The Mountain Meets the Tide

The Sea Emperor uttered a single, dismissive sentence, brimming with an almost arrogant self-assurance. Thanes possessed the true capital for such audacity. While the renown of the Five Peaks of Myriad Streams might not impress a select few, such as Du Chen, in the Battle God Realm spanning the Three Continents and Four Oceans, both the Red-Bloods and the Sea Clan dominated their respective domains. Even the formidable Pontiff was powerless against the Skylands. Yet, Thanes commanded the Four Oceans, bending billions of Sea Clan members to his will; wherever the briny depths reached, no living creature dared defy him!

This was the Sea Emperor Thanes' undeniable power!

Du Chen stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing coldly at the sea, the servile prostration and welcoming demands seeming like nothing more than a noisy sea breeze. His white robe fluttered in the wind, and the chill air he stirred was as cold as his voice. "I have long heard of the Sea Emperor's grand name," he declared, "but seeing you today, it truly is a case of the reputation exceeding the reality. Quite disappointing!"

<i>Reputation exceeding reality? Why not just claim Thanes' reputation is nothing but hot air!?</i>

The churning sea seemed to mirror the Sea Emperor's wrath, as a heavy, enraged snort echoed across the waves. The earlier obsequious voice returned, sharper this time: "Audacious! Francis, you truly have a death wish, daring to defile the Sea Emperor's glory? Sea God's Forbidden Knights, seize him!"

The waves parted, revealing a colossal, roaring sea turtle that surfaced. Upon its armored shell, three formations of Steel-armored Crab Warriors were arrayed, each brandishing a two-zhang-tall (about 6.6 meters) fang-headed great axe in their pincer. The vanguard, directly facing the shore, charged forward with roars, a palpable wave of killing intent assailing Du Chen.

Before the warriors even reached him, the surging waves had already risen, advancing within three zhang of Du Chen. There, they seemed to crash against an invisible wall, stopping abruptly. They rose higher and higher in mid-air, unable to advance even an inch, piling up majestically like a city wall.

Yet, Du Chen remained standing with his hands clasped behind his back, making no move whatsoever.

"Body unmoving, waves calmed. To block the Forbidden Knights' surging waves and neutralize their momentum with merely the surge of your aura... Francis, among Water-element Battle Gods, you are truly worthy to stand beside Zigurd and myself. You have earned the right to converse with me as an equal! Sea God's Forbidden Knights, retreat!"

The Forbidden Knights parted, and the tide receded. From the colossal turtle disembarked a contingent of Sea Clan members, over twenty attendants strong. The leader, well over two meters tall, wore a sky-blue robe. He was flanked by two others, one of whom was an old turtle with a handlebar mustache. Given his appearance, his identity and status were self-evident.

The other person by the Sea Emperor's side, however, slightly surprised Du Chen: it was none other than Keane, the Earth War God!

That's right, the very Keane—the core power figure of the Thunder Halberd Batuk Family, the grand butler who watched Annie grow up from childhood! He was also the willing accomplice who aided the Batuk Family in their attempt to force a marriage upon Du Chen. To this day, whenever Du Chen saw him, he felt no hatred for anyone else but him!

<i>Why was he by the Sea Emperor's side?</i>

With a slight bow, Du Chen ignored the Sea Emperor and first smiled at Keane. "Old Sir, long time no see. Are you still hale and hearty? Why didn't you inform us when you entered my territory? Your junior would have made preparations to welcome you!"

Keane frowned, evidently less than eager to engage with Du Chen. "His Majesty the Sea Emperor is present, Francis. Let's save our reminiscing for another time. Your Majesty Thanes, please, after you!"

The Sea Emperor nodded slightly and strolled over to Du Chen, his slender eyes fixed on him. "Francis, why is it that I, Thanes, am less impressive in person than by reputation?"

Du Chen looked up, appraising Thanes. The Sea Emperor, appearing to be around thirty, was exceptionally handsome. Years of high office had instilled in him a lofty, regal bearing, and the uninhibited spirit in his brow was captivating. However, the occasional sharp gleam in his slender blue eyes made one feel distinctly uncomfortable.

