After Evan and the others left, only Chase and Princess Serene remained. Unlike Evan in his youth, Chase always treated Princess Serene with courtesy, and even their conversations carried Jade’s gentle touch.
Princess Serene found herself increasingly fond of Chase, and before long, the two were chatting enthusiastically. As for the topic, it was obviously all about the ongoing Royal Talent Recruitment Tournament.
Jade and Princess Ivy, meanwhile, followed King Victor Zhao to another side hall, where eight top experts were drinking at a private banquet Victor had arranged especially for them.
The guests were surprised to see King Victor Zhao bring three people in, but since this was his territory, they dared not say much and quickly stood up to welcome them.
“King Victor, you came back—feeling guilty for not drinking with us earlier? And you even brought friends! With four more people, this table’s getting crowded. Should we set up a new one?” joked one of the middle-aged men.
“Of course! This is my palace, after all—I have to play the proper host. Tonight, none of us leave until we’re drunk. I’ll have someone arrange everything right away,” King Victor Zhao replied with a smile.
A maid immediately left the side hall to make new arrangements. King Warren Lin glanced at Evan, Jade, and Princess Ivy, finding Evan and Jade’s cultivation levels impossible to read, but Princess Ivy’s strength was clear—she had only just reached the Nether General realm.
He couldn’t understand why King Victor Zhao would bring someone so weak. “King Victor, are these three your friends? Why not introduce them to everyone? After all, your friends are our friends too, right?” he said, looking around for agreement.
“That’s right, King Victor! Not very loyal of you—bringing new friends and not introducing them,” another middle-aged man teased.
“How am I not loyal? This here is my brother Evan. And these two ladies—one is his wife, the other his maid. Don’t underestimate Evan; his strength is nothing to scoff at,” King Victor Zhao said with a laugh.
Many people had heard about the commotion Evan and Jade stirred up in Serene Nether City, and these experts were no exception. They hadn’t expected that the very troublemaker who caused such chaos would now be King Victor Zhao’s friend. Clearly, he must have been bought off or forced to submit.
In their eyes, Princess Ivy was surely Evan’s maid, while Jade was his woman. Naturally, they looked down on Ivy—this was a gathering for the Netherworld’s strongest, and a maid showing up was a real loss of face.
“King Victor, isn’t it a bit inappropriate to bring a maid here? I know saying this might offend Brother Evan, but only the strong belong among us. I’m sure Evan understands,” King Warren Lin remarked.
Princess Ivy’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She realized these guys had mistaken her for a maid and Jade for Evan’s woman—a classic case of ‘dogs looking down on people.’
Evan just smiled faintly. “I suppose you all are the city lords of the major powers and the heads of the Hidden Clans. You may hold high positions, but you shouldn’t look down on my wife. To do so is to look down on me. I’m no weakling myself, or King Victor wouldn’t treat me as a friend.”
The guests glanced between Evan, Princess Ivy, and Jade, completely confused. From Evan’s words, it seemed the woman who’d just reached the Nether General realm was his wife, and the mysterious beauty was his maid.
In terms of looks, the maid was even more stunning than Evan’s wife—an extraordinary beauty, even by Netherworld standards. The misunderstanding was understandable, but Evan’s provocative words left them feeling irritated and awkward.
If not for King Victor Zhao’s presence, they’d have loved to teach Evan a lesson, show him there’s always a higher sky and stronger people. Displeasure was written all over their faces.
King Victor Zhao saw all this clearly. He knew Evan was doing it on purpose, testing the waters to gauge their attitudes—a classic case of ‘casting stones to probe the way.’
“Alright now, Evan is extremely protective of his wife. You’ve all mistaken her identity, so you’ll owe him an apology later,” King Victor Zhao said with a laugh.
“Brother Evan, you really brought us a surprise! We’ll definitely have to apologize later!” King Warren Lin laughed.
“No need for apologies. As long as my wife can stay, I’m satisfied. Dining with the Netherworld’s top experts is already a great honor for us,” Evan replied.
The guests looked at Evan, baffled by his sudden shift—from gunpowder to flattery. They couldn’t figure out why he’d changed his tune so quickly.
Just then, several maids prepared a fresh banquet table. King Victor Zhao seated Evan, Princess Ivy, and Jade, while quietly removing King Warren Lin and King Grant Gu from the main table.
King Grant Gu, Lord of Heaventop City, was second only to King Victor Zhao in strength—an overlord with a hidden grudge and a mind as deep as the sea, never showing his true feelings.
“King Victor, I heard you fought Brother Evan once. Anyone who can spar with you must be impressive. I’d love to test my skills against him someday,” King Warren Lin said.
Evan laughed. “How could I possibly be a match for King Warren Lin? When I sparred with King Victor Zhao, I was defeated in a single move. Victor took pity on my youth and spared me. Meeting King Victor was my greatest fortune, and I’ll repay his kindness for life.”
King Victor Zhao just smiled faintly. He knew full well he couldn’t beat Evan. Evan’s words had a deeper meaning—clearly, he was setting King Warren Lin up for something.
“Don’t tease my brother Evan, King Warren Lin. He and I became friends through battle. And if anyone tries to bully him, I, King Victor Zhao, will not allow it,” Victor said, his meaning clear: anyone who touches Evan becomes his enemy.
Victor was following Evan’s lead. The guests couldn’t trouble Victor directly, but might target Evan—unaware that Evan was the real tiger among them. When they finally learned just how absurdly strong he was, their reactions would be priceless…