Jun Mo Xie returned home to find Tang Yuan already waiting. That fellow had arrived right after Jun Mo Wu had departed and had been waiting until now. "Tomorrow, then?" Jun Mo Wu asked, crossing his legs and eyeing him sideways.

"Tomorrow!" Fatty Tang nodded like a pecking bird. A hopeful gleam shone in his small eyes: "Third Young Master, my dearest brother, I'm putting my entire reputation on the line for you; you promised me before."

The Fatty put on the air of a close brother—'what's mine is yours'—and nearly lunged forward to hug the killer, Jun! He was incredibly agitated.

"Fatty, can you stop being so maudlin? Relax. As long as you follow my instructions to the letter, I guarantee zero problems." Jun Mo Xie didn't boast, merely calming the Fatty down. These past few days, Young Master Jun had certainly been busy setting things up.

He had already dispatched men to investigate that Eunuch Zhu. They had probed every single detail of the man's life. Besides his profound Xuan Gong and mysterious origins, the man was notoriously incorruptible. No matter the person, no one dared to seek undue favor under his watch. Furthermore, he executed tasks with meticulous attention to detail, never sloppy. Thus, His Majesty the Emperor entrusted him with any matter without hesitation, and the old eunuch never once betrayed that trust or made an error.

Beyond that, perhaps due to his physical handicap, Eunuch Zhu had accumulated an extremely peculiar habit over the years: a severe case of mysophobia (a pathological fear of contamination)!

Mysophobia itself wasn't a grave affliction; many people had it. It merely meant one was cleaner than average, by no means a vice. But this Eunuch Zhu’s fastidiousness had reached an utterly, profoundly, extremely abnormal level. Take bathing, for instance: regardless of season or how busy he was, he bathed twice daily without fail; after every wash, every single piece of clothing, inside and out, had to be changed.

Walking down the street, he absolutely refused to touch a tree that even someone else had brushed against. Even His Majesty the Emperor could do nothing about this peculiar affliction of his. Rumor had it that once, when His Majesty offered him a seat, the old eunuch leisurely pulled a snow-white towel from his sleeve and proceeded to meticulously wipe down every inch of the chair, front and back, before delicately sitting down on half of his backside. Before his behind had even warmed the seat, he got up again because His Majesty’s instructions were complete. The scene left the Emperor stunned...

As for his personal belongings, absolutely no one dared touch them. Regardless of how precious the item, if someone else had handled it, it was considered ruined, discarded. Worse still, the person who touched it would certainly pay the price—hand for a touch, foot for a kick. Whether any part of the body touched it carelessly or intentionally, the response was singular—gone!

His Majesty the Emperor, possessing sharp judgment and knowing how to utilize talent, tasked Eunuch Zhu with overseeing hygiene within the Imperial Palace. This decision gave the old eunuch considerable power while simultaneously making the palace maids and eunuchs utterly miserable. However, the results were undeniable: since Eunuch Zhu took charge of this area, the cleanliness level of the entire Tianxiang Imperial Palace was absolutely unparalleled on the continent!

The fact that Eunuch Zhu suffered from mysophobia was no secret; far too many people knew about it, and many had experienced it firsthand. Consequently, almost everyone made a great effort to avoid the old fellow, lest they violate the ancient pervert’s taboos, regardless of whether they could afford to offend him or not. Otherwise, the consequence would only be needless self-inflicted misery. Jun Mo Xie found researching this matter effortlessly simple. But this time, Jun Mo Wu intended to take the opposite approach—destruction is always faster than construction!

Given Eunuch Zhu’s devotion to his work, provided Tang Yuan’s body presented no issues, the report would surely be submitted. Moreover, Tang Family Patriarch had already smoothed over every connection point along the reporting channel; everything would proceed as scheduled.

Therefore, if they wanted Fatty to be disqualified, they could only tamper with this old eunuch. And what could truly shatter his sense of responsibility? Only his incredibly bizarre obsession with cleanliness!

"Fatty, tomorrow, an hour before the Eunuch Zhu examines you, take this medicine. Then, do exactly as I say, and everything will be settled..." Jun Mo Xie winked conspiratorially. "But, will this... won't this be too disgusting..." Tang Yuan clutched the life-saving pill, blinking as he hesitated.

"Then that's your problem. I've given you the plan; you weigh the options. Do you walk in and crawl around like a supplicant, or do you walk out enjoying carefree pleasure? Choose for yourself. Do whatever you want." Jun Mo Xie snorted twice. "No! Don't!" Tang Yuan immediately squeezed the pill in his hand, the muscles on his chubby face twisting: "I'll risk it all."

"Brave warrior, face it head-on," Jun Mo Xie patted his shoulder, his face a picture of deep, brotherly affection. "I will pray for your success. I will support you silently with my spirit from behind."

"If you could take the beating for me, that would be best," Tang Yuan lamented mournfully. "After this, the Old Master will probably skin me alive. Our family spent a fortune to make this event happen smoothly..."

