Chapter 611 - 592: Like-Minded

Kun Yaoyang was unusually quiet. Arrogant as he might be, he was a true opportunist and quick to seize any chance he got.

Just as everyone was murmuring amongst themselves, Luo Shan and Yang Qi returned. The two masters looked a little disheveled. As for who won... they had been fighting for so many years; if a victor could be decided, it wouldn’t have taken until today. However, the brawl had at least let them blow off some steam. Having calmed down, they had regained their masterful demeanors, and it was obvious they had reached some sort of agreement. Upon seeing the Silver-Horned Dragon Horse, they both revealed a hint of surprise.

Yang Qi glanced at Zhe Wulei. "You put some thought into this, kid."

Zhe Wulei replied respectfully, "This is a token of my sincerity. I had to give it my all."

Luo Shan waved Muhe Xiaoyu over. "Little Yu, come take a look too."

Muhe Xiaoyu approached the cage. As a Spirit-Controlling Master, she had an Innate affinity for True Essence Beasts, but the Silver-Horned Dragon Horse inside didn’t seem very friendly.

A Third-Transformation beast was not something an ordinary Spirit-Controlling Master could handle. The advancement paths for Spirit-Controlling Masters, Pill Masters, and Artifact Refiners were quite complex. To ordinary people, they were simply ranked by "Grade," but this was not entirely accurate.

For an officially initiated Spirit-Controlling Master to advance to the Ninth Grade—to put it bluntly, Grades One through Nine were merely the standard professional ranks.

Their scope of Spirit Control was limited to ordinary True Essence Beasts.

Those who could command a Third-Transformation True Essence Beast were what most Cultivators would call a Master.

In Wang City, there was only one: Luo Shan.

Those who could command a Fifth-Transformation beast were known as Grandmasters within the Spirit Control Association.

Those who could command a Seventh-Transformation beast were known as Celestial Masters.

And those who could command a Nine-Transformation Divine Beast were the supreme Immortal Masters.

The Divine Artifact Pavilion and the Pill Immortal Alliance had similar ranking systems, as the three major cultivation professions were complementary.

Luo Shan had Muhe Xiaoyu come over so she could broaden her horizons. After all, opportunities like this were rare.

Luo Shan’s True Essence slowly enveloped the cage. The Silver-Horned Dragon Horse was vigilant, yet frenzied. Spirit-Controlling Masters were familiar with True Essence Beasts and found it easiest to communicate with them. However, the more powerful a True Essence Beast, the harder it was to deal with, even after being captured. Some would even self-mutilate or die when faced with enslavement.

A Spirit-Controlling Master’s command ability had to be strong, which depended on the coordination of their True Essence and Heart Spirit, especially in a confrontation of Heart Spirits.

The Silver-Horned Dragon Horse was one of the more tenacious and powerful types. "Little Yu, when facing a Silver-Horned Dragon Horse, you must not use brute force. This kind of True Essence Beast is very proud. While maintaining your strength, you must gradually get it to lower its guard."

Despite the ongoing confrontation, Luo Shan’s expression remained relaxed.

Sure enough, the Silver-Horned Dragon Horse’s violent demeanor gradually calmed. Muhe Xiaoyu earnestly focused on the Magic Luo Shan was casting.

But just as everyone thought the Silver-Horned Dragon Horse was about to be suppressed, its silver horn suddenly glowed with a brilliant light. BOOM—

Annihilation Burst!

A surge of True Essence blasted outward, and the crowd hastily retreated.

"Not bad at all. This fellow looks to be at the Third Transformation Eighth Grade. And it even has a Natural Magic attack. Rare, truly rare."

Yang Qi clapped his hands in praise, not in mockery. Once a beast reached the Third Transformation Eighth Grade, it was essentially at the Third-Transformation Top Level. It would take some effort even for a Spirit-Controlling Master, and the process couldn’t be so casually displayed in public.

