Chapter 93: Zenith User, Martial Qi
Butch’s dynamic vision was exceptional. What others saw as a mere dot, he could magnify tenfold. He immediately spotted Lena waving at him and waved back. “Little sis! Hey, over here!”
His battle-hardened muscles coiled, and Butch bent down, gathering strength, his body enveloped in flowing green threads.
It was ‘Qi’.
Mages used magic power to cast spells, while martial artists used Qi to power their skills.
The professions in this world were diverse, their combat styles naturally varied. Even the ancient and knowledgeable elders of the elves couldn’t grasp them all, only classifying them into three broad categories: magic power, Qi, and mental power.
And Butch’s profession, specializing in cultivating Qi, was called [Zenith User].
“Little sis!”
“Brother.”
Reunited after years, without any hesitation, Butch pulled Lena into a bear hug, almost breaking her back.
“Stop it, you hot-headed idiot!”
Her internal organs protested, and Lena almost coughed up blood. Fortunately, her physique was strong enough to withstand it.
“Oh, sorry.”
Butch gently released Lena, chuckling sheepishly, then turned his attention to Angel, his face filled with confusion. “Another Cavendish little bean sprout? Hmm, this one’s even smaller. She was only this tall when I left, how time flies…”
“Um… hello,” Angel said timidly, like a new bride meeting her in-laws for the first time.
“Hello, hehe.”
Butch shook her hand, then pulled Lena aside for a private conversation…
Lena rolled her eyes. “What? Want to gossip?”
Butch: “Hey! You said it yourself, I haven’t even asked anything yet!”
Lena: “…”
“So, you’ve got both Cavendish sisters now?”
Seeing Lena’s exasperated expression, Butch was relieved. This meant his little sister was still the same, her personality unchanged. He changed the subject. “All this for a girl, you’ve caused quite a commotion.”
“That’s why I called you back… I can’t handle everything alone, my strength is limited.” Lena pushed Angel forward, her tone unchanged, pointing at Butch. “Go, call him ‘brother’.”
“Eh?” Angel froze, confused.
“What ‘eh’? I said call him ‘brother’.” Lena’s sudden harsh tone made Angel shrink back, fidgeting nervously.
“It’s okay, it’s no big deal, little sis, why are you yelling at her?”
Butch quickly intervened. He couldn’t bear to see Lena being mean to his future sister-in-law.
Once they were family, he would protect them fiercely; he couldn’t stand for this…
Lena smiled, using a bit of acting to gain the foolish brother’s trust. Otherwise, with his personality, it would take forever. Taking shortcuts was always the most efficient method.
“Brother…” Angel said timidly, her face flushed. “Please take care of me from now on.”
“Ah, this.” Butch wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but he quickly realized he had fallen for his sister’s trick, swallowing his pride. “Fine! From now on, your problems are my problems! I’m not a stubborn old fool.”
He accepted the situation with surprising speed, then chuckled. “But let’s make this clear, since I’ve given my approval, you have to treat my little sister well. She’s always been unruly, she needs a reliable partner to keep her in check…”
Lena: “What nonsense are you talking about…”
“I will!” Angel suddenly interrupted Lena.
Butch nodded. “Good! That’s the spirit! Louder, let me hear your conviction, your passion!”
Angel took a deep breath, her small fists clenched. “I can do it!!”
“Oh! Now you’re talking!!!” Butch gave a thumbs-up, his teeth flashing.
They continued chatting excitedly, leaving Lena, the instigator of all this, on the sidelines.
“Right.” Butch suddenly remembered something, scratching his head. “Little sis, what did you want me to do again?”
Lena glanced at him sideways, her voice laced with disdain. “What else do you have besides muscles?”
“So, it’s a fight.” Butch patted his chest, the sound echoing. “No problem, I’m not good with schemes, but I’m always ready for a fight… who are we fighting tonight?”
The muscle-headed young man grinned, looking at his sister.
If time could stop, he would stay like this forever, watching over her. If the world dared to hinder him from doting on his sister, he would destroy it without hesitation.
If one punch wasn’t enough, he would throw another, asking questions while he punched!
This was his way of solving problems, very effective, and no one dared question it.
…
Under the enchanting moonlight, insects chirped.
The gray-haired woman raised her arm, pointing. “I want you to punch in that direction, with all your might…”
Butch looked in the direction she pointed. The city lights twinkled like stars, and in the distance, the massive imperial palace complex stood out, an eyesore.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.”
…
“Your Majesty! It’s a disaster!”
Late at night, an attendant knocked on the bedroom door. Virginia, about to retire for the night, was annoyed by the interruption.
A moment of silence…
“What did you say? Moore is dead?!”
