The walk back to the Silver Cloud Clan was quieter than the trip there. Liling walked beside me with that pensive expression that meant her brain was processing everything that had happened. I was processing too, but my mind was going in a different direction.

  I have to tell Xiao Yue about Xiu Mei.

  It wasn't optional. If I wanted to build something real, something that worked long-term, I needed transparency. Organizations that hid critical information from their key members eventually collapsed.

  But telling her involved risks. I was a servant. Servants didn't make deals with fugitive alchemists. Servants definitely didn't recruit talent for future business projects that technically didn't exist yet and for which no authorization had been requested.

  If Xiao Yue decided I was a risk, she could fire me. Or worse, report me. My position was precarious at best. But I also knew Xiao Yue. I had spent a lot of time observing her, studying how she thought. She valued honesty more than protocol.

  And more importantly: she was trapped.

  Giving her the chance to be part of something, to build something of her own and regain some control over her life... that could change everything.

  "You’re going to tell her, aren’t you?" Liling’s voice interrupted my thoughts.

  "How do you know I was thinking about that?"

  "Because you’ve spent the last twenty minutes with that face you make when you're doing complicated mental math." She turned to look at me as we walked. "And because I know you well enough to know you wouldn't do something like this behind the Young Lady's back."

  "It’s risky."

  "Everything you do is risky," she replied with a smile. "That’s why it’s interesting."

  "And what do you think about all this?"

  Liling stopped. She looked at me directly with that intensity she reserved for important things.

  "I think Xiu Mei is exactly the type of person you should be working with. Talented, marginalized by the system, and with real motivation to succeed." She paused. "And I think if you manage to make it work, you could build something that actually matters."

  "That sounds like you support me."

  "Completely." There was no doubt in her voice. "I’ve spent years watching how politics crushes competent people. If you can create something different, I want to be part of it."

  Something warm expanded in my chest. I had the support of my first friend in this world.

  "Thank you."

  "Don’t thank me yet. We still have to convince the Young Lady."

  "That’s what worries me."

  Liling laughed.

  "It shouldn't. She trusts you more than anyone else in this clan. Excluding me, of course."

  That surprised me.

  "Do you really think so?"

  "Kenji, she gave you expensive clothes for your birthday. She allows you full access to her personal library. She broke a year-long plateau by following your manual." Liling gave me a soft nudge with her elbow. "I think you’re well-covered in the trust department."

  She was right. But the part of my brain that had survived decades in ruthless corporate environments kept calculating the probabilities of failure.

  We reached the pavilion just as the sun had completely set. We found Xiao Yue in the training garden, executing forms with a fluidity she hadn't possessed a week ago. She saw us arrive and stopped her practice immediately.

  "You’re back." There was genuine relief in her voice. "How was the city?"

  Liling looked at me. It was my turn.

  "Productive," I said. "Very productive, actually."

  Xiao Yue tilted her head slightly, studying me.

  "It sounds like there’s a story there."

  "Several, actually."

  "Then you should tell them to me." It was an open invitation.

  I sat on one of the stone benches in the garden. Xiao Yue sat beside me while Liling leaned against one of the nearby trees, watching with an expression of someone enjoying a show.

  "I bought the pills I needed," I started. "Iron Bone Pills; I got them at a good price."

  "From the official market?"

  "No."

  That caught her full attention. Her golden eyes sharpened slightly.

  "Then?"

  "From the Lower District. From an alchemist operating outside the guild system."

  I saw the exact moment she processed the implications.

  "You’re buying illegal products."

  "Technically they aren't illegal. The guilds don't have a legal monopoly over alchemy, only an economic monopoly. There is an important difference."

  "Kenji..." The tone of her voice made me pause. She sounded clearly worried. "If you get caught buying outside official channels, they could accuse you of smuggling. Or worse, of associating with criminals."

  "I know."

  "And you did it anyway?"

  "I did it because I found something worth the risk."

  Xiao Yue waited. Liling continued to watch, clearly enjoying my discomfort. I took a deep breath.

  "The alchemist’s name is Xiu Mei. She is a kitsune with exceptional skill. She was expelled from the Alchemists' Guild under false accusations planted by the Guild Master’s son after she rejected his romantic advances."

  Xiao Yue’s expression hardened.

  "Go on."

