Chapter 38: August Fourteenth

Last night they did something embarrassing, and when Chen Yi He saw Dongfang Xing, his face suddenly turned red.

Dongfang Xing saw Chen Yi He's face turn red, and hers also turned red.

"What are we doing today? Tomorrow is August 15th." Chen Yi He asked Long Wang.

"What else can we do? Celebrate your breakthrough to the Third Heaven! Drink good liquor, eat good meat!" Long Wang butted in, putting one arm around Chen Yi He and the other around Dongfang Xing, "Come on, let's splurge!"

Just as the three of them were about to go downstairs, a room door upstairs opened gently, but the sound was sharp, a hiss. They turned their heads and saw the person from yesterday who could burn people to ashes, "Lian Yushou".

"Lian Yushou" glanced at them, then walked past them quietly. After yesterday's big scene, who still dares to look him straight in the eye? Everyone scattered, letting him pass.

"How pretentious, pretentious as all get-out." Chen Yi He couldn't stand people who show off (you know what I mean...).

Those words reached "Lian Yushou"; he turned his head, glared at Chen Yi He, his eyes blazing like fire, then the fire died and he turned and left.

"Tch, don't think I'm scared just because of that. If we're fighting tomorrow, I'll be the first to find him!" Chen Yi He walked down the street carefree, still muttering his unwillingness to lose.

"All right, all right, Yi He, I clearly saw your leg go weak just now; if it weren't for Miss Dongfang supporting you, you'd have tumbled down the stairs, hahaha!" Long Wang teased.

Chen Yi He instantly deflated like a punctured balloon; Long Wang's words were spot on—whatever his strength, just one glance made him fearful, and he's no longer what he used to be! He really wants to find someone to test his skills against.

Third Heaven, Quality Breakthrough. It means breaking through the quality bestowed by heaven. Whether in body or spirit, it is a tremendous breakthrough; starting from this path, as one's cultivation advances, true qi will gradually transform from gas to solid, from shallow to deep.

With a mighty aura, one can kill by pinching a leaf.

With a light and agile posture, one can pass through a hundred flowers without a single leaf sticking to the body.

However, everyone's physique differs; in the first two heavens, everyone starts the same, making it hard to see physique differences. But upon reaching Quality Breakthrough, each person's physique undergoes a fundamental mutation, meridians and bones throughout the body are opened up, like a phoenix's nirvana rebirth; whether one can break out of the cocoon to become a butterfly, this stage is crucial!

This path must have a solid foundation and proper groundwork; only then can one cultivate better and reach greater strength. Allow no slip, or else, like most cultivators, one will remain stuck at this stage for life!

Quality Breakthrough requires both body refinement and qi cultivation; neither can be lacking. Otherwise, the body cannot withstand the true qi and will explode, or the body is strong but true qi insufficient, rendering it useless.

That is "accumulate deeply to burst forth lightly"!

Although Chen Yi He is in the Third Heaven, he shows no signs of Quality Breakthrough, so Long Wang initially didn't notice his change; but upon close observation, he has indeed entered Quality Breakthrough—how peculiar, hard to imagine!

Probably related to "My body, how could you hide your soul in it"?

Whose are those pitch-black, invisible big hands?

On the streets of August 14th, the scent of osmanthus wafted, a faint floral fragrance that refreshed the heart and mind.

Although it is a foreign land, a barbarian region, the atmosphere of golden autumn and the festive spirit are in no way inferior to that of Bei Du.

Along the streets bustled with merchants and vendors.

Shops stood side by side in neat order, their wares dazzlingly varied, all placed before their doors, their banners fluttering in the wind.

The aroma of wine drifted from the tavern, a taste of its deep heritage.

There were also clearance shops selling fans and summer apparel at a discount.

Women heavily made up and striking poses either stood at the door or danced and played the zither upstairs; the young masters sat in the center, letting the women surround them, laughing and enjoying the exotic beauties to their heart's content.

The vendors were not to be outdone, shouting at the top of their lungs and swinging their arms with all their might, as if the more vigorously they shook, the more they would sell.

