The Feng Family Shall Rise

After sending disciples out to search for other Heavenly Demons, Feng Shiren and several family elders discussed in the council hall how to restrain Feng Qi and better use him in service of the Feng Family without suffering a backlash.

They did not believe the situation had truly reached the desperate point Dug had described.

Even though Feng Yunming said they were Heavenly Demons and could not be judged by ordinary standards, and even though Feng Qi and Feng Jiu had gained all manner of strange abilities after being possessed.

Their strength was right there for all to see. At that level, they would not even make a ripple in the martial world, let alone seize the Qiao Family Sacred Land within half a year.

That was simply a colossal joke. If word got out, people would laugh their teeth out. The martial world ran deep; how could two Heavenly Demons who had just arrived possibly grasp its currents? Feng Shiren preferred to proceed gradually, gathering as many Heavenly Demons with different attributes as possible, learning their traits, and putting them all to the best use.

In his view, uncovering the uses of the Heavenly Demons within a year and helping the Feng Family rise another step would already be quite remarkable.

Before they could reach any conclusion, Feng Yunming rushed in with news that Feng Qi's strength had soared.

After learning why Feng Qi's strength had surged, Feng Shiren and the others were dumbfounded.

It took Feng Shiren quite some time to recover. He asked suspiciously, "Yunming, is everything you said true?"

"Father, why would I lie to you?" Feng Yunming was still caught up in his excitement, his voice rising several pitches. "I saw it with my own eyes. In an instant, Feng Qi darted in front of Third Young Master. He moved so fast that Third Young Master was subdued before he could react. His movement speed was no less than yours, Father. He was practically a different person from before..."

"How could that be possible?" Feng Shiren sprang to his feet, intending to seek confirmation from Dug, but quickly sat back down. "Yunming, tell me exactly what happened. Do not leave out a single word he said..."

Feng Yunming recounted everything that had just happened in full detail.

After listening, Feng Shiren furrowed his brow and unconsciously tapped his fingers on the table. "How is this possible? I sent people out behind his back. How did that become tied to his strength? This increase is completely unreasonable. Yunjie could not even last one exchange against him? Could he really be bound to the Feng Family? That makes no sense!"

"Patriarch," one elder said, "even demons who cultivate wicked arts in the martial world cannot increase their strength this quickly. Heavenly Demons are evil by nature, and there is much about them we do not understand. We must remain vigilant. We cannot let the Feng Family end up making wedding clothes for someone else..."

"Exactly, exactly. 'Share in ruin and prosperity'—those were all Feng Qi's words. What if they are not true? The Feng Family spent decades building its current estate. We cannot afford such upheaval, Patriarch. We must be extremely cautious in dealing with Heavenly Demons..." another elder said.

Feng Shiren picked up his teacup, then set it down again. His expression shifted constantly. Though he had already made up his mind, Dug's sudden increase in strength had thrown him back into hesitation.

Feng Yunming frowned. "Elders, there is no need for this. Feng Qi himself said that if we do not believe him, we can recall those sent out to search for Heavenly Demons, seal off the news, or even kill Feng Jiu. Once the other Heavenly Demons in the world grow stronger, we can see whether he weakens..."

"Smooth talk." The first Feng Family elder to speak snorted and said loudly, "He is simply betting that we will not allow the other Heavenly Demons to grow stronger..."

Feng Shiyi, who had remained silent all this time, coughed and looked at Feng Shiren. "Big Brother, I have thought of one possibility that may explain the current situation."

"What?" several voices spoke at once.

"Speak," Feng Shiren said.

Ever since Feng Qi and Feng Jiu had appeared, the Feng Family's worldview had been under constant assault.

They desperately needed a suitable reason to convince themselves, one that would allow them to accept everything happening before them as a matter of course.

Or a loophole that would let them kill Feng Qi with a clear conscience and return to their normal lives, rather than remain stuck in this awkward limbo...

"Destiny," Feng Shiyi said. After uttering those two words, he paused and swept his gaze across the room before explaining the conclusion he had spent so long considering. "I believe Heavenly Demons are connected to Destiny. Fortune-tellers in the martial world often say that Heaven has its will, but they also say that fate is not fixed and that different choices lead to different outcomes.

