Chapter 1126 - A Grand Master's Blackmail

“Claps.”

There was a scatter of applause. Since not many people were present, the applause was not thunderous.

They were all adults, so no one would applaud vigorously as they did when they were young.

They merely clapped their hands out of courtesy.

“Zhang Han! You’re not a good friend. You didn’t contact any of your old classmates. If Nana hadn’t run into you, we wouldn’t even know where you were. Shouldn’t you punish yourself by doing three shots? We’ve prepared the drinks anyway,” someone remarked, hoping to make things more fun.

“That’s right. Mr. Zhang, you seem to have disappeared for years. Now we finally caught you, we gotta have a good talk with you.”

“Well, don’t joke around. Wait until the dishes are served before you drink. It is not good to drink alcohol with an empty stomach. We are not young anymore. Gotta pay attention to our health.”

“Yes, good point. Let’s drink later. Brother Han, Mrs. Zhang, take a seat first.”

After they were all seated, Zhang Han poured himself a glass of beer.

“In that case, I’ll punish myself with three glasses of beer. It just so happens that I am a bit thirsty.”

After Zhang Han drained the three glasses, his countenance remained unchanged.

“You’re a true man!”

“Clap! Clap! Clap!”

Sitting at the back, the man in a white shirt with a flattop haircut, who hadn’t spoken the whole time, exclaimed and applauded again.

He was Li Guangqi, the monitor of the class at that time.

He looked Zhang Han up and down and poured himself a glass of beer, too.

“During the three years in our university, we had six battles. I lost to you six times. I failed to defeat your free-style boxing with Taekwondo. That still bugged me today.”

Upon hearing his words, Zhang Han chuckled.

Li Guangqi had been learning Taekwondo for years. Though he could perform many tricks, his strength was weak. He and Zhang Han agreed to fight in the ring to settle their dispute, which was that Li Guangqi was the monitor while Zhang Han was a disobedient student. They battled six times. But Li Guangqi got beaten up every time.

Li Guangqi had taken his failures to heart. Thus, he didn’t get along well with Zhang Han and often challenged him to fight. It was not until they were about to graduate that the two laughed their grudges off at the last gathering.

After all, the two held no real enmity against each other. When they were parting soon, their dispute was no longer a big deal.

Now, after several years, when Li Guangqi looked back, he found that the time he spent with Zhang Han was an indelible and interesting memory.

He had forgotten a lot of those well-behaved students, but Zhang Han had left him a deep impression.

“Come on, let us have a drink.”

“Sure.” Zhang Han poured more beer into his glass, raised it at Li Guangqi, and drank it up.

“In my days as an intern, I worked in the Hongyi Technology Company. A year later, I was promoted from an intern to a team leader. In less than half a year, they made me the manager of the department. At that time, I heard about what happened to you. I tried to visit you but I didn’t know where to find you. Now that your life seems good, I’m finally relieved,” Li Guangqi said with a smile.

“He is a higher-up now,” a man next to him added. “He has become the general manager. How impressive he is!”

“Let’s not talk about this.” Li Guangqi waved and said, “Don’t ruin the gathering with the topics of positions, salaries, deposits, or cars. Let’s just chat. Now we all have our own families, it’s not easy for us to find time to have a gathering. Let’s just enjoy ourselves.”

Li Ji did not seem to want to show off.

He had worked very hard to become the general manager. He also knew that there were many hidden talents in a metropolitan like Shang Jing. During these years, he had learned to keep a low profile and focus on his job.

Zhang Han was happy to participate in such a small gathering.

The main reason was that this was an occasion where he could reminisce about his youth that had passed by.

Everyone was very polite. The atmosphere was harmonious and lively.

Someone later asked Zi Yan why she didn’t take off her hat.

She said she was afraid that her hairstyle would be messed up.

Zhang Nana did not mention the “truth” that Zhang Han was a live-in son-in-law. She thought he would only come by himself. However, he brought his wife with him to this gathering.

