"Sigh~"
Upon hearing Zhang Chen’s question, Chengyu suddenly let out an old-fashioned sigh, and an inexplicable touch of poignancy appeared in her eyes.
"I know the master asked you to call me senior sister, and you must be feeling unconvinced in your heart, thinking I am young, just a little douding, a child without the qualifications to be your senior sister. Is that what you think? Do you see me as a child?" Chengyu raised her head to look at Zhang Chen, her eyes filled with an elder’s sadness, and a tear sparkled within them.
Zhang Chen was stunned upon hearing this and glanced down at the little douding, who was just as tall as his thigh, momentarily not knowing how to respond.
"To tell you the truth, I am already thirty years old. I don’t know why, but maybe due to malnutrition from an early age, I have a condition that prevents me from growing. My time is forever frozen on the day I turned five. I have no adult experiences, can’t marry, have children, and establish a career like others do. Junior brother, do you understand my frustration?" The little douding’s eyes were filled with bitterness as she said this.
Zhang Chen was stunned upon hearing this, and his eyes, filled with suspicion, turned to the little douding.
Seeing Zhang Chen’s disbelief, the little douding couldn’t help but sigh lightly: "At twelve, I mastered my full body strength and refined Whole Force, unifying all my strength as one. At twenty, I fought for my life and broke through to Dark Force. By twenty-five, I had refined Dark Force throughout my body, practicing with the pelvis and spine. Last year, at thirty, I realized Huajin and reached its level. Do you think a four-year-old child could refine Huajin? Unless they ran at one, unified their full strength at two, entered Dark Force at three, and practiced the whole body. To enter Huajin at four, do you think it’s possible?"
Chengyu’s eyes, clear and serious, were on Zhang Chen.
Zhang Chen was stunned by her words, realizing there was indeed no reason to doubt her based on Chengyu’s account.
Moreover, there couldn’t exist such a remarkably talented person unless they had undergone possession and started anew.
But Elder Wu, being a Great Cultivator in the Yang God realm, would have immediately noticed anyone being possessed and retraining right under his nose.
So Zhang Chen had no choice but to believe Chengyu’s explanation, showing a hint of apology on his face, then respectfully greeting her: "Greetings, Senior Sister."
"That’s more like it!"
Chengyu’s mouth turned up at the words, stretching out her delicate arm, standing on tiptoe to pat Zhang Chen’s shoulder.
Fortunately, Zhang Chen was only fourteen or fifteen, not yet fully developed. Combined with years of malnutrition, he was only around 1.5 meters tall, so she managed to reach.
"That’s better." Chengyu looked at Zhang Chen with a smiling face, not a hint of anger, just laughingly saying: "Let me hear you call me ’Senior Sister.’"
"Senior Sister~"
Zhang Chen, very sincerely, respectfully uttered.
Chengyu’s smile became brighter, her clear eyes stared at Zhang Chen, then she seemed to remember something and subconsciously wiped her mouth:
"I’m telling you, don’t underestimate me. I sneaked food not because I was hungry, but just to see if eating more could make me grow up. After all, walking around in a child’s body at over thirty can make people see you like a freak."
Zhang Chen, upon hearing this and seeing her pure baby face, suddenly felt a bit heartbroken. He assumed people with shortcomings must be highly sensitive, unsure of how much judgment they faced in life.
"Of course, I wouldn’t underestimate Senior Sister. Didn’t you see I was also sneaking food?" Zhang Chen replied with a smile.
At this point, they exchanged a glance, as if sharing a common secret, both bursting into laughter.
"Come, I’ll take you to get some clothes, then have you wash up a bit. Look at yourself, filthy and smelly like a beggar." Chengyu patted Zhang Chen’s waist, then tugged his sleeve, leading him to the rear courtyard of the Daoist Temple.
After passing through seven or eight courtyards, they saw a square from afar, where about three thousand people seemed to be receiving a reprimand.
"Recently, something happened in the Daoist Temple, and all the disciples were called in. The Law Enforcement Elder is giving a lecture, let’s take a detour to avoid being seen by the Law Enforcement Elder." Chengyu tugged on Zhang Chen’s sleeve, guiding him down another corridor.
Zhang Chen felt a bit enlightened, realizing the reason he hadn’t met anyone on his way in was that all the disciples were gathered for reprimanding.
"What happened in the Daoist Temple that the Law Enforcement Elder gathered all the disciples for questioning?" Zhang Chen curiously inquired.
Upon hearing Zhang Chen’s question, Chengyu didn’t hide anything: "I heard the second senior brother caused trouble down the mountain, making a devotee pregnant. Now the victim came, pointing at the Observatory Master’s nose and cursing up a storm, which led to this situation."
Hearing Chengyu’s words, Zhang Chen was stunned, not expecting such a scandal to occur within the secluded Daoist Temple.
Chengyu then looked at Zhang Chen: "I’m telling you, junior brother, you must keep your bird in check, never causing such romantic debts, or you’ll end up facing the Law Enforcement Hall, and I won’t be able to protect you."
Zhang Chen nodded at these words: "Rest assured, senior sister, I am certainly not such a person."
Chengyu paused her steps, looked Zhang Chen up and down, observing his ragged, dusty appearance, and snickered: "With your looks, which girl would fancy you? Having romantic debts would mean there’s no opportunity for you."