"The so-called Terrestrial Immortal Realm, simply put, is the Shattering the Void realm above Great Grandmaster. It can draw a Heavenly Tribulation, but the tribulation is very weak. You've spent twenty years in the Great Grandmaster Realm, and the foundation you've accumulated over those twenty years is enough to handle it. If you're not confident, just have Jiang Rou call me before you sense the Heavenly Tribulation approaching."
Chen Zheng stayed with the Jiang Family for three days, mainly observing Old Master Jiang's cultivation. After all, Old Master Jiang had spent twenty years in the Great Grandmaster Realm, and his foundation was already sufficient. He already had one foot in the Terrestrial Immortal Realm and should face his Heavenly Tribulation within six months at most.
So, after explaining a few things to watch out for, Chen Zheng left Jincheng and returned to Nan City.
"You're still going to be Su Cheng's bodyguard? You really won't consider moving in with me and your sister? When you think about it, Su Cheng isn't your girlfriend, while Chen Zhi is your sister, and I'm a descendant of your disciple Jiang Ziya. Surely we're closer to you than Su Cheng is? Besides, if you move in, there'll be plenty of perks! Grandmaster, won't your venerable self really give it some thought?"
At the entrance to Su Cheng's residential complex, the lively eyes in Jiang Rou's beautiful face fixed on Chen Zheng.
She was dressed simply that day, in a T-shirt and jeans. Just standing at the entrance to the complex, she was a sight to behold, and passersby kept casting glances her way.
"I want to live a little more as I please."
Chen Zheng smiled.
Only after staring at Chen Zheng several times did Jiang Rou speak. "Well, Grandmaster, I still have things to do, so I'll head home first. Oh, Xiao Zhi and I live in that complex on the next street. Um, see you next time!"
"Young girls these days."
Chen Zheng shook his head lightly.
"Young man, got any connections? Introduce me to a beauty!"
Just as Chen Zheng was about to enter the complex, a sleazy-looking middle-aged man sidled up to him, winking repeatedly.
"Well, are you as handsome as me?"
Chen Zheng thought for a moment and asked the sleazy man.
"Handsome...? Doesn't look like it..."
The sleazy man looked Chen Zheng over, then shook his head.
"Then there's nothing I can do. Being handsome is a prerequisite. Find a way to make yourself more handsome before coming to me again."
Chen Zheng tossed out the remark and entered the complex.
"More handsome? I was born looking like this. How am I supposed to be handsome?"
The sleazy man stared after Chen Zheng and asked blankly.
Night.
Su Cheng's home.
"Huh? Chen Zheng, you finally deigned to come back? I thought you'd gone to become a live-in son-in-law for the Jincheng Jiang Family! You're really not doing your job as Su Cheng's personal bodyguard. I've been the one personally guarding her these past few nights. Hmm? Wait! Why does it smell so good? Did you make all these dishes? You can cook, too?"
As soon as An Jing and Su Cheng opened the door, they saw Chen Zheng sitting on the living room sofa. An Jing opened her mouth to question him, but halfway through, she froze.
Because she had caught a scent-the aroma of food!
She looked toward the dining table and froze at once. It was actually covered with dishes, all with perfect colors, looking just like food prepared by a chef at a five-star hotel!
This guy Chen Zheng could actually cook?
"A skill I picked up when I was bored. You two probably haven't finished dinner yet. Try it and see how it tastes."
Chen Zheng rose from the sofa and served both women some rice.
"You... you're the senior Great Grandmaster Yu Canghai spoke of, yet you're cooking for two weak women like us, and now you're even serving us rice? If the experts in the Ancient Martial Arts world found out, would their jaws drop in shock?"
An Jing stared blankly at the sight.
Who was Chen Zheng?
Leaving aside his relationship with the Xining Chen Family, the fact that Great Grandmaster Yu Canghai called him senior alone was enough to let him walk unchallenged through China's Ancient Martial Arts world. Yet here in Su Cheng's home, someone so formidable was acting like a househusband!
Was... was he really cooking because he was so powerful that he had nothing to do?
"You haven't drugged the food so you can do something to Su Cheng and me after we pass out, have you?" An Jing still found it hard to believe. She sat down at the dining table, picked up her chopsticks, and casually put a bite of food into her mouth. The moment it entered her mouth, she was stunned.
"How could... this texture! This flavor! You... this..."
Disbelief covered An Jing's face, but she said nothing more. Instead, her chopsticks flew, and she abandoned all concern for her image as Nan University's beautiful professor as she began wolfing down the food.
"..."
Su Cheng was dumbfounded by the sight. How could Professor An, Nan University's famously icy beauty, suddenly become so... so unconcerned with her image? The way she was eating now was far too... uncouth.
Su Cheng picked up her chopsticks too. When the first bite entered her mouth, she also froze.
Then!
She became just like An Jing!
Her chopsticks flew!
She wolfed down the food!
"Back then, a young man followed me for half a year, doing nothing every day but learning how I cooked. Later, he became the Food God of a realm. For a single place at one Immortal Ascension Banquet, who knows how many outstanding talents fought."
Chen Zheng smiled faintly, recalling more of the past.
Late at night.
Chen Zheng was watching television on the living room sofa.
Creak.
Just then, An Jing came out of the bathroom. She had been about to go straight into the bedroom, but seeing Chen Zheng still in the living room, a thought stirred in her mind. She walked over step by step, sat down right beside him, and lowered her voice. "Chen Zheng, you aren't..."
But An Jing had only gotten halfway through her sentence when her expression suddenly changed. Then her head tilted, and she passed out on the spot!
"Hmm?"
Chen Zheng raised his brows slightly.
"What...?"
At that moment, Su Cheng emerged from the hallway. She was also about to go into the bathroom to shower and happened to see this scene. She looked at Chen Zheng in astonishment.
"There's an issue with her constitution." Chen Zheng shook his head. "The meal I made for you tonight was called the Immortal Ascension Banquet. Although I used ingredients from Earth, it was still enough to cleanse your marrow. I just didn't expect An Jing's constitution to be somewhat unusual. She improved too much in one go, and the surge of True Qi overwhelmed her head."
"The Immortal Ascension Banquet... no wonder I felt my True Qi increase so strangely..." Su Cheng murmured upon hearing this, then asked, "What do we do now? Will An Jing suffer any lasting effects from this?"
"I just need to get it flowing smoothly."
As he spoke, Chen Zheng picked An Jing up and headed straight for her bedroom.
"Um... get it flowing smoothly..."
Su Cheng frowned slightly.
"A massage will do. Su Cheng, come in and be my witness. When An Jing wakes up tomorrow, I don't want her saying I drugged her and took advantage of her."
Chen Zheng replied and carried An Jing into the bedroom.
"Ah... you need a witness too...? Then do I need a massage as well...? I feel like the True Qi is making me a little dizzy too..."
Su Cheng froze for a moment, then asked instinctively.