Du Ge's New World

Du Ge wore a conflicted expression, seeming at once disappointed and relieved. He gave a self-deprecating laugh, lowered the sword from his neck, gripped its hilt, and cupped his fists toward Qiu Yuanlang. "Thank you, Sect Master."

"Good, good. Come inside with me and tell me all about the Heavenly Demon," Qiu Yuanlang said.

"I'll obey your command, Sect Master." Du Ge sighed and looked back at Feng Shiyi, acting out the final scene to perfection. "Second Master, from this day on, Feng Qi and the Feng Family are even. Please go back."

"I..." Feng Shiyi looked at Feng Qi and rose in a daze. He cupped his fists toward Du Ge. "Seventh Master, your righteousness is admirable. The Feng Family wronged you."

In that instant, he felt hollow, as though he had lost the most important thing in his life.

Why?

Why had things turned out this way?

Had he been wrong?

No. He had been thinking wholeheartedly of the Feng Family's future all along.

Had Feng Qi been wrong?

No, either. Everything he had done had been to protect the Feng Family's interests. He had even been willing to give his life to save the family, honoring the promise he had upheld...

So how had things ended up like this?

Feng Zhong!

It was Feng Zhong!

It was all his fault. If he hadn't interfered, Du Ge would still belong to the Feng Family, and the family's future would still be bright...

Having found the cause, Feng Shiyi's eyes reddened in an instant. Unforgivable! Once he returned, he would rally the entire Feng Family to tear Feng Zhong limb from limb. Nothing short of killing him could sate his hatred.

Qiu Yuanlang watched quietly as Du Ge and Feng Shiyi said their farewells. When Du Ge turned his back to him, a trace of coldness flickered in Qiu Yuanlang's eyes.

The eye at the back of Du Ge's head caught that look perfectly. He sighed inwardly. As expected, a man who could lead a sect and send people to kill at Xingyu Tower on the strength of a single piece of information wasn't easy to deal with. Joining the Iron Palm Sect would probably mean enduring another round of questioning.

Those endless, aggravating interrogations...

Keyword growth was too passive. He needed to find a way to break the deadlock.

By the time Du Ge turned back, his face had relaxed. He sheathed his sword. "Sect Master Qiu, I have no ties to the Feng Family anymore. From now on, I'll devote myself to protecting you and the Iron Palm Sect."

"Excellent." Qiu Yuanlang nodded, turned slightly, and gestured with one hand. "Seventh Master, please."

"After you, Sect Master." Du Ge turned slightly and said earnestly, "My attribute is protection. Naturally, I must uphold your authority, Sect Master. I wouldn't dare overstep."

Qiu Yuanlang paused, then laughed heartily and turned to lead the way. "Good. Come with me."

The instant Qiu Yuanlang turned around, Du Ge unleashed his Backstab without hesitation, sticking to him like a specter.

Puff, puff, puff, puff!

The throwing knife Du Ge had kept hidden in his palm jabbed Qiu Yuanlang several times in the lower back.

"Ah!"

A scream rang out.

Qiu Yuanlang practiced Iron Palm, not Iron Shirt.

He hadn't expected Du Ge to attack at that moment, let alone move so fast. By the time he reacted, several knives had already struck his back. His eyes bulging with rage, he lunged forward, trying to shake Du Ge off.

But Du Ge gave him no chance. As Qiu Yuanlang pitched forward, Du Ge reached his arm around from behind and hooked it around his neck, clinging to him like a koala.

Throwing knives couldn't inflict as much damage as a longsword. The first two had gone in deep, but Qiu Yuanlang had already tensed his muscles with Internal Energy against the rest. Though they pierced his body, they didn't go far.

But those first two strikes had already gravely wounded him. When he couldn't shake Du Ge off even by using leverage, he roared and grabbed the arm around his neck. With a sharp crack, he snapped Du Ge's forearm bone, tearing the flesh to shreds.

Du Ge endured the pain and kept his hold on Qiu Yuanlang's neck. With the throwing knife in his left hand, he made a blur of slashes at Qiu Yuanlang's lower left back. In the blink of an eye, he had stabbed a row of holes into it, blood gushing out.

