ve noticed Mei'er respects you a lot. Why not consider it?"

"Cough, cough..." Old Wang choked on his food. Getting matchmade during dinner?

Truth be told, Su Mei'er was absolutely stunning—radiant, fiery, with a wild beauty neither beastfolk nor humans possessed. But... Old Wang really didn’t see her that way. She just felt too much like a little sister.

Seeing Wang Feng’s awkward expression, Su Mei'er came to his rescue. "Grandpa! I just want to learn the horn from Brother Wang. Don’t scare him off!"

"Hahaha!" Uganta laughed heartily. "Your Brother Wang isn’t someone so easily scared off. Not a chance!"

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