"Oh, Lady Scarlet, you are here."
The little coach was the first to come out of the gym after the training session ended.
The sunlight could be seen behind the mountains, indicating that morning had arrived.
Scarlet, who felt these 10 thousand people were going to blow up this whole mountain range and bring the morning forward, said,
"H-hello, Coach..."
The little coach nodded and, with an encouraging smile, went into the backpack.
A moment later, Little Mortal was out in his new white robe and a small chain in his right hand.
While spinning the small chain around his little index finger, he said,
"Sup, Little Scarlet."
Scarlet, seeing the different senior who looked like a thug now, greeted him again:
"Greetings, Boss."
The little boss nodded.
"What are you doing here?"
Scarlet glanced at the people who were just a hair away from exploding and said nervously,
"I-I was wondering if you need help with anything..."
Little Mortal stopped spinning his little chain, rubbed his chin, and said,
"Good. I have some business. Look over my gang members until I'm back."
Scarlet turned pale!
These people?
Seeing her in this fearful state, Little Mortal snorted.
"If you put a million-kilogram weight on a 1-year-old child, what's going to happen?"
Scarlet was speechless.
What kind of question is this? What does it have to do with these guys ready to blow up?
The rat answered at this time in her place,
"He is going to be squashed, Boss!"
"Then what if I help him with one finger to hold the weight?"
Scarlet, who was thinking about what he meant, heard Mr. White answer again,
"The weight never falls!"
Little Mortal puffed his chest, raised his chin arrogantly, and said,
"That's right."
Then he whistled, and the black tricycle appeared.
After picking up his backpack, he got on and rode it away toward the forbidden jungle.
At the same time, all the gang members became like children.
They closed their eyes, their painful expressions turned back to normal, and they seemed to be sleeping.
Then they all lay down on the ground in an orderly yet creepy manner.
Scarlet only now understood what he meant by that example.
He was saying that all of these people might look like they can't handle the spirit energy inside, but with him giving them a helping hand—or to be exact, a single finger—that would never be a problem!
She turned to where he was going and only saw a big backpack on the horizon, going farther and farther away with the sound of music in the background...
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and sat back on the chair.
With a powerful senior who had mastered the Harmony Technique to an entirely different level, what was she worried about?
...
Deep inside the forbidden jungle, on the path leading to the restricted area, a huge white tiger was sleeping.
A couple of kilometers around it was devoid of any living creatures except the trees.
It was the fierce aura around the white tiger that made the other animals stay far away from it.
While in its own world, the white tiger felt something small touching its head...
At first, it thought it might be a newborn bird that didn't know what danger was and had landed on its head.
So it shook its head to make the bird go away.
But to its surprise, not only did it not leave, but the bird even spoke:
"It's me. No need to wake up."
The white tiger's eyes snapped open!
'It's 'me'? Who is 'md'? Who is this little bird that thinks we're old friends?'
But when it saw who the little 'bird' was, its hair stood up, and its size became 20% bigger!
Just the sight of the creature in front of it made it not attack or run!
It gulped and continued lying down.
The little 'bird' laughed.
"Mr. Tiger, how are you doing?"
Mr. White Tiger, the same tiger who had guided Little Mortal to the restricted area, gulped and, without moving, said,
"Ah, Sect Master, I'm fine, just sleeping here, waiting to see if by chance you pass by..."
"Oh, you heard about my old Daoist name from those guys? But I changed it again—it's 'Boss' now."
The white tiger said in an annoyed tone,
"They're acting like some big shots now."
Little Mortal frowned.
"Big shots? In front of you? The biggest cat around?"
The white tiger nodded.
"Just one candy from you, Boss, and now they think they're better than me! Unbelievable!"
Little Mortal shook his head.
"Don't mind them; they're silly. Do you think they understand what a fierce cat is capable of? Or how dangerous a cat could be if they're angry? No, they don't!"
Then he turned to his backpack, which was beside his parked tricycle.
"Send two candies out—one for Mr. Tiger and one for Madame Turtle."
The white tiger thought, 'The Wise Turtle is indeed wise!'
The other day, after he saw the little monster leave, he went to talk with those humans about what he had said to them.
But he saw them eating the 'candy' and becoming stronger than him in one go!
They even acted arrogantly in his presence!
So he went to the Wise Turtle and told her about the candy that those humans had received and the stories about cats that he had excitedly described. She told him to sleep on the path between the restricted area and the humans' territory.
"Then wait for the child to come and pet you."
He didn't really understand at first what she meant by that.
Why would a monster like this little daredevil do that?
But to his surprise, he really came and did as the Wise Turtle had told him!
So he immediately started the second part of the plan:
'Just tell him they're bullying you.'
And the result was exactly what they wanted!
The white tiger took the blue and red candies and said,
"Boss, what should I pay in return?"
Little Mortal rolled his eyes at him.
"Mr. Tiger, you're a cat! Don't you know that?"
The white tiger looked at him in puzzlement.
"I know I'm a cat, but how is it related to paying for the candies?"
