Lin Yun and his three companions waited in front of the Elegant Courtyard for an entire day. It wasn’t until sunset that Wang Tianwen finally came out.

"Master Wu, I, Tianwen, will never forget this kindness for the rest of my life. If you ever have need of me in the future, I will be the first to answer your call." He cupped his hands in respect toward Master Wu. From the look of him, it seemed Wang Tianwen’s hidden ailment had been cured.

"It was a small matter," Master Wu said. "This is a Vein Strengthening Pill. It will help stabilize your newly recovered meridians."

Upon seeing Wang Tianwen, Wangcai and the other two became quite respectful. As for Lin Yun, his eyes went wide, and he stared at Lu Tao as if he’d seen a ghost.

’When did this guy become Master Wu’s disciple?’ Lin Yun wondered. ’This is like a carp leaping over the dragon gate—a meteoric rise.’

Master Wu curing Wang Tianwen was a joyous occasion for the Wang Family. Wang Yi was also overjoyed. After being repeatedly urged to stay, Master Wu finally agreed to have dinner with the Wang Family before returning to the Imperial Palace.

The finest dishes, the best wine—Wang Yi had truly spared no expense to host Master Wu. The entire table was laden with dishes made from the meat of Tier Three Demon Beasts, and even some of the side dishes were made with Spirit Grass.

They were split into two tables. Wang Yi, Wang Tianwu, Wang Tianwen, and Master Wu sat at one table, while the younger generation—Wangcai, Lin Yun, and Lu Tao—sat at another.

Lin Yun paid little attention to what was happening at Wang Yi’s table. It was nothing more than flattery and words of gratitude, anyway. He was more concerned about Lu Tao. He never would have thought that in just one short year, Lu Tao had become Master Wu’s disciple.

"Young Master Lu, I’d like to toast you. As the esteemed disciple of Master Wu, your future achievements will be limitless." Wang Yun, acting overly familiar, tried to cozy up to Lu Tao. In his eyes, Lu Tao’s status was no less than that of any Noble Family’s Young Master. Befriending Lu Tao could only bring him benefits, no harm.

However, there was one thing Wang Yun hadn’t counted on: Lu Tao’s spoiled, hedonistic nature. Becoming Master Wu’s disciple hadn’t curbed his dissolute ways; instead, he had grown even more arrogant. If there was one thing that had changed, it was that Lu Tao had gotten smarter. He now knew when he could be arrogant and when he needed to be discreet.

For instance, in front of Wang Yi, Lu Tao appeared very low-key, always trailing behind Master Wu without saying a word.

"You’re Wang Yun?" Lu Tao asked nonchalantly, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye.

Seeing this, the smile on Wang Yun’s face stiffened slightly. He hadn’t expected this Lu Tao to be so brazen, daring to look down on him in the Wang Family’s own territory.

A flicker of anger ignited in his heart, but in order to build a good relationship with Lu Tao, Wang Yun kept the smile on his face. He replied in a friendly tone, "That’s right. It’s a great honor for me to meet you today, Young Master Lu. I feel as if we’re old friends who have just met."

Lin Yun, who had been listening quietly on the side, almost spat out his wine when he heard Wang Yun’s words. ’This guy is so damn shameless,’ he thought. ’How can he even say something like "old friends who have just met"?’

It wasn’t just Lin Yun; Wangcai, Li Ji, and Chen Xin were all completely floored by Wang Yun’s comment.

As for Lu Tao himself, he shot Wang Yun a disdainful look, thinking, ’Is there something wrong with this guy? Can’t he tell I have zero interest in him?’

’Compared to an idiot like you, I’m far more interested in beautiful women.’

Ignoring Wang Yun completely, Lu Tao turned his back to him, facing Chen Xin instead.

"My beautiful lady, *you* are the one I feel an instant connection with," Lu Tao said to Chen Xin, flashing a smile he thought was incredibly handsome. "Might I have the honor of sharing a drink with you?"

Although Chen Xin wasn’t as beautiful as his own sister, Lu Bingning, she was still a first-class beauty. Given Lu Tao’s character, it was only natural for him to try and hit on a woman like her.

Seeing Lu Tao completely ignore him and hit on Chen Xin instead, Wang Yun’s heart filled with both rage and deep contempt.

’What a lecher. Hmph. If it weren’t for his connection to Master Wu, I’d have him thrown out of the Wang Family myself,’ Wang Yun thought.

With no elders watching, Lu Tao’s dissolute nature was on full display. At first, he was polite, merely chatting and drinking with Chen Xin. But after a few cups, he started to get handsy.

He repeatedly tried to take advantage of Chen Xin. Although she dodged his advances every time, Lu Tao acted as if he were oblivious, continuing his attempts to feel her up.

