CHAPTER 275: CHAPTER 275: SUPERDEGREE

Wang Hanwen perked up his ears but still couldn’t hear what Nezha was muttering.

Leading Nezha, Ao Yu, and Lv Zhu’er, he introduced the local customs and scenery along the street, displaying his manners and eloquence like a proud rooster in front of Ao Yu.

Perhaps even he himself didn’t notice this, but in the eyes of the Wang family’s servants and maidservants, this scene seemed unbelievable.

This young master of theirs, who used to be rather taciturn when sweet-talking them, now had so much to say.

At this moment, Wang Hanwen’s face was beaming with a radiant smile and his attitude could even be described as ’obsequious,’ like when he faced the proud female general at the General’s Mansion.

As he spoke, Nezha learned that this long street, with all its inns and restaurants, was actually all under the Wang family’s business network.

He couldn’t help but remark, "Young Master Wang, your family’s enterprise is indeed remarkable."

Wang Hanwen responded, "Just a wealthy household of a small town, there are countless experts in this vast world, what do I count for?"

He said this with modesty, but there was a faint trace of pride on his face.

However, in the eyes of Princess Ao Yu of the Dragon Clan, the so-called family enterprise was indeed as he said: insignificant.

Ao Yu said, "Since you’re a small household, you should all the more conduct yourself with your feet on the ground."

Wang Hanwen held his breath, coughed twice, and replied with a faint smile, "The lady is right, I am enlightened. May I ask for the lady’s name?"

"I don’t want to tell you."

"What would it take for the lady to tell me?" Wang Hanwen’s smile deepened.

He didn’t know that Ao Yu, who was wholly devoted to her path of cultivation, was a rare Master Zizai in this world. She often did things without fuss, saying exactly what she thought.

She was never stingy about telling others her name, but if she didn’t even want to share that, it only meant she utterly despised that person.

But Wang Hanwen didn’t understand this. Although he noticed Ao Yu’s exceptional nature, he still treated her as an ordinary girl of the secular world.

So the more unwilling Ao Yu was to speak, the more he wanted to know, thinking that this girl was truly lovely, even more delightful than the lady Deng Chanyu of the General’s Mansion.

Ao Yu shot him a cold glance, then turned her head and walked side by side with Nezha.

Wang Hanwen looked up and realized they were already at his doorstep. As they approached, the large vermilion door creaked open, and two rows of sturdy family guards filed out, lining up on both sides.

Nezha smiled and said, "Brother Wang, you are far too courteous. We’re just here for a meal, no need for such a grand reception."

Wang Hanwen responded, "Brother Li, as a guest from afar, it’s only right to arrange properly."

At this, Lv Zhu’er remarked, "Your family guards carry knives even when coming out to greet guests."

Wang Hanwen squinted and smiled, "In this harsh border town, where horse thieves are common, these guards are more like the guards of our household. Brother Li and the miss, please don’t mind and come inside directly."

Nezha didn’t hesitate a bit, but turned to Ao Yu and said, "He’s right. Beyond the Three Mountain Pass, horse thieves are numerous. A few years ago, when I was here, I killed a group. But as horse thieves on horseback, once dismounted, they might as well become the so-called guards of the local wealthy households."

What he said was straightforward and didn’t avoid anyone.

Wang Hanwen listened but didn’t say anything, only giving a sinister chuckle. Seeing Nezha enter the door, his smile grew deeper.

At the end of the courtyard’s blue-brick pavement, a nine-ridged beast sat atop the main hall’s Xie Shan roof, the lead chiwen holding a copper bell that tinkled without wind—caused by a breezeway wind sweeping through the lattice-carved windows, unsettling the green-feathered bulbul in the eaves.

Nezha said, "Truly a good place. You haven’t changed a bit. Last time I saw you, you also liked keeping some armed samurai at home."

Seen me before?

Wang Hanwen racked his brains, but he couldn’t recall who this Li Zha was. He assumed he was just pretending and said, "Have you always been this arrogant?"

As those words fell, the vermilion door behind them creaked shut.

Nezha looked at him, still with an innocent expression, and said with a smile, "Young Master Wang jests. After such a long journey, I’m truly a bit hungry. When will the feast be served, I wonder?"

Wang Hanwen waved his hand, and the guards surrounded the three of them, flashing their knives.

With a faint smile, he said, "Young Master Li, how do you find my feast?"

Nezha’s expression remained unchanged, and he turned to Ao Yu and asked, "What do you think?"

Ao Yu arched her crescent eyebrows and softly said, "Not only bad but also stupid."

Wang Hanwen laughed, "Such words, miss, truly hurt my heart. But rest assured, miss. The treasure sword I have revealed only kills men, not women. However, the sword in my pants is still eager to spar with you, hahaha."

He laughed, and the people in the courtyard laughed along.

Just as Nezha said earlier, these people were guards at the Wang Mansion, heroes breaking the law with martial prowess in town, and horse thieves pillaging outside the town. Human lives were as light as grass before them.

Wang Hanwen was somewhat unsettled by Nezha’s unruffled smile, but as he rested his hand on the hilt of his flying sword, his unease dissolved completely.

He said, "Young Master Li, we have no past enmity or recent grudges. Sparing your life is not impossible."

Wang Hanwen decided to toy with Nezha for a bit longer, considering the prey had already fallen into the trap.

"Young Master Wang, have you forgotten what you said earlier?"

"What words?"

Nezha replied, "That if you had ill intentions towards us, you’d let me have your head to kick around like a ball."

"At death’s door and still talking tough. You must be an absolute fool not to recognize your situation even now," the lackey behind Wang Hanwen spoke up before he could.

They had done similar things many times before.

In the past, the people they dealt with would cry and beg for mercy at this point.

Even the rare few stubborn cases never stood a chance against their swords.

Nezha glanced at the speaker, flicked his fingers, and a pearl that danced on his fingertips flew out, grazing Wang Hanwen’s face and embedding deeply into the speaker’s skull.

With a thud, he fell to the ground. Wang Hanwen was startled, realizing that if this pearl had been aimed at his head, he would have been dead.

Still in shock, Wang Hanwen stood frozen, while the rest of the Wang household assumed their young master was unimpressed by the attack.

Indeed, his skill in using hidden weapons was formidable, able to shatter the hardest human skull with a delicate pearl, but their young master was an Immortal Disciple whose flying swords could harm from a hundred paces!

Wang Hanwen thought he might have been distracted. How could hidden weapons be faster than his sword?

Just as he was about to speak, a measured knocking sound came from the door outside, each knock identical in volume and rhythm, as if practiced many times.

"Who dares come at this time? Go and see," Wang Hanwen ordered one of his followers, frowning.

The follower, still shaken by Nezha’s earlier display, saw it as an opportunity to leave and hurriedly went to open the door.

When the door opened, there stood a monk in a gray robe.

The follower initially thought he was a beggar and was about to shoo him away, but after a glance, his agitation turned to calm.

This monk, despite his plain attire, had a remarkably clean and pure expression.

He asked, "Master, who are you here for?"

The monk replied, "Is Young Master Wang Hanwen at home?"

"He is. May I ask what business you have with our young master?"

The monk bowed to the follower with a kindly smile and answered earnestly, "I’ve come to perform his last rites."

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