  "Now she operates from the Lower District with a distribution network made up of orphans. She produces quality work at accessible prices."

  "And?"

  "And I proposed a future collaboration to her."

  Xiao Yue looked at me with an intensity that made it difficult to maintain eye contact, but I didn't back down. This was important.

  "What kind of collaboration?"

  "It’s not defined yet. It depends on variables I can't control yet." I forced myself to be completely honest. "But the idea is to build an operation that can produce quality cultivation resources at fair prices. To compete with the guilds where they are weakest."

  "That is..."

  "Ambitious? Risky? Potentially stupid?"

  "I was going to say it sounds like something you would do." There was something in her voice I couldn't identify. "And why are you telling me this?"

  Here it was. The critical moment.

  "Because I want you to be part of this."

  Xiao Yue blinked, genuinely surprised.

  "What?"

  "You," I repeated. "I want you to be part of what I’m building. Partner, investor... whatever makes sense when the time comes. But I want you to be involved from the beginning."

  "Kenji, I am..."

  "A talented cultivator with family connections to the most powerful clan in the city? Someone with deep knowledge of techniques and cultivation theory? A person with underutilized administrative skills who could manage complex operations?" I leaned forward. "I know exactly who you are. That’s why I’m asking you."

  I saw vulnerability surface in her expression; despite her always trying to keep it hidden, I knew I had touched a sensitive spot.

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  "My family ignores me. My cultivation just came out of a year-long plateau. I have no resources of my own beyond my monthly allowance. What real value can I offer you?"

  "Do you want the practical answer or the honest one?"

  "Both."

  "Practical: I need someone who understands cultivation theory well enough to evaluate products, identify market opportunities, and serve as a credible link between an external operation and potential consumers within the clan."

  I paused, choosing the next words carefully.

  "Honest: I think you’ve spent too much time being treated as if you don’t matter. As if your only value was being decorative and quiet. That’s garbage. You have real skills. You have real potential. And being relegated to the back of the clan, waiting for someone to notice your existence, is wasting all of that."

  Xiao Yue remained completely still.

  "Giving you the opportunity to build something of your own, to have real agency over your future, to be an active participant instead of a passive spectator..." I held her gaze. "That could give you the mental stability and confidence that would accelerate your cultivation progress more than any technique I could write."

  The silence stretched. Liling had stopped smiling; she was watching Xiao Yue with genuine concern. Finally, Xiao Yue spoke. Her voice was soft but firm.

  "No one had ever said something like that to me before."

  "Then the people around you have been incredibly blind."

  "My father..."

  "Your father is grieving," I interrupted gently. "But his grief shouldn't define your value. You aren't a lesser version of your mother. You are your own person with your own strengths."

  I saw the glint of tears in her eyes before she blinked furiosly to hold them back.

  "You’re being very direct."

  "It’s the only way I know how to be when something matters."

  "And this matters?"

  "Of course it matters. I’m betting my future on this. I wouldn't do it if I didn't believe you could be a fundamental part of making it work."

  Xiao Yue stood up from the bench. She walked a few steps toward the edge of the garden, turning her back to me. Her shoulders were tense. Liling shot me an inquisitive look, asking silently if she should intervene. I shook my head slightly. This had to be Xiao Yue’s decision. After what felt like an eternity, she turned around.

  "When are you seeing this alchemist again?"

  "In a week."

  "I want to be there."

  "What?"

  "You said you want me to be part of this. Then I need to meet the people involved. I need..." she paused, "I need to know this is real and not just pretty words."

  Liling straightened up.

  "Young Lady, the Lower District can be dangerous."

  "That’s why you’re coming with me." Xiao Yue looked at her. "You, me, and Kenji. A trip to the city. Nothing official, just three people visiting the market."

  "Master Wei might suspect..." I started.

  "Master Wei told me to expand my horizons. To observe the real world." A small smile appeared on her face. "I’m just following his advice."

  Liling started to laugh.

  "She has a point."

  "This could get complicated quickly," I warned.

  "Everything worth doing is complicated." Xiao Yue returned to the bench and sat down again, but this time closer. "If I’m going to do this, I’ll do it properly. I want to see everything. I want to understand the entire business."

  Something in my chest loosened. I hadn't realized how tense I had been until that moment.

  "Then, you’re in."

  "I’m considering being in," she corrected. "After meeting your kitsune alchemist and seeing if her skills match your evaluation."

