Reunited

Faced with Master Roshi's invitation, the two brothers were both tempted and immediately accepted.

Afterward, they chatted for a while, and Wuchen took the opportunity to explain his plans. First, he wanted to visit his grand-uncle Ox-King; second, he wanted to thank Bulma.

Master Roshi had no objections, but he did give the two brothers a few instructions.

So, after lunch, the two of them said their goodbyes.

They headed for Mount Fry-Pan again. Thanks to the Flying Nimbus, they arrived that very day.

By then, Ox-King had already brought back the villagers who had lived on Mount Fry-Pan before fleeing the wildfire, and they had begun rebuilding the village.

Ox-King greeted Goku and Wuchen with great warmth and treated them to a generous feast.

Unable to refuse his hospitality, the two had no choice but to stay the night.

"Grand-uncle Ox-King, Great-Grandmaster Wutian asked me to pass on a message. He said he knows you did some bad things while collecting treasure, and hopes you'll mend your ways and make amends for your mistakes."

After passing on Master Roshi's instructions to Ox-King, Wuchen set off with Goku again.

It was worth mentioning that this time, the two of them met Ox-King's daughter, Chi-Chi.

Strictly speaking, she was their junior aunt. She was about their age, so they got along well, especially with Goku. When they left, Chi-Chi even looked at Goku with something like longing in her eyes.

This gave Wuchen a headache. She was their junior aunt, after all.

"Goku, back at Mount Fry-Pan, you..." On the Flying Nimbus, Wuchen wanted to ask, but somehow found it hard to get the words out.

Goku, however, was perfectly at ease. He even raised his fist proudly. "I knew you'd ask me about this, big brother. I did it! I successfully broke out of my shell!"

"!" Wuchen's head nearly exploded. "You! How old is Chi-Chi? How old are you? And she's our junior aunt! Besides, didn't I tell you to make sure you didn't lose your vital essence?!"

Wuchen's reaction was so strong that Goku was completely baffled. "Big brother, aren't you happy I broke through?"

"Uh...?" Wuchen's mind still hadn't caught up. "Broke through?"

"Yeah! Soul Splitting Origin Condensation is like hatching an egg, remember? You told me that." Goku tried hard to recall. He was sure of it—his big brother had definitely said those exact words.

"Ah, haha, yes, yes, I did say that. I, uh... Actually, I meant you were too bold to try breaking through in the middle of a raging fire! If I'm not mistaken, you used your water energy to withstand the flames, then gained insight into how water and fire counter each other, right?" Wuchen was quite skilled at changing the subject and turning the tables.

In fact, three nights earlier, he had already sensed a change in Goku. He had reached the second level of Soul Condensation.

But Goku's mental state had been unstable these past few days, and his cultivation hadn't settled either, so Wuchen hadn't pressed him about it.

Considering the circumstances, it didn't take much thought to guess what had happened.

"Big brother, you're amazing. You guessed everything right." Goku thought his big brother was incredible and really good at guessing. There was just one thing he still didn't understand. "But what does that have to do with Chi-Chi? What does it mean to not lose your vital essence? You didn't explain it clearly last time."

"Ahem. Mm!" Wuchen cleared his throat and, with great solemnity, spun a tale. "You're a boy, and Chi-Chi's a girl. It's like water and fire."

"Um... How do I put it? Water and fire are different and don't mix, but they can still work together and draw on each other's strength. Fire can turn water into steam and make it disappear, but it can also make water boil! Water can smother fire into ashes and drive away its illusions—but what if that fire had the force of a rushing river behind it?"

"All right, I'll leave it at that. You can figure out the rest yourself someday. You've just broken through, so focus on stabilizing your cultivation. You also need to deal with the violent energy inside you properly. Don't damage your foundation."

After he finished, Wuchen didn't give Goku a chance to speak. He urged him to stabilize his cultivation and refine the chaotic energy in his body. Wuchen himself also began to investigate that power.

After an unknown amount of time, the two brothers finally reached West City.

They brought the Flying Nimbus down and entered the city.

The bustling metropolis amazed them both. Wuchen even felt a little moved. The cities in this world certainly have their own unique style.

Remembering the address he'd gotten from Bulma—Capsule Corp's north gate—Wuchen started asking for directions. Several people looked at them as if they were fools and didn't answer.

Fortunately, Capsule Corp was famous. Although Wuchen got no results from asking directly, he did hear bits and pieces of information from passersby chatting when he wasn't paying attention.

Before long, they arrived at Bulma's home.

"Wow, it's huge!" The two brothers were both stunned. The hemispherical building looked like a mountain, and even among all the skyscrapers, it stood out dramatically.

That's right: Capsule Corp's headquarters was both a company and a home.

"Goku, take a look around and see if there are any chickens nearby. One should be able to talk, just like Oolong." Remembering Bulma's words—"Look for the intercom chicken by the gate"—Wuchen asked Goku to help find it.

"Are we supposed to get Bulma a gift? But doesn't Bulma like eating fish?" Goku muttered before joining the search.

As they looked around, Wuchen began to feel that something was off. He couldn't sense any noticeable life signs by the gate, so it didn't seem as though there was a chicken hiding there. Instead, he sensed several familiar presences approaching from behind.

"Goku, Wuchen, it's you! What are you looking for?" Sure enough, Bulma, Yamcha, Oolong, and Puar appeared behind the two brothers.

"A chicken. We..." Goku began to answer, but Wuchen quickly cut him off. "We weren't looking for anything. We were just about to knock."

At that moment, Wuchen finally understood. There had to be some kind of misunderstanding.

Bulma looked puzzled. "Weren't you going home? Why did you come to my place first? If I'd known, we could've all come back together."

"We already went home, and then we visited Grandpa Master Roshi... Great-Grandmaster and Grand-uncle Ox-King. We came to thank you today," Goku answered honestly, making Bulma and the others feel a little awkward.

"You two are quick..." They had just arrived in West City. They'd only just parted, reluctant to say goodbye, and now, before they'd even gotten home, they'd run into each other again.

It had to be said: everyone was incredibly envious of the two brothers. With a treasure like the Flying Nimbus, they could go anywhere in the world.

It wasn't just Bulma; Yamcha had noticed Goku's Flying Nimbus a long time ago. Before he turned over a new leaf, he'd even wanted to steal it for himself.

"Welcome to my home. Come on in, everyone." Although the situation felt a little strange, Bulma still ushered them inside.

Of course, the house was enormous.