The Holy Church's intelligence on the Sea Emperor flashed through Du Chen's mind: Thanes, naturally uninhibited and arrogant, with a fondness for martial prowess. He once disregarded his exalted status to travel far to Mount Wanliu, contending with a few obscure itinerant warriors—men deemed beneath contempt by the powerful—for the hollow fame of the "Five Peaks."

Professor Mina had even added an interesting annotation: "Dealing with this person, any softness will only earn his contempt!"

This was precisely why Du Chen had been so aggressive from the start!

Du Chen stared at Thanes. "The Five Peaks of Myriad Streams are renowned, and the Sea Emperor commands a myriad Sea Clan, holding a position of high esteem. Yet now, you are brandishing your power before someone else's home, doing something only degenerate house slaves would do. Given this, how could your reality not fall short of your reputation?"

Having spoken, Du Chen unflinchingly met Thanes' sharp gaze, neither haughty nor humble, but with proud directness!

After a long moment, Thanes suddenly burst into hearty laughter. "Zigurd is fortunate to have a student like you! Come! Fire the salute cannons, arrange the military formation, and present our calling cards! I, Sea Emperor Thanes, have come to pay my respects to Grand Duke Durkes, Du Chen, the Divine Envoy Francis!"

Du Chen smiled faintly. "Welcome, Your Majesty, to the Newin River Domain!"

...

This Sea Emperor was indeed interesting! In terms of martial prowess, he might have been on par with Du Chen, but in terms of status, Thanes was the Lord of Marine Life, an equal to the Pontiff himself. As soon as the two finished speaking, the sound of salute cannons indeed echoed across the waters. Squadrons of Sea Clan soldiers surfaced, nearly ten thousand strong, arrayed in a ceremonial military formation. Following Thanes, they approached with an air of equality, giving Du Chen ample face as they formally presented their calling cards and paid their respects.

Du Chen narrowed his eyes, glancing at the more than ten thousand elite troops in the sea, and the sacred artifacts of war among them. His mind raced with calculations. Suddenly, he noticed a particular scene!

Behind the Sea Clan's formation, amidst the spray of water as the army emerged, a dense crimson hue churned, accompanied by countless corpses. From their attire, it was evident they were of the same origin as the man Du Chen had saved earlier.

Could it be that the Sea Emperor had pursued some organization across vast distances, and after a great massacre, only the one Du Chen rescued remained?

After the greetings were concluded, the Sea Emperor laughed heartily. "Lord Francis, I came here to handle some confidential matters with the Batuk Family. Now, the task is almost complete, with only this one remaining!" He gestured towards the unconscious strongman behind Du Chen. "I hope Lord Francis will grant my Sea Clan some face and accept me, Thanes, as a friend!"

Little Beibei, watching over the man, whispered, "Daddy, he's so pitiful!" She looked at her father pleadingly. Du Chen, however, waved a hand, thinking to himself: <i>The Sea Emperor might be polite now, but he had, after all, brought ten thousand troops. Moreover, his Durkes City was right by the sea, and he needed the Sea Emperor's "friendship"!</i>

Besides, whether this unconscious strongman was good or bad, his origins were completely unknown. Was it truly worth risking a good deed for one life, potentially pushing Durkes City into becoming an enemy of the Sea Clan?

Thinking this, Du Chen chuckled. "Your Majesty has given me ample face; if I didn't reciprocate, I would be truly inept at dealing with people! Beibei, Alex, step aside!" Du Chen also cleared a path. "The man is here, Your Majesty, please!" Then, he instructed his guard captain, "Go to the ancient castle and prepare a banquet to host His Majesty the Sea Emperor!"

Thanes laughed heartily. "A banquet won't be necessary; I still have urgent matters to attend to! However, I, Thanes, now consider you a friend. The waters opposite Durkes City shall be calm and tranquil for the rest of your life!" As he spoke, he shot Keane a knowing glance.

Keane quickly stepped forward, hoisted the unconscious strongman, and rejoined the main Sea Clan contingent. An unexpected incident seemed about to vanish like smoke...

