The Council Hall.
Feng Shiren, the family head, and many important members of the Feng Family had gathered together, watching Feng Jiu eat as if he were a performing monkey. Every so often, someone came over to feel his pulse and check how his injuries were changing.
Du Ge pinched Feng Jiu's cheeks and shoved food into his mouth, forceful and leaving no room for refusal.
Feng Jiu's cheeks bulged like a squirrel with its mouth stuffed full of food. His eyes were rimmed red as he glared at Du Ge, who was feeding him. His teeth ground together with a squeak, as if he were chewing on Du Ge's flesh. Bastard, picking on me like this! Just wait till I grow stronger. I'll bite you to death, one bite at a time...
"Right, Ninth Brother, just like that! Chew big mouthfuls and swallow hard. You'll recover faster if you eat your fill, and once you're better, you'll have the strength to hit me!" Du Ge paid no mind to Feng Jiu's murderous glare. Like he was coaxing a child who didn't know any better, he kept shoving pastries into Feng Jiu's mouth, stubbornly preserving their friendship while enjoying the pleasure of his improved physical abilities.
At that moment, Du Ge could no longer tell whether his actions counted as protecting or backstabbing, but the rapid improvement in his physical abilities was undeniable.
Du Ge sighed. He really was a born actor. With talent like this, he should've gone to film school back on Earth.
After seeing with their own eyes that ordinary food really could have miraculous effects on Feng Jiu, everyone marveled, and all their doubts about Soul Possession vanished.
Hearing the whispers around him, Du Ge stopped feeding Feng Jiu and made a serious suggestion. "Family Head, if you're still not convinced, you could beat Feng Jiu until he's badly injured and test him again."
At those words, Feng Jiu, who had been struggling to keep up appearances, completely lost it. He thrashed and shrieked hysterically, "Feng Qi, you bastard! Why don't you use yourself for the experiment?"
"Don't get angry, Ninth Brother. It's only because your Keyword took effect faster than mine." Du Ge flicked crumbs off his clothes, unruffled. "Why shouldn't an individual make a small sacrifice for the good of the team? Just bear with it. You'll recover after a few more bites anyway..."
"Bear with it, my ass! I'll kill you..." Feng Jiu's forehead veins bulged, and his face flushed red. If his acupoints hadn't been sealed, he'd probably have already lunged over and bitten Du Ge's neck.
"Master Jiu, please calm down. Master Qi was only joking with you." Family Head Feng Shiren coughed, naturally changing the way he addressed them. "Since the two of you chose to enter the Feng Family through Soul Possession, you're members of the Feng Family now. You ought to support one another..."
As he spoke, he went to Feng Jiu and personally released his sealed acupoints, then called for a servant to bring him some hot tea.
Feng Jiu lifted the teacup and downed it in one gulp, then stared coldly at Du Ge. Now that he was free, he was less impulsive than before.
Du Ge didn't turn around, but the eye at the back of his head kept watch on Feng Jiu.
At that moment, Feng Jiu reminded him of a dog tied up on a leash and then suddenly let loose. For some reason, the thought made him want to laugh.
He had to admit, the guy's performance was a little over the top. His acting relied entirely on glaring and shouting. If there really were an acting school in the real world, he'd probably be one of the bad students!
Of course, it was also possible that he was deliberately putting on this act to let his guard down.
Feng Jiu had been professionally trained, so he definitely knew more about the Simulation Field than Du Ge did. His impulsive behavior now was completely different from how Du Ge had acted when he first woke up.
In their current circumstances, an impulsive, short-tempered personality would clearly win the Feng Family's favor more easily.
Everyone knew that a simple-minded, impulsive person was easier to control.
Never underestimate anyone.
Whatever the case, Du Ge wasn't too worried. Although Feng Jiu had retained his original memories and Martial Arts, he hadn't eaten much, and his injuries had yet to heal completely. Meanwhile, Du Ge had developed Sacrifice Oneself for Righteousness and an Eye at the Back of His Head, and his physical abilities had soared. He didn't need to worry about Feng Jiu suddenly attacking him.
Du Ge had also discovered that when he put himself in the Feng Family's shoes and protected its interests, protection did more than heal his injuries. It also improved all his attributes, such as strength and the five senses.
Only then was Du Ge's confusion truly resolved.
If Keywords could only help people recover and provide a few unreliable skills, they wouldn't be enough to get by in a game world.
Take this world, for example. The Martial Arts Tournament was only half a year away.
Even a genius couldn't possibly match a martial arts expert who had trained for years in a mere six months, unless he possessed the body of a martial arts expert.
However, judging from his and Feng Jiu's cases, Du Ge suspected that the chance of possessing a martial arts expert was extremely low.
But Keywords could enhance one's physique and senses, and when combined with skills, could close the gap...
Feng Shiren turned to Du Ge again and asked with a smile, "Master Qi, would you mind explaining Soul Possession in detail?"
"Yesterday, a Space Rift appeared between this world and the Demon Realm. The Demon Realm is barren, so Three Thousand Heavenly Demons took this opportunity to enter the human world and enjoy its splendor." Du Ge smiled and glanced around at everyone, introducing the story he'd already come up with. "Heavenly Demons have no physical form. To establish themselves in this world, their first step is to possess a body and be reborn..."
"A Space Rift?"
"The Demon Realm?"
"Outer Heavenly Demons?"
The Feng Family members all turned pale, shocked beyond words.
Some of the more timid ones looked at Du Ge and Feng Jiu and instinctively stepped back. There was no denying that the changes in the two Feng Qi and Feng Jiu had undergone were indeed demonic.
