Xiahou Aotian's Swollen Ego

Elder Sun, rocking in his chair, flew into a rage. "You rotten girl, think your wings have grown strong enough to fly, huh?" Seeing that her grandfather seemed genuinely angry rather than just jokingly scolding her, Sun Miaomiao quickly changed her tune and grinned playfully. "I know, I know! But Grandpa, teaming up with Yuanshi Tianzun is super lucrative—it feels even better than fleecing a wealthy sucker. Look, I just cleared an S-rank dungeon, and you even said those tokens let me fight above my level. They're all life-saving trump cards!" Elder Sun looked over his granddaughter. She had a round, adorable face with a trace of baby fat, tiny white teeth that showed when she smiled, and round, bright eyes. Without him realizing it, she had already grown into a young woman. "Sigh!" Old Sun sighed. "Miaomiao, aren't you twenty-four this year?" "Yep." Sun Miaomiao pinched the cheek of the little girl in her arms—a child from the pagoda tree and her childhood playmate. "Old enough to be longing for romance," Elder Sun said. "What do you think of Yuanshi Tianzun? He's young, talented, and doesn't look half-bad. Pretty suitable boyfriend material, wouldn't you say?" Sun Miaomiao snapped upright, shaking her head vigorously. "No way! That punk is vulgar, sleazy, and fickle! Any girl who falls for him has to be blind." "When I was acting innocent and playing dumb in front of your grandmother, your father wasn't even born yet." "Fine, just a tiny bit," Sun Miaomiao pinched her pinky, looking slightly embarrassed. She had expected her irreverent grandfather to tease her, but Elder Sun merely gazed into the deepening dusk, remaining silent for a long time. "Grandpa?" Sun Miaomiao probed tentatively. Elder Sun sighed. "If entanglements run too deep, pieces outside the board will inevitably be dragged in sooner or later. I truly don't know whether this is an ill-fated bond." "I don't understand at all." Sun Miaomiao puffed her cheeks. "You've been dense since you were little, of course you don't." "Smelly old man." *I'm cyberbullying you tonight.* *** Island nation, Ginza. Thousand Cranes Group Headquarters, Oyamaya. Oyamaya was where the cadres of the Thousand Cranes Group entertained guests. As the island nation's official organization, when hosting distinguished guests, they naturally couldn't take them out to eat in public restaurants. Oyamaya boasted the nation's finest aged vintages and most beautiful hostesses; with a single phone call, the freshest ingredients in the country would be delivered onto the head chef's cutting board within an hour. In Oyamaya's "Nankaido" private room, the cadres of the Thousand Cranes Group were gathered together. As soon as Asano Ryo took her seat, the stern, imposing group leader, Kobe Ichiro, offered what could be considered a gentle smile: "Congratulations to the jewel of our Thousand Cranes Group for clearing an S-rank dungeon. Ryo-chan, you now have the most impressive track record among our cadres." Fire Demon Furugori Magatsu asked boisterously, "Ryo-chan must have reaped a ton of treasures, right?" "I obtained consumables that allow fighting above my level, as well as top-grade Saint-level items," Asano Ryo answered truthfully. The cadres looked at her with envious eyes. Having hitched her wagon to the legendary Yuanshi Tianzun, Ryo-chan's future achievements were bound to surpass theirs. Asano Ryo relished these looks. She retrieved the Yata no Kagami and placed it on the dining table. "Leader, Yuanshi-kun has returned the Yata no Kagami." Kobe Ichiro's eyes lit up slightly. He beckoned, and the Yata no Kagami flew up of its own accord and landed in his palm. The cadres breathed a sigh of relief, smiling easily. Today's Yuanshi Tianzun was no longer who he had been before. After advancing two levels in a row, he had become a figure they could not afford to provoke. Because of this, the cadres had been on edge, worried that Yuanshi Tianzun might turn ruthless and keep the Yata no Kagami for himself. Asano Ryo's next words caused the smiles on their faces to slowly fade. "The second item Yuanshi-kun requested is the Ame no Murakumo." Ryuzaki Hajime remained silent for a few seconds before saying, "Ryo-chan, you know full well what the three items retrieved from Takamagahara mean to the Thousand Cranes Group. Yuanshi Tianzun is not who he used to be. Even if he borrows it and never returns it, there is nothing our group can do. We would like you to mediate and negotiate the cancellation of our original agreement." The cadres turned to Asano Ryo with expectant gazes. "I can't!" Asano Ryo