  "Fair enough."

  "And Kenji..."

  "Yes?"

  "Thank you for telling me. I know it was risky."

  "Thank you for listening."

  Liling clapped once, breaking the moment.

  "Perfect. Now that we’re finished with the emotional part, we need to talk about logistics. If the Young Lady is going to the Lower District, we need appropriate clothes, safe routes, and a solid cover story."

  "You’re already planning this?" I asked.

  "I’m always planning. It is, literally, my job."

  Xiao Yue laughed. It was a genuine sound I hadn't heard before.

  "Then tomorrow we’ll discuss the details. For now..." she looked toward the darkening sky, "you should rest. We have training early tomorrow."

  Crap. The training. My body, which had been running on pure conversational adrenaline, suddenly remembered that I had walked across the entire city today. My legs protested.

  "Right. Training."

  "And you should take your pill afterward," Xiao Yue added. "You said they were Iron Bone Pills, correct?"

  "One every three days after training," I recited. "To strengthen bone structure and accelerate muscle recovery."

  "Good. Then tomorrow you’ll take the first one."

  Something in her tone made me suspicious.

  "Why do I feel like there’s more to it?"

  "Because I’m going to help you digest it properly using my Qi."

  "It’s not necessary..."

  "It is entirely necessary." Her voice adopted that tone that didn't admit discussion. "Pills can be difficult to absorb for someone without an established cultivation. External Qi helps the body process the medicinal ingredients better than you would do without help."

  "I don't want to take up your time."

  "Kenji." She looked at me directly. "You helped me break a year-long plateau. You gave me a personalized manual that revolutionized my practice. And now you’re including me in something that could give me real purpose." She paused. "Helping you absorb a pill correctly is the least I can do."

  Liling watched us with a smile that suggested she was immensely enjoying my awkwardness.

  "Fine," I said finally. "Tomorrow after training."

  "Perfect." Xiao Yue stood up gracefully. "Now you should eat dinner and go to sleep early. Liling plans to destroy you tomorrow."

  "How do you know that?"

  "Because I asked her to," she replied with total innocence. "You need to progress fast. That requires intense training."

  "Betrayal," I muttered.

  "Resource optimization," she corrected. "I learned from the best."

  The two of them left together, leaving me alone in the garden as the darkness settled in completely. Tomorrow was going to be painful. But it was worth it.

  Liling hadn't lied. She destroyed me.

  *******

  Morning training consisted of two hours of basic body-strengthening exercises, followed by an hour of combat where she threw me to the ground repeatedly.

  "Again," Liling ordered while I tried to get up from the floor for the tenth time.

  "I’m going to die."

  "You aren't going to die. You’re going to improve." She offered her hand to help me up. "Your physical base is terrible. We need to fix that before you attempt to seriously circulate Qi."

  "I understand the logic. That doesn't make it hurt any less."

  "Nothing worth having is easy."

  I stood up with a groan that would have embarrassed my old corporate self.

  "Are we finished?"

  "For today, yes." Liling evaluated my state with a critical eye. "Go wash up. Then take your pill."

  I crawled toward my room. The bath was an exercise in survival where every movement reminded me of muscles I didn't know I had. Eventually, I managed to look presentable. I found Xiao Yue and Liling waiting in the study. Xiao Yue had cleared the central space, moving the cushions to create an open area.

  "Sit here," she indicated the center. "Lotus position, if you can."

  I sat with something that could technically be called a lotus position if you were extremely generous with the definition. My flexibility was limited. Xiao Yue sat behind me. Liling positioned herself to the side, watching with professional interest.

  "The pill," Xiao Yue said.

  I took out the small jade bottle. The pill inside was the color of polished bronze, perfectly round. I placed it in my mouth and swallowed. At first, nothing. Then, heat. It started in my stomach and expanded outward. It wasn't unpleasant, but it was intense. Like drinking an extremely hot tea that somehow reached every part of my body simultaneously.

  "Breathe deeply," Xiao Yue’s voice came from behind me. "Focus on the heat. Don't resist it."

  I tried to do what she said. The heat continued to expand. Then I felt her hands on my back. The effect was immediate. The heat that had been dispersing randomly suddenly gained direction. I felt it traveling through my arms and legs, concentrating in my bones. And there, the strange sensation began. A tingling, as if a thousand tiny needles were touching the inside of my bones. I clenched my teeth; this was extremely uncomfortable.

