C2 The Difference Between the Clouds and the Mud!
"Why bother caring so much about him?" Luo Shuining shook her head, turning to Chen Xing, "After school, head to the back door. Liu Cheng mentioned she'll be waiting for you there. Seems she has something to discuss with you."
She wasn't one to pry; after all, Liu Cheng was Chen Xing's betrothed. It was only natural for them to engage in intimate conversations and display their affection.
At the mention of "Liu Cheng," several pairs of eyes darted their way, filled with a mix of envy and jealousy.
"Looks like your official fiancée is coming to catch you in the act," whispered Yan Yuwen, his desk mate, with a sly grin. Chen Xing simply returned the smile and remained silent.
When school let out, Chen Xing made his way to the back door as agreed. There, he found a woman in a pale pink dress standing tall and elegant, her beauty blooming like a flower, her posture as delicate as a willow. Her face was refined, her eyes sparkling like stars, truly befitting the title of the school's belle.
"You've arrived," she said, greeting Chen Xing with a reserved smile, choosing to keep her words brief.
Chen Xing, hands casually tucked in his pockets, nodded nonchalantly at Liu Cheng. "Yeah, go ahead and speak your mind."
This was their first encounter in some time.
Liu Cheng's gaze remained undisturbed as she spoke plainly, "You're well aware of the disparity between us. The whole of Traessey is clued into your actions. Therefore, I propose we call off our engagement."
"Our disparity? What disparity?" Chen Xing chuckled.
"The chasm between a genius and a failure, as vast as that between the heavens and the earth!" Liu Cheng replied coolly, though a touch of pride now laced her demeanor, reminiscent of a peacock's strut. "I'll have you know, I've reached the ninth level of Body Tempering and am a mere step away from the Guide Spirit Realm. Soon, Longji Pavilion will take the unusual step of accepting me as a disciple. Meanwhile, you're still floundering in the quagmire of Starfall Academy, unlikely to catch the last Guide Spirit opportunity before turning twenty-five. You're destined for a life among the ordinary masses. We are simply not a match."
Longji Pavilion!
This is a formidable cultivation organization that spans the entire Purple Wind Empire! A cultivation force of immense power! Its scale and resources even exceed those of Charstand! To join Longji Pavilion is to set oneself apart from the common folk, with aspirations as high as the dragon itself! They seek to change the very heavens and earth!
"Longji Pavilion?" Chen Xing couldn't help but laugh.
After a moment of thought, he spoke, "Alright, then in a few days, let's discuss it with our parents. We'll make an announcement throughout Traessey, declaring that I, Chen Xing, find you lacking and wish to divorce you, Liu Cheng."
At his words, a flicker of surprise and a surge of indignant anger crossed Liu Cheng's eyes.
She had anticipated that Chen Xing would be panicked, resort to shameless tactics, and cling to her relentlessly. Yet, she never imagined he would so boldly let go and even seek to shame her in the process.
To be divorced by a nobody, she, Liu Cheng, might well become the butt of jokes across all of Traessey, perhaps throughout the Purple Wind Empire.
"Chen Xing, you'd better weigh your own worth! The whole city knows your deeds, how you brazenly flirted with the Charstand's genius disciple under the light of day. What makes you think you have the right to divorce me?"
"Question my worth?" Chen Xing chuckled, "The city may know my actions, but they're clueless about yours."
He stepped closer and lightly tapped Liu Cheng's shoulder, "You were correct about one thing: the gap between us is vast. But make no mistake, you are the mud, and I am the cloud."
"Consider it carefully. If you wish to call off our engagement, this is your only option. Otherwise, no matter where you go or what other method you try, it won't work. I'll come to you and personally deal with this unruly wife before divorcing you."
With a smile, he walked away, leaving Liu Cheng standing there, her proud demeanor crumbling as her face grew increasingly dark with rage.
"What does he think he is?" Liu Cheng fumed after a moment, her teeth clenched in fury, her foot stamping the ground in a rare display of girlish temper. "And to think I was actually intimidated by that good-for-nothing's words!"
"Hmph! He'll see! Having crossed Charstand, this marriage will be broken off one way or another!"
She pursed her lips and turned to walk away into the distance.
"Longji Pavilion?"
Chen Xing scoffed.
Liu Cheng aspired to enter Longji Pavilion, unaware that she had just missed out on encountering a true dragon!
......
The sunlight was radiant.
On his way home, Chen Xing's eyes sparkled as he greeted a familiar face.
"Taotao, we meet again."
She was the new personal maid assigned to him by the Chen family after the incident with the Willow Succubus.
The original Chen Xing had a reputation for lasciviousness, so the Chen family had provided him with either unattractive women or men as servants. However, following the incident with the Willow Succubus, the family decided to adopt a more lenient approach and assigned him a beautiful maid instead. Little did they know, the original Chen Xing had died at the very moment he was flung away for his flirtatious behavior.
The one who awoke in his place was a dragon from 100,000 years ago!
"Young Master, there's trouble!" Taotao called out, her waist twisting as she ran energetically toward Chen Xing.
"Charstand, Charstand..."
"Calm down, take your time," Chen Xing soothed, exhaling gently as he tapped into a fraction of the Dragon Soul's power. Instantly, Taotao felt a wave of relief wash over her, as if she had soaked in a warm bath, her fatigue melting away.
