Chapter 137 - 136: Removing the Armor

Inside the gently swaying carriage, Fang Can's consciousness gradually returned. He subconsciously rubbed his head and slowly opened his eyes.

When he saw the crystal-lit interior of the carriage, Fang Can's fragmented memories began to piece themselves together.

He lightly clenched his fist, feeling the explosive power coursing through his body. Fang Can knew just how absurdly his progress had advanced because of this battle.

After just one fight, his overall strength had increased by more than tenfold, to the point where he could even contend with a First Turn expert.

Moreover, this wasn't even the limit of his body. Just as he had thought before, the human body still had many flaws that could be modified.

For now, Fang Can had only made temporary modifications to microscopic aspects like his cellular and skeletal structures—the things most helpful for combat.

Other things, like the position, length, and orientation of his internal organs, could also be fine-tuned.

The former was the hardware, the latter, the software.

In the coming days, Fang Can planned to make changes based on this structure to perfectly unleash his body's full potential, allowing him to fight in the most optimal state.

"You're awake. How are you feeling?"

He turned his head. At his side, Ye Qingshi and a few of her handmaidens saw he was awake and immediately gathered closer.

"Refreshed and clear-headed. My recovery was unexpectedly fast this time. I thought it would take at least two days to heal completely," Fang Can said, rubbing his head.

"Actually, after you fell asleep, a director from the imperial hospital happened to pass by..." Ye Qingshi briefly explained what happened after Fang Can had lost consciousness.

As she spoke, she handed over the golden invitation she had been keeping. "That Director Li said you could pay him a visit here once you reach the Capital City."

"The Fang family..." Fang Can looked at the name on the invitation, a little puzzled.

'Does he think I'm related to this Fang family just because my surname is Fang?'

Tossing the golden invitation onto the bedside table, Fang Can nodded. "Since he helped me out, I'll go pay them a visit later."

As he spoke, he glanced up and caught sight of his reflection in Ye Qingshi's eyes, freezing for a moment. He then grabbed her by the shoulders with both hands, staring intently at the young woman.

"Wh-what are you doing?" The sudden closeness made Ye Qingshi blush, and she instinctively leaned her head back.

"My eyes and hair... why do they look like this?" Fang Can asked in surprise, staring at his reflection in Ye Qingshi's pupils.

His face was still his face, but the sudden change to white hair and red eyes was a bit too striking.

The young woman, who had already braced herself for Fang Can to lean in for a kiss, felt a pang of disappointment before answering:

"That Director Li didn't know what was going on either. He said it was a spontaneous change in your body."

'Was it caused by the changes to my body's microscopic structure?' Fang Can wondered.

Watching the thoughtful face so close to hers, Ye Qingshi's cheeks flushed. Her mouth felt dry, and her breathing deepened involuntarily.

She realized that after the battle, Fang Can's body seemed even more... lewd. When they were lying in bed together before, it hadn't felt like this.

"What's wrong with you?" Seeing Ye Qingshi subconsciously leaning closer, Fang Can instinctively gave her a gentle push away.

Realizing she'd just been rejected, her mind went blank. She blurted out the thought that had been on her mind. "I... I want to learn martial arts."

"Martial arts...? It's exhausting," Fang Can said, scratching his head. "Didn't I tell you before? At your age, it's very difficult to achieve anything significant."

"But... if I don't learn, how many years do I have left?" Ye Qingshi said softly, sitting beside Fang Can and gazing at his profile.

"Three or five hundred years from now, you'll still be like an immortal, while I'll be nothing but a pile of dust."

At this thought, Ye Qingshi knew she wouldn't even need three or five hundred years. In just thirty or forty years, she probably wouldn't have the courage to face Fang Can anymore.

Realizing she was genuinely troubled by this whole lifespan issue and not just acting on a whim, Fang Can grew serious too.

"So you want to cultivate... I have dozens of Cultivation Techniques on hand," Fang Can mused. "But most of them take too long just to get started."

"The two fast-track methods I have both come at a great cost," Fang Can said slowly. "Are you really sure you want to accept?"

"You'd better think this through. Once you accept, you'll be living with blood and sweat. Once you start, you can't easily stop. Everything will be under my strict supervision."

"In other words, even if you tell me to stop, I won't. And if you tell me to continue, I won't move."

Fang Can said grimly, "From what I've seen, other people suffer immensely when they cultivate. They spend every day in endless torment."

Hearing this, Ye Qingshi felt a flicker of fear, but she instinctively gritted her teeth. "I'm not afraid of hardship. I'm sick and tired of being powerless."

"Why don't you wait another ten years?" Fang Can hesitated instead. "In ten years, I'll definitely be shaking the world with my power. I'm sure I'll be able to directly raise your Realm by then."

"Oh, why are you being so wishy-washy?" Ye Qingshi urged.

"I've already said I won't regret it. No matter how much I beg for mercy, you have to ignore me. Just use the harshest methods on me."

"Wouldn't that be a little too cruel?"

Fang Can scratched his head. "How about we set a safe word? If you say it, the training session ends."

"There's no need. I can definitely endure it. Now, just use your most torturous methods on me." Ye Qingshi's gaze was firm. It was clear that not even a mountain of knives or a sea of fire could stop her determination to cultivate.

"Alright," Fang Can sighed. "Just remember, you owe me one for this. Teaching you is going to waste a lot of my time and energy every day."

"Okay. Thank you for the trouble. What's the first step?" Ye Qingshi asked.

"The first step? Take off your armor, of course! All of it!"

Fang Can's gaze settled on Ye Qingshi's magnificent figure, causing the young woman's expression to stiffen.

"D-didn't you say we were going to practice martial arts?" Ye Qingshi stammered, her hands subconsciously clutching her green dress.

"Hurry up. There's no faster way to cultivate. I told you I would teach you in the harshest way possible," Fang Can said, and with a flick of his right hand...

...amidst the gasps of the surrounding handmaidens, the super-powered coat that hadn't even been destroyed in battle was reduced to a single red strip of cloth hanging around his neck.

Under the gazes of everyone in the carriage, Fang Can's chiseled physique—from his massive pectorals to his alluring abs—was on full display.

"Two of you, go stand guard at the door. I'm going to help her cultivate. Don't let anyone in."

As two of the handmaidens walked out of the carriage, blushing and reluctant to leave, Fang Can looked at Ye Qingshi with a serious expression and said, "Come on. Take off your armor!"

"I... I..." By now, Ye Qingshi's fair skin was flushed red with embarrassment.

She wanted to back away, but her body felt as limp as noodles, and her eyes glazed over.

Finally, under Fang Can's stern gaze, the young woman stammered nervously, "Th-this... can I cultivate tonight instead? It's still daytime."

"Unfortunately, that's the wrong safe word," Fang Can said with a shrug. Then, as the young woman's heart pounded wildly, he closed in, one step at a time.