Alexia yawned, "I'll stay. Alex is better at sweet-talking people, so if she goes with you, she can at least help you a lot. It's not safe here either; there's something inexplicable about your planet, so you'd better be careful not to die. I don't want to be alone."
This queen of the Ashford Family was not good at expressing her feelings with words; her indifferent expression was her usual demeanor.
"I'm heading back now, pay more attention." Eddie finished his instructions and prepared to leave.
Alexia snorted, swaying her high heels. "Stay for one night before you go. The mark was a bit unstable just now, go fix it."
"Alright, my dear wife." Eddie saluted in a peculiar way.
The next day, Eddie teleported back to Kyoto, completely drained of energy and feeling a bit dizzy. No wonder Alexia told him to rest well; it turned out this thing had side effects.
A groggy Eddie found a breakfast shop. "Boss, give me a deluxe breakfast, quickly, I'm starving!"
"Coming right up!" The boss, a middle-aged uncle, quickly brought over the steamed buns and soy milk.
At this moment, a man dressed like a medieval nobleman, with blond hair in a flat top, also appeared. He ordered some food and began to eat.
Eddie and the man exchanged glances. "Oh, are you a Priest? Meeting is fate, this one's on me. Boss, put the Priest's bill on my tab."
The man nodded, his expression somewhat curious as he scrutinized Eddie. He could tell at a glance that Eddie wasn't human—ahem, he was a non-human muscular evolution. Even the Hakkesshu's physiques wouldn't be much better.
What a joke, Eddie's physique had been enhanced with the most advanced viruses, and thanks to Eveline, it received further perfect enhancement with the E-Mold. This was truly extraordinary, alright.
"Hello, sir, you are a generous man. What is your name?" The man said with a smile, gracefully and even using honorifics. He had some class.
"No need to be so polite, just call me Eddie. And you, Priest, what's your name? You seem a bit unusual, let me think what it is." Eddie was a bit puzzled, eating quickly while thinking rapidly.
"Oh? What is it? You can call me Goenitz!" The Priest smiled slightly.
Eddie thought for a moment, "It should be the taste of nature."
"Oh?" This made Goenitz quite impressed. "You sound like someone who loves nature?"
"Not really, but I know never to provoke nature. Nature's retaliation is strong. You might not believe it, but if we exploit resources without restraint and destroy the environment, the next wave of nature's punishment will come soon." Eddie's expression became very serious.
"Is that so? How do you know?" Goenitz asked with interest.
"It's simple, nature doesn't need that many people. If someone made you work without pay and then defecated and urinated on your head, no one would tolerate that." Eddie used a simple analogy, crude but true.
Chapter 658: Hakkesshu, Mature
Eddie had a sudden thought and asked, "Where can I find some good pristine natural areas? I am a martial artist who will be famous worldwide in the future, and I am currently training."
These words sounded like someone fresh out of the gate, a newborn calf unafraid of tigers.
Goenitz looked into the distance thoughtfully, "That depends on what kind of nature you prefer."
"Oh? Would you mind introducing me? If you have time." Eddie had finished his breakfast, though the portion was somewhat exaggerated.
If Eddie hadn't paid in full, the breakfast shop owner would have thought he was there to cause trouble.
The two walked by the lake, like two close friends chatting.
"Nature has many phenomena: wind, earth, thunder, fire. Which one do you want to learn about?" Goenitz was in a good mood. Since he had no immediate tasks, guiding a junior was a good thing to do.
Eddie waved his hand, "Only children make choices; if it's me, of course, I want them all!"
Goenitz froze for a moment, and a hint of mockery flashed through his benevolent smile. "Are you sure you have the ability?"
The corresponding attributes of the Hakkesshu are Wind, Earth, Thunder, Fire, Darkness, Fang, Beast, and Death.
Correspondingly, only half of the Hakkesshu, meaning four people, can awaken, and these four awakened individuals can each control the most extreme powers of nature: Wind, Earth, Thunder, and Fire!
These four can also be called the Four Heavenly Kings, true kings who can destroy heaven and earth, not the singing and dancing kind.
