Master of Throwing Melons

Yan Xin stared at Yue Lian in astonishment. "He... he's a man..."

Chu Zeming said, "Mm."

Yue Lian turned his head and looked at Yan Xin gloomily. "So what if I'm a man? I look better in women's clothes than you do."

Yan Xin's face immediately flushed red with anger. "You!"

A snort came from nearby, cutting off the conversation. "A seven-foot man comparing beauty with women? How disgraceful."

Following the sound, they saw a handsome young man in the distance, his hair tied in a high ponytail and a heavy sword strapped to his back.

Chu Zeming raised his chin. "Who is he?"

Yue Lian said, "Don't know him."

Yan Xin proudly glanced at Yue Lian, who knew nothing, and said, "I know. He's one of the Kongtong Sect's top ten prodigies, named Gu Yingnan. He excels with heavy swords and close combat. Not long ago, he advanced to Nascent Soul Early Stage. They say his true strength is even a few points greater than Fu Hongchen's."

Chu Zeming was somewhat surprised. "Stronger than Fu Hongchen?"

Hearing this, Gu Yingnan sneered. "Don't compare me with that man who has nothing but a face and a master. I, Gu Yingnan, am a hundred times stronger than that useless junior brother of mine." As he spoke, Gu Yingnan slowly sized up Chu Zeming. "He may be useless, but defeating him still wasn't easy. So this time, I'll have a match with you."

"Senior Brother Gu, don't cause trouble." A timid voice sounded beside him. It belonged to the disciple leading the Kongtong Sect's group this time.

Fu Hongchen had originally been meant to lead the group into this secret realm.

However, before departure, Fu Hongchen had led a group to the Nine-Clear Haoran Sect for an exchange and lost, suffering a tremendous humiliation. Along with the matter of the Joint Grand Tournament, his master, Elder Yi Yang, had become rather angry and punished him with closed-door cultivation. Thus, the task of leading the group fell to this disciple.

But he was somewhat afraid of Gu Yingnan.

Chu Zeming frowned at Gu Yingnan. "If you're so formidable, why has your name never been heard in any previous Joint Grand Tournament?"

Gu Yingnan crooked his mouth in a smile. "A true powerhouse does not need such tournaments to prove his strength."

Yan Xin explained in a low voice, "Don't believe him. He made a mistake before. It seems he killed a fellow senior brother, so he was punished with more than ten years of confinement and stripped of his qualification to participate in the Joint Grand Tournament for disciples."

Chu Zeming said, "...Oh. I understand. A murderer."

Gu Yingnan's expression darkened. "You good-for-nothing snack, you aren't my fellow disciple. If I kill you, then I kill you. No one will stand up for you. Besides, I heard you've already been expelled from the Nine-Clear Haoran Sect. A Rogue Cultivator like you couldn't stir up any great waves even if you died."

Hugging a melon, Yue Lian stood up to refute him. "Wrong. We voluntarily betrayed the sect."

Gu Yingnan gave a cold laugh. "It's all the same to me. And... you with that woman's face, don't speak. I disdain talking to you. My target—is him." As he spoke, Gu Yingnan slowly drew his heavy sword, its tip pointing straight at Chu Zeming. "Chu Zeming, will you battle me?"

Chu Zeming frowned. The secret realm would open soon. If he fought Gu Yingnan and happened to be injured, it would be greatly disadvantageous when he entered the secret realm to seize treasures. Thus, Chu Zeming refused without the slightest hesitation. "No."

Gu Yingnan sneered. "What, are you afraid? Stop talking nonsense and fight me already! I want to beat you."

Chu Zeming raised a hand in surrender. "Fine, I surrender on the spot. You've beaten me now. Is that enough?"

In short, he would not fight.

Gu Yingnan held up his heavy sword, furious and exasperated.

This man!

Was he looking down on him?

He would rather surrender than have an open and honorable fight with him?

Gu Yingnan had, after all, killed a fellow disciple before. He had a violent temper and could not stand provocation. Treated with such contempt by Chu Zeming, the fire in his heart surged up at once. Without caring whether Chu Zeming had accepted the challenge, he swung his heavy sword and charged at him. The sword gleamed with golden light, and the sound of a dragon's roar seemed to rise around it. Gu Yingnan transformed into a streak of golden radiance and attacked Chu Zeming with an unstoppable, bamboo-splitting force.

Seeing this, Yan Xin pulled a jade flute from her waist and shouted angrily, "How bold, Gu Yingnan! As a member of a righteous and renowned sect, do you not have sect rules to restrain you? How can you act so recklessly? He didn't even accept your challenge, yet you attacked him directly!" However, just as Yan Xin finished speaking, several attendants sent by her father to protect her closely carried her away.

"Miss, don't talk. Society is complicated, and people's hearts are treacherous... Not everything can be restrained by rules."

"Stay farther away, Miss. Don't get hurt."

All the others present sucked in a breath of cold air, then swiftly retreated to make room for the fight.

Seeing everyone's reaction from the corner of his eye, Gu Yingnan curled his lips in a cold smile.

Just like this.

In the cultivation world, the weak were prey to the strong. Who would help a mere Rogue Cultivator?

Even if Chu Zeming died at the entrance to this secret realm, no one would stand up for him.

Watching Chu Zeming remain motionless, seemingly frightened silly by his attack, Gu Yingnan's eyes revealed several traces of disdain. Yet the next instant, something hard smashed into his face.

