After sending their disciples out to search for other Heavenly Demons, Feng Shiren and several family elders discussed how to keep Feng Qi in check and make better use of him to serve the Feng Family, without risking a backlash.
They didn't believe things had really reached the life-or-death urgency Du Ge had described.
Even though Feng Yunming had said they were Heavenly Demons and couldn't be judged by ordinary standards, and even though Feng Qi and Feng Jiu had gained all kinds of strange abilities after their Soul Possession,
the two of them were still weak. At that level, they couldn't make a ripple in the martial world, let alone seize the Qiao Family Holy Land within six months.
That was a ridiculous joke. Anyone who heard it would laugh themselves silly. The martial world was deep and treacherous—how could two Heavenly Demons who had only just arrived hope to get a handle on it?
Feng Shiren preferred to take things slowly: gather as many Heavenly Demons of different attributes as possible, learn their characteristics, and make full use of each one.
In his view, discovering how Heavenly Demons could be put to use within a year and helping the Feng Family rise another level would already be a remarkable achievement.
Before they could reach any conclusions, Feng Yunming rushed in with news that Feng Qi's strength had skyrocketed.
After learning why Feng Qi's strength had surged, Feng Shiren and the others were dumbfounded.
It took a good while for Feng Shiren to come around. Looking doubtful, he asked, "Yunming, is everything you said true?"
"Father, why would I lie to you?" Feng Yunming was still caught up in his excitement, his voice an octave higher. "I saw it with my own eyes. In the blink of an eye, Feng Qi was in front of Third Young Master. He moved so fast that Third Young Master was subdued before he could react. His speed and footwork were every bit as good as yours, Father. He was like a completely different person..."
"How is that possible?" Feng Shiren sprang to his feet, ready to seek confirmation from Du Ge, but soon sat back down. "Yunming, tell me exactly what happened. Don't leave out a single thing he said..."
Feng Yunming recounted everything that had just happened, exactly as it had unfolded.
When he finished, Feng Shiren furrowed his brow and tapped his fingers unconsciously on the tabletop. "How is that possible? I sent people out without letting him know. How could that be connected to his strength? This increase makes no sense. Yunjie couldn't last a single round against him? Could he really be bound to the Feng Family? It makes no sense!"
"Patriarch," an elder said, "even the demonic practitioners who cultivate unorthodox arts in the martial world can't increase their strength this quickly. Heavenly Demons are wicked and strange; there's much we don't understand about them. We must stay on our guard, or the Feng Family might end up making wedding clothes for someone else..."
"Exactly. If one suffers, all suffer; if one prospers, all prosper. It all came from Feng Qi. What if it isn't true? The Feng Family has spent decades building up its holdings. We can't afford to take chances, Patriarch. We must be extremely cautious with Heavenly Demons..." another elder said.
Feng Shiren picked up his teacup, then set it down again. His expression shifted back and forth. He had already made up his mind, but Du Ge's sudden increase in strength had thrown him into hesitation again.
Feng Yunming frowned. "Elders, there's no need to worry so much. Feng Qi said that if we don't believe him, we can call back the people searching for Heavenly Demons, keep the matter quiet, and even kill Feng Jiu. Then, once the other Heavenly Demons in the world grow stronger, we can see whether Feng Qi becomes weaker..."
"Silver-tongued and deceitful." The Feng Family elder who had spoken first snorted. "He's just betting that we won't let the other Heavenly Demons grow unchecked..."
Feng Shiyi, who had been silent until then, coughed and looked at Feng Shiren. "Big Brother, I've thought of one possibility that might explain what's happening."
"What?" Several voices rang out at once.
"Go on," Feng Shiren said.
Ever since Feng Qi and the other one appeared, the Feng Family's worldview had been under constant assault.
They desperately needed a good reason to convince themselves that everything happening now made sense.
Or a loophole that would let them kill Feng Qi with a clear conscience and return to normal life, instead of being stuck in their current awkward position...
"Heaven's Mandate," Feng Shiyi said. After those two words, he paused and looked around at everyone before sharing the conclusion he had reached after much thought. "I believe Heavenly Demons are connected to Heaven's Mandate. Fortune-tellers in the martial world often say that everything is guided by fate, yet they also say that fate isn't set in stone. Different choices can lead to different outcomes.
