Likes Them Chubby

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“You’re joking, right? You want to duel me?” The black-clad disciple named Jue Ya sneered as he arrived at Konglan Valley, his gaze fixed mockingly on Qin Gou.

Qin Gou’s expression remained calm. “If I win, you’ll return the spirit stones and pills you took, and Chen Keshai will become my servant disciple, severing all ties with you.”

Jue Ya’s cold eyes flicked to Chen Keshai, and he grinned cruelly. “You? A new disciple who’s been here less than a month?”

“Yes, me.”

“And if I refuse?” Jue Ya smirked, amused.

Qin Gou sighed, spreading his hands.

“We’d also like to see Master Qin’s true strength,” came a voice from the gathering crowd.

In moments, fifty or so new disciples surrounded Qin Gou and Jue Ya, forming a tight circle around them.

“If you refuse, Senior Brother Jue Ya, you’ll stay here today,” Qin Gou said with a gentle smile.

Veins bulged on Jue Ya’s forehead as his anger flared. “You dare threaten me?”

“Threaten? Senior Brother Jue Ya, have you forgotten the rules of the Seed Demon Holy Sect? ‘Threaten’ is such a naive and weak word. Where did you even learn it?” Qin Gou cracked his knuckles, prompting laughter from the crowd.

In the brutal Seed Demon Holy Sect, the idea of putting an arrogant senior disciple in his place was a fantasy many had entertained.

“Fine, you’ve got guts!” Jue Ya snarled, his tone venomous. “But tell me, if you lose, what do I get?”

Qin Gou pulled out five high-grade spirit stones, their radiant energy swirling in his hand.

Jue Ya’s pupils contracted, and a sinister smile spread across his face. “I accept.”

“Please, Senior Brother Jue Ya, let’s move to the dueling arena,” Qin Gou said, gesturing politely.

“Just don’t chicken out,” Jue Ya retorted, summoning a small sword-shaped flying artifact and soaring into the sky.

Qin Gou led a procession of disciples, including Shen Tianyin, Cao Yilin, and Chen Keshai, marching grandly toward the dueling arena. Their presence drew attention wherever they went.

***

Dressed in a tight black outfit that accentuated her alluring figure, Gu Feiyan arrived at the bustling dueling arena, flanked by her followers.

Wherever she walked, the crowd instinctively parted to make way.

Gu Feiyan frowned slightly, her red lips parting as she asked, “Why is the dueling arena so crowded today?”

“Shall I clear them out for you, Senior Sister Gu?” a male disciple offered.

Gu Feiyan waved him off. “I just want to know the reason.”

A female disciple explained, “Apparently, a new disciple challenged Jue Ya, wagering five high-grade spirit stones. If he wins, he’ll take one of Jue Ya’s servant disciples.”

“That idiot Jue Ya,” Gu Feiyan muttered, her cold, glassy eyes flashing with disdain. “I had arranged for him to face Sun Yushu to evaluate his progress, and now he’s wasting time fighting some greenhorn? If he embarrasses himself against Sun Yushu later, he’ll have no one to blame but himself.”

The female disciple nodded. “But that new disciple is peculiar. Despite being new, he’s managed to rally so many supporters. It’s quite unusual.”

“That servant must be very beautiful,” Gu Feiyan said with a sly smile.

“What?”

“The servant Jue Ya is wagering,” Gu Feiyan elaborated, her smile turning mischievous. “For someone to risk five high-grade spirit stones, that servant must be extraordinary.”

“That servant… is a man. A chubby little guy,” the female disciple said awkwardly.

Gu Feiyan’s smile froze. After a moment of silence, her expression turned strange. “A preference for men? And chubby ones at that?”

The female disciple stifled a laugh. “The cultivation world really does have all kinds of people.”

***

On the dueling platform, Qin Gou noticed Gu Feiyan’s radiant figure in the crowd. Mu Man’er’s intel had been spot on—his disciple hadn’t let him down.

For some reason, though, Qin Gou felt Gu Feiyan’s gaze lingering on him. Her clear, captivating eyes seemed to hold a complex emotion, leaving Qin Gou puzzled.

Could it be that his appearance, altered by the “Perfect Disguise Talisman,” perfectly matched Gu Feiyan’s ideal type, making her heart flutter?

“Are both participants ready?” a black-clad steward asked, his gaze sweeping over Qin Gou and Jue Ya.

“Yes,” they replied in unison.

“Place your wagers with me. The winner will receive them after the duel,” the steward instructed.

Qin Gou floated five high-grade spirit stones to the steward with his spiritual energy. Meanwhile, Chen Keshai, looking sheepish, stepped forward to stand beside the steward.

Out of the corner of his eye, Qin Gou noticed Gu Feiyan’s shoulders twitch slightly when Chen Keshai appeared, further deepening his confusion.

But none of that mattered. Qin Gou’s primary goal was to make Gu Feiyan aware of his presence in the sect and leave a favorable impression.

According to Mu Man’er, Gu Feiyan despised people who flaunted themselves obnoxiously. Even the most eloquent flatterers would find themselves harshly reprimanded. She preferred to observe quietly, discovering beauty and authenticity on her own.

Take Yang Buchu, for example. His failure to understand this had earned him a lashing and a humiliating punishment. If Gu Feiyan hadn’t been in a good mood that day, his fate might have been far worse.

Qin Gou vividly remembered the system’s evaluation of her: “Capricious and ruthless, harming countless others.”

“Begin,” the steward announced, pointing skyward. His voice, amplified by spiritual energy, echoed across the arena.

A black short staff appeared in Qin Gou’s hand. Jue Ya formed a hand seal, summoning his spiritual tool prototype—a nearly complete manifestation resembling a glowing white kite.

“Have Sun Yushu prepare to fight next. This duel will end quickly,” Gu Feiyan said lazily, stretching languidly. Her curvaceous figure drew many admiring glances. “That boy hasn’t summoned his spiritual tool prototype. He’s likely relying on surprise tactics, which means he doesn’t believe he can win head-on. With the gap in their cultivation levels, his defeat is inevitable.”