Theory of Extremes

"Wrong?" Feng Jiu froze, then instinctively asked, "What do you mean?"

"Exactly. Your Keyword's regenerative power is so incredible that it can even repair a ruptured Dantian. You've eaten so much, yet your stomach still hurts. Do you think that's normal?" Du Ge asked.

"It does seem a little abnormal." Feng Jiu frowned.

"So, Ninth Brother, you've misunderstood Taotie." Du Ge looked at Feng Jiu. "Tell me, what does Taotie mean?"

"A ferocious beast. Greedy and gluttonous," Feng Jiu answered after a moment's thought.

"Exactly. Taotie is first and foremost a vicious beast, and only then greedy and gluttonous," Du Ge said. "But what about you? When you think of Taotie, you only think about eating. Where's the viciousness, the bestial nature? You haven't shown any of that. And what does it mean to be greedy and gluttonous? Greedy means having a huge appetite and never being satisfied. Gluttonous means eating without restraint. Tell me, which of Taotie's traits have you managed to embody?"

"I..." Feng Jiu was at a loss for words. He couldn't say anything for a long while, and a fine sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead. He'd misunderstood his Keyword by so much. Looking at Feng Qi's confident expression, the bitterness in his heart deepened. Was this the difference between him and Feng Qi?

"Ninth Brother, it's all about taking things to the extreme. Only by pushing everything to the extreme can you grow. If you don't go mad, you won't survive." Du Ge looked at Feng Jiu with a grave expression.

"The extreme?" Feng Jiu blinked, frowning as he fell into thought.

A moment later,

a flash of insight seemed to pass through his mind. His eyes widened as he grasped the ultimate principle of the Simulation Field.

He swallowed excitedly, and his gaze toward Feng Qi shifted slightly. Feng Qi might have tormented him mercilessly, but he really did teach him something useful!

"Exactly. The extreme." Du Ge clenched his fists, his eyes blazing with fervor. "Take me, for example. I know we're rivals, yet I'm still willing to protect your interests and tell you the secret to growth. I don't even consider the possibility that you might turn on me in the future. For your sake, I'd give up everything, even my life. That's what it means to take protecting someone to the extreme. Do you understand?"

"I understand." Feng Jiu took a deep breath and looked at Du Ge, his expression complicated. After a moment, he seemed to make up his mind. "Seventh Brother, don't worry. I won't betray you. What you've taught me will benefit me for the rest of my life. I know how to tell good from bad. I'm convinced. Don't worry, from now on I'll do everything I can to help you move forward."

"Ninth Brother, we're partners. There's no rule that one of us has to support the other. We'll go farther if we help each other and grow together. Like I said, when we fight side by side in the future, I hope you'll be able to trust me with your back." Du Ge looked at Feng Jiu with a smile in his eyes. "Now, have you decided whether to take the medicine?"

"I won't." Feng Jiu smiled, his eyes gradually growing feverish. "I'm going to eat more. Even if I can't eat another bite, I'll keep going. Even if my stomach bursts, nothing can stop my hunger..."

"That's it. That's the ruthless spirit you need." Du Ge looked at Feng Jiu approvingly. "But you still need to take the medicine."

"Still?" Feng Jiu was confused again.

"Right. Take digestive medicine while you eat, and laxatives too," Du Ge said. "You need to keep your stomach and intestines empty at all times to maintain a healthy appetite."

"Laxatives?" Feng Jiu swallowed, imagining himself squatting over a latrine and stuffing his face. His face turned deathly pale.

He didn't think that was how Taotie was supposed to work.

But at that moment, Du Ge had set the pace, and his mind was consumed by a mania for the extreme. He couldn't find a single flaw in what Du Ge was saying!

Thinking of the gap between himself and Du Ge, he gritted his teeth. "All right. I'll take them."

Nearby,

Feng Qi's speech had left Feng Yunming and his brother stunned, their scalps tingling and the hairs on their bodies standing on end.

Feng Yunming swallowed hard to moisten his dry throat and thought, So this is what they mean by demonic nature!

How ruthless!

No wonder Feng Qi had come up with that plan for the Feng Family. He'd taken protecting them to the extreme.

No wonder they'd always thought Feng Qi was too impatient and that his words and actions were so awkward. It wasn't his fault—they'd been judging a Heavenly Demon by human standards!

They were the ones who'd been wrong!

He had to inform the family head right away, before he made the wrong decision...

After advising Feng Jiu, Du Ge turned to the two Feng brothers. "Eldest Young Master, Fourth Young Master, don't just listen to what I've said about Feng Jiu. The Feng Family has made the same mistake he has!"

"What?" Feng Yunming froze.

"If martial artists want to achieve anything, they must first cultivate a measure of ruthlessness," Du Ge said. "What the Feng Family's many disciples lack is precisely that. They lack not only ruthlessness, but also the courage to venture out, and the Blood Qi to fight and kill.

"The Martial Arts Tournament is about to begin, yet Third Young Master practices by sparring with the family's training partners.

"Their contracts belong to the Feng Family. They eat the Feng Family's food and practice the Feng Family's Martial Arts. Not to mention that they're no match for Third Young Master—if they were stronger, would they dare hurt him? How is this kind of practice any different from hitting a wooden dummy? Without experience fighting for their lives, without seeing the Martial Arts of various schools, what chance do they have of winning once they step onto the tournament stage?"

Feng Yunming fell silent. He opened his mouth to argue, but couldn't find anything to refute. In the end, he could only sigh. "Seventh Master, your criticism is justified."

"Easy for you to say. The Feng Family doesn't have any top-tier Martial Arts. What are we supposed to fight others with?" Feng Yunlu said, unconvinced.

