In this world filled with demons and monsters, having only this little cultivation is definitely not enough. But no matter how hard Henry Thompson tries right now, he still can't improve in such a short time.

Chapter 9 Kui Niu Luminous Armor

Henry Thompson thought he was going to be scolded harshly by Benjamin Thompson this time, but instead, Benjamin Thompson got up and walked to the bookshelf, fiddled with a brush holder for a while, and then the bookshelf creaked open, revealing a small door. He went inside for a short while and came out holding two boxes.

Henry Thompson looked puzzled, not knowing what this was all about. But William Thompson, upon seeing this, could only sigh helplessly, “Father, are you serious?”

“Your younger brother’s life is at risk now—how can we afford to be careless?”

Benjamin Thompson shot a glare at his eldest son, then opened the two boxes one by one: “The first box contains a magic-patterned treasure armor called ‘Kui Niu Luminous.’ With it, even if you encounter someone at the Eighth Level, you can withstand three strikes without injury. The second box contains a ‘Nascent Essence Pearl.’ Since your cultivation can’t sustain the consumption of the ‘Kui Niu Luminous Armor,’ you can store your true essence in the ‘Nascent Essence Pearl’ in advance and use it when facing an enemy.”

Henry Thompson couldn’t help but mutter and swallowed hard, “Both are for me?”

But Benjamin Thompson looked stern: “These are for you to save your life. After I was dismissed from office, it’s inevitable that some petty villains will set their sights on our family. They can’t do anything to me or your elder brother, so you’re the only one they can target. Remember, if anything really happens, you must not hesitate for even a moment—head straight for the major government offices nearby, or the military camp, or the marquis’ mansions.”

Henry Thompson felt both worried and happy—worried because the ‘petty villains’ Benjamin Thompson mentioned must be no small matter if they’ve caught his attention to this extent; happy because the ‘Kui Niu Luminous Armor’ was clearly extraordinary at first glance.

Just as he reached out to take the two boxes, Benjamin Thompson stopped him: “There are conditions! Starting today, you must practice ‘Frost Blade of Heaven’ and ‘Frost Breath Fiery Palm’ five times each before you can go out.”

Henry Thompson couldn’t help but frown slightly: “Five times? Isn’t that too much?”

Actually, deep down, he was more than willing. Ever since he crossed over, he had been diligently practicing the family’s secret martial arts of the Marquis of Sincerity’s household. But Henry Thompson was worried that if his personality changed too quickly from how he used to be, it would arouse suspicion.

However, this incident was actually a great opportunity—a prodigal son turning over a new leaf.

“I’m not bargaining with you!” Benjamin Thompson said sternly. “And it’s not just these two family martial arts. Your ‘Primordial Celestial Art’ must reach the third level within three months! If you can’t do it, I’ll break your legs and lock you up in the mansion for life. Rather than suffer the pain of losing a son in my old age, I’d rather be ruthless and keep you at home.”

His voice was both urgent and harsh, making Henry Thompson freeze for a moment, looking at Benjamin Thompson in surprise.

The latter thought he was frightened, so he softened his tone and spoke earnestly: “Xuan’er, although our Marquis of Sincerity’s household has some status at court and is quite wealthy and powerful, those masters who roam the world freely may not care about our so-called wealth and power. What’s more, our family is now beset by troubles, and who knows how many people in Nanjing are eyeing us. If anything happens in the future, this is the foundation for your survival.”

“All right, all right, I promise! Old man, you’re so naggy!” Henry Thompson took the opportunity to give in, grabbing the two brocade boxes: “I’ll practice the palm and blade techniques, but as for whether I can reach the third level of the ‘Primordial Celestial Art’ in three months, I can’t guarantee it—I can only promise to do my best.”

Benjamin Thompson was stunned for a moment after hearing this: “Wait, you agreed so easily today?”

He gave Henry Thompson a suspicious look, then snorted again: “Tomorrow morning I’ll supervise you myself—don’t even think about slacking off or fooling your father!”

……

The first thing Henry Thompson did after leaving the study was to put on the ‘Kui Niu Luminous Armor.’ It was a leather inner armor, covering only the upper body, but its defensive effect could protect the whole body, and it didn’t hinder movement at all.

Henry Thompson made up his mind that from now on, unless he was bathing or sleeping, he wouldn’t take this armor off. Such a precious treasure for self-defense must never leave his body, not even for a moment.

After that, Henry Thompson followed Benjamin Thompson’s instructions and first went to the ancestral hall to kneel in punishment for an hour, and only then went to pay respects to the original Henry Thompson’s mother, the Lady of Marquis of Sincerity, The Miller Family.

Since coming to this world, he had interacted most with The Miller Family. The original Henry Thompson was especially filial and respectful to The Miller Family; as long as he was in the mansion, he never missed the morning and evening greetings.

But today, Henry Thompson met his original body’s mother, the Lady of Marquis of Sincerity, The Miller Family, in a small Buddhist hall beside the family temple. She was sitting cross-legged before the Buddha, devoutly striking a wooden fish and chanting under her breath.

Henry Thompson looked up at the statue of Amitabha and found that it had clearly been cleaned and polished in the past few days, and even had its gold paint touched up. Not only was there no trace of cobwebs or dust, but it also shone so brightly it could almost blind someone.