Gu Jin-Long, The Enemy . . .
Cha-Eun Xiao could only feel that his hands had been fully enveloped by two substantial, fleshy masses. They were undoubtedly akin to the flesh of a pig's posterior...
Wan Zheng-Hao's facial features seemed to converge into an exuberant smile. His corpulent cheeks quivered, and his voluminous belly trembled. Even the fat on his shoulders appeared to sway, and the flesh on his legs exhibited residual oscillations, despite him having come to a halt for quite some time...
As for his posterior... well, it was best not to broach that topic...
Cha-Eun Xiao beheld this spectacle with a profoundly peculiar expression on his face. He mumbled, "You've actually slimmed down these days..."
In his mind, an unprintable string of expletives roared like a million charging Cao Ni Horses [1] covered in dung.
[You claim to have lost weight when you look like this...
What would pigs have to say about that?]
"Oh... Huo huo huo... Manager Wan... Boss Wan... You..." Cha-Eun Xiao abruptly halted. After a brief moment of reflection, he promptly raised his left hand and covered his mouth. It was Cha-Eun Xiao's fastest action, yet it still fell slightly short. - Kacha! -
That was the sound of... his jaw nearly dislocating!
It was true!
No exaggeration!
His jaw was on the verge of dislocation!
The Xiao Monarch was currently experiencing a second lease on life, but this was the first time he had ever encountered such a colossal 'entity'! And this 'entity' happened to be a person...
So, upon seeing this man, Cha-Eun Xiao couldn't help but open his mouth in sheer astonishment.
And when he rapidly opened his mouth, he nearly disgraced himself by almost dislocating his own jaw. Fortunately, he had swiftly corrected himself...
Wan Zheng-Hao was truly the first individual capable of rendering the Xiao Monarch into such a ludicrous state!
Cha-Eun Xiao quickly retracted his right hand with an embarrassed smile.
As his hand withdrew, he could feel an oily residue on his skin, as if it had been coated in grease.
It was mortifying! Utterly mortifying!
"Hahahaha..." Wan Zheng-Hao remained blissfully ignorant of any discomfort, laughing heartily. "Please, Brother Feng, let's proceed to the upper floor... Hahaha. I have some excellent tea that's been aging for thousands of years... I have a strong penchant for making new acquaintances, especially with brilliant individuals like yourself. It's truly a pleasure to meet you in person rather than merely hearing about you. Hahaha. I aspire to have a friend like you..."
Once he started talking, there was no stopping him.
"A few-thousand-year-old tea... That must have turned to dust by now," Cha-Eun Xiao thought, but he found that he had no opportunity to interject.
Wan Zheng-Hao was an astute individual. Evidently, he was well aware of how his portly appearance tended to astonish people. He continued with a hearty laugh, saying, "Everything about me is great, except for my weight. Haha. There's truly nothing I can do about it. Regardless of what I eat, it seems to add to my bulk. I even attempted fasting, but it didn't make a difference. I remained as corpulent as ever. So, I've come to terms with it and embraced my substantial stature. I often wonder how much more weight my body can accommodate..."
As he ascended the stairs, they emitted creaks and groans, seemingly struggling under his considerable mass.
"... Gradually, I've become what you see now..." Wheezing for breath, Wan Zheng-Hao continued, "... Well, it's just about 700 kilograms. Forgive my jest."
"Remarkable!" Cha-Eun Xiao finally seized an opportunity to speak, expressing genuine admiration. It was an accurate reflection of his feelings.
[700 kilograms...]
"No, it's not a jest. I must admit that in every field, there exists a brilliant figure. Every profession produces its preeminent authority... in the 'weight' category, I believe you must hold the title of history's undisputed No. 1! It's well-deserved!"
Cha-Eun Xiao's words were filled with genuine admiration.
He wasn't merely offering flattery; he was expressing his unfiltered sentiments. Cha-Eun Xiao firmly believed that there were only things one couldn't conceive of, not things that couldn't exist. In the world, nothing was too bizarre!
[A man can actually be so corpulent... that's truly an anomaly in history.]
Wan Zheng-Hao chuckled, "It's a pity that the royal court never considered 'weightlifting' as a criterion for recruiting new members. Otherwise, I could defeat anyone in the world throughout history!"
"With just a smile, you could undoubtedly win!" Cha-Eun Xiao commended.
As they conversed, they made their way to the tea room. Inside, Cha-Eun Xiao remained vigilant, taking his caution to another level.
That's because he spotted a man.
A middle-aged man with three strands of black facial hair cascading across his chest. His face was lean, and his physique exuded strength. He wore cyan robes that seemed celestial.
He bore the appearance of a benign middle-aged man, one who meant no harm to anyone.
At that moment, he smiled gently and extended his greetings to Cha-Eun Xiao, "Mr. Feng?"