Gu Yingnan was instantly knocked down, and the heavy sword in his hand fell to the ground.

Something sticky was on his face. Gu Yingnan reached up to touch it—not blood, but pale green melon flesh. The taste... was even sweet.

Gu Yingnan rose with melon pulp all over his face, glaring viciously at Yue Lian. "You ambushed me with a sweet melon?"

Yue Lian was laboriously digging another half-smashed melon out of his robes, one that Chu Zeming had broken earlier. Hearing Gu Yingnan's question, he stopped moving and blinked innocently. "If I say no, would you believe me?"

"Ahhh! You're too hateful! You woman-faced dead freak, take my life!!" Gu Yingnan propped himself up with his heavy sword and charged toward Yue Lian.

Yue Lian's face immediately went pale with fright. He threw himself into Chu Zeming's arms. "So scary, I'm so scared!"

Chu Zeming said, "...Your 'chest' poked me."

Poked him?

Yue Lian froze, then lowered his head, pulled the melon from inside his clothes, and viciously hurled it out. He continued burrowing into Chu Zeming's arms. "So scary, Eldest Senior Brother. Lian'er is really so scared!"

Chu Zeming said, "..."

By sheer ill luck, the melon struck Gu Yingnan's head again.

Gu Yingnan could not understand why this woman-faced man had so much strength, or why he threw melons so quickly that they could not be dodged. He felt his head buzzing from the blows. Amid a wave of dizziness and spinning vision, Gu Yingnan fell backward to the ground once more.

Before passing out, Gu Yingnan touched his forehead. This time, there was not only pale green melon pulp, but bright red blood mixed in with it.

"Ah! Senior Brother Gu!"

Seeing this, the Kongtong Sect disciple leading the group rushed forward in a panic. He carried Gu Yingnan back to where his sect's disciples were gathered and vigorously slapped his face, but Gu Yingnan still did not wake.

The lead disciple stared at the unconscious Gu Yingnan with a mournful expression, yet inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He even looked gratefully at Yue Lian, who was desperately burrowing into Chu Zeming's arms.

That difficult thorn had been knocked unconscious. At last, there could be peace for a few days, and he would no longer have to remain on tenterhooks and exhaust himself with worry.

Everyone present was stunned.

Gu Yingnan's cultivation... was in the Nascent Soul Realm, right?

And he had been brought down by two sweet melons just like that?

His Nascent Soul Realm strength was far too watered down!

The one throwing sweet melons even seemed to be a minor cultivator at the Fusion Stage.

So watered down...

The situation was somewhat unexpected. Some cultivators whose gossiping hearts could not be contained began whispering among themselves—

"I heard that Elder Yi Yang's eldest disciple last time was also in the Nascent Soul Realm, and he came out of the Divine Wood Realm after being locked in a cage during the Joint Grand Tournament."

"Tsk. That's way too watered down..."

Thus, after this Northern Wasteland Secret Realm expedition ended—

The Kongtong Sect faced the most severe crisis in its history when recruiting disciples—its strength was lacking, and it produced nothing but watered-down goods. One Nascent Soul Realm disciple after another was absurdly weak.

Chu Zeming did not know that the cultivators present had been deceived by Yue Lian's appearance, causing the Kongtong Sect's reputation to suffer. Looking at Yue Lian, who kept burrowing into his arms and nearly squeezed Xiao Hei out, he took a deep breath before reaching out and tightly wrapping an arm around his waist.

Yue Lian:!!!

Yue Lian looked up at Chu Zeming. Before he could become excited, he felt the world spin around him the next instant.

Then he was slammed onto the ground with an over-the-shoulder throw.

Yue Lian lay on the ground and stared at the sky, his heart a desolate wasteland.

He knew it... Happiness truly did not come so easily.

Chu Zeming crouched down and patted Yue Lian's blank face. A gentle smile appeared on his flamboyant, radiant face. "Lian'er, don't be afraid. Senior Brother will protect you."

Not far away, Yan Xin was still being held up by her attendants.

But she no longer struggled. She blankly watched Chu Zeming ruthlessly slam that beautiful man who obviously liked him onto the ground, then smile like a demon as he patted his face. A chill ran through her entire body... Was this how Chu Zeming treated those pursuing him?

So... so frightening.

The tiny flame of fondness that had finally risen in her heart was snuffed out in an instant.

Yan Xin wiped her face and turned around woodenly. "Let's go. I won't watch anymore."

She was afraid...

Over the next few days, more and more cultivators who had heard the news arrived at the secret realm.

Yet everyone got along peacefully. After all, entering the secret realm was where the real show began. Even if there were grievances and hidden enmities between them, they all chose to suppress and endure them.

The atmosphere at the entrance to the secret realm seemed subdued and calm, but beneath the surface, undercurrents were surging.

Yan Xin's attendant had been right.

In the cultivation world, the strong were honored. Once they entered the secret realm, the rules of any righteous and renowned sect would become nothing more than empty words on paper.

Therefore, Chu Zeming did not waste time. He chose the shade beneath a tree as a temporary resting place and cultivated every moment of every day. Yue Lian likewise did not waste time, using every moment to admire the peerless beauty of his future Dao companion.

Smart and beautiful, diligent and independent.

The more Yue Lian looked, the better he thought Chu Zeming was.

Yue Lian could not help feeling proud of his own excellent taste.