"A fine creature! It’s been a long time since I’ve met such a difficult one. My good niece, don’t worry, I will definitely tame this beast for you."

Luo Shan also gave up on performing for the crowd. After all, the next steps would involve the core Magic of the Spirit Control Association.

In the main hall, only Wan’Er remained by Wang Meng’s side. Master Wang had eaten and drunk his fill.

Suddenly, he noticed someone in another corner who was still eating, even more... ferociously than he had.

It was a big, fair-skinned fatty who was watching him with great interest as he ate.

"This braised pork knuckle is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The chef’s spice blend is superb. The cooks of a great house really are the best." Seeing Wang Meng look his way, the big fatty grinned. "My surname is Bai. People call me Fatty. You can call me Fatty Bai, or you can call me Little Bai."

"Wang Meng. The ’Meng’ from ’ferocious’," Wang Meng said with a smile, though he couldn’t eat another bite.

Fatty Bai carried two pork knuckles over and sat down next to Wang Meng. "You’re not quite like the rumors say."

"I like fat people," Wang Meng chuckled. Perhaps it was a case of transferred affection; he always had a soft spot for them, especially interesting ones.

"If I were you, I’d definitely be chasing after Jiang Biyao. She’s quite a catch."

Wang Meng shook his head. "You’re not me."

"Hmm, then you must have your eyes on Muhe Xiaoyu. You can’t have it both ways. Brother Wang, what self-control!"

Fatty Bai gave him a thumbs-up, which made Wang Meng not know whether to laugh or cry. "I’m not interested in her either."

"Ah! Then... are you interested in me?!"

Fatty Bai suddenly hugged himself, feigning fear. Seeing Wan’Er frown, he quickly laughed. "Just kidding."

"I think we have a lot in common. We should hang out more in the future."

"Maybe."

Finally, an interesting person in Wang City. The fatty, with a complete lack of decorum, licked the grease from his fingers and patted his stomach. "I’m so stuffed. But I still feel like I lost out, didn’t eat my money’s worth. Let’s go, let’s go. Brother Wang, if you’re free, how about we head over to the Celestial Fragrance Tower? My treat."

"The Celestial Fragrance Tower?"

"It’s a good place to drink and have fun. There’s no atmosphere here at all."

"Let’s go!" Wang Meng nodded. "Wan’Er, you shouldn’t come."

"Yes, Young Master."

Wan’Er nodded obediently. ’The adults have business to attend to.’

The two started walking out, intending to leave quietly, when Luo Shan suddenly spotted Wang Meng. "Young friend, let me test your eye. What do you think of this Silver-Horned Dragon Horse?"

Wang Meng stopped, looked at the handsome Dragon Horse, and smiled faintly. "I’m a layman. I wouldn’t know."

"Brother Wang, I’ve rarely seen Master praise someone so highly. Why not broaden our horizons?"

The usually reserved Muhe Xiaoyu suddenly spoke up, surprising everyone who knew her.

Wang Meng just smiled. ’It’s only an Exotic Beast.’ He took a few steps and was beside the cage. No one had time to stop him, or perhaps no one even wanted to. The Silver-Horned Dragon Horse, full of pent-up rage, charged straight at him.

Both Luo Shan and Muhe Xiaoyu were alarmed, but Yang Qi’s expression didn’t change. An Artifact Refining Master was by no means someone who hadn’t seen the world.

Then, a scene unfolded that made everyone’s jaw drop. The charging Dragon Horse suddenly went limp in front of Wang Meng, lowering its head meekly.

Wang Meng patted its head. "A fine little fellow. Its Vitality is vigorous. Oh, I think it needs to relieve itself, and it’s not used to doing that in a cage. Heh, very clean."

He pulled his hand back, and the Silver-Horned Dragon Horse actually nodded its head in a very human-like way.

The courtyard fell silent. "Please, carry on. Fatty Bai and I are off to the Celestial Fragrance Tower for a drink."

No one came back to their senses until after Wang Meng and Fatty Bai had disappeared.

