Compared to Tang Chen's months of wandering through the wilds, Cheng Yang's quiet life in Tiandou City seemed far too peaceful, almost shamefully so for someone with the title of Great Sage.
Most of his days were spent teaching Dugu Bo the basics of chemistry and soul poison control, or simply chatting with Bing Di.
After spending so long around him, the Ice Emperor was no longer the naive, temperamental little scorpion she used to be.
She could now hold her own in an argument, sometimes too well for Cheng Yang's liking.
Lately, he hadn't been too motivated.
His work with mechanical technology had hit a bottleneck; the hydraulic machine tools he'd designed were usable, but the processing accuracy was so poor that even an old craftsman with a file could outdo the machine.
Without precision, there was no way to make better versions.
For now, the project would have to rely on trial and error and the patience of the artisans.
His other project, cultivating hexaploid wheat, wasn't going much faster.
Only recently had he discovered that the wheat on the Douluo Continent was tetraploid, which explained why all his composting efforts hadn't improved the yield.
If he could produce hexaploid strains, it would change agriculture forever.
But the process was slow; even with greenhouses, it'd take at least a year to see results.
With nothing urgent to do, Cheng Yang spent the afternoon teaching Bing Di how to play billiards, a game he'd just introduced to the city.
"Alright," Cheng Yang said, lining up his shot.
"The goal is to sink the colored balls, but not the white one."
Before he could finish, a deep voice echoed from outside the shop.
"Is this the residence of the Great Sage? Tang Chen of the Clear Sky Sect requests an audience!"
Clack!
Cheng Yang froze mid-shot.
The cue ball ricocheted neatly off a cushion and rolled straight into the pocket.
Bing Di blinked. "Didn't you just say the white ball shouldn't go in?"
"Don't worry about that!" Cheng Yang sighed, setting down the cue.
"Come on, this one's interesting."
"Who's Tang Chen?" Bing Di asked, following him reluctantly.
"Is he supposed to be impressive?"
Cheng Yang smiled faintly.
"You could say that. Give it a few decades, and he might even be stronger than you."
"Hah! Don't joke. No human could beat me unless they're level ninety-nine!"
"Exactly," Cheng Yang said, patting her on the head as he led the way downstairs.
"He'll probably get there. But don't be jealous, humans burn bright and short. He'll live a few hundred years at most."
They reached the front door.
Cheng Yang opened it to find a tall, broad-shouldered teenager waiting outside, rough hands, weathered by training, but eyes clear and respectful.
"Excuse me," Tang Chen said, bowing slightly.
"Does the Great Sage live here?"
Cheng Yang hesitated.
"...Unfortunately, yes. That's me."
Tang Chen blinked, clearly thrown off.
The "Great Sage" in his imagination was an old man with a long beard and calm eyes, not a young man in a white coat who looked barely older than him.
"You... are the Great Sage?" he asked uncertainly.
"Just Cheng Yang," he corrected.
"No need for titles, I'm only in my twenties."
Behind him, Bing Di's voice piped up in a teasing whisper, "In your twenties? Says the million-year-old fossil pretending to be young~."
Cheng Yang ignored her and gestured for Tang Chen to come in.
"Sit. Have some tea. You've come a long way."
Tang Chen followed, taking a seat across from him while Bing Di perched nearby, arms crossed, studying the visitor with curiosity.
"So," Cheng Yang began, pouring tea.
"What brings the most promising genius of the Clear Sky Sect to my door?"
Tang Chen rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Ah… I wouldn't say I'm the most promising. My elder brother and sister are both incredible."
He smiled, embarrassed, but Cheng Yang noticed the quiet confidence behind the words.
The boy wasn't boasting. He knew his strength.
So this is Tang Chen, Cheng Yang thought, hiding a grin behind his cup.
The future Clear Sky Douluo. Let's see how much of that potential I can push.
After gathering his thoughts, Tang Chen looked up and said earnestly,
"You are known for your wisdom, Senior Cheng Yang. I came here first to thank you for the help you gave to the disaster victims last winter. But also… to ask something more selfish."
"I want to know how to help people live better lives. More abundant, more peaceful, like the paradise you once described in your story."
Cheng Yang blinked, taken aback.
He hadn't expected a question like that from a young genius of the Clear Sky Sect.
For a moment, he studied the boy in silence.
Tang Chen's eyes were steady, bright, without deceit or pride.
His hands, though calloused from wielding the hammer, also bore the rough lines of someone who had worked in the fields.
This kid… he actually cares about the world, Cheng Yang thought, a trace of admiration flickering in his chest.
He leaned back in his chair and said slowly,
"That kind of life, the paradise you're imagining, can't be handed down from someone else. It has to be built by the people themselves. Anything given by another is just charity, and charity never lasts. Only what one earns belongs to them."
He set down his teacup, eyes thoughtful.
"Even if one day you become a peerless powerhouse, able to crush mountains with a step and stir the sea with a swing of your hammer, even if you force kings to lower taxes and spare their people suffering… You won't live forever. When you die, the rulers you frightened will return with vengeance, and the people you protected will pay the price."
Tang Chen fell silent.
He hadn't expected the Great Sage to deny him so directly, but Cheng Yang's words struck deep.
His dream of becoming strong enough to protect everyone suddenly felt… fragile.
Still, he straightened his back.
"Even so," he said, his tone steady, "I believe you must have other ways, ways to make the people's lives better. You, of all people."
His gaze drifted toward the front of the shop.
"That large pane of glass by your door… I doubt someone like you would make something so luxurious to flaunt it. You must have found a way to make colored glass cheaply. So why not share it? If everyone could afford it, homes would be brighter, warmer in winter. Isn't that a start?"
Cheng Yang couldn't help smiling faintly.
The question was naive, but not foolish.
The kind of naive idealism that deserved respect.
Before he could respond, Bing Di snorted from her seat, arms crossed.
"You really think that would make things better? Don't be naive, boy."
Tang Chen frowned, meeting her sharp gaze.
"Why not? If the cost can be lowered, anyone could eventually afford it."
He wasn't good at arguing with Cheng Yang, but he wasn't about to be talked down by this strange, overconfident girl either.
Bing Di's teal eyes narrowed, amused by his defiance.
"You don't believe me? Then let me give you an example."
She stood, a glint of challenge flashing in her eyes.
The truth was, she had come down today only to see this so-called Clear Sky genius for herself, and she'd been impressed, though she'd never admit it aloud.
His body radiated potential, his soul power refined even at this young age.
His talent was so monstrous it almost made her uneasy.
Hmph, she thought, crossing her arms again.
'A human with roots like that shouldn't exist. If I don't put him in his place now, he'll outgrow the chance to ever be humbled.'
Cheng Yang watched the tension rise between the two with a sigh.
The corner of his mouth curved slightly.
So it begins.
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