And just like that, the store's strange pressure snapped back to normal.
Only the mory lingered.
Old Tiger Zhao grinned as if nothing happened and clapped Yunlan Haorang on the back.
"Let's get your drink, old man!"
The two walked off like long-lost brothers on their way to grab a Peach Oolong Tea.
Hao, behind the counter, couldn't help but rub his temples.
That crazy old man was leeching off an emperor.
An emperor.
Who would've thought the day would co?
Hao squinted at the two figures chatting.
Old Tiger Zhao gesturing with a can like it was treasure. Emperor Yunlan Haorang nodding along.
Hao shook his head and smiled. 'Hell yeah! Go old man!'
'Squeeze the emperor dry and help finish my tasks faster!'
If he could get free labor and free crystals out of this -
That was peak custor exploitation right there!
But honestly, what really made Hao's day wasn't just the freeloader hustle.
It was that glorious mont earlier.
A classic scene from every cultivation novel ever.
A proud powerhouse gets humbled by so weird old senior who turns out to be a hidden expert.
Except this ti, it wasn't in a book.
It happened right in front of him.
And sohow, watching it live was so much better than reading it in his past life.
There was sothing satisfying about seeing it with your own eyes. The awkward silence. The fear.
The dawning realization that, yes, the slly uncle in the corner could end you with one flick of the wrist.
Hao was delighted.
Maybe even a little disappointed that a fight didn't break out.
Just a little.
He patted the counter and sighed.
"I an, as long as they don't knock anything over, it should be fine… right?"
Right?
Hao scanned their purchases, the beeps filling the space as the Emperor and Old Tiger Zhao waited nearby.
Once done, the two returned to the table.
Emperor Yunlan Haorang sat down with the grace. Old Tiger Zhao, on the other hand, strolled over to Pang Wuqing and gave the younger man's back a friendly couple of slaps - just light enough not to be aggressive, but firm enough to rattle his spine.
"Don't do that again, kid." Old Tiger Zhao said, grinning.
"Respect your elders."
He stretched his arm lazily behind his back.
"Otherwise, you might accidentally misplace your entire arm soday."
And then he laughed.
Like it really wasn't a big deal.
Pang Wuqing jolted slightly. His posture straightened. A cold bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face.
"Y-yes, Elder!" Pang Wuqing saluted stiffly.
"I apologize for my improper conduct!"
Old Tiger Zhao waved it off with one hand and sat down, dragging his chair.
"Let's just leave it at that, kid."
He popped open the can of Peach Oolong Tea and tilted it high.
Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.
"Aahh…"
The satisfaction rang out as if Old Tiger Zhao was starring in a comrcial.
Hao, watching from the counter, almost burst out laughing.
This old man seriously had no manners.
No noble air. No elegance. No sense of "fitting in" with the prestigious crowd of elite cultivators, sect masters and emperor.
But sohow, he was here anyway.
And Emperor Yunlan Haorang?
He accepted it. To him, it wasn't a bad thing at all.
If it were any other elder or cultivator of high status, they would've already lost their temper. They might have flared up, made a scene, even challenged the old man then and there.
But Emperor Yunlan Haorang wasn't offended.
Why?
Because Pang Wuqing had needed that.
He wasn't thrown under the cart. He wasn't humiliated.
He was taught.
That mont was nothing more than a small scar on the pride. One that would heal fast and beco armor.
Emperor Yunlan Haorang trusted that much.
After all, Pang Wuqing wasn't the type to throw a tantrum just because his emperor didn't step in.
He had acted first, on his own accord. So he would accept the outco, on his own terms.
And as for the man who delivered the lesson…
Old Tiger Zhao was just being himself.
Direct. Honest. Wildly inappropriate.
But real.
Not like the usual backstabbers or honey-tongued schers that slithered through political courts and high sects. With those kinds of people, you always had to think five moves ahead, calculate every sentence, fake every smile.
Way too exhausting.
But with this old man?
All he needed was a food and so space, and things would go smoothly.
Much easier to handle.
Much easier to trust.
And besides -
A man who drinks Peach Oolong Tea with that kind of passion? Couldn't be that bad.
On the other hand, Dou Xinshi sat frozen.
Eyes wide. Mind racing. Chest burning.
That old man…
Cool as ice.
Built like a mysterious beggar who sleeps and begs on dirty streets, but turns out to be a sect-destroying legend.
Just vibing in a store while making the emperor's bodyguard flinch with a single sentence.
To Dou Xinshi, this wasn't just a casual interaction.
It was a sacred display of ultimate masculinity.
A divine mont.
'That's it!' he swore inside.
'That's the type of man I want to beco!'
'Fearless. Chill. Can slap a powerful cultivator's back and still drink tea like nothing happened!'
And just like that, a new obsession quietly blood in Dou Xinshi's heart.
One day, he too would master that path.
Not the fashion, of course - he still wanted to chase a few jade beauties in this lifeti, so the ragged loose black pants and unwashed uncle look were absolutely out of the question.
Shirtless with a saggy belly? Yeah no, if he ever went shirtless, best believe he'd have six-pack abs and a glowing filter on.
But the temperant?
That unbeatable aura, the laugh in the face of danger, the effortless pressure that made even elites freeze?
Yes. That, he would cultivate.
…Though only in the second part of his life.
For now, he still had to get his revenge, rise up from nothing, and shock the world.
The Path of the Carefree Senior.
It had begun.
And while Dou Xinshi was still busy ntally sketching his future as a powerhouse with abs and authority, the others returned to business.
Naly, questioning Old Tiger Zhao.
Old Tiger Zhao was in a good mood. Too good, actually. Legs stretched under the table, half-lidded eyes, sipping his drink.
Every answer he gave?
Almost word for word the sa as Dou Xinshi's earlier ramblings.
Just stripped clean of all the bling-bling drama Dou Xinshi had thrown in.
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