Chapter 29: The Inevitability Named Coincidence (1)

The night had long passed midnight and was approaching the hour of the ox.

After sending off the thoroughly drunk Madong Pil and putting Anghua to bed, Xuliang went out to the courtyard and sipped his wine alone.

Staring blankly at the moon, Xuliang tilted his head in confusion.

"This is strange. Why do I feel sober when I should be drunk, and then feel sober again when I should be drunk?"

Was the original owner of this body a horseman?

Xuliang closed his eyes for a moment, introspecting inwardly, and tilted his head again.

'The qi flowing through the liver is unusually active... If I were a master of the inner family, everyone would be at this level...'

Even if it wasn't a complete transformation, it was almost like a new body. However, without using inner strength to expel the alcohol, it's impossible not to get drunk.

"Damn, I drink to get drunk."

If it's like this, it's no fun...

He puffed out his cheeks and blew. Instantly, his insides felt hot and his head buzzed, but after blinking a few times, he was back to normal.

"...Damn it."

At that moment, something soft rubbed against his thigh.

"Oh, it's you."

The baby fox growled and sprawled out, apparently thinking it was a cat.

He scratched its belly with his hand, and it seemed to enjoy it, snorting vigorously. Its tail swayed from side to side, and its eyes were half-open, clearly savoring the attention.

Xuliang chuckled.

You must be happy to live without worries.

"But aren't you hungry? You've been sleeping and haven't eaten anything."

There was no response from the fox. Of course, a four-legged animal can't speak.

"Let's see."

He waved a piece of boiled pork he had brought as a snack in front of the fox's nose, and it opened its mouth while still lying down.

He gently placed it in its mouth, and it chewed with a strange, crunching sound.

When the fox finished eating, Xuliang offered more meat. The fox continued to lie down and eat.

"You'll get indigestion if you keep this up."

Xuliang propped his chin and looked at the fox with a peculiar expression.

"Still, it's amazing. How did you end up sleeping in such a dangerous place?"

Nom nom.

"Did you have a mother? If so, I feel a bit sorry."

Crunch crunch.

It chewed away enthusiastically. A gentle smile appeared on Xuliang's face.

"You're really cute. Still, it's a relief that you've been weaned... though you did bite my hand, you little rascal."

It was absurd to have been bitten by a small fox, smaller than his forearm. Suddenly, his sense of guilt disappeared.

"Stop eating, you little thing. Your body is as small as a mouse."

"Ang!"

"I understand. Finish it."

He grumbled and drained his wine. No matter how much he drank, he didn't get drunk, and the cold floor made him even more irritable.

Just as the solitary meal of one man and one beast was about to end, a bright light appeared in Xuliang's eyes.

'She said her name was Xiaoyanxin?'

Huanxiyuan.

Among the internal organizations, none were more influential than Huanxiyuan, which managed the school's affairs. In some cases, even the military department had to seek approval from Huanxiyuan. Although the chief of the military department was higher in rank, the power of the Huanxiyuan head was not to be underestimated.

He recalled Madong Pil's words.

- To obtain a clear organizational chart and a detailed relationship map, you'll have to go to the military department. However, only the sect leader can summon or meet the chief of the military department, especially since he has been very busy recently.

- The Law Enforcement Bureau is proficient in organizational charts but lacks detailed relationship maps. A superficial map would suffice, but I believe you want a more detailed one.

- Therefore, meeting the head of Huanxiyuan would be the fastest and most reliable way.

- However, whether it's the chief of the military department or the head of Huanxiyuan, they won't easily share such information.

Xuliang agreed with this. An organizational chart is one thing, but a detailed relationship map inevitably involves personal opinions.

If these opinions leak out, even if they don't cause political damage, they could still cause significant problems.

"There's no choice. I have to try."

Xuliang smacked his lips.

'I can't wait forever.'

I will walk out of the Heavenly Horse Sect on my own terms, no matter how many years it takes, without caring about others' opinions.

His resolve was unwavering. He was even prepared to spend several years.

To become stronger for the future and for immediate survival, he clenched his teeth and trained rigorously.

But what then? Will becoming stronger be the end?

'Absolutely not.'

He could endure for a few years, but if an opportunity arises, he wouldn't let it slip.

That doesn't mean he would wait like a fox for a fruit to fall. Opportunities are ultimately created by people.

To leave this place, he needed detailed information about the Heavenly Horse Sect. In his current ambiguous state, he would likely be swayed by circumstances.

Ultimately, he needed a solid position.

Not just a disciple of the sect leader, but someone with enough power and influence to move freely outside the sect.

'Sneaking out is impossible, and trying to slip away secretly would only raise suspicion.'

Indeed...

No matter how he analyzed it, he needed to increase his presence.

'Do I have to run around, sweating and striving for power?'

It's unpleasant.

The toll that power struggles take on a person is evident from the leader of the Yitian Alliance. He destroyed hundreds, if not thousands, of families to become the leader.

No matter how much it's for his own freedom, he didn't want to become such a scoundrel.

'At least my position is high enough.'

Most issues can be resolved with his status. Since he's already a target of criticism, being a bit eccentric wouldn't matter.

'To create a situation where I must leave, I need to be involved in it. But I can't rely on someone else for that.'

Xuliang's eyes sparkled.

'Should I cause some trouble?'

Woo!

As he made up his mind, his heart raced, and the flow of blood intensified, stimulating his demonic aura. The demonic aura, which had been seeping out, materialized into a red mist.