  "Good," Xiao Yue murmured. "The effect is beginning. This will take about twenty minutes. Don't move."

  Twenty minutes sounded like an eternity in that moment.

  The tingling intensified. It turned into a dull pain that pulsed in sync with my heart. I could feel every bone in my body: the femur, the ribs, the fingers. Everything was changing. Xiao Yue’s hands moved slowly across my back, guiding the Qi. I could feel her energy, warm like fire but controlled, flowing through me.

  "The pill is breaking down the impurities in your bone structure," she explained softly. "Your body is expelling them and replacing them with purer medicinal energy. That’s why it hurts."

  "Useful information," I managed to say through clenched teeth.

  "Do you want me to stop?"

  "No."

  Because despite the pain, I could feel something improving. My muscle fatigue was decreasing, as if my body were being repaired in real-time. The minutes passed slowly. The pain reached a peak and then began to subside gradually. The tingling softened until it became a residual warmth.

  "Almost there," Xiao Yue said. "One last push."

  Her hands pressed more firmly against my back. I felt a final surge of energy circulate once more through my entire skeleton and then... nothing. The process ended.

  I slumped slightly forward. Liling was there immediately, stabilizing me.

  "How do you feel?" she asked.

  I did an honest assessment. I moved my arms experimentally. I flexed my fingers. I turned my neck.

  "I think I feel better." It was true. The exhaustion I had felt after training had been cut in half. My muscles still protested, but it was manageable. "As if I’ve already partially recovered."

  "That is exactly what should happen," Xiao Yue confirmed. She looked slightly fatigued but satisfied. "The pill accelerated your natural recovery. In a day or two, you’ll be completely fine."

  "That is incredibly useful."

  "Quality pills are invaluable for beginner cultivators. They accelerate progress significantly." She paused. "Your alchemist produces good work."

  "I’ll tell her when you see her."

  "I’ll do it myself next week."

  I turned to look at her. Xiao Yue had a determined expression I recognized.

  "Are you already planning what to ask her?"

  "Of course. If I’m going to be a partner in something, I need to understand exactly what I’m getting into."

  Liling laughed.

  "Kenji, you created a monster."

  "An efficient monster," I corrected. "Which is the best kind."

  Xiao Yue gave me a soft punch on the shoulder.

  "Rest the rest of the day. Tomorrow we continue with your training."

  "More beatings?"

  "Educational beatings," Liling specified with a dangerous smile. "There’s a difference."

  "Not from my perspective."

  I stood up carefully. My body responded better than expected. The pill was definitely working. Xiao Yue accompanied me to the study door.

  "Kenji."

  "Yes?"

  "What you said yesterday. About giving me purpose, about being an active participant..." She stopped, choosing her words. "It meant a lot."

  "It was the truth."

  "I know. That’s why it meant so much." She smiled slightly. "Now go. You need to rest properly if you want to survive tomorrow’s training."

  *****

  Author's Note:

  Clicking the like button is the easiest way to tell me you want more.

  Hey everyone,

  I recently received a message from a Hero Trainer subscriber regarding the release schedule for my original novel, The Immortal CEO. They asked if I could continue releasing chapters periodically rather than waiting. Initially, my goal was to reach chapter 50 and then begin daily uploads. However, we are already nine chapters in and the current pace feels great.

  So, let's do it. From now on, I will release one chapter every week until we hit that 50 chapter milestone. This allows me to reach my target without burning out while ensuring that all subscription levels have fresh content to enjoy. Please remember that The Unrivaled King's Throne remains the only tier not subject to a specific schedule. Members of that level get access to every chapter the moment it is uploaded.

  I also have some news regarding the random memes and comic pages I have shared. I decided to create a dedicated collection for them so you can find everything in one place. There are about 25 posts in there so far. This should be much easier than searching through my entire feed. I am still getting used to the way Patreon works and I apologize for the initial clutter. If you want to see those images, you can find them all in the Comics collection.

  Regarding the public schedule, I will be posting chapters of The Immortal CEO every Monday. Since I missed this past Monday, I am releasing one chapter right now to make up for it. Later this afternoon, I will likely publish two more chapters of that novel along with a new update for My Hero Academia.

  Thank you all for your incredible support!