Chapter Eighty-Eight: Crisis Emerges!

Today could be said to be the most peaceful day Chen Bo had experienced in recent times. No one caused trouble, Yu Shifei didn’t hit him, and he was even rewarded with a large sum of Yuan Stones by the emperor. Life couldn’t be more wonderful.

But what frustrated Chen Bo the most was that in this world, there was no such thing as the “Fast-Building Pill”—a pill that seemed almost mythical.

The Fast-Building Pill. If this term were mentioned on the Wilderness Continent, not one in a hundred million would know what it was. But on Earth, anyone who had read enough fantasy cultivation novels would be familiar with it.

This was a pill that, once taken, allowed one to go without food for a long time—essentially a diluted version of the legendary immortal bean. In some ways, it was even more incredible than the immortal bean!

Except it didn’t have healing properties, the Fast-Building Pill wasn’t like the immortal bean that only allowed a week without eating. Some advanced versions could enable one to go hundreds or even thousands of years without food—utterly insane!

Otherwise, how do you think those powerful beings who secluded themselves for thousands or even tens of thousands of years survive? They have to eat too! Haven’t you seen in Journey to the West how formidable Zhu Bajie is? He was an immortal, and a very powerful one at that, yet he still needed to eat.

As for Zhu Bajie appearing weak and unable to defeat even minor demons, Chen Bo seriously suspected that the version of Zhu Bajie in the Journey to the West world was deliberately hiding his strength! His power was definitely not inferior to Sun Wukong’s!

Remember, Zhu Bajie was once Marshal Tianpeng, a disciple of Donghua Zhenjun! And who was Donghua Zhenjun? He was the one who single-handedly created the Heavenly Court—the Eastern Emperor Taiyi! His power was comparable to that of a saint!

A disciple of the Eastern Emperor Taiyi cannot be weak! Even someone like Zhu Bajie needed to eat mantou every day.

Returning to the present, Chen Bo had finished all the food in his dormitory again. As his strength grew, he found his appetite increasing. This was no good!

Just as he was about to go out, Bai Ge and the others arrived, excitedly dragging Chen Bo out for drinks. After a night of drinking and chatting, it was already evening.

Guo Zi’ang, finding the cup too troublesome, grabbed the wine jug and downed it in one gulp, making Chen Bo’s eyes almost pop out.

The alcohol on the Wilderness Continent was no weak spirit; distilled liquor was common here. The jug Guo Zi’ang just downed was definitely no less than 40 degrees proof—gulped all at once! His drinking capacity was astonishing, and his tolerance even more so.

“I say, why do you all look so down?” Chen Bo asked, puzzled. They had been chatting for a while but hadn’t cracked a smile. Dugu’s rare smile aside, Bai Ge and Guo Zi’ang were known optimists. What was weighing on them?

Bai Ge hesitated, then set down his cup with a bitter smile. “Brother Chen, this might be the last time we get to buy you a drink.”

“Huh? What happened? Is something wrong?” Chen Bo frowned. With their strength and backgrounds, trouble seemed unlikely.

“Well, we... are out of money,” Bai Ge said haltingly, an awkward expression on his face.

Guo Zi’ang, ever blunt, said, “It’s because of that life-and-death fight you had with Chen Long the other day. An old man opened a gambling game that day. The three of us bet all our savings, but after you won, that old man disappeared without a trace.”

“When we tried to find him, it was like a fog obscured his face—we couldn’t remember what he looked like. We really got screwed! I, Guo, have never felt so wronged in my life. To be played like that…”

“Best not let me see that old man, or I’ll make him regret it!”

Hearing this, Chen Bo finally understood the situation. It turned out Yu Chenling was the swindler, and he had even tricked his own brothers!

Though angry, what could be done? They couldn’t beat him in a fight or in words. Let’s keep it civil.

Besides, Tianyang Academy belonged to them. Fighting on their turf was just asking to be slaughtered.

Chen Bo was genuinely worried that Guo Zi’ang might seek revenge on Yu Chenling. Even if he didn’t die, he’d likely be skinned alive.

“Brother Guo, I advise you not to stir up trouble with that old man. You can’t win!” Chen Bo hurriedly warned.

“Can’t win? Brother Chen, do you know his strength? You know him!” Bai Ge was sharp-minded and saw through him instantly.

Chen Bo didn’t hide it. “I do know him. That guy is the dean of Tianyang Academy! His strength is unfathomable; with just a finger, he could reduce us to ashes.”

Clatter, clatter, clatter.

That was the sound of something dropping. Bai Ge swallowed hard, then asked, “The dean of Tianyang Academy?! Brother Chen, how do you know him?”

“This matter…” Chen Bo wanted to explain but found he couldn’t recall exactly how he met Yu Chenling. His memory was truly terrible.

After pondering for a long while with no clue, he sighed softly, “Ah! It’s a fateful curse! A binding curse!”

Those words carried a heavy weight.

Brother Chen didn’t seem the type to indulge in romantic entanglements, so why call it a curse? It was baffling.

Wait! He remembered! Didn’t Brother Chen have some inexplicable, complicated relationship with the dean’s daughter, Yu Shifei? Could it be he was playing both sides?

Chen Bo didn’t know. He had just spoken casually, yet those three suddenly let their imaginations run wild.

“What’s going on with you guys? You were all so down just now, and now you’re looking at me with those strange eyes? I know I’m handsome, I know I’m charming, and I attract girls more easily than the three of you.”

“But there’s no need to look at me like that, it’s unsettling. And I’m not into men, so don’t get any ideas! I already like someone!” Chen Bo said, looking frightened. Their wolfish gazes were terrifying, like being surrounded by a pack of relentless old ladies—too much pressure!

“Ha ha! Nothing, nothing. Brother Chen, you’re incredible. Old Guo admires you! Truly admire you!”

“Yes, yes, Brother Chen, you’re a hidden gem, a role model for us all!”

“Hmm, impressive!”

Chen Bo didn’t know what to say. Since when did these guys become so fond of playing mysterious? Listening to them felt eerie—was it just his imagination?

Unseen by Chen Bo, not far away stood a dignified middle-aged man. His sinister gaze fixed on Chen Bo, a cold smile creeping across his lips as he muttered, “At the Meat Refining Realm and daring to compete for Shifei with me? Truly ignorant of death.”