But at that very moment, Keane felt the strongman's body and exclaimed urgently, "Your Majesty, the item is gone!"

A sharp glint flashed in Thanes' slender eyes. "Impossible!" He personally inspected the strongman's body. "Damn it, it really is gone!"

The two exchanged a look, their gazes simultaneously falling upon Du Chen, then glancing at little Beibei and Alex, who had been watching over the strongman just moments before, as well as Du Chen's personal guard.

Du Chen frowned slightly. "Is Your Majesty looking for something? Haha, you're not suspecting my people took it, are you?"

Just then, the old turtle spoke in a sarcastic tone. "That's hard to say. We've been searching for this man at sea, and as soon as we found him here, he was already under your protection. As for what happened between you and him before we arrived... <i>humph humph</i>!"

Thanes suddenly glared at the old turtle, then turned to Du Chen, speaking sternly. "Lord Duke, though this fellow is rude, his words are not entirely wrong. Will Lord Francis prove his innocence? Hmm?"

<i>Damn it, are you two playing good cop, bad cop, performing a double act?</i>

<i>They want to search me?</i> Du Chen, the Thief Ancestor, knew full well that his people had absolutely not tucked away anything. When this strongman was rescued, he had nothing on him but the clothes on his back!

<i>A man lives by his face, a tree by its bark! A man's reputation in this world relies on his brothers and his face. If the Sea Emperor, with over ten thousand underlings, blocked his door and searched his brothers one by one, where would Grand Duke Durkes' face be if word got out?</i>

<i>But...</i>

<i>But the Sea Clan's army of ten thousand was arrayed on the sea surface, and sacred artifacts of war, numerous enough to blast even a Titled Battle God into dust, were right before his eyes!</i>

Du Chen dryly chuckled. "My brothers took nothing just now. Does Your Majesty not trust me?"

The Sea Emperor remained silent, but the old turtle muttered, "Empty words. Who knows if you, Francis, didn't steal our item and then just spout nonsense?"

At this moment, Keane, expressionless, interjected, "Francis, what we are looking for is of great importance. You... you should be serious about this!"

Du Chen rubbed his nose and smiled. He glanced at the still-silent Thanes, then suddenly chuckled. "The Sea Clan has lost something, and as close neighbors and friends, it is only right that we assist in the investigation. This matter is entirely natural and proper..."

In the Sea Emperor's slender eyes, a complex mix flickered: three parts surprise, three parts smugness, but four parts disbelief.

Du Chen suddenly changed his tone. "In former years, during the great battle on Mount Wanliu, Your Majesty and my teacher fought for many days, a truly exhilarating contest! My teacher still recalls that battle with deep nostalgia, yet harbors a slight regret—that day, Your Majesty, as the Supreme Being of the Sea, went to gamble on a fight in the mountains, unable to exert your full strength..."

At this, the Sea Emperor smiled. If he still didn't understand Du Chen's meaning, he would be unworthy of being the Supreme Being of the Ocean! "Well said! Indeed, that day's battle was not entirely satisfying. Does Lord Francis have any interest today in fighting me again on behalf of Zigurd, to spar a bit?"

"Please!" Du Chen waved his hand, ordering his guards and children to retreat. The Sea Clan army immediately swarmed forward in excitement...

<i>Heavens! A Titled Battle—this was a spectacle Battle Gods could only dream of!</i>

Even if Bonis hadn't died, how many Titled Battle Gods could there be? They could probably be counted on one's fingers! And most importantly, the strongest known Water-element Battle Gods on the Three Continents had always been Zigurd and Thanes. Now, Du Chen was to be added to their number!

The outcome of their duel directly concerned the title of the world's strongest Water-element Battle God! How could the Sea Clan Battle Gods not go wild with excitement!?

The Water Element on the sea surface wildly agitated. Thousands of Sea Clan Battle Gods surged onto the beach. Thanes shouted, "Let's go to the sky!" and swiftly ascended. The two were nominally sparring, but it was merely to save face and leave a retreat option. When it came to actual combat, who would show mercy? This wasn't Mount Tianshan or the City of Penance; could an ordinary beach withstand a Titled Battle? Du Chen followed him up.

