A Man's Knees Are Worth Their Weight in Gold-Time to Cash In

Over at the other competition grounds.

The match between Xiao Xiao and Huang Ming was particularly eye-catching. Especially when Huang Ming's yang spirit left his body, everyone's eyes widened in shock.

Most astonishing of all was Liu Xingyang's intervention. Taking on Nasal Breath head-on with nothing but a soul body was nothing short of heaven-defying.

Just as the group was engrossed in watching, a pink figure approached. "Everyone... you've all finished your matches, right?"

Lu Linglong looked at them with some embarrassment. "Everyone on our side has finished too... I was wondering if you'd like to come take a look and have a talk?"

Oh, how am I supposed to say this? Tell them someone from Nadutong got beaten up by my great-grandpa?!

Honestly, Great-grandpa! He doesn't know how to hold back!

Lu Linglong?

Zhang Chulan recognized her, but he didn't understand where the apology on her face had come from.

As far as he knew, they didn't seem to have had any dealings with each other.

Xu Si put down his lighter. "Let's go, Chulan."

"Where are we going, Brother Si?"

"Besides coming along with you for the tournament, we have another important matter to attend to."

"Actually, that's not all either..." Lu Linglong said cryptically, then led them briskly farther up the mountain.

On the way, after hearing Xu Si's explanation, Zhang Chulan understood. "Oh! So we're going to see the Old Celestial Master and Lu Jin of the Ten Elders?"

"That's right." Xu Si nodded.

"In that case, should we discuss whether it might be better not to bring Sister Bao'er along?"

Xu San didn't catch on immediately. "Hmm? What's wrong with bringing Baobao?"

This time, Xu Si was the first to react. "Damn it! That really was careless of me!"

"Putting it that way, we shouldn't have arranged for Baobao to come to the tournament in the first place."

Never mind exposing her to the Outsider world; those old monsters could easily spot what was unusual about Feng Baobao, which would bring them a great deal of trouble without them realizing it.

Protecting Feng Baobao in the future would also be a major problem. If those people investigated her with ulterior motives, it would be even more troublesome.

Zhang Chulan's expression grew grave. "If Sister Bao'er really is connected to the Jiashen Rebellion, then the Ten Elders who lived through that upheaval might very well recognize her."

Lu Linglong rubbed the hem of her clothes with her small hands. Without waiting for them at all, she walked on with her head lowered.

"Wah... If it weren't for me, Brother Liu wouldn't have been beaten up... What am I going to do?"

When they reached a small house, Lu Linglong slowly opened the redwood door. "P-please come in..."

Of the four of them, three were apprehensive, cautiously checking the arrangement inside first.

The Old Celestial Master, Tian Jinzong, and Lu Jin, whose expression was dark.

Some young Outsiders, and Wang Zhuo hanging from a roof beam.

"Whoa, quite the setup. You've even got someone to bury alive as a foundation sacrifice... Wait..."

"Liu!!!!!"

Seeing Wang Zhuo beaten until his face resembled a pig's head, Zhang Chulan couldn't help shrieking. His formerly handsome silver hair had been beaten into a bird's nest.

He was strung up, with one of those old-fashioned large wooden placards hanging around his neck.

I am a pervert

I am a sinner

I am guilty of harassing a young woman

Those three lines were written on it in large characters.

Hidden Dragon was even gripping a baseball bat, viciously brandishing it.

Zhang Chulan hurried over at a jog, both hands hovering awkwardly in front of Wang Zhuo, unable to decide whether to lower them or pull them back.

"Oh, gentlemen, might I ask what my brother here has done?"

"Hmph!" Lu Jin snorted. "What has he done?"

"Isn't it written perfectly clearly on the sign?"

"Well..." Zhang Chulan scratched his head, looking rather bewildered. "He's always been a pervert."

"Haven't you noticed?"

Everyone: ...

That made so much sense!

Wang Zhuo coughed several times in anger. "You bastard, Zhang Chulan! Taking the chance to get back at me, are you?!"

Hidden Dragon spoke viciously. "This damned pervert has committed a capital crime! An unforgivable capital crime!"

"Huh?" Zhang Chulan looked utterly confused.

"Charge one: openly harassing Goddess Lu Linglong!"

"Charge two: openly holding hands!"

"Charge three: sweet-talking!"

"Charge four: attempting to kiss!"

"Charge five: nonstop flirtatious remarks!"

"Our recommendation is immediate execution! Bury him alive right here as a foundation sacrifice!"

Zhang Chulan saw the light. "No problem, then. Where are we burying him? Count me in."

"Harassing a respectable young woman? He certainly deserves to die ten thousand times over."

Lu Linglong hurried up to untie Wang Zhuo. "Stop fooling around, all of you! It wasn't like that at all! This has nothing to do with Brother Liu!"

"What gives you the right to bully him?!"

"We... we had our reasons!"

"Even if it were true, we both wanted it! It's none of your business!"

"You're all horrible!"

Her face flushed crimson, Lu Linglong hid it against Wang Zhuo's chest.

Crack!

Everyone heard the cracking of Hidden Dragon's and Lu Jin's breaking hearts.

Lu Jin sprang to his feet in anger. "Linglong! My precious Linglong, whatever kind of man you want, your great-grandpa can find him! But a sweet-talking scoundrel like this? I, Lu Jin, will never accept him, not even in death!"

"I don't care! You can't tear lovers apart, Great-grandpa!" Lu Linglong deliberately teased her great-grandfather.

Lu Jin suddenly collapsed into his chair. For a moment, everything seemed to spin, as though the whole world had lost its color.

Hidden Dragon's fat body dropped to its knees. "No!!! Linglong!!!!!!"

"How am I supposed to live without you, Linglong!!!"

"Snowflakes drift~ The north wind sighs~"

"Heaven and earth stretch vast and gray~~~"

"A lone winter plum stands proud in the snow"

"Giving its fragrance for one person alone~~~"

"Where's that BGM coming from?" Yun asked.

"Who the hell put that song on? Have you got no heart?!" Hidden Dragon shouted, covering his face in anguish.

"I'm genuinely suffering here, and you're playing background music!"

Zhang Chulan awkwardly switched off the music on his phone. "Well, I just thought I'd enhance the sad atmosphere and bring out your devoted-lover persona."

"Hahahaha!" Zhang Zhiwei was tickled into hearty laughter. "These young people really are getting more and more entertaining."

"It's good to be young."

"Old Lu, romance in your grandchildren's generation is about choosing love freely. Don't go breaking up a loving couple."

"You old Taoist geezer, have I not given you a beating?!" Lu Jin's eyebrows bristled with anger.

Zhang Zhiwei paid him no mind. "Come, come, Chulan. Come over and pay your respects."

"By that reckoning, he's your grandmaster too!"

"Tian Jinzong!"

The elderly man in the wheelchair had a pair of large, fiery-red eyes opened perfectly round. From the look of him, he didn't even dare narrow them.

But those eyes were visibly moved when they saw Zhang Chulan before him.

Zhang Zhiwei explained with a smile, "Back on Mount Longhu, Jinzong, your grandfather Huaiyi, and I were the closest of friends."

At that, Zhang Chulan instantly slid onto his knees in front of Tian Jinzong. "Oh my, Grandmaster Jinzong! I simply must kowtow to you, sir!"

Contempt showed in the masked Yun's eyes. "Seeing him up close, this shameless bastard really does live up to his reputation."

Even the grieving Hidden Dragon stopped crying, his face full of disbelief. "A man's knees are worth their weight in gold, and for you, that means it's time to cash in, huh..."