Old Sheng had been disciplined into a faithful assistant within an hour, but Grace couldn't shake the unease she felt around him. He reminded her of Old Wang, despite the difference in their expressions.
Nevertheless, Grace knew she needed to be reliable for Augustus and for the sake of their business, so she toughened up.
"There's another surprise," Ian said, not appearing entirely comfortable with the this suprise. Augustus was about to inquire about it, but Ian cut him off. "You'll see..."
Exiting the basement, we made our way to Grace's bedroom, where the next surprise awaited us. "Sister Grace!" A "young" man sat alone in the room, turning to face us. "Did they hurt you? These people are suspicious. How did we end up in this mansion? I saw they bribed our aunt! Did Aunt sold us?"
"We're fine," Grace assured him, craning her neck to meet his gaze as he squatted before her.
Augustus asked, "Who is this?"
"Huh? Brother August, you asked me to secure his safety. He's Grace's little brother," Ian explained.
Augustus mused, "'This bear?'" The way he described Grace's little brother was spot-on.
Jackson Jameson was the opposite of his sister; he towered over Augustus, standing at over 175 cm, and hair covered his body, though thankfully he had no beard.
[The human has a unique physique]
['Pure Yang Physique']
[The system can create Pure Yang cultivation technique at a cost]
[Cost: 10,000 points]
Augustus hesitated, thinking his hard-earned points wouldn't be worth spending on a stranger.
Suddenly, a quest appeared.
[Sudden Quest arrived]
[Give Pure Yang Cultivation Technique to Jackson Jameson]
[Reward: System Cultivation Technique]
"Why is the system suddenly acting like this?" Augustus wondered aloud.
He had never seen it behave this way before. Was it connected to the Successor mentioned by Leo?
[Please complete the sudden quest, it's for the user's sake.]
Augustus considered for a moment before deciding, "I have 10k points lying around... I'll spend them on Grace's little brother and myself."
['Pure Yang Cultivation Technique' added to your dimensional storage]
['Cultivation Technique' added to Skill Tree System]
Augustus stared at Jackson Jameson, Grace's younger brother. He's thinking of something, a natural way to hand over the cultivation book.
Jackson was a person with a unique body trait, the Pure Yang Body, which only existed in other dimensions.
Augustus had to give him a cultivation technique to prevent the overflow of Yang Energy that could lead to his untimely death.
"May I ask your little brother's body condition?" Augustus asked, pretending not to know about Jackson's condition.
"I don't know, my little brother has always been larger than his peers ever since he was a child. Maybe my growth just went all to him," Grace replied nonchalantly.
Augustus sighed, "No, Grace, that's not how it works. You just lacked nutrition to grow."
Grace looked at him quizzically, "What do you mean?"
"I think I might know your brother's condition. Are your parents both cultivators?" Augustus asked, suspecting that Jackson's body trait was due to his parents being cultivators.
"Yes, both of them passed away on the battlefield," Grace replied expressionlessly.
Jackson glared at Augustus for asking such a question, but Augustus remained unfazed.
"Jackson's body trait was a blessing and a curse at the same time."
"A person with the Pure Yang Physique possessed incredible physical strength, endurance, and agility, as well as a high level of resistance to physical damage and injuries."
"They also had a natural affinity for cultivating spiritual energy, allowing them to practice advanced martial arts techniques and access higher levels of power."
"But at the same time," Augustus continued, "A person with the Pure Yang Physique, when the Yang Energy in the body is not dispersed, it'll cause huge problems."
"Jackson, do you constantly have fevers every few weeks? There's heat all over your body and you feel very energetic?" Augustus asked Jackson.
"How did you know that?" Jackson asked, surprised.
"That's the sign of overflowing Yang Energy. You should start cultivating if you don't want to die young," Augustus advised.
Augustus then decided to give Jackson a cultivation technique created by the system. "This cultivation technique only works for you. Do not try and teach it to another person as it will probably cripple them? I'm not sure."
Augustus had only been told the knowledge of the Pure Yang Body by the system, but he didn't know anything about the cultivation technique. He hoped that this technique would save Jackson's life and prevent him from suffering the same fate as his parents.
"Brother August, how do you know so much? You're a genius," Ian exclaimed as Augustus intelligence was a topic of awe for Ian, who found him increasingly unpredictable.
Augustus offered a seemingly plausible excuse, "I know someone with the same physical trait as him in another dimension."
The concept of cultivation piqued Jackson's interest. "By 'cultivate,' do you mean I can become as strong as Mom and Dad?" he asked, clutching the book tightly.
"Yes," Grace answered Jackson but she has questions. "But how can we afford a cultivation array and spirit stones? We can't dimensionally travel either; it's too dangerous." While she was glad that Augustus offered a solution, Grace was worried about her little brother.