Little Mortal shook his head and said in a serious tone,
"Listen to me."
The white tiger began listening attentively.
"Cats, when they want something, just take it or ask for it, and others are obliged to give them whatever they want! And do you know what cats do after they get what they want?"
The white tiger thought for a moment and was going to say 'thank them,' but Little Mortal answered his own question:
"There is no 'after'! They don't say thank you or 'What should I pay for it?' What cats do is eat and sleep! What others do is serve them! You ask why? Because they're fearless! Let me ask you: Do you know what cats are scared of?"
The white tiger, who was a little scared, was going to say 'you,' but heard him answer his own question again:
"They're scared of nothing! They pay for nothing! And they obey nobody! Do you... understand?"
The white tiger felt that the one in front of him wasn't the little boss anymore, but his ancestor, offering him life advice.
So he suddenly became excited and said,
"Who are you to tell me if I understand anything? Anyway, I take these candies. Humph."
He even snorted at him at the end.
But the next second, when he realized what he had just said, his heart stopped beating!
'Oh no! I'm dead!'
But contrary to what he thought, Little Mortal didn't punch him into the afterlife but smiled like he was proud of him!
Then he patted his head and said,
"See? It's in your blood; you just needed to accept it!"
Then he went back to his tricycle and waved at him.
"Goodbye, Mr. Tiger! Say hello to Madam Turtle for me! Tell her my guardian ceremony is in about a week—I'll invite you both over!"
The white tiger, feeling like he'd survived a heart attack, waved his paw while saying,
"Do I look like your messenger? I do whatever I want!"
When he was done, his heart stopped beating again.
'What's wrong with me? Why did I say that? This time, he'll kill me for sure!'
But again, contrary to what he expected, he only heard the sound of laughter coming from farther away and the little boss's voice:
"That's how a real cat should be!"
The white tiger, lying there, felt that he had avoided death twice in a row...
...
Restricted Area
Morning finally arrived, and so did Little Mortal at his destination.
First, he parked his tricycle and went to the first house, knocking on the door.
But no one answered.
So he started walking to the end of the village.
"Old Seven isn't home. I'll see if Mr. Scholar is home or not. Last time, they were all in his house before the interview."
On the way to the scholar's house, he heard the sound of something hitting iron.
He paused for a moment and took a look at the workshop with two buff dudes smashing iron.
"Mr. Blacksmith's work is about to finish, it seems."
Then he continued walking toward the house at the end of the village.
When he arrived, he went forward and knocked on the door.
The door opened a moment later, and Old Seven appeared at the door.
But he closed the door the next moment.
Little Mortal, looking confused, stood there for a brief moment, then frowned and knocked on the door two more times!
"Open up, Old Seven!
I saw you!
I came for a visit!"
But nobody opened the door.
"Wait a minute!
I forgot that I'm a gangster boss now!
I don't need to knock!"
Then he kicked the door open and walked inside.
Inside the scholar's house, the group of big shots saw the door—the one Fourth Brother was supposed to open—kicked open by the Little Monster, who strode in arrogantly like a thug!
The style was different this time.
White robe, the headband and wristbands still the same, left hand in his pocket, a small chain on his right hand that he spun around his finger. Left eyebrow raised, head tilted to the right, and with a face that screamed:
'I'm arrogant, unruly, and I won't listen to anyone.'
He stepped inside as if it were his own house!
All of the big shots glanced at Lady Butterfly.
They were asking, Is this a new character?—without saying a word.
Lady Butterfly shook her head.
Little Mortal walked in arrogantly under their nervous gaze and said,
"Sup, gang."
The group of big shots, hearing him greet them in this new way, tried to stand and show respect to their little boss, but—
"No need to stand up."
Little Mortal waved his hand like he didn't mind them not standing for him.
And the big shots, who'd tried to rise anyway, felt their bodies betray them, forcing them back into their seats…
Only Third Sister remained standing, but when she saw the others sit, she followed.
Less than three seconds after this monster's arrival, and they were all horrified!
It was that evil Harmony Technique he'd used on them!
They shared the same thought now:
'Old Trash, we hope you burn in hell for eternity!'
He was the main culprit in this matter—their little boss had found the technique in his storage ring.
Lady Butterfly had told them his version had nothing to do with the soul, but how could they believe it? It wasn't worth the risk!
Then they watched him walk up to Old Seven.
"Old Seven, how could you close the door on my face?"
Old Seven gulped.
"B-Boss, I couldn't believe my eyes that you were back…"
Little Mortal shook his head and moved to Third Sister.
With a knowing smile, he said,
"I see you're still here.
Acting undercover, lurking in the dark, ready to stab me in the back."
Third Sister chuckled nervously, straining to look friendly.
"Boss, don't joke with this old lady. My fragile heart can't handle it."
"Hahaha, I'm kidding, I'm kidding."
Then he turned to Fourth Brother—and his face changed.
Sweat bloomed on every forehead.
Fourth Brother's judgment day had arrived far sooner than they'd thought!
It was time for him to be punished for giving the wrong address.