Cha-Eun Xiao lowered his gaze momentarily, studying the chair. He then walked over and seated himself. Raising his eyes once more, he inquired, "And who might this be..."
Although his countenance appeared composed, his eyes betrayed his bewilderment. In truth, his heart was far from tranquil.
Cha-Eun Xiao recognized this man.
They were familiar with each other.
It wasn't 'Cha-Eun Xiao' who recognized him; it was the Xiao Monarch!
Only three and a half months had passed since their last encounter!
Three and a half months ago, this man had been one of those responsible for the Xiao Monarch's downfall!
He ranked ninth among the Sunlight Sect's ten special disciples, and he was known as the Breeze Sword God, Gu Jin-Long.
A 'Long' among humans, from 'Gu' to 'Jin' (a 'Chinese Dragon' among humans, spanning from the 'past' to the 'present'). His moniker, the Breeze Sword God, was attributed to his swordsmanship, which was as gentle as a breeze yet lethal as it disturbed the waters of a lake, leaving no trace but causing people's demise.
Cha-Eun Xiao could never have imagined, not even in his wildest dreams, that he would encounter an adversary from his previous life in this world!
A man of such formidable cultivation capabilities had somehow ended up in the Land of Han-Yang!
Now Cha-Eun Xiao was finally certain of one thing, a question that had been haunting him since his arrival in this world. And now he was certain. There had to be a passage linking the Qing-Yun Realm and the Land of Han-Yang, allowing people to traverse between the two!
This passage was most likely controlled by... the three major factions of the Qing-Yun Realm!
Perhaps each faction had its own hidden gateway.
As Cha-Eun Xiao understood it, Gu Jin-Long's level of power was too staggering for this world, as the Land of Han-Yang could not accommodate such a formidable cultivator!
He was a superior cultivator of the Daoyuan Grade!
In the Land of Han-Yang, there were only three grades: Renyuan, Diyuan, and Tianyuan!
The highest echelon of Tianyuan was the pinnacle of this world!
Cultivators in the Qing-Yun Realm belonged to three higher grades than those in the Land of Han-Yang.
They were Lingyuan, Mengyuan, and Daoyuan.
Each grade comprised nine levels, with vast chasms separating consecutive levels!
It was, therefore, easy to comprehend why Gu Jin-Long represented an exceptionally formidable presence in this world!
Describing him as a deity would be an exaggeration.
Yet, this man was unequivocally Cha-Eun Xiao's adversary!
Now, he stood before Cha-Eun Xiao.
As he sipped the tea, Cha-Eun Xiao couldn't help but swallow not only the tea but also the hatred and animosity welling up within him.
He concealed those feelings deep within his heart, leaving no trace on his countenance.
In the pinnacle of his power, the Xiao Monarch could effortlessly vanquish Gu Jin-Long.
However, if Gu Jin-Long desired to eliminate Cha-Eun Xiao now, he wouldn't even need to exert himself.
A mere glance from Gu Jin-Long would suffice to extinguish Cha-Eun Xiao's life.
Such an immense disparity in their strengths left Cha-Eun Xiao highly cautious.
"I'm Gu. I'm a bit senior to you, I'm afraid. If you don't mind, you can call me Brother Gu," Gu Jin-Long spoke casually, veiling his concealed might with simple words to bridge the gap between them.
Before Cha-Eun Xiao stood a poised gentleman who emitted no sense of menace.
"Brother Gu," Cha-Eun Xiao replied with a smile, "You possess an exquisite demeanor. I admire your elegance."
Gu Jin-Long responded with a gentle smile, "I've long heard of your illustrious name. Now that I have the privilege of meeting you in person, I must say you are genuinely youthful and gifted."
With a modest grin, Cha-Eun Xiao remarked, "I'm simply squandering my youth, that's all."
Having exchanged pleasantries, they ceased speaking extraneous words. Cha-Eun Xiao wasn't certain of Gu Jin-Long's intentions, so he refrained from uttering anything reckless. Less talk meant fewer opportunities for missteps. Gu Jin-Long, shrouding himself in an air of mystery, also preferred brevity.
Nonetheless, Cha-Eun Xiao discerned something of significance.
Wan Zheng-Hao, who had previously spoken with confidence and assurance, now sat meekly in a restrained manner. He occupied the central seat, yet he exuded a profound apprehension concealed beneath his composed façade.
After some customary pleasantries, Gu Jin-Long subtly signaled Wan Zheng-Hao with a glance, a gesture that might have eluded notice had Cha-Eun Xiao not been observant.
Wan Zheng-Hao chuckled, "Hahahahaha." Despite his trembling countenance, he continued, "Brother Feng, those supreme dan beads you brought last time... are truly remarkable. Master Gu has come for them. I wonder if Brother Feng... Heh heh..."
With a composed smile, Cha-Eun Xiao replied, "Supreme dan beads are a challenging creation. My master is currently purifying and preparing to produce the next batch."