JoJo's Gospel, Part One

"What are you watching?"

"Just a kid. He seems interesting." The man, clad in blood red and black, watched Suotuo City on Douluo Continent with keen interest. Someone so well suited to the path of Asura existed in this day and age? Incredible.

"Have you found the outside intruder? Don't tell me you've been watching this the whole time," the person opposite him asked in disbelief.

"It happened in an instant. How could I find them? They seem to know a lot about divine power—how to evade its searches and erase their tracks. And what about that other intruder not long ago? The Sea God is awfully protective of that one." The man spoke with disdain.

"Heh, fair enough. What about this kid, then? Are you planning to make him your successor? Don't you already have one?"

"We'll see. I get the feeling he might be stronger than the Sea God's."

"Boss, why do you insist on making people call you 'boss'?" Hongjun asked, sitting down and tearing into the barbecue.

Over the past two months, he and Oscar had often joined Jodio's nighttime activities. At first, the three of them had wanted to play heroes. Then they realized that would only treat the symptoms, not the cause: they'd make enemies and gain nothing. Given the way things were, Jodio could knock down one gang in Suotuo City, and another would spring up the next day—probably an even more shameless one. So they decided to tackle the problem at its root.

Passione was born. Unbeatable by anyone below level forty, Jodio swept through the entire street and beat the thugs on several nearby streets into submission. A few Soul Masters from those groups wanted to take the matter to the Knights and the City Lord, only to discover that they'd been bought off too.

A clinic appeared at the near end of the street. Called "JoJo's Gospel," it charged ordinary people only a small fee for herbs. Even surgery cost next to nothing. Everything was affordable.

A healing-type Soul Master was a treasure everyone valued. Even Knights and nobles could fall seriously ill and need treatment. Besides, all he'd done was establish a small sect on one street—or something like one. The Knights could live with that.

Level twenty-two Soul Power wasn't high, but Jodio would beat up even a level-thirty Soul Elder without hesitation. After he beat one, a Soul Ancestor came for him—only to be dragged off by the old man behind Jodio before he could even make a move. Everyone settled down after that. Passione made a name for itself, becoming well known throughout Suotuo City in just two months.

To Jodio, it was more like laying the groundwork in advance. To Oscar and Hongjun, it was a way to earn money. As for the academy's teachers, Flender was delighted. Jodio brought him half the clinic's fees, greatly easing the academy's funding troubles. And since Jodio wasn't doing anything wicked, Flender let him carry on as long as it didn't interfere with training.

"Because it sounds good. 'My lord' and 'Your Excellency' are too stuffy. 'Boss' has a better ring to it." Jodio leaned back with his legs crossed and his feet on the table.

"Once I'm done seeing patients tonight, we move. You two keep watch. I'll do the fighting," Jodio added.

"Boss, about the expansion." A male Soul Master seated nearby rose and addressed him respectfully.

"I'm leaving it to you. Within a month, I want their leaders here, respectfully kissing the back of my hand. Can you do that?" Jodio asked calmly.

"Absolutely!" The Soul Master snapped to attention.

Soul Masters in their teens often preferred to be big fish in a small pond, mingling with ordinary people. This man and his female counterpart were two subordinates Jodio had won over. One had the martial soul Crimson Cat, the other Phantom Blue Rabbit. Neither was particularly powerful, so it was no surprise that both were still around level ten in their thirties.

They had led a gang—though they called it a sect—that Jodio had flattened with one punch while unifying the neighborhood. Now they were his devoted lackeys. Their new boss had taught them a few Soul Power cultivation tricks, and their long-standing bottlenecks had actually begun to loosen. How could they not fawn over him?

"Well, back to the clinic." Jodio stood up.

"Boss, we'll head over to the Great Soul Arena first."

Hongjun waved with a grin. The Great Soul Arena now worked with Jodio to some extent, sending some of its injured fighters to his clinic for surgery. As an up-and-coming healing-type Soul Master, Jodio offered effective treatment at fair prices. Oscar could help too, and neither of them charged the outrageous fees demanded by those old healers. That made the arena something of a partner.

Jodio's rates for the Great Soul Arena were low, which pleased it immensely. To win him over, the arena even refunded the ten Gold Soul Coins he had paid for his initial registration and registered Oscar and Hongjun while it was at it. These days, the two went to the arena most nights to look around. Sometimes, when watching a match got them fired up, they stepped into the ring for a bout or two. That was usually the end of it. At levels sixteen and nineteen, they could only fight opponents around their own level.

That takes care of building a power base.

Jodio got up and walked on, flanked by his two subordinates, his expression darkening as he thought. He was wary of what would happen in five years, and warier still of that damned man obsessed with grass. At present, the only real threat to him was that man suddenly losing his mind.

Tang Hao was a level-ninety-five Titled Douluo. If the bastard snapped, he could capture all five teachers without giving them a chance to fight back. As for Jodio himself? Fighting a Soul Ancestor was already beyond him. By the time Tang San arrived, he figured he would only be around level thirty or forty. Holding his own against a Soul Emperor would be impressive enough.

If Tang Hao suddenly decided Jodio couldn't be allowed to live, he'd be in serious trouble. One punch, and whether he survived would be the least of his worries; whether there'd be a body left would be anyone's guess. That was why Jodio didn't dare try to kill Tang San now. Tang Hao would swat him like a stray dog, and not even the readers would feel sorry for him. He could blame the matchmaking all he liked, but he'd be the one who walked into it. If that wasn't asking to get crushed, what was?

Should I become one of Tang Hao's admirers? No. I'm Jodio Joestar, a man determined to become an emperor. Why should I fawn over Tang Hao? He was captivated by a roadside blade of grass. He's an idiot who lets his lower half do his thinking. Enough of that.

Then it's the second plan. Fine. If doing him a favor buys me safety, I can live with that, Jodio thought.

"When you're under someone else's roof, you have to bow your head. If I still had my old strength, capturing Tang Hao would be easy. Number one below divine bodies was no joke." Jodio sighed again.

If Jodio truly still had his former strength, he could have captured three generations of Tang Hao's family without much trouble. Time Erasure and Epitaph were already nearly impossible to counter. Add King Crimson: The World, which he had obtained with his eighth soul skill, and he became an even more absurd monster of raw power and broken abilities.

Against Tang Hao's family of three, who relied on brute strength, he could capture them at will. It would be like playing an unnerfed Void Reaver and thrashing a bunch of Uncaged Wraths of Thunder. Come to think of it, split those three up and they really would trigger its isolation passive!

"Oh, Doctor Jodio is here!"

"Doctor, it's my leg."

"Sorry for the trouble, Doctor. Could you take a look at my stomach?"

JoJo's Gospel was already full of people waiting for treatment. Jodio's methods were alarming, but they worked. And they were cheap. Bluntly put, having treatment at all was good enough; whether it hurt no longer mattered.

"Line up and come forward one at a time. Show some manners and don't cut in." Jodio sat behind his consultation desk again, crossed his legs, and propped his feet on the tabletop.

"After all, I'm very merciful. Even if someone causes trouble in my clinic, I'll only beat them half to death." Jodio smiled.