A thousand meters in the air.

The Sea Emperor shook his arms, and the mechanical components on his wrists and shoulders transformed and combined, instantly becoming a long spear he held in his hand. Pointing it remotely at Du Chen, he declared, "You are my junior; I'll let you have three moves!"

Du Chen drew his Vanishing Snow Sword and waved it three times in succession. "Three moves have passed, Your Majesty. You may now act without reservation!"

It wasn't that Du Chen was arrogant; he now possessed that confidence! With his Four Trigrams fully activated and utilized with ease, and though his only Arcane Artifact at hand was the Sands of the Hourglass, his Titled Peak power was sufficient to fight the Sea Emperor openly and honorably!

"Good! Zigurd truly has an excellent student!"

Thanes charged forward with his spear, his form streaking across the sky like blue water. About a hundred meters from Du Chen, he abruptly halted, and the long spear in his hand suddenly transformed into countless spearheads that filled the sky. Each spearhead glimmered with points of seawater light, as if a sideways downpour had begun in mid-air. Simultaneously, the Sea Emperor's voice arrived first: "Deep Blue Rain, an all-directional attack! There's nowhere for you to hide; meet it head-on with your battle qi!"

Du Chen lightly raised his sword, executing a flourish before his chest. The surrounding air temperature plummeted abruptly, instantly dropping to freezing point.

The horizontally rushing rainwater also seemed to freeze, turning into dazzling, crystalline hailstones, slowing its pace. By the time it reached Du Chen, it had lost all residual power, every single drop turning back and falling to the ground.

"This move, Vanishing Snow!" Du Chen smiled faintly, gazing at Thanes a hundred meters away. A surge of heroic spirit filled his heart: the Five Peaks of Myriad Streams, whom he once had to look up to, were truly not unconquerable!

The Sea Emperor suddenly burst into hearty laughter. "Since Mount Wanliu, you are the first opponent who has compelled me to fight with my full strength! Come, receive my second move..."

Thanes' voice was abruptly interrupted. A splendid snow lotus suddenly materialized beside him, enveloping him in ice and snow, freezing his body stiff.

The Sea Emperor was greatly delighted. <i>Ha, he hadn't even noticed that Francis had already counterattacked! Interesting, truly interesting!</i>

It was only then that Du Chen's voice drifted over: "This move, Burial of Petals! How will Your Majesty break it?"

Thanes, frozen by the snow lotus, his limbs stiff, nevertheless laughed wildly. "Exhilarating! Why bother breaking it? I'll just blast it open!" As he spoke, he forcibly twisted his spear within the ice and snow. The crackling sound of breaking ice mixed with the Sea Emperor's fierce roar: "Deep Blue Roar!"

<i>Shatter!</i> The snow lotus beside him was forcibly shattered.

Du Chen narrowed his eyes, thinking to himself: <i>The Five Peaks of Myriad Streams, in their full power, were indeed formidable. That day in the City of Penance, the wounded Rebellious Dragon was crippled by this very 'Burial of Petals' move. Yet, Thanes had broken through it with the most dominant of methods!</i>

The two gazed at each other from a distance. Two moves had passed, and they had largely ascertained each other's capabilities...

Thanes suddenly held his spear horizontally across his chest. With a parting motion of his hands, the long spear split into two sections.

Du Chen was startled. <i>Heh, he had only taken Thanes' sacred artifact for a mere Ninth-rank weapon just now, and hadn't paid much attention. Who knew it was actually a Transforming Sacred Artifact, a rare sight for him! This was a new research topic; he'd have to study it later.</i>

As he pondered, Thanes crossed the two spear sections, forming a cross. "Francis, my next move is the Deep Blue Judgment. Be careful!"

Du Chen said loudly, "Your Majesty, I shall also be changing my move for this next attack. Be very careful!"

The two moved at the same time. Thanes flew up to seize the high ground, pressing the cross in his hand downward from his commanding height, a massive cross-shaped attack striking directly at Du Chen.

