Chapter 124: Concealment

“Take off your shirt.” Facing the demand of the senior instructor, Yi Chen had no choice but to comply. After unbuttoning the last button and removing his shirt, a physique unlike that of an ordinary man was revealed, with the scars of newly formed flesh filling in the space over his chest particularly noticeable. Slap! Beili suddenly drew a slender teaching whip and lashed it across Yi Chen’s side abdomen. A whipping like this would normally have someone rolling and hopping in pain, but Yi Chen’s expression was somewhat strange. The external oblique muscle that the whip hit showed a slightly indented shape, then slowly filled back out as if it were being inflated. Slap, slap, slap~ Then, she struck several other parts of Yi Chen’s body, all of which exhibited similar phenomena, even in some areas where there should have been no muscle, were filled with small muscle-like tissues. After a round of whipping ended, she scraped Yi Chen’s side abdominal muscles with the whip, “I cannot teach you, and the reason is simple! Your physical form has transcended the ordinary. Look at this distribution of muscles and the conditional reflex of adaptability, it’s preposterous. S~eaʀᴄh the nôᴠel Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The so-called movement techniques are also built on my understanding of the physical body. And my understanding is not suitable for you… Go back to Zede, he’s the only one in this city who can teach you on a physical level. Moreover, in my opinion, you don’t need to pay too much attention to movement technique. Using the time spent learning it to further understand the physical body might yield better results,” she said. “Understood.” While Yi Chen was getting dressed again, Beili rummaged through a drawer and took out a small item. “Hey~ I don’t like owing others anything. Take this, you can come to me with any issues in the future.” A special card depicting an olive tree on the back was tossed to Yi Chen, it was Cesimani’s unconditional access pass. With this card, Yi Chen could enjoy the same privileges as ordinary students and even participate in the training and sparring here. “By the way, what do you think of Jin?” Faced with the question thrown by Instructor Beili, Yi Chen did not think too long. “An extreme and uncontrollable personality likely results from character flaws from her early life that cannot be repaired. However, it is possible to turn these flaws into a ‘key’ for working and associating with her, and they may also serve as a ‘special pillar’ for her to live in this world.” ṙãＮỘᛒЕS Beili seemed quite satisfied with the answer, as with her toes through her fishnet stockings, she gently prodded Yi Chen’s chin. “It seems you already have quite an understanding of her. In that case, you two can deepen your cooperation in the future.” Yi Chen didn’t reject Instructor Beili’s habit of using her feet, and while maintaining this contact, thought of another topic. “Right, Jin’s ‘Coordination’ has reached its limit, so you should have her embark on Relic retrieval and Extreme Breakthrough soon, right?” “Correct, she should be undertaking a mission related to Relics within half a year, and if you’re interested, you could participate as well.” “Good. Also, before going on a mission, I mentioned you to Teacher Zede, and he still remembers you. Would you like me to schedule a time for you to visit the Academy, Instructor Beili?” Upon hearing this, Beili retracted her feet and her expression changed slightly. “No need, I can see him anytime I want. Let’s leave it at that for today, and you’re always welcome to come by anytime. Participating in our daily training is also fine.” “Alright, goodbye, Instructor!” Just as Yi Chen turned to leave and was nearing the secret door of the office, a gentle touch suddenly pressed against his back, His physical body felt a soft, squeezing sensation, but on a spiritual level, it was as if sharp knives were pressing against his back, some of the blades even piercing his body. Along with this, came Instructor Beili’s voice, cold and somewhat alien. “One last thing~ The investigation you described, you didn’t hide anything from me, did you?” As she asked this question, the Instructor behind him moved down her body and placed her ear below his left scapula, which was near the heart, intentionally listening to Yi Chen’s heartbeat. A drop of cold sweat slid down his forehead, Yi Chen steadied his mind, “Everything I’ve described is the truth… If Instructor Beili has any doubts, she can verify it with Jin.” The office fell silent. Beili