6 Chapter 6

"Who are you, and why did you suddenly barge into a private residence?" the Turtle Hermit circled Lin Ke, his eyes gleaming as he fixated on Klin's protruding little behind.

"Uh, could you help me? It seems that my head is stuck, and I can't get it out," Lin Ke mumbled with his head buried in the sand while struggling.

The Turtle Hermit, still regarding Lin Ke with suspicion, thought that this figure watching from the sand was a girl, but to his surprise, it turned out to be a boy.

With a puff, the Turtle Hermit yanked Lin Ke out of the sand.

As Lin Ke's bald head emerged, he looked at the Turtle Hermit's distinct long white beard.

"Oh boy, I finally get to see a real person, not just a character!" Lin Ke gazed at the Turtle Hermit's beard with admiration, excited to see an actual character from the anime.

Meanwhile, the Turtle Hermit was puzzled about what this kid was up to.

"Hey, hey, hey! What's a little bald guy like you doing here?" the Turtle Hermit inquired, still using his familiar voice, which sounded oddly familiar to Lin Ke.

"I've come to seek your tutelage," Lin Ke replied confidently, mirroring Klin's determination when he had sought a master back then.

"An apprentice, huh?" The Turtle Hermit hadn't anticipated that this little bald head would show up to become his disciple, and empty-handed at that. "Oh, so you've come to be my pupil?"

Lin Ke eagerly awaited some guidance from the Turtle Hermit.

"The thing is, apprentices typically bring gifts when they come, and this kid doesn't seem to understand that," the Turtle Hermit thought to himself.

But then, he considered that this might be an opportunity.

"Uh-huh!" The Turtle Hermit cleared his throat and seemed to have made up his mind. "Yes, as long as you bring me a beautiful girl."

The Turtle Hermit's demand was clear, and he pretended to be nonchalant, but Lin Ke saw right through him. The Turtle Hermit was clearly harboring some ulterior motives.

Lin Ke, however, had something else in mind—going to find Lan Qi.

"But!" the Turtle Hermit interrupted with a serious tone.

Lin Ke listened attentively, thinking that the Turtle Hermit was about to share some important wisdom.

"It must be a well-endowed one! Only the really pretty ones, you know. If they're not good-looking, you don't need to be my pupil!"

Lin Ke was utterly dumbfounded by this statement. The Turtle Hermit was, without a doubt, still the same old Turtle Hermit.

"What a lecherous old man! This geezer sure has a colorful imagination," Lin Ke muttered under his breath.

But the Turtle Hermit had more to say.

"If you can't find one, and you're truly determined to be my disciple, you can always make a contribution yourself."

The Turtle Hermit's gaze turned decidedly more sinister, and Lin Ke couldn't help but take a few steps back, fearing that the Turtle Hermit might lose control and attack him.

"Damn it! This old man is even more shameless than I thought!" Lin Ke exclaimed.

"Off you go then! Get me a pretty girl," the Turtle Hermit instructed, encouraging Lin Ke to go on his quest.

As Lin Ke left, he couldn't help overhearing the Turtle Hermit muttering to himself, "A pretty girl, a pretty girl."

The Turtle Hermit was, without a doubt, quite the character.

Indeed, the Turtle Hermit was just as Lin Ke had remembered, with his unmistakable routines and words.

"Hello there! What are you doing here, young man?" the Turtle Hermit sang as he danced around his beach chair, ready to bask in the sun.

"La la la (~ ̄▽ ̄)~ The big girl is about to arrive (~ ̄▽ ̄)~," he continued, humming a little tune, unaware that a grumbling old turtle was crawling out of the door.

"I finally understand now why you sent that immortal bird, the Nimbus Cloud! Your thoughts… I can't fathom!" the old turtle complained.

"I told you to stay quiet!" the Turtle Hermit retorted.

Lin Ke, meanwhile, made his way to where Lan Qi was located, contemplating the fact that, in the Dragon Ball timeline, Goku should be arriving soon.