“Who’s there? Get out!” Long Chen flung out a ball of violet flames at a boulder.

Tang Wan-er jumped in fright, hastily looking over in that direction. Long Chen’s ball of flames caused the huge boulder to explode.

“Aiya, I was still sensed. Here I was hoping to see a good show and maybe learn some tricks.”

The sky full of dust settled and a man wearing a conical hat walked out. A curtain of light over his body dissipated Long Chen’s violet flames.

“I knew it would be you.” Long Chen smiled. Only Mo Nian liked this kind of style.

With Long Chen’s keen spiritual perception, the only ones who could silently get this close to him without him noticing were absolutely peak experts.

Amongst those peak experts, the only one who could hide near him but not allow Long Chen to sense any hostility was Mo Nian.

Han Tianyu, Yin Luo, and Huo Wufang already hated Long Chen so much that there was no way that they could conceal their killing intent toward him to the point that none of it leaked.

“You knew it was me, but you still sent such a powerful attack? I find you really are becoming uncivil. This gift of yours isn’t something just anyone could receive.” Mo Nian took off his hat, revealing his still slightly immature, handsome face.

“You’ve gotten fat.”

Long Chen sighed emotionally. He envied Mo Nian a bit. No one had gone to entrap him, and with his powerful status, countless people were scared off from doing anything to him. If he didn’t go find others for trouble, people would have to burn incense in thanks.

But Long Chen didn’t have such a background. He was schemed against all day, and countless people wanted him dead, provoking endless killing intent from him.

Since he didn’t have a background to make people afraid, he would have to make them afraid himself. Otherwise, the trouble would be never ending.

“Fuck, it really is getting harder to have a nice conversation with you.” Mo Nian rolled his eyes. “I even rushed thousands of miles to come to help you once I heard the news. But you insult me like this as soon as you see me? Too uncivil.”

Long Chen laughed and tightly embraced Mo Nian. It went without saying that Mo Nian was also someone who cared deeply about relationships. Long Chen owed him a debt.

However, as Long Chen hugged him, Mo Nian suddenly strangled Long Chen with his hands, raging. “Speak. That matter with Han Tianfeng, were you the one who framed me?!”

Mo Nian’s violent eruption made Tang Wan-er jump. They were clearly just amicably talking. How did he become hostile so fast?

Long Chen pushed aside Mo Nian, asking with irritation, “If you know, then why do you still have to ask?”

“As expected, it was you! I just knew that other than you, no one would dare play with me like this.” Mo Nian laughed. He wasn’t actually angry.

Long Chen took out a table as well as wine and food. “Come, let’s drink.” He handed a large bowl of wine to Mo Nian.

Receiving the bowl, he touched it to Long Chen’s and drank it all in a single gulp.

But after finishing it, Mo Nian’s expression became a bit unsightly. He took a deep breath and looked at Long Chen. “This wine was given to me by you, so I drank it. But if someone else gave it to me, I’d definitely spit it out. It’s so disgusting.”

Mo Nian was born into a grand origin, and the alcohol he drank was always top grade. Ordinary wines never entered his mouth. So, he really had almost spat this out just now. But to give face to Long Chen, he had clenched his teeth and swallowed it.

Long Chen wasn’t the same as him. Although he had technically been a noble within Phoenix Cry, his days had been bitter and destitute. He drank whatever wine he had.

“Here, come drink mine.” Mo Nian took out a large jug from his spatial ring. Unsealing it, a dense wine fragrance immediately floated out.

“Good wine.” Just that fragrance would be enough for anyone’s saliva to overflow. Long Chen was also someone who liked good wine, and he had never smelled such a good wine fragrance before.

“Wan-er, you should drink some too.” Long Chen received the jug and poured a bowl for Tang Wan-er. However, Tang Wan-er refused to drink it, and she refused to sit with them either. She just quietly stood by his side.

At this time, it seemed like Tang Wan-er was a traditional wife, standing behind Long Chen in a gentle and refined manner.

“Ah, Long Chen, I really admire you!” Mo Nian touched bowls with Long Chen, unable to hold back an emotional sigh.

Long Chen had just drunk another bowl. Although the wine was fragrant, it was also extremely strong. It felt like a blazing fire was spreading from his stomach, causing his entire body to feel relaxed.

Furthermore, his body’s spiritual qi even began to circulate faster. This was actually a medicinal wine that could also improve one’s cultivation base.

“What do you admire about me?” Long Chen didn’t understand where this had come from.

“I admire you for having such social abilities! You have so many beauties by your side, and each of them is so docile. Your brother really does worship you.” Mo Nian’s expression seemed extremely sincere.

Long Chen’s expression immediately turned green. Just looking at that mirth in Mo Nian’s eyes, he knew that this little fellow was up to mischief.

“Brother Mo, these words of yours are wrong. On the other hand, I, Long Chen, really have to prostrate myself in admiration towards your amazing skills. Please brother Mo, don’t be stingy and teach me.” Long Chen laughed.[1]

That was because he could sense Tang Wan-er’s gaze on him from behind. That gaze almost felt like the tip of a blade.

“My archery arts are far too lacking compared to your ability to pick up girls. I remember seeing a very famous image that seems to have spread around. What was it called again…?”

Mo Nian patted his head, seeming to be racking his brain. Long Chen was doing his best to give him meaningful gazes to get him to stop bringing up this matter. This was Long Chen’s discrete manner of asking for forgiveness.

Mo Nian was purposely bringing this all up in front of Tang Wan-er. Long Chen had an urge to take his wine bowl and stuff it down his mouth to get him to shut up.

