"You good-for-nothing! Get your ass back home!" Without giving Li Xiaofei a chance to protest, the man grabbed him by the ear and dragged him out of the Bai sisters’ room. He dragged him straight for the exit of Shenyin Pavilion.
Laughter erupted all around them. From Slick-Backed Yellow Hair to various pimps and bodyguards, many in Shenyin Pavilion had turned into amused spectators, chuckling and watching the scene unfold. Clearly, this wasn’t the first time this had happened.
"Oi, Yellow-Earring Mutt, did you drag Brother Chen in for free food and drinks again and put it on the boss’s tab?" One of the pimps laughed.
The smug Slick-Backed Yellow Hair let out a cocky laugh, his nose ring jingling as he spoke. "Heh, Brother Chen and I are like blood brothers from different mothers! How can you call it free-loading? This is called bonding!"
He smirked and continued, "Besides, Bai Zhi and Bai Xuan have been waiting for Brother Chen like devoted saints, keeping themselves chaste just for him! Now that he finally showed up, I had to help them out, right?"
Everyone inside Shenyin Pavilion knew there was an entanglement of fate between Brother Chen and the Bai sisters. The two girls were head over heels for him. Their affection was unwavering, but Brother Chen was a special kind of weirdo.
He was greedy and lustful. He was obsessed with finding a high-quality human woman to bear his children, all in the name of expanding the Li family lineage. Yet, ironically he wasn’t a high-quality human male himself.
His looks were lacking. His weight was excessive. His strength was pitiful. He had no status or influence.
The more people thought about it, the more they realized Li Qingchen was truly trash. Take his last stunt, for example. The public confession to Si Kongxue, the esteemed daughter of the Fengyu Merchant Guild. Not only was he brutally rejected, but he had been humiliated by her suitors.
Rumor had it that Si Kongxue’s brothers had even put out a bounty. The next time they saw him, they’d beat him to death. Even among his own people, the pimps and bodyguards of Shenyin Pavilion, the general consensus was, if Li Qingchen ever got himself beaten to death... well, it would be completely justified.
During daylight hours at District Ding-3, Fengling Residential Zone. Inside Apartment A33821.
"Holy shit. You’re really Old Chen?"
"Oh, hahaha! Didn’t expect me, huh? I ascended before you did!"
"I thought you were dead."
"Now, now, that’s where you’re wrong. I told you, I absolutely wouldn’t drop dead so easily."
"When did you ever say that?"
"Did I not? Oh, right, that’s my catchphrase here in the Outer World."
"How did you end up here?"
"Long story. Back in the day..."
"Then don’t explain it. What are you doing here?"
"I’m on a mission. Infiltrating Eden, uncovering the darkness hidden within the light, and then wiping them out in one fell swoop."
"Meaning... I’m still alive."
This ridiculous exchange finally confirmed to Li Xiaofei that the peach-blossom-eyed bastard in front of him was indeed Chen Fei, the bandit principal himself.
The so-called classified mission back then was just Little Aunt choosing him for ascension and sending him to Star Council HQ to investigate Eden. Why him? Because every person who had arrived in Chongque City from Heaven was under heavy surveillance.
Previous investigators? Dead. Injured. Vanished. Undercover agents? Not a single one survived. So, the higher-ups had no choice but to recruit people from outer colony planets, send them to Chongque City and figure out a way to sneak into Eden.
Chen Fei was one of the recruits. And his recommender? Little Aunt.
"This much trouble?" Li Xiaofei suddenly noticed a glaring issue. "What’s the point of investigating? Just send in an army, wipe out Chongque City, and be done with it. Why all the unnecessary effort?"
"Who knows?" Old Chen shrugged dramatically, "You make a fair point. But I have no clue."
Then, his face turned serious. "Let me give you a rundown of Chongque City’s current situation. Chongque City was built by Heaven as the headquarters of the Star Council, the governing body of 100,000 minor worlds. There are two power structures in the city.
"The first is the City Lord’s Office, and the other is the Council. The City Lord’s Office oversees four divisions, which each control four bureaus. They’re collectively known as the Four Divisions, Sixteen Bureaus.
“The Four Divisions are the Inner Division, which maintains law and order and handles legal investigations and trials; the Commerce Division, which manages all business and trade within the city; the Military Division, which oversees the stationed troops and defense forces; and last, the Dark Division, the most mysterious one that reports directly to the City Lord’s Office.
"The Star Council is structured into four levels. One Grand Chancellor, three High Chancellors, twelve Chancellors and one-hundred and nine Council Members. The Council and the City Lord’s Office operate in a system of checks and balances, both ultimately answering to the Heavenly Court.
"Now all of this is just the official structure. There are also gangs, merchant guilds, associations, societies, and countless other factions. On top of that, the city has a floating permanent population of about one million."
Li Xiaofei frowned and asked, "Alright... and what’s the deal with my previous identity?"
There was an actual Li Qingchen living here before he arrived in Chongque City, playing this role.
Old Chen shrugged, "Simple. He was one of us. You arrived, so he left. That’s all. We just made you a new 'suit' to wear. Otherwise, the appearance of a complete stranger would immediately draw attention from various factions."
Li Xiaofei wasn't satisfied and asked, "Then why couldn’t you pick someone more handsome and popular?!"
As a man who valued his own looks, he found his current identity’s appearance utterly unacceptable.
Old Chen let out a dry laugh as he explained, "Well, we’re running low on 'suits' lately, especially clean ones. There weren’t many options left that you could actually use, so this was the best we had."
"Besides," Old Chen smirked, "since your new identity and I are cousins, it makes it easier for us to connect without raising suspicion."
