Precaution Is Better Than Regret

Du Ge had shown the Feng Family what efficient growth and loyalty looked like, so they could no longer afford to delay.

Speed was of the essence.

Not long after breakfast, the Feng Family had packed supplies for Du Ge and the others.

Du Ge, Feng Yunjie, Feng Shiyi, and a direct disciple named Zhang Han, all dressed in fine clothes and mounted on fine horses, set out into the jianghu. Under the pretense of traveling, they planned to visit the major sects, find the other hidden Heavenly Demons, and either bring them under their control or kill them before they could be used by someone else.

Feng Shiren watched them leave.

Standing among the group seeing them off, Feng Jiu watched Du Ge ride away. At last, the weight on his heart lifted, and he felt inexplicably relaxed.

As he chewed on a piece of jerky, a mocking glint flickered in Feng Jiu's eyes. There was no denying that Feng Qi was adept at using Keywords, but he was far too conceited. He actually believed he could control everything in the Simulation Field. What kind of family had raised such a fool? He was so childish it was laughable!

Farewell, my dear Seventh Brother!

Soon, I'll give you a gift.

The gift is called a lesson. It'll show you how cruel the Simulation Field can be. Consider it repayment for the favor of not eliminating me. Just like your Theory of Extremes, it'll serve you for the rest of your life. After all, setbacks are the most precious treasure in a person's life...

Only after Du Ge disappeared from view did Feng Jiu turn back to Feng Shiren. Smiling, he said, "Master, let's go back. Seventh Brother has left. From now on, I'll protect the Feng Family..."

Smack!

Smack!

Before Feng Jiu could react, Feng Shiren struck like lightning, tapping several points on his chest and sealing his acupoints.

Feng Jiu's voice cut off abruptly. He asked in alarm, "Master, what are you doing?"

"Mr. Jiu, I'm sorry for the trouble. Seventh Master said you have a rebellious streak, and that you'd surely cause trouble after he left. He told us to take control of you as soon as possible, to prevent irreparable damage," Feng Shiren said.

"..." Feng Jiu froze. Then his face turned ashen, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He forced a smile. "Master, isn't there some misunderstanding? It's true that I wanted to escape the Feng Family before, but after receiving the family's kindness, I swore to protect it. You can't just believe Feng Qi's slander..."

"Seventh Master said you take things too far. For the sake of growth, you ate until your stomach nearly burst. You even ate while sitting on the toilet. You can endure what ordinary people can't. If someone who is so cruel to himself grows stronger, will he really be good to the Feng Family? Right now, you're just greedy for food. If your greed grows until you want to swallow up the Feng Family, it'll be too late to deal with you..." Feng Shiren shook his head, a trace of pity in his eyes. "Mr. Jiu, you can blame your Keyword for being Taotie!"

"..." Feng Jiu's pupils shrank, and his whole body trembled uncontrollably.

He knew.

He knew everything.

He knew about my disguise. He knew what Taotie really meant!

What childishness?

What kindness?

It was all fake. So I was the naive one all along...

Still unwilling to give up, he said, "Master, Feng Qi is crazier than I am, and he takes things just as far. He came up with the Theory of Extremes. Aren't you afraid he'll turn on the Feng Family?"

"His extreme is protecting us. Who wouldn't want another guardian in the family?" Feng Shiren replied.

Feng Jiu was about to explode. He steadied himself and said, "Master, have you ever considered that he's lying to you? We were never reincarnated Heavenly Demons. There's no such thing as a Demon Realm. Your world is nothing but an illusion. And his Keyword might not be protection at all, but deception. He could be leading all of you around by the nose and growing stronger all the same..."

"Just as Seventh Master predicted, you'd deny everything about him to drag him down with you." Feng Shiren chuckled. The pity in his eyes turned to scorn. "Whether it's deception or protection, I don't care, as long as it benefits the Feng Family. I don't even care whether a Heavenly Demon Realm exists. Looking at you all, I can tell that the jianghu is about to descend into chaos. This isn't the kind of disorder caused by a new secret manual or the opening of a treasure vault. It's chaos from the ground up. The turmoil will sweep up everyone in the jianghu. With upheaval on the horizon, protecting ourselves is the worst possible strategy. I'm not senile yet, Mr. Jiu. You're still too young..."

"Damn it!" Feng Jiu cursed. His face turned ashen, and he swallowed hard. "Master, can you give me a chance? I'll prove that Feng Qi really is setting you up. I'll prove I'm more useful than he is. They haven't gone far yet. We can still make things right."

"There's no need," Feng Shiren said. "Seventh Master said Taotie is a good Keyword. We can keep you confined and control your diet to study how quickly you grow. We might find a way to counter the Heavenly Demons through you, so we won't be caught unprepared when we face the others. Mr. Jiu, I have to say, your vision is nowhere near Seventh Master's."

Despair instantly filled Feng Jiu's heart. He flew into a rage. "Seventh Master said this, Seventh Master said that! Feng Shiren, you believe everything he says, don't you? You're a fool. One day, you'll regret it..."

Feng Shiren smiled at Feng Jiu, whose anger had robbed him of his senses, and said quietly, "Mr. Jiu, don't panic. We can work together, actually. I'm very interested in your version of the world. Besides, since Feng Qi has treated you this way, we can discuss how to counter him. And how do we identify the Keywords of other Heavenly Demons? I don't like putting all my eggs in one basket..."

Feng Jiu was chilled to the bone.

At that moment, he suddenly understood why his teacher had said, "Keep yourself hidden as much as possible. Don't try to change the world. The more you reveal, the faster you die."

The natives in the Simulation Field were far too shrewd. Every last one of them was a skilled actor.

It was all that fool Feng Qi's fault. He'd ruined everything for everyone!

His stagnant attributes began to rise again, and by quite a bit.

Just as I thought.

Keywords had a more pronounced effect when used on other contestants.

Du Ge reached a new conclusion: the Simulation Field's rules were designed to make contestants kill one another!

A cruel Chicken Dinner Game!

Perhaps Feng Jiu wasn't as bad as Du Ge had imagined, but if he left without backstabbing him, Du Ge just couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. He decided to trust his instincts.

As the saying went, once suspicion arose, the accusation was as good as proven.

In the Simulation Field, suspicion was enough to condemn someone. No evidence was necessary.

Besides, Backstab was his persona. The role he played was rotten to the core. There was nothing wrong with maintaining that persona. Who would challenge human nature in a Simulation Field where their fate was at stake?

In a Chicken Dinner Game, being kind to your enemies was being cruel to yourself.

Feng Jiu was simply too naive. Du Ge would teach him a lesson and hope that the rest of his life went more smoothly!

Du Ge glanced at the glowing first-place spot in the individual rankings, a smile curving his lips. This was much better. He had backstabbed Feng Jiu, protected the Feng Family, and increased his attributes.

He'd killed three birds with one stone, and all it had cost him was Feng Jiu's freedom. It couldn't have been a better deal.

As for how Feng Jiu's story ended?

Whether he would ruin Du Ge's plans wasn't something Du Ge needed to worry about.

Once he left the Feng Family, he had no intention of going back.

The sky was vast enough for birds to soar, and the sea wide enough for fish to leap. Guo Jing had left the desert, and Yang Guo had left the ancient tomb. Even if Du Ge did return one day, his Martial Arts would have reached unimaginable heights. A small family like the Feng Family wouldn't be able to hold him down.