Chapter 5876: The New Meaning of Old Fogey
Chapter 5876: The New Meaning of Old Fogey
“I refuse.”
Long Chen’s expression immediately changed when he heard this.
Liu Changtian was stunned at first but then flared up. “Do you really think I’d use my daughter as part of a deal?!”
“Are you not?” asked Long Chen, surprised.
“Of course not! Who do you take me for?!” Liu Changtian roared, his fury overwhelming Long Chen.
Realizing his mistake, Long Chen immediately looked embarrassed. “My apologies. That was presumptuous of me.”
Liu Changtian snorted coldly. “This dragon pillar may belong to the dragon race, but I’ve safeguarded it for many years. I can’t just give it away. I’ll allow you to comprehend the dragon race’s divine abilities in it, but in exchange, you must raise the Sovereign sprouts of my Undying Willow race to the same level as Liu Rujiao.”
Only then did Long Chen understand—this father-in-law wasn’t so generous after all. If he wanted something, he would make sure to get something in return.
After pondering for a moment, Long Chen replied, “I can train them like I trained Liu Rujiao. But whether or not they can reach her level is not something I can guarantee.”
Naturally, he left himself some wiggle room. If they couldn’t reach that level, it might be due to their lack of aptitude—it wouldn't be his fault.“Acceptable.” Liu Changtian nodded. Although he looked calm, he was overjoyed inside.
He had no idea how Long Chen had trained Liu Rujiao. With his pride, he would never stoop to spying on Long Chen. In fact, he did not even permit Liu Xihua to observe them.
Liu Qingyu’s defeat had shaken Liu Changtian deeply, making him all the more curious about how Liu Rujiao had grown so powerful.
Now that Long Chen had agreed, Liu Changtian’s goal was achieved. It was a mutually beneficial exchange.
As the palace doors opened, Liu Ruyan and the others were still pacing outside. When they saw Liu Changtian and Long Chen walking out side by side, all three froze in disbelief. Liu Xihua looked especially stunned.
What shocked her the most was that Liu Changtian was smiling. In all her memories, she couldn’t recall seeing him smile more than five times.
But today, Liu Changtian was in an exceptionally good mood, almost radiant. Even the aura around him felt different, as if he were a new man.
As they stepped out, Long Chen deliberately fell half a step behind and subtly made a victory gesture toward Liu Ruyan.
Though Long Chen knew full well that Liu Changtian couldn’t have missed it, he was confident that the old man wouldn’t understand what it meant.
Liu Ruyan and Chu Yan both smiled in relief when they saw that. They were genuinely amazed. Just how had Long Chen managed to win over someone like Liu Changtian? Perhaps only he could pull off something so improbable.
Above the palace, stars slowly rotated in the sky, as if the entire world were drifting through the cosmos. The sight made them feel impossibly small.
“Children, work hard. Although I don’t like it, I have to admit that the future is yours. I don’t know how much longer we old fellows can protect you,” Liu Changtian said.
He stared at the darkness behind the starry sky, as if looking at the eyes of beasts staring right at them through space. A chilling feeling of danger rose in the air.
His words sent a chill through Liu Ruyan and Chu Yao’s hearts. For someone as powerful as Liu Changtian to say such a thing…
However, Liu Xihua seemed calm, looking at Liu Changtian’s strong back with warmth in her eyes. She didn’t seem to care about the danger lurking in the starry sky, as long as she was with him.
“Sovereign Lord, what lies within that darkness?” asked Long Chen.
Liu Changtian turned to look at Long Chen and replied, “What is it doesn’t matter. What matters is that time is running out—for you and for the world.”
Long Chen’s heart trembled. That line echoed what that mysterious voice had told him—that time was slipping away. Were they speaking of the same crisis?
But before he could dwell on it, Liu Changtian abruptly changed the subject. “Let’s not talk about such heavy things. What I want to know is, what did you mean that day when you cursed me as an ‘old fogey’?”
This caught Long Chen completely off-guard. He was at a loss for words.
Chu Yao and Liu Ruyan stiffened as well. Things had seemed so harmonious just moments ago… Was a fight about to break out?
“You must be joking. How could I possibly curse you?” said Long Chen awkwardly.
He knew there was no muddling past this without some kind of explanation, so he straightened up and solemnly spoke:
“In our human race, the lamp is a symbol of light. It burns itself to give light to others, just like how you use you illuminate the path forward for the Undying race. Naturally, an ‘old fogey’ is an exceptionally senior-grade, qualified lamp—one that burns brighter and more fiercely than any other.”
“Long Chen, you really are shameless.” The Earth Cauldron’s scoffing voice rang out from the primal chaos space. It had clearly heard Long Chen’s earlier explanation—that old fogey was definitely an insult.
And yet, here he was, turning it into a glorious title, practically a badge of honor. What a flawless explanation. The Earth Cauldron had seen many things in its long life, but never had it encountered someone this brazen.
How did Long Chen manage to come up with such a shameless lie so quickly?
“Really?” Liu Changtian eyed Long Chen with a half-smile, clearly skeptical. It seemed he wasn’t so easy to trick.
Long Chen nodded seriously. “Of course. When the old fogey burns, it adds its own life oil to keep the flame growing stronger—yes, fanning the flames, getting brighter and more powerful.”
The more Long Chen spoke, the more passionate he became, like this ridiculous lie was gospel truth. His tone was filled with reverence, as if “old fogey” were the highest form of praise.
Though it clearly didn’t match how he’d said it that day, Liu Changtian didn’t press the issue further. He let it go.
Long Chen let out a quiet sigh of relief. Truly, accompanying a tiger was like walking on the edge of a blade. No one knew when the tiger would bite.
After a little more small talk, Liu Changtian finally said, “Originally, I had a plan for when our children broke through to the Human Emperor realm. But now, it seems we can advance that plan. Long Chen, take this time to prepare. I have an important mission for you.”
“Sovereign Lord, just give the order. Your son-in-law will go through fire and water for you without hesitation,” Long Chen said, immediately stepping into the role.
Liu Changtian glanced at Long Chen. This fellow really was cunning—he had claimed their relationship before Liu Changtian even had a chance to object.
But Liu Changtian didn’t say anything else. With a flick of his sleeve, he departed.
The moment he was gone, Liu Ruyan and Chu Yao both squealed in delight, throwing their arms around Long Chen in a tight embrace.