Departure to the Flowing Cloud Realm

Chen Chang'an scrutinized the little turtle for a moment before picking it up from the ground.

Holding the small creature in his hand, Chen Chang'an smirked and asked, "Yi Tuo, don’t tell me you know Chen Tian too?"

"No way!"

"I’ve been stuck in the Crimson Moon Secret Realm all this time. How would I know Chen Tian?"

"Absolutely not." Yi Tuo hastily replied.

After Yi Tuo’s denial, Chen Chang'an burst into laughter, his piercing gaze fixed on the turtle, making Yi Tuo sweat under the pressure—literally, as a drop of sweat rolled down its head.

"If I recall correctly, I never told you who Chen Tian is."

"Yet when I mentioned his name just now, you didn’t even blink in confusion."

"Not to mention, while you claimed not to know him, you nodded subconsciously."

"Still trying to hide it?" Chen Chang'an sneered.

"Cough, you got me."

"Well, yeah, I do know him. I do."

Damn it!

Chen Chang'an had suspected something was off about Yi Tuo from the start, though he hadn’t dwelled on it. When they first met, Chen Tian was just a name to him—someone connected to Chen Wanqing.

He never imagined Yi Tuo would have ties to Chen Tian. But after the turtle coincidentally appeared near him twice, Chen Chang'an couldn’t ignore the possibility.

"Spill it. Why are you following me?"

"What mission did Chen Tian give you?" Chen Chang'an frowned.

"No idea. He just told me to wait for you and stick around. That’s it."

"That’s all?"

"Yep, that’s all."

"Oh, and he asked me to pass on a message."

"He said, ‘Don’t even think about ditching me, kid. You’ll regret it later.’"

Damn it!

Chen Chang'an had been about to toss Yi Tuo aside and leave the Xuantian Domain with Da Huang. But once again, Chen Tian had predicted his thoughts.

"Am I that important to you?"

"Who knows? I’ve been bored in the Crimson Moon Secret Realm anyway. Might as well tag along and broaden my horizons."

"Lately, I’ve been feeling more and more like a living being."

"Take me with you. I won’t be a burden."

"If Chen Tian sent me to follow you, maybe you’ll actually need me someday," Yi Tuo said with a grin.

What use could Yi Tuo possibly be? As a projectile to hurl at enemies? Or to bludgeon them with its shell?

"Big bro, I say we keep it around for now."

"Just go with the flow. Weren’t you planning to take it easy and follow Chen Tian’s script anyway?"

"Having everything laid out for you sounds pretty comfortable, doesn’t it?" Da Huang chimed in, grinning.

"Yeah, that’s a fair point."

"Fine, it can come along."

"You carry it."

With that, Chen Chang'an unceremoniously dumped Yi Tuo onto Da Huang’s back.

"What the—? Why me?"

"Big bro, I don’t wanna be ridden by a turtle!"

"Then ride it instead."

"No way. I’m not riding a turtle."

"Could you two consider my feelings for once?"

"Nope!"

When Chen Chang'an found Lu Xiaoyun, the latter gave Da Huang a puzzled once-over.

"Uh… what’s with the look? Quite… unique."

"A turtle carrying a dog?"

On the way there, after a fierce struggle, Da Huang had emerged victorious, forcing Yi Tuo to enlarge itself and serve as his mount.

"My new underling. Don’t mind us," Da Huang said proudly.

"Er… very creative. Bold choice. Nice."

Lu Xiaoyun concluded that Chen Chang'an was insane—and the dog following him was no better.

"Ready to leave?"

"I’ll take you to the teleportation array."

"What’s with the attitude? You sound way too eager to get rid of us."

Hearing Chen Chang'an’s remark, Lu Xiaoyun forced a strained smile. "No, no, you misunderstand, Brother Chen."

"If you weren’t in a hurry, I’d love for you to stay longer."

"Alright then. Since you insist, I’ll stick around a bit more."

Huh?

Damn it!

Was this guy seriously taking his polite gesture at face value? Couldn’t he tell it was just empty courtesy?

Lu Xiaoyun had lived comfortably in the Apex City for countless years, but ever since Chen Chang'an showed up, he felt like his life savings were being drained dry.

"I’ve got nothing left for you to loot," Lu Xiaoyun said, on the verge of tears.

"Aren’t you too old to be whining like this?"

"Relax, just messing with you. Let’s go."

"Yes, yes, let’s go now."

Lu Xiaoyun couldn’t wait another second. Dealing with Chen Chang'an was pure torture. As soon as Chen Chang'an stepped into the teleportation array, Lu Xiaoyun exhaled in relief.

But the sly grin Chen Chang'an flashed before leaving sent a chill down his spine.

"Why did he smile so deviously?"

"Oh no!"

A bad feeling struck Lu Xiaoyun. He rushed to the Apex Pavilion—only to nearly explode in rage at the sight before him.

"Chen Chang'an!"

"You bastard!"

"You took everything?!"

The Apex Pavilion’s stockpile of ingredients, accumulated over hundreds of thousands of years, had been completely cleaned out. Not a single scrap remained.

"What now?"

"How am I supposed to run my business?"

"That jerk took it all!"

While Lu Xiaoyun fumed, Chen Chang'an had already arrived in the Flowing Clouds Domain via the teleportation array—though not directly at its Apex City.

Given the Apex City of Xuantian Domain’s status, it lacked the privilege of a direct link to the Flowing Clouds Domain’s Apex City.

Lu Xiaoyun had only set up this teleportation array to ensure Chen Chang'an’s departure.

"Big bro, what are you eating?"

"That looks kinda familiar."

Da Huang frowned as he watched Chen Chang'an enjoying his meal alone.

"Stuff from the Apex Pavilion."

"Lu Xiaoyun’s a cheapskate. He had plenty but refused to share."

"So I took it all before leaving."

"You want some?"

"Nah, Yi Tuo doesn’t eat this stuff. Here, Da Huang, have some."

As Da Huang wolfed down the food, Yi Tuo could only watch enviously. It longed to taste real food, but Chen Chang'an ignored it entirely.

In Chen Chang'an’s eyes, Yi Tuo was just a nuisance Chen Tian had foisted upon him. Letting it tag along was mercy enough—feeding it was out of the question.

"Big bro, where exactly are we?"

"This place looks pretty desolate."

Between bites, Da Huang glanced around. The teleportation had indeed dumped them in the middle of nowhere.

Chen Chang'an had noticed their surroundings the moment they arrived. He stayed put because he knew—every step he took was part of Chen Tian’s grand design.

"Eat up while you can. Work will be coming soon."

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