"Young man, your current level is the great completion of body tempering, the perfection of the six Postnatal realms. In the language of the ancient martial world, that means shedding the mortal body and achieving an indestructible golden physique. Your flesh has replaced its blood, immune to all poisons..."
"Hey, old Morch, are you done with the nonsense? All of that is in the Shenzhou Martial Arts Association Handbook."
Carman Vanida clearly had no interest in listening to Morch ramble. He only wanted this settled quickly.
"Very well. It seems milord is impatient."
"Let me tell you, young man. This old man stands at the second vista of the Eight Innate Vistas—the Sea of Qi Vista."
As he spoke, Morch's withered palms pressed against Huck's indestructible fists.
Logically speaking, a body like the old man's should have had no way of resisting Huck, whose physique resembled a muscle-bound gorilla.
Yet the expected scene of the elder's hands being shattered did not occur.
Whoosh—
Huck felt as though a convergence of a hundred rivers stood before him, blocking his fists.
He drove every muscle in his body and exerted force again, yet his strength vanished like a clay ox sinking into the sea.
Compared to Huck's sharp, overwhelming presence, Morch wore a gentle smile, as if bathed in a spring breeze. He spoke calmly, completely at ease. "Do you feel it? This is the Sea of Qi. You cannot break it with pure muscle alone."
Sea of Qi? What principle was that?
Outside the fight, Vill-V asked the only acknowledged expert in martial arts present—Hua.
"Hua-chan, can you see what's going on?"
Shenzhou martial arts had a long and profound history. Its techniques were intricate and exquisite. Outsiders could not grasp their secrets.
Although the members of the Mad Hatter Party were all capable fighters, only Hua-chan had received systematic training in Shenzhou martial arts. Even Huck had merely studied modern combat techniques. He could not be relied upon for this.
Hua-chan, who had practiced martial arts since childhood, nodded.
"If I'm not mistaken, it's qi and blood. According to my father, the strength of the human body comes from qi and blood. If one loses qi and blood, no matter how strong the muscles are, a person cannot move."
Vill-V glanced at the others. As expected, they looked completely confused.
Only Vill-V, long accustomed to speaking in riddles, understood Hua-chan's meaning. She explained with an analogy:
"It's like this. The body's strength is a spring, and qi and blood are a hydraulic pump. A spring can't lift a thousand-pound weight, but a hydraulic pump can. Right?"
Only then did everyone come to a sudden realization.
Though in truth, none of them could comprehend how the human body could function as a hydraulic pump.
"That's correct. And to achieve that requires extremely refined qi-gathering techniques, allowing qi and blood to condense without dispersing. Only then can it be done. This is the first time I've seen it with my own eyes. Even my father never managed it."
Hua-chan stared at Morch's movements, a trace of vigilance in her eyes.
"Roar—"
Huck exerted every ounce of strength he possessed, yet the palm before him felt like the Five-Finger Mountain of the Buddha—utterly immovable.
The old man continued pressing forward. The immense force drove Huck to one knee. His other hand had no choice but to brace against the ground.
"Ha ha! To die at the hands of Butler Morch is an honor you should cherish. The Morch family has served the Israrea royal family since the era of the Ottoman Empire. They are trusted retainers of Israrea's royalty. For a thousand years they have relied upon the royal house, gathering martial arts techniques from across the world, acquiring skills unimaginable to outsiders."
Clearly, Carman Vanida had no intention of sparing Huck.
As for lawsuits?
How could that compare to his present amusement?
There were not many who could force Morch to exert his full strength.
"Mr. Golden Homu Investor!"
Lele clutched her chest anxiously. She had no ability to intervene in this fight. Even if she had the authority to summon security, something had happened to the Homu Park security staff. None of them could be contacted.
Looking at Huck struggling to endure, Lele pressed her lips together.
(I can't let Mr. Golden Homu Investor lose his life because of the amusement park. I... I'll hand the park over... That's the only way.)
