Chapter 354: Encountering Mai Shiranui Again

Qin Ming stared blankly at the large characters on the signboard, then turned his head in disbelief to look at King.

King crossed her arms and nodded calmly.

"That's right. Mai has turned the new Shiranui Dojo into a weight-loss camp, and she's been selling all sorts of secret medicines from the Shiranui family. It's gained quite the reputation."

As she said this, King instinctively glanced down at her own chest before gritting her teeth and speaking in a nearly resentful tone.

"And the medicine works really well."

As Mai Shiranui's friend, King had the misfortune of being coaxed into trying the medicine during the dojo's early days.

And as it turned out, the Shiranui family's medicine was incredibly potent.

How potent, exactly? Well, let's put it this way—after using what Mai had described as a "not-so-effective, just-for-show" ointment, King's body underwent enough of a transformation that her combat ability dropped by at least ten percent! She even had to relearn how to fight with her new physique.

During that period, every time she saw Mai, she would give her a beating! And whenever Mai took out some strange concoction, preparing to use it on her again, she would immediately beat her up without hesitation!

That woman was a complete scammer! Mai's fighting style benefited from a good figure, so using these things was no problem for her. But King practiced Muay Thai!

Her physique already affected her performance enough as it was, and now Mai had to go and mess with it even more. And to top it all off, she had the audacity to shamelessly say, "If you can't do Muay Thai anymore, just become a coach at the Shiranui Dojo. It pays even better!"

If it weren't for their friendship, King would have crippled her on the spot!

Being a coach here? That wasn't coaching—that was just being a glorified fitness instructor! And a breast enhancement product salesperson!

She was a Muay Thai champion, for crying out loud! If word got out that she was demonstrating the effects of some shady medicine to a bunch of women, how could she ever show her face in the Muay Thai world again?

Her arch-rival, that male champion named Tung Fu Rue, would laugh himself to death if he heard about this!

Following King's lead, Qin Ming quickly stepped into the dojo.

Their sudden arrival immediately caused a stir among the surrounding disciples.

King was already incredibly popular—her androgynous charm made her a major attraction among women, and she was practically a celebrity here.

And now, she had brought along a bear… No, wait, a man! The female disciples were even more excited!

A wild muscleman and a handsome pretty boy—two extreme male archetypes appearing together! Was this real life?!

With a smile, King led the way and eventually stopped in front of a building before unceremoniously shoving Qin Ming inside.

"Wait here! I'm going to find Mai and Mary."

"Huh? I can't move around freely?"

"Nope! This dojo has many bathhouses, medicinal baths, massage rooms, and special treatment areas. No men are allowed to wander around randomly. Of course, you can force your way through, but think carefully about the consequences."

King smirked playfully, raising an eyebrow.

"Some of these female disciples are the wives and daughters of high-ranking officials and nobles. If you mess with them, you won't just be dealing with fighters—you might end up getting invited for a 'friendly chat' with some powerful people."

With that, King waved her hand casually and left.

The moment she walked away, a few female disciples stationed at the entrance forcefully shut the iron gate, locking Qin Ming inside.

The area he was confined to had a very special name—The Men's Holding Room…

Turning to look around, Qin Ming saw several men inside, some playing video games, some playing pool, and others playing chess, all having a great time.

Standing at the entrance, his expression went blank.

Before he could react, a middle-aged man drinking tea and reading a newspaper suddenly looked up and grinned at him.

"Yo, kid. First time here?"

"Uh… yeah."

"Relax. Just treat this place like home. You into cards? Video games? We've got it all. Just find a group and join in. There's even a gym in the back."

"Oh… thanks for the heads-up."

Looking at the overly friendly uncle and his leisurely attitude, Qin Ming's expression became rather strange.

The middle-aged man put down his newspaper, patted his beer belly, and stood up. After scanning Qin Ming's massive physique from top to bottom, he sighed.

"I've seen strong guys before, but I've never seen someone built like you. Kid, what do you do for a living?"

"Fighter. What about you, sir?"

"Me? I'm the chairman of Sanming Heavy Industries."

"Chairman?!"

"Calm down, calm down. No one cares about status here. It's not easy to find a place to truly relax, let alone bring your wife along and earn a reputation as a good family man. This place isn't just their gym—it's also our secret relaxation spot. Oh, by the way, do you want a drink? Beer or tea?"

"Milk, thanks."

After exchanging greetings, the portly, easygoing chairman—sipping tea and reading his newspaper—settled back down. He exchanged pleasantries with a deputy director seated beside him, who too was enjoying tea. There was even a department head who played balls, a bureau chief whose face turned pale from marathon video gaming, and a vice-mayor equally flustered.

Standing amid the group, Qin Ming suddenly realized he might have underestimated Mai Shiranui's entrepreneurial prowess.

