(Bonus Chapter) 10: Ch 10: An Immortal?
(Bonus Chapter) After bidding a respectful farewell to his very first graduate disciple, Zani waited until the massive crowd finally dispersed.
Then, enlisting the help of his inner disciples, he cleaned up the courtyard and firmly secured the heavy iron gates of the Iron Core Gym.
Knowing human greed, he was well aware that some of the martial artists and merchants present today might have looked at him and seen a fat, juicy piece of meat, or a foolish young master carelessly flaunting his immense wealth.
But Zani was no longer an ordinary mortal.
Thanks to his unyielding daily regimen of profound deadlifts and weighted squats, he could now lift 230 kilograms.
In terms of raw, explosive power, his physical foundation was entirely equal to a standard Skin Tempering expert.
The only difference was that his mortal skin had not yet been tempered, thus lacking the profound resilience to deflect actual forged weapons.
However, his raw strength would only continue to grow, and he was firmly shielded by the Imperial decree that explicitly forbade any martial artist or cultivator from harming mortals without a valid, karmic reason.
For now, his position was as stable as Mount Tai.
The grand graduation spectacle he had just orchestrated was an absolute necessity, as it would only bring endless benefits.
With his gym’s reputation surging to the heavens, he would never lack eager youths practically begging to join, giving him the perfect justification to raise his tuition fees.
Moreover, capitalizing on his newfound wealth, he planned to increase his inner circle of fully sponsored, ‘seeded’ disciples from five to ten.
These youths would form his true, unshakable foundation, loyal disciples who would help him farm System quests, protect his profound secrets, and eventually rise as the elders of his future sect.
Naturally, such grand ambitions required a mountain of silver to sustain.
Meanwhile, within the towering walls of Grains City, the atmosphere inside the Mayor’s Manor was incredibly solemn.
“Mayor, your foresight is truly profound,” a man murmured, offering a deep, respectful bow.
Just an hour prior, he had been standing outside the Iron Core Gym as the representative of the Mayor’s Manor, but now he stood reverently before a simple-looking, middle-aged man.
Nodding slightly, Mayor Salam’s expression turned sharp and serious.
“Tell me.
Was that expert present?” “Mayor, I did not detect the aura of any hidden expert,” the men reported carefully.
“But it is entirely possible that due to my weak strength, my dog eyes failed to recognize Mount Tai.” “That is indeed possible,” Salam replied, thoughtfully tapping his fingers against his heavy wooden desk.
“Recite the entire event to me.
Leave no detail out.” “Yes, Mayor.” Cupping his fists, the man meticulously recounted everything, detailing the specific martial artists hidden in the crowd, the flawless forging of the pure iron weights, down to the exact words Zani had spoken.
Even after analyzing the report from every possible angle, the two men were still unable to grasp a definitive clue.
“Strange…
truly strange,” pacing the room, Mayor Salam muttered with furrowed brows.
“From the arrogant yet measured way this mortal spoke, to the heaven-defying wealth required to forge those weights, and the warnings Sythe sent in his secret letters…
everything points to an unfathomable expert standing behind this gym.” “Mr.
Mayor, what if we are simply overthinking things?” the subordinate asked with slight hesitation.
Waving his hand dismissively, Salam shot the idea down.
“Impossible.
I believe what I fear the most is actually the truth.” “And what might that be, Mayor Salam?” Shaking his head, Salam let out a heavy sigh.
“I fear an Immortal is using this rural gym as a chessboard.” “An…
an Immortal?!” The men’s eyes widened in sheer, unrestrained terror.
“Hmm.
But the Imperial laws are strict.
As far as I know, true Immortals are forbidden from interacting with common mortals without a valid, karmic reason.” “Then how should we proceed, Mayor?” “For now, let’s just watch,” Salam ordered decisively, his eyes flashing with calculation.
“Have a talented youth from our manor officially join their ranks to monitor the situation.
And send a stern warning to the three dojos as well.
I do not want any of them making a stupid, fatal mistake that could provoke senior’s wrath, especially that hot-headed fool, Shifti of the Swift Leg Dojo.” “Yes, Mayor!” Bowing deeply, the men quickly exited the office, leaving Mayor Salam alone in the stifling quiet of the room.
Walking to the window and gazing out toward the distant borders of Big Wheat Village, a complicated expression warped Salam’s face.
“Let us hope this is a benevolent Senior, and that I can forge a karmic connection with them.
This might be my only chance to break through to the third stage of the Body Tempering realm.
I have been stuck at the peak of the second stage for far too long…” Lunchtime.
Back at the Iron Core Gym, Zani was enjoying a hearty meal with his seeded inner-circle disciples, savoring the incredibly expensive and nourishing deer meat for a change.
“Heavens, it tastes so good!” Elisi mumbled, her cheeks completely stuffed with the tender meat.
