My Children’s Gifts Give Me 1000x Returns!

The news of a young master from House Zephyrus being humiliated on the second floor of the Grand Central Exchange spread through the Inner City like wildfire.

Inside the opulent, marble-lined private office on the top floor of the Exchange, a middle-aged man sat behind a heavy mahogany desk, slamming his palm down so hard the polished stone floor beneath him cracked.

Manager Cedric Zephyrus—a Late-Stage Martial Scholar and the uncle of the bruised Julian Zephyrus currently lying on a leather couch nearby, his face wrapped in medicinal bandages.

"A commoner guard’s trash offspring?" Cedric growled, his eyes flashing with lethal intent. "Not only did they cripple Julian’s guards, but their father dared to shatter a signal talisman right inside our Exchange?"

"Uncle... you must kill him!" Julian whimpered through his bandages, his voice high-pitched and choked with humiliation. "He used some sort of cheap spatial trick to press my head into the dirt! He insulted House Zephyrus!"

"Silence, useless fool!" Cedric barked, making Julian flinch back. "Getting beaten by eighteen-year-old commoners... you’ve dragged our branch’s name through the mud! But..."

Cedric’s expression turned sinister as he reached for a silver command token on his desk. "No one disrespects the Zephyrus Syndicate within this building and walks away clean. Send the Enforcer Unit. Twelve Martial Scholars. Intercept their carriage before it reaches the Azure Crest Estate. Bring me the father’s limbs and throw those twin rats into the Exchange dungeons!"

"Yes, Manager!" a shadowy figure in black iron armor bowed from the corner of the room, vanishing through the window in a blur of speed.

Meanwhile, two miles down the grand, white-paved avenue of the Inner City, the Black Dragon Imperial Edition carriage glided smoothly through the bustling midday traffic.

Inside, the atmosphere was quiet and peaceful. Ethan was inspecting his newly acquired spatial ring, testing how fast he could draw his linen-wrapped spear from the pocket dimension, while Elena was adjusting her new Grade-4 Soft Dragon-Scale Armor beneath her azure robes.

Gabriel sat across from them, his eyes closed in quiet meditation.

Suddenly, Gabriel’s eyes snapped open. A faint, golden gleam flashed within his dark pupils.

"Dad?" Ethan noticed the subtle shift in Gabriel’s posture immediately, his hand instinctively dropping to his waist. "Is something wrong?"

"Twelve flies," Gabriel said smoothly, taking a quiet breath. "Four on the rooftops to the left, four on the right, and four blocking the road ahead. All Martial Scholars."

Elena’s eyes widened slightly. "House Zephyrus sent enforcers already?"

"They’re fast, but foolish," Gabriel chuckled softly, tapping his knee. "Stay inside the carriage. This won't take long."

Before the twins could respond, the carriage ground to a sudden halt.

BOOM!

Four heavily armored figures landed on the cobblestone road ahead, drawing heavy iron broadswords that glowed with aggressive, yellow elemental Qi. Simultaneously, eight more enforcers dropped from the surrounding rooftops, completely encircling the luxury carriage and blocking off the entire street.

Passing citizens and commoner merchants screamed, scrambling into nearby shops and shutting their heavy wooden doors.

"By order of the Grand Central Exchange!" the lead enforcer roared, his voice amplified by Qi. "The occupants of this carriage are under arrest for high treason against House Zephyrus! Step out and surrender your cultivation, or be executed on the spot!"

Inside the carriage, Gabriel sighed softly. He reached out and gently patted Ethan’s shoulder.

"Watch closely," Gabriel whispered. "This is how you use elemental domain pressure."

Gabriel pushed the carriage door open and stepped out onto the paved street. His dark, celestial dragon silk coat fluttered softly in the warm breeze. He looked at the twelve armored Martial Scholars surrounding him with an expression of mild annoyance, as if looking at a dozen noisy mosquitoes.

"House Zephyrus truly doesn't learn," Gabriel said, his voice quiet, yet echoing clearly across a three-block radius. "I warned that arrogant brat. Did he not deliver my message to his manager?"

The lead enforcer sneered, raising his heavy broadsword. "Arrogant commoner! You think crippling a few weak guards makes you invincible? Attack!"

All twelve Martial Scholars lunged simultaneously! Twelve surging waves of blade Qi—fire, earth, and wind elements—converged onto Gabriel from every angle, intent on chopping him into pieces!

Gabriel didn't draw a weapon. He didn't even raise his hands.

He simply took a deep, steady breath, and stepped his left boot down onto the cobblestone floor.

BOOM!

A wave of golden, majestic aura erupted from Gabriel’s body like an exploding star!

The absolute, crushing weight of a Martial Master (Early Stage)—combined with the ancient, terrifying intent of the Sovereign Dragon Pressure—blasted outward in a three-hundred-foot ring!

CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!

The blade Qi from all twelve enforcers was snuffed out instantly like dying candles! The heavy iron broadswords in their hands shattered into thousands of iron fragments, and all twelve Martial Scholars were violently slammed to their knees, their heavy steel armor buckling under the terrifying gravitational pressure!