Li Xiaofei stared at his bare upper body in the mirror. His fair, plump figure was undeniable. His pectoral muscles, even more exaggerated than a 36D bust, began jiggling joyfully with just a slight movement. His belly fat was stacked in layers upon layers.
Damn.It’d be a miracle if I avoid a severe case of fatty liver.
"So... is everyone in Chongque City at the Great Saint level?" asked Li Xiaofei. He was eager to understand the average power level of this new map.
"No," replied Old Chen, immediately giving a straightforward answer.
He explained, "Shenyin Pavilion is one of the three top-tier brothels in Chongque City. So, even the lowest-tier courtesans there are at the Great Saint level."
"Oh. That’s a relief." Li Xiaofei let out a sigh of relief.
Although he had entered a new map, it would’ve been a bit too extreme if he had instantly stepped into a world where Saints were as common as dogs and Great Saints filled the streets.
But then, Old Chen’s tone shifted.
"However, you should know this. A Great Saint’s cultivation isn’t considered much here. They’re still in the bottom tier in Chongque City. Only true cosmic lifeforms are considered the real masters of this city. The Masters of the Four Divisions, the Directors of the Sixteen Bureaus, the Grand Chancellor, High Chancellors, and Chancellors of the Council are all, at minimum, at the Planetary Realm.
"As for the City Lord and the Grand Chancellor—their strength is completely unfathomable. If you want to secure a foothold in this city, you must quickly increase your cultivation and reach the cosmic lifeform level."
Li Xiaofei nodded. That had been within his expectations. He could already feel the food and wine he had consumed today transforming into pure energy and flowing throughout his body.
"How strong are you now?" Li Xiaofei asked curiously.
Old Chen lifted his head at a proud 45-degree angle, smirking as he replied, "Planet level."
Li Xiaofei was shocked, recalling how his aunt had previously explained the Outer World's power system, which was ranked according to celestial bodies. It went Meteor, Asteroid, Planet, Star, Neutron Star, Supernova and Black Hole.
Li Xiaofei himself had just barely touched the Dao Union Realm in Earth’s cultivation system. But in terms of actual combat power, he was already at Meteor level and capable of crushing Great Saints with ease. However, he was slightly weaker than Asteroid level. There was a massive gap between him and Planet level.
"Your strength was absolute garbage back on Earth. How the hell did you get this strong?" Li Xiaofei bluntly asked.
Old Chen rolled his eyes and replied, "The Outer World has far more resources and a complete set of universal laws..."
He waved his hand dismissively. "Whatever, you’ll figure it out soon enough. For now, let’s talk about you."
Li Xiaofei sat down and said, "Go on."
Old Chen nodded and said, "You’re trash."
Li Xiaofei slammed the table as he jumped to his feet, "The hell?! We might be close, but who the fuck let you roast me like that?!"
"Just let me finish." Old Chen continued, "I'm talking about your current identity. You are my cousin, one of the last remaining descendants of the Li family. The Li family was once one of the most powerful aristocratic clans in Chongque City. Your grandfather, Li Zao, was once one of the three High Chancellors of the Star Council. The family’s business empire spanned across military industry, public welfare, finance, alchemy, and weapon crafting.
“But your grandfather Li Zao, your father Li Wan, and many of the Li family’s strongest warriors were killed during a battle against an invading force. Once they died, the family fell into decline. Your family’s assets were devoured by competing forces. And worst of all, your grandfather’s sworn brother, Xu Qingming, betrayed the Li family, seized all its remaining wealth, and took your grandfather’s seat as High Chancellor..."
Li Xiaofei shook his head in disbelief.
Damn. This backstory is so over-the-top dramatic. But honestly, the more dramatic, the more realistic it is.
Old Chen continued, "Right now, you’re orphaned. The Li family’s only remaining asset is a small ancestral hall, where the tablets of your ancestors are enshrined. You swore to revive your family’s legacy. But your mother was frightened during pregnancy, leading to a premature birth.
“Thus, you were born with congenital defects. Your talent is abysmal. Your cultivation speed is horrendously slow. You have no skills in forging weapons, refining pills, or any other trades. On top of that, you're lazy, lecherous, and completely unmotivated. So, in the past ten years, the Li family fell even further into disgrace. You became the laughingstock of Chongque City."
"What the fuck?!" Li Xiaofei cursed out loud. "Who the hell wrote this garbage script?! This is—"
"Your aunt," interrupted Old Chen.
"Actually perfect..." Li Xiaofei immediately changed his tone. "She really stacked every possible adversity buff on me. If I don’t make a comeback, I’d be disrespecting her genius writing."
Old Chen rolled his eyes and kept going. "But, later, you came up with a genius plan to revive the Li family, and you’ve been actively working toward it ever since."
Li Xiaofei narrowed his eyes and asked, "What plan?"
Old Chen smirked and said, "You decided to marry a hundred wives and produce as many children as humanly possible. Your reasoning? If you have enough descendants, at least one or two of them will turn out to be prodigies who can restore the Li family’s former glory."
Li Xiaofei was utterly speechless. Theoretically, this made sense. But something felt off.
Old Chen continued, "So, you dedicated yourself to studying the art of evaluating women’s childbearing potential. You formulated the Pregnancy Power Theory and put it into practice. You even published a ranked list known as the Chongque City Top 100 Most Fertile Women Rankings. Then, you personally pursued every single woman on that list..."
Li Xiaofei was speechless once again.
Something is seriously wrong with this story arc.
Old Chen gave him a deadpan look and finished, "Thanks to your relentless efforts, extensive 'research,' and dedication to experimentation, you’ve become, well, not famous like you wanted, but infamous. Instead of winning over the women on the list, you became the public laughingstock of the entire upper class.”