If it had been some wandering ghost possessing them, that would've been one thing...
But Heavenly Demons!
Which martial artist with "demon" in his nickname hadn't stained his hands with blood?
As Du Ge rambled on with his fabricated explanation, Feng Jiu calmly sipped his tea without saying a word. He hadn't challenged Du Ge—not because his conscience had awakened, but because he'd discovered a terrifying fact.
The realization had even made him temporarily forget his hatred for Feng Qi.
His stomach hurt a little.
The stomachache wasn't a big deal. It was probably an aftereffect of chewing on the straw mat.
The most important thing was that he was full!
Earlier.
Feng Jiu hadn't thought there was a serious problem when he chewed on the straw mat.
But the Feng Family had kept forcing him to eat to test his abilities, and now he was so stuffed his stomach was fit to burst. He could barely drink any more tea.
Taotie had given him an easy way to improve, but not a stomach big enough to match...
What the hell!
How had this happened?
If he couldn't keep eating, how was he supposed to surpass Du Ge?
Watching Du Ge converse eloquently with everyone, Feng Jiu felt bitter. How had such an outstanding Keyword as protection ended up with a scumbag with such rotten character?
"Are all Three Thousand Outer Realm Demons like you two, Masters?" Feng Shiren raised an eyebrow, but didn't seem to take Du Ge's words too seriously.
As the head of the family, he couldn't believe whatever someone told him. Even if Du Ge was telling the truth, he needed to verify it before deciding what to do.
"More or less," Du Ge replied.
"Will Heavenly Demons harm the world?" Feng Yunjie was young and at the age when strange and supernatural matters fascinated him. He couldn't help asking.
"Some will, some won't. How should I put it? Heavenly Demons are more focused on enjoyment and growth." Du Ge smiled. "Heavenly Demons sound frightening, but they aren't as complicated as humans. Each one has their own attribute, and that attribute is the Keyword Feng Jiu mentioned earlier. We have to act in accordance with our own attributes to grow.
"For example, my attribute is protection. Everything I say and do must take others into account and maintain and protect their interests. If my words or actions go against protection, my abilities will be greatly weakened. So my attribute is a support type, and it's harmless. Feng Jiu's attribute is much simpler. He can grow quickly just by eating, so it's neither good nor bad.
"But a Baleful Star with an evil attribute, such as cruelty or treachery, really could endanger the world..."
MMP!
Hearing Du Ge expose even more about him, Feng Jiu glared at him and secretly ground his teeth. Taotie was such a great Keyword! If it weren't for this bastard, how would he have ended up in this situation?
Right.
It wasn't that his Keyword was bad.
Taotie was a Keyword that came into its own later. If he just hid away and ate to his heart's content, one day he'd make a stunning entrance. Now that Feng Qi had revealed everything, he was being restricted at every turn. It was all his fault.
He had to find a way to turn things around...
After a moment's thought, Feng Jiu didn't expose Du Ge's lies. Instead, he cut him off. "Family Head, I've thought it over. I'll cooperate sincerely with the Feng Family. You've all seen how Feng Qi is two-faced. He's protecting the Feng Family today, but tomorrow he might protect someone else for greater gain. With me keeping him in check, the Feng Family will be better off..."
Feng Shiren looked at Feng Jiu in surprise, then secretly shook his head. Heavenly Demons and the like were unfamiliar to him, and there were too many uncontrollable factors.
The simplest solution would actually be to kill them and be done with it. But if they were at each other's throats, that would make things easier. He could use them to keep each other in check and profit from the situation.
Du Ge smiled and shook his head. "Family Head, don't listen to him sowing discord. Protection is my instinct. If I betrayed the person I'm protecting, my powers would be greatly weakened. I wouldn't do something so foolish. Besides, I'm a member of the Feng Family. Even if I rashly went out to protect someone else, they'd have to trust me first. Protecting the Feng Family gets twice the results with half the effort; protecting someone else gets half the results with twice the effort."
"Feng Qi, be honest with yourself. Haven't you already betrayed me? You sold me out to win the Feng Family's support. In the future, you might sell out the Feng Family for even greater gain. As long as you ensure the person or faction you protect is stronger than the one before, your weakness won't show." Feng Jiu retorted.
Taotie held him back too much in the early stages, and Du Ge was devious. He had to make sure he survived first, then figure out the rest.
Besides, since he couldn't keep eating, the quality of his food was now the key to his growth. Drinking Feng Qi's blood would be much more effective than chewing on a straw mat. In that case, staying with the Feng Family was an excellent choice.
After all, the Feng Family was powerful and well-established. It was safer than venturing out on his own. What if he ate something random outside, got gastroenteritis, and died? What a waste that would be.
"Ninth Brother, don't you have a conscience? I chose a much broader path, one that starts far higher than the one you'd planned when you decided to flee the Feng Family. I did it to protect our shared interests. How can you call that betrayal?" Du Ge said. "Anyone judging us would agree that the path I chose is better than yours. For me, fleeing the Feng Family would be a betrayal and would bring down their pursuit. I'd be in constant danger. Once you start protecting, you protect for life. If you get into the habit of betraying people over and over, how can you possibly grow?"
"..." Feng Jiu snorted coldly. "You sure have a silver tongue."
Du Ge smiled. "Ninth Brother, your idea of protection is narrow. My understanding is broad..."
Feng Shiren stroked his beard as he watched the two argue, amusement in his eyes.
Go on, argue!
The more fiercely you argue, the more information you'll reveal.
Before you continue