Du Chen coldly stared at the cross, but did not move. <i>The Sea Emperor's move would never be this simple; there must be a follow-up...</i>

Suddenly, the sound of surging waves boomed in his ears, and a wave of briny dampness, unique to the sea, soaked the hem of Du Chen's robe. <i>This was a thousand meters in the sky; where could a sea surface come from?</i>

Du Chen looked down to see the sea level below his feet suddenly rise out of thin air, forcibly elevating a thousand meters, majestically surging up to reach his very soles.

"That day on Mount Wanliu, with insufficient Water Element, I couldn't unleash this move. Today, remember this well; if you live to return, tell Zigurd about it in detail!" Thanes had already vanished while Du Chen looked down, his whereabouts unknown. But the surging seawater was like a mighty army of thousands of horses, grandly rushing forward!

Du Chen burst into hearty laughter. "Mount Wanliu, Five Peaks... Your Majesty wants a mountain? Then Francis shall give you a mountain!"

As he spoke, yellow sand swirled from his hand. The Sands of the Hourglass instantly transformed into a massive golden-yellow mountain, heavily pressing down upon the sea tide!

If one were to gaze from hundreds of li away, they would witness a bizarre and magnificent spectacle of sea and sky: a pillar of water shot up from the sea surface, striving upwards, while a great mountain suddenly descended from the sky, desperately pressing down on the seawater. Mountain and water, reflecting each other, locked in a battle to the death.

On the ground, the Sea Clan Battle Gods were already dumbfounded, and Keane was even more astonished!

The Earth War God knew better than anyone what Du Chen's towering mountain represented. Perhaps his battle qi was still insufficient, perhaps his mountain couldn't threaten an Eleventh-level Battle God, but no one could deny that the essence of this mountain was the most profound Earth Element in all creation!

"Damn it!" Keane stomped his foot in secret vexation. He hadn't thought much of Du Chen blocking the waves earlier, but the current situation filled him with deep regret. <i>If only I had known Francis would have this day, I should have pressed the forced marriage even harder back then. Fortunately, fortunately, Francis still has no lover, and Miss Annie still has no husband...</i>

If Du Chen knew what Keane was thinking, he might have been so angry he'd smash him with a mountain! But at this moment, he had no time to attend to Keane.

Hidden within the seawater, the Sea Emperor roared and laughed wildly. "Exhilarating, truly exhilarating! Waters of the Four Seas, aid me in this battle!" The water pillar grew even thicker.

Du Chen placed one hand on the mountain peak, pushing the mountain to suppress the water, while his other hand rose high. "Your Majesty the Sea Emperor, you summon the waters of the Four Seas, and I shall return you the Five Peaks!" He pressed down repeatedly with his arm, and five towering mountains stacked one after another, crashing heavily onto the water pillar.

In terms of battle qi, the two were on par. In terms of weapons, Du Chen surpassed Thanes. But in terms of technique, Thanes was equally stronger than Du Chen... So, what would determine victory at this point?

Even first-year children in Battle God Academy knew—when battle qi is equal, Earth conquers Water!

<i>Splash!</i>

The water pillar was shattered. A total of six towering mountains merged into one, descending from the sky and crashing heavily into the seawater. As the spray surged, the Sea Emperor was already suppressed beneath the peak. On the sea level, only a lonely little island remained.

"Your Majesty! Damn it, prepare the Sacred Artifact Cannons!"

The Sea Clan's sacred artifacts of war were set up, aimed at Du Chen as he slowly descended. Du Chen, however, merely smiled. "Your Majesty is truly formidable. Let our sparring end here today! Thank Your Majesty for your mercy just now!"

The great mountain in the sea vanished, and a whirlpool appeared. The Sea Emperor burst out from the seawater with a hearty laugh. "What an exhilarating fight! What are you doing? Put away those Sacred Artifact Cannons! It was clearly stated just now that this was a fair spar. If I lost, I lost. Do you want me to lose face among others?"