“Well, maybe it’s because his wife is worried that some of his female classmates are still carrying a torch for him.

“She’s keeping a close eye on him!”

As for the others, many of them frequently eyed Zi Yan.

They felt that they had seen her somewhere before, but they couldn’t remember where.

That feeling was quite strange.

Regarding the relationship between Zi Yan and Zhang Han, the others’ view was different from Zhang Nana’s. They thought that Zhang Han’s wife was very sweet and tender.

“As expected, his ability to pick up girls is top-notch.”

Speaking of settling down and starting their own family, they were suddenly surprised to find out that more than half of the people present hadn’t gotten married yet.

“I get a monthly salary of 9,000 yuan. The monthly rent costs 3,000 yuan. The meals cost 3,000 yuan. Socializing and entertainment cost about 2000 yuan. Then, I have to buy some daily necessities. How can I have any money left? I’m already having a hard time making a living myself. Forget about getting married. I can’t afford it.”

“I’m used to living a free life. My salary is also quite high. I’ve just begun to enjoy life. There are plenty of women out there. If I get married, I’ll be trammeled.”

“I date guys. But I won’t marry any of them.”

This kind of class reunion was a quite lively occasion.

As for Mengmeng and the other children, they were having a livelier party.

“What’s the name of that mountain?” Yue Xiaonao asked in the taxi.

“Mount North Green,” Mengmeng replied.

“Why are you going to Mount North Green? It used to be a place for mountaineering. But the sun will set soon.” The taxi driver swallowed and said, “There are few people there. Won’t it be dangerous if you three little girls go there alone?”

“Well, we are going there for camping. Many people will be there with us,” Mengmeng muttered.

“Where are your parents?”

“They’re already there, waiting for us.”

“Camping…” The driver was rather speechless.

“You want to camp in remote mountains late at night? Are you kidding me?”

However, when they arrived at the foot of the mountain, the driver saw more than a dozen luxury cars parked by the road ahead, and about eight people were waiting there.

The driver suddenly cottoned on.

“It turns out that some rich people are here looking for something thrilling to do.

“Alright.

“I’m not rich, so I can’t understand rich people.”

The girls got out of the taxi after paying.

Mengmeng subconsciously put a hand on her left leg.

She groped for a moment and then withdrew her hand.

She then realized that she had forgotten to take Little Hei with her. If Little Hei was with her, it would usually stay there.

It was not six o’clock yet.

The sun was already setting in the west. Dusk fell.

“They are on the top of the mountain,” Nina pointed out.

With her soul sense, she had sensed hundreds of people chatting in threes and fours on the top of the mountain.

There was a winding mountain road that led upwards.

When the people beside the cars saw Mengmeng and the other two girls, they looked at one another and smiled.

“Why did three little girls come to the martial arts gathering?”

“Are they martial artists?”

“Whose daughters are they? Why are they not escorted by their parents? If they offended a powerful figure here, it would be a catastrophe for them if they were from a small force.”

Those people discussed in low voices for a while.

“Humph.”

Yue Xiaonao snorted and glared at them.

“How dare they look down upon us?”

But on second thought, she decided not to teach them a lesson. After all, they were just some low-ranking lackeys who were there to guard the cars. She didn’t want to deal with those people.

“Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!”

The three of them quickly ran into the forest.

“Eh?”

“They seem to be very nimble. Their knowledge of martial arts must be good.”

“Look at how fast they moved. They must be at least at the Peak Strength Stage. But they’re still teenagers. That’s already very impressive.”

“The girl just glared at me. Phew. We’d better not say our opinions about others out loud next time. Powerful martial artists have very sharp ears.”

The three girls went all the way up the mountain.

It was no challenge for them at all.

In fact, all of the three could fly.

Halfway up the mountain, Yue Xiaonao asked in confusion, “Mengmeng, why didn’t you let me teach them a lesson?”

“Daddy said that we don’t need to mind how others think of us,” Mengmeng replied.

