Chapter 112: The Challenge—First Encounter
Once the people of the Ethereal Sect decided to act, they did so without delay. They hired a large number of master builders on the spot, and soon the place was filled with flying sand and swirling dust as a grand construction project began in earnest.
After more than two thousand meters had been completed, countless competitors, spectators, and newcomers gathered around to admire the freshly erected stone monument. Every one of them stared at it with thick envy in their eyes.
At the same time, a tide of challenges swept across the entire Southern Region.
...
As Little Fatty Gu traveled back toward the Ethereal Sect with Nangong Kang and the others, he encountered at least a dozen people who wanted to challenge him.
They came in all ages: middle-aged men, youths, and even elderly men old enough to be his grandfather. Their cultivation ranged from the late Core Formation stage at the lowest to the peak of the mid Nascent Soul stage at the highest, and every one of them claimed to be an unaffiliated cultivator.
Moreover, they observed all the proper etiquette when issuing their challenges. Even the higher-ups of the Ethereal Sect could not use their status as an excuse to turn them away.
Everyone, including Little Fatty Gu, knew perfectly well that some of these people had come of their own accord. But among them, there were certainly quite a few who had been deliberately organized and dispatched by other sects and aristocratic families to test him.
Several figures ranked on the Earth List, such as Zhao Xianyun and Lin Shiyin, could no longer contain their fury. They simply could not stand watching this any longer.
Each of them cursed inwardly: How dare people whose cultivation was plainly inferior to theirs openly leap over them and challenge Little Fatty Gu right in front of their faces?
This was blatant contempt for the few of them.
Without another word, they stepped forward and fought on Little Fatty Gu’s behalf, blocking nearly half of the challengers.
As for challengers above the Nascent Soul stage, those few could no longer deal with them. In the end, Little Fatty Gu had to personally step in and settle every one of them.
Finally, even an elderly man at the peak of the mid Nascent Soul stage shamelessly came forward to issue a challenge. Like the young and middle-aged challengers before him, he actually bowed to the higher-ups of the Ethereal Sect with the courtesy of a junior.
That finally sent Little Fatty Gu into a blazing rage.
Unable to bear the endless harassment any longer, Little Fatty Gu immediately decided that he had to get serious.
Otherwise, if this continued all the way back, who knew when they would ever reach the sect?
“Whoosh!”
The sound of something tearing through the air rang out. Little Fatty Gu’s figure appeared instantly before the peak mid-Nascent Soul elder. His tightly clenched fist gathered all his strength and slammed directly into the old man’s abdomen.
“Bang!”
The higher-ups and disciples of the Ethereal Sect, along with countless spectators watching from the roadside, all drew in a sharp breath.
What had they just witnessed?
The elder, who only moments ago had been brimming with confidence, was sent flying dozens of meters by a single punch from Little Fatty Gu. And that was not all. Little Fatty Gu flashed forward once more and closed in on him again.
“Smack, smack, smack, smack!”
A rapid succession of thunderous slaps landed squarely across that aged face.
The poor elder had followed the group all the way there and had personally witnessed the previous two Nascent Soul cultivators—one in the early stage and one in the middle stage—exchange more than a dozen blows with Little Fatty Gu. Though both had ultimately lost, they had at least managed to give the elder a considerable measure of confidence.
In his opinion, no matter how formidable Little Fatty Gu’s battle strength was, it should be roughly equivalent to that of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator at most. He, on the other hand, was a genuine powerhouse who had already stepped halfway into the late Nascent Soul stage. Even if he could not overpower Little Fatty Gu within a few moves, he should still win in the end without a doubt.
But what was this?
He had been completely suppressed from beginning to end, utterly powerless to resist, and was being brutally beaten in full view of the public...
When Little Fatty Gu had finally vented his anger, he rose, tugged at the rather inconspicuous wrinkles in his clothes, and walked leisurely back toward his group without sparing the elder another glance.
The old man struggled to his feet, feeling that he had thoroughly disgraced himself that day. He instinctively covered his swollen and completely deformed face before shamefacedly disappearing into the crowd.
Wherever the demonic Little Fatty Gu passed, countless spectators voluntarily stepped aside.