The Sea Emperor's straightforwardness actually made Du Chen develop a favorable impression—at least this man was a gracious loser!

Thanes returned to the sea surface side by side with Du Chen, heavily clapping Du Chen's shoulder. "Zigurd's battle qi, I don't submit to it! But his skill in teaching students, I do!"

Du Chen offered no explanation. Thanes suddenly lowered his voice, speaking only for Du Chen's ears: "Getting back to the main topic, what I'm looking for is of great importance. I lost, so I have no right to search you! But as a friend, give me some face—name your price, and I'll buy back that useless item from you!"

Du Chen thought to himself, <i>The Holy Church's intelligence on the Sea Emperor was a bit flawed, wasn't it? This Sea Emperor... interesting, truly interesting!</i>

In the future, Durkes City would still need to rely on the Sea Clan. Du Chen truly gave the Sea Emperor ample face, exchanging a few polite words, then suddenly waved his hand. "Personal Guards, heed my command! Undo your battle armor and allow His Majesty the Sea Emperor to inspect you, to see if any of you stole something just now!"

The Sea Emperor was slightly startled, but Du Chen's personal guard had already unfastened their battle armor. Even little Beibei and Alex, with innocent expressions, opened their vests, their four big eyes blinking.

"It's truly not on any of you? Keane, didn't you say that item must be in these people's hands? Now I've searched the last one. You, how do you explain this!?" Thanes stared coldly at Keane, pointing at the unconscious strongman.

Keane gave a wry, astonished smile. "This... my family's intelligence couldn't be wrong. That item clearly..."

He also didn't know what was going on!

Du Chen listened, utterly confused, and chuckled. "Your Majesty, this vicinity is my territory. If you need, I can mobilize manpower to help you search... Haha, we are friends, so I can open up my territory and allow you to search as well!" Du Chen began to ease relations with the Sea Clan. After all, having won the fight, inviting the Sea Emperor to search now wouldn't be "forced by circumstance," but rather an act of "noble integrity."

The Sea Emperor considered. "It's inconvenient for our Sea Clan to extensively search Lanning's lands. If you're willing, please keep an eye out for a purple wallet, the clasp of which is in the shape of a trident..." As he spoke, he glanced at Du Chen's eyes. Seeing Du Chen's expression unchanged at the mention of "wallet," he blinked his slender eyes, seemingly lost in thought.

After finishing, the Sea Emperor paused slightly. "Furthermore, along with that wallet, there might also be a piece of clothing—a red, close-fitting undergarment. That is a good item. If you find them, you only need to return the wallet to the Sea Clan; the clothing can be a part of my token of gratitude!"

Keane added, "There might only be such a garment; it's not certain... it might not even be there!"

Du Chen noted each detail, exchanged a few customary pleasantries with the Sea Clan, then respectfully saw the Sea Emperor off.

Watching the sea gradually return to calm, Du Chen picked up his children and asked, "My little darlings, what do you think? Is this Sea Emperor Thanes a good person or a bad person?"

Alex held up two fingers, a gesture whose meaning needed no explanation. "In the eyes of a master," he declared, "there is no good or bad, only strength and weakness. Thanes... is trash!"

Du Chen rolled his eyes in exasperation at his son's words. But little Beibei's sweet smile made him chuckle again. "Daddy, Thanes' temperament is so strange! One moment he's good, the next he's bad! Just now, when he deliberately told you he was looking for a purple wallet, that old turtle beside him was monitoring you with his Spiritual Power! It's a good thing you truly hadn't found that wallet, otherwise that old turtle would have exposed you on the spot!"

Du Chen suddenly realized. <i>No wonder the Sea Emperor had so easily told him what he was looking for! This fellow truly was... hard to pin down!</i> He dotingly tweaked the little one's nose. "Never mind the Sea Clan for now. Come on, let's go to the ancient castle! Hmm? Why are you all just standing there stunned?"

The guards were staring blankly at Du Chen, and their captain exclaimed, "My Lord, you... you just defeated one of the Five Peaks of Myriad Streams!"

"And I thought it was some great matter," Du Chen said. "Put on your battle armor and let's go!"

