Lofty Breasts, Crimson Undergarments

Du Chen's heart stirred. He countered, "Does she also have a red, form-fitting undergarment?"

Peter nodded, completely unconcerned about how Du Chen knew something he hadn't yet revealed.

"Take me to her immediately!"

Du Chen inwardly cursed. *What an incredible twist! Could the very thing Thanes was searching for be right here with Peter?*

And the coincidences didn't end there. The person Peter rescued was housed in Guest Room Number Seven, near the upper-level corridor – the exact room where Du Chen had stayed with Porter last time, and where he'd discovered the Grand Matriarch's Portraits!

Carrying his daughter, Du Chen entered Guest Room Seven. The sight of the person lying on the bed made him subtly freeze, a momentary lapse that caused him to miss Beibei's equally bewildered expression.

Peter eerily explained, "I was fishing by the coast this afternoon when the waves washed this person ashore. Seeing they still had some breath left, and wouldn't die, I dragged them back and provided some basic treatment." His implication was clear: if they had been beyond saving, he wouldn't have bothered.

The rescued individual lay unconscious on the bed. As Peter described, it was an Old Matriarch, around seventy, with blue and white hair, her face aged and gaunt, cheeks sunken, and a bloodless, pale complexion. Her attire was identical to the unconscious burly man Du Chen had just saved – a simple homespun robe. However, beneath her robe, she wore a red, form-fitting undergarment!

The Old Matriarch seemed to have suffered internal injuries; there were no external wounds. She slept soundly, and the purple wallet rested on the nightstand beside the bed.

This attire, these items—nine times out of ten, they were the target of the Sea Emperor Thanes!

Du Chen picked up the wallet. It was exactly as the Sea Emperor had described: a foot square, crafted from purple beast hide with exquisite workmanship. On the open market, it would undoubtedly be a luxury item that noble lords would readily spend a fortune on.

Opening the trident clasp, the wallet had three layers, yet it contained nothing. It was utterly empty.

But what kind of man was Du Chen? His hands traced along the central seam of the wallet… Strange. There was no hidden compartment. Du Chen tried common methods like heating it with fire and soaking it in water, but ultimately, it only proved that the wallet was just an ordinary, unexceptional luxury item!

Why would the Sea Emperor and the Batuk Family launch a massive slaughter over such a mundane item?

Du Chen frowned and asked, "Besides these, did you find anything else?"

Peter shook his head stiffly, then eerily asked Du Chen, "Sir, if you revive this Old Matriarch with your powerful battle qi, wouldn't everything become clear?" His unspoken meaning was: *This Old Matriarch is still unconscious. Stop staring at her treasures; why don't you try saving her first?*

Du Chen's old face flushed. He secretly chastised himself, *Ah, with the Precious Lotus Scripture reaching its Fifth Trigram, I've grown somewhat neglectful of minor acts of kindness involving a life or two. This isn't good, not good at all! One shouldn't refrain from good deeds just because they seem insignificant!*

He turned back to examine the old woman, but discovered something even stranger: the red form-fitting undergarment beneath her homespun robe. This garment was entirely crimson, like a diving suit, covering her from neck to wrists, and down to her ankles. Aside from her head, hands, and feet, her entire body was encased within it. Moreover… there were no buttons on the garment; it seemed seamless, as if it were a second skin grown directly onto the Old Matriarch's body.

Du Chen's eyes narrowed. This Old Matriarch was strange in every respect! Peter had only used common healing methods, which had little effect. Du Chen, however, activated his Sands of the Hourglass, emitting a soft glow, and with the aid of his battle qi, slowly invigorated the old woman's circulation. In moments, she stirred awake…

She glanced around, startled for a moment, then urgently asked, "Did you save me? Is it safe here?"

The moment the Old Matriarch spoke, Du Chen froze, and Peter too was stunned. Only Beibei mischievously stuck out her tongue, burying her face without a word. The Old Matriarch's eyes immediately fell on the purple wallet on the nightstand. She snatched it up and clutched it to her chest, then cautiously thanked Du Chen for saving her life.