Good grief! Not only does she do business with women—she's also tapped into the men's market! And judging by what these older guys were saying, her dojo even features a high-end clothing and jewelry section, with many well-known brands rushing to join in.

Mai Shiranui isn't just running a dojo—she's created a top-notch all-inclusive entertainment club!

Outside is a women's entertainment zone; inside, a men's relaxation area—each with clearly defined functions!

This woman's business acumen is truly extraordinary. Being a fighter simply doesn't do justice to her talent!

…In no time at all, two hours passed. Suddenly, the main entrance doors swung open and several female disciples walked in. As soon as they entered, the lead disciple shouted out,

"Qin Ming!"

Hearing the call, a portly man playing video games nearby immediately turned his head.

"Honey? You finished your workout so quickly today? Can you wait a bit? I'll be done in a moment… Don't you dare hit me while I'm talking! You wanna challenge me in a real-life PK, huh?"

Ignoring her husband's words, the leading woman barely glanced at him; she merely waved casually and said,

"This isn't about you—it's for Qin Ming! Is there a Qin Ming here? The sect leader sent me to call you to see her!"

As she shouted, a few women walked in.

Hearing the approaching voices, Qin Ming—who had been playing pool at one of the tables—finally snapped to attention and quickly exchanged glances with his fellow players.

"Looking for me?"

"Yeah. You've been dilly-dallying for ages—are you ready to fight or not?"

"Not fighting, not fighting! I've got business—maybe next time!"

While saying this, Qin Ming grabbed his cue and shook it vigorously, scattering the balls on the table.

This infuriated his pool buddies, whose eyes went wide.

"Hey, you little punk! Can't handle it, huh? When you can't beat us, you resort to that move? Next time, I'm not playing with you!"

"I don't care to play with you lot—a bunch of pool losers! Next time, I'll go fishing!"

Discarding his cue and ignoring the curses behind him, Qin Ming, hands tucked in his pockets, staggered over.

But when several female disciples who had come to fetch him saw Qin Ming's intimidating physique up close, their faces registered shock.

After recovering from the initial astonishment, they exchanged glances among themselves.

Could this really be the legendary Third Senior of the Shiranui style? The only male disciple in the sect?

The sect leader had only ever said he was tough—a punching bag she handled so well—never mentioning that this "punching bag" was this huge!

Really, does this bag not fight back? When the sect leader beat him up, did he truly never retaliate?

Though our sect leader boasts of having fought undefeated across Japan and challenged over a hundred dojos without a loss, his size is just… absurd.

With expressions of disbelief on their faces, the female disciples quickly led Qin Ming into the fabled Shiranui Hall.

Striding into the spacious hall, Qin Ming soon encountered some familiar faces.

There, dressed in a gorgeous red kimono and carrying an umbrella indoors, was none other than Mai Shiranui in her most lavish attire!

Beside her, as always, was Blue Mary—sporting her signature midriff-baring tank top and jacket—with a spotted dog at her feet.

Oh, and standing nearby in a server's uniform, arms crossed against the wall with a wry half-smile, was King.

As Qin Ming entered the vast hall, Blue Mary—who had been sitting at a table enjoying a drink—saw Qin Ming's current look and physique. Her eyes went wide, and the drink in her mouth sprayed out as she coughed violently.

Then, with her back turned toward Qin Ming and holding an umbrella, Mai Shiranui suddenly spoke in a cold tone without turning around:

"Qin Ming! You disappeared for over a year without a word, and now you dare return? It seems today I, your senior sister and sect leader, must teach you a lesson! Show me your move!"

As she spoke, Mai Shiranui grabbed her skirt and gave it a sharp flick.

With her body spinning and her kimono billowing open, in the blink of an eye, she had changed outfits.

She reappeared in a dazzling Shiranui ninja outfit that, compared to her kimono, not only didn't tone things down but actually revealed a bit more of her allure. In one swift motion, she struck the Shiranui stance and, holding up both hands, produced two fans seemingly from nowhere.

Turning sharply with a fierce aura, Mai Shiranui's face burned with anger as she vowed to teach Qin Ming—a traitor who forgot his debt and disrespected his senior sister—a lesson.

But as she turned, she looked up at Qin Ming, who now loomed nearly a meter taller than when he left last year, casting his shadow over her. Her eyes widened in shock.

Striking a fighting pose, she slowly raised her head and locked eyes silently with the bowing Qin Ming for several long seconds.

Finally snapping out of her shock, Mai Shiranui suddenly grabbed the front flap of her ninja outfit and, with a flick of her clothes, changed back into her kimono right there on the spot.

With a resounding slam, she opened her umbrella and turned her back to Qin Ming, speaking in a cold tone,

"Hmph! But since this is your first offense, I'll let you off this time! Don't let it happen again, understand?"

Realizing that things were not going as she had anticipated—and that Qin Ming's physique wasn't quite right—Mai Shiranui promptly backed down.

(End of Chapter)