Longhu Mountain, Back Peaks
Lu Linglong stared at Sakata Gintoki, her fists clenched so tightly they trembled. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to punch this disgraceful idiot into the ground.
Ever since Feng Baobao had asked him, *"You showing off?"* this bastard had been too scared to even *fart* in her presence, acting like a complete coward. It pissed her off so much that she had immediately found an excuse to separate from Baobao and her group after arriving.
Unable to hold back her anger any longer, she snapped:
*"Sakata Gintoki! I *never* should've let you come! Weren't you all talk in the group chat? Dropping NSFW terms like 'balls' and 'prostate' left and right? Why the hell do you turn into a scaredy-cat the moment you see Feng Baobao?!"*
Gintoki forced an ingratiating smile. *"Ah, Linglong, you don't understand. Gin-san *never* argues with women—especially not brainless lunatics like her. It'd ruin Gin-san's *coolness*."*
*"Have you *ever* seen Gin-san fight with you girls in the group? No! Gin-san can proudly say—*never*!"*
*"But Gin-san *promises*—if this were a *man*, Gin-san would've *pounded* his two heads into the dirt!"*
Lu Linglong scoffed. *"You better keep your word, or *I'll* smash *your* stupid head first!"*
Zhǐ Jǐn Huā watched her best friend with a strange sense of unfamiliarity. The Lu Linglong she knew was sweet, cute, and a little airheaded.
But *this* Lu Linglong? Hands on her hips, cursing like a sailor—she was practically a *tyrannical big sister* now.
*What the hell happened in that chat group to change her this much?!*
Just then, Lu Linglong's number one fan, **Canglong**, appeared before her in a gust of wind.
*"Goddess Linglong! Long time no see! You've gotten even more beautiful! When's the next gathering for us *yiren*? Just name the time—I'll handle everything! It'll be *perfect*!"*
***"OH, FOR F*CK'S SAKE!"***
Gintoki's veins bulged as he took in the man's *simping* expression. Without another word, he *decked* Canglong in the face.
Punch after punch rained down until the man was sprawled on the ground. But Gintoki wasn't done—he *stomped* on him for good measure, snarling:
*"You fat *pig*! 'Goddess Linglong'?! Who the *hell* gave you permission?!"*
*"How *dare* a bloated *slug* like you call yourself 'Canglong'—a *protagonist* name?! Gin-san's turning you into a *maggot*! Crawl like one from now on!"*
Only when Canglong was barely breathing did Gintoki finally stop. *"Tch. If Gin-san *ever* sees you near Linglong again, I'll beat you *worse*!"*
Su Xiaoqi glanced at the half-dead Canglong, then at Lu Linglong. *"From what that fatty said, you've gotten pretty chummy with these *yiren*?"*
Lu Linglong grinned. *"Just networking. Gotta see who's worth 'operating' on for some extra points~."*
Before she could elaborate, another voice called out:
*"Yo, Linglong! Quite the lively crowd here!"*
Gintoki's face darkened. *"Goddamn *flies* everywhere—"*
But the moment he turned and saw who it was, his expression *instantly* brightened. He waved enthusiastically.
*"BROTHER-IN-LAW! OVER HERE!"*
Su Xiaoqi, Lu Linglong, and the others all *twitched* at the same time.