Even with the bloodline inheritance of Orochi's Blood, each person inherits only one power. Yet, Eddie actually said he wanted them all, so it was no wonder that even the benevolent Goenitz couldn't help but sneer.
Eddie, however, waved his hand dismissively. "Don't rush to object. Behavioral patterns can be fixed. If a person develops a habit, they will only use a single power. But if they are exposed to everything from the start, the possibility of compatibility later on increases. What do you think?"
These words made Goenitz fall into deep thought; it seemed to make sense.
Wind is wind; it cannot become Feng Shui.
"In that case, I'll take you to meet someone. Whether you can learn anything depends on you." Goenitz felt his state of mind had greatly improved. As a thank you, he decided to introduce another member to Eddie, as a form of reciprocation. As for whether it would succeed, it entirely depended on personal will.
The two arrived at a flower shop. The potted plants in the shop were meticulously cared for; even those unfamiliar with floristry would feel a sense of surprise upon seeing them. They looked very pleasant and appealing, even improving one's mood.
Inside the flower shop, a tall woman wore a black and white women's shirt paired with a fringed mini-skirt. Her blonde hair was tied into a neat single ponytail, and a strand of bangs covered her right eye, giving her a mysterious beauty. What was most striking was that despite already being over 1.7 meters tall, she was wearing high heels, which made men look up to her.
"Mature, this is a young friend I just met. He has a good perception of nature. I owe him a favor, so please teach him. What he learns depends on his own fortune. I'll be leaving now." Goenitz finished speaking and pushed the door open, transforming into a gust of wind and departing before anyone could react.
The sudden violent gust of wind overturned tables in nearby shops, and many unlucky individuals were inexplicably knocked into utility poles.
Mature turned around, revealing an exquisite face. Unlike the generic internet celebrity faces, her demeanor exuded a coldness, an elegant and intellectual coldness, belonging to a Mature and alluring ice beauty.
Eddie blinked. "Uh, hello, my name is Eddie Cai. Is it true that the Priest uncle just now said you could teach me to perceive nature?"
Mature walked up to Eddie in her high heels, scrutinizing him coldly for a few moments. "What did you say to Goenitz?"
Eddie repeated everything that had happened, then spread his hands helplessly and said, "I just came to learn if I could improve my fighting techniques or my ability to use 'qi'. If you don't have time, we can reschedule."
"Reschedule your head! You haven't even mastered 'qi' and you call yourself a martial artist? Don't you think that's laughable?" Mature frowned delicately, her slightly annoyed expression truly stunning.
"Exactly!" Eddie nodded.
"Exactly what?" Mature retorted, annoyed.
"I'm here because I don't know how yet, otherwise why would I come to you?" Eddie said matter-of-factly.
Mature was amused. As one of the Hakkesshu, having reincarnated for so long, she had never seen such a brazen Zhuge Cunfu! "You want to learn how to use 'qi' energy, right? Good, come with me."
After closing the flower shop, Mature led Eddie to a snow-covered forest. "Apparently, you can now experience what nature is!" With that, she lightly tapped Eddie's forehead with her jade finger.
A surge of Orochi's 'qi' energy, imbued with extreme negative energy and Mature's own 'qi', poured forth.
In an instant, Eddie felt like he had arrived on a chaotic ancient battlefield. Soldiers around him were shouting, charging at monsters, fearless of death, both sides fighting fiercely.
The despair of impending defeat, jealousy of powerful strength, resentment towards their lord for bringing them to battle, fear of terrifying monsters, confusion about future destiny, the anger of fighting fearlessly but being unable to win, and the arrogance of refusing to bow even unto death.
Seven of the most primal ancient emotions spread, as if the world itself had become vast and desolate.
The surrounding monsters and human soldiers began to shatter, transforming into semi-corporeal Fiends twisting and constantly transmitting negative energy, attempting to influence and enslave Eddie, who was the only one unaffected.
At the foot of the snowy mountain, Mature, in her high heels, watched Eddie, who was lost in thought, with great interest. "He didn't go crazy? Heh, let's see how long you can last. Don't think that just because Goenitz said something, it means anything. I hate being ordered around!"
As one of the Hakkesshu, practically immortal, Mature also had her pride.