As he stabbed, he said, "The Iron Palm Sect controls the canal routes, robs travelers, kills and loots, and extorts passage fees. Who knows how many lives they've ruined? I, Feng Qi, am a man of honor. How could I protect such a vile sect? Today, I'm willing to give my life to rid the people of this scourge, uphold the martial world's code of honor, and protect the common people..."

After inventing a whole theory about the Heavenly Demon in the Feng Family, Du Ge had indeed enjoyed gratifying growth. But his attribute had also been constrained by the Feng Family. Even after Feng Shiyi had publicly declared that he was cutting ties with him, Du Ge's attribute had weakened. That was probably related to Feng Shiyi's status and the Feng Family's current circumstances...

Du Ge didn't know how the Simulation Field's judgments worked. But if other people's decisions could casually influence his fate, then the path he was taking was wrong.

That had been true of the Feng Family, and it was true of the Iron Palm Sect too.

Even if he really could use eloquence and mutual benefit to bind himself to Qiu Yuanlang, so what?

If something like Feng Zhong's betrayal happened again, Qiu Yuanlang would surely abandon him without hesitation, just as Feng Shiyi had...

Du Ge wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

If protecting a group meant his fate was beyond his control, then he would take control of his own fate. He would stop protecting a particular family or sect and instead protect a broader ideal or belief.

That path might be much harder, but if he succeeded, no one would ever be able to control his fate again.

As soon as Du Ge cried out those words of righteousness, the arm Qiu Yuanlang had broken with his iron grip healed at astonishing speed, and Du Ge's attributes surged by leaps and bounds. After all, he was protecting the martial world's code of honor through real action—and had successfully Backstabbed Qiu Yuanlang, who had just taken him in.

Double growth, double the fun.

What the hell!

What was going on?

Wang San was stunned again. Hadn't they agreed to take the opportunity to join the Iron Palm Sect?

What was he doing now?

Was he not happy unless he backed himself into a corner?

Feng Shiyi had already left, but at the sight of this, he froze in place. He stared at Qiu Yuanlang, covered in blood, and Feng Qi, clinging stubbornly to his back as Qiu Yuanlang pounded him again and again. Feng Shiyi trembled uncontrollably.

He was serious.

Feng Qi was serious.

His plan hadn't been a joke. He really could assassinate Qiu Yuanlang...

He had already joined the more powerful Iron Palm Sect, yet he had still chosen to strike when Qiu Yuanlang let down his guard. Clearly, he knew that even if he joined the sect, Qiu Yuanlang would retaliate against the Feng Family afterward. Only by killing him could the Feng Family truly be safe.

Feng Qi hadn't betrayed the Feng Family. Even before attempting to assassinate Qiu Yuanlang, he had done everything he could to distance himself from the family, framing the attack as a defense of the martial world's code of honor.

He'd taken all the blame upon himself!

Good heavens!

But what had Feng Shiyi done?

When Du Ge had decided to risk his life to assassinate Qiu Yuanlang, Feng Shiyi had betrayed him first. Feng Qi's heart must have been utterly broken!

Feng Shiyi hadn't cried since he'd grown up, but now tears streamed down his face of their own accord. He wished he could slap himself twice to atone for his sins...

He was so stupid. He was a disgrace to his family!

Protect someone for one day, protect them for life!

The words Feng Qi had spoken about sacrificing himself for righteousness after Feng Shiyi betrayed him surged back into his mind. He clenched his fists and instinctively stepped forward to help Du Ge, but stopped after a single step.

Before attacking Qiu Yuanlang, Feng Qi had said that he and the Feng Family were even, and told Feng Shiyi to go back to the family!

Go back?

That was a hint!

Knowing he was sure to die, Feng Qi had been telling him not to make a pointless sacrifice, but to preserve as much of the Feng Family's strength as possible!

So righteous!

Having pieced together the whole story in his head, Feng Shiyi couldn't be bothered with the two disgraceful direct disciples in the woods. He resolutely charged into the night, scattering tears as he ran. "Feng Qi, hold on! If you survive today, the entire Feng Family will repay you with every kindness and honor you above all!"