"All I can say is... I truly sympathize with you," Jun Mo Xie sighed deeply, putting on a show of emotion. "When the dust settles after this incident, I will come visit you. Oh, and don't forget one crucial thing before you come: absolutely do not eat breakfast!" Tang Yuan nodded solemnly. "I remember."

Once Fatty Tang left, Jun Mo Xie was still bent over, laughing so hard he couldn't straighten up, long after the other man had gone a considerable distance... Jun Mo Xie was absolutely certain he could mess this up.

But what Jun Mo Xie never anticipated was that Fatty Tang would create an exceptionally, incredibly, monumentally colossal blunder regarding this matter. This blunder would directly become a legend across the Xuanxuan Continent, a tale endlessly recounted and savored by thousands, and Tang Yuan's name would become renowned across the land because of it—a complete and utter 'celebrity'! ... When Young Master Jun finally learned the truth, he had nothing to say but sweat, heavy sweat, a waterfall of sweat...

Rolling along with his ample girth, Tang Yuan left the Jun residence and directly bumped into Old Master Jun Zhantian returning with his entourage. Since they couldn't avoid each other—and given his sheer size, there was nowhere to hide—he had no choice but to approach hesitantly to pay his respects.

"Fatty, you're here to see my Mo Xie again? You didn't lose your wife in another gamble, did you?" Old Master Jun glared. "What trick are you cooking up now? Mo Xie hasn't seen much of you lately; has he actually improved somewhat!"

Tang Yuan panicked. Isn't that small bit of disgrace enough? Do you, a noble Duke, really need to bring it up every day to torment your junior like this? He stammered, unsure how to answer: "N-no." He instinctively hid his hands behind his back. "What do you mean 'no'? Am I a tiger? Why are you so frightened?" The Old Master looked puzzled. "What do you have in your hand? Show it to Old Man."

"N-nothing..." Tang Yuan instantly grew highly tense, shaking his head repeatedly while backing away. Suddenly, he tripped over something and fell backward with a thud, sprawling across the ground. His body's bulk bounced everywhere.

Old Master Jun Zhantian burst into laughter. "Look at the state you're in from fright. Do you think, because of my status, I’d steal something from you?" He stopped paying attention to the Fatty and walked inside, still chuckling heartily.

Tang Yuan wiped cold sweat from his brow, still shaken. He then realized the pill in his hand was gone. This realization shocked him profoundly. He immediately crawled on the ground, searching desperately for a long time until he found it again. This scare, this shock, and this panic made him break out in a cold sweat, causing Tang Yuan to become slightly muddled. He could no longer clearly recall Jun Mo Xie’s instructions. After racking his brain for a long time, only when he reached his own doorstep did he remember: Go! Absolutely, positively, never forget to eat breakfast!

Sigh, I honestly had no appetite after learning about this matter. But since Third Young Master said so, he must have his reasons. I suppose I’ll have to reluctantly eat breakfast. With that thought, coupled with the recent vigorous activity, his stomach began to rumble loudly. The next morning, Tang Yuan ate until his belly was round and tight. Letting out a satisfied burp, he swayed precariously on the horse—which was practically buckling under his weight—and headed towards the Imperial Palace alongside his father. Minister Tang beamed with pride along the way. To prevent any accidents, he had invited numerous people to examine his son over the past few days, certain that this time there would be no mishap. Except for his son being a bit overweight, there wouldn't be any issues whatsoever. Minister Tang was therefore brimming with confidence. What was a little extra weight? As the saying goes, 'A man of virtue must carry weight to command respect!' Minister Tang surveyed his son, who was making the fine warhorse struggle just to move forward, and for the first time, he found his son's excess fat rather pleasing; how auspicious! Each harboring their own thoughts, they arrived at the palace. While waiting, Fatty Tang seized an opportunity, timed it perfectly, and swallowed the pill Jun Mo Xie had given him. He felt his throat was a bit dry, so he grabbed a ladle and gulped down half a belly of cold water before feeling considerably more comfortable. Nine people were participating in this selection: four were nominated by various influential families, and five were recommended by court officials. To navigate the connections among such a field of formidable rivals, Minister Tang had truly invested heavily in his son's future this time! Little did he know that his son was currently vexed about this very issue and had already arranged a brilliant plan with his best friend, Jun Mo Xie, to sabotage the entire endeavor. If that pair’s plan succeeded, Minister Tang’s massive investment would be for naught... Now, it seemed, it was no longer a matter of 'if'—Minister Tang was destined to lose everything he invested...

Eunuch Zhu’s method of assessment was certainly scientific: entering from one side and exiting directly home, never encountering those who hadn't been tested yet. Thus, as each person went in, the remaining crowd grew more nervous. It was widely known that Murong Qianjun, although he passed the previous test, had walked with his legs turned out for over a month afterward... Everyone knew this. Just what kind of examination would cause Murong Qianjun to walk pigeon-toed? The more they speculated, the more wildly their imaginations ran, and the more they trembled. A sense of shared sorrow gripped them—like rabbits mourning the fate of the fox. To be played with, and nearly crippled, by a eunuch—wouldn't that leave a psychological scar? If word got out, it would be a colossal scandal...