Chapter 438 - 406: A Big Flex (Part 2)
Chapter 438: Chapter 406: A Big Flex (Part 2)
Feifei didn’t take the credit. It said, "You don’t have to thank me. This was all my master’s doing."
"Your master’s doing?" Zahar repeated, a look of slight bewilderment on his face. He didn’t quite understand what it meant.
After a moment’s thought, it clicked. He then guessed, "Are you saying that Li Qian went to ask his mentor for help on my behalf?"
Feifei shot Zahar a sidelong glance and teased in its loli-like voice, "You humans... you really don’t seem all that bright."
"Uh, why?" A question mark seemed to pop up over Zahar’s head. He didn’t understand why Feifei was mocking him.
Feifei pouted and explained, "The master is the master. Why would he need to go ask his mentor? Besides, who even is his mentor?"
Zahar replied subconsciously, taking it for granted. "Isn’t his mentor the owner of this research base?"
"My master *is* the owner of this research base. Why else would I call him master? It seems there’s a reason you couldn’t persuade the Rock Giant. You’re too slow, hehe!" Feifei said matter-of-factly, covering its mouth to stifle a giggle at the end.
"..." Zahar was left speechless.
In his daze, he suddenly realized something. He asked in disbelief, "Wait, are you saying that Li Qian is the owner of this Jade Research Base?"
Seeing that Feifei didn’t deny it, simply smiling without a word, a storm of shock instantly raged through Zahar’s mind.
He’d previously heard his roommate, Fatty An, call Li Qian a cultivation genius, and Zahar had been somewhat skeptical.
After spending some time with him, he had gotten to know his roommate a little. Besides having a huge appetite, his most prominent trait was his love for bullshitting.
So, when it came to the "genius" Fatty An described, Zahar figured the claim was probably exaggerated.
Now, hearing this astonishing news, his entire perception was instantly shattered.
Looking at Feifei’s silent smile, he couldn’t help but curse out loud, "Holy shit, how is that even possible? Isn’t he a freshman?"
And so, in this state of shock and confusion, Zahar dazedly made his way back to the research base.
After returning to the base, Zahar looked at Li Qian’s smiling face. He had a million things he wanted to say, but in the end, he just stammered, "Li Qian, are you...?"
Before he could finish, Li Qian nodded, a peculiar smile on his face. "Yes. Just as you thought, I am the owner of this research base!"
Although he had already gotten the answer from Feifei, hearing Li Qian confirm it himself still left Zahar shocked to the point of disbelief.
He looked at Li Qian, his shocked gaze quickly turning into one of reproach. "Damn it, why didn’t you say anything?"
Li Qian pursed his lips and shrugged with a helpless expression. "You never asked."
After a pause, Li Qian continued, "Besides, you already had it in your head that I was an intern here. How was I supposed to even begin to explain?"
Shaking his head to clear it, Zahar immediately thought of the other two. ’No way, something this mind-blowing... I have to let Fatty An and Old Lu experience this too.’
"Them...?" Li Qian asked, curious.
"They’re just outside the Secret Realm." Zahar pointed toward the Central Mountain Range of the Third Secret Realm. "We agreed this morning that they’d come with me to get my Pet Beast."
As soon as he finished speaking, he didn’t linger, but broke into a run and dashed out the main gate of the research base.
Soon, he appeared at the entrance to the Third Secret Realm.
Two figures were waiting at the entrance. When they saw Zahar appear, they immediately rushed over. "How’d it go?"
Zahar chuckled. "I’ve already formed a contract with the Rock Giant. Xiaoshi, come out and say hello to my friends."
As he spoke, he summoned the Rock Giant he had just contracted.
The Rock Giant let out a sullen grunt, not seeming to be in high spirits.
Zahar knew why. He was aware that the Rock Giant’s approval of him wasn’t very high yet, so he didn’t show it off for long. After letting them get a quick look, he recalled it.
His face alight with excitement, he continued, "The cultivation teacher at the research base is a pretty good guy. After my earnest pleading, he agreed to grant you two a special privilege and let you go inside for a look around."
"There’s a deal like that? We can’t miss this." Lu Tianjiao, not suspecting a thing, immediately agreed with excitement.
Fatty An’s reaction was about the same as Lu Tianjiao’s.
Zahar added, "I’ll take you guys in right now."
Soon, the three of them entered the Third Secret Realm. Because Li Qian had put in a word beforehand, the Secret Realm Guards didn’t stop them this time.
The trio moved quickly, and under Zahar’s deliberate guidance, it wasn’t long before they arrived at the Jade Research Base. "Here, this is the place."
Arriving at the research base, Zahar led them into the reception hall.
At the head of the hall was a chair with someone sitting in it. What puzzled Fatty An and Lu Tianjiao was that the person had their back to them.
’What kind of weird quirk is this?’
Neither Fatty An nor Lu Tianjiao gave it much thought, just assuming it was a special quirk of some big shot.
Zahar, feeling mischievous, deliberately put on a serious expression and reminded them in a low voice, "You two, bow to the teacher with me. Make a good impression, and maybe we can get some guidance from him in the future."
Fatty An and Lu Tianjiao didn’t think much of it and bowed along with him, greeting respectfully, "Hello, Teacher!"
"Ahem, hello to you too." Li Qian, sitting in the chair with his back to them, tried hard to suppress his laughter as he cleared his throat and returned the greeting.
Fatty An’s ears twitched. He muttered with his head down, "Huh, why does this teacher’s voice sound a little familiar?"
He tugged on the corner of Zahar’s shirt. "What should we call this teacher?"
The reception hall had 360-degree surveillance with no blind spots, so Li Qian saw Fatty An’s subtle movements perfectly.
Watching this, Li Qian almost burst out laughing.
Zahar was also trying hard not to laugh, his strained face turning slightly red. He whispered, "Teacher Li."
"Students these days are so impolite, talking about their teacher behind his back." Li Qian continued his act. He slowly turned his chair around, the corners of his mouth lifting into a mischievous smirk.
"Teacher, please listen to me..." Lu Tianjiao straightened up, about to defend himself and Fatty An, when he was met with Li Qian’s teasing gaze.
His mind went blank.
Instantly, it was as if his head had been struck by a heavy hammer, leaving him dazed and unable to process what he was seeing.
"What the hell is going on?" Staring at the impossibly familiar face in the hall’s main seat, he couldn’t stop himself from cursing.
"Pfft!" At that moment, Li Qian finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst out laughing.
"Hahaha..." Beside them, Zahar, his prank a success, also roared with laughter.
Fatty An was equally dumbfounded.
After the initial shock, he let out a cry of disbelief similar to Zahar’s earlier. "No way! Qianzi, this research base is yours?!"
Lu Tianjiao was the first to snap out of it, an expression of sudden realization dawning on his face. "I knew it! Qianzi, you evolved a Sunbird and a Three-legged Golden Crow! There’s no way the school wouldn’t have rewarded you for that!"
Fatty An also came to the same realization. He looked at Li Qian, his face instantly filled with reproach. "Qianzi, you’re so not cool! You kept this a secret until now."
Lu Tianjiao charged right over, reaching out to tickle Li Qian. "Yeah! You punk, you were playing us this whole time!"
"This wasn’t my idea! It was all Zahar’s doing," Li Qian hurriedly passed the buck, throwing all the blame onto Zahar.
Hearing this, why would Lu Tianjiao and Fatty An hold back? They immediately pounced on Zahar.
Soon, the three of them were wrestling in a heap. Li Qian watched the scene, smiled, and shook his head.