Chapter 126: The Meeting

He was desperate to befriend this hidden master. He turned the thought over and over in his mind, wondering which figure from the Jinmu region it could be, but then he considered the region’s most prominent individuals and realized that even Zheng Lan would not treat them with such reverence. He quickly dismissed the idea: this expert must be from out of town!

Looking at the elderly Master Zhao and the old man in blue, who were both well-advanced in years, Zheng Lan treated them with only a moderate level of respect. Luo Binghui wondered if the master Zheng Lan admired was perhaps a grandfather figure with a beard reaching the ground—that was certainly the image he had painted in his mind.

"What?"

However, when he was led to meet this master, Zhang Pu, and saw that the person was merely a student, years younger than himself, Luo Binghui was not only stunned on the spot but even let out a cry of surprise.

He had intended to kneel on one knee and address him as "Grandfather," but now that the "grandfather" had unexpectedly turned into a youth, he could not bring himself to bow. He feared that paying respects to a mere boy would somehow diminish his own longevity.

*No! I’ve been played by Zheng Lan. I’ve absolutely been played by her!* It was not an exaggeration to think that this woman was capable of orchestrating such a farce. That was Luo Binghui’s immediate conclusion.

In any case, if anyone wanted him to believe this student was a master, they might as well hand him a block of tofu to bash his brains out!

Luo Binghui did think that Liu Yinde, who was beside Zhang Pu, looked somewhat like a master, but with his sharp eyes, he noticed that Liu Yinde seemed to be nothing more than Zhang Pu’s subordinate.

*What is going on? Is this old Taoist in on the trick too?*

Luo Binghui naturally refused to acknowledge Zhang Pu immediately. He suddenly remembered Master Zhao and the old man in blue. He reasoned that, at the very least, they would not conspire with Zheng Lan to deceive him.

Zheng Lan did not hold Master Zhao and the old man in blue in particularly high regard, and the latter two did not truly respect her either. Luo Binghui understood: if he were not the one representing the high-ranking officials of the Jinmu region to mediate, a coalition between Zheng Lan, Master Zhao, and the old man in blue would never have existed.

To put it bluntly, the only reason Master Zhao and the old man in blue were accompanying Zheng Lan to the Jinmu region was out of deference to the high-ranking officials of the area.

Master Zhao and the old man in blue told Luo Binghui that they, too, did not believe the student was any kind of master; they had no idea what kind of game that young woman, Zheng Lan, was playing.

"Let’s find an opportunity later to teach this kid a lesson. We’ll see if he’s a mule or a horse once we take him out for a run!" Luo Binghui finally whispered, his voice filled with the spite of someone who had been humiliated, as he plotted with Master Zhao and the old man in blue.

The two agreed heartily, viewing the scheme to expose the person Zheng Lan was deliberately promoting as their own revenge against her arrogance.

The three of them stepped aside to whisper, careful not to let Zheng Lan and her people hear. Yet, with a certain sensitivity, Zheng Lan seemed to guess what the three of them were whispering about. Recalling Luo Binghui’s initial enthusiasm to curry favor with Zhang Pu and his subsequent look of disappointment, she could easily imagine his current state of mind.

But Zheng Lan said nothing, merely evaluating Luo Binghui’s potential conspiracy with contempt in her heart: *Hmph! If you want to scheme against Zhang Pu, you are simply asking for humiliation!*

Since returning from the Poison Dragon Pool, no one here knew the true terror of Zhang Pu better than she did.

However, Luo Binghui likely did not expect that before he could find an opportunity to deal with Zhang Pu, someone else would deny him that chance.

Lin Zhifa emerged from the Bottomless Pit, accompanied by several subordinates, strutting as if he owned the place. He did not bother with poison mist or traps; in his mind, this was his territory. He emerged as naturally as if he were walking through his own private garden.

He did not make a grand entrance, yet both Zhang Pu’s and Zheng Lan’s factions noticed him immediately. As soon as Lin Zhifa appeared, Zhang Pu sensed him rather than saw him.

*This must be the one. This is definitely the person playing god in the Jinmu Forest! I can feel an extraordinary aura. He must be practicing demonic arts!*

Drawing on his experience in the world of immortal cultivation, Zhang Pu made an immediate judgment about Lin Zhifa. Those who practiced demonic arts could, just like immortal cultivators, sense the benefits of the Jinmu region.

"Who are you people?" Lin Zhifa looked around at the crowd under the moonlight, speaking with the tone of a host.

People in the vicinity immediately retorted, asking who he was, their voices tinged with dissatisfaction.

Lin Zhifa gave a faint smile. "I am the master of this place, known as the Hermit of Jinmu."

"Pfft!"

Countless people either voiced their disdain or cursed him in their hearts. *This person, reeking of demonic energy, is far too arrogant!* They all thought the same.

"Who gave you that title?"

Master Zhao and the old man in blue were particularly incensed. Luo Binghui even thought about utilizing the influence of the government officials behind him.

Only Zheng Lan furrowed her delicate brows. Having traveled widely, coming from a prominent family, and having lived abroad, she was more worldly than the typically boorish Master Zhao and his peers. She seemed to realize there was more to this than met the eye.

On the other side, Zhang Pu remained silent. Liu Yinde understood him well by now: he always waited until the very last moment to stun everyone. Thus, Liu Yinde followed Zhang Pu’s lead and remained silent as well.

"Which one of you is the leader?" Lin Zhifa was a man over fifty. A brief observation was enough for him to realize that although the impulsive Master Zhao had a loud voice, he was, in the end, nothing more than a high-level servant.

Master Zhao and the old man in blue possessed some skills, but they could not endure solitude, and to be blunt, they were still greedy for money, which was why they had been lured out of retirement by the high-ranking officials of the Jinmu region to assist Zheng Lan, a mogul from overseas.

Zheng Lan snorted coldly; she truly disliked people like Lin Zhifa.

Seeing Zheng Lan standing still, Luo Binghui stepped forward and announced that he was the son of a top official in the Jinmu region.

"Oh! So it is Young Master Luo."

Although Lin Zhifa feigned familiarity, it was obvious he did not care in the slightest.

Luo Binghui was getting angry. Given his father’s connections, few in the Jinmu region dared to be so dismissive or show him such disrespect.

*This demon...* Luo Binghui wanted to teach Lin Zhifa a lesson. He had intended to target Zhang Pu, but he had not expected this person to step in front of Zhang Pu to meet his death first.

As for Luo Binghui’s youthful inability to hide his emotions, how could it possibly escape Lin Zhifa’s notice?