Lele knew the law would be useless. The Carman Vanida Group possessed a powerful legal team. Even if they killed someone, they would simply reduce it to monetary compensation—and money was the least of their concerns.
Rather than let Mr. Golden Homu Investor lose his life in vain, it would be better to exchange the park for Huck's life.
Before Lele could speak, a playful voice interrupted her surrender.
...
At the same time, Morch felt the force beneath his palm vanish.
In the blink of an eye, such a large man had disappeared into thin air.
"Hm? Where did that fellow go?"
Carman Vanida and his bodyguards looked around frantically, trying to locate Huck.
How could such a living person vanish out of nowhere?
"Wow, dear audience, your beloved Magician is right here~"
Vill-V leapt before them, waving a black magic cloak in her hand.
"This is not some martial technique. No one's speed can surpass my perception," Morch said, withdrawing his palm and placing his hands behind his back, once again becoming the amiable old butler.
There was no trace of the man who had just suppressed the broad-shouldered Mad Hatter super soldier Huck with a single palm.
"And it isn't technology either. I sensed no disturbance in the air."
Vill-V answered frankly, "It's magic. I added magic."
With that, she lifted the cloak and gave it a pull. Uncle Huck's burly figure was dragged out of thin air beneath it.
He still maintained his one-knee kneeling posture, looking bewildered.
"Hm? I was just...?"
Ignoring the defeated opponent, Morch stepped past Vill-V with a warm smile and looked toward the true decision-maker across from him.
In his eyes, Huck and Vill-V were merely bystanders. Only by resolving matters with the true owner would these passersby cease interfering.
"Miss Lele, may we speak privately? We hope to purchase your amusement park."
After speaking, he gave a respectful bow.
Lele had never witnessed such violence before.
Having just seen the fierce clash unfold before her eyes, her legs trembled uncontrollably.
She was merely a gentle woman. She had never undergone any combat training like that at St. Freya Academy. A single blow would reduce her to pieces.
Yet as the park director, she had to fulfill her duty to protect the amusement park.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and answered calmly, "I suppose it was you who sent Aurium Company to negotiate the purchase of the park, wasn't it?"
Standing beside the arrogant youth, the butler straightened his back and said, "That is correct. Lord Carman Vanida represents the Carman Vanida Group in negotiating with you."
"Don't fail to appreciate my kindness. Hmph," Carman Vanida added coldly.
As the CEO of HoMu Company, Zofia was indignant. "You call that a negotiation?"
She frequently discussed partnerships with other companies. This was the first time she had seen someone seeking a purchase act so arrogantly.
"Silence, you country bumpkin." Carman Vanida shot Zofia a cold glance before continuing his threat toward Lele. "You wouldn't want your father to lose face, would you? He already signed a one-year equity transfer reservation with us. The reservation period has now expired."
"My father never signed any equity transfer reservation agreement with your company," Lele replied.
"Ha ha. It seems the director is forgetful. Present it."
A black-clad bodyguard brought forward an electronic agreement.
Carman Vanida's claim relied on a fabricated virtual contract created from video footage left behind by Aurium Company's representative during the initial negotiations.
Lele was momentarily stunned, then spoke with restrained dissatisfaction. "This agreement is forged, isn't it? How much legal weight can that video possibly carry?"
"Under the power of the Carman Vanida Group's legal team, it carries legal weight. The court has already authenticated it."
A court would not normally stamp approval on such a matter. It was obvious it had been bought.
With judicial endorsement in place, no matter how unreasonable it was, Lele had no choice but to acknowledge the agreement's validity. Still, she refused to give up.
"My father has already agreed to hand the amusement park over to me. I have fulfilled his requirements..."
Carman Vanida rudely interrupted her. "That's just your wishful thinking. A verbal agreement doesn't count."
