Kapitel 169: Bhaqui's True Nature

Yasushi swung the door open once more and asked, "What are you talking about?"

Bhaqui and Alicia entered his house, with Bhaqui continuing, "Just like the trials we had back in China, they suggested I test you in my own way. However, it has nothing to do with Master Liang Yang's tests. So—!"

"So these are just your own ridiculous tests? Can I ask why and how this came about?" Yasushi interjected, raising an eyebrow, clearly puzzled.

Alicia and Layena suppressed their laughter as Bhaqui stood there, his mouth twitching at the mention of his trials being called "ridiculous." He sighed and responded, "Whether you think it's ridiculous or not is irrelevant. Please complete my tests by the afternoon."

Yasushi let out a weary sigh as Jingliu, Yinhaie, and Yunxue joined him. "Let's get this over with quickly; I've got other matters to attend to," he said.

+-+

It took a full thirty minutes to get everything set up. Bhaqui had enlisted the help of Layena, Yinhaie, Yunxue, and the rest of the staff from Jingliu and Yasushi's household. Despite their assistance, Yasushi observed that the tasks being prepared were quite simple. He expected he would breeze through them with relative ease.

"The final challenge will be a duel with me!" Bhaqui declared, his usual composed demeanor replaced with an edge of intensity. "I saw the match between you and Sister Anfeng and heard about it, but I suspect she did not push you to your limits. So now, I want to test you myself."

Standing beside Yasushi, Yinhaie remarked, "It struck me as odd how calm and courteous he was when we first encountered him here, but it seems that facade has worn off. Normally, he's far more boisterous and loud, much like he's being now. I'll give him credit for maintaining his composure for as long as he did."

Yasushi, amused by the revelation of Bhaqui's true nature, responded, "Well, he certainly managed to deceive me."

Yasushi shook his head, a gesture of both disbelief and resignation, before stepping forward toward Bhaqui. Bhaqui then pointed toward the first "trial," which turned out to be nothing more than a basic punching machine. Yasushi sighed, muttering under his breath, "This feels like déjà vu." He turned to Bhaqui and asked, "I just hit this, right?" Bhaqui responded with an encouraging thumbs up.

Bhaqui then began to rattle off numbers with enthusiasm. "My highest score is 4599! Sister Anfeng's is 8888, and Teacher Heinz's was 8678! I think Yinhaie's score was once 9500? Oh, and Yunxue hit 5000, while Lady Jingliu managed 8790."

The machine in front of Yasushi was a more advanced model than the one he had used back in China, where the maximum score had been just 999. Yasushi nodded, his focus shifting as he positioned himself in front of the machine. He examined it closely, mentally calculating the distance and the force required for a successful strike.

Once Yasushi felt ready, he positioned himself in front of the punching machine, drawing his arm back to prepare for the strike. "Make sure you use all your strength, otherwise—" Bhaqui began to instruct Yasushi, but his words were abruptly cut off by the resounding crash of impact.

Yasushi's fist struck the machine with tremendous force, and the display number rapidly soared beyond 9999. The machine emitted a series of loud beeps before it shattered, its components scattering. Yasushi exhaled slowly, glancing down at his hand, which was now bruised and damaged. Blood began to trickle from his knuckles, evidence of the harsh impact.

Within moments, the machine began to topple over, crashing heavily to the floor. Yasushi sighed again, observing his injured fist as Yinhaie, Yunxue, Layena, Jingliu, and several other staff members hurried to his side. They quickly began to administer first aid and clear the debris from the broken machine.

Bhaqui remained rooted to the spot, his face reflecting confusion and disbelief as he struggled to comprehend the scene before him.

Over the years, Yasushi had convinced himself that he had pushed his strength to the limit in various events, but in truth, he had held back. Today, however, he was determined to fully unleash his power, as he intended to make a clean break and move forward in his life. He had not anticipated that his punch would shatter the machine and send it crashing to the ground. The machine, which appeared to be quite hefty, had proven more fragile than expected.

Yasushi, now with a look of detached calm, turned his gaze toward Bhaqui and asked, "What's the next trial?" His tone was flat, as if he were inquiring about the weather.

Bhaqui, still grappling with the aftermath, stood there for several more seconds, his expression filled with unease. Finally, he managed to respond, "L-let's take care of your injuries before we continue…"

Yasushi nodded in agreement, and several people quickly moved to assist him. Jingliu's voice carried a sharp edge as she called him reckless and foolish. Meanwhile, Bhaqui stood in place, still processing the unexpected turn of events.

Alicia walked up to him and asked, "So, what do you think now? Do you still believe it was a fluke? You made the machine heavier, more robust, and altered the settings to prevent it from hitting 9999."

