Training

The people on this Blue-Green Planet looked much like Wang Yang, except they lacked Saiyan tails. Their civilization was still in the Iron Age. People wore old-fashioned clothes and lived in low thatched huts, giving everything a quaint, rustic feel. It reminded Wang Yang of the ancient society from his previous life, and he felt both a sense of novelty and a sense of familiarity.

That was mostly because they looked similar. If they had been other humans from across the universe—people with black, blue, or grass-green skin—he certainly wouldn't have felt any sense of kinship.

Ever since Paragus had taken over the planet, he'd lived like a bandit king, issuing all sorts of nonsensical orders. He had none of the dignity or composure befitting a planet's ruler.

Wang Yang didn't want to deal with Paragus, so he found himself a place to live.

In this Dragon Ball world, no amount of wealth and luxury mattered as much as strength. A shock wave could suddenly come hurtling through space and turn a planet into cosmic dust.

During the day, Wang Yang did some basic physical training and practiced martial arts. In the afternoon, he sat cross-legged on a rock in the middle of the lake, calmly contemplating the world around him and keeping his mind as still as the lake's surface.

He'd enjoyed pretty much everything worth enjoying in his previous life. In this one, he wanted to make training and growing stronger the most important thing in his life.

I won't just become a Legendary Super Saiyan. I'll become a Super Saiyan God, too. I'll stand at the peak of the universe and take in the view. Wang Yang gazed ahead with a determined look.

By the lakeside, War King held a little girl in his arms and kept glancing over at Wang Yang in the lake.

Gurgle! Gurgle!

Hunger pangs struck, and Wang Yang opened his eyes.

"Another day's over. Time sure flies!"

"War King, you're here." Wang Yang leaped high into the air and landed beside the lake, smiling at him.

"If you don't mind, call me Uncle War King! Your name is Wang Yang, and mine is War King. We've both got 'Wang' in our names. What a coincidence!" War King seized the chance to ingratiate himself. He could find a connection between them no matter how tenuous it was.

"Sure!" Wang Yang smiled. After all, War King had been doing his best every day to get on his good side, making sure Wang Yang didn't have to waste time on food or lodging. Wang Yang did owe him one.

"I've already asked the chef to prepare some food. Let's go eat together!" War King said with a smile.

"Sounds good."

The three of them climbed into a carriage.

"What's going on with Paragus?" Wang Yang hadn't seen him for several days, so he asked War King. War King was now Paragus's chief steward.

"His Majesty pays no attention to the affairs of state. He spends every day training His Highness Broly, and now and then, even a servant who fails to act smartly gets killed." War King spoke cautiously. Every time he served Paragus, his heart was in his throat. Paragus was nowhere near as easy to talk to as Wang Yang. In his eyes, Paragus was an unreasonable madman, practically as bad as the incompetent rulers of the previous dynasty.

"That guy was a lower-middle-class warrior among his people, and everyone picked on him. Now he's here throwing his weight around. Just do your best to keep him happy," Wang Yang said with a frown, making no effort to spare Paragus's feelings.

"Understood." War King nodded, enlightened. He was about to ask what Wang Yang meant, but when he saw him frowning in thought, he swallowed his question.

Looks like Paragus still hasn't given up. He's actually training Broly. This could be bad! Broly's battle power kept rising every moment. The faster it rose, the more likely he was to lose control.

I'd better find a way to stop Broly. If this keeps up, he'll destroy the planet sooner or later.

Only after a long while did Wang Yang finally return to the present.

"Xiao Yang, is something bothering you? Can you tell me about it? Maybe I can help." War King asked carefully.

"It's nothing. Don't worry," Wang Yang said with a smile.

"That little girl is adorable. What's her name?" Wang Yang had noticed the little girl in War King's arms earlier. Seeing her innocent big eyes and chubby cheeks, he couldn't resist giving them a pinch. Despite being an adult in mind, he still loved seeing such cute little kids.

When the little girl saw him pinching her cheek, she grabbed Wang Yang's hand with a pout, trying to push it away.

"Haha! This is my youngest daughter, Little Yue'er. I saw that you were always by yourself and thought you might be lonely. Since you're about the same age, I figured my daughter could keep you company and play with you," War King said with a chuckle. His stern face looked kind and gentle.

Wang Yang saw right through him and immediately understood what War King was up to.

"I'm not lonely, and I don't know how to play with a kid this little," Wang Yang said, shaking his head. He kept his days so full that he never felt lonely or bored.

Besides, Little Yue'er was cute, but how was an adult supposed to play with her? Did War King really think he was a child?

Waaah!

For some reason, the little girl suddenly started crying.

Wang Yang quickly pulled his hand back and looked awkwardly at War King, signaling for him to hurry up and comfort her.

"..." War King looked at his daughter's flushed cheeks, feeling a pang of pity.

Dinner was lavish, with a whole table piled high with fish and meat. Everything looked and smelled delicious; it was clear that War King had figured out Wang Yang's tastes.

War King ate slowly and neatly, while Wang Yang, though nowhere near as rough as Paragus, had impeccable manners and ate at a brisk pace. The food on the table disappeared before their eyes.

War King's daughter, Little Le'er, watched Wang Yang eat with curiosity. Her appetite soon grew, and she drank an entire jug of milk, leaving her little belly round and full.

Once he'd eaten his fill, Wang Yang leaned back in his chair to rest.

"Xiao Yang, let's go sit at Star Gazing Tower and have some tea while we digest," War King invited him.

"They have tea here, too?" Wang Yang asked curiously. Tea—what a nostalgic thing!

"Haha, so they have tea where you're from, too?"

"Tea is an ancient part of my country's culture. Hearing you mention it makes me feel right at home," Wang Yang said with a faint smile.

"Haha, I see." War King laughed heartily, quietly making a note of it.

Star Gazing Tower was a landmark in the Imperial City. It stood fifteen meters tall, making it stand out among the surrounding houses, which were generally only three or four meters high.

The three of them rode in a carriage to Star Gazing Tower.

Wang Yang always made sure to balance work and rest. He trained during the day and relaxed at night.

War King prepared tea differently from anything Wang Yang had ever seen. He put a lump of dark tea into a pot, added water, sugar, salt, and other ingredients, then boiled it all together.

War King poured Wang Yang a cup of tea.

Wang Yang took a small sip. The taste was strange—somewhat sweet, a little salty, with a hint of bitterness.

"What's wrong? Is this tea not to your liking? I can make you a different kind," War King asked when he saw Wang Yang stop after just one sip.

"The way you prepare tea is a lot like how people in my hometown drank it over a thousand years ago. I'm just not used to it," Wang Yang said with a smile.

"Oh? How do you drink tea nowadays?" War King asked curiously.