Only Got My Martial Arts Modifier in My Old Age
Chapter 312: Chapter 158: The He Family’s Opportunity, Inspecting the Arsenal and School
He Zhongchen paid no mind to the servant outside the door. His eyes were fixed only on the lump of black flesh lying quietly on the soil.
A twisted, crazed smile hung on his lips. As if possessed, he frantically used his hands to drag his lower body, inching toward the distant potted plant.
Fortunately, He Zhongchen had practiced martial arts in his younger years and could be considered a Martial Artist who had just entered the Ming Jin realm.
Although he was only an Early-stage Mingjin Martial Artist who had barely crossed the threshold, and his body had later been ravaged by opium, his arms at least retained a bit of strength.
This small amount of strength was just enough to let him crawl forward with his hands. A normal person could have walked the four or five meters in just a few seconds.
But to He Zhongchen, those four or five meters were like a great chasm laid out before him. This was the only hope he had left in this life to turn things around, and he absolutely would not let it slip away.
’I’m here!’
He Zhongchen tilted his head up to look at the potted plant. The lump of black flesh, about the size of a washbasin and an inch thick, lay on the soil, twitching and pulsing.
He wasn’t about to be picky. He would have eaten it all, even if it were covered in dog droppings, let alone a little soil.
The next moment, He Zhongchen grabbed the nearby wall and tried to pull himself up onto the table where the pot sat.
Soon, he was half-draped over the tabletop, gasping for breath. He lowered his head and stared at the lump of black flesh, now just inches away.
He Zhongchen didn’t rush to eat it. Instead, he carefully examined the lump of black flesh.
Just as he was reaching for it, the door was pushed open from the outside.
Hearing the noise, He Zhongchen’s face paled as he whipped his head around. Reflected in his pupils was a figure he knew all too well.
A man in his forties with a stubbly beard and a white shirt walked in.
"Zhongchen, what are you doing over there!"
The middle-aged man was none other than He Zhongchen’s third uncle, He Xinshou. Of the three He Family brothers, he was the least fond of excitement. He disliked socializing, networking, and hobnobbing with the merchants and dignitaries in the city.
So, He Xinshou had simply stayed behind to watch over the ancestral home. He grew flowers, raised fish, and occasionally went fishing by the pond. His life was as bland and tasteless as a cup of boiled water.
Ever since He Zhongchen had been sent back, He Xinshou came to check on his nephew every few days.
Of course, this wasn’t because He Xinshou was particularly fond of his nephew. He simply wanted to keep a close watch on him, ensuring he had no opportunity to cause trouble.
After all, in the eyes of the three He brothers, the current He Zhongchen was a disaster waiting to happen, a troublemaker who could bring ruin upon the He Family at any moment. They had to ensure he stayed put in this room and didn’t go out looking for trouble.
The moment the words left his mouth, He Xinshou’s gaze shifted away from He Zhongchen.
He had intended to see what new madness his nephew was up to, but his eyes only paused beside him for an instant before they became completely transfixed.
He Xinshou’s eyes were glued to the pulsing lump of black flesh in the pot. His expression morphed from indifference to disbelief, and then to a near-feverish, almost crazed, intensity.
’This is...!’
Seeing this, He Zhongchen spun around in a frenzy and lunged, mouth agape, for the black flesh in the pot.
He knew that with his third uncle here, he wouldn’t be able to keep the divine treasure. All he could think of now was devouring the entire lump of black flesh in one go and making it a part of him.
But it was too late. The moment He Xinshou spotted the treasure, his body had already shot forward on pure instinct.
As a Peak Mingjin Martial Artist, he crossed the distance of less than three meters in the blink of an eye.
He Xinshou’s right hand clamped down on He Zhongchen’s mouth, which was just about to touch the black flesh. The force was so immense that He Zhongchen couldn’t close his jaw, let alone move forward another inch.
He Zhongchen’s eyes bulged as if they would pop from their sockets, and a muffled, indistinct roar escaped his throat.
He Xinshou didn’t look at him. His fervent gaze was fixed on the black flesh, now just inches away.
’A divine treasure like this... I never thought my He Family would one day be so fortunate.’
’He knew better than anyone what this meant. With this, he might finally be able to break through the Peak of Mingjin realm, where he had been stuck for so many years.’
With his mouth forced open, He Zhongchen’s jawbone began to CRUNCH in the iron-like grip. Intense pain shot from his cheekbones to the base of his ears, then spread across the entire side of his face.