“But those people were talking about us in whispers. That was annoying. Next time this happens, don’t stop me if I go to beat them up,” Yue Xiaonao said seriously.

“Alas. Fine.” Mengmeng knew she couldn’t talk Yue Xiaonao out of this.

A while later, they arrived at the mountaintop on the side. The mountain was not very high. Ahead of them, there was a flat area a short distance away.

From a distance, they saw about five hundred people had gathered there.

They were standing in several long rows. Some people gathered together to chat, while some people set up stalls to trade treasures.

“Eh? There are so many third-tier and fourth-tier spirit treasures! How unbelievable!” Nina narrowed her eyes slightly.

“That’s no surprise.”

After these words came out, Mengmeng realized something and added, “Oh, by the way, I haven’t shown you the martial arts world since you came here. Nina, this place is different from the Sea Dragon Star Area. We have a lot of treasures here. The sixth-tier treasures are very common. Look, there is a small white dot on the nail of my little finger. It is a sixth-tier defensive treasure. Daddy refined it for me. I have dozens of kinds of such treasures with me.”

“Dozens of kinds of sixth-tier treasures?” Nina’s pupils contracted.

She had never thought that a person could carry dozens of sixth-tier spirit treasures around.

“Oh my god!

“Dozens of kinds of sixth-tier spirit treasures?

“This is appalling!”

“I have many such treasures too. There are more than 20 on me,” Yue Xiaonao echoed. “Aren’t sixth-tier spirit treasures just like toys?”

“T-toys?”

“Crack.”

Nina’s outlook on the world was in shambles.

“There are many sixth-tier spirit treasures here?” She took a deep breath and said, “There seem to be only fourth-tier spirit treasures in front.”

“I was not talking about this place. I meant the Kunlun Immortal World, where sixth-tier gems are abundant. Also, the Ancient Mine we passed by and the King’s Domain is rich in spiritual herbs. There are A lot of these are fifth-tier. Many are sixth-tier. Nina, you’ve been living on Mount New Moon for a month. Haven’t you seen my herb field? A lot of sixth-tier spiritual herbs grow there,” Mengmeng remarked, looking bemused.

“Huh?” Nina was befuddled at once. “I didn’t notice. I was focused on studying these past few days. I only saw third-tier spiritual herbs in the herb garden.”

As she spoke, her voice dropped a lot.

When Nina came here, she only saw the moment when the Thunder Yang Treasure Land was formed. There were many things that she couldn’t understand. Besides, by far, she hadn’t seen any other sixth-tier treasures. All she saw were fifth-tier treasures. She also knew that the Thunder Yang Tree had become a sixth-tier treasure. That alone held her in shock for a long time.

“It’s probably because there is a formation at the herb garden. When we go back this time, I’ll take you there to have a look,” Mengmeng said earnestly.

“Am I allowed to look? If it’s not appropriate, I’d better not do that,” Nina said, hesitating.

The herb garden was the most important land in that area. Although she and Mengmeng were good friends, she knew sometimes she had to maintain a boundary.

“There’s nothing inappropriate about it. Daddy doesn’t care much about those treasures,” Mengmeng said casually.

“Then what does your father care about?” Nina asked without thinking.

“He cares about me!” Mengmeng replied without any hesitation.

“He loves me the most. Daddy does everything I say. He pampers me very much. He’s a special man! He’s very handsome!”

She complimented Zhang Han lavishly.

Hearing this, Nina was overwhelmed.

“Mengmeng has a really good relationship with her family.”

“My dad also treats me very well,” Yue Xiaonao said. “Nina, your dad is not a good dad. He never spoils you.”

Her words were simply too straightforward.

“My father is the king. That’s the way with him,” Nina replied.

She couldn’t do anything about that anyway. At the very least, her childhood was already over. It was extremely normal for her to have an unfeeling father in the Elf Clan.

She was envious of Mengmeng’s close relationship with her parents. Still, she had to accept the reality.

“Let’s go to the front and have a look. I have some third-tier spirit treasures that I don’t need. Let’s see if we can exchange them for something useful.” Nina smiled and took the lead to head forward.

