Chapter 225 - 222: Clubhouse Preparations

Chapter 225: Chapter 222: Clubhouse Preparations

By evening, when Doudou went to call Hama Pi for dinner, the small attic was already nearly overflowing with various sheepskin scrolls and files. The work had consumed a significant portion of the blank Sheepskin Scrolls Qin Xiaoxia had stored up there.

Even though it was just simple work—recording Magic Patterns with the help of Secret Realm Power—the ambitious Akenis Merchant had thrown himself into it so completely that he’d exhausted most of his Magic Power.

Doudou had to dig Hama Pi out from under a pile of Sheepskin Scrolls, where he was still engrossed in recording Magic Patterns. His work ethic was off the charts.

Dinner was held in the main hall as usual.

A large basin of Spicy and Sour Turtle, a masterpiece by Doudou and Monkey, sat in the center of the table. It immediately captured everyone’s attention, but aside from the Red Demoness, Gou Dandan, and the two chefs themselves, almost no one else planned to try it.

Several stainless-steel serving carts stood beside the table, laden with all sorts of food. There were bags, boxes, and plates holding everything from bread, steamed buns, and jam to cooked snacks and drinks. A few large rice cookers were set off to the side as well.

Constantly adding and replenishing dishes had become a tradition for the association’s group meals. This seemingly massive amount of food was usually finished in a single sitting whenever there was a large crowd.

Mumu’s branches snaked in through air vents and the corridor outside, its symbiotic wooden feeding organs already in place. It mostly just nibbled on things to get a taste.

When he came downstairs with Doudou, Hama Pi saw that the large, round table was already full. But no one had started eating. They had saved seats and were waiting for him and Doudou.

The harmonious atmosphere filled Hama Pi with a warmth his Perception had never before registered. It was an unfamiliar feeling, but one that made him desperately want to belong.

"What are you waiting for? Come and eat! The food’s getting cold!"

Qin Xiaoxia called out to the man, who was about the same height as him. His tone was stern, but his eyes were smiling.

"Good of you to wait!" "Yes, Mentor!" two voices piped up at once.

During the meal, Su Su was gnawing on a chicken leg while simultaneously stuffing a fried egg into Gou Dandan’s mouth. Her gaze fell on Hama Pi, who, along with Doudou and Monkey, was preparing to eat the Spicy and Sour Turtle with a look of anticipation.

A look of profound admiration suddenly crossed her face as she looked at her Mentor.

’We’re not just saving the world in the conventional sense! The light of Dawn doesn’t just banish the darkness outside, but the darkness in our hearts, too! This must be the true meaning of Dawn!’

***

Hama Pi still needed some time to absorb the culture of Dawn, and he also had to work out a future strategy with the Mentor.

Qin Xiaoxia’s plan had to be taken step by step: when to help Hama Pi advance, how to develop his language abilities, when to go to the Desolate World to meet the Demon Eye, what preparations were needed, and how to craft a message that would sway his people.

It was possible that Hama Pi was the student he was taking the most seriously.

***

In Kyoto, just outside the Fifth Ring Road, a small three-story building had finally completed its renovations. It was located in a modern business park that blended scenic greenery with office and commercial spaces, and the building itself covered seven or eight hundred square meters.

Thanks to the building’s excellent load-bearing design, an architectural assessment confirmed that the second and third floors could be easily converted. Like the already suitable first floor, their original office layouts were transformed into wide-open spaces. Only a few support pillars remained, which conveniently helped partition off several smaller areas.

The first floor had previously housed a gym and a recreation room. The fitness equipment was kept, but the changing rooms were completely redone. In addition to renovating the original gym’s locker room, they added two new private changing rooms, each with its own attached shower facilities. The swimming pool out back was also upgraded, making it larger and improving the water circulation system.

The second floor was mostly a single, open space of four to five hundred square meters. Along the sides, several smaller partitioned areas were set up with training dummies and wooden pell-mell posts. There were also weapon racks holding mainly sabers, swords, and Long Spears, as well as more exotic weapons like steel whips and chain whips.

The third floor was divided into numerous rooms, designed for lodging and rest, along with a medical clinic and several offices.

Finally, the rooftop terrace featured several platforms that resembled fighting arenas.

With specialists sent by Sun Tian handling the logistics, all the necessary fire, operational, and sanitation permits were secured.

A week ago, the company hired to clear out post-renovation toxins submitted their final inspection report.

That evening, in the Mo Family villa, the family was having dinner.

Mo Shaoge and Mo Qingxue were practically buzzing with excitement, their hearts ablaze, though there was a hint of nervous apprehension mixed in.