But against all expectations, Little Mortal's expression twisted into sadness. He gripped Fourth Brother's hand and said,
"My condolences, Mr. Fourth…
I… I couldn't save him… I was too late…!"
Then he covered his face and started 'crying.'
Fourth Brother, as puzzled as the rest, asked,
"Save who?"
Still pretending to wipe tears, Little Mortal said mournfully,
"Your disciple… That demoness killed him,
Snow Goddess, and I wasn't there in time…"
Then he began 'wailing':
"Teacher! You died an unjust death!"
The big shots finally understood what Lady Butterfly had meant when she'd told them about the Sword God's death.
'So he still thinks he's dead?'
Fourth Brother feigned sorrow.
"Thank you, Boss…
He paid the price for being weak in this cruel world…"
Little Mortal nodded, approving of his mindset.
Next, he approached Charm Goddess.
"Little Charm, I saw your disciple."
Charm Goddess panicked.
"Is she dead too?!
Boss, how could you do this?"
She burst into tears instantly!
Little Mortal reeled back, then knocked her head.
"What in the world are you talking about?
I was going to say you have a good, obedient disciple!"
The crowd braced for Sixth Sister's head to explode from the knock—but nothing happened. They sighed in relief, thinking:
'He's strong, but he can control his power perfectly… right?'
Then he wandered over to Fire Goddess, eyeing her hair.
"Hello, Ms. Fire. How are you?"
Fire Goddess forced a smile.
"Thank you, I'm good.
How was your journey?"
"It was hard. The outside world's so dangerous.
But forget that—do you want me to teach you a cool technique?
I saw it in a book. Elder Sun knows it, too."
Fire Goddess, who had no idea who Elder Sun was, replied nervously,
"S-Sure."
The next second, her hair was on fire!
Little Mortal clapped.
"So talented! You learned it on the first try!"
The others were baffled—until they realized:
'He took over her body, used the technique through her, and now she's mastered it!
That's what Lady Butterfly meant by "he doesn't have a spirit root but can teach any technique in one go!"
He'd probably seen Elder Sun's hair aflame and wanted to try it on another fire user…
The big shots smiled and clapped weakly. What else could they do?
Fire Goddess tested turning the fire on and off—it worked flawlessly, as if she'd always known how!
This was a Fire Root technique meant to refine control, requiring an understanding of "the calmness of fire"—something she'd never grasped.
Fire was destructive, raging—what calmness?
Yet now, she'd bypassed comprehension entirely. Even without the right mindset, she could wield it.
This bore no resemblance to the "Harmony With All Beings" she'd heard about!
With one move, Fire Goddess went from fearing the monster to becoming his fan.
Little Mortal plopped down beside Big Brother—and stared.
The scholar struggled to appear calm.
"Good to see you again, Boss.
We were discussing your journey with Fellow Daoist Butterfly."
Silence.
Awkward. Heavy.
Scholar gulped.
The little monster was clearly dissatisfied—but with what?
Finally, Little Mortal spoke:
"Mr. Scholar… what were you drinking here with your new guest?"
The emphasis on "guest" was the clue.
"Just tea. Nothing special."
Little Mortal nodded, then eyed Lady Butterfly.
"We meet again, old rival."
Lady Butterfly smiled.
"Looks like I was caught, too, Boss."
Little Mortal ignored that and pressed:
"So they gave you tea to drink?"
Lady Butterfly nodded, unsure where this was going.
"Tea or spirit tea?"
"Spirit tea."
Little Mortal's eyes narrowed.
"Guess what they gave me to drink the first time I came here?"
Lady Butterfly glanced at the others, confused. How would she know?
The big shots paled. They'd given him nothing!
On his first visit, he'd even slept under their roof—yet they hadn't offered him so much as a drink of water. Not even morning tea.
Little Mortal shook his head and was about to stand up, showing disappointment—as if he might leave!
But Fire Goddess saved the day:
"Boss, you're leaving?!
I prepared a special lava drink for you!"
She held a glass of boiling red liquid, steam rising violently from it.
"It's only for special guests—it wasn't ready last time!
Otherwise, I'd have served it!"
Little Mortal sat back down and asked suspiciously,
"What do you mean, 'wasn't ready'?"
Fire Goddess gestured at the searing drink.
"It was hot, Boss! Look, it's still hot!
I've been blowing on it this whole time to cool it down."
Little Mortal gasped at the boiling liquid.
"So hot!
This is for special guests?"
The others nodded frantically.
"Yes! We've all been blowing on it, waiting for your return!"
"It's our custom for honored guests!"
"How could we serve normal tea to someone like you, Boss?"
Each line lifted Little Mortal's chin higher—and the big shots' relief grew.
From Lady Butterfly's tales, they'd pieced together a key truth:
He was childlike—not the annoying kind, but the kind that was easily pleased by compliments and treats.
As long as they didn't interfere with his goal (becoming Planet Guardian), he was more prankster than predator.
Sure, his "jokes" came with incomprehensible power…
But even that should be manageable, thanks to his guardian token's protection.
Probably.