Chapter 400: Demonic!
“A three-year stipulation…” Xia Fei lit a cigarette and mumbled to himself.
Yujiang and Yuhua left as quickly as they arrived, and they had buried a seed of uneasiness in Xia Fei’s heart. Three years. Three Great Laws. An unknown place and powerhouses of the universe…
These questions were all circling in Xia Fei’s mind, lingering for the longest time.
No doubt Yujiang’s appearance had been the greatest shock in Xia Fei’s life. Every definition of strength and what it meant to be an expert had all been tossed out. Yujiang’s demonstration with his mastery of the Law of s.p.a.ce had informed Xia Fei that there were truly monsters out there who were capricious with their powers and he had been given the opportunity to become one as well.
This was an opportunity. Xia Fei’s keen intuition knew that there were great risks to this, but the dangers were not enough to shroud the fact that this was a great opportunity.
His lips curled into a smirk. Xia Fei’s theory of price composed him more. Risk and opportunity were intertwined, and behind every danger was a similar opportunity.
Xia Fei extinguished his cigarette in an ashtray as the little robot Pod immediately sped over to replace the metal box of cigarette b.u.t.ts for a clean one. Xia Fei often felt that Pod had a minor case of being a clean freak, unable to withstand any bit of dirt the moment it laid eyes on it. Anywhere with even the slightest touch of dust and dirt and Pod would immediately clean them up.
Furball was lying lazily on the couch, buried under a pile of magazines like a dozing cat.
Xia Fei had not forgotten that bout of vigor from before when he confronted Yujiang. Perhaps Furball’s true face was that of frightening ferocity. It was a good thing that Furball’s fury would never be directed at him. Xia Fei found it very gratifying that the lazy and crafty Furball actually turned out to have such a strong battlel.u.s.t. It would surely be of great help when it matured in the future.
“Thank you, lazybones,” Xia Fei jocularly mocked Furball.
Furball unhappily shook its round body, ignoring Xia Fei as it resumed its sweet sleep.
Pod changed the ashtray and served a cup of tea to Xia Fei. Xia Fei stood on the command deck and stared at the ball of energy floating in mid air, wondering just what exactly did Yiujiang give him before he departed.
“Xia Fei, I’ve suddenly thought of a problem,” Phantom said after taking some time to think.
Xia Fei chuckled. “What problem?”
Phantom stroked his chin meaningful, “You’ve heard of how exotic beast protecting their master, but do you know that there’s also this saying about how an exotic beast will attune to their master?”
Xia Fei nodded. “The Beast Spirit Codex did have this specific record of that. There are plenty of exotic beasts of which personality changes greatly in line with their masters. This is especially true for the more intelligent exotic beasts raised from young. It’s much easier for them to form a personality like their master, and there are even some exotic beasts that will absorb their masters’ physical aura to have a much easier time imprinting their masters’ personality.”
Xia Fei suddenly realized what Phantom was insinuating halfway through this, laughing. “You couldn’t be trying to say that Furball’s personality is like mine, could you?”
“Have you already sensed that!” Phantom exclaimed in surprise.
Xia Fei nearly spat his tea, pointing at Furball lazing on the couch. “I would be thanking the heavens if that lazy ball had half my brilliance; it’s gluttonous, lazy, and extremely cunning. He’s not even half of my shadow.”
“Aren’t you cunning, too?” Phantom deviously countered. “Ask yourself; you’ve been coming up with plenty of wily tricks and ideas ever since I first met you, so the way I see it, Furball must have learned its sly ways from you.”
Xia Fei was slightly taken aback, but what Phantom had said did make some sense. Being unscrupulous with his means to achieve victory was Xia Fei’s creed. He was indeed rather crafty and cunning, though he still found it hard to accept Phantom’s notion of his pet Furball being on the same level as him.
“Animals will often see the first living thing as their mother. Furball was born right before your eyes, so it’s perfectly in line with exotic beast behavior to pick up your habits. Besides, it had lived in your bosom for several months before it broke out of its egg. I’m certain that it’s secretly absorbing plenty of your aura then.
“You’re also the one who fed this beast after it was born, and it’s not just the Purple Hearts of Spirit; Furball enjoys eating your energy clones. Having signed a blood contract with you, you two are bound to exchange information frequently with each other, so it makes perfect sense that you can see a bit of your shadow in Furball as its personality becomes more and more like yours with each pa.s.sing day.”
Xia Fei simply could not refute this. According to what was described in the Beast Spirit Codex, what Phantom had just said was indeed the necessary criteria for an exotic beast attune itself to its master.
“You saw with your two eyes how ferocious Furball was when Yujiang tried coercing you before. It’s practically a spitting image of you when you’re risking your life to fight enemies. That incident was what led me to consider all these things.”
Xia Fei shrugged and did not continue arguing with Phantom. Furball learning from his mannerism was not necessarily a bad thing. It was akin to a little sapling, and there was no telling what it might turn out to be like before it sprouted. Attuning itself to him would at least ensure that it did not grow awry.
