Do You Really Think You Can Escape? . . .
The observer concealed in the shadows grew increasingly perplexed and exasperated as Cha-Eun Xiao repeatedly paced back and forth on the bustling street. She couldn't fathom his erratic behavior. "What on earth is wrong with this man? Is he deranged, walking back and forth like this? The street is teeming with people, and I'm no closer to determining my course of action," she grumbled to herself.
Her patience was tested further when Cha-Eun Xiao finally reentered the Ling-Bao Hall, seemingly without a clear purpose, and remained inside for an extended period. The vigilant watcher outside had been waiting patiently, but upon using her spiritual senses to check on him, she was nearly overwhelmed with irritation. Inside the hall, Feng Zhi-Ling was indulging in solitary drinking, seemingly in high spirits.
The sight that greeted her senses was puzzling. Seated beside Cha-Eun Xiao was an extraordinarily obese man, a rarity even in a world with thousands of years of history. This corpulent individual resembled a heap of pigskin, yet he fawned over Feng Zhi-Ling, serving him with obsequiousness and flattery that knew no bounds. In response, Feng Zhi-Ling, the Monarch, appeared to bask in the adulation. He laughed heartily, radiating an air of satisfaction and pride.
Perplexed and frustrated, the concealed observer muttered to herself, "What is going on? He had walked quite a distance away, only to return to the same spot and start drinking?"
This observer, one of the Qing-Yun Realm's three most formidable cultivators, possessed great strength and a wealth of martial experience. Yet, despite her strength and wisdom, she found herself utterly confounded by Feng Zhi-Ling's inexplicable actions. She contemplated, "Did he sense something amiss? No, that's impossible! He is far too feeble. Even after ten thousand years of cultivation, he could never be astute enough to detect my presence!"
...
Monarch Feng continued to savor his drinks until the city lights illuminated the streets.
The hidden observer seethed with anger, her teeth nearly grinding to dust. She had contemplated countless times the notion of unleashing her power and toppling the entire city in frustration. "What a wretch! It's one thing to enjoy a drink, but it takes him an eternity to finish a mere sip of liquor! What is wrong with him? Is he even a man?" she fumed.
As the day reached its peak, the city became crowded, and the nighttime lights flickered to life. Finally, Monarch Feng emerged from the Ling-Bao Hall. The observer breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, "At last, he's done with his drinking! I hope he doesn't engage in any more foolish antics."
Yet, fate had other plans. Just when she had hoped for some respite, Monarch Feng strode into a jewelry shop, leaving the observer both perplexed and exasperated once more.
Once Cha-Eun Xiao entered the jewelry shop, his peculiar behavior became even more apparent. He meticulously examined the jewelry, picking up and putting down pieces with a fussiness that bordered on the absurd. When he finally settled on an item he liked, his haggling began. Bargaining was common when making a purchase, but Cha-Eun Xiao's approach was anything but ordinary. He aimed to acquire an item priced at four hundred eighty silver coins for a mere two coins. The shopkeeper naturally refused, but Cha-Eun Xiao persisted, haggling for hours on end.
His negotiation tactics took a baffling turn as he incrementally raised his offer from two coins to two and one-tenth coins, then one-tenth more at a time. In the end, after over two hours of relentless bargaining, he secured the item for a mere thirty-three and three-tenths silver coins.
The observer watching from the shadows couldn't help but feel both annoyed and sympathetic. Her irritation reached the point where she began experiencing stomach pain. The shopkeeper, on the other hand, wore a greenish pallor, having grown thoroughly exasperated and eager to rid himself of Cha-Eun Xiao. He practically saw the sale as a small price to pay for respite from the relentless bargaining, considering it a fortunate tradeoff.
With the hairpin in hand, Monarch Feng nonchalantly proceeded to use it as an ear cleaner, going so far as to examine and sniff the extracted earwax on multiple occasions. His peculiar hygiene habits proved too much for the great cultivator who had been shadowing him. She eventually lost control, succumbing to nausea and vomiting. Her thoughts turned incredulous, questioning why anyone would willingly agree to physical contact with such an individual.
Monarch Feng continued his idiosyncratic shopping spree, visiting a makeup shop and an arms shop, among others. Each storekeeper had a similar experience, giving in to his relentless and unreasonable haggling, ultimately sporting green faces by the time he departed.
His tour concluded at a jade shop, where he emerged with two jade stones. The observer could hardly bear to recount the ordeal he subjected the shopkeeper to during this transaction, and she simply wished to rid herself of the anger welling up inside her.
By the time Monarch Feng left the jade shop, it was midnight, and the streets had emptied of other patrons. Cha-Eun Xiao paced restlessly at the street's center, his senses on high alert. After careful scrutiny, he finally confirmed that he was not being pursued. It had been a mistaken impression, and he realized that if someone had indeed been trailing him, they would have certainly lost their composure long ago.
The empty, silent night enveloped Cha-Eun Xiao as he stood alone on the deserted street. It appeared to be the perfect opportunity for an ambush, yet nothing transpired. The absence of any threat confirmed his earlier misgivings.
"I was mistaken," he mused, exhaling a sigh of relief. He scanned his surroundings, then initiated the One Laughter in Skyline technique, vanishing from sight.
In his haste to return home after such a prolonged absence, Cha-Eun Xiao moved swiftly through the deserted streets, confident that no one would detect his presence in the dark, moonless night.
Meanwhile, the hidden observer struggled to suppress her frustration, but her focus was disrupted by a sudden piercing noise from above. Gazing upward, she discovered that Monarch Feng had inexplicably vanished.
The realization struck her like a bolt of lightning: "That scoundrel was acting all along. He must have sensed he was being stalked." She felt a twinge of annoyance at her oversight. It became increasingly clear that the seemingly eccentric purchases and lengthy, pleasurable haggling sessions were nothing more than a facade.
She couldn't help but marvel at the irony. After all, this enigmatic figure, who seemingly owned the entire Ling-Bao Hall, was visiting modest, inconspicuous shops to make frugal acquisitions. It was as if he had an infinite wealth at his disposal.
"Nevertheless," she thought, "running away won't guarantee your escape. I will find you, Feng Zhi-Ling."