"AAAAAAHHH!"

Spurts of dark blood erupted from the mouths of all twelve enforcers as their internal spirit channels groaned under the crushing weight. They couldn't move an inch, their foreheads pressed violently against the cold cobblestones, their eyes filled with utter, suffocating horror!

"M-Martial... Master..." the lead enforcer stammered, coughing up blood, his mind breaking under the sheer realization. "He's... he's a Martial Master?!"

In the entire Inner City, a Martial Master was an elite powerhouse—a figure who held the rank of High Elder or Grand General! How could a commoner from the outer slums possess the power of a Martial Master?!

"You wanted to arrest my family?" Gabriel walked over to the lead enforcer, looking down at him like an ancient dragon looking at a worm. "Tell Cedric Zephyrus that if he wants my life, he better come out here himself."

"S-Senior... mercy!" the lead enforcer wailed, his pride completely shattered.

Before Gabriel could crush their spirit channels completely, a warm, resonant voice echoed from the sky above.

"Please hold your hand, Brother Gabriel!"

WHOOSH!

A streak of golden light descended from the heavens, landing gently between Gabriel and the kneeling enforcers.

The light faded to reveal an elderly man wearing magnificent purple robes embroidered with gold thread. A massive, carved jade pendant hung at his waist, radiating deep, ocean-like Qi.

It was Guildmaster Raymond—a Peak Martial Master and the Supreme Authority of the Global Adventurer Guild (Inner City Division)!

The surrounding citizens who were peeking through window shutters gasped in shock. Guildmaster Raymond was one of the top five strongest individuals in the entire Inner City, a man who even the Duke’s branch leaders treated with absolute respect!

Raymond looked at the twelve kneeling enforcers, then turned to Gabriel. His sharp eyes narrowed as he sensed the pure, terrifying domain pressure lingering around Gabriel, and a deep flicker of shock flashed across his weathered face.

A Martial Master! And his Qi is so pure... it carries an ancient, imperial aura! Raymond thought, his heart skipping a beat. The reports were true! A hidden dragon has risen from the Outer District!

Raymond immediately folded his hands, offering a deep, respectful bow to Gabriel.

"I am Raymond of the Adventurer Guild," the elderly master said smoothly, his tone warm and humble. "I apologize for the boorish behavior of these Zephyrus dogs. The Grand Central Exchange operates on neutral ground, and Manager Cedric has clearly abused his authority by sending enforcers into the public streets."

Gabriel eyed the old man calmly, feeling the deep, steady Peak Martial Master Qi residing within him. He slowly reined in his golden aura, allowing the twelve enforcers to collapse onto the ground, gasping for air like dying fish.

"Guildmaster Raymond," Gabriel said coldly. "Your neutral Exchange seems to enjoy harassing my children. Is this how the Inner City welcomes S-Rank scholars?"

Raymond smiled wryly, waving his hand. A squad of Guild guards dressed in black-and-gold armor immediately swooped in from the surrounding alleys, grabbing the twelve limp enforcers and dragging them away like dead dogs.

"A grave oversight, Brother Gabriel," Raymond said sincerely. "I assure you, Manager Cedric will be stripped of his administrative duties by the Guild Council by sunset. To express my Guild's sincere apology for this unpleasantness, I would like to offer your family an official S-Rank VIP Guild Token."

Raymond produced a sleek, obsidian token inlaid with gold runes and presented it with both hands.

"With this token, your children will have unlimited access to the Guild's private training grounds, high-tier mission archives, and a 50% discount on all rare resources across any Exchange in the empire."

Gabriel looked at the obsidian token, recognizing the massive value. The Global Guild was truly neutral, and having their backing in the Inner City would make noble houses like Valerius and Zephyrus think twice before making open moves against his family.

Gabriel took the token, nodding faintly. "I accept the Guildmaster's goodwill."

"Wonderful!" Raymond grinned, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper. "The Imperial Grand Martial College Placement Exam is in less than three months, Brother Gabriel. The noble heirs of the Inner City are arrogant, but your twins... they carry the aura of true dragons. If you ever need specialized sparring partners or rare Grade-5 beast materials for their training, my Guild doors are always open."

"I'll keep that in mind," Gabriel replied.

With a final respectful nod, Guildmaster Raymond turned into a streak of golden light and vanished toward the inner district spires.

Gabriel turned back toward his luxury carriage, stepping inside. Ethan and Elena were looking at him with wide, shining eyes.

"Dad..." Ethan breathed, his heart hammering with excitement. "A Guildmaster... a Peak Martial Master just bowed to you!"

Gabriel leaned back on the plush leather seat, a gentle, fond smile returning to his face as the carriage began to roll forward once more toward the Azure Crest Estate.

"He bowed to strength, Ethan," Gabriel said quietly, looking at his son and daughter. "And in three months, when you step onto the College Placement arena... the entire Inner City will bow to yours."