shook her head slightly. "Why not?" Fire Demon Furugori Magatsu fumed. "You're close with Yuanshi-kun, aren't you? Otherwise, why would you join his faction? But don't forget that you are a cadre of the Thousand Cranes Group, and this island is your homeland! You can't bend your elbows outward!" "Furugori-kun, calm down." Kobe Ichiro looked at Asano Ryo. "Ryo-chan, tell us your thoughts." Asano Ryo pursed her lips and straightened her back. "Leader, pleading on our behalf might not work. Moreover, Yuanshi-kun is a man of his word; he would never usurp the Thousand Cranes Group's items, nor would he allow us to break our contract. Furthermore, gentlemen, you vastly underestimate Yuanshi-kun's wealth." "Underestimate his wealth?" Kobe Ichiro blinked in surprise. Asano Ryo said solemnly, "Yuanshi-kun possesses far more treasures than you imagine. To him, the Thousand Cranes Group's three Dominator items might just be useful weapons, nothing more... Furugori-kun, please don't get angry, I will explain it to you..." She proceeded to recount what she had witnessed in the Mohist Mechanism City in detail to the cadres. From the Holy Infant to the Purple-Gold Hammer, to the Heaven-Worship Set and the Yin-Yang Dial—every single item was top tier, a divine relic worthy of becoming a family heirloom in the Thousand Cranes Group. Even if their rank didn't match the three items from Takamagahara, Yuanshi Tianzun clearly didn't lack top-tier items, just as Asano Ryo said. "As far as I know, Yuanshi-kun also possesses Dominator-level items that he simply didn't bring into the dungeon," Asano Ryo added. The cadres exchanged silent glances, filled with both shock and wariness. "As expected of the official faction's legendary genius," Kobe Ichiro sighed. Without further hesitation, he retrieved the Ame no Murakumo. The Ame no Murakumo was a two-foot-long bronze sword. The verdigris on its blade had been buffed away and oiled, and the bronze patterns along the ridge gleamed beautifully. Kobe Ichiro tossed it reluctantly to Asano Ryo. "Take it." Asano Ryo caught the divine sword and uploaded it to the Return of the Dead faction warehouse. *Finally done...* she thought happily. "Ryo-chan!" Kobe Ichiro said. "In a few days, a First-Class Executive from Heaven's Punishment will lead a team to the island nation. When the time comes, all cadres of the Thousand Cranes Group must be present for the reception. You won't be entering any dungeons during these few days, will you?" "Ah, I'm supposed to enter a faction dungeon tomorrow." Asano Ryo knitted her brows in a bind. "What is a First-Class Executive coming to our island nation for?" Kobe Ichiro said in a low voice, "I cannot say for now, but it doesn't concern us. Their destination is the mainland. You will find out when the time comes. Postpone the faction dungeon." "Yes, sir!" Asano Ryo answered. *** Jiangnan Leather City. Xiahou Aotian kicked open the family head's study with his head held high and chest puffed out. "Grand-uncle, I'm back!" Xiahou Aotian roared. "Grandpa, this guy barged in again!" the old clan head's grandson shouted. "Get out of here!" Xiahou Aotian kicked him flying. The old clan head, who was sitting by his desk writing a manual on *Materials Science*, sighed, lifted his gaze, and forced a smile. "Do you want to enter the vault again this time?" "No, I'm here to discuss business with you, Grand-uncle," Xiahou Aotian said. "Though before we talk business, I think you ought to ask about my level first." The old clan head froze and blurted out, "You're Level 6?" Xiahou Aotian raised his chin. The old clan head was stunned, overjoyed, and worried all at once. In the Xiahou family's younger generation, Level 6 Saints were few and far between. This should have been an occasion for celebration, but of all people, it had to be this scatterbrained loose cannon. Seeing Xiahou Aotian continuing to look down at him through his nostrils, the old clan head probed, "So, what is this business you mentioned?" Xiahou Aotian fished a few blueprints from his pocket. "Take a look at these, Grand-uncle." With a suspicious look, the old clan head took the blueprints and focused his gaze. Suddenly, a brilliant gleam erupted in his cloudy eyes, and the hands holding the sheets trembled slightly. "Brilliant... absolutely brilliant..." Shivering with excitement, the old clan head muttered, "Such ingenious puppet design! W-Which grandmaster's hand did this come from?" Mechanism puppets were nothing extraordinary to a Dominator-level Scholar; what thrilled the old clan head was the technical aspects—the design philosophy, the