Chapter 356: Sudden Air of Philosophy

The sea breeze blew gently. Wang Sheng's snores matched perfectly with the waves crashing against the shore. Spiritless was sheathed in the sand beside his reclining chair. True to his word, he had truly fallen asleep without a care in the world.

Nearby, Shi Qianzhang used his phone to project an image of a mahjong table. Dale and the three men played enthusiastically, making it clear that they were more than willing to include her in their games for as long as she did not have improper intentions for their captain or threaten Mu Wanxuan's place in his heart.

After all, from the very start, Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan gave the impression of childhood companions destined for each other. His thirteen years of "widowed" devotion in the Small Nether Realm only made their story all the more legendary.

Moreover, Mu Wanxuan herself was a quiet and reserved young fairy. Her air of delicate grace could easily win people's hearts. Wang Sheng, on the other hand, had begun carving a path of sweeping heroism, cutting down all kinds of fiends and devils with his sword. Such brilliance inevitably drew unwanted attention.

At such a critical time, it was only natural for Shi Qianzhang and the others to instinctively side with Mu Wanxuan. To them, every woman who approached Wang Sheng was a potential threat. Perhaps this was what people called "the mysterious force of a destined pairing."

"Miss Dale, six circles[1]," Liu Yunzhi said casually. He then initiated a conversation. "Is the Light Faction truly no longer capable of fighting the Dark Faction?"

"Not exactly." Dale drew a tile and placed it lightly on the table. She moved as practiced as any seasoned player.

Sitting on a beach mat, the radiant, fair-skinned, and golden-haired Western beauty in a bikini sipped on a cold drink while playing. The sight alone was enough to make anyone sigh and wonder if this was what life was meant to be.

Dale shook her head and sighed. "We've become weak because of our failure to act and because we kept negotiating with the Dark Faction. If not for my parents' disapproval, I would have already become a Hua Republic citizen and stopped meddling in all of this.

"Religious people hold most seats in the Light Council, and they're all stubbornly upholding their own creed. They waged wars constantly in ancient times. Now, in the face of the pressure from the Dark Faction, they barely managed to restrain themselves from fighting one another. To use a crude example, today's Light Faction can only linger in a few fixed territories, barely managing to survive. Three bamboos."

"

Peng

[2]." Shi Qianzhang chuckled. "Brother Sheng just dealt a heavy blow to the Dark Faction. Shouldn't the Light Faction at least show some gratitude?"

"In the eyes of those old men, the Dark Faction and the cultivation world of Hua Republic are no different," Dale said softly. She then smiled. "I would personally love to reward Daoist Master Wang, but he refuses to accept anything."

Liu Yunzhi smiled and nodded. "Fei Yu and Fairy Bu Yu share a deep bond. You must be disappointed, Miss Dale."

"How about our boy Yunzhi?" Huai Jing wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Liu Yunzhi smiled awkwardly.

Dale studied him openly, then remarked with admiration, "If it were possible, I would truly like to be his... sister, the kind you take selfies with and post online."

Shi Qianzhang choked and spat out his drink, while Liu Yunzhi froze in speechless disbelief.

"Sorry, sorry," Dale quickly explained, "that was meant as praise. I was trying to say you look beautiful. Nothing else."

Shi Qianzhang burst into uncontrollable laughter, while Huai Jing began singing, "You are so beautiful~♪"

Liu Yunzhi's expression collapsed into mortified silence.

Dale blinked innocently. "In the Hua language, is that not considered praise?"

"It is, but not for men," Huai Jing explained in Gelan language. "Our cultivation world emphasizes yin and yang. The worst thing you can tell a man is that he has too much yin qi. The best compliments for men are words like manly, handsome, or heroic."

Now better informed, Dale apologized repeatedly to Liu Yunzhi.

The conversation ended there. No one really wished to fuss over such a small matter with a foreign guest.

Huai Jing chuckled. "The beauty of the Hua language lies in the weight of its thousands of years of culture. Take this poem, for instance: Alone, I climb the western tower with the moon hanging above me like a hook. In the deep courtyard, phoenix trees stand in lonely silence, enclosing the clear autumn.

"Do you understand its meaning?"

Dale delightedly snapped her fingers. "It expresses loneliness and sorrow."

Shi Qianzhang quietly played a tile. "Five bamboos."

"

Hu

[3]!" Huai Jing immediately showed his hand. "Two-three-four circles, six-seven-eight circles, a pair of fives, pure suit! Pay up, pay up!"

Dismayed, Dale's lips twitched.

As the four played another round, their discussion turned to the state of the Western cultivation world. For cultivators of the Hua Republic, a stable cultivation environment was nothing unusual. However, such peace and order appeared to be a dreamlike utopia for foreign cultivators.

