Chapter 969: Lady Wang

Lady Wang!
Though it was just a brief glance, Happy had an exceptional memory for pleasant things. Moreover, she had the good fortune of having seen Lady Wang and that portrait before, so she immediately recognized the person entering the sedan as the owner of Mantuo Villa—Lady Wang, the mother of Wang Yuyan.
To actually see Lady Wang of Mantuo Villa at the Murong family’s residence!
Although Mantuo Villa was located by Taihu Lake and had ties to the Murong family, it was still the first time Happy had seen Lady Wang visit them. She was stunned and stopped in her tracks, watching as Lady Wang’s maids instructed the sedan bearer to set off.
Mantuo Villa was merely a small place created by Lady Wang out of boredom and couldn’t be considered a significant force in the martial world, but it carried great pretense, always accompanied by many attendants—perhaps due to being spoiled by Duan Zhengchun.
Happy stepped aside, gave a smile, and lost interest quickly. However, she paid closer attention to Rong Bo, who came out to see them off, her eyes filled with deep emotion and sighs.
“Stop!”
As Lady Wang’s entourage passed by Happy, a melodious yet authoritative voice suddenly came from inside the sedan. The maid serving beside it quickly stepped forward and said crisply, “Madam.”
“Go ask that young man by the road if he has anything from my Mantuo Villa on him,” Lady Wang instructed through a slightly opened slit in the sedan.
“…”
There weren’t many people by the road, and the sedan happened to stop right next to Happy and Fengling. The maid turned around upon hearing this, her sharp eyes fixing on Happy. “Sir, my lady asks if you have anything from my Mantuo Villa on you… Precious items from my Mantuo Villa are usually coated with Qianli Xiang, which never fades over time. If you do have any, please hand them over.”
“Oh?”
Happy was taken aback, while Fengling showed surprise and blurted out, “Things from Mantuo Villa… Could it be from Langhuan Fudi…?”
It seemed the maid didn’t hear Fengling’s words. Her gaze remained fixed on Happy as she repeated, “Please return them, sir.”
“Return them?”
Happy finally understood.
They must be referring to that painting. With a thought, she took it out of her Qiankun Bag…
At that moment, Happy sensed that the heartbeat inside the sedan quickened slightly. The half-open curtain was pulled back further, and Lady Wang couldn’t help revealing her true face. She spoke upvoluntarilyly, “Sir, this painting was created by a friend of mine when I was young. It depicts my own appearance. If you’re willing to return it, we would be extremely grateful.”
Her words made perfect sense.

It’s a pity to encounter someone like Happy, who likes to think deeply and investigate things, yet there are many flaws in it. If it’s just a self-portrait, why was only one drawn when he was young? Besides… Before he even opened it, the other party already knew what was inside! There’s also what the maid said earlier. Only the precious items in Manduo Villa would use thousand-mile fragrance to make them easier to find. It’s understandable why Lady Wang values this portrait so much, but how could she know that an ordinary self-portrait would be coveted and lost? This clearly doesn’t make sense. The only explanation… There’s a secret hidden inside! And from the start, Happy never thought this portrait hanging in the treasure room of Wanwo Villa was ordinary… In fact, he came south this time precisely to find Duan Yu and Wang Yuyan, aiming to uncover the secret. But now that he’s been intercepted by Lady Wang, it seems the secret inside isn’t as simple as he thought… In “Jianghu,” some people possess task items that can trigger story events, but they may not succeed in doing so directly. Some people may not be willing to hand over those items honestly! Just like now. If it were really as Lady Wang said, handing over the portrait might earn her a mere few tens of thousands of silver taels as payment for traveling to Wanwo Villa, but Happy certainly wouldn’t give up his possession so easily. “Lady Wang, you’re mistaken,” Happy said. “This painting is a trophy I fought hard to bring out of Wanwo Villa. It’s a rare treasure belonging to those legendary merchants. For you to want to take it just by saying so is rather rash.” “Wanwo Villa?” Lady Wang’s face paled slightly, seemingly uneasy. “How could it be related to Wanwo Villa? How dare they hang this portrait there?” Suddenly, as if remembering something, she regained her composure. “Young man, it’s just a painting hanging on the wall. The merchant simply thought it looked good to hang there… Even if it’s a rare treasure, it has a price. How about I offer two hundred thousand silver taels to buy it?” “If it were just a painting in an ordinary room, I certainly wouldn’t care and would gladly give it to Lady Wang. But that room not only has this painting but also houses many of the finest martial arts skills in today’s Jianghu… As someone in the martial arts world, I can tell this portrait is lifelike and mesmerizing, seemingly hiding… It’s by no means ordinary. Lady Wang, don’t take advantage of my youth and naivety.”