internal architecture, and the mechanics. "Grand-uncle, look at you, acting like someone who's never seen the world." Xiahou Aotian looked down his nose at his elder. "Blueprints like this? I have an entire book of them." At the words "entire book," the old clan head's gaze abruptly sharpened—so sharp that Xiahou Aotian felt a twinge of fear. "An entire book? Is it a complete mechanism manual? Where did you get it? Quick, hurry up and bring it out for Grand-uncle to see!" The old clan head grabbed Xiahou Aotian by the arm, his withered hands exerting immense power. This elderly man had always been mild-mannered and placid, celebrated for his immense magnanimity—largely because he was one of the few elders in the clan who could tolerate Xiahou Aotian. Yet right now, he was as thrilled as a young man whose wife had just given birth to their firstborn. As the saying went, one falling leaf heralds the coming of autumn; a single exquisite blueprint of a mechanism puppet spoke volumes about the quality and caliber of the entire manual. Mechanism techniques were wonderful things. Items could not be popularized and existed in limited quantities, but mechanism techniques could be mass-produced, similar to military equipment. It could completely reshape the lower and middle tiers of an organization, elevating the Xiahou family's grassroots power far above that of other Spirit Realm aristocratic clans, perhaps even to a degree that would make the official faction wary. However, mechanism art was an accumulation of technology passed down through generations. It was not something that could be pioneered or developed simply by throwing money and strength at it. Ancient practitioners had spent thousands of years accumulating this technology; how could modern Spirit Realm walkers hope to catch up in a mere century? Therefore, the value of a manual that recorded various mechanism creations went without saying. Xiahou Aotian gasped. "Grand-uncle, you look like a villain right now. I'm offended." The clan head started, immediately realizing his lack of composure. He hastily released his grip and glared. "Speak!" Xiahou Aotian's mind turned, and he answered smoothly, "I entered Yuanshi Tianzun's faction dungeon this morning." "You entered a dungeon? You even joined Yuanshi Tianzun's faction?" The old clan head looked confused. "How come I didn't know about this... Well, that's not important. Go on." "The dungeon was called the Mohist Mechanism City, S-rank. The mechanism manual was one of the spoils of war. It's currently kept by Yuanshi Tianzun, but faction members have the right to read it at any time," Xiahou Aotian said. *An S-rank dungeon, the Mohist Mechanism City...* The old clan head frowned and quickly ran through his mental database. The Scholar's photographic memory allowed him to quickly pick out the relevant terms. "There was indeed such an immortal sect during the Song dynasty. It's in our archives, but its difficulty rating was only C-rank, and there was only one such dungeon, titled 'Trial of the Mohist Sect,'" the old clan head said. "The rewards of low-level dungeons were also thoroughly ordinary." "That's because the Mechanism City was wiped out during the Southern Song dynasty. Its history was short, so there weren't many dungeons corresponding to it. Our main quest this time was precisely to uncover the cause of its destruction," Xiahou Aotian said. The old clan head nodded. For an S-rank dungeon, such rewards were understandable. "Aotian, you said earlier that internal members of the faction can share the mechanism manual, right?" Hope flickered in the old clan head's eyes. "The family is willing to buy it. Just name a price." "That will depend on the family's behavior," Xiahou Aotian said. "..." Whether it was for the sake of the blueprints or because he knew this boy's nature all too well, the old clan head took a deep breath, reined in his temper, and said amiably, "Then how much do you plan to sell this blueprint for?" Xiahou Aotian said, "My debt to the family is wiped clean. Oh, right, I used up another energy pack—that's wiped clean too." "Done!" the old clan head agreed without hesitation. Xiahou Aotian looked suspicious. "Grand-uncle, did I sell it too cheap?" "These blueprints are hardly worth 150 million, but the family is willing to pay a premium for an outstanding junior." "Wise as ever, Grand-uncle! This outstanding junior believes the family might as well pay another 150 million premium, eh?" "Aotian..." "Go ahead, Grand-uncle." "Get out!" Driven out of the villa, Xiahou Aotian wasn't satisfied until he kicked the old clan head's