Before they approached the crowd ahead, they heard many murmurs of discussion.

“It’s already past six o’clock. I heard that An He the King of Storms and Tang Qingshan from the Tang family will come here, too. Is the news reliable?”

“It must be reliable. It’s said that An He’s and Tang Qingshan’s juniors will spar here.”

“How can the spar among the juniors be fun to watch? It’ll be exciting if the two battle against each other. They are both at the Grand Master Peak-Stage. Miao Fei from the northwest is also at the same level. These people are all about reaching the God Realm. Whoever makes a breakthrough first will definitely gain the highest prestige.”

“This time, not only An He and Tang Qingshan but also many other Grand Masters will come here. It is said that someone wants to challenge An He. He is also a young Grand Master. If it is true, things will get interesting.”

“I don’t care if it’s interesting or not. All I care about is if I can sell more third-tier spirit treasures today. If so, I can buy some fourth-tier Clear Jade Stones when I go back.”

“Why do you want Clear Jade Stones?”

“To repair my battleax. D*mn it. I went to a relic with Tai last week and broke my battleax.”

Those people in small groups were talking about all kinds of stuff.

Most of them were Qi Strength Masters. A few of them were at the Grand Master Early-Stage. There were many Peak Strength Masters. There were also several Inward Strength martial artists. They were all dressed luxuriously and were protected by several Grand Masters. It could be seen that they came from noble families.

“How much is this?”

Nina walked to a stall, pointed to a third-tier spiritual herb, and inquired about the price. It was a blade of the Redheart Grass, which could keep one’s soul sense sober and could neutralize the power of illusions. In the hands of an Elemental Elf, its power could be doubled. In the Sea Dragon Star Area, such a blade of a third-tier spiritual herb would cost 20,000 crystal stones.

But the price turned out to be…

“It’s 200 crystal stones. You can also exchange a third-tier gem for it.” The stallholder was a martial artist in his twenties. He looked Nina up and down with amazement in his eyes.

“What?

“Only 200 crystal stones!”

“Thump. Thump…”

Nina suddenly felt that her heart began to pound violently.

However, her expression remained calm.

At the same time, she noticed that many people in the surroundings were eyeing her. Suddenly, she realized that Mengmeng and Xiaonao were wearing caps to prevent too many people from staring at them.

“Then I’ll take it.”

Nina pursed her lips and took out 200 crystal stones.

She bought it without haggling over the price.

Still, she felt that she had gotten a big bargain.

She didn’t even care about exposing her Space Treasure when she put the herb into it.

But to her surprise, this Qi Strength stallholder did not even look at her Space Treasure when she took it out.

“Oh right, this is Earth. Treasures are not so valuable here. Space treasures are not precious either.

“Then, in this place, with so many crystal stones at hand, I can definitely buy a lot of treasures!”

“How much is this blade?”

“One hundred and eighty crystal stones.”

“I’ll take it.”

A smile appeared on Nina’s face.

She felt very happy to stumble on such cheap but good treasures.

“How much is this one?”

“Three hundred and seventy crystal stones!”

“I’ll buy it.”

“How much is this fourth-tier gem?”

“Two thousand crystal stones.”

“Okay.”

“A fourth-tier gem only costs 2,000 crystal stones?

“Good heavens!”

“What about this gem?”

“I’ve had enough crystal stones. You can only barter for this gem.” The stallholder’s eyes flickered.

“This woman in front of me must be rich.”

Seeing the undecided look on Nina’s face, the other stallholders nearby immediately perked up.

“I have a lot of good stuff here. Come and have a look.”

“I also have a lot of spiritual herbs.”

“Look over here. I have some good stuff as well.”

“Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!”

All these stallholders took out some spiritual herbs and gems from their Space Treasures.

Only two of them took their goods out from their backpacks.

Since the worldlets were connected to the Main World, even Space Treasures became much less expensive. Many Qi Strength martial artists had Space Treasures with a storage space of several cubic meters.