Lost in their own thoughts, they picked at their food, and the lavish dinner was disappearing at a far slower rate than usual.

The two of them used to run wild all the time and rarely came home for dinner. But recently, they’d had a change of heart and stopped messing around. It was only then that Mrs. Mo realized her children’s appetites had grown enormously—they were eating several times more than before and would often ask her to make extra.

The whole family could see how nervous the two were, but their parents didn’t say a word. They knew what was causing their children’s recent anxiety, so they had invited their experienced grandfather over again.

And Elder Mo had been eager to visit anyway. The grand project his grandchildren were planning was about to kick off, so when he received the call from his fourth son, he immediately set out from the neighboring city to be there.

Seated at the head of the table, the eighty-one-year-old Elder Mo watched his grandson and granddaughter with a look of deep satisfaction.

"Shaoge, have you hired enough people?"

Mo Shaoge was poking at a braised "lion’s head" meatball. Normally he’d down one in a single bite, but today he was just playing with it, trying to slice it with his chopsticks. Mo Qingxue wasn’t faring any better; she was dipping her chopstick into her drink and idly tracing patterns on the table.

Hearing his grandfather’s question, Mo Shaoge looked up at Elder Mo.

"Grandpa, we’ve only hired some administrative staff. For now, Qingxue and I will have to be the real instructors..."

"How big is your venue?"

Mo Qingxue answered for her brother.

"It’s three stories tall. If you count the rooftop, there’s over three thousand square meters of space in total."

"That big?"

Mrs. Mo asked, surprised. She had imagined something like a standard children’s taekwondo studio, where a couple hundred square meters would have been plenty.

Even Elder Mo hadn’t expected it to be on such a grand scale.

"Teaching all by yourselves will be a real handful... Haven’t you thought about getting some help? Your opening day must be getting close, right?"

"The gym will open first, and the Martial Arts Hall a few days after that. But Grandpa, this is about teaching people real skills. How could we possibly delegate that to people we can’t trust!"

"Shaoge, is that any way to talk to your grandfather!"

Father Mo scolded his son.

"Shiqing, the boy is right. I’m getting muddled in my old age."

The elder put down his chopsticks and looked at his promising grandson.

"Shaoge is right. They aren’t just opening some training class. When you’re imparting true Martial Arts, you really can’t rely on outsiders!"

Elder Mo had clearly misunderstood part of what he meant, but Mo Shaoge couldn’t explain the full details.

"Even though I’m an old man whose vitality is fading, I can still hold down the fort and offer a bit of guidance for you two!"

Hearing his grandson describe such a large-scale operation, the old man felt a familiar itch. It was clear that Elder Mo was getting ideas again.

"Dad, you’re getting on in years. You can’t be going off to swing swords and staves..."

Mo Shiqing quickly tried to talk him out of it, shooting a meaningful glance at his son and daughter. The two of them, however, lit up at the idea.

"Exactly! Grandpa, you wouldn’t even have to move. You could just be there to lend us some prestige. With your transcendent, sagely aura, all you’d have to do is sit there and you’d be the perfect figurehead!"

Mo Qingxue quickly chimed in, her voice sweet and cajoling.

"That’s right! C’mon, Dad~ Grandpa is still as sharp as ever! Even if he doesn’t spar, he still has the keen eye he’s developed from a lifetime of Martial Arts. A casual word of advice from him could be a game-changer!"

The two of them struck while the iron was hot, simultaneously flattering their grandfather and trying to win over their father.

In truth, they weren’t worried about being overwhelmed with teaching. Their real source of anxiety was recruitment.

Given Master Sage’s requirements, recruitment was going to be a huge challenge. The world of martial arts halls was a buyer’s market these days; who had ever heard of a seller being so demanding?

Besides, in a moment of heated enthusiasm, they had already guaranteed results to the Master Sage. If they failed, they wouldn’t just be letting the association down—they would definitely lose face in front of that Monkey.

But just as the contact from the Sun Clan who was helping them had said, from a business standpoint, everything comes down to packaging. They needed to focus more on their presentation.

They had been racking their brains over this, but now, it suddenly clicked. All they had to do was look at their grandfather.

Dressed in his training robes, with his white hair, long beard, and yet a youthful complexion... his body was sturdy, his spirit vigorous. He perfectly embodied the image of a transcendent sage.

With that kind of look, he could set up a fortune-telling stall on the street and people would probably line up around the block!

Once that idea broke the dam, all sorts of other plans began to flood their minds.

PS: Sunday’s first Chapter.