"Holy sh*t! It's really you! Luo Qingben! What did they do to you? Did they torture you!? They must have done that. You look so ugly -no - I mean you look so different. You got thinner as well... Just what on earth did they do!?" Shen Long said aggressively as he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
The Luo Qingben he knew was a completely different person. He was usually dressed in his red, formal robes, and he was an elegant and formal man. Even with his status as a mere outer disciple, he was graceful and proud, unlike all others. Although his appearance was always average, he was extremely neat, and he would definitely not allow himself to look like a mess, like the current him.
"Senior Brother Long!! HELLO BROTHER! How are you doing!? I'm doing just fine. Torture? I don't remember anything. Hahahaha! I am looking fine, by the way. Who are you referring to when you said "they"? Nothing happened to me. I have always been like this! Hahaha! I am a free bird, nobody can stop me~~"Luo Qingben replied quickly as he hummed a tune.
Shen Long was stunned by what he heard, and he couldn't believe that this guy, in front of him, was Luo Qingben. Shen Long came to three conclusions. Either Luo Qingben was on drugs, or he got tortured so hard that he had gone insane, or this guy, in front of him, was a fake. Shen Long's eyes squinted as he dragged him to one of the shops outside the hall.
Since it was already night time, it was very difficult for Shen Long to see his face properly. As the faint light from the torches shone onto Luo Qingben's face, Shen Long was absolutely sure that he was the real Luo Qingben. Although he never closely studied his face before, Luo Qingben's features were extremely unique. Not many people had their eyebrows joined together, as well as an extremely high nose bridge. These features of his had confirmed his identity.
(Shen Long only stares at girls! He also starts drooling whenever he sees a pretty one... along with his ugly face, you can imagine how disgusting he looks. EWWWWWW)
Seeing his change in personality, Shen Long felt a bit uneasy. He must have suffered greatly in the "JUSTICE" Department, causing him to behave like a lunatic. Shen Long also started feeling slightly guilty as his punishments were probably caused by him. Thinking about the supervisor's terrible temper, Shen Long might actually have indirectly caused his suffering.
Shen Long's guilt turned into anger and determination. Even though he didn't know Luo Qingben for a long time, he still treated him as a friend. He could not tolerate seeing his friends being treated unfairly. Plus, Shen Long's enmity towards the entire Justice Department had long been established. He wouldn't mind ruining his relationship with corrupted department even further.
Shen Long attempted to discover more information from Luo Qingben, but Qingben couldn't recall a single thing. The conversation also sounded extremely stupid as Luo Qingben couldn't answer normally. He behaved like a 5 years old child, and he even showed slight signs of a mental disorder. The more Shen Long thought about it, the more worried he became. Shen Long felt depressed, watching his friend to behave like this.
The conversation went something like this.
"What did they do to you? Did they whip you? Just say yes or no!"
"I'm a free bird... I am going to fly! Hahaaha. Senior Brother Long, you want to dance with me? Hahaha! Did they? Who knows! You tell me!"
Shen Long was 100% sure that the Justice Department had tortured him. Shen Long had more or less confirmed that Luo Qingben had Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a mental health condition that was triggered after experiencing a terrifying event. Shen Long couldn't help but tighten his fists as he tried to resist the urge to punch the supervisor - Zeng Gui - in the face.
As everyone was invited to the banquet, the entire Justice Department was actually inside the palace. However, Shen Long didn't want to raise a ruckus today as it was his Master's birthday. He was also concerned that complaining right now may cause his Master to lose face in front of his friends. However, he was fuming with rage as the injustice Justice Department had made Luo Qingben go insane.
After cooling down, he decided to bring Luo Qingben to his residence. Despite it wasn't big, it had more than enough space to fit two people in. Shen Long forced him to take a shower after a great effort. He wasn't sure if Luo Qingben knew how to take a shower though. But hearing the water splashes, his anxiety had faded away.
The water sound suddenly stopped as the door abruptly opened.
"Ta-da!! I finished. How do I look now? Blurb blurb blurb. I'm a fish. Haahahahahaha. Senior Brother Long, it's your turn to take a shower now. Hahaha! Be my fish comrade! Hahaha!" Luo Qingben said as he got into an extremely bizarre pose. Even worse, he was soaked with water, and he was completely naked. He skipped towards Shen Long excitedly as the water continued to drop onto the wooden floor.
"You! Stop right here. Get a towel and dry yourself first! Wear some clothes! Even though we are both males, I would still prefer to look at you with your clothes on. Don't sully my innocence. Now, get your a** back in and wear your clothes." Shen Long covered his eyes with his hand. Shen Long was going to shout at him, but then he realised that it was not really Luo Qingben's fault.
His hatred towards the so-called "Justice" Department had deepened. At the same time, he actually started to look forward to the duel between him and Zuo Qifeng. With more than two months left, Shen Long could easily cultivate to Mid-Demigod Realm as the Qi Manual was relatively simple to cultivate. As long as he managed to comprehend the second level of the [Melodies of the Nine Sole Swords] by then, he could definitely triumph over him and make up for the difference in cultivation level.
Well, this was easier said than done. Mastering the second stance would only be more difficult than the first. Shen Long couldn't even perfect the first at the moment. Only God knew where his confidence came from...
Regarding the Daos, Shen Long's level of comprehension was surely higher than Zuo Qifeng's. Shen Long had gone through so many enlightenment sessions, so it was only normal for him to hold an advantage over others.
"Am I dry enough now? Hahahaha!" Luo Qingben said as he jumped out of the room. He was still completely naked as if he didn't hear Shen Long's words just now. Treating him like a baby, Shen Long decided to do everything for him - drying his body, helping him wear his clothes, even combing his hair after.
Shen Long felt like he was Qingben's father. In fact, he was fulfilling the duties of a parent. Shen Long treated as a "taster" to his future responsibilities as a father. After serious considerations, he realised how difficult and boring this job is. He started to question himself if he really wanted a child in the future.
Shen Long was actually doing quite a good job - as a babysitter. Shen Long decided to lend him his own robes as he didn't want Qingben to wear the dirty one. He was considerate and caring, and he would be a great father. Then, his mind started wandering off as he thought about children.
"Who will be my wife? Hehehe. Qingyu? This can't do. She is my Senior Sister, and she definitely won't' like me since I'm so much younger than her. Wang'er? I haven't met her for so long now. She probably won't like me as well. Chen Mei? It's too early to think about that."
He then realised how lonely he was. He crossed off the lists of girls in his mind, and he found out none of them would probably like him. If he doesn't even have a wife, how can he get a child? He wanted to cry as he thought about his future.
(single squad +1 XD)
Shen Long: +2