didn’t respond; she simply listened quietly to the sound of his heartbeat. After an unknown amount of time, the sensation on his back finally disappeared, and when a sweat-drenched Yi Chen turned his head back, he saw the Instructor Beili smiling as she placed Old Lady Ji’s finger into her exhibition cabinet, as if nothing had happened. Without lingering, he immediately met up with Jin outside of Cesimani and left together. When Yi Chen crossed the arch bridge and returned to the street district, he suddenly knelt on one knee, his palm covering his wildly beating heart. Within his heart, the creaking sounds of plant roots spreading through his blood vessels to the inner wall of his heart, forcibly stabilizing the rhythm of his heart, began to slowly retract. If not for the control of his heartbeat by the plant, he would have surely been exposed by Instructor Beili. Jin, concerned only about the swollen pouch on her shoulder, showed no suspicion of Yi Chen’s abnormality. “Hurry up, the meat will spoil if we don’t get it processed soon.” “Jin… My temporary heart seems to be failing; I need to rush to the hospital. Why don’t you go back first, and I’ll find you once I’ve dealt with my injury.” “Remember to come.” Jin shrugged her shoulders; her interest in a brand new weapon surpassed her concern for Yi Chen, and she quickly disappeared into the streets. Yi Chen also slowly got up, his forehead covered in cold sweat. Instead of going directly to Omphalo-Centric-Academy, he used a public telephone on the roadside to make an appointment with Professor Qian Bosen. The content of the conversation was simple; Professor Qian Bosen could tell that Yi Chen had something shady to discuss with him, and only said one sentence over the phone. “Your clothing is almost due for maintenance, let’s talk about other things later.” After hanging up, Yi Chen headed straight for the “Street District-Underlayer,” slipping into Chasm Street, hidden and full of various ‘illegal’ shops, he returned to the corner of the street where the Nameless Tailor Shop stood. Upon climbing the second floor staircase, the secret door of the Clothing Room opened a crack, clearly left ajar for Yi Chen. As he stepped in, the secret door immediately shut. Professor Qian Bosen had arrived ahead of him and was chatting casually with the tailor Ivan in the cramped Clothing Room. As Yi Chen arrived, Ivan, the shop owner, came forward with a cane, touching the fabric with one hand. “Has it been damaged to this extent in less than a year of wearing?” “I apologize… The damage from the last mission was too severe. If not for Mr. Ivan’s craftsmanship, this garment would probably not be wearable by now.” “Bring me some ‘Gentleman’s Skin’ that matches your outfit; I will help you repair it.” “Yes.” Professor Qian Bosen stood silently at the rear, an owl perched on his shoulder, inspecting Yi Chen, whose essence had transformed. “Has your physique improved? It seems the missions provided by Cesimani are quite effective for you… Tell me, what’s so crucial that it can’t be discussed at the academy, and you need to meet with me privately?” Yi Chen nodded, and in the region of his heart, there was a ripple of movement as some living thing slowly surged up his throat. Quickly! A black umbilical cord emerged from his mouth, as if alive, automatically wrapping around his arm. At the sight of the umbilical cord, both the former grand tailor Ivan and the knowledgeable Professor Qian Bosen paused for a moment. “This is… a Relic of life attribute!” Yi Chen made no attempt to hide anything, and he told the entire detailed process of his investigation, including the ‘Lost Holy Embryo’ he had kept hidden from Instructor Beili. Upon hearing that Yi Chen chose to help the Patient with Open Source and obtained the Relic, Mr. Ivan first showed a smile, “White Eagle, I wondered why you suddenly took an interest in accepting students… Such a student, Zion would be hard-pressed to find another like him in decades, if not a hundred years.” Professor Qian Bosen didn’t respond to his old friend, but instead placed a hand on Yi Chen’s shoulder, “Your secrecy is correct; the matter of assisting the Patient with Open Source, once exposed, will certainly cause some controversy. This Relic’s value has already surpassed that of an ordinary Relic. Continue to keep it inside you and ensure no one else becomes aware of it. I will also intervene as much as possible with the inquiries and assessments for your missions by the Gentleman Hall.” “Thank you, Professor.” “Well done! You truly are my student.”