Ugly Duckling (Thanks to Shenxiu Zhuyun for the generous donation)

The next morning, Zhuang Hong found a small road marked with carriage tracks. He followed it, intending to first find a city inhabited by humans.

Not long after he set out, an ox cart loaded with fodder came up from behind.

A short-haired old man sat on the cart's crossbar, driving the ox and occasionally flicking its rump with his whip. A boy of around ten sat atop the fodder, staring curiously at Zhuang Hong with wide, dark eyes.

When the old man spotted Zhuang Hong, he immediately broke into a grin, revealing several missing teeth, and chuckled.

The ox cart stopped beside Zhuang Hong.

"Young man, heading for Xitang Town? It's quite a ways off. Want a ride?"

Zhuang Hong was very particular about manners when traveling through other worlds. He could not disgrace Earthlings. So he smiled and nodded. "Thank you, sir. If it's convenient, that would be wonderful."

The old man clasped his fingers together. "Ten coins."

Zhuang Hong's face stiffened for a moment. He had thought the old man was kindly offering him a free ride, but there was a fare after all. More importantly, he did not have ten coins.

Seeing his expression, the old man asked in surprise, "Young man, traveling out here and you don't even have ten coins?"

"I don't have any copper coins, but I have some gold dust. Could I use that instead?"

The old man jolted in surprise and immediately shook his head. "Gold? That's far too valuable—I can't take it. Forget it, forget it. Just climb aboard."

After Zhuang Hong sat atop the fodder, he and the boy simply stared at each other.

The old man set off again, and Zhuang Hong took the opportunity to ask him about the basics of this world.

Before long, he learned from the old man that this was a martial world with an ancient setting. Martial artists possessed techniques that awakened the body's potential, allowing them to gain extraordinary power. It was precisely because martial artists existed that humanity had been able to fight the giants and ultimately claim victory.

After finishing, the old man suddenly turned and asked, "Young man, I see you've got a sword on your back. You're a martial artist too, aren't you?"

"A martial artist? Probably not, but I suppose I kind of am..."

The old man grinned. "My boy Er Niu loves martial artist stories. The road's dull, so why not tell him one?"

Zhuang Hong looked awkward. He had always listened to other people tell stories. When had he ever told one himself?

But seeing Er Niu looking at him expectantly, he could not bring himself to disappoint the boy. After thinking for a moment, he asked uncertainly, "How about I tell you the story of the Ugly Duckling?"

Er Niu asked, "Was the Ugly Duckling a powerful martial artist?"

Zhuang Hong said, "...I guess so."

He drowsily finished telling the story of the Ugly Duckling.

An odd silence settled over the air, broken only by the sound of the cart wheels turning.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Zhuang Hong thought for a moment before getting another idea. "How about I tell you another story?"

Er Niu blinked. "What story?"

Zhuang Hong said, "Little Red Riding Hood."

Er Niu asked, "Was Little Red Riding Hood a formidable martial artist?"

Zhuang Hong waved a hand. "This... forget it. I'm not very good at telling stories."

Just as the atmosphere became painfully awkward, the old man suddenly pulled the reins and stopped the ox cart. Zhuang Hong looked ahead and saw two logs blocking the road not far away.

The old man's expression turned ugly. "Bandits are blocking the road, but why would there be bandits on this stretch...?"

Before he finished speaking, two ragged men wielding sabers jumped out from the roadside. Their eyes were fixed solely on the neatly dressed Zhuang Hong.

One of the bandits pulled out a bronze gong from behind his back and struck it.

Clang, clang, clang~

The other said with a sinister laugh, "Though this brat's aura is unusually strong, it's hollow and chaotic. He's obviously just an ordinary person. We've caught ourselves a fat sheep! And there's this big black ox too—we'll have beef to eat for a while, hahaha!"

The gong-beating bandit shouted, "Kid, we've already called for reinforcements. If you know what's good for you, hand over everything valuable you have. Otherwise, once blades are drawn, this won't end easily."

The old man's face went ashen. Without this ox, he would have no way to survive in the future.

A cold glint flashed in Zhuang Hong's eyes. Just as he was about to deal with the two men, a sharp female shout rang out from the distance.

"Mountain Bandits, take my sword!"

A nimble black figure darted out from the side, streaking past the two bandits at incredible speed.

A flash of sword light.

"Pfft!"

The two bandits clutched their throats in shock, their sabers falling from their hands with two clangs.

Looking at the valiant girl in black standing in the road, Zhuang Hong could not help applauding. "Impressive, impressive!"

The girl in black carried a bundle on her back and wore a high ponytail behind her head. Combined with her clean, sweet face, she radiated a heroic air.

She casually sheathed her sword and lifted her chin with slight pride. "Not bad."

Just as she was about to leave, five or six bandits crowded around a burly man and blocked her path.

The man was extremely muscular, holding a spiked mace. He tilted his head and looked down at the girl in black, laughing with a mouthful of black teeth. "What a pretty little lady. And you're a Secret Knowledge Warrior too. How about..."

