A Joke? Me?

Ning Wen opened his mouth, about to say something more.

The Voice Pack came online right on cue.

[Hmph! What a hypocrite!]

[Keep pretending.]

[Go on, keep pretending.]

[Let's see how long you can keep it up!]

Ning Wen: "??"

Ning Fengzhi: "??"

Chen Xin: "??"

[The circumstances are a little different, but you lured me in the same way in my last life.]

[I believed you. Like a fool, I opened my heart and treated you as my closest family. I thought I finally had a home.]

[When faced with injustice after injustice, I swallowed it again and again.]

The Voice Pack's tone lowered. Its former lofty chill faded, giving way to a trace of sorrow so faint it was almost impossible to catch.

[And what happened?]

[Because of one word from that foolish daughter of yours, you allied yourself with Tang San—that man who looked pure and noble but was a hypocrite through and through—and tried to kill me. All while claiming it was for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!]

[Even that stubborn old Gu Rong suggested killing Tang San, the son of Tang Hao the Clear Sky Douluo, before he could grow strong enough to become a threat.]

[But the truth proved you were a joke. Your so-called ally fleeced you again and again, and you still smiled for him.]

[Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, the two pillars of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, died one after the other because of it. And the hidden weapons you paid so dearly for were worthless against the Soul Tools I developed.]

[From then on, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect fell into decline!]

[After I became a god, I killed Tang San on the spot. You could say I avenged you.]

[But whatever happens to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect from now on is none of my concern!]

Ning Wen glanced at Ning Fengzhi without thinking.

The Voice Pack's story was far-fetched, but he had to admit, it did sound about right.

Even in the original story, Ning Fengzhi, the so-called angel investor, had been the biggest sucker apart from Poison Douluo Dugu Bo.

He had clashed with Spirit Hall repeatedly to help Tang San.

The sect's two Sect-Guarding Douluo, Sword and Bone, had even died because of Tang San.

Tang San had cared only about building his own power, without the slightest concern for whether the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect lived or died.

In the end, Ning Fengzhi had gained nothing for it.

Well, saying he had gained nothing was going a bit far.

At the very least, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had been renamed the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Though the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda had never been passed down.

Then again, thank goodness he was the only one who could hear this damned thing.

If Ning Fengzhi and the others heard it, they would be furious.

And furious they were.

"I'm a joke?"

Ning Fengzhi clenched his fingers until his knuckles turned white.

He could not believe that after a lifetime of shrewd decisions, he would end up making such a ruinous bargain.

No, calling it a ruinous bargain did not begin to cover it.

He had been sold out and helped count the money!

Truthfully, Ning Fengzhi wanted to dismiss it all as Ning Wen's wild imagination.

But Tang Hao's title, Clear Sky Douluo, was hardly something a little boy raised in a small village would know.

Of course, Ning Wen might have heard the name somewhere by chance and spun an entire story around it in his head.

But that seemed unlikely.

And the suggestion to eliminate a future threat fit Uncle Bone's character perfectly.

After all, Gu Rong might look carefree and flippant, even indifferent, but he was deeply calculating and fiercely loyal to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

He handled the sect's less presentable affairs.

It looks like I'll have to focus our intelligence network on finding Tang Hao. I should make more visits to Moonlight Pavilion, too, Ning Fengzhi thought.

Even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance it was true, he would not allow the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to decline on his watch.

At the same time, Chen Xin's expression darkened.

"Uncle Ning, Grandpa Sword, you both look a little pale. Is something wrong?"

Ning Wen asked in confusion.

"We're a little carsick."

Ning Fengzhi quickly composed himself and forced a smile.

Now more than ever, they could not let Ning Wen know they could hear his thoughts.

"That's right... just a little carsick," Chen Xin agreed stiffly.

Ning Wen stared at them, baffled.

A Soul Saint and a Titled Douluo could get carsick?

But he did not dwell on it.

The world of Douluo was famously fantastical in name and mundane in practice!

What was so strange about a little motion sickness?

Even every Dragon Slayer wizard got sick on vehicles!

"Come on. I'll show you around the place you'll be living from now on!"

Ning Fengzhi changed the subject with a smile.

As they entered the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, a scene of magnificent splendor opened before them.

The entire sect was built into the mountainside, grand and imposing. Its lofty ceilings were inlaid with countless tiny pieces of luminous spirit jade, casting a soft, warm glow without a single lamp.

The floors were paved with whole slabs of polished black jade, gleaming like mirrors. As people walked across them, their reflections appeared clearly beneath their feet.

Pavilions and towers stretched into the distance. Their upturned eaves were covered in translucent glazed tiles that shimmered with rainbow light beneath the sun.

Ning Wen's eyes widened. He looked every bit like someone who had never seen such luxury.

And, in fact, he had not.

The five-star hotels he had stayed in while traveling with his supervisor in his previous life looked downright shabby by comparison.

Even the lavish mansions depicted in films and television could not match a fraction of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's grandeur.

