“Old man! Finally got through to you!” My excitement was real—it had been a long time since I last spoke to Long Qingyang after leaving Zhang Yu’s city.
Long Qingyang chuckled. “Qingqing just told me someone was harassing me. Didn’t expect it to be you, kid!”
Qingqing? Must be Long Qingyang’s granddaughter. Damn! Calling me a harasser? That girl’s got no manners! Why would I, a grown man, harass an old guy like him?
“Alright, kid, what do you want?” Long Qingyang got straight to the point.
His bluntness made me a little embarrassed. “Can’t I just call to catch up?”
“I haven’t known you long, but I’ve got a good read on your personality. Spit it out—what’s the matter?” He wasn’t buying it. Seemed like the old man really had me figured out.
I laughed awkwardly, then tentatively asked, “Master… would you consider taking on another disciple?”
“A disciple? I haven’t thought about that in years!” Long Qingyang sighed but didn’t elaborate.
Hearing that, I figured Wang Haoming’s chances of becoming his disciple were slim. But since Wang Haoming was so eager and sincere, I couldn’t just ignore his request—I’d feel too guilty.
Fine, I admit it—the 1,000-yuan phone bill played a part too.
I cleared my throat and grinned. “He’s actually a great talent. You’ve even given him pointers before!”
Long Qingyang was silent for a long moment before replying, “I’ve given casual advice to plenty of juniors. Tell me his name—let’s see if I remember.”
Hearing that, I realized Wang Haoming might still have a shot.
“His name is Wang Haoming. Not sure if—”
Before I could finish, Long Qingyang cut in, “He is a good talent… but he’s from the Wang family. I’m afraid I can’t help him.”
“Master, what do you mean?” His firm tone made me wonder—did he have some grudge against Wang Haoming’s family?
The four great families of the capital held immense power, with smaller families beneath them. I’d never even heard of the Wang family. The idea that Long Qingyang had a feud with them seemed impossible—or rather, they weren’t even on his level.
“Some things aren’t as simple as they seem…” Long Qingyang sighed. “But you should maintain a good relationship with Wang Haoming. It’ll benefit you in the future.”
His words suddenly made sense.
The four great families might seem untouchable, but that was only because ancient martial artists and cultivators usually stayed out of secular affairs.
Wang Haoming’s family must be an ancient martial arts clan—otherwise, he wouldn’t have become a major general at such a young age.
I’d met quite a few martial artists, though none were top-tier. But that didn’t mean true powerhouses didn’t exist.
And then there were the even more terrifying cultivators—some old monsters could wipe out entire towns with a wave of their hands. Fortunately, according to Mei’er, Earth’s spiritual energy was thin nowadays, so truly monstrous experts were rare.
As for why those elites didn’t interfere in the secular world, there were probably restrictions in place. Otherwise, the four great families wouldn’t dominate like they did.
Long Qingyang continued when I didn’t respond, “As for Wang Haoming becoming my disciple… tell him that if his family agrees, he can come to Mount Panlong to find me.”
“So you’re saying yes!” I was thrilled—now I could finally give Wang Haoming a proper answer.
Long Qingyang chuckled. “Truth is, I’ve had my eye on that kid for a while. But due to certain rules, I couldn’t make the first move.”
Tch! If you wanted him as a disciple, why beat around the bush? Made me nervous for nothing.
After some more small talk, I hung up.
Then I called Wang Haoming—the guy was over the moon.
“Bro-in-law! I can’t thank you enough! My family will sort things out ASAP!” He sounded as ecstatic as if a girl had just agreed to marry him.
I shook my head helplessly. “We’re brothers, right? But you gotta stop calling me ‘bro-in-law.’ It’s weird.”
I was serious about this. There was nothing between me and Wang Ziyan, yet her brother kept calling me “bro-in-law” like it was settled. It was annoying.
“I won’t call you that anymore!” Wang Haoming’s promise was a relief—finally, I could shake off this imaginary title.
But just as I sighed in relief, his voice came through again: “Alright, bro-in-law! I’ll thank you properly once I’m done here. Gotta go!”
“Hey, you just—” Before I could protest, he hung up.
Damn it! This guy’s a total scammer! He just promised!
“Whatever.” Muttering to myself, I decided to drop it and picked up my chopsticks to eat. But suddenly, I felt someone watching me.
I snapped my gaze to the window—nothing. Not even a bird. The sensation vanished as quickly as it came.
But I had felt it. Was there an invisible expert nearby?
Activating my Purple-Gold All-Seeing Eyes, I scanned the surroundings. I could see every leaf’s veins clearly, but still—no trace of anyone.
Was it really just my imagination?
Shaking it off, I went back to eating.
The meal passed without incident, and the eerie feeling didn’t return. Maybe I was just tense.
After eating, I saw Qin Mengdie putting away freshly washed dishes.
“Done already? I was hoping you’d wash mine too,” I joked.
She glanced at me and said flatly, “No.” Then she took off her apron and walked to the living room.
“Tch. Just kidding, no need to be so cold.” Compared to her, Tang Shuyao was way more easygoing.
After washing my own lunchbox and tossing it into the cupboard, I walked out—only to see Qin Mengdie pacing around the sofa, searching for something.
“What are you looking for?” I asked.
“Book.” She was as concise as ever.
Sighing, I walked over. “Let me help.”
“Okay.” She didn’t even look at me.
Soon, I spotted a black book wedged between the sofa cushions. I crouched, pulled it out, and grinned. “Found it!”
“Thanks.” She reached for it, but just then—
Every hair on my body stood on end.
A chill shot down my spine.
Danger!
Instinct took over. I tackled Qin Mengdie to the ground.
CRACK!
A glass on the table shattered into pieces.
Cold sweat dripped from my forehead as I stared at the bullet hole in the floor. If I’d been even a second slower, that bullet wouldn’t have hit the glass—it would’ve gone straight through Qin Mengdie’s head.
“Y-You… get off!” Qin Mengdie struggled, her usual composure gone.
I ignored her, scanning for threats.
She wriggled free and tried to stand. “You’re—”
Before she could finish, I yanked her down again. Another bullet struck where she’d just been.
Her face paled as she finally understood.
So my earlier feeling wasn’t a mistake. Someone had been watching—but their target wasn’t me.
It was Qin Mengdie.
Unlike before, this sniper wasn’t giving up after one failed shot. They were waiting for another opportunity.
For now, staying low behind the sofa and table was our best bet. Sooner or later, they’d get impatient.
But just as I thought that—
“Xia Tian, what are you and Mengdie doing?” Sister Lin’s voice rang out from the stairs.
“DON’T COME DOWN!” I shouted. She was still on the steps—hopefully out of the sniper’s line of sight.
But she smirked. “Hiding something, huh? I have to see!” She actually started descending.
“D*MN IT! GET DOWN!” I roared.
She ignored me, still walking forward.
WHOOSH!
Another bullet cut through the air—this time, aimed straight at Sister Lin.
“F*ck!” I lunged toward her without thinking.