Finally, he managed to squeeze a few desperate words from his throat. "Third Uncle, this is mine! I found it! You can’t take it! This is a gift from the heavens! If you steal it, you’ll face retribution!"
He Xinshou gave a thoughtful smile, then spoke with a complex, unreadable sigh.
"Zhongchen, I never imagined you’d have such luck. It’s true what they say: fortune and misfortune are two sides of the same coin."
’A cripple who can’t go anywhere, yet a piece of Immortal Flesh capable of changing one’s destiny just happens to appear in his room. If that isn’t a case of fortune and misfortune being intertwined, what is?’
"Let’s just consider this divine treasure as an atonement for your past crimes. The He Family has raised you for so many years; it’s about time we got something in return."
Hearing these self-righteous words, He Zhongchen was so enraged he felt like he might have a stroke. His entire face flushed beet red.
But before he could make a single meaningful sound, He Xinshou brought the edge of his hand down in a swift chop. He Zhongchen’s eyes rolled back, and he slumped to the floor.
After doing this, He Xinshou quickly went to the doorway and poked his head out. He had dismissed the servant earlier, who was now standing obediently about a dozen paces away down the hall, his back turned.
Satisfied with the sight, He Xinshou nodded and quickly shut the door.
He leaned back against the door and took a deep breath. ’For such a divine treasure to appear in Zhongchen’s room... If I had arrived a moment later, wouldn’t he have been given another chance to stir up a storm?’
’Still, this truly is my good fortune. Tomorrow, I’ll have to take Zhongchen into the city to see First Brother and Second Brother.’
「The next morning.」
Lu Yun sat on the sofa, with his six grandchildren standing before him.
The six children stood in a row, their little faces tilted up as they gazed at him eagerly, all chirping and chattering over one another.
Why did Grandpa’s hair turn all white overnight? Was he sick? Was he not feeling well? Would he be like other old grandpas who, once their hair turned white, could never get out of bed again?
Lu Yun could, of course, tell what his grandchildren were thinking. He smiled, held out his arm, and flexed his bicep, trying to make a not-so-impressive muscle bulge.
"Nonsense, how could Grandpa not be feeling well? My hair just looks white, that’s all. I’m actually in perfect health."
As he spoke, Lu Yun tensed his arm again, holding it out for the children to see, and declared proudly, "See? Aren’t Grandpa’s muscles really hard?"
Just then, his youngest granddaughter, Lu Xiyue, reached out a tiny hand and poked his arm. She tilted her head and announced with a serious expression, "Grandpa’s lying. It’s soft."
The living room fell silent for a moment. The smile on Lu Yun’s lips froze, his arm still flexed.
He’d actually relaxed the muscle on purpose, not wanting his precious granddaughter to hurt her little finger when she poked him.
Unfazed, Lu Yun quickly raised his other arm, flexing both biceps to strike a pose of hale and hearty old age, and spun around for the children.
The children burst into giggles at his antics. Lu Yun only stopped once he had chased all the worry and unease from their little faces.
After half an hour of coaxing, his grandchildren were finally reassured and went with his two daughters-in-law to the adjacent courtyard for their studies.
The Lu Family had hired several private tutors. The children had lessons every morning and watched Lu Yun practice his martial arts in the afternoon; their schedules were packed, leaving them not a moment of idle time.
Lu Fu, who had been standing by as if part of the furniture, was actually still dwelling on the events of last night.
Lu Yun, of course, knew what he was thinking. ’He just wants to ask: "Master, what Realm are you in now? Why can’t I sense your presence at all? Why is the perception of a Grandmaster of Huajin completely useless before you?"’
Only after breaking through to the Manifest Saint True Monarch realm did Lu Yun truly comprehend its terrifying power.
This Realm transcended the scope of human understanding. A Manifest Saint True Monarch, upon forming their Divine Thought Golden Core, achieves unity with nature. Their body merges with the world, and they become a part of the world itself.
The reason no one could sense Lu Yun’s presence wasn’t because he was hiding, but because he *was* the world, and the world was him. How could one perceive a being that is omnipresent?
Lu Yun picked up the teacup from the table and took a slow sip. "Alright, stop thinking about it. I’m fine. Go and make the arrangements. I mentioned a while ago that I wanted to visit the armory and the school. Have you given them advance notice?"
Lu Fu, startled for a moment, quickly recovered and bowed respectfully. "Rest assured, Master. I informed them a long time ago."

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