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Chapter 228: The Kamehameha Punch
"Conan, don't cause trouble."
Blake raised his hand and waved casually. He didn't touch Conan's body, but an invisible current seemed to come alive, gently yet irresistibly pushing Conan toward the shore.
"A child's meridians haven't set yet. Messing with Qi and blood will affect your development; you won't grow tall."
The excuse was flawless.
"Conan! You brat, behave yourself!" Mori Kogoro slammed his fist on the water, splashing everywhere. "If you cause any more trouble, get out!"
Conan gritted his teeth, clutching the handrail at the pool's edge. Damn it! This feeling of powerlessness... He could only watch helplessly as Blake bypassed him and arrived in front of Ran.
"Don't be nervous. It's just guiding the airflow," Blake's voice was soft, carrying a strange soothing power. "Turn your back to me and sit cross-legged."
Ran took a deep breath and nodded. "Please, Mr. Blake."
She turned in the water, presenting her back to Blake. Her wet long hair was pinned up, revealing her slender, elegant neck and smooth back. The deep blue swimsuit had a cross-back design, exposing a large area of snow-white skin to the air.
Blake raised both hands. In his palms, a faint blue light seemed to flash and disappear. That was Chakra. Although he disguised it as "Qi" in this world, the essence hadn't changed.
His palms gently pressed against the center of Ran's back.
Zzzzt—
The moment of contact, Ran trembled all over.
"Unngh!" A suppressed moan spilled from her throat. It wasn't pain. It was a scorching heat stream that exploded from her back instantly, climbing madly up her spine. The sensation was like being thrown into magma, yet without being burned.
"Relax. Follow my guidance and breathe." Blake's voice rang in her ear, brooking no argument. "Inhale—sink it to the Dantian. Exhale—imagine the heat rushing to your limbs."
Ran closed her eyes tight, frowning slightly, beads of sweat seeping from her forehead. She could clearly feel a domineering force rampaging through her body. Blocked meridians were forcibly flushed open. The sensation of soreness mixed with stinging pain made her grip her knees tightly. Her knuckles turned white from the force.
"Ran!" Conan lay by the pool edge, heart aching as he watched Ran's pained expression. What is he doing? What is he doing to Ran?!
Conan's hand moved toward the stun-gun wristwatch.
"Don't be impulsive, little friend."
Subaru had swum to his side at some point. His hand seemed casual, but it locked Conan's movement like an iron clamp. "Look carefully. Miss Ran is unharmed."
Conan froze and looked up sharply.
He saw Ran's originally furrowed brow gradually relaxing. Her skin began to glow a healthy pink, and a faint white steam even rose from the top of her head. That was the phenomenon of dampness and impurities being expelled from the body.
Blake's palms didn't leave. He was using Yang Release Chakra to enhance the cellular vitality of this body bit by bit.
"Endure it. One last push."
Blake gave a low shout. His palms exerted force abruptly.
Boom!
It was as if a depth charge had been dropped into the water. Centered on the two of them, the emerald pool water surged violently outward.
Ran opened her eyes suddenly. In those purple pupils, a sharp glint flashed. She felt lighter than ever before. Her body seemed filled with endless power; every cell was cheering. The hidden injuries and fatigue from years of Karate practice vanished into smoke in this moment.
"Hah..." She exhaled a long breath of turbid air. The breath condensed without dispersing, blowing the water mist in front of her into turmoil.
"This... is this Qi?" Ran looked at her hands in disbelief. She felt like she could punch through a steel plate right now.
"Try it." Blake withdrew his hands and stepped back half a pace, a playful smile on his lips. "Punch the water surface with your greatest strength."
Ran hesitated for a moment. But the power surging in her body made her crave release. She stood up and assumed a Karate stance. Her gaze instantly became sharp.
Hah!
With a kiai, her right fist blasted out like lightning. It didn't touch the water. It was merely the wind from the fist.
BANG—!!!
A deafening roar. The calm water surface in front of her seemed to be struck by an invisible heavy hammer. A column of water fully two meters high shot into the sky, smashed fiercely against the ceiling, and then fell like a torrential rain.
The entire bathhouse vibrated.
Splash, splash. The water fell, soaking everyone present.
Dead silence.
