Chapter 309: I Want You to Aid My Cultivation
"The heart is like clear ice, unfazed even if the sky falls; amidst myriad changes, remain steadfast; spirit serene and energy calm; forget the self and guard the One, the six senses firmly settled..."
Kaito Shirogane held the [Ice Heart Mantra] in his hands. As he poured his spiritual power into it, the text seemed to imprint itself into his consciousness like tadpoles swimming into his mind.
Simultaneously, the Qi within his body rapidly began to flow in a specific trajectory. With the movement of this Qi, he genuinely felt his mind becoming clearer.
[You have used the item · Ice Heart Mantra Manual. You have mastered the ability · Ice Heart Mantra (B+)]
[Ice Heart Mantra (B+) Lv1: Recite the mantra silently in your heart. Qi will transform into a balanced and peaceful state, suppressing negative mental influences. Long-term use will slightly increase energy capacity.]
Using the special 'internal vision' granted by the [Transparent World], Kaito could clearly sense the location where the cool sensation was acting within his body, even if he couldn't directly see the trajectory of the Qi.
So-called energy control often involved not just using spiritual power to manipulate it, but also direct guidance by the physical body. Some naturally gifted individuals in mission worlds could perfectly command various energies simply by instinct. That was a special kind of instinct.
Kaito sat cross-legged in the hotel pool. Seeing this from afar, Hayashi (Lin Qinfu) once again solidified his judgment: Boss Shirogane was indeed the descendant of a legendary hidden ancient martial arts family from Dongxia.
He had already received contact from the major families of the Border Zone, wanting to offer reparations.
Although he didn't know how Boss Shirogane had managed it, the longer he stayed by the Boss's side, the more accustomed he became to these things.
It seemed any problem could be easily solved. All he had to do was properly use the money and power in the right places.
Boss Shirogane didn't care what he did in private, but the [Paradise Project] was the one thing he absolutely dared not delay. Even if he was enjoying himself with a woman in a hotel bed, the moment there was an engineering matter, Hayashi would instantly go soft and rush to handle the construction coordination.
With the financial power of the Samwol Group and Boss Shirogane suppressing various bandit gangs and local tribes, the Wa Province was undergoing rapid transformation. A large number of construction teams had moved in, starting drastic reforms on roads and infrastructure.
The locals of Wa Province were originally the biggest headache for foreign investors like them. But thanks to the full support of Megumi (Du Enqin) and the newly appointed Grandmaster, there were no obstructions. Instead, wherever the construction teams went, they received full assistance.
This amazed the construction workers who had come from Dongxia. What they didn't know was that the uncooperative Zen masters and bandit gangs had already been eliminated.
This involved many internal conflicts of interest among the locals. Because a powerful dragon like Kaito Shirogane was passing through, many quick-witted locals and mountain bandits, who couldn't compete with the original big families and peacekeepers, were the first to defect to him.
They used Kaito's martial power and wealth to purge other factions.
Kaito knew there were shady dealings involved, but he couldn't be bothered to pay attention.
The Paradise he wanted was an earthly pleasure ground where Reincarnators could freely indulge their desires. At the same time, it would be a living hell where laws and morals could not reach.
These petty, scheming rats were happily jumping around now, but in the end, they would naturally be eaten clean by even more vicious Reincarnators.
"Boss Shirogane, a group of people just fled here from the Border Zone. They said those major families are arresting people everywhere. Should we... intervene?"
Hayashi, leaning on his cane, arrived at the poolside, hesitating as he spoke.
Kaito opened his eyes. Hayashi was so scared he immediately lowered his head; he seemed to see a purple glint in the Boss's eyes.
Was that the legendary 'Violet Mist Divine Art'? Hayashi couldn't understand and could only fill in the blanks with content from the martial arts novels he had read in his youth.
But for some reason, this version of Boss Shirogane made his hair stand on end, filling him with terror.
Kaito rose from the water and exhaled turbid air from his abdomen. The breath seemed to carry a hint of icy mist.
He looked with interest at this 'Wa Province Big Shot' he had single-handedly cultivated.
"What? Just because people complimented you a few times, you actually think about upholding justice for them?"
His tone was mocking. Hayashi hurriedly bowed, apologizing profusely.
Kaito didn't actually care about such trivial matters. Rather, he found amusement in Hayashi's changes.
Hayashi used to be just a nobody managing a telecom fraud park, deceiving and torturing compatriots tricked into coming from Dongxia every day, then using them to swindle money from even more compatriots.
He could be described as a fly sucking the blood and sweat of others—a jackal, a hyena.
But now that he had a little power and status, he actually wanted to 'uphold justice' because of this societal recognition.
This transformation of a jackal or hyena trying to become human felt novel and interesting to Kaito.
"Do you want to be a hero, Hayashi?"
Hayashi shook his head incessantly, his face pale. He started slapping himself hard. Having been complimented by those people these past few days, and seeing the old men of local tribes who used to ignore him now trying every way to bribe him, he had indeed gotten a little carried away.
