C19 The Threat from Wang Ming!

"Ah, you've arrived!" Wang Feng exclaimed as he approached to greet her. He quickly fetched a chair for Wang Mingzhu to sit down.

Lee and the others showed their understanding by subtly shifting their seats aside, making room for Wang Mingzhu to sit next to Wang Feng, which caused her cheeks to flush with embarrassment.

"Ha, now that you're here, why don't we eat together?" Wang Feng suggested to Wang Mingzhu.

"Sure! I'm quite hungry; I haven't had lunch yet," Wang Mingzhu replied with a smile.

"Here, have some more. You're as thin as a rail!" Wang Feng said, serving Wang Mingzhu some food.

"Ha, don't worry about me. Here, Wang Feng, you should eat up too," Wang Mingzhu insisted, returning the favor by offering him some food.

Lee, Deng Jiu, and Deng Chanyu, who were observing the exchange, wore expressions as if they had been force-fed a dose of sweetness.

"Wang Feng, what's with them?" Wang Mingzhu inquired with a curious look.

"Oh, it's nothing. They're just feeling envious, jealous, and resentful," Wang Feng explained.

Deng Jiu and the others looked as though they were on the verge of swooning.

After handing a small bottle of pills to Wang Feng, Wang Mingzhu said, "Brother Wang Feng, this is the Ironhide Potion I found. Taking it could greatly aid in advancing your current level of cultivation."

Wang Feng gave a wry smile and thought to himself, "Just as I suspected, the high-grade Ironhide Potion that Wang Mingzhu purchased at the Obsidian Market was indeed for my breakthrough."

Gently patting Wang Mingzhu's head, Wang Feng smiled and said with a mysterious air, "Silly girl, you're really too kind-hearted."

Wang Mingzhu playfully pinched Wang Feng's ear, giggling, "Say that one more time! Who's the silly girl?"

"Ouch, that hurts! I'm the fool, I am. Please, let go of my ear; you've pinched it red!" Wang Feng protested.

He pointed to his reddened ear, showing it to Wang Mingzhu. "See, look how red it is!"

Laughing heartily, Wang Feng teased, "You're the silly girl, you are!" He then bravely endured the ear-pinch and dashed off around the courtyard, with Wang Mingzhu hot on his heels.

"Wang Feng, hold up! Don't run away!" Wang Mingzhu called out, chasing after Wang Feng.

"Ah, the youth of today! They just don't understand how to respect their elders and cherish the young," Deng Jiu remarked with a sigh.

After his meal, Lee simply shook his head with a chuckle and headed towards his furnace.

Catching Lee's dismissive shake of the head, Deng Jiu grabbed his wine cup and poured himself another drink, muttering, "Some people just can't appreciate the finer things in life."

Deng Chanyu shot Deng Jiu a fierce glare, silencing him immediately.

Wang Mingzhu and Wang Feng playfully chased each other for a bit before finding shade under a large tree.

"Wang Feng, you need to use the Ironhide Potion quickly to enhance your realm," Wang Mingzhu urged.

"What's the rush? Improving my realm isn't something to be rushed. My realm has only just solidified recently; I can't risk having an unstable foundation," Wang Feng replied.

"I forgot, I just got carried away with worry," Wang Mingzhu admitted.

"Is something wrong?" Wang Feng inquired.

"Wang Ming is coming back soon!" Wang Mingzhu revealed.

"Wang Ming? Wang Jian's brother?" Wang Feng asked.

"Yes, I'm worried he might try to harm you, so I wanted to help you advance your realm to give you a fighting chance," Wang Mingzhu explained.

"Are you worried I can't beat him? You don't have confidence in my strength?" Wang Feng challenged.

"It's not that. It's just that Wang Ming has reached the peak of the Blademaster realm with six stars. You're currently four whole realms behind him. That's why I'm concerned," Wang Mingzhu confessed.

"Ha, don't worry about it. Trust me, I'll find a way to defeat him," Wang Feng reassured her.

"Mmm," Wang Mingzhu acknowledged.

Watching the beauty before him drift off to sleep, Wang Feng gently carried Wang Mingzhu to his bedroom and laid her on the bed, careful not to let her catch a chill.

After ensuring she was comfortable, Wang Feng stepped outside and closed his bedroom door behind him.

He paced the courtyard, deep in conversation with the system about strategies to confront Wang Ming.

The Creation System warned, "Host, you and your opponent are four realms apart, and the disparity in strength is enormous. You stand no chance against him!"

Wang Feng was well aware of the vast difference, yet in front of Wang Mingzhu, he couldn't bring himself to admit his lack of confidence.

He scoffed at the system, "A huge difference? Aren't you the all-powerful system? Is there anything you can't handle?"

The system responded, "You must understand that I'm not omnipotent, but I can offer you a viable strategy!"

"What strategy? Spit it out."

"The answer is training. Only through combat can you rapidly progress and elevate your realm."

"Fine, I'll take your advice," Wang Feng agreed.

Looks like I need to prepare thoroughly.

Meanwhile, Wang Ming was en route to the Imperial Capital, flanked by several attendants burdened with heavy loads. As the sun beat down on them, sweat drenched their backs, streaming down their faces.

"Move it! The Young Master needs to return to the Wang family! You're carrying the medicine that could heal Young Master Jian. If you delay and disrespect him, you'll regret it!"

Barking orders from horseback was Wang Ming's personal guard, who bore a strikingly delicate appearance, reminiscent of a pale-faced eunuch.

The pair rode side by side on the imperial road.

"Mark my words, Young Master, the mere news of your arrival will have Wang Feng shaking in his boots, begging on his knees for mercy!"

The eunuch was all smiles, buttering up Wang Ming while eyeing the road ahead.

"Rest assured, he had the audacity to harm my brother, and I won't let him off lightly. My brother suffered injuries, and I intend to make the Wang surname pay back tenfold, a hundredfold."

"And as for begging for mercy? I won't even give him the chance," Wang Ming declared with a menacing scowl, "I certainly won't let him off the hook!"

The eunuch at his side felt the chill and ferocity emanating from Wang Ming and shuddered involuntarily. At that moment, Wang Ming seemed more like a vengeful demon than a man.

Three days later, Wang Ming reached the family estate. Upon arrival, he made a beeline for his father's quarters, anxious to check on his brother.

"Get out! All of you, just get out!"

"Young Master, please have something to eat!" implored the maidservant.

"I said get out! I'm not eating. I've told you, I'm not eating!"

A young man lay on the bed, surrounded by several maidservants who were incessantly trying to coax him into eating. Yet, the young man adamantly refused, furiously cursing at them in an attempt to drive them away.

Indeed, the person sprawled on the bed was Wang Jian, the one who had been crippled by Wang Feng.

"Oh, refusing to eat now, are we?" a voice chimed in.

The young man on the bed's face changed at the sound.

"Brother! You've returned," Wang Jian cried out in surprise.

"Thank goodness, brother, you've finally come back!"

"Now you can help me get back at Wang Feng. I want him to experience the misery of becoming a cripple!"

"Speaking of which, where is Wang Feng now?" Wang Ming inquired of his brother, Wang Jian.

"I've had people watching Wang Feng closely these past few days. Reliable sources say he ventured into Monsterwood a few days ago. He should be returning any day now!"

Wang Jian began, "When he does, brother, you must..."

Wang Ming cut him off, "Don't worry, brother. I know exactly what to do."