Chapter 1249: Mingren Assists

In a secluded courtyard, Wang Mingren, Ximen Feng, and Chen Xiang'er gathered in a blue stone pavilion.

Chen Xiang'er's expression was cold, as if keeping everyone at a distance. She had humbled herself before, repeatedly asking Wang Mingren to reconcile, but he refused. Now that Wang Mingren wanted to reconcile, she wouldn't agree.

During his time trapped in the Purple Fire Abyss, Wang Mingren reflected on his past actions and felt he had wronged Chen Xiang'er.

"Xiang'er," Wang Mingren said sincerely, "I have wronged you. No matter what, I am truly sorry, and I hope you can give me a chance to make amends." He genuinely wanted to make up for his past mistakes.

"Make amends?" Chen Xiang'er sneered. "How would you make amends? I'm not as good at playing the social game as you are. You divorced me; do you know what people said about me? They called me unvirtuous, said I acted outrageously. Few people spoke ill of you. Now you have two Nascent Soul cultivators backing you. If I reconcile with you now, what will people say about me? Don't I have any dignity?" Wang Mingren had a good reputation, and indeed, few people spoke ill of him. Chen Xiang'er, on the other hand, had dealt with many erring disciples, and those she caught making mistakes received severe punishment. They dared not openly defy her, so they slandered her instead. Some even claimed that Wang Mingren divorced her because he saw her engaging in illicit activities with a paramour. Her reputation was already poor, and the erring disciples constantly slandered her, with few people standing up to defend her.

"Senior Sister Chen," Ximen Feng pleaded, "my husband is sincere. Please, for his sincerity, agree to him! In the future, you can be the elder wife, and I will be the junior one, is that alright?" Ximen Feng knew Wang Mingren wanted to make amends to Chen Xiang'er, and she also felt she owed Chen Xiang'er, thus she was willing to be the junior wife.

"Sincere?" Chen Xiang'er scoffed. "If you are truly sincere, then have your nephew go to the main headquarters and, in front of all the elders, tell them that he hooked up with you while I was on a mission, and that I didn't do anything to betray him. Restore my good name." She had always carried the burden of ill repute, and though she had tried to refute it, few people believed her. She could only work tirelessly to numb herself.

Wang Mingren frowned, a displeased expression on his face. If he were to truly do that, not only would it damage Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan's reputation, but Wang Mingren's own hard-earned good reputation would also be ruined. He absolutely could not accept that. He prided himself on his good reputation; there was no way he would sabotage himself.

"Xiang'er," he said, "your demand is too harsh. Please name another condition; I am truly sincere in wanting to make amends to you."

Chen Xiang'er looked disdainful and said, "Sincerity? I don't think so! As soon as your interests are at stake, you immediately back down. Is that your sincerity? Don't think I don't know what you're planning. Senior Uncle Leng has entered the Nascent Soul stage, and a spot among the Five Prodigies of Taiyi has opened up. You just want me to persuade my grandfather to recommend you, don't you? So that once you successfully become one of the Five Prodigies, you can just kick me aside again? After so many years of marriage, do you think I don't know what kind of person you are? You speak so nicely now, but if I were to harm your interests, you would show absolutely no mercy, Wang Mingren. I won't give you a chance to make amends. I'll make you owe me for the rest of your life, haha!"

After saying this, Chen Xiang'er flicked her sleeve and turned to leave.

Wang Mingren's brows furrowed tightly. Ximen Feng tried to call out to Chen Xiang'er, but Wang Mingren stopped her.

"Never mind," he sighed. "A forced melon isn't sweet. Now that a spot among the Five Prodigies of Taiyi has opened up, I'm not reconciling with Xiang'er for the sake of the Five Prodigies. Do you believe me, my dear?" Ximen Feng looked hesitant. She had thought Wang Mingren wanted to reconcile with Chen Xiang'er in order to be promoted to one of the Five Prodigies of Taiyi, which was consistent with his usual style of doing things. "If even you think that way, let alone her," Wang Mingren sighed. "Never mind, I won't bother with her for now. If there's a chance, I'll make it up to her." He had always given others the impression of being solely profit-driven, but after leaving the Purple Fire Abyss, he had become somewhat more restrained.

