I Pick up a Lost Godhood-Chapter 47 - 45: New Neighbor

Of course, Thunderlight Hall had shops specializing in Messengers and food for Spirit Beasts. The prices varied wildly; even the well-off couldn’t afford the good stuff. Damn it, Spirit Beasts were more pampered than people these days. Back in the day, even the most incredible Spirit Beasts were left to forage for themselves, and sometimes they even had to find food for their masters. But now? Now the Spirit Beasts were the lords, and their owners had to provide food, shelter, and even conversation.

The crops in Spirit Valley weren’t ripe yet, so he sometimes let his Spirit Rhinoceros forage for its own food. But now that he was doing better, he could spare it the trouble of running all over.

When he arrived at Thunderlight Pavilion, the place, which was usually sparse unless there was some excitement, was unexpectedly buzzing with voices. And among them was a familiar one.

’Ugh, Zhao Guang is back.’

Zhao Guang was surrounded by a crowd of his juniors. Even though he was no longer the Senior of Thunderlight Hall, he still carried himself with the same air upon his return.

"Senior, what’s Dao Guang Hall like? Is there any chance for us to get in?"

"Yeah, Senior! If you get the chance, you should get us over there too."

Wang Meng couldn’t help but shake his head. ’If this were the world of Evil Cultivators, would this guy even dare to come back? The light punishment would be getting a few holes poked in him; the heavy one would be getting skinned alive. I guess this is the difference with Saint Cultivators.’

But this was the current state of affairs in Thunderlight Hall. A situation like this doesn’t develop overnight. It was no wonder the disciples were looking for a way out; no one wanted to waste their entire life languishing here.

In the mortal world, you could get by even without any special skills. But here, if you never made a name for yourself, life was truly miserable. Besides, everyone who entered the Small Thousand World had goals and ambitions. Who would be content to just fade into obscurity?

"Heh heh. Everyone, please. I’m no longer your Senior, but I’m grateful that you all still think so highly of me. The bonds we’ve formed over the years remain. If an opportunity comes up, I won’t forget any of you."

Zhao Guang had always been skilled at putting on a good face.

Besides Wang Meng, who paid him no mind, another person also seemed to be avoiding Zhao Guang. ’I must not have checked the almanac today,’ Zhou Qian thought. ’I really shouldn’t have left my room.’

But just as he thought that, he looked up and saw Wang Meng walking right toward him. Zhou Qian froze, then immediately turned to leave. In his mind, Wang Meng equaled trouble, and he had no desire for a face-to-face meeting with it.

"Heh heh, if it isn’t Junior Brother Zhou. What’s the rush?"

But as he turned, he ran right into Zhao Guang, who seemed to be feeling particularly nostalgic.

"Senior Brother Zhao, long time no see. You look as distinguished as ever."

"How could I possibly compare to you, Junior Brother Zhou? I heard that as soon as I left, you unleashed your Divine Power, drove away the people from Hengshan Hall, and even wanted to declare a Hall War. How impressive!"

A trace of contempt flashed in Zhao Guang’s eyes. ’This bootlicker actually thinks he can be king of the mountain now that the tiger is gone.’ Thunderlight Hall was something he had cast aside, but he still couldn’t tolerate trash like this rising through the ranks.

"You’re joking, Senior Brother Zhao. I was forced into it. The people from Hengshan Hall were pushing us around too much."

Zhou Qian forced a bitter smile. He knew full well how jealous Zhao Guang could be.

"Is that so? Funny, I never realized you had this kind of courage before. Is this really the same Zhou Qian I knew, the one who used to trail my every move? Haha, good. You did well. It looks like all those years following me weren’t a complete waste. You actually learned something."

Zhao Guang’s words were a barrage of backhanded compliments. Even though Zhou Qian had resolved to just let it slide, his face still darkened.

But he still didn’t want to provoke this kind of person. At times like this, he couldn’t help but feel he was being pathetic.

"Ah, and here I was wondering who it was. If it isn’t our Senior. Oh, my mistake, our *former* Senior." Wang Meng slung an arm around Zhou Qian’s shoulders. "Brother Zhou, after being friends with Senior Brother Zhao for so many years, you should take this rare opportunity to follow him to Dao Guang Hall. I hear it’s wonderful there—the grass is always greener on the other side, and even the moon is rounder than ours. Isn’t that right, Senior Brother Zhao?"

