Global Asset: Rebirth Of The Ruthless Scholar
Chapter 1: The Weight of a Feather
Xun Long spent his dawn in the Whispering Valleys, but he wasn't gathering herbs. He was standing on the surface of a lake, trying not to sink. In his previous life, he would have used mana to fly; now, he had to use Brute Force to vibrate his leg muscles at such a high frequency that he created a cushion of air between his feet and the water.
"The physical body is a prison only if you do not know the lock," he muttered in French.
He saw a falling leaf and caught it between two fingers. The leaf didn't crumble. He smiled—a rare, genuine expression. His Self-Restraint was improving. But internally, his 1000x Intellect was scanning the perimeter. He felt a disturbance in the "Vibrational Field" of the forest. Someone was watching, someone with a stench of dark mana.
Chapter 2: The Governor's Gala
Governor Zhao announced a grand gala to welcome the "Iron-Leaf Inquisitors" from the capital. Every prominent citizen, including Lin Xiao, was required to attend. Zhao Wei saw this as the perfect stage to use the Soul-Blight Needle.
"You look beautiful, Xiao," Xun Long said in Urdu as they walked toward the manor. He was wearing a simple scholar's robe, but his posture was that of a king.
Lin Xiao blushed, her earlier jealousy forgotten. "Just stay close to me, Long. I don't trust the way Zhao Wei looks at you. It's like he's looking at a ghost."
"Ghosts can't be killed, Xiao," Xun Long replied in English, his voice a low rumble. "But they can be very, very patient."
Chapter 3: The Silent Strike
During the gala, while the Inquisitors were busy boasting about their Qi-levels, Zhao Wei approached Xun Long with a fake smile and a cup of wine. Hidden between his fingers was the Soul-Blight Needle, glowing with a faint, sickly green light.
"A toast to the man who humbles giants," Zhao Wei sneered. As he reached out, he flicked the needle toward Xun Long's neck—the exact spot where the Rebirth Mark was hidden.
Xun Long saw the needle in "Slow-Motion." His 1000x Intellect analyzed the trajectory. He could have caught it, but he chose to let it strike. He wanted to see what kind of toy the enemy had brought to the playground. The needle sank into his skin. Zhao Wei's eyes lit up with murderous joy. "You're dead, scholar," he whispered in Mandarin. "Your soul will rot within the hour."
Chapter 4: The Paradox of Eternity
Xun Long felt the "Blight" enter his system. It was a 18+ level of spiritual agony as the needle tried to "eat" his life-span. To a normal person, it would feel like aging a hundred years in a second. But as the green toxin touched the Rebirth Mark, something miraculous happened.
The Mark didn't fight back; it simply absorbed the toxin. To an infinite life-span, a "Blight" is like a drop of ink in an ocean—it disappears.
Xun Long stood there, unmoved. He looked at Zhao Wei, who was waiting for him to collapse. Instead, Xun Long took a sip of his wine. "Is this all?" he asked in French. "I've had tea with more 'kick' than this."
The shock on Zhao Wei's face was so profound that he dropped his glass. He had used a forbidden weapon, and the victim was... bored.
Chapter 5: The Jealousy Flare
Mei Ling, the village head's daughter, chose that moment to approach Xun Long, ignoring Zhao Wei entirely. She grabbed Xun Long's arm and whispered loudly about a "private garden tour."
Lin Xiao's eyes flared with a fire that was more dangerous than any dark mana. She stepped between them, her hand on her hip. "He's busy, Mei Ling. We were just leaving."
Xun Long felt the tension. His 1000x Intellect calculated the "Aggression Levels" of both women. "I believe I am 'busy' with my healer," he said in Urdu, offering his arm to Lin Xiao.
The move was strategic, but his heart felt a strange, warm satisfaction as Lin Xiao practically dragged him away, shooting a victorious look back at Mei Ling. The "Jealousy Arc" was proving to be the most complex calculation of his life.
Chapter 6: The Brute's Retribution
Xun Long didn't let Zhao Wei's assassination attempt go unpunished. That night, he visited the governor's manor. He didn't break down the doors; he simply walked through the stone wall, his Brute Strength turning the granite into powder silently.
He found Zhao Wei in his study, trembling. Xun Long didn't say a word. He grabbed Zhao Wei by the throat and lifted him off the ground.
"The needle was a mistake," Xun Long said in Russian, his voice sounding like grinding tectonic plates. "Because now, I know exactly what you are willing to do."
He didn't kill him. Instead, he used a fraction of his strength to "Pressure-Point" Zhao Wei's mana-nodes. He didn't erase them; he locked them. Zhao Wei would never be able to use Qi again. He would be a "Mortal" in a world of cultivators—a fate worse than death for someone so arrogant.
Chapter 7: The Promise in the Dark
Xun Long returned to the clinic. Lin Xiao was waiting for him, her face pale with worry. She had seen the green mark on his neck from the needle.
"What happened, Long? Tell me the truth," she demanded in Mandarin.
Xun Long looked at her. He saw her fear, her love, and her loyalty. He reached out and touched the mark, which was already fading. "It's a long story, Xiao. But as long as I have this mark, time cannot touch me."
He didn't tell her about the unlimited life-span, but he made a silent vow. He would protect this "Down-World" and this woman until the stars burned out. But as he looked out the window, he saw a fleet of "Heavenly Ships" descending from the clouds. The Inquisitors weren't just here for a gala; they were looking for a "Fallen God."
"The peace was short-lived," he thought in English, his violet eyes glowing in the dark.