He extended a hand toward her.

"Become my subordinate!"

There would never be two identical leaves in the world.

Naturally, within this endless expanse of space, there would not be two identical worlds either.

Every world had its own unique features: unique landscapes, unique martial philosophies, and unique ways of thinking.

Take the Golden Cloud World where Zhuang Hong was now. When a vigorous, burly man faced a beautiful young girl, what he said was actually, "Become my subordinate," rather than, "Become my bandit bride."

That truly caught Zhuang Hong by surprise. Also, was nobody going to do anything about those two Mountain Bandits who had been killed?

Of course, Zhuang Hong had no intention of changing anything. It was enough to kill the evil people who happened to cross his path. As a traveler, he walked and observed, more interested in experiencing the distinct character of different worlds and understanding the historical paths that had led each world in a different direction.

It was enough to be an observer. He had never arrogantly believed that others had to live according to his own outlook on life.

The girl in black sneered and said proudly, "I refuse. I have no desire to associate with Mountain Bandits like you."

The burly man burst into laughter. "That's not for you to refuse. Who am I? I'm the Niulan Mountain King, a mighty Sky Bridge Warrior! Muahaha!"

The girl in black drew her Longsword, wind seeming to rise beneath her feet as she thrust at the man with the spiked mace.

The Ox Pen King roared and charged to meet her.

Soon, the burly man and the girl were locked in battle.

The girl was nimble, her sword strikes swift and ruthless, but the Ox Pen King was no slower. Every blow carried unmatched force, often forcing her to alter her moves and evade at the last moment.

Overall, the Ox Pen King was stronger than the girl by a level. He suppressed her relentlessly, though he seemed worried that he might accidentally damage her.

Zhuang Hong watched from the side, his eyes shining as he repeatedly exclaimed, "Amazing! Amazing!"

During the past two or three years he had spent exploring the space near Earth, he had rarely encountered worlds with supernatural abilities. Most were ordinary. The strongest had been the Raging Beast World, which he used for practice, but even that world had only evolved powers of flesh and blood.

The powers displayed by the girl in black and the burly man had clearly surpassed the limits an ordinary body could reach.

At that moment, Zhuang Hong could not help recalling what Hei Jinhua had said before: the region of space where Earth was located was remote and barren. Perhaps that referred to whether the creatures of each world possessed supernatural powers.

In worlds within barren regions of space, living beings were mundane and ordinary. In worlds within resource-rich regions, however, living beings possessed a certain degree of supernatural power.

In other words, Zhuang Hong was likely in a region of space richer in resources than the one in Earth's direction...

While letting his thoughts wander and observing the battle, Zhuang Hong suddenly asked the old man, "Sir, what do they mean by Secret Knowledge Warrior and Sky Bridge Warrior?"

"I don't know either. Aren't you a martial artist?"

Zhuang Hong coughed. "My kind of martial artist is different from theirs."

The old man sighed. "Sigh, young man, don't act rashly later. Hand over your money obediently, and perhaps you can keep your life. As long as you live, there will still be possibilities in the future. Once your life is gone, everything is gone. It's just a pity for this old ox that has been with me for so long..."

He seemed to be persuading Zhuang Hong, yet also seemed to be persuading himself.

The battle ahead became even more perilous, and it was clear that the girl was gradually losing ground.

Zhuang Hong thought, That girl is probably going to lose.

Sure enough, just as Zhuang Hong had expected, the girl's movements were no longer as nimble as before. When she failed to dodge in time, she raised her sword to block.

"Clang!"

With a crisp ring, the girl's Longsword snapped in two. She herself was sent flying by the tremendous force, smashing into a tree before falling to the ground.

"Hahaha!"

The Ox Pen King approached with his spiked mace in hand and looked down at her. "Now do you know how strong I am? If you won't become my subordinate, then die."

The girl spat out bloody saliva and pointed her broken sword at the Ox Pen King. "If I become your subordinate, how much monthly pay will I get?"

The Ox Pen King said, "Hand over half of whatever you steal to me. The rest is yours."

The girl said in disbelief, "Only half? How can you be this stingy? No!"

With that, she turned and ran.

The Ox Pen King froze briefly, then immediately chased after her while waving his spiked mace. "At most sixty percent, no more than that!"

He ran with astonishing speed, like a charging wild boar, and quickly blocked the girl again. The other bandits also surrounded her and pointed their sabers at her to stop her from fleeing once more.

The Ox Pen King declared domineeringly, "If you become my subordinate, sixty percent monthly pay is the most you'll get. Refuse, and die. Boys, tie her up and take her back."

"Got it, Niulan Mountain King!"

The girl gritted her teeth, preparing to flee for her life with her broken sword.

By now, Zhuang Hong had gained a preliminary understanding of their strength and no longer intended to keep watching. He spoke up. "Hey."

The Ox Pen King turned to stare at Zhuang Hong and asked darkly, "What, you want to become my subordinate too? You're not qualified! And hand over everything valuable on you yourself, so I don't have to search a corpse. I'll spare your life."