’Just who in the world is he?!’

He made the Silver-Horned Dragon Horse, which even Luo Shan couldn’t tame, bow its head—and without even using Magic.

Yang Qi’s and Luo Shan’s mouths went a little dry. They could clearly see the shock in each other’s eyes. A young man who was both an Artifact Refining Master and a Spirit-Controlling Master would cause a sensation no matter where he went.

Outsiders could only watch the spectacle, but the two of them were experts. It wasn’t that Luo Shan couldn’t do it, but it would have been very difficult, and certainly not as casual as Wang Meng. A conservative estimate was that Wang Meng possessed, at the very least, a special talent for communicating with Spirit Beasts.

’How ridiculous of me to think of taking him as a disciple. No wonder Yang Qi was mocking me.’

"I’ve made a fool of myself. My good niece, you’d be better off seeking him out. That kid is more reliable."

Luo Shan said with a bitter smile.

"He’s actually going to the Celestial Fragrance Tower. This kid is a genuine character. Interesting, haha."

Yang Qi had never liked the two-faced nature of the nobility, who said one thing and did another. He found Wang Meng interesting for announcing in front of everyone that he was going to the Celestial Fragrance Tower.

Zhe Wulei truly was Wulei—"tearless." He had put in so much effort, only for it to benefit someone else. ’Why did that beast suddenly become so obedient?’

And right on cue, the Silver-Horned Dragon Horse was incredibly obliging, releasing a stream of... in public.

In Wang City, the Celestial Fragrance Tower was a fine establishment. Of course, for someone like Wang Rencai, who was used to grander scenes, it was probably beneath his notice.

No matter the plane of existence, whether for mortals or Cultivators, such places always existed. One shouldn’t underestimate the women of the Celestial Fragrance Tower. Proficiency in the four arts—zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting—was basic. Some even had high Cultivation and complex relationships with various families and factions. The main purpose was to drink and be entertained. As for anything more, that depended on one’s own skill.

It was precisely the phrase, "on one’s own skill," that made the sons of nobility flock to the Celestial Fragrance Tower. To them, the act itself in bed with a woman was just that—an act. The game they truly reveled in was displaying a man’s ability to conquer a woman.

This Celestial Fragrance Tower existed in many cities and was a massive organization. It was just that someone like Wang Rencai wouldn’t bother to ponder who was pulling the strings from behind the scenes.

"Brother Wang, how does the Celestial Fragrance Tower in Wang City compare to the one in Haojing?"

"Heh, the layout is similar, and the wine is similar." The wine at the Celestial Fragrance Tower was specially supplied. The only difference was the vintage. Haojing exclusively enjoyed fine wines aged over a hundred years, while a place like Wang City had, at best, thirty-year vintages.

"The wine is secondary. I’m talking about the women. The women are the main event," Fatty Bai said with great honesty.

Wang Meng smiled. Around the fatty, Grand Master Wang found it easy to just go with the flow. "They each have their own merits. The women here in Wang City are a bit more open, with graceful figures, full chests, and alluring postures. In Haojing, the trend is more about aura and temperament. As long as a woman has a special skill, she can become famous, even if she’s flat-chested."

This was spoken in the tone of Wang Rencai, though if the real Wang Rencai had said it, his words would have been far more lewd and vulgar.

"Then I still prefer the Celestial Fragrance Tower here... A good figure is what really matters. What’s the point of a washboard!"

Fatty Bai said boisterously. Directly across from them was a stage where the celestial beauties would soon perform. The table was full of food and wine. Speaking of which, despite just having finished a huge meal, Fatty Bai was somehow still eating. Wang Meng just stuck to drinking.

"Brother Wang, in a moment, I’ll let you experience the charms of our Wang City. The main star, Lingyu, is one of the three great beauties of Wang City. You’ve already met the other two just now. But in my opinion, Lingyu is the one with real charm and allure."

It seemed Fatty Bai was a connoisseur in this regard.