grandson a few more times before leaving. On his way back to his own villa, Xiahou Aotian walked light as a swallow, reveling in the freedom of being completely debt-free. But there was still one more thing he wanted to do. If he didn't do it, it would stick in his throat like a fishbone, keeping him awake at night. Returning to his villa, he took out a drone and hung the prepared banners and loudspeaker on it. "I've reached Level 6. I'm going to pull off something big," Xiahou Aotian said. A voice replied from inside his ring: "Are you planning to make a broadcast to the entire clan again?" The drone took off, two banners hanging straight down, bearing the slogans: "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river—do not bully the young and poor!" "Yesterday you ignored me; today you can't reach me; the day after tomorrow I will crush you with a single finger!" Holding the remote controller, Xiahou Aotian steered the drone into the sky and sneered, "The strong never boast to ants; they only provoke the even stronger!" Under the astonished gaze of the old grandpa in the ring, the drone flew toward the depths of the villa district, heading toward an ancient manor. "What are you trying to do?" The Qin Dynasty alchemist's heart sank. "I'm going to do a lap around the Old Ancestor's seclusion grounds. He bullied and humiliated me back then, so today I'll let him know that heaven abandons those who mistreat me!" Xiahou Aotian wore an expression of soaring ambition—ready to feast on the flesh of enemies and drink their blood, starting anew to fiercely slap his ancestor's face before the court of heaven. "What level is the Xiahou family's Old Ancestor?" the Qin Dynasty alchemist probed cautiously. "Not much different from mine." "A Dominator?" "A demigod!" The Qin Dynasty alchemist was appalled. "Art thou courting thine own motherfucking death?!" *** International Building. Dressed in an exquisite office-lady suit, Annie sat before her computer, typing an email swiftly. Today was the scheduled day to report intelligence to the Association of God of Beauty's headquarters. She compiled the recent intelligence she had gathered into the email: "In the August multiplayer Spirit Realm, Yuanshi Tianzun advanced two levels in a row, establishing an unprecedented record. However, he was held accountable for killing the grandson of Elder Cai from the Five Elements Alliance headquarters during the dungeon... "Thanks to the intervention of the Scarlet Fire Gang Master, the matter was eventually quieted down, but the rift between Yuanshi Tianzun and the Five Elements Alliance headquarters has deepened; they are now divided at heart while appearing united on the surface. I believe the Association should seize this opportunity to further win him over and recruit Yuanshi Tianzun into becoming a senior member. Annie is prepared to offer herself at any moment. "According to reliable sources, Heavenly King Demonic Eye escaped Songhai. During the incident, the Dark Night Rose was suspected to have deep ties with the high-ranking members of the Taiyi Sect; details remain unknown. I originally intended to probe Yuanshi Tianzun for intelligence, but he remains completely blind to my beauty. Although he became an outer member of our Association, he has never taken the initiative to contact me. "Of course, this is not because Annie is lacking in charm, but because this man is unlike the Demon Lord. He cannot be seduced by beauty alone; one must appeal to his emotions and take things slowly, step by step." As she wrote up to this point, Annie sighed, a flash of dejection crossing her ocean-blue eyes. She took pride in her beauty and looked down on her peers. Combined with her professional allure, she was usually invincible; exceedingly few men could ignore her charm. Yet she had to admit that beauty was not omnipotent. Yuanshi Tianzun's act of banishing her to the cold palace had dealt a severe blow to this proud, beautiful diplomat's self-confidence. After finishing the email, she reviewed it carefully several times before sending it to the Foreign Minister's inbox. Annie picked up her mug, stood up, and walked over to the water dispenser to draw a cup of warm water. When she returned to her desk, she discovered that the Foreign Ministry had already replied with an email. Setting down her mug, she clicked on the email. "Bounty Quest for Outer Members: "A-rank fugitive Pluto has infiltrated Huaguo. Please devise a method to apprehend him discreetly. "Bounty Reward: 6,000,000 Federal Coins, 160 points. "Recommendation: Commission this to outer member Yuanshi Tianzun."