Chapter 1764: Chapter 1764: ’Merit
With just a glance, Wyatt Barnes guessed the identity of the middle-aged man glaring at him with hostility.
Vice Mansion Leader of Mysterious Void Mansion, Atlas Dunn!
He is also Tommy Dunn’s father.
The reason he recognized him at once was because he bore a six or seven-tenths resemblance to Tommy Dunn at the brow. It was hard not to recognize him.
Having guessed his identity, Wyatt was not surprised by the man’s unfriendly gaze towards him.
He and Tommy Dunn were already at each other’s throats. It was normal for Atlas Dunn to dislike him.
As for the other two middle-aged men, Wyatt Barnes could also guess their identities; they should be the other two External Affairs Vice Mansion Leaders besides Atlas Dunn.
In the Mysterious Void Mansion, there are a total of nine Vice Mansion Leaders.
Apart from the four Vice Mansion Leaders who hold dual roles as the Palace Masters of the four heavenly, earthly, mysterious, and yellow halls, there are five other Vice Mansion Leaders responsible for external affairs. They are stationed outside most of the time and only occasionally rotate back to the Mysterious Void Mansion to rest and guard the Main Mansion.
Atlas Dunn is one of them.
"House Master!"
Soon, led by the Palace Master of the Heavenly Palace, Oliver Watson, everyone saluted the House Master, Ryatt Morgan, with extremely respectful tones.
Especially some Saint Realm disciples, upon learning that the middle-aged man before them was indeed the House Master of their Mysterious Void Mansion, were so excited that they trembled and took a long time to come back to their senses.
As for Wyatt Barnes, though it was his first time seeing Ryatt Morgan, the House Master, he remained extremely calm.
"Hmm."
Facing everyone’s salutes, Ryatt Morgan nodded lightly and then turned his gaze towards Oliver Watson’s group, more precisely, to the group of people from the Heavenly Palace led by Oliver Watson.
"Who is Wyatt?"
After a while, Ryatt Morgan spoke, and upon speaking, he was looking for Wyatt Barnes.
Immediately, a myriad of eyes involuntarily fell on Wyatt Barnes, as if to inform Ryatt Morgan:
This is the Wyatt you’re looking for!
"House Master."
Wyatt Barnes stepped forward, nodded to Ryatt Morgan, as a form of greeting.
Previously, when dealing with Oliver Watson, he called him ’Palace Master’, and now facing Ryatt Morgan, he simply called him ’House Master’ as well.
This had become a habit he didn’t know when he developed.
In his mind, those who appeared before him were all people he needed to surpass one by one. In front of them, he found it hard to address them with the deferential term ’master’ like others.
"Presumptuous!"
All of a sudden, Atlas Dunn, standing behind Ryatt Morgan, shouted angrily. A sharp gaze fell upon Wyatt Barnes, and if looks could kill, Wyatt might have been sliced to pieces already. "Wyatt, upon seeing the House Master, you dare to simply call him ’House Master’... Are you so lacking in etiquette?"
Atlas Dunn had finally found a righteous opportunity to trouble Wyatt Barnes, and naturally wouldn’t let it slip by. "Or perhaps, you, Wyatt, don’t even give the House Master due regard?!"
Wow!
Atlas Dunn’s words caused a stir in the crowd.
Many thought that Atlas Dunn was nitpicking, while others felt he had a point, as Wyatt Barnes casually calling ’House Master’ was somewhat inappropriate.
"Vice Mansion Leader Atlas is Tommy Dunn’s father. Usually, in such situations, he would hold back from troubling Wyatt... But now that he’s seized this opportunity, it’s unlikely he’ll let it go easily."
"This should count as a public display of personal grievances, right?"
"Not exactly. After all, Wyatt casually addressing the House Master as ’House Master’ is indeed somewhat improper."
"Indeed. The House Master is our Mysterious Void Mansion’s leader. Wyatt calling him ’House Master’ is a bit disrespectful."
...
Regardless of the surrounding whispers, most looked at Wyatt Barnes with eyes of sympathy, because what Atlas Dunn said was reasonable and irrefutable; anyone who argued would be seen as disrespecting the House Master.
"This guy!"
"Brother Wyatt!"
Ebba King and Matthew King were extremely worried for Wyatt Barnes, as the situation he faced was dire.
Atlas Dunn’s actions placed him on the moral high ground. Combine that with his initiative in front of the House Master, and it was highly disadvantageous for Wyatt Barnes.
"House Master, Brother Wyatt is definitely not as Vice Mansion Leader Dunn claims."
At this moment, Augustine Landon also grew anxious and hurriedly defended Wyatt Barnes.
"Hmph!"
Before Ryatt Morgan, the House Master of Mysterious Void Mansion, could speak, Atlas Dunn coldly snorted. "Augustine, I know you have a close relationship with Wyatt, but at this juncture, you defending him so vigorously is too much... Could it be that you taught him to disrespect the House Master?"
With this, Atlas Dunn dragged Augustine Landon into the mix, showing his shrewdness.
"You!!"
Augustine Landon’s face changed with anger, his eyes radiating hostility.
"Such big accusations, suggesting I disrespect the House Master!"
