Chapter 124: The Incredible Master

Lin Hongbin had initially intended to retreat quietly into the abyss, but in that moment, his curiosity to see who else might arrive grew stronger. Moreover, it was not just one person coming next, but a whole crowd.

Zhang Pu and Liu Yingde also noticed this. Lin Hongbin’s concealment was too secretive, whereas the sudden, grand arrival of Zheng Lan’s large group was far more conspicuous and easier to scrutinize. Although Zhang Pu still harbored a hidden suspicion about the earlier unexpected guest, most of his attention was drawn to the arriving main force.

At that moment, Zhang Pu did not consider avoiding the approaching group. Under the moonlight, he immediately recognized the face of Zheng Lan—the strikingly beautiful woman of mixed heritage. Since Zhang Pu and Liu Yingde did not hide, Zheng Lan’s people quickly spotted them as well.

“Monsters, is that you?” someone from Zheng Lan’s side shouted.

“You’re the monsters!” one of Liu Yingde’s men retorted.

Both sides seemed poised for conflict, tensions rising like fire and water, ready to clash. But Zheng Lan suddenly raised her hand, calling for a halt. She told her people that Zhang Pu and his group were not monsters.

Zhang Pu remained silent for a moment, his gaze meaningfully fixed on Zheng Lan, as if to say, “What a small world—so you’ve come here too?”

Zheng Lan’s expression grew complicated. Facing Zhang Pu, her usual fiery ambition seemed to falter. She stepped forward, as if to respond to the thoughts flickering in Zhang Pu’s eyes, but once she reached him, she suddenly appeared shy and uncertain, like a child caught in wrongdoing.

This sudden change puzzled some of her followers, especially the sharp-eyed Master Zhao and the elder in the green robe. They found Zheng Lan’s behavior baffling.

Just as one of Zheng Lan’s confidants was about to speak, Zheng Lan finally said, “This is a man of great skill. Everyone, don’t act rashly.”

“A man of great skill?”

Many of Zheng Lan’s people exchanged confused glances. It was clear she was referring to Zhang Pu as the masterful figure, as the group around him centered on him. The fact that a student like Zhang Pu was called the expert, rather than Liu Yingde—who seemed a natural candidate—was surprising. Liu Yingde, who appeared as the leader, now stood respectfully at Zhang Pu’s side, seemingly following his lead.

At this, even Master Zhao and the green-robed elder felt reluctant to accept the situation. Many in their group had never witnessed Zhang Pu’s true strength in the Poison Dragon Pool, so their doubts lingered. Zhang Pu, however, seemed indifferent to their skepticism.

Zheng Lan saw that this situation was untenable. She had come by her family’s orders to study the golden wood, especially after hearing rumors of monsters in the mountains. The real business was yet to be done, and the monsters seemed to be lurking in the shadows, potentially waiting for a chance to strike. If her group and Zhang Pu’s clashed, it would be like a clash between clam and snipe, allowing the monster to reap the benefits.

Zheng Lan absolutely did not want—and would not allow—that to happen. She was certain Zhang Pu and his people were not the legendary monsters. Besides, although her group was large, if they fought Zhang Pu’s formidable team, no one could say who would emerge victorious.

“Master, you are here to…” Zheng Lan tried to shake off her awkwardness but found herself unable to drop the shy demeanor in front of Zhang Pu, feeling quite uncomfortable.

Zhang Pu thought perhaps his visit to the Poison Dragon Pool had left a deep impression on her. Still, he welcomed this outcome.

“We came to study the golden wood,” Zhang Pu replied casually, then asked, “Aren’t you?”

Zheng Lan hesitated, seemingly unsure how to respond.

“Very well,” she said after a moment of thought, “Then I won’t disturb your plans. I’ll take my people to the other side.”

With that, she led her group to the other side of the golden wood forest.

Her humble posture before Zhang Pu stunned Master Zhao, the green-robed elder, and others. Even those who had only recently met Zheng Lan could see the pride and ambition that defined her nature. After all, she had the immense power of the Zheng clan behind her, and she herself was exceptional.

Yet tonight, she suddenly played the servant before Zhang Pu, who was, after all, just a youthful student.

Was this not a strange reversal of fate?

But it was a fact laid bare before them.

At this moment, not only Master Zhao and the green-robed elder but even some of Zheng Lan’s followers were privately thinking about how to seize an opportunity to make Zhang Pu pay.

They simply refused to yield in front of him, unwilling to accept defeat without a fight.

Yet because Zheng Lan acted as the host, wanting to move eastward, they could not openly oppose her and head west.

Zhang Pu could sense many in Zheng Lan’s group were discontented and resentful toward him, but so what? He chose to ignore them outright.

Even with self-important figures like Master Zhao and the green-robed elder present, to Zhang Pu’s discerning eyes, Zheng Lan’s group was no more formidable than the team he had faced in the Poison Dragon Pool days ago.

Those who wished to challenge him only fueled his desire to make them, like Zheng Lan, utterly loyal beneath his prestige.

Since Zheng Lan had chosen to yield, Zhang Pu had no desire to trouble these people immediately. He wished to continue studying the golden wood.

Meanwhile, he quietly probed with his spiritual senses and found that the strange disturbance he sensed earlier had seemingly vanished without a trace.

Zhang Pu was certain the abnormal presence he detected was not from Zheng Lan’s group.

It was likely just one individual—whom he now firmly believed to be the monster rumored among the locals.

Since the monster already knew their arrival, had it intended to strike at them earlier? Perhaps it withdrew quietly when Zheng Lan’s large force suddenly appeared.

If so, it realized it was outmatched, unable to face four hands with only two fists, and chose to retreat and reconsider its plans.

These were Zhang Pu’s thoughts. He understood the reality might be more complex. But if this was the case, the monster’s power was limited. Indeed, it could not stand against the sudden alliance of these two forces in the night.