With a note of apprehension in his voice, Bhaqui replied, "It feels like I'm gearing up to face a black bear or some other creature that could tear me apart. No ordinary person should be able to do that… He exceeded the limit I set on that machine and destroyed it. It looked like he put everything he had into that punch, though it really did a number on his hand."

Alicia chuckled at his response and asked, "So, are you still planning to go through with this ridiculous test of yours?"

Bhaqui laughed, a sound tinged with resignation. "It seems I don't have much of a choice now. I just hope I make it through our sparring match without getting seriously hurt."

+-+

"Didn't we have a conversation about being cautious and not acting recklessly?" Jingliu inquired, her eyes narrowing as she focused on Yasushi's injured hand.

Yasushi replied with a smile, "Well… he did tell me to use all my strength, so that's what I did." As he spoke, Jingliu grabbed his cheeks and gave them a firm pinch. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Jingliu sighed and released him, crossing her arms with a look of concern. "If that's truly the extent of your strength, then it's quite alarming. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to suggest that you possess superhuman strength," she said, her gaze fixed on him.

Yunxue chimed in with a gleam in her eyes, "So, Yasushi might be the first superhuman in our world who isn't subject to military or government experiments. That's pretty remarkable."

Layena then posed a question that had several staff members nodding in agreement, "Does this mean we might need to keep Lord Yasushi hidden in the future to prevent governments from taking him away?"

"Please, stop saying these things," Yasushi said with a touch of exasperation, "I'd prefer not to get randomly snatched up for some kind of experimentation just because I have this weird ability." His comment elicited a round of laughter from the group.

Despite their amusement, Yasushi had his own doubts about whether his abilities were truly due to a mutation. He had a nagging suspicion that the goddess who had reincarnated him might have given him some extra "perks" to assist him in this new life. Among these, one was his ability to speak and understand multiple languages. He had tested this out while in China, successfully having conversations online with people from Denmark, Egypt, and Spain, despite having little to no practice with those languages.

The most obvious of his "perks," however, was his strength. While he wasn't anywhere near as strong as fictional superheroes like Spider-Man, he was certainly stronger than the average person.

"Anyway, can I continue with those trials today, or will I need to take some time off? I mean, if the trials don't require too much use of my hands, I think I could manage," Yasushi asked, glancing at Yinhaie for some clarity.

"No," Yinhaie replied firmly, her gaze fixed on Yasushi with a serious expression. "The injury you've inflicted on yourself will need a few days to heal. That means you won't be able to participate in those pointless and unnecessary trials set by Bhaqui." She then turned her stern gaze toward Bhaqui, who had entered the room. "End this nonsense now, or I will put an end to it myself."

Bhaqui recoiled slightly, clearly unsettled by Yinhaie's intense and unrelenting demeanor. "W-well, as I mentioned, it was Anfeng and Heinz who wanted these trials to proceed, so… please, talk to them," he stammered, clearly eager to avoid any further confrontation with Yinhaie.

Yinhaie gave a curt nod and moved away from them. After a brief phone call, she ended the conversation and returned with a more cheerful expression. "It's cancelled for now, but you might need to take another one when you return to China. I hope that's alright with you, Yasushi."

"As long as it's not anything ridiculous…" Yasushi said, causing Yinhaie to chuckle softly.

"No, this time it will be different," she reassured him with a lighthearted tone. "The next task will be more relevant to what you'll need as the future Master of the Yang family. Skills in leadership and other essential areas will become more crucial than mere combat ability."

Yasushi nodded in approval. "I can get behind that. Anyway, if you still want to spar once I'm fully recovered, Bhaqui, I'm game." He flashed a grin at Bhaqui, who took an involuntary step back, evidently recalling the damage Yasushi had inflicted on the punching machine.

"I-I'll have to pass on that," Bhaqui stammered, shaking his head. "Even Teacher Heinz wouldn't manage something like that."

Yasushi laughed and then asked, "So, will you keep up the act of being the perfect person, or will you drop it and show your true self?"

"I have to keep up this act," Bhaqui explained, his voice tinged with frustration. "Teacher Heinz emphasized that it's crucial for maintaining proper etiquette and for putting on a façade to mislead people, especially those who might pose a threat to the Yang family. I'm not very skilled at it yet; I focused mainly on physical training. This is my first real test of something different."

"Hmm… well, good luck with that. If you need any help, we're all here for you," Yasushi replied, his tone supportive. The two of them spent the rest of the morning chatting while dismantling the trials that had been set up. As they worked, it became clear that Bhaqui had squandered their time with the pointless exercises. He repeatedly apologized for the inconvenience and promised to make amends in the future.