Even because the Four Major Families proactively paid money and apologized, he felt those families weren't a big deal. So when the refugees knelt on the ground begging him to save their companions and families, he had an idea.
He thought that perhaps with his current status as the local emperor of Wa Province, he could just say a word to those families and saving a few ordinary people wouldn't be a problem.
But with just one look from Boss Shirogane, that inflated ego completely collapsed. He clearly realized that the local emperor wasn't him; he was just the eunuch delivering messages.
"Boss Shirogane, I..."
Suddenly, his body felt light. A powerful force came from his head; a large hand was gripping his skull, lifting him like a toy.
Hayashi trembled all over, but before he could be afraid, Kaito spoke.
"You can be that hero, Hayashi."
"Go do one thing now, and perhaps you might really become the hero who saves the Border Zone..."
Hayashi looked at the smile on Boss Shirogane's face, feeling none of the valor associated with heroes.
A while later, a conflicted Hayashi sent people to the Dongxia border. He reported the news that the Border Zone Special Region was aggressively capturing technical personnel, production workers, and women of age to the Dongxia Border Management Office.
Hayashi felt very awkward. He and Boss Shirogane were supposed to be 'outlaws,' birds of a feather with the Four Major Families. Yet, instead of a gang war, one major underworld faction chose to leak information to the neighboring Dongxia officials behind the other's back. This behavior made him very uncomfortable.
But Kaito didn't care. He was also very curious how the great powers, possessing the top military force on the Blue Star, would face the increasingly undisguised Reincarnator forces.
[The Final Day] was building islands and founding a nation on the sea, aggressively capturing production personnel from various countries. This kind of thing was practically a direct provocation to the existing order and couldn't be hidden forever.
Moreover, judging by [The Final Day]'s flashy style, Kaito didn't think they intended to hide their actions.
He deliberately left the families in the Border Zone alone and had Hayashi inform Dongxia of the coordinates where [The Final Day] was gathering and teleporting people, precisely because he hoped to see a great war.
A war between the cutting-edge technology of humanity in the real world and powerful Reincarnators.
And he was certain that he wasn't the only one. Many Reincarnators who had received the news were waiting for the outcome of this battle.
This battle would directly determine the attitude of many Reincarnators hereafter.
If the order of the real world proved completely unable to deal with Reincarnators, then Reincarnators would begin to gather on a large scale to establish their own new order.
If the Reincarnators were defeated, the current order would continue. Reincarnators would continue to hide themselves, while nations would use this as a basis to build weapons and warbands specifically targeted to suppress all Reincarnators.
Although they didn't know the specific origins of Reincarnators, the think tanks and response agencies of the higher-ups had likely already summarized potential profiles of Reincarnators.
He had been surprisingly calm these past few days. aside from using the [Ice Heart Mantra], he was sitting and waiting for this campaign to erupt.
Thinking about it, perhaps he could do something else during this time.
His [Great Sin Sequence] sublimation had been delayed for a long time. If not for pursuing the hidden sequence of combining multiple Great Sins, he could have completed the sublimation back in the Pirate World.
Now, he was only lacking the Sin of Lust. Therefore...
"Lee Chae-rin, I hope you can appear before me tonight, otherwise..."
On a private jet elsewhere, Lee Chae-rin, dressed in a black women's suit, looked pale. Her beautiful face was somewhat haggard.
Although she had found many reasons to keep herself in Korea, Mercenary Tao clearly wouldn't care about that.
She was even hoping that Seo Ji-woo of the [Isshin Association] (奕心会 - Yixinhui) would suddenly start trouble in Korea, dragging the Samwol Group and herself into it...
Suddenly, a searing pain like a nerve being snapped shot through her brain. Her fingers dug into her forehead with such force that it seemed she wanted to crush her own skull.
"Miss, are you alright?"
The old butler noticed that the Young Miss seemed unwell.
"For a small business in a place like Myanmar, it should be enough for you to send a director to take a look, Miss..."
He wanted to persuade her to rest, but this action somehow seemed to make her even more unhappy.
"Take off."
With a steely face, Lee Chae-rin ordered the butler to tell the pilot to take off.
For the Samwol Group, a private jet was nothing difficult, and air traffic control approval had long been obtained.
The plane took off quickly.
Throughout the journey, Lee Chae-rin mentally simulated many ways to protect herself without angering that master.
But over five hours later, the plane landed. Led by a black off-road vehicle, she entered the former Wa Province Special Region at night.
Even at night, this place was now brightly lit.
Excavators were working everywhere; large swathes of forest were pushed down, and roadbeds had been laid for nearly a hundred kilometers. Driven by profit and the cooperation of the locals, these Dongxia foremen were running multiple shifts around the clock.
They didn't know what resources the Samwol Group saw here, but the pay was almost double to finish as soon as possible. With no intention of delaying payment, 30% was paid upfront.
