Chapter 25: The Hunting Ground

“So it is the Fifth Young Master of the Wang family!” Zhou Baijun said with a smile.

Her previous mood vanished instantly.

Before arriving, she had already conducted a detailed study of the various families, large and small, in Donghai City. Now, through Sun Gaoyan's introduction, she recognized the identities of Wang Teng, Xu Jie, Bai Wei, and the others.

After a few brief words of small talk, she offered a slight apology and walked toward the others.

Once she was far away, Xu Jie whispered, “I’m afraid this Zhou Baijun looks down on our families.”

Although Zhou Baijun hadn't shown it explicitly, it was clearly perceptible that her attitude toward Wang Teng’s group was not as warm as her attitude toward the others.

Sun Gaoyan’s expression turned somewhat unsightly. He was the one who had invited Xu Jie and the others; Zhou Baijun's attitude made him lose face.

Wang Teng patted his shoulder. “Don't take it to heart. We are purely here today to eat and drink; making connections is secondary.”

“Gaoyan, don't worry about it, don't worry about it. Just eating, drinking, and having fun for a day is quite nice!” Xu Jie said with a chuckle.

With his interruption, the group's mood improved significantly.

“Do you think Li Rongcheng and Zhou Baijun ended up together because of something? Logically speaking, the Li family's status shouldn't be enough to reach the Zhou family's level,” Bai Wei suddenly asked.

“I heard Zhou Baijun is recruiting martial disciples, especially high-level disciples who show promise of becoming martial artists,” Sun Gaoyan said.

“That makes it less surprising then. After Li Rongcheng became a high-level disciple, the Li family publicized it extensively, as if they were afraid people wouldn't know. Everyone is saying the Li family has produced a genius and will surely have a martial artist in the future,” Yu Hao joined the discussion.

“Hmph, as if becoming a martial artist is that easy. High-level disciples aren't rare, but those who actually become martial artists are few and far between. Out of a thousand high-level disciples, you might not even get one martial artist. Take Li Rongcheng—even if the Li family sold everything they owned, they might not be able to push him up there,” Xu Jie said disdainfully, clearly annoyed.

“But that doesn't stop Zhou Baijun from trying to win him over right now,” Bai Wei mocked.

“Casting a wide net to catch more fish! Li Rongcheng is probably just one of those fish. But if Zhou Baijun knew about your strength, Brother Wang Teng... hehe!” Xu Jie laughed schadenfreudely.

“That has nothing to do with me. No matter how good she is to me, I won't get involved in such matters,” Wang Teng said, shaking his head.

Sun Gaoyan’s heart stirred. Combining their conversation with Li Rongcheng's expression from earlier...

After a moment of mental deduction, he seemed to have discovered something, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

However, he didn't show it overtly. His attitude remained the same as before, though he intentionally or unintentionally began to integrate himself into Wang Teng's small circle.

Yu Hao and Bai Wei did not dislike Sun Gaoyan's personality. Although Wang Teng saw through something, he didn't say much.

Furthermore, since he was Xu Jie's cousin, this layer of relationship made it naturally easier for them to accept him.

Thus, for a time, the group chatted happily.

...

At noon, it was time for lunch.

Exquisite dishes were placed on the table one after another, their aromas wafting through the air and making everyone's mouth water.

“This is... Star Beast ingredients!”

Yu Hao had seen them before and whispered in surprise.

“Zhou Baijun has really spared no expense. These Star Beast ingredients must cost a fortune,” Xu Jie remarked.

Everyone took their seats. The others crowded around Zhou Baijun, quickly occupying the front of the table.

The table was long.

Wang Teng and his companions could only sit at the far end, feeling somewhat marginalized.

Soon, everyone began to eat.

Wang Teng picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. After a slight taste, he realized that the blood-qi energy contained within was not particularly intense.

*These must just be terrestrial creatures that have undergone slight mutations,* he realized.

It made sense. The people present were mostly ordinary people; how could they withstand the energy contained in true Star Beast ingredients?

Moreover, Wang Teng took a cursory look and noticed that among these children of wealth and officials, many had pale complexions, looking so frail they might suffer sudden death at any moment.

For them, eating a little was nourishment, but eating too much would be no different from poison—it could be fatal.

Zhou Baijun likely understood this, which was why she had prepared these specific ingredients.

Of course, most people were unaware of this. Slightly mutated terrestrial creatures were actually similar to the rare game meat eaten by the wealthy in his previous life—something rarely tasted in daily life.

Combined with the cooking of high-level chefs, the dishes were beautiful, fragrant, and delicious, while also being nourishing. Everyone ate with great joy.

They all remarked on how thoughtful Zhou Baijun was!

The meal lasted over an hour. Once everyone was full and satisfied, Zhou Baijun stood up and said, “There is much more entertainment here at Baoan Mountain. Everyone take a rest for about an hour. We will set off at 2:30 PM. Since we came today, we might as well enjoy ourselves to the fullest.”

Everyone responded loudly in agreement.

There were many rooms in the villa. Everyone found a room of their own; those who wanted to rest went to sleep, while those who didn't continued to gather and chat.

Xu Jie, Bai Wei, and the others did not have as much stamina as Wang Teng and planned to rest for a while.

Ever since he began practicing martial arts, Wang Teng had been conscious of maintaining his energy in a state of constant abundance. Since he had nothing to do, he also went for a short nap.

2:30 PM.

Everyone emerged from their rooms and gathered in the hall. Under Zhou Baijun's lead, they headed into the mountains.

The mountain indeed offered many recreational facilities. There was an open-air mountain spring pool; since the weather was hot, it was the perfect place to play with water pistols while enjoying the view of beautiful women in swimwear.

One had to realize that among these wealthy youths, there was no shortage of beautiful girls.

Not only that, Baoan Mountain had specifically designated an area as a hunting ground. Tourists could form teams to hunt, which offered a unique kind of fun.

Given men's love for firearms, this hunting game would undoubtedly satisfy them to a great extent.

As for other forms of entertainment, there was no need to list them all.

When the group arrived, seeing the open-air pool beneath the small waterfall and the various recreational facilities nearby, they all felt like stripping off their clothes and jumping into the cool water immediately.

“Whoo-hoo!”

Clearly, someone had already done so. Without even taking off his clothes, a man let out a wolfish howl and leaped into the water.

Water splashed everywhere!

“Lin Hao, are you crazy?!”

Those acquainted with him couldn't help but laugh and scold him in mock disgust.

Lin Hao poked his head out of the water, wiped the droplets from his face, and laughed loudly, “It’s amazing! If you want to play, get down here quickly. What are you all dawdling for?”

“He truly lives up to his name—very bold and unpretentious,” Zhou Baijun complimented.

Lin Hao let out another burst of hearty laughter.

“Idiot!” Xu Jie muttered with a smile, speechless.

“The hunting ground is right next to us. If you want to play, you can go over there and register with the staff.”

“You can hunt some wild game for a barbecue tonight!”

“I have prepared a mysterious gift for whoever catches the most prey,” Zhou Baijun added, pointing toward an entrance-like area to the left while giving her explanation.

“However, I must remind everyone that many of the wild animals in there still possess some level of aggression. Please prioritize safety. It is best to play in teams so you can look out for one another. If you act alone, the danger increases significantly.”

(End of Chapter)