One Punch to Clear the Way, Spares a Hundred Punches Later

Zhou Daqing's expression completely collapsed, and a flicker of anger rose in his heart.

In the past, he had often gone to Wang Mengde's home to mooch meals, and Wang Mengde had never complained.

Yet Wang Mengde had become so cold and unfeeling.

"Wang Mengde." Zhou Daqing's voice sank. "You used to be such a good person. How did you become like this? Your cultivation advanced to the second level of Qi Refinement, and your spells improved too, so now you look down on your old friends? I was only asking a few questions. It wouldn't cost you a pound of flesh. Was there any need to be so stingy?"

Wang Mengde found it somewhat amusing.

Such a good person in the past?

Did being a good person mean he was supposed to let you take advantage of him?

Had some nice guy dug up your ancestral graves?

He had seen far too many people like this in his past life's workplace. The more easygoing you were, the less they treated you like an outsider.

Today they asked you to help with this; tomorrow they made you do that.

Not only would they fail to remember your kindness, they would look down on you in their hearts. When the crucial moment came, they might even kick you while you were down.

Once you refused, somehow it became your fault instead.

He did not want to be a nice guy. Nice guys lived too tiring a life.

The previous owner of this body was the best example. People mooched food and drink from him, took advantage of him, and treated him like a sucker. The key was that no one respected him; everyone thought he was a pathetic coward.

Among the crowd, villains and slick operators lived far more comfortably than nice guys.

Wang Mengde's expression remained unchanged as he said blandly, "Spells are not lightly passed on. If you want to learn, pay the fee. That is the rule."

Zhou Daqing's smile froze again.

He had not expected that even after humbling himself so much, Wang Mengde still would not give him any face.

Zhou Daqing's expression darkened completely. "You're so stingy. No wonder your wife went to the Evergreen Sect and never came back."

He said it loudly. The surrounding cultivators all had sharp hearing, and the cultivators on several boats heard every word clearly.

As soon as the words fell—

The cultivators around them burst into laughter.

"HAHAHAHAHA..."

"What Daqing said was a little too much, hahaha."

"I heard Wang Mengde took his wife to test her spiritual roots, then sold off everything his father left behind in exchange for spirit sand to support her cultivation. Who would have thought that once she reached the third level of Qi Refinement, she ran off to the Evergreen Sect? It has been over two years, and she has not returned even once. Hahahaha, how miserable."

"What an unlucky fool."

The laughter around him rose and fell, painfully grating on the ears.

A few cultivators even stopped casting spells to fish and turned to watch with great interest.

Gossip had always been the cheapest and most beloved pastime of low-level cultivators.

Fishing was boring. This was rare entertainment.

Wang Mengde narrowed his eyes and suddenly raised his right hand.

Entwining Silk Technique.

An invisible binding field instantly appeared, enveloping Zhou Daqing's entire body!

Zhou Daqing had barely reacted when he felt a tremendous force yank him hard.

Splash...

His entire body was dragged off the fishing boat and smashed viciously into the sea.

Seawater splashed everywhere.

Zhou Daqing surged with spiritual power and surfaced from the water, about to curse furiously.

But when he looked up, his face instantly turned pale.

Wang Mengde stood at the bow, holding a Golden Arrow Talisman in his right hand.

"You..." Zhou Daqing was scared out of his wits and hurriedly pulled a protective talisman from his robes.

Wang Mengde looked down at him expressionlessly, his voice indifferent. "Apologize. Otherwise, this will not end today."

Zhou Daqing opened his mouth, wanting to spit out some harsh words, but when he met those cold eyes, he suddenly could not say a single word.

He had never seen Wang Mengde like this before. His gaze was icy, as though he truly might activate that Golden Arrow Talisman at any moment.

It was a little frightening.

At some point, the surrounding laughter had stopped.

Everyone watched the scene with different expressions.

Some were surprised, some amused, and some thoughtful.

Zhou Daqing soaked in the seawater, his face shifting between green and white. He wanted to stand tough.

