Eyes Behind the Head

"Feng Qi?"

"He was badly injured by the Third Young Master yesterday. How can he still walk?"

"Not only that—he sounds perfectly fine. He doesn't look injured at all."

"Could he have been pretending?"

"Impossible. I examined his wounds myself. He was barely clinging to life, and Doctor Hu didn't even leave him any medicine. I might have been mistaken, but Doctor Hu couldn't have been..."

Listening to the surrounding chatter,

Du Ge couldn't help clicking his tongue. What kind of people were these?

No wonder he'd been so badly injured and hadn't even been given a bowl of medicine. They'd really just left him there to die...

The Feng Family was awful. Were sparring partners not people?

Who'd risk their life for you after that?

Damn feudal society...

What a shame.

The restrictions on players taking over bodies were too strict. Otherwise, possessing one of the young masters on the training platform would have made for a much easier start.

It wasn't hard to figure out. Feng Jiu had said that the 1,800 people who disappeared at the beginning had been eliminated after failing to possess someone.

And he and Feng Jiu had both chosen to possess people who were seriously injured. That couldn't be a coincidence. It was probably easier to possess the weak, the old, the sick, and the disabled...

"Feng Qi?" Third Young Master Feng Yunjie stared at Du Ge below the platform, his face full of surprise.

Feng Shiyi was much more direct. He leaped down beside Du Ge and reached for his pulse.

Du Ge instinctively dodged, but Feng Shiyi's hand seemed to predict his movement. With a slight turn of his wrist, he caught Du Ge's wrist with ease.

Du Ge's heart skipped a beat. So fast. This really was a martial arts world...

With his wrist caught, Du Ge didn't resist. He just smiled and let Feng Shiyi check his pulse.

Something was off.

He didn't believe the Feng Family would kill him without first finding out what had happened.

A moment later,

Feng Shiyi let go of Du Ge's wrist. He studied his face, frowning slightly, and asked, "Feng Qi, what happened to your injuries?"

"Replying to Second Master, I've fully recovered." Du Ge smiled.

Feng Shiyi looked at Du Ge's face again. "Is the important matter you mentioned just now related to your sudden recovery?"

"Yes." Du Ge nodded. "Please keep everyone in the courtyard here and stop them from wandering around, so the news doesn't get out."

Feng Shiyi acted decisively. He turned and ordered, "Zhang Han, Liu Jing, guard the Training Ground. No one is to move around without my order."

"Yes." The two Feng Family disciples answered.

The others murmured among themselves, looking at Du Ge with growing suspicion.

"Come, let's talk inside. After you, Yunjie, you come too." Feng Shiyi glanced at Du Ge again and gestured for him to go ahead. He no longer treated him like a mere sparring partner.

Feng Yunjie nodded and led the way.

With the two men flanking him, Du Ge entered the reception room beside the Training Ground.

As soon as they stepped inside,

Feng Shiyi suddenly reached out and swiftly tapped Du Ge several times on the back.

Du Ge stiffened. A numb, tingling sensation ran through his body, leaving him frozen in place.

He tried to take a step, but his legs felt as if they weren't his own. His mind could feel them, and he sent the command, but they wouldn't move.

His arms were the same.

Was this Acupoint Strike?

Amazing!

Du Ge marveled.

After easily immobilizing Du Ge, Feng Shiyi looked slightly surprised. He walked around to stand in front of him and asked coldly, "Who are you? What are you doing in my Feng Family?"

Feng Yunjie sneered. "Your Disguise Art is impressive, but you must be an idiot. Of all the people you could impersonate, you chose a servant who was badly injured and on the verge of death..."

As he spoke, he reached for Du Ge's face.

His fingers raked across it, leaving several bloody scratches. Du Ge's face didn't change. There was no mask or disguising medicine.

Feng Yunjie froze. He examined Du Ge's face carefully, then said in astonishment, "It's really him."

"I checked just now. There are no signs of a disguise." Feng Shiyi shook his head and stared directly at Du Ge. "But you're definitely not Feng Qi. Who are you?"

"I am Feng Qi, but I'm not Feng Qi." Du Ge smiled, unbothered by the pain on his face. He spoke leisurely. "Have you ever heard of Soul Possession, Second Master?"

"Soul Possession?" The Feng uncle and nephew exclaimed in unison.

"Ghosts and Gods are just tricks played by fraudsters. How could ghosts possess people?" Feng Yunjie scoffed.

"Third Young Master, just because you haven't seen something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Otherwise, how would you explain the me inside Feng Qi?" Though his acupoints were sealed and blood streamed freely down his face, Du Ge still smiled, maintaining a strong psychological advantage.

"Yunjie, let him speak," Feng Shiyi said.

"Words alone prove nothing. Why don't I take you to see for yourselves?" Du Ge smiled. "You don't have to worry about me escaping. Though I've possessed Feng Qi, I don't have his memories of Martial Arts. You can restrain me whenever you want."

Feng Shiyi glanced at Du Ge, then tapped him several times, releasing his acupoints.

"If I find out you're just putting on an act, you'll suffer for it," Feng Yunjie warned.

"Where are we going?" Feng Shiyi asked.

"Let's get some food. I'll show you a miracle." Du Ge rolled his numb limbs and, without hesitation, backstabbed Feng Jiu.

He'd already tested the effect of Maintenance. Of course he had to try Backstab too, and a partner was the ideal target.

Backstab was also a Keyword. Used correctly, it could restore him as well.

As soon as he finished speaking, the wounds Feng Yunjie had made on his face scabbed over and healed in moments. Du Ge wiped his face, brushing off the scabs. His skin was as good as new.

