Genius or Madman

A black figure landed silently in the courtyard.

Looking at the small brass knife Xu Chunliang had placed beside him, he showed a hint of appreciation.

So careful even in his sleep. This young man really is a genius, the black figure thought with admiration.

But no matter how much of a genius he was, he was still a human genius.

Only a dead human genius was a good genius.

He had heard that most human geniuses in this world had Dao protectors, making them extremely difficult to kill under their protection. He wondered why the humans had failed to notice this little genius.

They had not even intervened to protect him.

Musing on how short-lived the gifted tended to be, he waited quietly.

The young man's breathing had settled into a steady rhythm. Clearly, he was sleeping soundly.

The black figure smiled silently and decided to wait a little longer.

Caution was the foundation of becoming a mighty demon of the future.

After waiting a full half hour, he pushed the door open without a sound.

Carefully counting the young man's steady, regular heartbeats, he approached the bed.

Just as he was about to draw his black spike, the young man on the bed, dressed in nothing but his underwear, rolled over and stabbed at him with the small brass knife in his hand.

"Impressive, young man! You actually stayed calm and pretended to sleep after discovering me, waiting for a chance to ambush me and turn the tables! Coming here tonight was the right choice after all!"

Even as he praised him, he spread his arms,

then clapped his hands together like a divine eagle swooping down on its prey.

Black qi surged within a three-meter radius around him, and the brass knife Xu Chunliang had thrust at him was instantly blocked by the insubstantial black qi.

His hands, meanwhile, instantly closed the distance between him and Xu Chunliang.

He slammed both palms against Xu Chunliang's ears.

Bang!

Xu Chunliang's head, at the head of the bed, burst apart like a watermelon, leaving only a headless body.

He died again.

Time and space quietly rolled back, and Xu Chunliang stood before his courtyard gate once more.

Heh, dead again.

Was this punishment for charging in and out seven times to fight the brothel eerie?

Xu Chunliang grumbled to himself, then pushed the gate open and entered his home.

After putting his things down and lighting a candle, Xu Chunliang chose not to wash his face.

He picked up a broom by the wall and began slowly sweeping his courtyard.

His purpose was simple: since he couldn't win a fight, he would test the black figure's patience.

As long as he kept experimenting, he would eventually find his opponent's weakness.

Everyone had a weakness, humans included.

The black figure floated above the courtyard, looking puzzled.

Sweeping the courtyard this late?

Did he sense something?

Probably not. Forget it, I have nothing else to do anyway. I'll wait.

What the fuck? What is he doing? Boiling well water, letting it cool, and pouring it back into the well? Are humans this particular about their lives now?

He's boiling water instead of sleeping in the middle of the night?

What the fuck? What is he doing?

Why is he taking off his pants in the courtyard?

Doesn't he know I'm watching him here? Oh, he doesn't...

But what normal person takes off his pants in the courtyard?

Damn it, he's staying up in the middle of the night, sticking his ass out and watching ants move house? Is he really a human prodigy?

The black figure began to doubt his own judgment.

Could it be that he isn't a genius, but a madman?

Unable to stand it any longer, he didn't wait for Xu Chunliang to go to bed. He drove his sword through him, pinning him to the ground as he crouched watching the ants.

Xu Chunliang died yet again.

Damn it, I'm not letting you get away with this!

Standing before the gate, Xu Chunliang tossed the doll in his hand over his head, then turned and ran toward the Demon-Slaying Bureau.

But after only five steps, the black figure dropped from the sky and drove a sword through his chest, instantly shredding his heart.

Once again, death rolled everything back.

Xu Chunliang had lost count of how many times he had died.

He tried fleeing immediately, resisting immediately, and shouting immediately.

Even on one occasion when his cries brought over a squad led by an on-duty minor flag officer of the Demon-Slaying Bureau patrolling the city,

the black figure descended from the sky, and, unstoppable with his sword, killed him and every one of the unfortunate colleagues who had rushed over.

The suppression of a Moon Glow Grade opponent

rendered all his resistance futile...

After another rollback, Xu Chunliang sighed and walked into the courtyard as if accepting his fate.

In that case, whatever happened, happened.

After all, the black figure couldn't truly kill him.

He casually tossed the rag doll in his hand beside the well, then sat on the well's rim and stared into space.

Looking at the faintly visible attribute panel before him, Xu Chunliang murmured inwardly, If only I could break through to the Star Transformation Realm. I might be able to hold him off for a while.

Unfortunately, he only had six attribute points.

That wasn't enough to level up.

So Xu Chunliang turned his attention to the Black Tiger Saber Technique.

Maybe...

Should I try it?

I'm out of options, so why not? I can roll back anyway.

Guiding his consciousness, Xu Chunliang focused on the plus sign after the Black Tiger Saber Technique and pressed it hard.

One attribute point was consumed.

The Black Tiger Saber Technique instantly rose from entry level to proficient.

An indescribable true intent of the saber flowed through his body.

Seeing that he still had five attribute points, Xu Chunliang pressed the plus sign again.

This time, two attribute points were consumed.

His mastery of the Black Tiger Saber Technique reached perfection.

A complete and harmonious true intent of the saber appeared in Xu Chunliang's heart, as if a fierce tiger were crouching inside his body, ready to choose someone to devour at any moment,

giving him the urge to cut down everything in his path.

But Xu Chunliang could clearly see that after the perfected Black Tiger Saber Technique, there was still a plus sign he could press.

So he pressed it again without hesitation.

His remaining three attribute points vanished in an instant.

The words "Black Tiger Saber Technique" shuddered violently and instantly dispersed like ink. Then another name quietly appeared:

Eerie Tiger Saber (entry level).

A profound true intent appeared out of nowhere, and Xu Chunliang felt the slender body beneath his clothes grow strong and sturdy.

A current of heat quietly flowed through his body.

Three moves appeared in his mind.

Eerie Tiger Descends the Mountain, Eerie Tiger Howls at the Heavens, and Eerie Tiger Splits the Earth.

Xu Chunliang was overjoyed, but his face remained impassive.

He got up, washed his face, then returned to bed and lay down quietly.

A quarter of an hour later, his breathing became perfectly even.

The black figure silently landed and watched Xu Chunliang in the room.

He waited patiently.

Half an hour later, he saw Xu Chunliang roll over in his sleep and instinctively reach into his crotch with his left hand and scratch himself.

The figure's three-part rabbit mouth curved slightly into a barely perceptible smile.

He really is asleep.

Only a dead human genius is a good genius.

Today, I, the great demon Black Eyes, shall send you, a human genius, on your way to heaven.

He quietly approached the bed, a cruel smile on his face.

Black horny material twisted and intertwined as it grew from his right palm, merging with his hand.

It formed an eerie sharp sword covered in black nodules.

The sword was black from end to end and reflected not a trace of light in the dark.

Yet it was incomparably sharp.

He raised the sword and stabbed it toward Xu Chunliang's chest.