Of course, Space Treasures were still not cheap. But these were must-haves in the relics. The others couldn’t hang their treasures all over their bodies as Instructor Liu the show-off did.

Instructor Liu had a strong backer, but others didn’t. If they did the same thing, their treasures would be robbed right away!

All of a sudden, Nina saw so many treasures, as well as stallholders who had Space Treasures.

She sighed with emotion inwardly.

“Earth is too incredible.

“It seems that it’s a planet filled with treasures, isn’t it?”

“Nana, why do you want to buy these things?” Mengmeng tugged at Nina’s arm and said, “These are very common items. I can give you a lot of such treasures later.”

“Mengmeng, thank you, but no. You’ve already paid everything for me since I came here. How can I accept more treasures from you? This is no big deal. I’ll only buy a few. I have a lot of crystal stones with me. Mengmeng, Nina, if you see anything you like, I’ll buy it for you,” said Nina with a smile.

She felt that this trip was really worth it.

Even if she spent all of her crystal stones here, she would be able to cover the cost and even make a huge profit by selling the stuff she bought here after she returned to the Sea Dragon Star Area.

However, she only wanted to buy some things she could use.

She went to the next stall and bought quite a few more.

She continued to shop like this.

Soon, she went from the second stall to the third…

Shortly, everyone nearby knew that a rich lady was shopping here.

On the seventh stall, the stallholder was at the Grand Master Early-Stage. On the two stalls on his left and right, there were also five who were at the Grand Master Early-Stage.

These people had one thing in common—their faces looked very calm.

They had also put more kinds of fifth-tier spirit treasures on display.

Among these treasures, there were some that girls fancied—the good-looking ones.

As expected, Mengmeng fixed her eyes on a small jade castle, which was the size of a palm.

This castle was constituted of blue, white, and pink parts. It was very beautiful. It was a Western-style castle.

It was emitting a fifth-tier aura.

“This one looks nice.”

Mengmeng’s eyes lit up slightly. She was ready to buy it as a gift for her mummy.

Well, she had become a big girl who knew to repay her parents after all.

But to her dismay—

“Crack.”

Right after she picked up the treasure, several cracks appeared in the center of the small castle.

“Huh?”

“Swoosh!”

The stallholder’s face changed at once. He jumped to his feet and stared at the fifth-tier treasure. As more and more cracks appeared, his face darkened steadily.

“Little girl, you can look at it. But you shouldn’t have destroyed it like this.”

“Eh?”

Mengmeng was stunned. A moment later, she said, “But I didn’t use much force. It cracked by itself.”

The stallholder frowned slightly.

“You know whether you exerted force or not. Just now, my treasure was still perfectly good. I could tell from its aura that it was a fifth-tier treasure. But what is it now? Its aura shows that it’s only at the third tier now, which is just a gem. It was in the top grade of the fifth tier before. If you channeled your spiritual force into it, you could use it to set up a strong defense that even those in the God Realm could hardly break. It is my most precious treasure. Its only defect is that it is very fragile. You used too much force to hold it. How can you treat it like this?”

When the stallholder came to the last part of his speech, his face was filled with grief and indignation.

Mengmeng was struck dumb by this. She felt that something was wrong, but the stallholder’s sad expression was really convincing!

“What the heck? How can a treasure be crushed so easily? I think this thing is just a piece of pretty but useless decoration. Are you blackmailing us?” Yue Xiaonao said discontentedly.

“What did you say?”

The stallholder’s face fell.

His aura circulated, as though he could no longer suppress the anger surging in his chest.

“Treasures can’t be crushed so easily. Plus, this piece of yours is a defensive treasure. How can it be damaged just like that? It was clearly broken before. Mengmeng didn’t notice that and picked it up. Are you trying to trick us?” demanded Yue Xiaonao.

Mengmeng instantly understood what was going on. Thus, she became somewhat upset.

“I already held it very gently. It cracked by itself. How can you frame me?”