The guards numbly followed behind. <i>Defeating one of the Five Peaks of Myriad Streams isn't a great matter? My Lord, just wait for the Battle God Realm to be shaken tomorrow!</i>

...

Before the gates of Angelina Julie's Ancient Castle, the eerie old butler was meticulously cleaning water stains. Just moments ago, Du Chen and the Sea Emperor's battle had sent mountains and waters surging, as if a heavy downpour had occurred within a radius of over ten li.

"Daddy, this old man is so scary!" Little Beibei glanced at the old butler, then hid in Du Chen's embrace.

Du Chen laughed wryly. Ever since the Grand Matriarchs left the ancient castle two years ago, the eerie atmosphere had long dissipated. Yet, it was strange how this old butler still didn't seem "normal."

<i>Right, what was the name of this old man who guarded Julie's Ancient Castle?</i> Du Chen pursed his lips; he had long forgotten. There was no helping it; after two years, Du Chen had too many properties. How could he remember the name of every butler for each one?

Now, Du Chen's only impression of this old butler was that he had helped the Grand Matriarchs, looked very eerie, but seemed to have a decent character. He had managed the ancient castle for decades without ever making a mistake... and that was all; there was nothing else.

The old butler moved slowly forward, head bowed, like a zombie. "My Lord, you have arrived!" His greeting was chilling and lifeless, his voice filled with an Ectoplasmic Aura, utterly devoid of the respectful flattery other butlers showed Du Chen.

Du Chen didn't care about the old man's attitude. He nodded. "Hmm, I've come to inspect the ancient castle. You don't need to prepare anything; the Young Master will be preparing the food!"

"Very well!"

"Uh..." Du Chen wanted to ask a few questions, but he couldn't remember the old man's name. Fortunately, at that moment, little Beibei asked, "Old Grandpa, what's your name?"

Seeing the young lady in his master's arms, a forced, grotesque smile appeared on the old butler's face. "This old servant is Peter, Brad Pitt!"

Rolling his eyes, Du Chen entered Angelina Julie's Ancient Castle.

Upon entering, the two little ones voluntarily asked to explore on their own. One headed straight for the kitchen, while the other, smiling, held the old man's hand and followed Peter.

"Peter Grandpa, are you very, very old this year?"

"Replying to Miss, Peter came to this ancient castle fifty-two years ago. He is now seventy-three years old!"

"Do you really like Julie's... Ancient Castle?"

Peter's smile was eerie. He bent down to look at the little one. "How did Miss figure that out?"

Little Beibei fiddled with her pigtail, tilted her head, and her sweet smile deepened with dimples. "Because you've been in this place all alone for over fifty years, unwilling to leave, and seeing no outsiders. So you must really like it here! Otherwise, how could you have stayed?"

Peter remained noncommittal, merely curling his lips. With that ghostly appearance, it was impossible to tell if he was offering a knowing smile or making an eerie, frightening grimace.

Du Chen sat down in the main hall, gesturing for his guards to look around freely. "Peter," he said, surprised, "is it still just you in the ancient castle? Why haven't you hired any servants? Is the funding insufficient?"

Peter moved sideways to stand before Du Chen, with the sudden, horrifying drift of an Undead. "Rumors of a ghost castle have circulated for hundreds of years," he said, "no one is willing to come!"

<i>Indeed, with your ghostly appearance, which commoner would be willing to work for you?</i> "Alright," Du Chen said, waving his hand, "you take Miss around to explore!"

Peter, however, did not move. He lowered his head and said chillingly, "My Lord, there is something I must report to you first! This afternoon, I rescued someone on the coast. He is currently unconscious in the guest room..."

"Rescued someone? That's a good deed; Du Chen, the Divine will protect you!" Du Chen casually asked, "What kind of person is he? Does he have any items on him that indicate his identity or background?"

"His age is similar to mine, and his attire was like that of a slave. However, the items on her person were not something a slave could possess."

"What items?"

"A purple wallet, its clasp appearing to be the Sea Emperor's trident symbol..."