Ning Fengzhi: I'm a joke?

Ning Wen opened his mouth, ready to say something else.

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 may be somewhat different, but this was exactly how you tricked This Seat in my previous life.]

[This Seat believed you, foolishly opened my heart, and treated you as my closest family, thinking I finally had a home.]

[In the face of one injustice after another, This Seat endured it time and again.]

The Voice Pack's voice lowered a little, shedding its earlier lofty coldness and taking on a trace of sorrow so faint it was almost imperceptible.

[And what came of it?]

[On nothing more than your idiot daughter's say-so, you allied with Tang San, who seemed pure and noble but was actually a hypocrite through and through, and tried to kill This Seat, all while insisting it was for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!]

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

[But the facts proved that you were a joke, a sucker who let his so-called allies bleed him dry again and again while still greeting them with a smile.]

[Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, the two pillars of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, lost their lives one after the other because of it. The hidden weapons you paid so dearly for weren't worth shit compared to the Soul Tools This Seat developed.]

[From that point on, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect fell into irreversible decline!]

[After becoming a god, This Seat killed Tang San on the spot, avenging you in the process.]

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

Ning Wen instinctively glanced at Ning Fengzhi.

The Voice Pack was spouting some nonsense, but to be fair, that did seem to be how things had gone.

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

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

The two Sect-Guarding Douluos, Sword and Bone, had even died because of Tang San.

Yet Tang San had cared only about expanding his own forces, paying no attention to whether the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect survived.

In the end, Ning Fengzhi had gained nothing at all.

Well, saying he had gained nothing at all was a bit much.

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 hadn't been passed down.

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

If Ning Fengzhi and the others heard it, wouldn't they be furious?

And that was exactly the case.

I'm a joke?

Ning Fengzhi clenched his fingers so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

He couldn't believe that, after a lifetime of shrewdness, he would end up making a losing investment.

No, this went far beyond a mere losing investment.

He had been sold out and still helped count the money!

Honestly, Ning Fengzhi wanted to believe this was all just Ning Wen's wild imagination.

But Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao's name clearly wasn't something a little boy who had grown up in a small village should know.

Of course, Ning Wen might have happened to hear Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao's name somewhere and spun this entire story in his head.

But that possibility was slim.

Besides, proposing to eliminate a threat at its roots was very much in keeping with Uncle Bone's character.

After all, despite Gu Rong's joking manner and aloof, easygoing appearance, he was deeply calculating and fiercely loyal to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

He handled the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's dirty work.

It looks like I'll need to focus our intelligence network on finding Tang Hao from now on. I'll also need to make more visits to the Moonlight Pavilion, Ning Fengzhi thought.

Even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, he would not allow the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to fall into decline under his leadership.

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

"Uncle Ning, Grandpa Sword, you both look a little unwell?"

Ning Wen asked in confusion.

"We're a little carriage-sick."

Ning Fengzhi quickly composed himself and forced a smile.

Now more than ever, he couldn't let Ning Wen know they could hear his inner thoughts.

"That's right... just a little carriage-sick," Chen Xin echoed stiffly.

Ning Wen looked utterly bewildered.

Even a Soul Saint and a Titled Douluo could get carriage-sick?

Still, he didn't dwell on it.

Douluo was famous for being a fantasy world where everyone might as well be hauling bricks!

What was so strange about getting carriage-sick?

Didn't every Dragon Slayer get motion sickness?

"Come on, let me show you around your new home!"

Ning Fengzhi changed the subject with a smile.

As they stepped into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, a grand and opulent sight greeted them.

The entire sect complex was built against the mountains, towering and spacious. Its lofty vaulted ceilings were inlaid with countless tiny pieces of luminous spirit jade, casting a soft, warm glow without the need for lamps.

The floors were laid with whole slabs of polished black jade, gleaming like mirrors. As people walked across them, their reflections appeared clearly on the stone.

Pavilions and towers stretched together in an unbroken expanse, their upturned eaves covered in translucent glazed tiles that shimmered with rainbow hues beneath the sunlight.

Ning Wen's eyes widened, making him look like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world.

And that was indeed the case.

Even the five-star hotels he had stayed in while accompanying his boss on business trips in his previous life seemed utterly shabby by comparison.

