Chapter 3: An Unexpected Surprise for Them

Xu Huiping, Wu Xiaomei, and Hong Yingying exchanged glances as soon as they saw Zhang Pu, instantly confirming that he was exactly as they had expected—unfashionable, rustic, a veritable country bumpkin. The clothes, shoes, and everything he wore, inside and out, couldn’t have cost more than five hundred yuan altogether. To call them bargain-bin items would be generous.

Zhang Pu noticed that the smiles the three women strained so hard to maintain out of mere politeness instantly crumpled into awkwardness. To make matters worse, he had neither come bearing gifts nor seemed at all prepared for this encounter—whether out of haste or ignorance of social etiquette. In his previous life, perhaps he had truly been naive, but in this life, he had been deliberate. He had no intention of being a hanger-on in this household.

After the glory he had once known as Emperor Zhang in the world of cultivation, the current Zhang Pu could not stomach even the smallest humiliation imposed by others. And it wasn’t only pride that drove him. In this life, he had far more important things to do than study—he had to pursue immortality.

Staying in the Hong family’s cramped home felt suffocating, every corner an obstacle. How could one aspire to cultivate immortality in such a place? He would rather rent his own place, unfettered, his mind at peace, free from their meddling—a world of his own where he could tune out the noise of others.

As for the three women, even leaving aside Wu Xiaomei and Hong Yingying, who had seen plenty of rich, handsome young men at school and dismissed Zhang Pu in their hearts at first glance, even Xu Huiping, who always wore the mask of a dignified and virtuous woman for appearances, and who only took Zhang Pu in at her husband’s request, could not help but grumble inwardly. He was rustic, yes, but did he have to be so plain? Even if she were to help him dress up and present him as her own, he still looked utterly mediocre—a nobody among nobodies.

Women of Xu Huiping’s age often harbored a wolfish appetite for youthful men. Had Zhang Pu been a handsome youth, she might have welcomed him eagerly into her home, even indulging in fantasies. But as things stood, even daydreams seemed a luxury.

But what could they do? No matter how reluctant they were, now that he was here, they had no choice but to host him. Xu Huiping even showed Zhang Pu the room they had prepared for him in advance. The Hong family’s apartment was spacious; everyone had a small space of their own.

“Auntie, Xiaomei, Yingying,” Zhang Pu said, after finishing his tea, catching all three women off guard, “thank you for your kindness, but I’ve decided to rent a place outside so I won’t disrupt your lives.”

At first, Xu Huiping, Wu Xiaomei, and Hong Yingying could hardly believe their ears. What sort of play was Zhang Pu acting out now? This was almost too good to be true.

Yet as they saw Zhang Pu’s resolute expression, and knowing full well that their hearing was not at fault, they could not suppress the secret delight bubbling up within. They had wracked their brains trying to think of a way to drive this country bumpkin out, and now he was volunteering to leave! This was almost too good to be true.

Xu Huiping, in an effort to appear considerate, made some half-hearted remarks about whether he would be able to adapt to life outside, about being in an unfamiliar place and not knowing anyone. But Zhang Pu cut her off firmly: he was in his final year of high school, no longer a child—people his age in the past would already be married. If he couldn’t find a place to live on his own, who could?

In his previous life, Zhang Pu, still a callow youth, might not have been able to read the hearts of Xu Huiping, Wu Xiaomei, and Hong Yingying. But after a thousand years of experience in the world of cultivation, he could all but read their thoughts as if they were his own.

In the end, Xu Huiping feigned reluctant acceptance of his decision, even consoling herself inwardly: “He asked for this himself—when my husband returns, I have an answer ready.”

She offered to have Zhang Pu stay for lunch, but he politely declined, saying he had already eaten. Let her save herself the trouble and the expense, he thought; eating here would only be a torment.

Xu Huiping, perhaps out of a fleeting pang of conscience or perhaps still feeling awkward, insisted on having Wu Xiaomei and Hong Yingying accompany Zhang Pu to look for a place to rent, since they knew the area better. But with his centuries of insight, Zhang Pu could see at a glance the barely concealed impatience flickering across Wu Xiaomei and Hong Yingying’s faces.

A forced melon is never sweet. In his previous life, he had been naive and inexperienced, but now, with his mature temperament, how could he not understand this simple truth?

So Zhang Pu courteously refused Xu Huiping’s offer once more, repeating that he was no longer a child—at his age, people used to be married already. How could he not find a place to live on his own?

But just as he was about to leave, he seemed to remember something and added, “I’ll go look on my own first. If I really can’t find a place I like, I’ll come back and stay here.”

That final remark made the hearts of Xu Huiping, Wu Xiaomei, and Hong Yingying, which had just been lifted, suddenly drop again. Yet they could do nothing about it.

Zhang Pu felt a surge of satisfaction. Even scaring them a little brought him a certain pleasure. Yes, in his previous life, he had been too timid and compliant, but now he was no longer that person. In the world of cultivation, he had slain countless foes—how else could he have earned the title of Emperor Zhang?

Now he seemed to say to Xu Huiping, Wu Xiaomei, and Hong Yingying: Last time, you decided everything, and I lived according to your wishes. But this time, things are different. I, Zhang Pu, will decide my own fate!

Don’t think that being women gives you the right to belittle men, or that men must always yield to you. Whether you deserve respect depends on your own worth. Women deserve to be protected and cherished, yes, but if you choose to be wicked, I will show you no mercy—even teaching you a lesson or two, if need be.

There were women among the countless stars of the cultivation world whom Emperor Zhang had slain without hesitation. Some women were more ruthless than any man; why spare them out of some misplaced sense of benevolence, only to let them sow further chaos?