We Are Leaving! . . .
Wan-Er and Xiu-Er were thoroughly embarrassed by this peculiar man. [How can we tolerate this? I just can't fathom how such a prominent clan in Human Realm Upon Heavens could have produced someone so... utterly daft, shameless, wicked, and embarrassing?]
[Why is he the only close friend our master has? Where's the justice in that?]
Ling Wuxie didn't believe he had fully demonstrated his peculiarities yet. He persisted in gripping Cha Eun Xiao's hand and continued to write on his palm while speaking, "See, this is Ling... This is my name, Ling Wuxie. You won't forget it..."
Cha Eun Xiao's hand felt inexplicably itchy, and he couldn't shake the strange sensation.
[What's going on? A grown man has grabbed my hand and is now writing in my palm?]
[What in the world...?] Cha Eun Xiao was thoroughly perplexed and slightly alarmed. He had exerted considerable effort, attempting more than ten times to free his hand from Ling Wuxie's grasp, but all his martial arts prowess couldn't dislodge the persistent grip.
Ling Wuxie seemed utterly unfazed by Cha Eun Xiao's futile efforts.
When Cha Eun Xiao gazed into Ling Wuxie's eyes, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease despite his usual calm and steady demeanor. [Could this guy... be inclined that way? Wait, when we first met, what did he say? He mentioned that he admired Feng Monarch and wanted to be friends with him! Oh my god!]
These thoughts sent shivers down Cha Eun Xiao's spine, and he no longer cared about concealing it. He used his other hand to forcefully retract the one Ling Wuxie had grabbed. Even someone as bold as Xiao Monarch couldn't escape the grip of fear this time.
[He may be incredibly powerful, but he also seems to have rather unconventional tastes...]
[Oh my god...]
[Never... I repeat, never let me encounter a guy like him, someone so formidable that I can't defend myself against his advances...]
After a while, Lord Ling finally managed to calm down from the initial panic. He took a sip of tea, realizing that he hadn't even cleaned the cup with his martial arts. But at this point, he didn't care. There were much worse things that could happen to him.
The thought of the Queen, however, sent a shiver down his spine. She would often reprimand him, saying, "Why is my son's close friend such an insufferable fellow? Someone come and teach him some manners already!"
Recalling those words filled him with dread. Manners lessons were an ordeal. He'd be surrounded by dozens of instructors, all tirelessly lecturing him. And if he didn't learn, he'd be subjected to lessons for decades, even centuries.
Ling Wuxie would weep if he could.
Seeing Cha Eun Xiao's strange expression, Ling Wuxie suddenly laughed and then spoke politely, "I was reminiscing about the past, Brother Feng. Forgive me. I lost myself for a moment..."
Cha Eun Xiao gave a nervous chuckle and waved his hand dismissively. "It's fine, don't worry about it."
Ling Wuxie smiled and rubbed his head in embarrassment, as if he had a thorn in his side. Then, his expression grew serious as he asked, "Brother Feng, I have a question."
Cha Eun Xiao responded, "Hmm?"
"What can you tell me about... the No. 1 Cultivator?" Ling Wuxie said, twitching his lips when he mentioned 'No. 1'. "Bu Jingtian should have had the strength to ascend to the higher realm long ago, but he hasn't left this world. Can you shed some light on that?"
He stared intently at Cha Eun Xiao. In truth, this was a test.
Cha Eun Xiao responded casually, "It's quite simple. He feared death, and that's the essence of it."
"If he hadn't been afraid, he would have left this realm long ago. But his love for life was so profound that he couldn't bear to take any risks or seize opportunities. He couldn't bring himself to step into the unknown. As a result, over time, he lost all hope. He never even attempted to break through the boundary," Cha Eun Xiao explained. "His strength increased, but his cowardice grew in tandem. It became a vicious cycle, and he ultimately gave up. How could he hope to transcend?"
"Bravo!" Ling Wuxie applauded. He reclined in his chair, remarking, "I've said what I wanted to say. Continue your conversation, don't mind me. Just pretend I'm not here."
Wan of the Clouds and Xiu of the Heavens were left speechless, as was Cha Eun Xiao. They exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what to make of this eccentric man who could drive a sane person to madness.
Ling Wuxie had forcibly introduced a topic he wanted to discuss, dominated the conversation, and then abruptly declared he was finished.
He left the others feeling bewildered and dumbfounded.
The two ladies and Cha Eun Xiao exchanged smiles, knowing exactly what each other was thinking about this peculiar individual. They could only smile helplessly.
Their smiles helped dissolve the awkwardness that had settled over them.
In the aftermath of Ling Wuxie's monologue, the atmosphere lightened.
Wan-Er spoke, her smile warm and her tone formal, "Feng Monarch, I have something to convey formally. The House of the Chaotic Storms is withdrawing from the Land of Han-Yang for good. The House of the Chaotic Storms will exist no more."
Cha Eun Xiao was taken aback. He looked at Xiu of the Heavens with surprise and said, "Is that so?"
Wan-Er gazed at him gently and confirmed, "Indeed. The House of the Chaotic Storms is no more. The era of collapsing kingdoms is behind us."
Cha Eun Xiao let out a sigh of relief and said, "This is a tremendous step forward for the entire Land of Han-Yang, its kingdoms, and its inhabitants."
However, Xiu of the Heavens added with a smile, "But there is something we need you to do to facilitate our withdrawal."
Surprised, Cha Eun Xiao asked, "Me? You need my assistance? Why is that?"
He couldn't fathom why the House of the Chaotic Storms would require his aid in bringing their tumultuous existence to an end. However, he suspected that whatever they needed might not be an easy task.
"What can I do to assist? If Master Bai and the two of you couldn't accomplish it, then even if I were willing, I doubt I could be of much help," Cha Eun Xiao inquired, clearly confused by the situation.