Chapter 7: Chapter 7

C7 – Spicy Palm(1)

“What’s the problem?”

Upon hearing Zhou Mu’s remark, Qi Xiang inquired.

“A fish selling for 880,000 yuan? That’s outrageously expensive.”

“Expensive? Your car is over 80 million yuan!”

Qi Xiang pouted and teased, “Think about it this way, every time you leave the house, you’re essentially driving the equivalent of a hundred fish. Isn’t that impressive?”

“Riding a fish, I get, but driving a fish? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Zhou Mu grumbled to himself, then it hit him—he wasn’t the poor soul from his past life anymore.

He was the sole heir to the Zhou family. A mere 800,000 yuan couldn’t even buy a tire.

With this realization, Zhou Mu immediately rang up his father to state his intentions.

Predictably, the conversation didn’t go well.

His frugal father, Zhou Chun, laid out his terms: engage Qi Xiang this year with a gift of ten million yuan, and upon marrying by year’s end, receive a 10% stake in the Zhou family business.

And if a child came into the picture, he’d retire on the spot.

Zhou Mu flatly refused.

His ambition was to be the world’s most formidable, not to be sidetracked by romance.

Zhou Chun’s temper flared.

“From now on, your monthly allowance is cut to 500,000 yuan. Let’s see how you manage!”

Zhou Chun’s bellowing voice echoed from the phone as Zhou Mu nonchalantly tossed it aside.

What a joke.

How to survive on 500,000 yuan a month?

He’d lived through months on just 50 yuan in his previous life. A grown man couldn’t possibly starve, right?

His body was in peak condition, far surpassing an average person, and he had Gator, his loyal pet with leadership qualities.

A simple jaunt into the wilderness could net him thousands, if not tens of thousands of yuan.

“Brother, be honest with me, am I pretty?”

Qi Xiang slammed on the brakes and turned to Zhou Mu, her words deliberate and clear.

“Extremely pretty, like a celestial beauty!”

“Then why won’t you marry me?”

“You know that’s not what I’m after!”

“I get it now, you think my chest is too small!”

“It’s not about disliking your chest size, it’s that you’re flat-chested.”

Zhou Mu massaged his temples. There she was, a stunning girl, yet the only bump on her chest was a mere dot. Any less, and it might just cave in. A man can handle some hardship, but it’s not fair to make the kids suffer.

“You…” Qi Xiang’s face flushed with fury. Struggling to find words, she instead unleashed her rage onto the car.

Boom! The engine bellowed, launching the vehicle forward like a rocket.

Straightaway, accelerate…

Drift, then accelerate…

Accelerate, accelerate, accelerate…

Qi Xiang drove as if she were Schumacher reborn, completing a fifteen-minute drive in just a fraction of the time.

Bang! Zhou Mu pushed the car door open, stumbled, and nearly ended up on his knees on the pavement. This was terrifying; the girl was an absolute maniac! She drove the sleek sports car as if it were an airplane—it was a miracle it didn’t sprout wings and take to the skies.

After crouching by the roadside for a full three minutes, Zhou Mu finally regained his composure. He made a vow then and there—never again would he let Qi Xiang behind the wheel. Never!

Once home, Zhou Mu shut the door and logged onto the Noshar Empire’s library website. Centuries ago, the invasion of fiend beasts had jolted the decaying Stouseon Kingdom into action. The emperor put aside his personal projects, and the eunuchs and civil officials ceased their squabbles for self-preservation.

Fiend beasts didn’t negotiate; they didn’t accept human surrender. To them, every human—man, woman, child, or elder—was prey.

In the face of such adversity, the nation united like never before, gradually reversing their fortunes. Over time, this unity evolved into a society where might equals right, with the strong dictating the path forward.

Noshar, Earth’s uncontested sovereign!

The Empire’s library, a testament to the collective might of countless warriors. Periodically, new martial arts techniques were vetted and added to its archives. This was the pride of the Empire, a treasure shared by all.

The library spanned three levels: the first housed an array of martial arts, the second contained knowledge across numerous industries, and the third safeguarded a vast collection of soul techniques.

Zhou Mu’s secret key granted him access only to the first level, where he could select a martial art suited to his abilities. Upon entering the website, the first martial art to catch his eye was dubbed “Spicy Palm.”

“The initial practice is like a zesty breeze caressing your face, barely noticeable. At the Initial Stage, it’s as if lava erupts, shattering bones and tearing flesh. By the Advanced Stage, it’s akin to a mountain collapsing and obliterating everything in its path.”

Despite its odd name, the description of Spicy Palm was nothing short of daunting. Zhou Mu scrolled down to the comments section, which was a sea of five-star reviews.

“This is epic! I’ve never encountered such an incredible martial art!”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Before mastering this art, I was nothing but a pushover. Now, I can stand toe-to-toe with a level three fiend beast. Enough said, five stars.”

“Ever since I took up this martial art, my back pain and leg aches are gone, my chronic stomach issues have healed, and it’s even improved my marital life. Spicy Palm is the essential martial art for every man.”

“Wait a minute, I take issue with that last comment. Who says it’s just for men? We women need it too!”

“It’s beautifying, rejuvenating, and strengthens the body. My skin is softer, my figure improved. No more chit-chat, I’m off to train.”

“The creator of this martial art deserves the title of grandmaster. At 120 years old, I’m sharp as ever—no dizziness, clear vision, and even my urinary issues are fixed.”

“…”

Zhou Mu was perplexed. “Really? Can it be that miraculous, or does this smack of snake oil salesmanship?”

He muttered to himself, his curiosity piqued as he perused the higher-ranked martial arts. Among them were bizarre ones like Stinky Foot, Cupping Fist, and the absurdly high-tech ones such as Excavator Fist, Impact Drill Fist, and the Four-Wheel Drive Body. Then there were the explosively named Hydrogen Bomb Fist, Atomic Leg, and East Wind Express Fist.

Each martial art boasted stellar ratings and glowing reviews. Yet, Zhou Mu couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.

Scrolling down the list, Zhou Mu came across traditional martial arts like the Five Elements Fist, Eight Trigram Palm, and Vanishing Step. The ratings were mediocre, with a mix of positive and negative reviews, but they looked much more reasonable than the earlier ones.

After a few minutes of indecision, Zhou Mu chose to trust his elder’s advice. With so many positive comments, it couldn’t possibly be that bad.

Once he entered the secret key, the detailed instructions for mastering the Hot Palm technique arrived in his inbox.

Zhou Mu read the instructions thoroughly, his face turning from pale to flushed, then from red to purple, and finally to a shade of angry black before he exploded with expletives.

This was utterly outrageous! It was even more egregious than Qiao Biluo! At least Qiao Biluo, despite transforming from a young girl to an older lady, remained a woman. The Hot Palm, on the other hand, was like a nuclear bomb devolving into a dud firework, and a silent one at that.