Return to Monharvest

Ch 01: The Return of Leon Vint

Beneath the moonlit night, Leon Vint stood tall at the edge of Mount Elberis, the gentle wind tugging at his clothes. The handsome man with slightly wavy hair gazed into the distance, where the faint glimmer of city lights flickered beneath rolling clouds.

Ten years of suffering burned in his eyes. Grudge, disappointment, pain, resolve, and unwavering purpose—all of it swirled there. Unknowingly, tears welled up before spilling down his cheeks as he blinked.

His chest tightened as the memory of that dinner came flooding back.

Gordon. A powerful cultivator. He had silenced every guest with his spiritual aura.

Gordon had killed his father, Billi Vint, right in front of him. Right in front of everyone.

His stepmother, Grasella, dragged him to a room. She locked him up and tortured him for three days and three nights, until he no longer had any will to live.

On the fourth day, Grasella ordered the family guards to throw him off a cliff, deep in a forest far from any settlement.

Luckily—no, fatefully—as his body plummeted into the abyss, a mysterious man flew across the cliff and caught him mid-air.

Ten years passed.

He trained until he bled. Under the guidance of the mysterious man he now called Master Lu, even with torn skin and shattered bones, he never gave up. With a rare talent that appeared once every century, Leon had become a formidable cultivator.

CRACK!

Just as he drowned in those suffocating memories, a mass of black clouds suddenly formed above the mountain. Lightning clashed violently within them.

Leon looked up, sensing the piercing aura within the thunder. At the same time, a spiritual energy explosion erupted behind him.

Sure enough, when he turned, a golden palm formed from spiritual energy—twice the size of a bull elephant—materialized in the air and shot toward him.

Leon remained calm. He swept both hands in a precise pattern. Spiritual energy surged from every pore of his body.

As his energy flared, his body slowly lifted into the air. He formed a hand seal, and in an instant, a radiant golden dragon coiled around him.

“Break!” Leon shouted, thrusting his palm forward.

The dragon shot out, colliding with the golden palm. The impact created a devastating explosion. A shockwave blasted in all directions, shaking every tree within a kilometer.

“Hahaha!”

After the blast, the black clouds over Mount Elberis vanished, followed by deep, echoing laughter.

Leon’s expression barely changed. He knew this was his master’s doing. He dropped his guard as his body floated gently back to the ground.

“Well done!” Master Lu’s voice rang out. He suddenly appeared atop a cave, 150 feet high.

Leon bowed slightly and gave a respectful salute. “This disciple greets you, Master!”

Master Lu smiled faintly. The white-haired, white-bearded old man vanished from the cave. In a single breath, he appeared right in front of Leon.

“Now I can enter closed-door cultivation in peace. You have my permission to descend the mountain and fulfill your purpose.”

“But remember this—true strength lies in a calm heart and a righteous intent. Use your power wisely.”

“I understand,” Leon replied.

Leon turned and walked to the cliff’s edge.

He stared once more at the distant, flickering city lights. His eyes were filled with resolve as he spoke, “Monharvest, I’m back. A debt of ten years… I’ll repay it tenfold.”

…

The next day, Leon sank into the backseat of a taxi, eyes locked on the window. The city hit him like a slap. Ten years gone, and nothing looked the same. Horns screamed. Dust coated the glass. People flooded the sidewalks. For a second, it felt like his father was sitting right beside him.

“Thank you,” Leon said, handing the driver his fare.

He stepped out, took a few paces, and looked up at the towering building before him. He unfolded a slip of paper Master Lu had given him to confirm the name of his destination.

“That’s right. Pirette Group,” he murmured.

Without wasting time, he walked in. But the moment he entered the lobby, a security guard blocked his path. The man was about 175 cm tall, muscles bulging under his uniform.

“Halt! What are you doing here? This isn’t a homeless shelter,” the guard said, his tone arrogant.

Leon paused, glancing at the nameplate on the guard’s chest: Johan.

“Sorry, I’m not a—”

“Shhh. Leave now, or… don’t blame me if I get rough.”

“But I’m not homeless. I want to meet Miss Pirette.” Leon met Johan’s eyes without hesitation.

Pffft!

Johan held back a laugh, his expression mocking. From the lobby desk, another guard noticed them and walked over.

“What’s going on?” the second guard asked. His nameplate read Fendrik.

Johan glanced at Fendrik, still smirking. “Look at this poor guy. He says he wants to meet Miss Pirette. Pffft!”

Fendrik sneered and looked Leon up and down. Compared to their uniforms, Leon’s clothes were plain. There was nothing strange about them, but the simplicity screamed different social status.

“Do you have an appointment?” Fendrik asked.

“No.”

“Then get lost!”

“But—”

“Hey? Are you deaf?” Johan cut in, shoving Leon’s chest. Leon stumbled back several steps. “Get out of here!”

As Leon was pushed back, he accidentally bumped into a man in a brown suit. The man immediately whipped around and slapped Leon hard across the face.

“Dammit!” the man snapped.

“Sorry. It was an accident.” Leon apologized sincerely, even as heat spread across his cheek.

“Sorry? You think you can afford to replace my suit if it’s dirty, huh?!” the man spat, eyes cold.

He glared at Johan and Fendrik. “You two?! Why are you letting a homeless man in here? Disgusting!”

“Apologies, sir. I’ll handle it.” Johan bowed slightly, then shoved Leon toward the exit.

“But—” Leon was confused. Did he really look homeless?

As Johan pushed him roughly toward the door, Leon’s eyes stayed fixed on Fendrik and the suited man.

Fendrik smiled politely at the man in the suit. The blatant difference in treatment made Leon feel like his dignity was being stomped on.

“Wait! I told you I’m not homeless! I just want to meet CEO Chloe.”

“Bullshit! Who do you think you are, trying to meet our CEO?! Get lost!”

Johan shoved Leon hard, forcing him to catch his balance so he wouldn’t fall.

Fed up, Leon paused. Then he raised his head, his expression flat.

That challenging look made Johan’s jaw tighten.

“Dammit! What? You’re not happy?”

“I only want to meet CEO Chloe. I don’t have time for you,” Leon said coldly.

“Tch! You damn loser! You really want to get beaten, huh?!”

Johan clenched his fist and charged forward. In his mind, he imagined grabbing Leon’s collar, dragging him mercilessly out the door, and dumping him onto the pavement.

Unfortunately for him, that fantasy shattered the moment Leon showed his dominance. Leon stomped his right foot once, and a golden burst of spiritual energy exploded outward, sending Johan flying back.

Fendrik, who was about to invite the suited man to sit, watched as his partner’s body flew past him and slammed into the floor, coughing up blood. His eyes went wide. His brow furrowed.

Johan tried to get up. But his body couldn’t bear the pain that felt like his muscles were being torn apart.

In that instant, the once-calm lobby went dead silent. Every employee and guest turned to stare at Leon.

“Dammit! What just happened?” Fendrik muttered, his face tense.

It had been too fast. He shot a glance at Leon just as the man in the brown suit turned to see what was going on.

“What’s happening?” the suited man murmured, swallowing hard. His body froze for a second, feeling the overwhelming, intimidating aura from Leon’s cold gaze. “Wait. Is he… a cultivator?”