"Ian will take care of that. Remember the 15% profit you get from the business? Both of you can use it for cultivation." Augustus already have it covered.
The mansion was equipped with a secret cultivation array that had been handed down for generations by Chen Family.
Since Ian have no problem sharing it, Augustus was confident that Urgo would make an exception and allow them to use it to extract qi from spirit stones.
Grace was relieved to hear the plan, "I promised that my little brother will cultivate diligently, right Jackson?" Grace affirmed Jackson's determination.
"Yes, sister! I'll try my best to be as strong as Mom and Dad to protect you," Jackson smiled brightly.
"Now, I have no more business to attend to. I'll leave everything to you," Augustus declared as he entrusted Ian with the task, his confidence in him unwavering.
"I'll arrange a car for you," Ian suggested, well aware that the Chen Family's territory was isolated and dangerous for anyone to approach.
Augustus said farewell to Grace and Jackson, just hope that they happily lived in this mansion without any problem.
Just before departing, Augustus left a message in case Urgo created any more problems. "If Urgo causes any more issues, instruct him to contact me. The Chen family can verify my background," he stated.
"I won't let Urgo have his way again. If he causes trouble, I'll use my authority to forcefully remove him from the mansion," Ian vowed.
Augustus then left the mansion and headed back to his own home. Although it was still early, he had already experienced a lot that day.
'Even after all the trouble, I was only able to save two people.'
-----
The wounded Augustus lay on a cot as Grace, the stoic doctor, tended to his stomach injury. "Why did someone like you choose to volunteer here?" he asked.
"I just wanted to," Grace replied expressionlessly.
Augustus furrowed his brow. "You look broken inside. I've seen a lot of people, and I can tell there's more to your story."
"Everyone here is broken in some way," Grace said, turning the question back on him. "Why did you come here?"
"Money, power, for my family," Augustus said as Grace applied a mixture of herbs to his wounds. "I want to get stronger."
"Family, huh? Good for you," Grace said flatly. "My family isn't worth my time. That's why I came here, to die in peace."
"What? I heard you came from a wealthy family. That's why almost everyone respects you."
"Then why don't you respect me?" Grace countered.
"I'm a general. We're on the same level," Augustus replied.
"A Golden Core Realm became a general? Have general qualifications dropped?" Grace quipped as she continued to work on his wounds.
"We both know it's not just about strength. It's about wits and capability," Augustus said, gritting his teeth as she rubbed the herbs into his skin. "I have tons of experience and have survived a long time here. I climbed my way up from being a mere soldier."
Grace rolled her eyes. "Whiny general."
...
...
Time passed as we got to know each other more, everything was fine but we just have to be remembered that we're on battlefield.
"Grace! Run! We're being ambushed, and they're trying to destroy this camp!"
The sound of a loud explosion echoed through the air, followed by the arrival of three four-horned Trixions.
"Our commander told us this camp needs to be destroyed for us to proceed with the next plan," One of them declared.
A group of soldiers charged at the Trixions, but they were quickly slaughtered without a chance to retaliate.
"Shit! When are reinforcements arriving?" Augustus muttered to himself.
"I already notified them five minutes ago when I sensed something was wrong," Augustus said, glancing at the communication tools. "But they didn't trust a Golden Core Realm general, so they just scoffed at my words. Now, thousands of innocent soldiers will die."
"Grace! Run away now! I'll buy some time. This is the perfect time to die with my underlings; it's my mistake, and they don't need to die meaninglessly."
"I already told you, I'm here to die. Why would I run away?" Grace said, unfazed.
"You piece of sh*t woman, it's not time for dark jokes," Augustus growled.
"How about you bring your precious comrades and run away while I buy some time instead?" Grace suggested.
"What? What can a doctor like you do in a battlefield?" Augustus scoffed.
"Hm? You're just a Golden Core Realm. What do you know?" Grace replied coolly as she walked outside of the building.
Augustus felt his heart sink as he tried to stop the insane woman from endangering herself, but she was too strong-willed to listen. "How could she be this strong?" he wondered, amazed by her power.
"Run," Grace said, before charging towards the Trixions with all her might.
Augustus watched in awe as she unleashed the full force of her Pinnacle Void Amalgamation Realm, effortlessly taking down the four-horned Trixions. Even though they were all at the same cultivation level, Grace's strength was on another level entirely.
"Dr. Grace is buying us time, don't waste it!" Augustus commanded the soldiers. "Those below the Golden Core, retreat and tend to the wounded. Those above, assist Grace and defend her sides. We can't let other Trixions interfere with the fight."
The soldiers obeyed, shouting in unison, "Yes, sir!"
Augustus could do nothing but watch as Grace fought as their fight is on completely different level, thankfully the Trixions no match for her.