"Heavenly Demons must be closely connected to Heaven's will and the course of fate. Their strength doesn't come from themselves, but from Heaven's response. Before, Feng Qi only made a suggestion, so his strength didn't increase much. But later, the patriarch really did send people out to search for Heavenly Demons. He put the plan into action.
"So Heaven's Mandate detected that the Feng Family's future had changed, then sent the result back to Feng Qi. That explains why his strength surged in response to our decision.
"It wasn't a coincidence, nor was Feng Qi deliberately arranging things. After all, we've all examined his physical condition. Besides, the martial world is vast. The Feng Family isn't important enough for anyone to go to such lengths to scheme against us..."
"Second Uncle's explanation does fit with Feng Qi's claim that if one suffers, all suffer; if one prospers, all prosper," Feng Yunming said approvingly.
"So we can use changes in Feng Qi's strength to judge whether the family will prosper in the future?" Feng Shiren asked, stunned.
"If my theory about Heavenly Demons is right, then yes, we can use it to infer the future." Feng Shiyi nodded. His eyes gleamed. The more he thought it over, the more certain he became that he was right. He couldn't find a single flaw in his theory; the logic all held together.
"So Feng Qi's surge in strength means the Feng Family is destined to rise?" Feng Shiren said hesitantly.
"The Feng Family is destined to rise." Feng Shiyi and Feng Yunming exchanged a glance and answered in unison. Who hadn't wanted their family to flourish throughout the ages? Besides, all the strange happenings in the Feng Family already seemed like auspicious signs. To them, Feng Shiren's hesitation was what made no sense.
"We still need to think this through carefully." Feng Shiren was cautious after all. He picked up his teacup and took a sip to steady himself. "Heavenly Demon—the name still has 'demon' in it. Whether they'll bring good fortune or disaster remains to be seen. Come, Yunming. Take me to meet Feng Qi. I want to see how strong he's become and, while we're at it, test whether he really will take a blow for the Feng Family..."
"Father, how do we test whether he'll take a blow?" Feng Yunming asked, puzzled.
"We create an opportunity." Feng Shiren glanced back at him. "We're in the Feng Family, after all. It won't be hard to set a trap at the Training Ground. Yunming, this is what you'll do..."
I used to think that if I came in first, I'd be able to run wild in this world. I never expected I couldn't even beat the village chief in the starting area...
At the Training Ground,
Du Ge looked calm and composed on the outside, but inside, countless variations of F*** me! flashed through his mind.
After hearing that his strength had greatly increased, Feng Shiren brought a group of Feng Family members to test the Heavenly Demon's mettle.
Du Ge was just as eager to find out what level his strength had reached in this world.
So the two sides hit it off, cleared the Training Ground of bystanders, and held a martial arts contest.
The results left the Feng Family members stunned, but disappointed Du Ge.
With his speed and strength, Du Ge could overpower Feng Yunming, the Feng Family's eldest son, who had trained in martial arts for over twenty years. Third Young Master Feng Yunjie couldn't last three moves against him.
But against Feng Shiyi and the others, whose Internal Energy ran deeper, Du Ge was at a disadvantage.
Internal Energy enhanced speed and strength too, and Feng Shiyi and the others had decades of combat experience and technique as well. Those weren't things physical prowess could make up for...
Of course, that all assumed his opponents weren't using Lightness Skill.
Once they started leaping around, Du Ge couldn't do much about them. No matter how strong he was, he couldn't change the laws of physics. Internal Energy, on the other hand, could.
Damn Internal Energy!
But when Feng Yunming used Lightness Skill against Du Ge, he mostly used it to dodge.
Du Ge's senses were sharp and he was fast, so even when his opponents leaped into the air, it wasn't easy for them to hit him.
Perhaps there were martial arts in this world that could project Genuine Qi, but a small family like the Feng Family clearly didn't have access to them.
If neither side could hit the other, Du Ge had the advantage in stamina. In a low-martial world, no one could keep flying through the air forever. Besides, Lightness Skill consumed a great deal of Internal Energy.
In theory, as long as Du Ge was willing to drag things out, he could still beat an opponent who leaped around like a monkey...
But that clearly wasn't the outcome Du Ge wanted.
During a fight, other people could fly through the air while he could only chase them from the ground. It wasn't elegant.
He didn't want to be just a land tank. If he was going to be anything, he'd be an all-terrain, sea-land-and-air powerhouse...
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