The wind chimes beside them made it awkward for them to look at Lady Wang and her group of maids; it seemed that being happy now meant being a scoundrel. They dared to invent all sorts of nonsense. However, Lady Wang’s reaction was somewhat beyond her expectations. Her expression changed several times, shifting rapidly. “What do you want before you’ll give me the portrait?” “Of course, Lady Wang must sincerely help me decipher it. Otherwise, with just ordinary words, I doubt I can obtain this portrait.” Noticing Lady Wang’s emotional changes, Happy was now certain that she was eager to get the portrait, and its secrets were certainly not simple. Besides… The Languan Blessed Land mentioned earlier by Wind Chime also reminded him that it might be related to that place. “This isn’t the place to talk. I wonder if this young master would like to follow me to Mantuo Villa, where I can explain everything in detail.” Lady Wang said with a complex expression. “I’m busy today,” Happy replied bluntly. “You…” Lady Wang remained silent, but the maids beside her were angry! They glared at Happy with furrowed brows. He smiled and said, “I really don’t have time today. If you’re not in a hurry, I’ll definitely visit Mantuo Villa another day…” “Fine!” Lady Wang finally agreed. “I’ll give you three days. Once that time is up, I’ll pretend I never met you or saw the portrait in your hands. Anyway, all of this no longer belongs to me from many years ago.” She gave a bitter smile, then pulled back the curtain. The maids beside her still seemed upset, letting out an indignant hum before ordering the sedan bearer to set off, without even saying goodbye to Happy. The group left like that. “Have we received a plot task prompt?” Wind Chime glanced at the man beside her. Seeing him smiling happily, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “I never thought something like this could trigger a plot task… This task should fall under the category of time-limited hidden plot tasks. It’s quite advanced—maybe it’s even a martial arts secret manual.” “Hehe.” Happy smiled indifferently. Since the other party was the owner of Mantuo Villa, it wasn’t hard to guess that the reward for the task in Lady Wang’s hands must be a martial arts secret manual, and very likely a supreme skill! “Let’s not talk about this. You still haven’t completed the task assigned by your master. Don’t let the people from the Wild Wolves escape… You’d better find a place to hide first, or…” Happy changed the subject. Hearing this, Wind Chime finally became serious, her gaze darkening. “No, I’ll go with you.”

“The three members of the Wild Wolves are a formidable force—don’t underestimate them. It’s still too much for you alone. I’ve recovered now and can help you out.” As she spoke, Wind Chime’s tone grew increasingly cold, with a clear murderous intent in her eyes.
“…”
Happy sighed inwardly. In this world, Wind Chime had only her master, the master strategist who never fought, and no one else to trust or rely on. The confrontation with the Wild Wolves was extraordinary, seemingly having shaped her character completely differently from the other side—she had even tried to stir up discord with words, hoping to force the Wild Wolves to attack her through their blood alliance or First-Class Hall. This Wind Chime here, however, had her own plans.
But… Happy also had her own decisions and plans!
“No,” Happy said. “Your master said they have plenty of Life and Death Dream Pills. Their goal in coming to the Central Plains was to deal with you. Although their plans failed because of me, they might not give up! If they have a backup plan and something happens to you, the Wild Wolves will still complete their mission… How would I explain this to your master?” She then added in an unyielding tone, “Wait here—don’t go anywhere. Stay in the tavern in the city and wait for my news…”
“I certainly know their target is me, but… can you handle it alone?” Wind Chime asked, staring at him skeptically.
After all, he was part of the Wild Wolves organization—the world’s largest, most mysterious, and powerful underground force, the rulers of the dark world. She had even used a forbidden technique to defeat two of their experts, at the cost of almost letting the Wild Wolves succeed!
“Don’t worry,” Happy replied with a carefree smile. “If I had to fight them head-on, I wouldn’t be confident. Each of them is far stronger than the three elders of the Blood Alliance I killed… But with your master’s help, and since they don’t know I’m in Gusu City, hehe, things will be simple.”
Indeed. The “True Dragon Ten Styles” was a supreme technique that allowed one to take the initiative, control the enemy, and pose a deadly threat. Every time before, Happy had managed to turn the tide despite being in a very disadvantageous position. Now, appearing like an invisible person beside the enemy and striking suddenly when they were unprepared, she was confident she could take down one enemy, maybe even two…
Of course, this would inevitably draw the Wild Wolves’ attention, and even that ever-elusive “Prophet’s.” But Happy didn’t care at all. In this way, the situations on both sides became somewhat similar! Unite all the wise men to fight against the Wild Wolves organization and the Prophet!