Chapter 33: It's the Worst, But Not the Strongest (1)

Xiaoliang, except for practice time, had been holed up in his quarters reviewing documents, and it took him three days to memorize all the content.

“Master, would you like to eat?”

“Sure.”

A short while later, Anghua laid out the evening meal.

Xiaoliang, who had been focused on the documents as a form of inspection, suddenly looked at the dishes.

“There are more light dishes.”

“Yes, the ingredients are mostly those with a mild aroma.”

Xiaoliang smiled.

“You remember even the small things well.”

“Huh?”

“No, just eat quickly.”

“Ah... Yes.”

Still feeling awkward about sitting on the floor, Anghua hesitated.

“Ang!”

“...”

“Ang!”

“...”

After calling out several times without a response from Xiaoliang, the young fox sat on the floor and fidgeted. It seemed quite upset, twitching its nose and waving its front paws.

Anghua, who had been subtly observing, picked up a few pieces of boiled meat and quietly crouched down.

“Mr. Fox, Mr. Fox, would you like this?”

The young fox glanced at Anghua and made a snorting sound. Anghua's face turned into a frown.

Xiaoliang, who had checked the documents several times, picked up his chopsticks again.

‘That’s it. I’ve definitely memorized it.’

The turbid qi in the Merchant Hall had completely evaporated, making his mind clear. Although he wasn’t suddenly a genius, his judgment and memory had significantly improved.

It’s surprising that it took him three days to memorize such a vast amount of documents.

‘Hmm?’

After a few more bites, he tilted his head to the side.

There was the young fox, turning its head and snorting, and a girl with a frowning face, trembling as she offered the meat.

“What are you two doing?”

“Ah, Master.”

Xiaoliang lifted the young fox with one hand. The young fox didn’t resist and obediently followed.

“Are you not hungry? Try this.”

He offered the undercooked boiled meat, and the young fox instinctively bit into it.

Startled!

The young fox subtly looked up at Xiaoliang.

Xiaoliang smiled.

The young fox, though looking at him with a resentful eye, didn’t stop eating. From the sound it made, it seemed very hungry.

After finishing the meal, Xiaoliang stroked the fox’s nose. The fox, feeling full, lay down and made a contented sound.

“Anyway, we can’t keep calling you ‘this one’ and ‘that one.’ We should give you a name.”

Xiaoliang asked Anghua.

“What name do you think would be good for it?”

“Huh?!”

“...Why are you so surprised?”

“W-would it be alright for me to suggest...?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

The flustered Anghua stammered.

“W-well, even though you are so... cute... no, cute...”

“Never mind. I’ll name it.”

Anghua bowed deeply.

Xiaoliang touched the young fox’s ear. Feeling the large ear, almost the size of a face, made him feel strangely relaxed.

“What about Jiehu (Giant-Eared Fox)?”

Snort!

The young fox snorted. It was hard to tell if it was a timely response or a sign of dissatisfaction.

“Don’t like it? Then what about Damiho (Big-Tailed Fox)? Your tail is big, after all.”

Anghua looked as if she had lost all hope.

But she couldn’t say anything, being a master.

Xiaoliang scratched his head, looking uncertain.

“Is that not good? Then... hmm...”

Suddenly, he looked at the young fox’s eyes and nose.

It was incredibly cute, but also very standard. The ears and tail were overly large, though.

“Since you are a golden fox, I’ll just call you Jinhu (Golden Fox).”

Anghua was almost fainting.

Why put the character for fox in the name? Isn’t that a bit too fox-like?!

Calling it Jinhu because it’s golden, Anghua felt a chill down her spine at Xiaoliang’s naming sense.

But the most surprising thing was the young fox’s reaction.

“Ang!”

It roared loudly, leaped up, and rubbed against Xiaoliang’s hand. It was clearly a sign of joy.

Anghua’s pupils dilated like rotten fish eyes.

Could it really understand? It can’t be that it’s happy?

Xiaoliang smiled warmly.

“Do you like it, Jinhu?”

“Ang!”

Anghua collapsed on the spot.

Xiaoliang placed Jinhu on his shoulder and walked to the window. The view outside the window was still like a painting.

Swoosh.

Leaves were blown by the wind.

Xiaoliang’s relaxed face turned serious.

‘If even half of what’s written in the documents is true, it’s quite exciting.’

There’s no need to worry too much about the organization’s structure. He just needed to memorize what each organization was doing where.

But the relationships between people were different.

‘Thought to be a subordinate of Jia (甲), but actually following the orders of Wu (戊). Thought to be friends with Bing (丙), but secretly plotting with Yi (乙)... They live such complicated lives.’

Probably any organization is similar. But the Heavenly Demon Sect is so large that it’s hard to memorize and understand.

‘I have to crawl into this tangled web.’

To navigate the vast sea without a boat, he had to enter the web.

He had agonized over this absurd reality several times, but there was no other solution. If he tore the web, he might be killed by the fisherman. He needed to cause some chaos and then find a way out.

Xiaoliang took a deep breath.

‘Ultimately, what I want is one thing. I just need to dive in for that one result. No need to overthink it.’

Whoosh.

A translucent demonic qi rose from the hand holding the window frame. He was now truly entering the real game, and he was somewhat tense.

Swoosh.

The young fox, Jinhu, climbed up his arm and onto the window frame, looking up at Xiaoliang.

Swoosh.

The clear animal eyes, with their pure pupils, faintly shimmered with a rainbow of colors.

Whoosh.

