A boy and a girl. The boy was about ten, the girl seven or eight. Though their clothes were simple, their faces were clean and their eyes were clear.
"My two grandchildren have had a hard life."
Zhao the Third stroked the two children’s heads. "It’s my fault their parents died young. For the sake of revenge, I forced myself to cultivate unorthodox Techniques, borrowing power from the heavens and earning a divine curse."
"In the end, the price was paid by my son, who passed away far too early. My daughter-in-law, having lost her support, died of a broken heart and followed him soon after."
"Fortunately... Heaven left me a sliver of hope. When I finally returned home, I found these two being raised by their kind in-laws..."
At this, he shook his head, refusing to dwell on the past. He turned to Lu Yun. "Mr. Lu, if you still doubt the authenticity of the Immortal Flesh, you can test it now."
"That’s why I brought you to my home. With my two grandchildren here, you should feel at ease. I won’t pull any tricks here and now."
Lu Yun gave him a deep look. While Zhao the Third was extreme and ruthless in his methods, his affection for his grandchildren didn’t seem feigned.
He dropped the pleasantries and walked to the rough table in the center of the main room, taking out the black chunk of meat once more.
He held two fingers together like a sword and swiped lightly across the edge of the meat.
A fingernail-sized slice of black meat, as thin as a cicada’s wing and almost transparent, was cut off and fluttered onto the table.
Seeing this, Zhao the Third carefully pinched the tiny slice, holding it as if it were a priceless treasure.
"I came upon this Immortal Flesh by a twist of fate. Or perhaps... it was the sliver of a chance for revenge that Heaven left me."
Zhao the Third gestured for his grandson to come over as he spoke slowly. "Thirteen years ago, after learning of the tragic death of my older brother’s family, I was overcome with grief and rage with nowhere to vent it. I went to the mountain behind the old house and dug like a madman, wanting to build them a cenotaph..."
"I dug and dug... I don’t know how deep I went, but I eventually collapsed the roof of a crypt that had been buried for who knows how many years."
"Inside was a mostly rotted wooden chest. Wrapped in oilcloth within it was this piece of black meat, about half the size of my palm."
"In my youth, I traveled far and wide with my master and witnessed many strange things. I heard him speak of the legend of Immortal Flesh, and his description was quite similar to this black meat."
"With nowhere else to turn, I steeled myself for death, cut off a piece the size of a grain of rice, and swallowed it..."
"It turned out to be the legendary Immortal Flesh! Not only did it restore strength to my crippled body, but it also brought to mind a forbidden Technique of soul-refining and ghost-nurturing I had chanced upon in my early years..."
"So, I retrieved my brother’s remains, fed them the Immortal Flesh, and used the evil Technique to refine his soul, turning him into that vengeful spirit..."
"That refining process took thirteen years."
"Even for a Grandmaster of Huajin like myself, I can only consume a tiny amount of the Immortal Flesh at a time, and it takes over a month to barely absorb a fraction of its energy."
At this point, Zhao the Third looked at the ten-year-old boy. "When my grandson was seven, I wanted to build a foundation for him, so I took a risk and fed him a rice-grain-sized piece of the Immortal Flesh."
"Three years have passed, and his body is now exceptionally strong. He has more strength than an ordinary adult man."
"The power from that little piece of Immortal Flesh should be fully absorbed by now. He ought to be able to handle this slice."
"Grandpa, what is this? It’s so dark..." The boy, Xiaofei, looked curiously at the black slice of meat in his grandfather’s hand, most of his sleepiness gone.
Zhao the Third brought the slice to the boy’s lips and said softly, "Be a good boy. Don’t ask questions. Eating this will be good for you."
"Oh!"
The boy trusted his grandfather completely. Although he thought the thing looked strange, he opened his mouth and swallowed the slice in one gulp.
"Huh, it doesn’t taste like anything..."
The moment the words left his mouth, a sudden change occurred!
The boy’s small face instantly flushed crimson. He clutched his chest, his breathing becoming ragged.
"Grandpa! I... I’m so hot! It hurts! My... my head is so dizzy!"
"Don’t be afraid! Xiaofei, breathe deeply! Stay calm! This is a normal reaction! Deep breaths!"
Zhao the Third quickly supported his grandson, comforting him repeatedly.
Lu Yun watched intently the entire time, his perception pushed to its absolute limit, carefully sensing every minute change in the boy’s body.
The boy’s vitality and blood flow were surging at an astonishing rate. His muscle fibers seemed to be strengthening on a microscopic level, and faint CRACKLING sounds could even be heard from his bones.
After about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the flush on the boy’s face gradually faded, and his breathing became steady and deep.
He moved his arms and legs and said in pleasant surprise, "Grandpa! It doesn’t hurt anymore! And I feel like I have boundless energy!"
As he spoke, the boy casually grabbed the leg of a nearby solid wood table and easily lifted it off the ground.
Although he wobbled a bit, for a ten-year-old boy, such strength was absolutely astounding.
Lu Yun waited no longer. With a flicker of movement, he appeared before the boy and quickly grabbed his wrist.
A stream of his Huajin slowly entered the boy’s body, circulating through his meridians for a full cycle.
His meridians were clear, his vitality and blood flow were vigorous, his internal organs were strong, and the density and strength of his muscles and bones far surpassed those of his peers, even rivaling that of a well-built young man who trained year-round!
Most importantly, there was nothing strange inside his body—only a miraculous power that had yet to be fully absorbed.
It was real!
This "Immortal Flesh" not only existed but its effect on the human body’s strength was simple, direct, and overwhelmingly potent!
Lu Yun slowly released his grip and opened his eyes, a brilliant light flashing within them.
’The value of this "Immortal Flesh" is far beyond imagination!’
’Just a fingernail-sized piece of Immortal Flesh has such an effect on a child. If I use it in conjunction with the Extreme Blue Martial Arts Modifier’s one hundred percent absorption and conversion...’
"Very good."
Lu Yun suppressed his excitement and spoke with satisfaction, "Mr. Zhao, I have troubled you enough. Farewell."
He said no more. With one hand, he collected the remaining "Immortal Flesh" from the table and put it away; with the other, he lifted the case of gold bars from the floor.
Lu Yun turned to leave.
"Wait!" Zhao the Third suddenly called out to stop him.
Lu Yun paused but didn’t turn around. Just then, he heard a rush of air from behind him.
A long object was tossed toward him, its speed unhurried, its force moderate.
Without looking back, Lu Yun reached behind him, his five fingers like a hook, and snatched the object from the air.
It was slightly heavy in his hand, the wood smooth and warm, the grain familiar. It was the Wisteria Spirit Wood Walking Stick that Zhao the Third had been carrying.
Zhao the Third’s voice followed.
"That’s a protective weapon used by those Qi Refiners from the Zulong Dynasty. A fine item made from spirit wood vine."
"With that gold and silver, my two grandchildren will have enough to live a peaceful life in obscurity."
"A treasure like this would be a curse, not a blessing, if left with them. I’ll give it to you today, Mr. Lu, as a gesture of goodwill. At least this way, it won’t be lost to obscurity forever."
Lu Yun, holding the walking stick, slowly turned around and solemnly clasped his fist in a formal salute to Zhao the Third.
"Thank you."
After leaving the courtyard, a thought suddenly flashed through Lu Yun’s mind.
’This Zhao the Third... why does he feel like a "Wealth-Bringing Boy" sent specifically to deliver treasures to me?’
’First the "Immortal Flesh," and now this Spirit Wood Vine Staff, supposedly from a Zulong Dynasty Qi Refiner...’
’This "fateful opportunity" feels a little too easy.’

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