After hearing her speak several sentences, Du Chen finally chuckled in exasperation. A man speaking like a woman was called effeminate! But what about a woman with a booming, resonant voice? A eunuch's voice? That was exactly how this Old Matriarch sounded! Du Chen smiled inwardly. "Old woman, this is my ancient castle, located on the Southern Coast of Rick Province. It's very safe here!"

"The coast? No, I cannot stay here!" She struggled to get out of bed, but her heavily injured body made movement impossible. In her haste, the Old Matriarch actually blurted out, "Damn it all to hell!"… Then, she looked at Du Chen anxiously, pleading, "Since you've saved me, please see it through! Can you immediately send me to the inland? Preferably somewhere like a desert or a wasteland… Believe me, staying here will only bring disaster upon you! I, a dying old man, cannot implicate you!"

"An old man!?" Du Chen abruptly fixed his gaze on the old person before him. *Why did she refer to herself as an 'old man'? My eyesight can't be that bad, can it? Although this Old Matriarch's breasts sagged, they were unequivocally a woman's breasts, and one could easily imagine her youthful figure as 'remarkably well-endowed.' With a figure like that, could his discerning eyes possibly mistake her gender!? And not only him, but Peter too? It was utterly preposterous!*

The Old Matriarch noticed Du Chen's strange gaze, as if realizing something. She nervously glanced down at her red form-fitting undergarment and chuckled awkwardly, "Us old folks often joke with our old men, switching terms of address. I just haven't broken the habit yet…" Her booming voice continued, "But never mind that now, both of you! I truly will bring trouble upon you. Please, send me away quickly!"

Du Chen faintly sensed something, but didn't vocalize it. He merely patted Beibei and smiled, "Old woman, are you afraid of the Sea Emperor pursuing you?" The old person stiffened. Du Chen then chuckled, "You and many of your companions offended the Sea Emperor over this purple wallet in your hands, leading to Thanes personally leading an army to hunt you down across a thousand miles. Now… only you remain! Is that right?"

The old person was moved to tears, then asked suspiciously, "How do you know all this?"

Du Chen slightly altered the recent events and recounted them to the old person. The old person's eyes widened. "Damn it all! You're not lying!? You took care of that bastard Thanes?" Convinced that Du Chen had no reason to lie now, she suddenly threw her head back and roared with laughter. With disheveled hair, utterly unconcerned about her internal injuries flaring up, she straddled her legs, hands on hips, and laughed so hard she swayed back and forth…

Du Chen was utterly speechless! This Old Matriarch's mental state was truly… a Battle God Physique Plant-Type Hormone Disorder!

After the old person had her fill of laughter, her expression turned serious. "It seems safe here for now! My name is Fak. Who are you?" Du Chen countered, "Before you ask me, shouldn't you first introduce your origins?"

Fak vehemently shook her head. "Although you are my Benefactor, I cannot say anything!" With that, she clutched the wallet tighter to her chest. Feeling a little apologetic, she added, "Don't blame me for being unreasonable; this Old Matriarch's secrets cannot be revealed to anyone! Otherwise, it could lead to bloodshed on a massive scale!"

Du Chen shrugged. "Alright then, I won't ask! My name is Francis, and this is my territory. No one will dare trouble you here. Rest and recover in peace!"

The old person seemed unfamiliar with the name Francis, despite it being renowned across the Three Continents. She continued to clutch the wallet tightly on the bed, watching Du Chen carry his daughter and exit the guest room.

*Clang.* The moment the door closed, Du Chen said, "Peter, go tell the guards I brought to stay in the room next to Fak's!" Peter went off with a grim expression. Du Chen then asked Beibei, "What do you think?"

The little one mumbled, counting on her fingers, "Just an ordinary Six-Star Battle God, and heavily injured!"

"I asked about *their* gender!" The little one chuckled, scratching her head. "Beibei doesn't know either! Their spirit is clearly a man's, but their body is a woman's…"

Du Chen rubbed his nose. "Is it related to that red garment?" The little one shook her head, smiling foolishly, unable to articulate.