A faint sound of footsteps was heard, and a tall young man in a blue robe and a graceful young woman in a blue dress entered. Their features blurred and changed into those of Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan.

"Changsheng, Ruyan, what brings you here?" Ximen Feng's face lit up with joy. She flicked her sleeve and closed the door.

"Uncle Mingren, Auntie," Wang Changsheng said with a smile, "we're here for some business, and also to visit you." Wang Mingren had already cultivated to the ninth layer of Core Formation and might be able to advance to the Nascent Soul stage.

"Some business?" Wang Mingren said meaningfully. "Changsheng, you're here to track down the culprit, aren't you?" He vaguely suspected the Nine Nether Sect was the culprit, but had no proof.

"Let's go inside to talk!" Wang Changsheng said, pointing to the blue pavilion not far away. He felt it was necessary to explain some things to Wang Mingren; otherwise, if Wang Mingren were to advance to the Nascent Soul stage in the future, he might become estranged from the family over this matter.

Soon, they were inside the blue pavilion, where Ximen Feng brewed tea and poured water, attending to Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan.

"Uncle Mingren," Wang Changsheng began, "we suspect the Nine Nether Sect is the culprit. The reason is that I had some conflicts with their cultivators years ago. However, I couldn't be certain, which is why I didn't tell you." Of course, Wang Changsheng couldn't reveal Ye Lin's existence. Not only did Wang Mingren not know, but Wang Qingling and others also didn't know it was because of Ye Lin. How the animosity began wasn't important; who they had offended was the key.

"How do you plan to investigate in the Northern Frontier this time?" Wang Mingren asked seriously. "The Nine Nether Sect had internal strife years ago, but they're slowly recovering their strength. They have at least twelve Nascent Soul cultivators, and that's just the known number. Just tell me explicitly how you need me to cooperate. In a while, I probably won't be in the Northern Frontier cultivation world anymore." His reconciliation with Chen Xiang'er wasn't solely for making amends. He was about to attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, and he worried Chen Xiang'er might become his inner demon, a spiritual obstacle. This was why he reconciled with her, hoping to mend things and avoid this inner demon.

"What?" Wang Ruyan asked curiously. "Uncle Mingren, are you returning to the Eastern Wilderness?"

Ximen Feng smiled and nodded, saying, "That's right! In a while, we're going to return to the main headquarters. My husband plans to go into seclusion to attempt breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage." The contribution points they had accumulated could be exchanged for two Nascent Soul spiritual items. Given Wang Mingren's aptitude, there was a high probability he would advance to the Nascent Soul stage.

Wang Changsheng pondered for a moment and said, "We already have a target. However, we cannot expose our identities. We plan to capture and tame a few third-tier demonic beasts to serve as enforcers and a diversion. Uncle Mingren, do you have any connections for this?"

"Third-tier demonic beasts?" Wang Mingren replied. "A friend of mine just caught two third-tier demonic beasts and asked me to help him find a buyer. Go find him, tell him I introduced you, and it should work."

Wang Ruyan shook her head and said, "If the matter is exposed, the Nine Nether Sect might trace the clue back, and it would be bad if Uncle Mingren got implicated."

"Don't worry," Wang Mingren said nonchalantly. "He's often active in the black market, and heaven knows where he gets his third-tier demonic beasts. I have many friends like him, and many merchants ask me to introduce them to buyers. Even if the Nine Nether Sect traces it back to me, it's nothing. Our Taiyi Immortal Sect is not afraid of the Nine Nether Sect." He actually served as a middleman and had done countless such things. Moreover, he was only half a step away from the Nascent Soul stage, so he was even less afraid of being investigated by the Nine Nether Sect. The Taiyi Immortal Sect was growing stronger by the day, while the Nine Nether Sect was only recovering its strength and was still some distance from its peak; they still dared not engage in direct conflict with the Taiyi Immortal Sect. Furthermore, the cultivator selling the spirit beasts regularly operated in the black market, and it was possible he had also bought them from someone else. How could the Nine Nether Sect easily pinpoint the true source?