"I'm willing to go out and steal manuals for the Feng Family. Are you willing to practice them, Fourth Young Master?" Du Ge challenged him.

"If you dare steal them, I dare practice them." Feng Yunlu thrust out his chest, refusing to back down.

"Good. The Feng Family does still have men with mettle. That's the hope of the Feng Family. All this effort I've put into protecting the Feng Family hasn't been wasted." Du Ge's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands. "For the sake of Fourth Young Master's mettle, even if the family head forbids it, even if I have to turn the entire martial world upside down, even if it costs me my life, I'll get you a few top-tier manuals..."

Feng Yunlu nodded firmly, his fists clenched with excitement. "Good. I'll wait for that day."

Watching his fourth brother get carried away by just a few words, Feng Yunming shook his head and cupped his hands. "Seventh Master, please rest here for now. I'll find Doctor Hu to prepare some digestive medicine and laxatives for Ninth Master, and get some food ready for him..."

Watching Feng Yunming leave on an excuse, Du Ge knew his suggestion had done the trick. He smiled and waved. "Come back soon."

"Fourth Brother, look after the two masters. Don't wander off," Feng Yunming reminded Feng Yunlu before hurrying out the door.

Du Ge returned to his chair and sat down. Looking at Feng Yunlu's boyish face, he said, "Fourth Young Master, tell us about the nearby sects. I'm sure the family head will make the right decision. We should prepare in advance and figure out which family to target..."

Feng Yunlu didn't understand why Du Ge said the matter was settled. He thought for a moment, then sighed. "Seventh Master, you can't blame the Feng Family for lacking mettle. The Feng Family is simply too weak. The closest to us is the Iron Palm Sect. They control the shipping trade at the docks in two provinces and have countless disciples. They have money and manpower. The Feng Family has been crushed by them for years.

"The Iron Palm Sect's leader, Qiu Yuanlang, is famous throughout the land for his Iron Sand Palm. He's one of the most renowned experts in the world. Whenever the Qiao Family Holy Land opens, at least three members of the Iron Palm Sect enter.

"Six years ago, Qiu Muqian of the Iron Palm Sect brought back a lightness skill called Eight Steps Chasing Cicada from the Qiao Family Holy Land. It made up for the Iron Palm Sect's weakness in movement techniques, giving their Martial Arts a whole new level of power. After that, we were even less willing to provoke them.

"This time, the Iron Palm Sect's representative at the Martial Arts Tournament is Qiu Feibao, Qiu Yuanlang's fifth son. His Iron Sand Palm is so masterful that one hit can shatter bones and sever tendons. Third Brother is afraid of running into him. It'd be best if we could cripple him beforehand..."

Council Hall.

Feng Shiren looked around at everyone and asked, "Second Brother, how much of this Heavenly Demon business do you think is true, and how much is false?"

Feng Shiyi shook his head. "Eldest Brother, this is too bizarre for me to judge. You should decide."

Feng Yunjie fidgeted in his seat. Looking at his father, who seemed utterly composed, he suddenly stood up. "Father, I think we should give it a try. What if it works?"

"Hm?" Feng Shiren frowned at Feng Yunjie.

Feng Yunjie gritted his teeth. "Twenty-eight years ago, the Celestial Fox Scripture appeared, and the various sects fought over it in a storm of blood and violence. In the end, it fell into Yang Luo's hands. With the Martial Arts in the scripture, he slaughtered the Three Sects and Five Schools and founded the Heavenly Fox Sect all by himself. At the time, he was nothing more than an obscure little beggar from the Beggar's Sect.

"We didn't fight for it then.

"Fifteen years ago, the Fist King's Armory was unearthed. The various sects fought tooth and nail over the thousand-year-old stone milk, but we didn't fight for it either. In the end, Tong Le of the Five Tiger Sect swallowed the stone milk. He was a nobody, just twenty years old, but suddenly gained sixty years' worth of Internal Energy. With that power, he brought a Mandarin Duck Saber Manual back from the Qiao Family Holy Land. The once-obscure Five Tiger Sect rose to become a first-rate sect within just a few years.

"This time, two Heavenly Demons have appeared among the Feng Family. It's a heaven-sent opportunity. If we don't fight for it now, when will the Feng Family ever rise?

"Father, I have a feeling that the arrival of the Heavenly Demons will stir up a storm of blood and violence across the martial world. We let the first two opportunities pass, but if we don't fight this time, I'm afraid the Feng Family really will face a calamity, just as Feng Qi said."

Feng Shiren frowned. "Third Brother, you believe Feng Qi?"

Feng Yunjie said, "Father, whether we believe him or not, we can send people out to investigate. Once we find a third Heavenly Demon, we'll know for certain."

"I'm not as rigid as you think. That was already what I intended to do," Feng Shiren said with a nod. "We'll confirm whether it's true before we take action. Feng Qi is too rash; he makes me uneasy. If what he says is true, we'll also need to find a way to control those Heavenly Demons in advance..."

"Father, there's no need to verify it. We have to act decisively. If we waste any more time, we might not even get a share of the scraps." A voice came from outside as Feng Yunming strode into the Council Hall. "Father, Second Uncle, I learned the true secret of the Heavenly Demons from Feng Qi. We've got our priorities wrong."

"What do you mean, our priorities are wrong?" Feng Shiren asked.

Feng Yunming caught his breath and explained Du Ge's Theory of Extremes in the fewest words possible. Looking at the dumbfounded people in the hall, he gave a bitter smile. "Father, they're Heavenly Demons, not people of this world. We shouldn't judge them by ordinary standards. Heavenly Demons are a bunch of madmen who'll do whatever it takes to grow..."