The Feng uncle and nephew both froze at the sight. They looked at Du Ge as if he were a ghost, and their suspicions eased somewhat.

Feng Yunjie in particular knew how hard he'd struck. No medicine in the martial world could work that quickly. Other than ghosts and gods, there seemed to be no explanation for such healing.

Feng Yunjie stared at Du Ge's face, aghast. "You... You really are a ghost possessing someone?"

"What else?" Du Ge smiled faintly. "Don't worry. My mission is to protect. I won't hurt you."

"What does it mean to protect?" Feng Shiyi asked.

"Bring some food and witness the miracle that's about to happen. Then I'll explain, and it'll be easier for you to understand." Du Ge said, "In short, you only need to know that everything I do concerns the Feng Family's future..."

The Feng uncle and nephew exchanged a glance.

Feng Yunjie picked up a plate of pastries from the table and asked, "Is this enough?"

"That'll do." Du Ge nodded and turned to leave.

The Feng uncle and nephew followed close behind, both on guard and looking grave.

The three of them made their way to Shangwu Courtyard.

"Everything you're about to see may overturn your understanding of the world," Du Ge said. "Try to say as little as possible and watch. I'll explain afterward."

The Feng uncle and nephew nodded.

"Wait here a moment before coming in." Du Ge gave the order, took the pastries from Feng Yunjie, and quickly went into his room. "Ninth Brother, I brought you some food."

"What took you so long?" Feng Jiu pressed the tattered straw mat beneath him and stared at the pastries in Du Ge's hand, swallowing hard. "Hurry, give me a few bites. I can't hold out much longer. Once I'm better, we'll escape this damn Feng Family together."

Du Ge smiled and handed him the pastries. Feng Jiu took them and stuffed them greedily into his mouth, but after only two bites, he suddenly froze and stared at the doorway.

Two figures blocked the light at the entrance.

The Feng uncle and nephew watched Feng Jiu devour the food on the bed and saw his injuries rapidly heal. How could they not understand what miracle Du Ge had brought them to see?

"Feng Qi, you sold me out?" Feng Jiu trembled, staring at Du Ge with a fierce look. He shouted, "Your Keyword is Maintenance. Aren't you afraid your attributes will weaken if you betray the person you're maintaining?"

So your attributes weakened if your actions went against your Keyword!

Du Ge had gained another crucial piece of information, but he didn't care. The moment the Feng uncle and nephew showed up, he'd gained an Advanced Skill:

Eyes Behind the Head: The person you backstab cannot backstab you. You can see what's behind you.

The instant he gained the skill, Du Ge clearly saw the stern-faced Feng uncle and nephew behind him, even without turning around. It was a natural kind of vision, as if he'd always been able to see in all directions. It felt perfectly normal.

With this skill, no one in the world could sneak up on him from behind again!

Enjoying the rush Backstab gave him, Du Ge didn't care that the furious Feng Jiu had exposed his Keyword. He smiled and tried to smooth things over. "Ninth Brother, I haven't gone against my word. My current identity is a sparring partner for the Feng Family. Everything I do is to protect the Feng Family's interests. And I haven't betrayed you either. I'm just using facts to help you turn back before it's too late. The martial world is vast, and it's too dangerous to travel alone. With the Feng Family as our backing, we can stay in their shade!"

"Feng Qi, you'll pay for what you've done." Feng Jiu looked toward the uncle and nephew standing silently at the doorway. "Didn't your teacher tell you what happens when you reveal yourself in the Native World?"

My teacher really hadn't told me what would happen.

Du Ge grumbled inwardly, then sighed. "Ninth Brother, my teacher only told me to adapt to the circumstances."

Feng Jiu snorted. "Idiot."

"Ninth Brother, eat up! Eat as much as you can and recover quickly. Then help me support the Feng Family and make it flourish. That's how we'll get the greatest benefit." Du Ge turned his back to the Feng uncle and nephew and looked at Feng Jiu earnestly. "If I help you on my own and we wander the world, we'll have no money. What good food could you get? But it's different with a family backing us. Once we earn the Feng Family's trust, you can eat whatever you want. You'll grow much faster that way, won't you?"

Feng Jiu hesitated, then looked at the Feng uncle and nephew.

Feng Shiyi still didn't understand exactly what had happened, but he was clever enough to speak up at once. "Feng Jiu, I can promise we won't attack you. We can work together."

"Fine. I hope you'll keep your word." Feng Jiu pondered for a moment, seeming to accept his fate, then continued shoving pastries into his mouth as he mumbled.

Watching Feng Jiu's injuries heal faster and faster, the Feng uncle and nephew knew that Du Ge had been telling the truth. They exchanged a glance, their eyes gradually brightening with excitement.

Feng Yunjie asked, "Feng Qi, can you explain now?"

"Of course. But before I explain, you should restrain Feng Jiu. I don't know how quickly he'll recover, and he tried to escape the Feng Family before. We should be prepared." Du Ge nodded and backstabbed Feng Jiu right in front of him, as if he hadn't just tried to persuade him.

The pastries flew out of Feng Jiu's mouth. He glared at Du Ge and roared, "Feng Qi, you son of a—"

Compared with Feng Jiu, Feng Shiyi trusted Du Ge more. After all, Du Ge had the Sacrifice oneself for righteousness skill, which naturally made the person he protected lower their guard by thirty percent.

So he didn't hesitate. He darted over and tapped Feng Jiu twice on the chest, sealing his acupoints.