Chapter 23: Villa Gathering

The next day, Saturday.

Wang Teng woke up later than usual, only opening his eyes after eight o'clock.

The sunlight from outside the window shone in, falling upon his face, causing him to instinctively raise a hand to block it as he adjusted to the light.

"Ugh, it's already 8:45."

Wang Teng checked the time, got out of bed to brush his teeth and wash his face, and then walked downstairs.

The household servants, Aunt Chen and Aunt Li, were already working. Aunt Chen was sweeping the floor, while Aunt Li was dusting.

The villa was large, which made cleaning a hassle; relying solely on himself to do the housework was clearly unrealistic.

"You're up. Come and eat breakfast," Li Xiumei said upon seeing him.

"Mom, I overslept. Why didn't you wake me up?" Wang Teng said.

"I saw how tired you were, so I didn't wake you. It's Saturday anyway; an extra hour or two doesn't matter," Li Xiumei replied.

"The young master has changed a lot; he's becoming more and more diligent," Aunt Li said with a smile.

Although Aunt Chen and Aunt Li were servants, they got along well with the family. Even when Wang Teng was a playboy in the past, he had never treated them with any disrespect.

This was thanks to Wang Shengguo's strictness and Li Xiumei's character education.

Like parents, like children.

"I heard the young master is practicing martial arts. My son used to practice as well, but unfortunately, he lacked talent and eventually had to give up. After all, martial arts training is too heavy a burden for an ordinary family like ours," Aunt Chen added in agreement.

"Oh, stop praising him, or his head will get too big," Li Xiumei laughed.

While eating breakfast, Wang Teng chatted briefly with Aunt Li and the others.

He also took the opportunity to reply to the WeChat messages sent by Bai Wei and Yu Hao last night.

After breakfast, he informed Li Xiumei and drove out.

***

Polaris Martial Arts Hall, second floor of the Martial Apprentice Training Building.

Wang Teng greeted several familiar students.

"A-Teng, you're a bit late today!" Zhang Shaoyang stopped his fist practice and wiped the sweat from his forehead; it looked like he had been training for about an hour.

"I overslept, and my mom didn't wake me up," Wang Teng said helplessly.

"Hahaha, all mothers are the same. If I oversleep, my mom never wakes me up either," Zhang Shaoyang laughed.

Wang Teng shook his head with a wry smile.

"By the way, I have something to tell you. I'm about to be promoted to Senior Martial Apprentice," Zhang Shaoyang said happily.

"Oh, congratulations then. When are you planning to take the promotion?" Wang Teng was surprised, though not shocked.

Zhang Shaoyang's strength was already very close to that of a Senior Martial Apprentice; Wang Teng had suspected he might promote at any time.

"I'll adapt a bit this morning and then go for the test. If all goes well, I'll be training on the third floor this afternoon," Zhang Shaoyang said.

Wang Teng nodded and teased, "There are more experts on the third floor. Don't let them beat you too badly."

"Hmph, no way. Once I've trained for a while, I'll definitely catch up to them quickly. As for you, don't make me wait too long. Promote to Senior Martial Apprentice sooner. I've found that my progress is faster when I spar with you," Zhang Shaoyang said.

"Alright, I won't keep you waiting long," Wang Teng smiled.

The two chatted for a while before stopping the idle talk and beginning their respective training sessions.

In the afternoon, Wang Teng went to watch Zhang Shaoyang's test. His various indicators all met the standards, and he successfully became a Senior Martial Apprentice, moving up to the third floor.

Wang Teng was sincerely happy for him.

A Senior Martial Apprentice was one step closer to becoming a Martial Artist!

Although there was still a significant distance to cover, every martial artist strived for that step.

*When will I be able to become a Martial Artist?*

*If only I could get a hold of an Origin Force cultivation technique!!*

*Unfortunately, it's too difficult!*

Wang Teng thought silently, still at a loss.

For the following period, Wang Teng spent most of his time at the martial arts hall, picking up attributes while also training himself desperately. He didn't even have the heart to tease that fat guy, Wu Liang, anymore.

***

Sunday, after nine o'clock.

Wang Teng was still training at the hall when he suddenly received a call from Xu Jie.

Xu Jie said there was a gathering today where they could meet many friends from influential families, and invited him to go along with Bai Wei and the others.

Wang Teng intended to refuse, but he ultimately couldn't withstand Xu Jie's relentless badgering—the kind of shamelessness that suggested he would be a nuisance if Wang Teng didn't agree.

He could only reluctantly accept.

After all, they were long-time friends, and it wasn't good to make Xu Jie lose face.

To be honest, he wasn't very willing to go.

In his past life, he had attended countless gatherings like this.

They were filled with the children of the wealthy and the powerful, gathering to eat, drink, and play, while using the opportunity to build connections.

By establishing good relationships, they could visit each other more often in the future and help one another when needed.

But later, when his family fell from grace, these people stayed as far away as possible; not a single one was truly willing to help.

He had seen through it then.

They were all fair-weather friends and superficial brothers. They could help with small, inconsequential matters, but if a major crisis occurred, they were completely unreliable.

"Forget it, I'll just treat it as a chance to go for free food and drinks," Wang Teng comforted himself.

He put his sword and saber back in the weapon room, went home to pack, changed his clothes, and prepared to meet up with Xu Jie and the others.

"Mom, I won't be back for dinner tonight. I'm attending a social circle gathering with Xu Jie and his friends," Wang Teng told Li Xiumei.

"Go ahead. It's good to make more friends. If you spend all day training, I'm afraid you'll turn into a martial arts fanatic and won't be able to find a girlfriend in the future..."

As soon as Li Xiumei mentioned girlfriends, Wang Teng's head began to ache.

Seeing her expression, it looked like she intended to dwell on this topic indefinitely, scaring him into an immediate retreat.

"Terrifying!"

Wang Teng drove away, still feeling a sense of dread.

Twenty minutes later, he met up with Xu Jie and the others at the toll booth on the highway leading to Bao'an Mountain.

This gathering was held in a villa within Bao'an Mountain.

It was said that the host's family held significant power and had great influence among the younger generation. The villa was entirely his personal property, provided this time for everyone to use for the gathering.

The four of them took two cars. Bai Wei sat in Wang Teng's car and gave him a brief overview of the situation.

In truth, she wasn't entirely clear on the specifics either.

Xu Jie was driving, leading the way in the front car.

Yu Hao sat in his car, looking somewhat resentful. He had originally wanted to sit with Bai Wei so they could chat along the way.

Unfortunately, before he could even speak, Bai Wei had already run to Wang Teng's car.

Wang Teng's supercar could only seat two people, so Yu Hao had to abandon the idea.

Bao'an Mountain was located on the outskirts of Donghai City. Taking the highway, it only took half an hour to arrive.

There were road signs on the highway; following them, the group exited the highway and drove straight into the mountains along a concrete road.

After years of development, many villas and even entertainment facilities had been built on Bao'an Mountain. To facilitate travel, a wide road had been paved.

This was also because Bao'an Mountain was not particularly high; if it were too high, the roads wouldn't have been able to reach the top.

The sides of the road were lush with greenery and the scenery was pleasant. Occasionally, the chirping of birds and the tinkling of mountain streams could be heard, making one feel refreshed and naturally lifting the mood.

(End of Chapter)