Even now, the Ox Pen King had not forgotten his primary duty as a bandit.

The old man's scalp went numb. He quietly hid behind the ox cart and stuffed his son Er Niu into the fodder.

Zhuang Hong, however, remained calm. He jumped down from the ox cart and slowly walked toward the Ox Pen King and the other bandits. He extended his Right Hand, and countless Fine Silk threads shot from his fingertips. Under the control of Manipulation, they curled through space like tentacles and reached the heads of the bandits.

Seeing Zhuang Hong approach, the Ox Pen King laughed loudly and walked toward him with his spiked mace on his shoulder.

The girl cried out anxiously, "Hey, kid! Handing over your money will save your life, so why are you walking into your death?"

She was about to spring up when she saw Zhuang Hong curl his fingers into a fist.

"Swish!"

Countless dense threads instantly emerged from Zhuang Hong's hand, reflecting streaks of white light beneath the mottled sunlight.

The next moment, every bandit, including the exceptionally powerful Ox Pen King, suddenly stiffened. They fell to the ground and convulsed violently, blood seeping from their ears and eyes before they quickly lost all signs of life.

Letting them die without pain was Zhuang Hong's greatest kindness toward evil people.

Only then did Zhuang Hong slowly withdraw his hand and disperse the threads.

In a three-dimensional world, he was nearly invincible.

The girl and the old man were stunned by the sudden turn of events.

They seemed to have forgotten how to speak, merely staring blankly at the unbelievable scene before them. At last, their gazes settled on Zhuang Hong.

"Who exactly is this man who always seems like he can never wake up? How did he do that just now? And those nearly imperceptible threads..."

Zhuang Hong was the one who broke the silence. Pointing at the corpses on the ground, he said, "How about we work together to bury them? Leaving bodies out in the wilderness doesn't seem right."

The girl sat on the ground with her back against a tree, slowly regulating her breathing. Hearing this, she said, "No need to bury them. Let wolves, tigers, and leopards eat them."

She looked Zhuang Hong up and down, but no matter how she looked, she could not tell how strong he was. He did not even seem to be a martial artist.

"Hey, my name is Liu Yueling. What's yours?"

"Zhuang Hong."

Liu Yueling wanted badly to question why Zhuang Hong had not acted sooner when he could clearly defeat those bandits. Was he trying to play the hero and save a beauty? But when she thought of Zhuang Hong's unfathomable methods, she held herself back.

After holding it in for a long time, she finally managed to ask, "Are you... an Earth Treasury Warrior? Was that chaotic aura around you something you deliberately put on?"

Zhuang Hong asked in return, "What is an Earth Treasury Warrior? What is aura?"

Liu Yueling said, "???"

Zhuang Hong asked again, "Oh, right, I was just about to ask you. That guy said you were a Secret Knowledge Warrior. What exactly is a Secret Knowledge Warrior? Is it a martial artist rank?"

Liu Yueling said, "..."

She suspected Zhuang Hong was pretending to be clueless, but his sincere expression did not seem fake.

"You really don't know? Then how did you kill those bandits?"

Just as Zhuang Hong was about to answer, he suddenly sensed something and dodged to the side.

A centipede monster as thick as a water vat suddenly thrust its head out of the void, grazing past Zhuang Hong.

The numerous sharp, long hooked teeth around its mouthparts snapped shut, shredding a large tree directly ahead. Its body then fully manifested in this world.

Its body, dozens of meters long, coiled up as it turned its head. Its densely packed legs wriggled as it lunged toward Zhuang Hong again.

Liu Yueling was terrified and stumbled backward. The old man and Er Niu, who had poked his head out from the fodder, both stiffened as they stared blankly at the centipede monster.

Zhuang Hong gripped the Dragon Tendon Sword behind his back in reverse. "Just a white Strange Beast..."

He stomped down, sending mud and grass flying as he shot toward the centipede monster like a cannonball.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

"Pfft!"

In an instant, the centipede monster was cut into several pieces and fell to the ground, its head struggling desperately as it neared death.

Zhuang Hong walked over and stabbed his sword through the centipede monster's head, then violently dragged the blade along its shell. At last, the centipede monster went still.

He turned to Liu Yueling and the others, who stood frozen in shock, and said, "Wait here for me a moment. I'll be back soon."

With that, he dragged the pieces of the centipede's corpse into the dense forest brush.

A light breeze blew through, making the three of them shudder uncontrollably.

When Zhuang Hong came back out, rubbing his stomach, he nearly let out a satisfied burp.

Looking at the three people who had been frightened senseless, he spread his hands. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention and let it get out. It won't happen again. By the way, what were you asking me just now?"

Liu Yueling answered blankly, "N-Nothing."

Zhuang Hong added, "How about we get back on the ox cart and continue on our way? We can talk as we go."

"Alright."

"What happened just now was an accident. That bug was nothing. You don't need to be afraid."

"I believe you."