Because of Master Wu, Chen Xin kept holding back. But it was clear that forbearance was completely useless against Lu Tao. At this point, it wasn’t just Chen Xin; even Wangcai and Li Ji were starting to get angry.

This guy was a complete lecher, with none of the dignity expected of Master Wu’s disciple.

’I should probably knock this guy down a peg,’ Lin Yun thought. He took a sip of wine and said slowly, "I’m heading back to the Academy tomorrow. When I see Senior Sister Lu, I’ll have to tell her all about what’s been happening in the Capital City." 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

The moment the words "Senior Sister Lu" were spoken, Lu Tao froze on the spot as if petrified. It was several breaths later before he finally turned to look at Lin Yun. Taking a closer look, Lu Tao realized that Lin Yun seemed very familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before.

"You..." He searched his memory for any trace of Lin Yun. Finally, Lu Tao remembered. Wasn’t this the guy who was talking to his sister back in Yunlu County City? He seemed to recall his name was... Lin Shan.

"Oh, so it’s Brother Lin. You know my sister?" Lu Tao said, now that he remembered.

This guy, Lu Tao, was terrified of Lu Bingning down to his very bones. It was a fear that had been ingrained in him since childhood; growing up, Lu Bingning had beaten him up more times than he could count.

So, the mere mention of Lu Bingning’s name was enough to make Lu Tao instinctively afraid.

"We’re both students at the Academy, so of course I know Senior Sister Lu," Lin Yun replied with a smile. "It’s just that your behavior today, Young Master Lu, seems quite different from how she described you. I’m wondering if I should clarify things for her, so she isn’t kept in the dark."

"Heh heh..." Lu Tao let out a dry, mirthless laugh. ’This guy dares to threaten me with my own sister. Very good,’ he thought, already marking Lin Yun down in his mind.

But the Lu Tao of today was different from the one in the past. Though his heart was filled with hatred, his face betrayed nothing. Still, his paltry scheming couldn’t possibly fool Lin Yun.

"Brother Lin, what are you talking about? I just had a few too many drinks and lost my composure a bit. I’ll punish myself with a drink, I’ll punish myself." Lu Tao raised his cup and drained it in one gulp.

’I absolutely cannot let Lu Bingning find out,’ Lu Tao decided. He would placate Lin Yun for now and find a chance to deal with him later. Over the past year, Lu Tao had "dealt with" plenty of people like this, and every single one of them had ended up obeying him meekly.

"Brother Lin, I heard you’re one of the ten new geniuses on the Yanhuang List. I would be very interested in getting to know a young talent such as yourself. How about we meet up privately tomorrow?" Lu Tao said, while in his mind, he was already plotting how to take care of Lin Yun.

(I see a lot of readers asking about future monetization. To speak from the heart, every book is an author’s blood, sweat, and tears. At the same time, to present it to all of you in the best possible way, we can’t do without the platform’s support—the editors, promotion, and operations are all essential!

Regarding payment, I, Wufeng, told you all a long time ago that the price, just a few cents per Chapter, should be acceptable to everyone. Some of you might say, "A few cents per Chapter adds up to over ten dollars for the whole book." But, have you ever considered that this price is for a book of several million words? It’s the result of hundreds of days and nights of the author typing out every single word. When a web novel is published as a physical book, it’s at least a dozen volumes.

You’ll spend tens of dollars on a hotpot meal, hundreds on a new phone, a few dollars on a bottle of water, or a few dimes to use a public restroom. So why can’t you spend those few cents to support the author?

Of course, the reason I’m saying all this is because *Divine Emperor Demon Emperor* is also facing the issue of future monetization. I, Wufeng, have always believed that people should interact with sincerity, heart for heart. I don’t think authors and readers should become adversaries over a few-cents-per-Chapter fee. The development of web novels to this point has been impossible without everyone’s support. While many people choose to curse and boycott legitimate copies, there are still many of you who are silently supporting official releases!

It’s precisely because of this support that authors can keep on writing. After all, to put it bluntly: if you don’t support it, and I don’t support it, and no one supports the official version, then who will guarantee the author’s livelihood? Who will guarantee the website’s operation? Without authors and platforms, there would be no web novels. Without official versions, there naturally wouldn’t even be any pirated versions.

Alright, I’ve said a lot. Finally, I asked my editor yesterday, and *Divine Emperor Demon Emperor* will probably go premium next Friday or Saturday. The exact time hasn’t been set yet. As soon as I get the news, I, Wufeng, will let all of you know immediately. When it comes to all of you, my readers, my stance is the same as always: I don’t want to hide things, and I won’t suddenly spring a paywall on you!

Finally, I, Wufeng, am truly grateful for all of your support. Without you, there would be no *Divine Emperor Demon Emperor*, and no Han Wufeng! I hope all of you can continue to support official web novels.)