But seeing Wang Mengde's cold gaze and the Golden Arrow Talisman in his hand, the tough words reached his lips before being swallowed back down.

"I'm sorry." Zhou Daqing apologized reluctantly in a voice so low it was nearly inaudible.

Wang Mengde continued looking at him.

Zhou Daqing gritted his teeth and raised his voice. "I said I'm sorry, all right?"

Only then did Wang Mengde put away the Golden Arrow Talisman.

He was not actually as angry as he had appeared.

He was merely making use of the situation.

This was the way small people survived. Having lived for decades, he understood it clearly: petty people feared power, not virtue.

Weakness would only invite bullying and contempt. Everyone would want to take advantage of you.

Only by being tougher would others respect you, refrain from provoking you casually, and dare not take advantage of you.

The previous owner had been far too weak. Everyone wanted to take advantage of him and bully him, and all of them looked down on him.

Today, he was only taking this opportunity to let everyone know—

He was not a soft persimmon for anyone to squeeze.

One punch to clear the way, sparing a hundred punches later.

Wang Mengde discreetly swept his gaze over Chen Two-Tiger, then reeled in his line.

He turned the boat around and sailed away.

Only a group of cultivators remained on the sea, watching the retreating silhouette of the boat.

Their expressions subtly changed.

"That kid actually has a temper."

"His cultivation improved, so naturally he has a temper."

"But then again, it seems his wife really is not coming back."

"Wang Mengde should not have devoted all his resources to his wife."

"If he had used all the resources his father left behind on himself, he would have reached the second level of Qi Refinement long ago. Perhaps his wife would not have left either."

Wang Mengde steered the spirit boat.

After traveling for roughly two quarters of an hour—

A vast stretch of dark reefs appeared ahead.

Dragon Tooth Reef.

This reef region covered a large area, its rocks jagged and rugged. The large ones were as big as houses, while even the small ones were the size of millstones.

After passing through this reef region and traveling another twenty li, one would reach Rosy Cloud Island.

This was the shortest route from Shipwreck Reef to Rosy Cloud Island. Nearly every sampan spirit boat passed through here.

Wang Mengde steered his spirit boat and quietly concealed it among the reefs.

He parked the boat between several house-sized rocks.

Then he cast the Spirit Eye Technique and looked in the direction of Shipwreck Reef.

He waited for Chen Two-Tiger.

Very soon, a sampan spirit boat sailed past.

Using the Spirit Eye Technique, he saw the cultivator's outline through the reefs. It was not Chen Two-Tiger.

Then two fishing boats sailed past together.

Chen Two-Tiger was not on them either.

Another five minutes passed, and Wang Mengde narrowed his eyes.

He was here.

And Chen Two-Tiger was alone.

Wang Mengde channeled more spiritual power into the meridians around his eyes and scanned the surroundings.

After confirming that there were no other fishing boats, he drew two Golden Arrow Talismans from his robes and quietly infused them with spiritual power.

The talisman paper grew faintly hot.

Golden radiance drew inward, poised to strike.

Chen Two-Tiger steered his spirit boat into the reef region.

He cursed under his breath.

"My big brother really is useless. He actually failed to kill that coward Wang Mengde."

"Today, he tricked so many people into going to Shipwreck Reef. Tomorrow, no one will fall for it again."

"It's all Wang Mengde's fault, that piece of trash. He was clearly about to die, yet he came back alive, and his cultivation even rose to the second level of Qi Refinement."

"For the sake of my sampan spirit boat, I have to kill him as soon as possible."

"But that brat is too cautious. The places he goes always have people around. If anyone sees it, Rosy Cloud Island will fine me. The fines are far, far too high."

Just then—

A golden arrow as thick as an arm shot from the shadows of the reefs like lightning, flying straight at Chen Two-Tiger's sampan spirit boat!

Chen Two-Tiger turned his head and saw the arrow, his pupils contracting violently.

An ambush.