"And this video counts even less! On what grounds does my statement—"
"You should ask your lawyer properly, Miss Legal Illiterate~"
Carman Vanida fully understood that Lele's father had merely been stalling the sale of the park, but he feigned ignorance and refused to acknowledge it.
Faced with his attitude, Lele was furious.
The amusement park had finally begun to improve. How could she let a vicious wolf snatch it away?
Yet against the invincible legal team of the Carman Vanida Group, where could she possibly find a lawyer capable of fighting them?
Panic flickered across Lele's face.
Suddenly, Vill-V grasped her hand.
In a tone even more arrogant than Carman Vanida's, Vill-V declared, "Hmph. If you want to fight, we'll accompany you to the end. We have three Flame-Chasers here. You think we're afraid of you?"
"You lot want to instantly defeat three Flame-Chasers?"
"If you can wipe out three Flame-Chasers right here today... I'll personally guarantee you a ticket to the final battlefield on the Moon of Finality~"
Vill-V naturally did not believe Carman Vanida and his group could defeat her.
Their sudden appearance was utterly baffling. Who even were they?
Did they just walk out of a psychiatric hospital?
They couldn't even speak properly, acting like villains from some third-rate novel—and they wanted to challenge the Flame-Chasers?
If Pardo and Bronya were here, the lineup would be even more luxurious. Dealing with nameless trash like this would be effortless.
With the legal advantage now on their side, the old butler had no intention of making another move.
To him, Vill-V's childish mockery sounded like nothing more than a flustered child's empty bluster.
"Dear young lady, we have no intention of using violence," the old butler said mildly.
Of course, Vill-V also could not allow the terrifying old butler to take action. There was indeed no one on their side capable of stopping him.
Clap, clap.
Vill-V clapped her hands.
"Come now. Pour this gentleman a cup of tea. And for this fine elder—one cappuccino."
The beverage robot of Homu Park immediately processed Vill-V's order and delivered a steaming cup of cappuccino to Butler Morch.
Spiked...
Don't blame me for playing dirty.
It's not that I don't want you to witness the power of the Flame-Chasers, but for the sake of their future reputation, I'd rather find a way to avoid trading blows with you.
Vill-V genuinely worried that some headline like: "Heir Carman Vanida Battles Three Flame-Chasers, Narrowly Defeated" might appear in the future. Exchanging blows with people like this would only lower their standing.
It definitely wasn't fear!
I, Vill-V, fear nothing under heaven. When have I ever feared anyone? Pardo—
Mm—
Little Pardo, take me away! Without you, how am I supposed to run?!
Yes, Vill-V was bluffing.
In a children's amusement park, high-lethality weaponry was strictly off-limits.
Pop!
The robot suddenly fired confetti and streamers.
"Congratulations! With your beverage purchase, you have received a limited hidden reward—Homu Badge!"
"Hey! It's already three-something! Have some tea first!"
To be clear, Vill-V had not actually drugged the drink. That would have been too despicable.
Instead, she had deliberately chosen a beverage that contained a hidden reward—the cappuccino.
As if sensing something amiss, Morch flung the coffee to the ground and advanced step by step.
But he was one step too late.
Using the cappuccino's hidden reward to briefly draw the old man's attention, Vill-V had already secured their escape route.
"This is my escape route!"
By the time the hidden reward's "settlement animation" concluded, Vill-V had already led everyone into the enormous Homu Pirate King Maze.
"Useless! You let them get away!" Carman Vanida cursed.
Naturally, he would not allow them to slip from his sight. He led Butler Morch and the others into the maze in pursuit.
"Redeem yourself. If you fail again, your granddaughter... you understand."
A flicker of stiffness crossed the old man's face.
He had been momentarily blinded by the hidden reward animation—but why had Carman Vanida and the bodyguards merely stood there watching?
It was obvious. They had deliberately allowed him to be embarrassed.
Profit above all.
That was the atmosphere of the Yamulahan royal family—constantly seeking opportunities to trip others up, even their own people.