“Everyone, please bear witness for me, and help spread a message.”
“From now on, anyone who wants to challenge me is more than welcome. But there is one absolute prerequisite: they must first defeat Xiu Qingcang. Only then will they barely qualify to come looking for me.”
“Otherwise... heh heh. Do you really think I, Lord Gu, am easy to bully? Hmph!”
The people of the Ethereal Sect set off once more, all of them filled with pride and confidence.
The surrounding spectators felt that Little Fatty Gu’s words were perfectly reasonable, and soon dispersed in every direction. His declaration, meanwhile, spread far and wide.
...
One day later, Xiu Qingcang, the newly appointed chief disciple of the Asura Prefecture, happened to be out shopping when he was inexplicably surrounded by several circles of figures his own age. Every person surrounding him bowed with complete sincerity and issued a challenge.
A succession of wheel battles began.
When Xiu Qingcang, covered in purple bruises, with a swollen face and blackened eyes like a panda, was finally helped back to the Asura Prefecture by his fellow disciples, no one saw him leave the residence again for more than a month.
By the same logic, once countless challengers realized that they could no longer find the second-place winner of the grand competition, Li Chenyi of the Asura Prefecture, ranked third, once again became the target of challenges from the younger generation.
...
“Boss Gu can now instantly kill even veteran experts at the peak of the mid Nascent Soul stage.”
“We have to speed up as well. We absolutely cannot let the gap widen again.”
“Everyone, listen up. Starting today, all of you are to go out and challenge the Earth List.”
“Anyone who fails to enter the rankings within a week will be transferred to logistics.”
“Those who do make the rankings must improve their position within the following two weeks. Anyone who fails to do so will be beaten once by every one of their brothers and sisters.”
The eighty members of the Heavenly Mansion, men and women alike, scattered in every direction and rushed toward their chosen targets.
From that day onward, anyone paying close attention would have noticed that the rankings on the Earth List changed several times faster than before.
Meanwhile, countless masked challengers continued to issue challenges everywhere, and small sparks began to spread across various parts of the Southern Region until they threatened to set the entire wilderness ablaze.
...
When the people of the Ethereal Sect passed through the Purple Gold Royal Court, Little Fatty Gu bade farewell to the sect’s higher-ups and disciples, then took White Ling’er with him toward the Purple Gold Imperial City.
As a famous figure in the Purple Gold Royal Court, Little Fatty Gu could enter and leave the capital and imperial palace with complete freedom.
Whenever they encountered someone along the way, that person would smile and either greet him or nod in acknowledgment.
The moment Little Fatty Gu and White Ling’er stepped into the imperial capital, news of their whereabouts was already placed before Emperor Zi Qiankun.
The emperor glanced at the report, a smile curling at the corners of his lips.
So I really did not misjudge that boy. Despite his fame, he has not let it go to his head.
When Little Fatty Gu led White Ling’er leisurely into the imperial palace, he headed straight for the Eastern Palace.
“Sister Ling’er, there is a particularly hateful fellow in this palace.”
“Every time I pass through here, I feel like giving him a good beating.”
“Pfft!”
“He is, after all, the crown prince of a nation. Do not go too far.”
“Do not worry, Sister Ling’er. I know exactly how hard to hit.”
...
At that moment, Crown Prince Zi Wuming was sitting across a tea table from his close ally, the Second Prince Zi Chengfeng, wearing a sinister smile as he plotted something unknown.
“Achoo!”
“What is wrong, Big Brother? Have you caught a chill?”
“No. I simply feel a little uneasy.”
“Someone!”
“Is anything unusual happening in the palace or the imperial capital today?”
“Your Highness, nothing has happened. Everything is as usual. Oh, by the way, I heard that the imperial son-in-law has entered the palace.”
“What did you say? My utterly detestable brother-in-law? He has entered the palace?”
“That bastard...”
Just then, Little Fatty Gu and White Ling’er happened to arrive outside the Eastern Palace. Having long since cultivated his spiritual sense, Little Fatty Gu had been worrying that he lacked a reason to beat the crown prince. Now, however, he had conveniently overheard the two men calling him detestable and a bastard.