However, Mo Nian ignored Long Chen’s gaze, suddenly clapping his hands and exclaiming. “Right, I remember now! It was called the One Hero Saves Three Beauties, An Angry Roar Like Spring Thunder, A Single Saber Breaks A Sea Of Flames. That heroism in that image could shake the very heavens. Long Chen, a hero saving beauties and fighting a grand battle with Huo Wufang. You’re too domineering. But at least you became famous from that.”

Mo Nian gave Long Chen a big thumbs-up. It was unknown how he had learned of his battle with Huo Wufang, but just looking at that treacherous light in his eyes, Long Chen knew he wasn’t doing this to praise him, but for revenge.

Just like him, Mo Nian was also someone who wouldn’t suffer a loss without doing anything. As soon as the two of them ran into each other again, he was getting revenge.

“Three beauties? Who are they?” Tang Wan-er suddenly cut in.

Mo Nian clapped his hands again. “Good question! I also want to know. It’s said that that battle caused the heavens to collapse and the earth to crumble, caused the sun and moon to lose all their light and was incredibly desperate. Those three people should be your close female friends, right Long Chen?”

Caused the sun and moon to lose all their light? This is the Jiuli secret realm; there is no sun or moon!

“Hehehehe…” Long Chen didn’t say anything.

“Hehehehe…” Being glared at by Long Chen, Mo Nian didn’t feel any uneasiness. Instead, he straightforwardly just laughed together with him.

“Hey, can you not just foolishly laugh? Who are those three beauties?” Seeing the two of them just looking at each other and laughing foolishly, Tang Wan-er grew suspicious.

“They were Meng Qi, Chu Yao, and Lu Fang-er,” answered Long Chen.

“Ah, sister Meng Qi and Chu Yao. You got to see them?” Tang Wan-er was pleasantly surprised.

“Yes, I saw them. But later we parted again,” nodded Long Chen.

“What a pity. I really wanted to see them,” said Tang Wan-er with disappointment.

Mo Nian was stunned. Originally, he had thought he could make some trouble for Long Chen. Who would have thought that Tang Wan-er wouldn’t get the slightest bit jealous and was actually sorry she didn’t get to see them?

“Mo Nian, you really are becoming more and more wretched. If you wanted to come over here, then you should have just come. But instead, you sneaked your way over.

“If you just sneaked your way over, then fine. But then you hid behind a boulder, secretly eavesdropping on our private conversation.

“If you were just eavesdropping, then fine. But then you were actually so shameless as to use a photographic jade to record it all. As a person, you are smart enough, strong enough, handsome enough, and work hard enough, but you’re lacking just one thing.[2]” Now it was Long Chen’s turn to counterattack. He couldn’t indulge him.

“You…!” Tang Wan-er looked at Mo Nian with disbelief.

Someone called a heavenly genius, this peak expert Mo Nian, would actually do such a shady thing?

“Sister Wan-er, you’ve misunderstood. I didn’t have any other intentions. I just wanted to study Long Chen’s divine skill in picking up girls.” Mo Nian couldn’t help but feel embarrassed at being exposed by Long Chen.

At the same time, he cursed Long Chen for being a monster. His concealing arts were definitely extremely powerful, and within the same realm, there were only a few people who should have been able to sense him.

That was especially true for Long Chen who hadn’t even been on guard for him. However, when he had stealthily taken out a photographic jade and activated it, that incredibly faint spiritual fluctuation had still been sensed by him.

To be caught secretly taking a recording of them, even Mo Nian felt embarrassed. Tang Wan-er’s gaze was especially hard to bear, and he had an urge to find a hole to bury himself in.

You definitely deserve it. I already acknowledged my mistake, but you had to make things hard on me. Now you should be a bit more well-behaved.

“Drink!” Mo Nian didn’t know what to say, so he could only use drinking wine to cover up his embarrassment. After drinking and eating, that previous awkward atmosphere lessened a great deal.

“Long Chen, now that you’ve killed Han Tianfeng, I doubt Han Tianyu will let the matter lie. What are you planning on doing?” asked Mo Nian.

“No plans. After entering the Jiuli secret realm, I suppose you could say I’ve completely seen through what it means to be a cultivator. There are many things that are out of your control. If you want to live, then you have to slaughter. Since they want to force me, then I can only retaliate. We’ll just have to see whose life is harder to take.” Long Chen gulped down another bowl of wine.

“Domineering. This is how men should be. However, it’ll probably be a bit troublesome. If you can’t handle it, then you don’t need to stay in your monastery. Just come to my Mo Gate. Mo Gate was founded by my family. I might not dare promise anything else, but if you come to Mo Gate, then what is mine will be yours.” Mo Nian patted himself on the chest.

Long Chen was deeply moved by Mo Nian’s words. He knew of Mo Nian’s background, and he knew that Mo Gate was an enormous existence. His background truly was grand.

However, Mo Nian had never put on any airs with Long Chen. Previously, he had already moved to save Tang Wan-er. Although he hadn’t had a chance to take any action today, he had still rushed many miles once he had heard of the news here. Long Chen would remember all of this.

“Alright, if there’s a day I can’t muddle along, then I’ll come find you. However, you better be prepared, because if I do go over to you, I’ll definitely drag you down,” laughed Long Chen.

“Of course, that’s no problem. When the time comes, we can stir up as much trouble as we want, and we’ll still have a backer.”

[1] Turns out, 箭 means arrow, and is pronounced like jian. Here, Long Chen says he admires Mo Nian’s 賤術, with 賤 meaning cheap, but also being part of the term for slut. So it sounds like Long Chen is saying he admires Mo Nian’s archery skills, when he is really saying he admires his cheap skills.

[2] This comes from an expression 德智體美勞. The thing he is lacking is morals 德.