Even the lavish mansions depicted in films and television couldn't come close to the grandeur of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect before him.

As expected of the richest sect on the continent, only one word could describe it: lavish.

Seeing Ning Wen's awestruck expression, Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin exchanged a glance and secretly breathed sighs of relief.

Now that was the right reaction!

How could this boy possibly be a reincarnated God King?

In all likelihood, it was nothing more than his wild imagination.

Yes, that had to be it.

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

[Utterly vulgar! To think This Seat actually lived in a place like this for over a decade in my previous life. Looking back, even I admire my own endurance.]

[Every temple This Seat casually stayed in back then was forged personally by the God of Forging and the Craftsman God, wreathed in immortal aura and bathed in divine radiance. How could anything in this mortal world compare to such magnificent sights?]

[This Seat's favorite pastime was lying atop a temple and watching the ever-changing clouds and mist.]

[One moment they were like surging waves, the next like a serene beauty. Every change was unpredictable, yet possessed a beauty that inspired boundless imagination.]

[Forget it. There's no point telling you mortals all this. I'd better think about how to grow stronger quickly and reclaim my position as God King!]

Ning Wen rolled his eyes.

Fine, man, you're amazing. Happy now?

You never stop showing off!

You even look down on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?

Then what had I lived in during my previous life?

A doghouse?

Uh... by that standard, probably something worse than a doghouse.

The corner of Ning Fengzhi's mouth twitched. No matter how refined he was, he felt an urge to swear right now.

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

Still, remembering that this little fellow might truly be a reincarnated God King, he took a deep breath and swallowed his anger.

In contrast, Chen Xin took it much better.

He had devoted his life to cultivating his swordsmanship, pursuing the pinnacle of the sword's path, and had never cared about material things.

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

"Little Wen, you must be tired after such a long carriage ride, right?"

Ning Fengzhi quickly adjusted his mood, his gentle, gracious smile returning. "I'll have someone prepare a room for you. Get some rest, and we'll discuss everything else later."

"All right, Uncle Ning."

Ning Wen nodded obediently.

Hearing that, Ning Fengzhi breathed a sigh of relief.

If he kept listening much longer, he feared he might completely lose his composure.

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

Ning Fengzhi turned and instructed the old man who had been following silently behind them.

A flicker of surprise crossed Old Wang's face.

After all, Ning Fengzhi lived in the very heart of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Even the sect's core disciples weren't qualified to live there.

At present, only Ning Fengzhi, his daughter Ning Rongrong, Sword Douluo Chen Xin, and Bone Douluo Gu Rong lived there.

Yet this country boy, who had clearly just been brought back from the countryside, was moving straight in on his very first day.

It seemed his earlier guess had been correct.

This 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 wouldn't have just one wife, nor would Ning Rongrong be his only child.

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

"Yes."

Old Wang nodded respectfully, then addressed Ning Wen with a warm expression. "Young Master Wen, this way, please."

"Grandpa Wang, just call me Little Wen."

"How could I do that?"

After the two had gradually moved away, Chen Xin turned to Ning Fengzhi. "Fengzhi, I'll go check on Rongrong."

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

Chen Xin halted, his sword-like brows drawing together slightly.

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

Ning Fengzhi looked helpless.

He did dote on his daughter, but he still exercised some restraint.

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

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

As soon as Ning Rongrong's eyes reddened and she put on a pitiful expression, both of them would immediately soften.

With the two Douluos, Sword and Bone, protecting her, even Ning Fengzhi was sometimes powerless.

"Who says we spoil Rongrong? You only see her playful side, not how well-behaved she can be."

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

"To be honest, I don't want to believe it either."

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

Chen Xin opened his mouth, but the words caught on his tongue, and he couldn't utter a single one.

Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao and Bone Douluo Gu Rong were clearly not people a child who had always lived in a small village without even a single Soul Master should know about.

Not to mention that, because of Spirit Hall, Tang Hao and the Clear Sky Sect had already become taboo subjects among the vast majority of Soul Masters.

"Uncle Sword, whether it's true or not, you and Uncle Bone can't keep spoiling Rongrong like this."

Ning Fengzhi spoke firmly. "It won't do her future any good."

"If anything happens to Rongrong because she's gone hungry, I'll hold you responsible!"

Chen Xin gave a cold snort, turned, and left.