*This bastard had the *audacity* to say that in front of **Feng Shāyàn**?!*
Feng Xīngtóng blinked at the white-haired man. *"Uh… you are…?"*
Gintoki pulled him aside, slinging an arm over his shoulder. *"I'm your *future brother-in-law*. Call me *'jiěfu'* now."*
Feng Xīngtóng frowned. *"Seriously? My sister never mentioned you."*
*"Pfft, like she'd tell you about our *adult games*! She even *pretends* not to know Gin-san in public! But remember—I'm your brother-in-law now."*
*"Really? I'm still not convinced…"*
Meanwhile, Feng Shāyàn eyed her brother whispering with the white-haired man suspiciously. *"Linglong, who's *that*?"*
Lu Linglong laughed awkwardly. *"A friend…? But most of the time, he's… *not all there*. Just ignore him."*
Feng Shāyàn nodded, then glanced at Su Xiaoqi's group. *"They here for the *Luótiān Dàjì* too?"*
*"Yep!"* Lu Linglong grinned. *"But heads-up—*I'm* taking first place this time."*
Feng Shāyàn looked her up and down before snorting. *"You? *Good luck*."*
*"Xīngtóng! Let's go register!"*
*"Coming, sis!"* Feng Xīngtóng called back, then whispered to Gintoki: *"Brother-in-law, I gotta go. My sis is *super* domineering—watch yourself."*
Gintoki patted his shoulder. *"Don't worry! Gin-san *specializes* in handling that. Put in a good word for me, 'kay?"*
*"Got it, brother-in-law! See you in the matches!"*
---
Su Xiaoqi smirked at Gintoki's smug expression. *"So? You 'won over' your brother-in-law?"*
Gintoki puffed out his chest. *"Xiaoqi, sleep alone tonight. Gin-san's entering the *adult world*."*
Tokisaki Kurumi giggled. *"Ara~, if Darling needs a body pillow, I volunteer~."*
Zhu Zhuqing sneered. *"Who do you think he'd prefer hugging—*you*, or *me*?"*
Kurumi's smile froze. Her eyes flicked between Zhu Zhuqing, Lu Linglong, and Zhǐ Jǐn Huā's *assets* before muttering:
*"Hmph. *Big-chested monsters*."*
---
**Registration Area**
Su Xiaoqi was surprised to see the tournament had ditched paper draws for a *digital lottery system*.
*"Shocked?"* Lu Linglong whispered. *"With a *cheat* like you here, my great-grandpa and the Heavenly Teacher tweaked the rules to avoid strong fighters meeting you too early."*
*"Our group won't face each other in prelims either. Later, you and I will be auto-split into separate brackets. The rest? *Luck*."*
*"I only told my great-grandpa and Huā'er about you guys, but he probably told the Heavenly Teacher."*
Su Xiaoqi raised a brow. *"Damn. *Rigged* much?"*
True to her word, their preliminary matchups were all against *nameless* characters. Even Zhāng Chǔlán, Feng Baobao, Zhāng Língyù, Zhūgě Qīng, and Wáng Yě got easy opponents.
But—whether intentional or not—Su Xiaoqi was scheduled for the *second* match tomorrow… right *after* Zhāng Chǔlán.
*"Linglong, if Zhāng Chǔlán pulls his 'invincible' act tomorrow, just read the script I gave you. *Guaranteed* to make you the *star* of the show."*
Lu Linglong flushed. *"I'll do it… but *that line* at the end—can we *not*?"*
*"Everyone *knows* me here! I'll *die* of shame!"*
Su Xiaoqi sighed. *"Linglong, remember Nami? Her 'Everything Store Pirate Captain' persona earned her *how many* points?"*
*"Points > pride. That line's as *iconic* as your idol's quotes! It might feel cringe now, but once you say it? *Pure hype*—just like in Alabasta!"*
*"If you *really* can't… I'll have *Huā'er* do it. But then *I* get *her* points."*
Zhǐ Jǐn Huā *immediately* shook her head. *"NOPE. *Never*."*
Kurumi, intrigued, whispered to Zhu Zhuqing: *"Do *you* know the line?"*
Zhu Zhuqing shrugged. *"No. But if *they're* this scared… it must be *bad*."*
Kurumi smirked. *"Ara~, I wonder what script Darling will write for *me*~. No matter how *shameful*, I'll *nail* it."*
Zhu Zhuqing smirked back. *"Your world doesn't even *have* Shido anymore. Maybe try kissing *Shiori* for points?"*
Kurumi's face fell. *"…I'll send a clone."*
After a long internal struggle, Lu Linglong finally groaned. *"FINE! For points, I'll do it! But if anyone *laughs*—I'm *breaking* heads!"*
Su Xiaoqi grinned. *"That's the spirit! First place in *Luótiān Dàjì*? *Wiping out* Quánxìng? The points will be *insane*!"*
Lu Linglong's eyes glazed over as she giggled. *"Hehehe…"*
Zhǐ Jǐn Huā sighed.
*No matter how much she changes… that airheadedness is *eternal*.*
But she couldn't deny it—after tomorrow, Lu Linglong's name would *shake* the *yiren* world.