Hearing the urgent report, Virginia almost fainted. She leaned against the bed, taking a while to recover from the shock, her eyes burning with fury. “Who did this?!”
The attendant replied respectfully, “It was the young lady of the Falmouth family, Lena Falmouth. His Highness provoked her, leading to this tragedy.”
“How could it be her…”
Virginia frowned, her mind racing, weighing the pros and cons.
After a moment, she issued her orders, her voice cold and emotionless. “I thought he was capable, but he couldn’t even handle a simple test. Very well, summon all members of the Ten Directions Society, it’s time for overtime. Dealing with a newly advanced rank six shouldn’t be difficult for them…”
A useless pawn wasn’t worth keeping, and an uncontrollable piece was a dangerous liability. It was better to eliminate her and be done with it.
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
The attendant was about to leave when a loud explosion rocked the palace, like a bomb detonating nearby.
His eardrums ruptured, blood trickling from his ears, his body slammed against the floor by the force of the blast. A blinding yellow light bathed him, carrying immense ‘Qi,’ ripping through the domed ceiling, illuminating the night sky like the sun.
“An assassin!”
Virginia cried out, raising a magic shield, but the yellow beam of light passed harmlessly by her ear, striking the emerald wall, leaving a massive crater.
It was unstoppable, like a runaway train, anything in its path obliterated by the [Martial Qi].
This was the difference in raw power, an insurmountable gap. It wasn’t about technique or skill, a single blow was enough to instill terror.
The [Martial Qi] unleashed by a peak rank eight expert destroyed several palace chambers, the shockwave lasting for over half a minute.
Virginia witnessed everything, her mouth agape, speechless with shock and fear.
…Who?
She stared blankly at the hole in the wall.
“No! The Ten Directions Society!”
…
Dead and wounded.
Only half of the carefully cultivated Ten Directions Society remained standing, the other half dead, their bodies disintegrated by the intense heat, beyond even the Holy Knights’ Redemption.
Hearing the news, Virginia felt a wave of dizziness, collapsing onto her bed, a sense of defeat washing over her.
She didn’t understand who she had offended, nor who the attack had been targeting…
“How many are left of the Ten Directions Society?”
Virginia’s voice was calm, regaining her composure within a minute, her demeanor as if the massive hole in the wall didn’t exist.
The reporting guard said, “Five remain, Your Majesty. Three are seriously injured, one is lightly injured, and one was away on duty and survived. The other five were killed instantly, beyond resurrection.”
“And the artifacts?”
“The two artifacts are intact, but their masters are gone.”
“…Could it be an enemy of the Ten Directions Society?”
A suspicion crossed Virginia’s mind.
No, impossible!
If it was just to target the Ten Directions Society, there was no need to attack her bedchamber. This was clearly a show of force, a warning.
Like a dominant lion encountering another pride, asserting its presence, not challenging for dominance. A single confrontation, and the one who flinched first, lost.
“Find out who did this. If they’re open to negotiation, offer them the empire’s goodwill at any cost. We cannot afford to make an enemy of them.”
This power was immense, almost reaching the legendary rank, demanding Virginia’s attention.
Compared to the looming threat of the Second Empire, this sudden attack was a wake-up call. The Ten Directions Society wasn’t enough; she needed more talent, exceptional geniuses, and the hero, soon to arrive in the empire, was the perfect candidate.
“And keep Moore’s death a secret. Announce that he died of cardiac arrest. Also, investigate his finances. If I’m not mistaken, that Falmouth girl is behind this. And that attack, it’s likely related to Lena…”
Tonight would be a sleepless night.
Someone wouldn’t be sleeping.
…
“Impressive.”
Lena whistled, applauding her brother.
“Zenith User, Martial Qi, Azure Dragon Mark, the combination is as powerful as a nuclear warhead… I’m almost tempted to change professions, too bad I can’t.”
She remembered, in her past life, when the Falmouth family was persecuted by the empire, Butch, one of their strongest fighters, had been trapped in the Devil’s Sea by several calamity-level abyssal creatures, unable to use a spatial scroll to return in time.
The Falmouths were driven to the brink of ruin, their businesses disrupted, their partners abandoning them out of fear of the empire, their funds frozen, the empire’s sanctions crippling them for over a month.
If Butch had been there, the Falmouths wouldn’t have suffered such a devastating loss. But fate wasn’t on Lena’s side, favoring the hero instead.
In the end, they lost everything, even their lives.
Butch perished in the Devil’s Sea, swallowed by a monster.
Adelaide, devastated by his son’s death, decided to sacrifice himself to give his daughter a chance to escape. And Juliana, Lena’s mother, chose to join her beloved husband on the guillotine…
Such a powerful family, reduced to ashes overnight, nothing left…
Lena had played a significant role in their downfall.