"Heavenly Demons must be closely linked to Heaven's will and the course of fate. Their strength does not lie within themselves, but in feedback from Heaven's will. Previously, Feng Qi merely made suggestions, so his strength did not grow much. But later, the Patriarch truly sent people out to search for Heavenly Demons and put the plan into action.

"Then Destiny detected that the Feng Family's future had changed and fed the result back to Feng Qi. That explains why his strength surged along with our decisions.

"This is neither a coincidence nor something Feng Qi deliberately arranged. After all, we all examined Feng Qi's condition. Besides, the martial world is vast. The Feng Family is not worth someone laying such an enormous trap merely to harm us..."

"Second Uncle's words do fit Feng Qi's claim that we share in ruin and prosperity," Feng Yunming praised.

"So we can infer whether the family will prosper in the future based on changes in Feng Qi's strength?" Feng Shiren asked in astonishment.

"If my conjecture about Heavenly Demons is correct, then we can indeed deduce the future in this way." Feng Shiyi nodded, his eyes bright. The more he considered it, the more certain he became, because he could not find the slightest flaw in his theory. Every part of the logic fit.

"Then Feng Qi's sudden increase in strength foretells that the Feng Family shall rise?" Feng Shiren asked hesitantly.

"The Feng Family shall rise." Feng Shiyi and Feng Yunming exchanged a glance and spoke in unison. Who, throughout history, had not wished for their family to flourish? Besides, all the strange phenomena occurring within the Feng Family could already be considered auspicious omens. To them, Feng Shiren's hesitation was what seemed abnormal.

"We must still make long-term plans." Feng Shiren was cautious by nature. He lifted his teacup and took a sip to steady his emotions. "Heavenly Demon, Heavenly Demon. There is still a demon in that name. Whether it brings fortune or disaster remains uncertain. Come, Yunming. Take me to see Feng Qi. Let us see just how much his strength has improved, and verify whether he truly will take a blade for the Feng Family..."

"Father, how are we supposed to verify that he will take a blade?" Feng Yunming asked in surprise.

"We create an opportunity." Feng Shiren glanced back at him. "This is the Feng Family, after all. Would it not be easy to make a few arrangements at the Training Ground and set up a trap? Yunming, when the time comes, do this..."

I once thought that getting first place meant I could run rampant through this world. Who knew I could not even beat the chief of a beginner village...

At the Training Ground.

Dug appeared calm and composed on the surface, but countless curses flashed through his mind.

After learning that his strength had increased greatly, Feng Shiren brought a group of Feng Family members to test the true mettle of the Heavenly Demon.

Dug also happened to want to know where his strength ranked in this world.

Thus, both sides hit it off. They cleared the Training Ground of unrelated personnel and held a grand martial contest.

The results left the Feng Family dumbstruck, but disappointed Dug somewhat.

Relying on his speed and strength, Dug could overpower Feng Yunming, the Feng Family's eldest son, despite his more than twenty years of martial training. Feng Yunjie, the Third Young Master, could not last more than three moves against him.

But when he faced Feng Shiyi and others with deeper Internal Energy, Dug fell into a disadvantage.

Internal Energy also enhanced speed and strength, not to mention that Feng Shiyi and the others possessed decades of combat experience and technique. Those were not things physical ability alone could make up for...

Of course, all that depended on them not using Lightness Skills.

Once they began soaring about, Dug could do nothing to them. No matter how strong his body became, it could not overturn the laws of physics, but Internal Energy could.

Damn Internal Energy! Still, when Feng Yunming used his lightness skill against Dug, it was mostly for evasion.

Dug's five senses were sharp and he was fast. Even if they took to the air, it would not be easy for them to hit him.

Perhaps this world had martial arts capable of Qi Projection, but a small family like the Feng Family clearly did not possess them.

When neither side could hit the other, it came down to endurance, and Dug still held the advantage. In this low-martial world, no one could keep flying in the sky forever. Besides, lightness skills consumed a great deal of Internal Energy.

In theory, against opponents who leaped around like monkeys, Dug would still win if he were willing to drag things out...

But that was clearly not the outcome Dug wanted.

When fighting, others flew through the air while he could only chase them from the ground. It was not elegant enough.

He did not want to be merely a land tank. If he was going to do it, he would become an all-purpose force capable on land, sea, and air...