Yet, she couldn't dwell on the comfort for long, given the urgency before her.
"Charstand has arrived at the Chen family estate and taken the patriarch. Along with him, several other senior family members have been brought out. They intend to resolve the issue from before!"
The issue in question was, of course, Chen Xing's flirtation with the Willow Succubus. This scandal had thrown the Chen family's thriving medicinal herb business into disarray, with several major clients from Traessey severing ties to avoid trouble. Now, it seemed a resolution was at hand.
"Don't worry, lead me to them. This might even turn out to be a good thing," he reassured her, patting her back. Yet, he wasn't overly concerned.
After all, he was aware that the original Chen Xing had been excessively lustful. But not to the extent that it would cost him his life. When he encountered Yang Liu Mei, his body was not in its normal state. The original Chen Xing might have been oblivious, but as a dragon, he could easily discern the cause of that condition.
He's been hit with Drunken Dragon Powder!
Drunken Dragon Powder is a notorious concoction dating back to the reign of the Nagas, specifically designed to enhance fertility. To put it plainly, it's an aphrodisiac—and an exceptionally potent one at that. Before his encounter with Yang Liu Mei, Chen Xing had already been intimate with a maid, which only fueled his subsequent advances towards Yang Liu Mei with residual desire.
Even after the dragon had reclaimed control of Chen Xing's body, he couldn't escape the torment of the drug's effects.
Yang Liu Mei, being a prodigious disciple of Charstand, would undoubtedly recognize the symptoms of such a powerful drug.
Thus, the response might merely be a token gesture. An apology, some form of compensation, and ultimately, a pardon for the Chen family.
To Charstand, the Chen family was, after all, a minor entity.
...
Chen Xing and Taotao hurried to the main estate of the Chen family.
The only senior family member remaining was his third uncle, Chen Haoran. Due to his lack of knowledge and skills, the third uncle had never wielded much authority in the Chen family, which ironically spared him from being taken away.
Additionally, there was his younger uncle, Chen Lingran, who, being the unexpected late-life son of the elderly Master Chen, was often regarded more like a grandchild and thus also avoided being taken away. Master Chen's advanced age at the time of his son's birth meant that Chen Lingran was born with a disability in his legs, necessitating the use of a wheelchair.
This was one of the reasons the elders were so fond of Chen Xing. He was seen as the only male in the Chen family's future with the potential to take the helm.
"Disaster has struck, hasn't it? The wastrel, the wastrel! Our family's fortune is doomed!"
Upon seeing Chen Xing, his third uncle sighed deeply, his expression one of profound sorrow.
The third uncle was not among the elders who had shown favoritism towards Chen Xing.
Chen Xing gave his third uncle a cool glance and gestured dismissively, "Come on, let's go check out the situation."
His statement carried an undertone of authority that instinctively prompted the others to follow.
It took a moment for them to realize that this usually frivolous young master, known mostly for his indulgences, had unexpectedly demonstrated such effective leadership.
Chen Haoran's eyes suddenly sparkled with astonishment.
...
The announcement of the results took place on the Heaven-Worshipping Platform in Water Blue Town.
The area around the platform was teeming with people.
Several venerable men stood atop it, each radiating a brilliant white light known as the Light of Guide Spirit.
Only those who had ascended to the Guide Spirit level could emit such radiant light.
One must reach the tenth level of Body Tempering to enter the Guide Spirit Realm. Upon entering, the latent potential within would be sequentially awakened, and a unique talent would emerge from the first awakened part.
Entering the Guide Spirit Realm significantly boosts combat abilities, allows the use of divine techniques, and at least doubles one's lifespan.
Thus, those who have entered the Guide Spirit Realm set themselves apart from mortals, commanding respect wherever they go.
"Charstand truly is a sect of immortals!"
"Anyone who joins Charstand is surely on a meteoric rise."
"The Chen family will pay dearly for their actions. To lay hands on an immortal is to court death!"
The local townspeople were abuzz with conversation.
Suddenly, the crowd stirred, parting to make way as Chen Xing, accompanied by a throng from the Chen family, approached.
"Isn't that Chen Xing of the Chen family? How can he show his face after what he's done?"
"The Chen family has truly met with misfortune! I must go home and strictly discipline my own son. I'll break his legs if I have to, to prevent him from committing such acts!"
Amidst the clamor, Chen Xing remained composed.
His eyes briefly scanned the Heaven-Worshipping Platform with a touch of confusion before he meticulously searched the crowd. At last, he spotted Liu Cheng standing at a distance behind the platform.
Clad in a flowing green robe, she stood with an air of detached elegance, her demeanor as cool and captivating as a frosty beauty.
"These people are crossing the line," Chen Xing muttered, his brow furrowed in displeasure. It was one thing to bring the Chen family's steward here for a reckoning, but to force them all to kneel publicly was excessive. With Liu Cheng present, they ought to be aware of the actual circumstances.
Lost in contemplation, the man with a youthful face framed by white hair finally broke the silence.
"Chen Xing, the infamous scion of the Chen family, has shown outrageous boldness and rampant depravity! He dared to lay hands on our sect's Junior Sister Yang. Though his attempt was thwarted, we shall not decimate his entire lineage. Nevertheless, the failure to discipline falls upon the shoulders of the Chen family's steward. Today, he shall be executed publicly as a stark warning to all!"