On the street, aside from merchants and vendors, the rest were naturally the streams of buyers and onlookers; coinciding with a once-in-a-decade golden age, countless outsiders from all over the Heavenly Peace Continent poured into Southern Border City, everyone wanting to relax before the tense selection and soak up the festive atmosphere.

Chen Yi He, Long Wang, and Dongfang Xing also wandered aimlessly, they were like three little train cars, eating and sightseeing, eating and sightseeing, eating and sightseeing...

Walking the streets, they were no longer experts or hopeful scions of any clan or sect; they were just ordinary people experiencing life.

"Fall clothing clearance, fall clothing clearance, blood‑vomiting clearance!"

"Colorful mooncakes, Mid‑Autumn Festival, your best choice!"

"Red‑bean paste mooncakes, five wen per box!"

Dongfang Xing walked up to a vendor selling hairpins and carefully examined the various hairpins hanging on the wall.

"How is it? Do you like it?" Chen Yi He appeared behind Dongfang Xing at some point.

Dongfang Xing nodded shyly, "You… you think which… which one looks good?"

"Boss, wrap it all up, no change needed!" Chen Yi He said nothing more, pulled a stack of silver notes from his sleeve and tossed them onto the vendor's cart.

"Sure thing, sure thing! I'll pack it up for you!" The vendor had never seen so many silver notes in his life!

Chen Yi He instantly became the center of attention around him.

"How is it? Do you like it?" Chen Yi He opened the mouth of the burlap sack and showed Dongfang Xing the inside, which was full of sparkling, glittering hairpins.

Dongfang Xing's face flushed completely red.

"I cleared your cart in one go, hehe……" Chen Yi He was still feeling proud…… Although Long Wang promised to keep Chen Yi He's business from last night secret, he still felt uneasy, feeling guilty toward Dongfang Xing. Even though nothing happened between him and Dongfang Xing— they were merely traveling companions— many things cannot be put into words!

"You don't need to thank me, haha!"

Who would have thought Dongfang Xing's eyes would redden, and she softly cursed, "Chen Yi He, you jerk!" and ran off.

Chen Yi He looked bewildered…… In front of the crowd, his face flushed red then turned pale, extremely embarrassed.

If an earthquake struck now and a crack wide and deep enough split the ground, he would immediately dive in, digging deep!

"Hey, Miss Dongfang, what's wrong?" Long Wang, still watching the circus, saw Dongfang Xing cover her face and run off, ignoring his question. Then he saw the dejected Chen Yi He, and roughly understood.

After Chen Yi He explained further, Long Wang burst out laughing.

"Hey hey, why are you laughing? Won't you have snitched on me?" Chen Yi He glared at Long Wang and asked dejectedly.

"I didn't…… hahaha, it's too funny! hahaha!" Long Wang laughed so hard he couldn't catch his breath.

"What's going on? Why are you still laughing?"

"You're just too blunt! Miss Dongfang is so reserved, the two of you are completely out of sync! hahaha!"

"Hmm? No laughing!"

Long Wang suppressed his laughter and explained to Chen Yi He, "Miss Dongfang asked you to help her pick a hairpin—that means she already has feelings for you and wants you to buy one to give her. But you, without a word, without choosing, just shoved the whole lot onto her like swallowing dates whole, and in front of all those people…… To a reserved girl, that's disrespectful! You're betraying her trust!"

"This……"

"Whoever you buy for, you'll buy; it's mainly about the thought—not quantity, but quality." Long Wang patted Chen Yi He's shoulder and said with a laugh, "This is exactly the 'steel‑straight man' you talk about! hahaha!" Long Wang couldn't hold back, laughing kikikiki, like a hen laying eggs…

"A steel‑straight man!? These days, don't all girls want a guy who can clear their shopping cart for them?" Chen Yi He wanted to cry but had no tears.

"Don't think so much, the Eastern miss isn't that kind of petty girl; just get a good sleep." The Dragon King comforted Chen Yi He, pointing at the nearby brothel where crowds gathered outside, and said, "Come on, brother, let's go drink flower wine!"