The wind coming through the window became stronger.

Rustle.

Xiaoliang’s clothes fluttered, and Jinhu’s fur danced beautifully.

Xiaoliang’s demonic qi gradually intensified, and Jinhu’s eyes also became more intense.

Thump.

“Huh?”

The collapsed Anghua looked up at the table.

The table was gently vibrating, and the plates on it were trembling and making strange sounds.

‘What’s this?’

Could it be an earthquake?

At that moment, the demonic qi around Xiaoliang disappeared. The table stopped trembling, and the wind calmed down.

Xiaoliang stroked Jinhu’s head.

“Well, what can I do? I’ve thought enough, so it’s time to move. Right?”

“Ang!”

Jinhu quickly climbed onto his shoulder.

Xiaoliang, who had quickly made up his mind, sheathed the sword at his waist and left the room.

“Let’s see, I need to prepare a few things... Anghua, I might not come back tonight, so eat dinner early.”

“Ah! Understood.”

“And...”

Xiaoliang glanced at Anghua.

Anghua, standing respectfully. She had steadily practiced her inner energy but hadn’t learned proper martial arts.

“No, we’ll talk about it later.”

“Okay.”

“I’m going. Don’t forget to eat and don’t starve.”

“Safe travels, Master!”

* * *

Madongfil was naturally a simple and diligent person.

He wouldn’t spend his leave lounging in bed all day, exploring new foods, or annoying his colleagues by poking around their quarters out of boredom.

He also didn’t jump back into work, unless someone needed his help. He didn’t want to ruin the efficiency of his work with unnecessary interference.

In the end, he chose martial arts.

Swoosh!

A powerful force was imbued in the sword slicing through the air.

Even after swinging the sword for half a day, the sword’s sharpness didn’t diminish. Instead, it emitted a more refined and intense sword qi.

‘Good.’

He had practiced for half a day, using his inner energy generously. Even a peak expert would normally be tired by now.

But he was still energetic. The stamina he had honed in the Bamboo Forest seemed inexhaustible, and his inner energy replenished much faster than before.

Most importantly, the quality of his demonic qi had improved. Even with a small amount, the sword’s sharpness and destructive power were twice as strong as before.

‘Now I understand.’

How peak experts could fight without tiring, despite having similar levels of inner energy.

The quality of inner energy and the finesse of its application were different. The way they handled qi was exceptional, regardless of their overall understanding of martial arts.

‘But that’s not the end.’

Swinging the sword with enthusiasm, Madongfil thought of someone.

Since joining the sect, this person had given him the greatest surprise.

‘Master’s martial arts were different.’

It wasn’t about the type or level.

What he found different was Master’s perspective on martial arts.

‘He seemed to have a lot of experience, but it was unconventional.’

Accumulated experience often leads to a loss of creativity, as one becomes proficient enough to not need radical changes.

Master was different. Despite seeming to have the experience of a seasoned expert, he sometimes displayed radically innovative martial principles that were truly impressive.

‘Perhaps that’s the decisive reason why Master became strong so quickly.’

His thinking was fast and not bound by convention. This naturally increased the number of combinations in martial arts, and with practice, his thoughts deepened, and his judgment and reflexes improved.

‘If that’s the case...’

Whoosh!

Swinging the sword carefully, a round hole appeared in a distant rock.

Madongfil’s eyes sparkled.

‘It’s deeper!’

At that moment, applause came from a distance.

“Amazing!”

Madongfil turned his head in surprise.

When did he get there? Squad Leader Jiyang was standing there, looking surprised.

“Your sword qi was excellent. I knew you had improved, but I didn’t expect this much.”

“Ah, Squad Leader Jiyang.”

Madongfil quickly sheathed his sword.

Jiyang, who had been looking at the rock with admiration, cleared his throat.

“I’m sorry. I was so engrossed in your practice that I made a mistake.”

“No, I was about to finish anyway.”

“Ha ha.”

Jiyang walked to the rock and examined the sword mark, whistling.

“The Red Point of the Demon-Protecting Sword. To penetrate a rock three feet deep with my basic technique, and from such a distance.”

“It’s still lacking.”

“Indeed, it’s not perfectly refined. The inside of the hole is a bit rough. But many martial artists never reach this level in their entire lives.”

“...”

“To be honest, I’m not sure I could make such a deep mark from this distance.”

Madongfil bowed deeply.

“I’m ashamed.”

“Despite the danger, you’ve grown a lot while protecting the Third Master.”

“He gave me great insights despite my shortcomings.”

Jiyang, nodding, suddenly remembered something.

“By the way, I had something to tell you, but I forgot while watching your practice.”

“Huh?”

“The Third Master visited the Law Enforcement Hall.”

Madongfil’s eyes widened.

“Why did Master...?”

“He had a message for you. I’m not sure if it’s too late.”

“A message?”

“Yeah, he wanted you to remember the first encounter with the Green Bamboo.”

Madongfil tilted his head.

Of course, he remembered that. But was that all?

“And he said you would be attending the Mad Demon Squad’s dinner today.”

“...!”

“He said if you’re interested, you should come. I don’t understand the meaning, though.”

“Excuse me, Squad Leader!”

Interrupting Jiyang, Madongfil quickly moved.

Without even washing up, he left the Law Enforcement Hall, his face showing urgency.

‘Master!’

Surely not? He’s not planning to cause trouble like last time, is he?

In his mind, Xiaoliang’s lips slowly moved.

Why not?

Boom!

Madongfil’s running turned into a swift movement technique.