Du Chen frowned, muttering to himself, "This old fellow's undergarment style looks familiar!" After a moment's thought, the number seven on the guest room door gave Du Chen a clue, reminding him of the first time he had shared a room with Porter! Porter also had a similar undergarment! Though his was black, the lad had said it was a family heirloom, excellent for defense… Suddenly recalling Fak's gender fluidity, Du Chen's heart gave a 'thump,' and he stared down at his daughter!

Beibei raised her small hands with an innocent expression. "Daddy, don't look at me like that! Beibei swears, Porter has no issues at all; he's your loyal little brother! If—if Beibei is lying, you—you won't buy me any more snacks, okay?" The little one made a serious, 'vicious' oath!

Only then did Du Chen relax, the sudden thought that had popped into his head receding.

But the coincidence was too striking. Fak possessed a garment of the same style as Porter's. If it were ordinary noble attire, a 'wardrobe clash' would be understandable, but the garment on Fak was clearly a protective treasure – the Sea Emperor himself had confirmed it. For such a treasure to 'clash' in style, there had to be something more to it! Something even Porter himself didn't know! Du Chen secretly decided that once these matters were resolved, he would take Fak to meet Porter!

Du Chen was lost in thought. Beibei, not getting an answer after her oath, anxiously grabbed Du Chen's hair. "Daddy, don't you trust Beibei?" she asked, feeling wronged.

Du Chen quickly offered a placating smile. "My darling, you've sworn on no snacks; how could Daddy not trust you? Go, first explore where our old grandmas Lily and Lucy lived in the ancient castle, then tonight, we'll go on an underground adventure!"

Beibei's tears turned to laughter, and she joyfully ran off, turning a corner directly into the kitchen.

Alex, wearing a small apron, was dissecting a dairy cow with a butcher's knife larger than himself. A roaring fire blazed nearby. The little fellow was utterly focused. Beibei walked up and patted his head. "Little brother…"

"The Master dislikes being disturbed when busy!" Alex stated gravely.

Beibei, however, gave a sweet smile and said in a sugary voice, "My cute, cute little brother… Big sister wants to discuss something. Daddy might not buy big sister snacks anymore, so you secretly make some more for big sister, okay? Don't let Daddy know!"

Alex rolled his eyes. "Who told you to swear on snacks and trick Daddy? Hmph, not my problem!"

This lad, far away in the kitchen, separated by several floorboards and nearly a hundred meters, had actually… heard Beibei's recent oath!

Beibei wasn't surprised in the least. She pouted, "No choice, Uncle Flaying told me about Porter being a girl after he learned from Aunt Sherine, so he warned me beforehand! He – he threatened big sister so much, I was scared!"

"Or did you just find it fun?"

Seeing her brother's righteous indignation, Beibei suddenly lunged forward, snatched the butcher's knife, threw it aside, and straddled Alex. Her little hands, smeared with cooking spices, then kneaded Alex's cute little face like dough, while she pleaded, "Please, my dear little brother!"

"Waaah!" Alex burst into tears.

After forcing her brother to sign a series of unequal snack-making treaties, Beibei finally let Alex go. She clapped her hands, stood up, and looked at her grimy brother.

Alex, with a face full of salt, cumin, and soy sauce, suddenly flipped over and sat up. He knelt on one knee, one hand behind his back, and with the other, raised two fingers to his forehead. He gravely stated, "Fak's garment should be 'The Blade', but I don't know the origin of that purple wallet. Keep a close eye on it!"

"Huh? How do you know that's 'The Blade'? And what *is* 'The Blade'?" Beibei asked curiously.

Alex shook the fingers pressed to his forehead. "The Master needs no reasons!"

…

After enjoying a meal cooked by Alex, night fell. The guards and Peter were asleep. Du Chen checked, and Fak was indeed fast asleep. Only then did he carry his daughter and son to the underground prison where Kuban had once been held captive.

The cage was still there. Seeing the shackles on the ground, Du Chen smiled knowingly, recalling how Kuban had once mistaken him for Wolf and cried out for rescue.

With a flick of his Sands of the Hourglass, he slowly excavated the hard rock beneath the ground. Digging down thirty to fifty meters, a tunnel appeared before Du Chen's eyes.

Little Radar Belmonde squinted his eyes and peered ahead. "Daddy, it's safe inside! But… there's someone exactly like you!"