Mori Kogoro opened his mouth so wide his gold tooth nearly fell out. Kisaki Eri's glasses slipped from her hand into the water. Conan was dumbstruck, his eyes popping out.
This... this is Karate?
This is a freaking Kamehameha, isn't it?!
Just one medicinal bath could turn a person into Superman? What kind of divine being was this Blake? If it was drug modification, how could it take effect so quickly without side effects? This completely violated the laws of Conan-ology!
"Eh?" Ran looked at the destruction she caused, startled herself. She retracted her hand in panic, her face turning red as a ripe tomato. "S-Sorry! Mr. Blake! I didn't mean to... I didn't expect..."
"It's okay." Blake reached out to wipe the water droplets from his face, his smile still gentle. "This shows your talent is very good. Once the meridians are open, the potential naturally explodes."
In the misty bathhouse, the air seemed to congeal. The ripples from Ran's punch were still spreading, and water droplets dripping from the ceiling hit the surface with crisp sounds.
Everyone's eyes focused on the silver-haired young man.
Mori Kogoro couldn't care less about detective dignity anymore. He paddled with hands and feet, rushing to Blake like a desperate walrus.
Splash. He grabbed Blake's arm, his gaze so fiery it could almost melt a person.
"Brother Blake! No, Master Blake!" Kogoro was incoherent with excitement, pointing at his own flabby pectoral muscles. "Look at me! Look at my bones! Look at my spirit! Aren't I more potential-filled than Ran? In my youth, I was the captain of the Judo club and the best shot in the police force. My foundation is definitely fine, right?"
"Quick! Give me one of those 'Qi Regulations' too! I'm not afraid of pain! As long as I can blast the water like Ran, I'll call you Big Brother!"
Conan's mouth twitched wildly on the side. This old man, throwing away his seniority just to get stronger. It seemed Ran was fine for now, which meant the medicinal bath was likely safe. However... Conan's eyes narrowed. How on earth did he do that? Does Qigong really exist in this world? If the Black Organization mastered this power, they'd need an army to deal with them.
Blake looked at the big face full of greed and anticipation before him and calmly withdrew his arm. He didn't refuse immediately but looked Mori Kogoro up and down.
You old geezer, don't you know my Kung Fu is passed to women, not men?
"Mr. Mori, extend your wrist." Blake spoke calmly.
Kogoro was overjoyed and hurriedly offered his wet wrist. "Here, here! Feel free! Should I sink my Qi to my Dantian?"
Ignoring his noise, Blake placed two fingers on his pulse.
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.
Blake's brow furrowed slightly, then deepened, and finally, he let out an almost inaudible sigh. This sigh sounded exceptionally harsh in the quiet bathroom.
Mori Kogoro's heart instantly rose to his throat. "H-How is it? Do you feel a primal force surging inside?"
Blake retracted his hand and looked at him with a complex gaze. It was the look a doctor gives a terminal patient about to be buried.
"Mr. Mori."
"Yes."
"Do you drink alcohol every day?"
"Uh... as a famous detective, I have many social engagements. Just a little to boost the mood occasionally..." Kogoro felt a bit guilty.
"More than just a little," Blake punctured his excuse mercilessly. "In your meridians, what's accumulated isn't Qi, but alcohol and grease. If Miss Ran's meridians are an unobstructed highway, then yours are the Tokyo Loop Line during rush hour—and the kind with a multi-car pileup."
Pfft.
Beside them, Okiya Subaru couldn't help but turn his head, his shoulders shaking slightly.
Kisaki Eri laughed coldly and unceremoniously. "Did you hear that, Famous Detective? I told you long ago to drink less of that cat pee. Now look, the highway is jammed."
Mori Kogoro's face turned red, still trying to struggle. "Then... then can you unclog it? Like clearing a sewer?"
"Brother Blake, your methods are heavenly, surely there's a way, right?"
Blake shook his head, wearing an expression of appropriate regret. "If it were ten years ago, perhaps there was hope. But now, your bones have set, your meridian walls have solidified, and coupled with long-term alcohol erosion, your essence leaked away long ago."
"If I forcibly use Qi to flush it, the only consequence will be ruptured blood vessels." Blake paused, his tone becoming serious. "At best, hemiplegia; at worst, sudden death on the spot."
"Mr. Mori, are you sure you want to bet your life on that one-in-ten-thousand success rate?"
═════ To Be Continued ═════
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