“You… you’re Wang Ziyan’s brother?” I swallowed nervously and asked with some hesitation.
Back then, Wang Ziyan had said that if I wanted to marry her, I’d have to get past her brother first. Although I had no intentions toward Wang Ziyan, hearing the name Wang Haoming still made me feel uneasy.
Wang Haoming smiled lightly. “Yes, I’m Ziyan’s brother. She asked me to come find you this time.”
“Find me? For what?” I forced a laugh. Wang Haoming definitely had no other reason to find me, and as for Wang Ziyan… I was honestly scared of her.
Wang Haoming smirked playfully, draping an arm around my shoulder. “Having Senior Long’s disciple as my brother-in-law? That’s something I can trust wholeheartedly!”
“I…” Just as I was about to explain, he interrupted, “Your affairs, as young people, I won’t meddle in. I just have one request: treat my sister well. She’s spoiled by the family, so be patient with her!”
Who’s your brother-in-law?! Can you let me explain?! Stop assuming things!
“By the way, brother-in-law, can we discuss something?” Wang Haoming’s gaze locked onto me, making me feel uneasy. No! My name is Xia Tian, not brother-in-law!
“What is it?” I asked, puzzled.
To my surprise, the expression on the burly man’s face turned awkward. “Could you introduce me to Senior Long? I’d like to become his disciple.”
“You want to be the old man’s disciple?” His words left me stunned.
Letting go of my shoulder, he stared at the top of the tent at a poetic 45-degree angle. A hint of a wistful artist emanated from him. “I was fortunate enough to receive guidance from Senior Long in my youth, which made me who I am today. My greatest wish in life is to become his disciple, but he’s a reclusive master, elusive as a dragon. So…” His face turned almost pleading as he looked at me.
That pitiful gaze sent a shiver down my spine. I quickly took a step back and awkwardly chuckled. “I can try to contact the old man for you, but I can’t promise he’ll take you in.”
“No worries. I’ve waited for so many years; a few more days won’t hurt. Brother-in-law, let’s exchange numbers. If anything happens, you can reach out to me.” As he spoke, he pulled out his phone.
Uh… wasn’t this an old Nokia brick? A black-and-white screen, no less. Carrying such a high-damage weapon around—it really suits an expert.
Seeing my expression, he chuckled. “Since I came to spar today, I brought this sturdy one. I’m not outdated, you know.”
“No, it just feels nostalgic,” I replied, forcing a smile.
After exchanging contact details, I smiled and said, “Brother Ming, I still have military training to attend. If there’s nothing else, you should head back.”
“A master of the Profound Rank still playing around with kids? I’ll call Liu Dong in to sort this out.” He turned to leave, but I quickly grabbed him. “Brother Ming, I’m just trying to keep a low profile!”
“You’ve got character. My sister sure has good taste! Good brother-in-law!” He grinned.
Internally, I kept complaining. D*mn it! Can you stop calling me brother-in-law? There’s absolutely nothing going on between Wang Ziyan and me!
“I’ve got to go, but don’t forget to contact Senior Long!” Wang Haoming’s expression turned serious.
Didn’t you just say there’s no rush? Now you’re contradicting yourself. Senior Long really is a hot commodity. Speaking of him, I do miss that old man. I wonder how he’s been doing lately.
As we exited the tent together, Liu Dong was visibly surprised to see me unscathed. He quickly approached and saluted Wang Haoming. “Major General!”
What?! A major general?! No way! He looks like he’s only twenty-five or twenty-six. If military ranks are awarded based on strength, shouldn’t I at least be a major general too?
Wang Haoming nodded, and Liu Dong leaned in, whispering, “Major General, weren’t you here to discipline this guy? How is he completely unharmed?”
“Who said I came to discipline him? He’s my brother-in-law! And his strength is on par with mine, maybe even greater. You’d better not throw your instructor weight around!” Wang Haoming whispered back.
