Visitors to the Tower Top

The morning light shone on the old stone bricks of the tower, casting a thick, dark gold hue.

The spire pierces straight into the clouds, as if one could truly touch the threshold of the gods.

The platform at the top of the tower is flat and smooth, made entirely of white stone, with a ring of cold morning mist clinging to its edge.

The Korin sat cross-legged in the center of the platform, nestled on an old futon.

The edges of the prayer mat were worn out.

His long hair was white, swaying gently in the wind, and his beard trembled slightly with his breath.

He squinted, his head swaying slightly, as if he were completely lost in some half-dreamlike memory.

The only thing that hadn't changed was his old wooden cane, which he still casually leaned against.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes.

That suddenness felt like being stabbed by something invisible; his pupils instantly contracted into two vertical lines.

There was no easing, and no warning.

A suffocating pressure filled the air, and the whole world seemed to fall silent, leaving only the top of the tower and his heartbeat.

It was as if a huge rock had been thrown into the air; the light began to distort and emit a faint buzzing sound.

The next second, a pure white light appeared out of thin air.

It wasn't dazzling, but it was so dense that you could almost touch it.

As the light subsided, a figure was already standing in the center of the platform, as if he was meant to be there.

The person who arrived was Qi Heng.

He was dressed in all black, the style of which was not flashy, but so clean that there wasn't a speck of dust.

The person stood ramrod straight.

He arrived without stirring up a breeze, yet the air at the top of the tower seemed to freeze instantly.

The morning light shone on him, but instead of bringing warmth, it outlined a calm and sharp profile.

The Korin froze completely, not even moving his whiskers.

His knuckles turned white as he gripped the wooden staff, and a chill ran from his tailbone straight to his head.

He has lived for eight hundred years and has seen countless powerful figures, such as Goku, Piccolo, and Vegeta... each of them is a formidable character capable of turning the world upside down.

But the person standing in front of him had a completely different kind of "presence".

It wasn't the kind of aggressive, overt presence, but rather a deeper, more oppressive force.

It was as if the ground beneath his feet was not Korin Tower, but the very foundation of the world.

Qi Heng's figure was reflected in the Korin's cloudy eyes.

But in that deeper place, a long-forgotten, almost forgotten instinctive fear was surging within.

"You... you are..." The Korin's voice was dry, as if sandpaper was grinding in his throat.

He tried hard to maintain the dignity of an immortal, but his voice still trembled slightly, which he couldn't hide.

"Qi Heng." The voice was as calm as well water, without any undulation, yet it made one's heart tighten. "I've come to get the Senzu Bean."

Senzu Bean! Korin's heart tightened, his lips trembled, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to deepen.

"Sage Senzu Bean... Honored guest, I really don't have many left. These past few years, those little guys have been using them up too quickly..." He stammered, his tone full of embarrassment and a barely perceptible pleading.

"Take as much as you have." Qi Heng's words were simple, decisive, and left no room for argument.

He didn't even deliberately stare at Korin; he just watched quietly, but Korin still felt like a mountain was pressing down on his shoulders.

"Yes... yes! Please wait a moment!" The Korin dared not say anything more and hurriedly got up.

As he got older, his movements became a bit clumsy, and he almost tripped over his own wooden cane.

He leaned on his cane, staggered around, and walked toward the small round door at the top of the tower that led into the tower, his back view showing a hint of panic.

A rustling sound of rummaging through chests and cabinets came from inside the tower, mixed with the clanging of earthenware pots.

Not much time had actually passed, but for the Korin, every second felt like torture.

After a while, he finally came out.

It held an old earthenware jar in its two paws; the jar was dark brown and its surface was polished to a shine.

He carefully walked up to Qi Heng, bent down slightly, and used his paws to peel off the cloth seal on the jar.

At the bottom of the jar, two beans lay quietly.

It was only the size of a fingernail, emerald green, and plump, standing out vividly against the backdrop of the ancient pottery jar.

These are the Senzu Bean that can instantly heal any wound, but now there are only two left.

"Only... only these two are left..." Korin looked up, his eyes filled with apology and unease. "Goku and the others took some last time, and Piccolo and Tien Shinhan used some during their training... Although things have been peaceful these past few years, there have always been troubles and injuries... Really, really, only these two are left."

He was afraid that Qi Heng wouldn't believe him, or would be angry.

Qi Heng simply stared at them, and the two Senzu Bean seemed to grow heavy under his gaze.

At the top of the tower, only the sound of the wind and the tranquility of the distant sea of clouds could be heard.

"Enough," Qi Heng finally spoke, his voice still calm.

He reached out, took the pottery jar from the Korin's paw, and with a flick of his wrist, the jar vanished into thin air, disappearing into who knows where.

The Korin's paws loosened, and he felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his heart, but then he was filled with doubt again.

"Lord Chu, Qi Heng... Please forgive my intrusion, but you require Senzu Bean. Is there something important you need? Perhaps there's something I can do to help?"

He really wanted to know: could something like this be injured? Or was something terrible about to happen to Earth?

"We'll need it later," Qi Heng replied with just that, offering no further explanation.

He had already turned around and stood facing the boundless sea of clouds.

He looked as if he could disappear into the morning light at any moment.

"Wait!" the Korin blurted out from behind, seemingly emboldened by some unknown source.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them, but the question had been bottled up in his heart for too long.

He rubbed his hands together, looked up at Qi Heng's retreating figure, and finally asked the question—the one that had troubled him, and all the Earth warriors:

"Um... Lord Qi Heng, please allow me to ask one more question... Son Goku, that... the Goku who was always pushing his limits, did he really become Super Saiyan 4 later? What exactly was that level?"

His voice was carried by the wind at the top of the tower, swirling in the air.

Qi Heng paused slightly, but did not turn around, leaving the Korin with only a calm back view and a vast sea of clouds dyed red by the rising sun.

He walked to the edge of the tower, the cold wind whipping up his coat.

With his back to the Korin, his voice remained calm.

"Yes."

The Korin's eyes lit up instantly, like two tiny lights.

He stroked the wooden stick, and there was excitement and emotion accumulated over the years in his voice. "That's really great... great... It's not easy for that child since he was a child. He has stumbled all the way. To have someone like you..."

He hadn't finished speaking.

Qi Heng did not respond, nor did he show any change in his aura.

He simply raised his right hand, fingers together, and gently pressed it against his forehead.