With such generosity, they were working like their lives depended on it to speed up progress.
Thanks to the improved road conditions, Lee Chae-rin was delivered to Kaito even faster.
This made the woman even more depressed.
In the hotel, Hayashi, Megumi, and several local peacekeepers were all eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Samwol Group's person in charge.
When Lee Chae-rin appeared, they were all stunned, not expecting her to be so young and beautiful.
Hayashi subconsciously looked at Kaito in the main seat.
Kaito didn't speak; he simply signaled for everyone to start the meal.
Seeing that Kaito didn't make her call him 'Master' in front of everyone, Lee Chae-rin breathed a sigh of relief. She thought perhaps Kaito had summoned her to Myanmar for the upcoming major event.
Although she was in Korea, through the movements of the [Isshin Association], she too had glimpsed the impending conflict between [The Final Empire] and the great powers of the real world.
Lee Chae-rin felt much more relaxed and stopped keeping a straight face. This relieved Hayashi and the others; seeing her stance earlier, they had thought the Samwol Group was dissatisfied with the situation here.
As the biggest financier, they naturally showered her with compliments and constantly reported on the local situation.
Lee Chae-rin deliberately brought a translator. Inside the Nexus, Reincarnators faced no language barriers due to the permanent feat [Language Comprehension]. But in the real world, unless one proactively acquired relevant abilities, communication problems still existed.
Lee Chae-rin could certainly find someone to activate Language Comprehension for her, but out of selfishness, she didn't mention it at all.
At this moment, the translator she brought acted as a buffer, separating her from Kaito.
Others didn't know the details and thought it was normal. Only Kaito saw through the woman's thoughts with clarity.
After a feast where guests and hosts enjoyed themselves, Megumi wanted to use her advantage as a fellow woman to improve relations with Lee Chae-rin. However, Hayashi tugged at her clothes under the table.
Only then did Megumi notice the unbridled look in Boss Shirogane's eyes as he looked at Miss Lee.
Her heart trembled. She immediately made an excuse that the feast was over and people needed to rest, then led the locals away.
Hayashi also took the opportunity to say his injuries needed rest and chose to leave.
Soon, only Kaito, Lee Chae-rin, and a few others remained at the large banquet table.
Kaito stood up, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
He looked at Lee Chae-rin and said:
"Lee Chae-rin, you might not realize this, but the more you struggle like this, the more advantageous it is for me."
The translator with a high ponytail was surprised hearing Kaito's words. This guy seemed disrespectful to Miss Lee. She was still hesitating on how to translate—should she modify it to be more respectful, or translate it directly?
Then she saw the tall, handsome man walk up to Lee Chae-rin, pinch her chin, and lift it, revealing her smooth neck.
This action clearly crossed the line. The two bodyguards standing by the door immediately moved, but Lee Chae-rin raised her hand, stopping them from drawing their guns.
Kaito didn't even look at them. He simply stroked Lee Chae-rin's smooth neck, moving downwards, feeling the goosebumps rising on her skin one by one. Her trembling brought him immense pleasure.
[Karma Sequence Synchronization Rate Updated. Sin of Lust Synchronization Rate: 21%]
Not enough. Still not enough!
Kaito pulled her up forcefully. Lee Chae-rin stood up involuntarily. She subconsciously tensed her body, and the white tablecloth in front of her was instantly sliced open.
Her breathing began to change.
Kaito, however, wrapped an arm around her waist and walked towards the exit.
"What... exactly do you want to do..."
Broken Dongxia language. This wasn't the effect of Language Comprehension, but a language Lee Chae-rin had learned herself. Her tone was somewhat panicked.
Kaito glanced back at the bewildered translator and the two equally confused bodyguards, then led the woman towards the elevator.
"I want you to aid my cultivation~"
Lee Chae-rin's heartbeat could no longer be suppressed; it pounded violently. Many thoughts flashed through her mind, but the slave restriction meant that the moment she thought of attacking Kaito, she would suffer a splitting headache.
Finally, she was brought into a room. Her thoughts returned to her body, and she suddenly realized she could use previously obtained intelligence to distract Kaito. She spoke immediately:
"I received news from the Blue House. The Free Federation of America seems prepared to launch a nuclear strike somewhere in the South Pacific. That's likely their counterattack against [The Final Day]. We..."
Rip!
The exquisite black suit was no tougher than paper in Kaito's hands.
Lee Chae-rin turned away, covering only a bit of her clothes in front. The cold arrogance Kaito first saw in her was gone, replaced by fear and a pitiable demeanor.
"We should pay attention to Dongxia's movements. Perhaps they will also launch an operation in the Myanmar region..."
She forced herself to remain calm, trying to use Reincarnator intelligence to catch Kaito's attention. But Kaito was currently delighted by the pleasure and the rising synchronization rate.
Rip!
Another tear. Lee Chae-rin had no strength left to resist and was pushed onto the bed in despair.
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