The baby fox, which had been sprawled out and chewing, suddenly stood up.

The baby fox looked up at Xuliang.

A five-colored light flowed from the fox's eyes.

Zing! Zing!

Unbeknownst to Xuliang, the demonic aura became even denser.

The red mist, which seemed to be dissipating, gathered and formed a shape.

A shape that was neither human nor animal, difficult to identify. Though not specific, it had a somewhat ferocious appearance.

"Huh?"

Suddenly sensing a strange atmosphere, he looked down.

The baby fox was staring at him intently. The five-colored light that had been flickering in its eyes had disappeared.

"Done chewing?"

"Ang!"

"Wow, you even respond."

"Ang!"

"Really, you don't understand what I'm saying, do you?"

"Ang!"

"You're consistent, and that's good."

He gently stroked its nose, and it seemed to enjoy it, rubbing its face against Xuliang's hand.

"Looks like a dog but acts like a cat."

Xuliang looked up at the sky.

The moonlight was beautiful, but the starlight was irritating. The clear starlight made it impossible to tell which direction was which.

Somehow, the sea of starlight seemed similar to his situation.

Being a lost old child in this vast world, it felt like a mockery.

'If I just linger without knowing where to go, it's a pitiful sight.'

Grip.

His clenched fist was filled with strong determination.

"Since it's come to this, I'll act like myself and cause some chaos."

* * *

Paf!

Anghua, who had been sweeping, glanced at the training ground. There, Xuliang, with his upper body bare, was punching in all directions.

Boom!

'Suck.'

Anghua involuntarily held her breath.

From a considerable distance, without using inner strength, the wind pressure was tremendous. More impressive than the wind pressure was the oppressive aura that shook the air.

Crack!

Thick sweat dripped to the ground.

Even without using inner strength, he was sweating profusely, indicating a significant mental strain.

'He drank so much yesterday...'

Anghua was inwardly amazed.

Masters can expel alcohol with their inner strength, but that's only when they are mentally stable.

Drinking an amount that would intoxicate a dozen strong men and still training like this. His strong willpower was truly impressive.

'So, the disciple of the sect leader is not just anyone.'

After quickly finishing her sweeping, Anghua sneaked back inside to prepare a satisfying breakfast.

"Huff."

After a long training session, Xuliang stopped moving.

His entire body was flushed red, and his muscles ached.

'Indeed, it's tough.'

Ditianji (Heavenly Technique) was his main combat skill, encompassing all forms of unarmed combat, including punches, kicks, and finger strikes.

Naturally, the complexity of the techniques was on a different level from other martial arts.

From techniques that could create holes in the body with a single finger to rapid, continuous strikes. It took at least half an hour to perform the entire sequence.

He performed these intricate techniques while using a thousand-pound hammer to apply pressure to his body.

This dangerous training method could cause muscle and joint damage, but it was highly effective. It was excellent for building the muscles of an assassin who relies on one-hit kills, and with proper cultivation and nutrition, it could even change the structure of the body.

"I can extend the training time."

His body, trained with Gaozhu Lin's spirit energy, was extremely resilient and strong. Although the training was dangerous, his good foundation allowed him to maximize its efficiency.

Xuliang looked down at the training ground.

"Still, it's not perfect."

Two-inch deep footprints were scattered throughout the training ground. If his training had been perfect, there would be no such marks.

At that moment, Anghua appeared from a distance.

"Prince, are you done training?"

"No way. I still have a lot to do."

"Again?"

"Stretching. I have a mountain of work to do."

Anghua's face showed a look of exhaustion. Given his drenched body and heavy breathing, it seemed he could collapse at any moment, yet he claimed there was still a lot to do.

"Then, how about the meal...?"

"Huh? Oh, right, it's already past time."

Xuliang rubbed his stomach.

"A man must eat before working. Let's eat."

"Understood!"

After a storm of a meal, Xuliang resumed his training.

Given his current body, which was completely different from his assassin days, adapting his original combat skills to his new body was not easy.

Xuliang thought to himself.

'I was an assassin, but even then, I was far from the stereotypical assassin.'

No assassin would boldly break through the main gate in broad daylight. Xuliang had done quite a lot of such crazy things.

He rarely used stealth techniques unless absolutely necessary and found carrying poison to be a hassle. Since he could easily kill with his bare hands, why carry such things?

In other words, he was an assassin in name only, not much different from any other martial artist in the world.

'It might be a bit awkward, but it won't take long.'

At least when it came to martial arts, he never set limits or boundaries. That was his strength.

As another half day passed.

Pang!

His punches were imbued with powerful demonic aura. Even without intending to, the demonic aura was emitted as he focused on his movements.

A smile appeared on Xuliang's face.

"That's it."

Although not perfect, the Ditianji was starting to fit his body. Once it started rolling, reaching the goal was just a matter of time.

At that moment, a voice came from outside the gate.

"Prince."

"Ah, it's Dong Pil."

The gate opened, and Madong Pil entered, holding a single saber.

"As requested. It's similar to the one you used before."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

He wiped the sweat off and sheathed the saber at his waist.

"Shall we move now?"

The baby fox leaped onto his shoulder. Xuliang scratched its chin.

Madong Pil's face showed curiosity.

"Where are you going?"

"To plan for the future."

He turned around as he walked to the gate.

Madong Pil stared at him blankly.

Xuliang winked.

"If you have nothing to do, do you want to come along?"