Shi Qianzhang pondered deeply, then whispered, "Miss Dale, did Shelley really betray your family?"

Dale's expression dimmed. "I don't know why it happened. The partner I trusted most, my dearest friend, turned out to be a poisoned dagger hiding in my clan. Still, I believe she was kind deep down. Others simply misled her."

"Why do you people always place faith in the brainwashing of these sects?" Shi Qianzhang asked.

"Because people are fragile, especially their hearts and spirits. Everyone instinctively seeks comfort somewhere," Dale replied.

Huai Jing intoned Buddha's name. "Miss Dale, among foreign cultivators, you are one of the few who understand our cultivation world best. In your eyes, what is the essential difference between the gods you worship and the immortals or Buddhas we seek to emulate?"

Shi Qianzhang didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Are we really making this conversation philosophical?"

Dale asked curiously, "We only have God, born from reverence for saints, while you honor an entire system rather than one deity... right?"

From his reclining chair, Wang Sheng answered, "No. The difference is that you worship God to follow him. We revere immortals and Buddhas to become like them."

"But that's disrespectful to God, even heretical," Dale argued, but she soon fell into thought.

Still lying down, Wang Sheng leisurely added, "That's the difference between the East and the West. Take the Dark Faction, for example. We have been here for hours, yet they still haven't made the smallest attempt to attack us. They only sent drones to watch from a few kilometers away. How pathetic."

He flicked his left hand, and a qi sword flew with a sharp whistle. A few kilometers out at sea, a small flame burst.

Wang Sheng yawned. "You guys can continue playing. Just wake me up when we're about to leave. I still feel a bit sleepy."

The others exchanged glances, then continued their game and idle chatter.

***

War had already engulfed all of Gambi. However, the Dark Faction had grown cautious due to Wang Sheng's presence. Within a high-rise tower in its capital, a conference room showed over a dozen holographic projections. Among them were two princes of the Blood Race, executives of the Jialington Group, representatives of several ancient sects in their distinctive garbs, and individuals who hid their true faces behind masks.

After some time, a stern-looking, gray-haired elder finally broke the silence, speaking in a heavily accented Gelan speech.

—It's about time we ask ourselves whether the Dark Faction still has any reason to exist.

A sultry woman sneered.

—What do you mean, Viking King? Are you that afraid of the Hua Republic cultivator?

The elder cursed.

—Vikings fear no one. I simply despise cowards like you! One cultivator from the Hua Republic trampled on and shamed us, yet you haven't even dared utter a word of defiance!

A vampire prince coldly joined the conversation.

—We have to face the truth: none of us can defeat him. The Blood Race has already suffered terrible losses.

Someone sighed.

—Let the Jialington Group hand over what he seeks.

The two Jialington elders' expressions darkened. In a heavy tone, one of them quickly reasoned with the others.

—You all have to keep in mind that the Blood-Dissolving Divine Swords may be the only way to counter the cultivation methods of the Hua Republic.

However, another was quick to shut his argument down.

—That's why your group has become his target.

A plump, middle-aged woman protested.

—Don't drag us into this. We've only just begun to enjoy life by trampling over the servants of God."

The two Jialington elders' expressions darkened again.

From the shadows emerged a smiling individual. He then made a sinister remark in the Gelan language.

"Ladies and gentlemen, don't you want to hear how we can deal with this problem? Surely you want to know his weakness."

A vampire prince frowned.

—Yin-Yang Lord, have you crossed paths with him before?

"Of course. After all, he's half the reason my father's Yin-Yang All-Creation Sect fell. Fei Yu is just his Daoist name, while his senior sister's is Bu Yu. In the Hua language, their Daoist names mean one who does not speak much. His true name is Wang Sheng."

***

Bzzz bzzz!

Annoyed, Wang Sheng opened his eyes. He had only just dozed off, yet someone was already calling him.

The caller ID read "Miss Mou Yue"—no, "Aunt Mou Yue."

Wang Sheng sat up, thinking some crisis had arisen. "What is it?"

Mou Yue sounded hesitant.

—Um, Daoist Master Wang, did you just destroy a drone with a qi sword?

"Yeah..."

—Well, it's not easy for us to send drones abroad. We need local flight permits for them, too. More surveillance drones are coming later. Could you perhaps spare them?

Wang Sheng was utterly speechless.

"Got it," he replied calmly, then ended the call.

Breaking things without having to pay for them had always been one of his guiding principles in cultivation.

1. The name of a Mahjong tile. "Circle" is one of the suits in Mahjong. There are "circles," "bamboos," and "characters." ☜

2. A call you make when another player discards a tile that matches a pair you already have in your hand. By calling "Peng," you take that discarded tile and reveal a three-of-a-kind. ☜

3. A call you make to announce victory in Mahjong. ☜