He realized that he would only be a hindrance if he joined in the battle. Instead, he went to the frontlines, killing weak Trixions and preventing reinforcements from arriving, hoping that Grace would survive the onslaught.
Several hours passed, and the Trixions' attack finally subsided as reinforcements arrived. Augustus breathed a sigh of relief, but his heart sank again as he realized he almost forgot about something.
"Grace!" he shouted, sprinting towards the camp with all his might.
As he arrived, he saw that the soldiers had encircled something in the middle of the camp. They all looked sad and were crying.
"I'm sorry, commander," one of the soldiers reported. "Dr. Grace managed to take down two of the Trixions, but she's gone. We tried to assist her, but we got in her way instead. She sacrificed herself to protect one of us."
Augustus's heart felt heavy as he looked at Grace's lifeless body on the medical bed. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath.
'F*ck.'
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO INTERFERE WITH THE FIGHT AND GUARD HER SIDES!" Augustus yelled in anger, unable to contain his frustration.
"WHAT THE F*CK…."
"We're sorry, commander," the soldiers apologized, hanging their heads in shame.
"You think sorry will make up for this?" Augustus retorted bitterly. "Huh? Some F*CKING SORRY?"
"NO F*CKING SORRY CAN BRING HER F*CKING BACK!"
The group stood in silence, grief weighing heavily on their hearts.
The loss of Grace, a fellow soldier, a doctor, and a friend, had left them all reeling.
Augustus and the others remained seated, unable to find the words to express their sorrow.
"Bury her with honor," Augustus finally spoke, his voice thick with emotion. "She deserves a proper burial, one that honors her bravery and her sacrifice. She defeated three four-horned Trixions alone. Her achievements on the battlefield should not go unnoticed." Augustus ordered.
"Why not let her family bury her?" In an instant, Augustus erupted in anger, striking the soldier with a powerful blow.
"NOT HER F*CKING FAMILY!" Augustus shouted.
"SHE VOLUNTEERED AS SOLDIER, SHE FIGHT LIKE SOLDIER, AND WE WILL BURY HER AS ONE." Augustus know what her family did to her so there's no way he's going to let them bury her, they'll just toss her body on the streets.
The group quickly set to work, carefully storing Grace's body in a bag and preparing for her burial.
As they did, Augustus focused his attention on a new target: the four-horned Trixion that had been captured during the battle.
"Where is the Trixion?" Augustus demanded of one of his subordinates.
"It's being held captive, sir," the soldier replied. "It was heavily injured by Grace before we were able to subdue it."
Augustus made his way to the cage where the Trixion was being held, a special cage designed to prevent it from returning to its own dimension without permission.
The technology had been developed to allow for interrogation and torture, as killing the Trixion would only injure its soul and not truly kill it.
"You'll never get anything out of me," the Trixion sneered.
Augustus smiled cruelly. "I'm not here to ask you questions. I'm here to torture you."
'Explosion Trap.'
'Explosion Trap.'
'Explosion Trap.'
'Explosion Trap.'
…
'Explosion Trap.'
'Explosion Trap.'
'Explosion Trap.'
'Explosion Trap.'
'Explosion Trap.'
"Stupid human! How dare you do this to me! I'll- ARGGGGGHHH"
'Explosion Trap.'
'Explosion Trap.'
'Explosion Trap.'
'Explosion Trap.'
…
'Explosion Trap.'
'Explosion Trap.'
'Explosion Trap.'
'Explosion Trap.'
'Explosion Trap.'
He unleashed a barrage of fire traps on the Trixion, the power of the traps causing the Trixion's flesh to slowly burn away.
"Please! Stop! I can tell you about -" The Trixion pleaded for mercy, trying to reveal a crucial piece of information about their enemy's commander.
Augustus couldn't care less and continued his onslaught.
'Explosion Trap.'
'Explosion Trap.'
'Explosion Trap.'
'Explosion Trap.'
…
'Explosion Trap.'
'Explosion Trap.'
'Explosion Trap.'
'Explosion Trap.'
'Explosion Trap.'
Augustus did not relent, continuing his attack until one of his soldiers intervened.
"General, he will die if you keep doing that," the soldier warned. Augustus turned to him, eyes blazing with fury.
"He's still alive." Augustus was holding his hand in front of the Trixion's face getting ready to cast another explosion trap.
"Why are we doing this?" he cried out. "Is it worth it? Is the money, power, and fame we seek really worth the suffering we endure?" Augustus asked in despair.
Adam, one of Augustus's closest confidants, tried to console him. "Unfortunately, yes. We are weak, that's why we're here on the front lines."
Augustus let out a deep sob, finally allowing himself to feel the full weight of his pain. Augustus finally broke down and cried all out.
"I can't take it anymore," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. Adam put a hand on his shoulder.
"Let it out," he said. "You can yell if you want."
Augustus glared at him. "F*ck you, Adam."