“Oh, the Second Prince is here too. What a coincidence. I have not entered the palace in a long time. Before coming, I had been thinking of inviting both of my brothers-in-law to share a drink and strengthen our family ties.”
“Alas, I never imagined that the two of you would think so little of me and slander me so shamelessly. My warm little heart has instantly been drenched in icy water. It is absolutely freezing.”
“No, this will not do. The two of you must compensate me for my emotional distress.”
As he spoke, he flashed into the room and shut the door. Then he gave the crown prince and the second prince, who appeared to have been frightened out of their wits, another chaotic beating.
“What kind men you two are. I still have business to attend to, so I will come visit again when I have time.”
“Sister Ling’er, let us go.”
...
“Someone!”
“Your Majesty, this old servant is here.”
“Where is that brat, Imperial Son-in-Law Gu? Did he not enter the palace just now? Where is he? Why has he still not come to pay his respects after all this time?”
“Your Majesty, I heard that the imperial son-in-law went toward the Eastern Palace first.”
“The Eastern Palace? Alas, my poor Wuming and Chengfeng. Why did they have to provoke that thorny brat?”
Afterward, Emperor Zi Qiankun sighed inwardly.
I may tacitly allow you two to win over various forces, but... there is a time for everything, and fate has its way.
Seated alone behind the desk in the Imperial Study, the emperor fell into deep thought as he considered Little Fatty Gu and the future of the Purple Gold Royal Court.
...
“Third Brother, I heard that he has entered the palace?”
“My dear imperial sister, you are not even married yet. Could you not show a little more restraint and composure?”
“Why should I? He is not here in person, and there is no one in this pavilion but us two. Who am I supposed to be restrained for?”
“Are you really that eager to see him?”
“Who? Me? Not at all!”
“Ahem. How about this? Change into a palace maid’s uniform and follow behind me. I will take you to see him.”
“Ha! I knew Third Brother was the best to me.”
The little princess, Zi Wan’er, had long been itching to go. She promptly ordered her nursemaid to fetch a coarse palace-maid uniform, pulled it on, seized Third Prince Zi Lingyun by the hand, and ran outside with him.
...
When the two of them arrived outside the Imperial Study, Little Fatty Gu was already inside, while White Ling’er sat quietly outside on the carved balustrade, waiting.
Though surprised by White Ling’er’s identity, Third Prince Zi Lingyun had already understood the truth. After greeting her, he stood nearby and made casual conversation, every topic somehow circling back to Little Fatty Gu.
Faced with a woman as breathtakingly beautiful as White Ling’er, whose voice was as soft and enchanting as that of an immortal, the supposedly composed Zi Lingyun felt his rugged cheeks grow hot. Meanwhile, disguised in a palace-maid’s uniform, Zi Wan’er pushed her little mouth into an exaggerated pout.
No one knew what the emperor was discussing with Little Fatty Gu, but everyone could hear the emperor’s occasional uproarious laughter, as though some scheme of his had succeeded, followed by Little Fatty Gu’s aggrieved protests.
...
By evening, Little Fatty Gu finally opened the door of the Imperial Study and emerged with his head hanging low.
Third Prince Zi Lingyun immediately went forward to greet him.
Recognizing an old acquaintance, Little Fatty Gu casually draped an arm over the third prince’s shoulder and turned toward the west. As he passed, he gave the beautiful palace maid following closely behind them a faint smile.
The crown prince lived in the Eastern Palace. The second prince’s residence was also on the eastern side of the Imperial Garden, in the Fifth Eastern Residence. Third Prince Zi Lingyun’s residence, meanwhile, lay on the western side, in the Fifth Western Residence.
That night, in a spacious courtyard of the Fifth Western Residence, bright lanterns illuminated the surroundings beneath the moonlit sky.
Little Fatty Gu, White Ling’er, and Zi Lingyun sat cross-legged before a table barely a foot high, sipping wine and chatting freely.
Disguised in her palace-maid uniform, Zi Wan’er stood quietly behind the third prince, staring fixedly at Little Fatty Gu with eyes full of sparkling stars.