It truly deserved its reputation as the wealthiest sect on the continent. "Extravagant" was the only word for it.

Seeing Ning Wen's awestruck expression, Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin exchanged glances and quietly breathed sighs of relief.

Now that was the reaction they expected!

Surely this boy could not be a reincarnated God King.

All those thoughts of his were almost certainly just his imagination.

Yes, that had to be it.

But the next moment, that cold, indifferent voice rang out again.

[How vulgar! To think I spent more than ten years living in a place like this in my last life. I almost have to admire myself for enduring it.]

[Even the divine halls where I stopped to rest were forged by the God of Forging and the Craftsman God themselves. Immortal mists swirled around them, and divine light poured down. How could their splendor compare to anything in this mortal world?]

[What I loved most was lying atop a divine hall and watching the ever-changing clouds.]

[One moment they were like rolling waves; the next, like a serene beauty. Their shapes followed no pattern, yet every change stirred the imagination.]

[Forget it. There's no point telling you mortals all this. I should focus on growing stronger quickly and reclaiming my place as God King!]

Ning Wen rolled his eyes.

All right, big shot, you're amazing. Happy now?

You never stop showing off!

And now you're looking down on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?

What did I live in during my last life, then?

A doghouse?

Uh... by that standard, maybe it wasn't even fit for a dog.

Ning Fengzhi's mouth twitched. Even with all his composure, he felt an urge to curse.

The sect grounds he took such pride in had been dismissed as utterly worthless.

But when he remembered that the little fellow might truly be a reincarnated God King, he took a deep breath and endured it.

Chen Xin, by contrast, took it much better.

He had devoted his life to cultivating swordsmanship and pursuing the way of the sword. Material things had never mattered to him.

Even his decision to join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had had nothing to do with resources, status, or power. He had joined because he owed the sect a debt of gratitude.

"Little Wen, you must be tired after such a long carriage ride, aren't you?"

Ning Fengzhi soon regained his composure. His gentle smile returned. "I'll have someone prepare a room for you. Get some rest, and we can talk about everything else later."

"All right, Uncle Ning."

Ning Wen nodded obediently.

Hearing that, Ning Fengzhi let out a breath of relief.

If he had to keep listening, he feared he would lose his composure entirely.

"Old Wang! Find Little Wen a room near my main residence!"

Ning Fengzhi turned to the elderly man who had been following silently behind them and gave his instructions.

A strange look flashed across Old Wang's face.

The area where Ning Fengzhi lived was the very heart of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Even core disciples of the sect were not permitted to live there.

At present, its only residents were Ning Fengzhi and his daughter Ning Rongrong, along with Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong.

Yet this boy, plainly just brought in from the countryside, was being given a room there on his very first day.

It seemed Old Wang's earlier guess had been right.

The little fellow really was the sect master's illegitimate son.

But why had he only been brought back now?

As the master of a sect, Ning Fengzhi naturally had more than one wife, and Ning Rongrong was not his only child.

But unlike the exceptionally gifted Ning Rongrong, his other sons could only be described as mediocre.

"Yes."

Old Wang nodded respectfully, then turned to Ning Wen with a kindly smile. "Young Master Wen, this way, please."

"Grandpa Wang, you can just call me Little Wen."

"Oh, I couldn't possibly!"

Once the two had gone some distance, Chen Xin looked at Ning Fengzhi. "Fengzhi, I'm going to check on Rongrong."

To his surprise, Ning Fengzhi shook his head and raised a hand to stop him.

Chen Xin halted, his sword-sharp brows drawing together.

"Uncle Sword, you and Uncle Bone spoil Rongrong too much."

Helplessness showed on Ning Fengzhi's face.

He doted on his daughter, certainly, but he still exercised some restraint.

At the very least, he scolded Ning Rongrong when she did something wrong.

Chen Xin and Gu Rong were different. Their indulgence knew no bounds.

The moment Ning Rongrong's eyes reddened and she looked the least bit aggrieved, both men would give in.

With Sword and Bone protecting her, there were times Ning Fengzhi could do nothing about it.

"Who says we spoil Rongrong? You've only seen how playful she can be. You haven't seen how well-behaved she is."

Chen Xin sounded displeased. "Fengzhi, you don't actually believe that boy's nonsense, do you?"

"Honestly, I don't want to."

Ning Fengzhi fell silent for a moment, then gave a bitter smile. "But tell me, how did he know the names of Tang Hao and Uncle Bone?"

Chen Xin opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Tang Hao the Clear Sky Douluo and Gu Rong the Bone Douluo were not people a child raised in a small village without a single Soul Master could be expected to know.

What was more, because of Spirit Hall, Tang Hao and the Clear Sky Sect had become taboo subjects for most Soul Masters.

"Uncle Sword, whether it's true or not, you and Uncle Bone cannot keep indulging Rongrong like this."

Ning Fengzhi's voice was firm. "It won't do her any good in the future."

"If Rongrong goes hungry and something happens to her, I'll hold you responsible!"

Chen Xin snorted and turned away.