"Ahem. Wang Meng. Long time no see. Your tongue is as sharp as ever." Zhao Guang looked a little embarrassed; after all, his own actions hadn’t been particularly honorable.

"Not at all, not at all, Senior Brother Zhao. Say, do you think I could go to Dao Guang Hall?" Wang Meng asked, pointing to himself with an exaggerated look of longing.

"I have some other business to attend to. Let’s all get together again sometime." Zhao Guang shot Wang Meng a glare and extricated himself from the crowd.

He had come here looking for Zhao Ya, but of course, he had his own selfish reasons too. He wanted to talk to Hu Jing again. After transferring to Dao Guang Hall, he’d increasingly found it difficult to meet anyone of her caliber. The competition there was fierce, and even with his strength and background, it was a struggle. With too many contenders and too few prizes, he found himself missing Hu Jing more and more. He never expected to run into this mess before even getting a chance to see her.

’Every time I see Wang Meng, it ruins my mood,’ he thought. ’If I get the chance in the future, I’ll be sure to teach him a lesson on how to conduct himself!’

"Brother Zhou," Wang Meng said, "rather than living so spinelessly, why not take a gamble? Life and death are decided by fate; wealth and honor are decreed by heaven. You can’t solve every problem by hiding from it."

Zhou Qian sighed. ’Easy for you to say,’ he thought. ’You might be gloating now, but you have no backing. And knowing Zhao Guang, I’m afraid you’ve already made it onto his blacklist. Being that arrogant will only bring disaster upon yourself.’

Zhou Qian wasn’t the type to lecture people. He just gave a bitter smile and said,

"Things have already reached this point. I have to go whether I want to or not. But I’ll say this now: I can only do my best. Don’t expect too much from me."

With that, Zhou Qian walked away.

Wang Meng finished his shopping, then met up with Hu Jing and Zhang Xiaojiang for a while. It wasn’t until evening that he returned to his thatched hut...

Wang Meng rubbed his eyes. ’An illusion?’

’I’m not drunk, so why am I seeing two thatched huts?’

CREAK. The door of the larger hut swung open, and out walked Zhou Feng.

Elder Zhou was quite cordial. "Young friend! Long time no see. I’ve come to keep you company!"

Wang Meng nearly tripped. Three black lines of exasperation appeared on his forehead. ’Son of a bitch,’ he thought. ’Didn’t I just see this guy? Still, he’s an Elder. I have to give him some face.’

"Ahem, Elder Zhou... what is the meaning of this?"

"Haha! I found the atmosphere in the Main Hall too stifling and unconducive to cultivation. Plus, I felt an instant rapport with you, young friend! So, I moved. Now we can communicate more often!"

Zhou Feng beamed brightly.

Wang Meng, on the other hand, had the sudden urge to beat him to a pulp. "Ahem, Elder Zhou, the conditions here are quite harsh, and it’s very inconvenient. I really think you’d be better off back at the Main Hall. You’re a pillar of the Holy Hall, after all!"

But Zhou Feng waved his hand dismissively. "Don’t be so formal, young friend. Just call me Old Zhou. Pillar, schmillar... that’s all nonsense. Besides, I gained quite a bit of insight from our last chat."

Wang Meng broke out in an awkward sweat. This guy was way too forward. The problem was, he was an Elder from the Main Hall; Wang Meng couldn’t just kick him out. Even his own crappy hut technically belonged to Thunderlight Hall.

Wang Meng forced a laugh. "You’re too kind, Elder Zhou. I was just spouting nonsense."

"To achieve such a profound state while just ’spouting nonsense’... I’m truly impressed!" Zhou Feng said, shaking his head thoughtfully as if he’d taken it to heart. His earnestness made Wang Meng wilt.

Back in his own hut, Wang Meng tried to sort out his thoughts. ’Is this guy crazy? All I wanted was to trick him out of a few Spirit Stones, and now he’s decided to set up a stakeout right next to my house.’

As night fell, the realm of the Godhood gradually expanded, and the scene on the other side became crystal clear.