Thanks to my exceptional hearing, I caught every word of their conversation. When he mentioned my strength, Liu Dong stared at me in disbelief but quickly composed himself.
“Brother-in-law, I’m off. Remember, if you need anything, come to me. I’ll help however I can!” With that, he turned and left.
Liu Dong watched him go before turning to me with a mischievous smile. “Brother Xia, shall we continue the training?”
“Coach, don’t look at me like that—I can’t handle it.” Normally, Liu Dong was stern and rarely smiled. His sudden grin was unsettling.
“Alright, let’s get back to training!” His smile faded into his usual stoic demeanor.
We returned to the training grounds, where the resting trainees quickly regrouped. After days of training, everyone understood Liu Dong’s personality and wasted no time.
I joined the ranks, and Lu Sen, standing straight ahead, whispered, “Boss, Liu Dong’s summoned you twice, and you came back unharmed each time. Did you sacrifice your dignity to stay safe?”
“Screw you! Who gave up their dignity?!” I cursed under my breath, keeping my gaze forward as I pinched Lu Sen’s thigh.
“Ow! That hurts!” Lu Sen yelped, rubbing his leg. His cry drew everyone’s attention.
Liu Dong frowned and kicked Lu Sen without a word. “Can’t you stand properly?!”
“But he—” Lu Sen pointed at me, trying to sell me out.
However, Liu Dong cut him off. “Run five laps around the base after dismissal!”
“Coach, I—” Lu Sen looked pitiful, hoping for leniency.
“Ten laps,” Liu Dong said calmly.
Lu Sen, though aggrieved, quickly shut his mouth.
I stifled a laugh, thoroughly entertained.
After marching drills and posture training, it was finally time for a break at noon. Liu Dong dismissed us without making Lu Sen run, leaving him visibly relieved and unusually cheerful.
As we walked back, a girl suddenly bumped into me.
“I-I’m sorry!” she stammered, looking flustered.
I smiled. “It’s fine. Just be more careful next time.”
“Can you help me with something?” Her eyes suddenly welled with tears.
I panicked. I couldn’t stand to see girls cry. “What is it? If I can help, I will!”
“I lost the necklace my dad gave me. Can you help me find it? It’s the last thing he left me before he passed away,” she said, looking at me with hope.
Her father’s last gift before passing… It hit close to home, but I quickly snapped out of my thoughts and smiled. “Sure, but I can’t promise we’ll find it.”
“Thank you, thank you!” She bowed repeatedly.
“No need. Where did you lose it? I’ll help you look.” I turned to Lu Sen and the others. “You guys head back first. I’ll catch up later.”
“I get it!” Lu Sen smirked knowingly before dragging Hao Shuai and Diao Sinan away. That guy’s dirty mind was already at work.
“It’s over by the grove. Thank you so much!” The girl’s gratitude was palpable. I nodded and said, “No problem. Let’s look for it together.”
“Where do you think you dropped it?” I asked, scanning the ground as we reached the grove.
But instead of an answer, a deafening scream rang out. “Ahhh!”
“What’s wrong?!” I turned around, thinking she’d spotted a snake or something.
But as soon as I did, I saw her unbutton her shirt, mess up her hair, and shout loudly, “No! Help! Someone save me!”
My heart sank instantly.
D*mn it! I’ve been set up!
Enjoy reading Dual Cultivation with a Fox Demon? Then please show your support if you can. This chapter was released on goblinslate by translator Goblin. Your support makes Goblin translate more. So, do the right thing please.
Want to read more? Become a Dual Cultivation with a Fox Demon ($5 per month) member at Goblinslate Patreon and get Five or More Advance Chapters immediately, then stay 5 or more chapters ahead of the regular release for the month! Or, become a CN WN Bundle ($10 per month) member and have access to all the CN webnovel advance chapters on Goblinslate. Get more chapters by sponsoring at BuymeaCoffee or Patreon Shop.
Check out my other projects:
Flower Stealing Master
Ask the Mirror
Immortal Divine Tribulation
The Way of Restraint