“Senior Zani, if you had told me I could enjoy such heavenly treatment every day, I would have promised to deadlift four hundred kilograms!” Raising an eyebrow, Zani glanced at the gluttonous girl.
“Who said I will feed this to you daily?” “You won’t?” Elisi pouted pitifully.
“Absolutely not.
Deer meat bleeds pure silver.
Now eat up before your junior brothers and sisters snatch your portion.” “Okay!” Watching the disciples eagerly bicker and train under his roof brought a profound wave of comfort to Zani’s heart.
He truly felt like a revered Sect Master overseeing his domain.
However, just as he was about to formally announce his grand plan to increase the number of inner disciples, a heavy sound echoed from the front main doors.
Knock!
Knock!
“Elisi, go check the gates,” Zani ordered casually.
Freezing mid-chew, Elisi, who was fiercely contending with her juniors to snatch the last pieces of meat, wanted to protest the injustice.
But seeing her master’s stern, unquestionable gaze, she could only reluctantly put down her chopsticks and run out.
Returning a few moments later, her expression was slightly wary.
“Master, there is a burly, rugged man waiting outside.
He claims he was sent by the Young Master to meet you.” Hearing this, Zani stood up so fast his chair scraped loudly against the stone floor.
Then, he Hurriedly started adjusting his robes to present a flawless front while barking out rapid orders.
“Elisi, quickly go and invite that Senior inside with the utmost respect!” “And why are the rest of you still eating?!
hurry up and clean this table!
Take the leftovers to the storage room!
Go, hurry!” As the adjoining kitchen had long been repurposed into a secure storage room since Zani never bothered to hire kitchen staff, the panicked youths frantically scrambled to clear all evidence of their expensive feast.
Hurrying out to the Main hall, Zani saw Elisi respectfully escorting a tough-looking, broad-shouldered man with a thick brown beard.
The man exuded a fierce, almost suffocating aura.
Seeing this, Zani, Immediately cupping his fists and offered a slight, accommodating bow to show respect.
“Greetings, Brother.
May I know if you were sent by Young Master Leo?” Hearing the greeting, the rugged man turned and nodded slightly.
“Yes.
My name is Bai, and I was instructed to assist you in any way I can.” “Oh, Brother Bai.
Welcome.” Zani Smiled politely while probing carefully, “May I ask…
are you a mortal, or a martial artist?” “I am a mortal,” Bai replied smoothly, his hands clasped firmly behind his back.
“But do not worry.
My physical strength is more than enough to contend with any Skin Tempering expert.” “Oh?” Nodding respectfully, Zani gestured for Bai to enter the main hall and While acting as the gracious host, Zani secretly activated the System’s Talent Evaluation Eye.
Instantly, a translucent interface flickered above the bearded man’s head.
[Talented] Seeing the prompt, Zani’s heart leaped with profound shock.
Another genius?!
Just how terrifying is Young Master Cuby Leo’s background to casually employ so many hidden dragons?
Once seated inside the makeshift office, Zani personally poured the herbal tea.
Exchanging polite pleasantries for a time, they built a superficial rapport before Bai finally brought up the main issue.
“Master Zani, I was told I am to work as a Training Instructor at your establishment.” “Yes, the Young Master mentioned before parting that he would send me a capable helper.
But to think that helper would be a dragon like Brother Bai!” Laughing warmly, Zani expertly played the part of an accommodating host.
However, as the tea in his cup began to run low, Zani’s expression shifted, turning entirely serious.
He desperately needed to confirm this man’s qualifications with the System first before he dared to officially hand over the instructor title.
“Brother Bai, what I am about to say might sound rude and arrogant,” Zani began carefully, maintaining his polite mask, “but my gym cannot simply accept any instructor.” “What do you mean by this, Brother Zani?” Frowning, Bai’s thick eyebrows furrowed together.
“What I mean, Brother Bai, is that I must first test you.
I need to see if you possess the true capability to guide my disciples, as the profound iron dumbbells, specialized equipment we utilize here are vastly different from ordinary stones.” Cupping his fists apologetically, Zani continued, “So, please forgive this junior in advance if you fail the evaluation and I am forced to show you the door.” Hearing this absurd audacity, the burly, fierce-looking man sat perfectly still.
However, deep inside the puppet hollow body, Little Leo was erupting with a heaven-shaking fury.
I traveled all this way!
I fought a brutal battle of wits with my mother!
I wasted precious time adjusting the joints on this stupid new puppet!
And this mortal peasant dares to threaten ME with the door?!
I swear to the heavens, if you dare say I am ‘not selected’, I will ring my emergency bell and have my Immortal clan wipe your gym from the face of the mortal world!
But regardless of the apocalyptic rage boiling inside Little Leo’s mind, outwardly, the rugged, bearded Bai simply picked up his teacup, remaining totally and perfectly calm.
________________________________ [Author Note: It’s a week since I started uploading.