Her own foolishness was largely to blame. If she hadn’t given all their resources to the hero, it wouldn’t have come to this. The once impenetrable fortress had been infested with rats, and the leader of the rats was the owner of the fortress herself.
It was an unforgettable experience, one that Lena would never forget, the driving force behind her revenge, like a train hurtling towards an unknown future…
…
“Hoo—”
Butch was shirtless, his muscular body covered in strange markings, like a black and green dragon coiled around his shoulders.
Lena poked his steaming muscles curiously, then chuckled. “Brother, do you have a girlfriend? A wife?”
“No, why?”
“If you did, she wouldn’t be able to handle you.”
Butch paused, wrapping his bandages, then realized Lena was teasing him. He put his hands on his hips, adopting an older brother’s demeanor. “A man must be strong. What did Father teach us? Women are only obstacles on the path to success. No women, no distractions, only cultivation! Look at me, I’ve been fighting in the Devil’s Sea, pushing myself to the limit, I’ve never even thought about such things.”
“Ah, yes, yes, and there are no women in the Devil’s Sea.”
Lena ignored his lecture, putting her arm around Angel’s waist and walking away. “No wonder you don’t have a girlfriend, all your points are in attack power.”
“Hey!”
Butch tossed his bandages aside, looking wistfully at his sister, surrounded by beautiful girls.
What was so good about women anyway…? His promiscuous little sister would be the death of him!
…
The matter settled, Lena returned to the mansion just as dawn broke. Another sleepless night, her body exhausted. Entering the garden, the flowers and trees seemed to greet her, their petals and leaves covered in dew, a refreshing fragrance filling the air.
“Miss, you’re back!”
Ling Ling had woken up early. With her daily cleaning duties, she was always the first one up, rushing out of her room like a spinning top.
“Morning.”
Lena stroked the little fox girl’s soft, golden hair.
“Good morning, Miss,” Ling Ling stood on tiptoe, wanting to be affectionate, but seeing Mines behind Lena, she smiled sweetly. “Good morning, Sister Mines.”
“Miss Ling Ling is very energetic today,” Mines replied with a smile.
“Of course, being with Miss makes Ling Ling the happiest!” Ling Ling took Mines’s hand, then Angel’s, linking them together. “And Sister Angel and Sister Mines too, Ling Ling loves you all!”
She wagged her tail vigorously, creating a gust of wind.
Angel felt a sudden chill, her skirt lifting. She quickly pulled it down, swatting at Ling Ling’s tail.
“Eep~”
The little fox girl blushed, falling silent.
A foxkin’s tail was incredibly sensitive and usually not to be touched, but surrounded by people she cared about, Ling Ling had let her guard down.
She was being teased by her bad older sisters!
Miss, save Ling Ling~
“Don’t touch for too long, Ling Ling is ticklish…” The little fox girl raised a white flag, hugging her tail to her chest, whimpering softly.
This only made them want to tease her more.
Angel stroked the soft fur, her fingers moving towards a sensitive spot, even inviting Mines to join in, touching the little fox girl where she was most ticklish.
“Eek~ ahh~”
Ling Ling clenched her fists, lost in a sea of tickles…
“Alright, that’s enough.”
Lena’s command was like a lifeline, freeing Ling Ling from her tormentors. The little fox girl quickly ran to Lena, hugging her waist and looking up.
She couldn’t see anything…
Ugh, they were too big…
“Silly, move them if you can’t see.”
Lena teased, the adorable little fox girl’s presence incredibly soothing, especially after a long night. Her fatigue and gloom vanished, replaced by a desire to simply sit on a swing with Ling Ling, enjoying a peaceful afternoon tea.
“Move them… they’re too heavy, Ling Ling can’t move them with both hands…”
The little fox girl was on the verge of tears.
Not being able to see Lena’s eyes was like the West losing Jerusalem, like Tifa being replaced by a man, her life losing all meaning, the light extinguished.
“Don’t tease her.”
Butch’s voice came from outside the garden.
The sudden appearance of a man’s voice startled Ling Ling, and her head popped free, her vision clear.
Lena chuckled, shaking her head, and looked towards the source of the voice.
Butch was excitedly waving at his future sisters-in-law, then turning to Lena with a serious expression.
“Have you contacted the old man? I can’t stay for too long… Let’s have dinner together tonight, and I’ll leave tomorrow morning. The Devil’s Sea can’t lose its Commander, just like the Giant King Barush can’t lose his Hydra’s treasure! I will reach the legendary rank and bring glory to the Falmouths!”
The cheerful young man flashed a bright smile, giving his signature thumbs-up.