And just then, Wyatt Barnes spoke, looking at Atlas Dunn with a mocking smile, and said unhurriedly: "Vice Mansion Leader Dunn, right? I’d like to ask you, which rule in the Mysterious Void Mansion states that you can’t simply address the House Master as ’House Master’ and must call him ’House Master Sir’?"
"Hmph! Even if there isn’t such a rule, calling the House Master ’Sir’ is simply a matter of basic respect! By calling him ’House Master’, you show you don’t respect him."
Atlas Dunn snorted coldly again, speaking aggressively.
"Haha... Vice Mansion Leader Dunn, you keep saying that I don’t show any respect for the House Master, so let me tell you today, I indeed have no respect for the House Master!"
Wyatt Barnes laughed heartily, then spoke loudly and indulgently.
Silence.
As soon as Wyatt said this, the scene became deathly silent, leaving only Wyatt’s laughter echoing.
Except for Ryatt Morgan, the House Master of Mysterious Void Mansion, including Atlas Dunn, everyone was stunned, not expecting Wyatt to suddenly say such words.
Ryatt Morgan quietly stared at Wyatt, his expression unchanged, leaving his thoughts inscrutable.
"What exactly does he want to do?"
Ebba King was so concerned that she lost her composure, reacting immediately, her face changing drastically, her heart nearly stopped beating.
"Wyatt, my junior!"
Augustine Landon’s face turned pale as well, never imagining his junior Wyatt would be so bold as to say ’I indeed have no respect for the House Master.’
This is like running into the muzzle of a gun!
In his view, this behavior was akin to ’suicide.’
Even the Palace Masters of the Heavenly Palace and the Mysterious Yellow Hall, and the Vice Hall Masters behind them, couldn’t help but frown, puzzled why Wyatt would utter such rebellious words.
Wyatt doesn’t seem like a reckless person!
"Rebellious! Absolutely rebellious!"
At this point, Atlas Dunn finally came to his senses, thinking Wyatt would refute him, but didn’t expect Wyatt would ’cooperate’ with him instead, seeming afraid he wouldn’t die quickly enough.
"Wyatt, being so rebellious to the House Master, you are no longer qualified to stay in the Mysterious Void Mansion..."
Atlas Dunn looked at Wyatt, his face full of righteous indignation, as if doing something so justice-driven.
"Vice Mansion Leader Dunn, whether I’m qualified to stay in the Mysterious Void Mansion doesn’t seem up to you to decide, does it? Also, I hadn’t finished my words just now when you hastily called me rebellious, is it not being hasty?"
Wyatt interrupted Atlas Dunn, speaking with a mocking smile.
"You said out loud that you hold no respect for the House Master, do you still think you can stay in the Mysterious Void Mansion?"
Atlas Dunn sneered.
"As I’ve said, I hadn’t finished my words."
Wyatt swept Atlas Dunn a nonchalant glance, then looked directly at Ryatt Morgan, the person involved, resolutely saying, "I may have no respect for the House Master, but I hold him in my heart... Otherwise, I wouldn’t have offered the important ’intel’ to the House Master!"
"House Master, do you agree?"
Towards the end, Wyatt smiled while looking at Ryatt Morgan.
"Quibbling!"
Upon hearing Wyatt’s words, Atlas Dunn’s face darkened, not expecting Wyatt to bring up the ’Sky-scraping Mansion’ affair, knowing Wyatt got through this ordeal, yet still harboring some resentment.
"Alright, everyone stop talking."
Just as Atlas Dunn speculated, upon hearing Wyatt’s words, Ryatt Morgan indeed stepped in to halt the farce, saying, "A title is just a label, some people repeatedly call me ’sir,’ not necessarily showing much respect for me. While some don’t call me, yet consider me a priority more than many people."
In Ryatt Morgan’s words, he clearly acknowledged Wyatt’s statements and simultaneously seemed to deliver a loud ’slap’ to Atlas Dunn.
"Damn it!"
Tommy Dunn originally thought his father would make things difficult for Wyatt and could get Wyatt expelled from the Mysterious Void Mansion, not expecting Wyatt to mention the ’Sky-scraping Mansion’ affair.
He knew clearly the significance of that affair to Mysterious Void Mansion, absolutely a great merit!
With such significant merit, the House Master certainly wouldn’t let his father expel Wyatt.
Still, despite understanding this, his heart was filled with resentment.
"Intel?"
"What is that?"
"Not sure. But it must be something very important... although not clear on its specifics."
...
Among those present, apart from Ryatt Morgan, the House Master of Mysterious Void Mansion, and the other seven Vice House Masters, only Wyatt, Augustine Landon, and Tommy Dunn knew the matter.
Others had no clue, not imagining what ’intel’ Wyatt referred to.
In any case, the farce ended in a peaceful manner, leaving most present feeling incredulous, yet it indeed concluded this way.
Meanwhile, those who were previously worried for Wyatt relaxed.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
...
Right at this moment, accompanied by sudden sounds above everyone’s heads, clouds dispersed in the void, revealing a vacuum area.
In this vacuum area, a small vortex appeared.
As the sound grew louder, the small vortex continued to expand.
An attraction force surged from the vortex, enveloping everyone as if trying to swallow them into its center.