That ball of energy that Yujiang had left behind circled the room a few times. Xia Fei tried touching it, but the moment his fingers came into contact with that ball of light, a numbing sensation promptly traveled through as if there was a burst of electricity that had traveled to Xia Fei’s mind.
*Shaaa!*
A holographic screen suddenly appeared in the center of the command deck, and it featured several ma.s.sive insectoid fleets. It was a dense swarm of wars.h.i.+ps like locusts, and there were even hundreds of powerful capital s.h.i.+ps mixed within.
The destination of this fleet was actually the capital of the Pan-human Alliance in the Venal Galaxy—the prosperous heart of humanity.
Xia Fei was shocked. The greatest importance of Venal Galaxy was not the capital but it being Avril’s home. These might very well be the images from when the insectoids had secretly launched their surprise attack several months ago; just how did Yujiang get hold of them?
Upon mentioning Venal, it would of course relate to Xia Fei’s most beloved woman, Avril. That was why he watched it carefully with furrowed brows, hoping to get proof that she was still alive through this video.
Xia Fei had told himself countless times that a kind and cute lady like Avril ought to be lucky, but he had not obtained any proof no matter how hard he searched. His heart had been mired by the tragedy that had befallen Venal Galaxy, as well as the lack of news from Avril.
*Boom boom boom!*
The wars.h.i.+ps let out thunderous roars as each of them struck down the human s.p.a.ces.h.i.+ps the civilians were using to flee. The Human Defense Force tried putting up a fight but was unfortunately useless in the face of the powerful insectoid fleets. The feeble struggle was as ineffectual as the raised arms of a mantis going up against a car. The human wars.h.i.+ps were quickly dispatched in just a few rounds.
All of a sudden, Xia Fei noticed a civilian s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p that had the insignia akin to a spider’s web on its side, which was precisely the Starlink Corporation’s logo.
It was as if the ball of light knew that Xia Fei was paying attention to this s.h.i.+p, for the holographic screen quickly zoomed in near it.
Xia Fei saw a pale-faced young lady standing by the porthole, looking out at the tragedy unfolding before her eyes in horror and shock. Her lips were slightly trembling, seemingly experiencing a severe shock. Her pretty and exquisite face was extremely familiar, so much so that Xia Fei could even recognize it even if it was reduced to ash.
“Avril!” Xia Fei was distressed. He was grasping wildly at his hair, for far away, the insectoid fleets’ cannons were aimed right at that innocent young lady.
“NO, DON’T!” Xia Fei yelled. The voice did not sound as if it had come from his throat but from his heart, instead.
A huge insectoid dreadnought fired, and the cannonfire instantly engulfed that civilian s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p that Avril was...o...b..ard.
…
Somewhere far away from Xia Fei, Yuhua recalled that Yujiang had left a ball of energy to Xia Fei, so he opened his mouth and asked, “Family patriarch, what exactly was that thing you gifted Xia Fei before we departed?”
Yujiang flashed a smirk. “What I gave him is something he’s most afraid of.”
“Something he’s most afraid of?”
“Hehe! What I gave him was a Mind Rendering. Anyone who touches it will trigger a series of reactions; a human’s heart will always have things that they worry or fear, and Xia Fei is no different. As long as he touches that ball, it will immediately create a rendering, and the contents of which will be what he fears most of seeing,” Yujiang explained.
Yuhua realized what he had done. “Are you saying that you’re trying to test Xia Fei and see how much he can endure by intentionally showing him a scene that he is most unwilling to see?”
Yujiang answered, “Xia Fei’s very obstinate, and there’s no way for me to make him give in no matter how much I pressure him, but everyone has their side of weakness, and even the hardiest man is no exception. This is also a disguised attack on the young man. He only has himself to blame for not showing face to this old man today.”
…
Yuhua burst out laughing. “Family patriarch, that’s a very ingenious solution you’ve come up to. Xia Fei must be falling into a deep depression at this time. You didn’t make him surrender through coercion but have directly aimed at the deepest and darkest fear buried in his heart, instead. What a marvelous move!”
Yujiang beamed as he stored that fish he had caught, walking toward a bustling city in the distance. He casually added. “I didn’t give him that just to agitate him. You should be clear just how ruthless and treacherous the people in our circle are. Success means it is necessary for us to let go of all the baggage in our hearts and take on pressure that others aren’t able to bear. He still has three years of idyllic days to spend. Once he’s here, that won’t be for him to choose. My prodding of his inner demons is also my way of helping him get used to this dog-eat-dog environment ahead of time.”
Yuhua was slightly surprised before respectfully saying, “Esteemed ancestor, this young one has learned aplenty from you today; Yuhua has been educated.”
…
Xia Fei did not know whether what he had witnessed was real or imaginary. At that moment, that last bit of hope he held in his heart had been so mercilessly smothered as he watched his beloved woman disappear before his eyes, helpless to save her. The level of cruelty here was simply unimaginable.
The image had already disappeared, and Xia Fei stood there like a wounded beast. He really wanted to cry, but he could not find it in him to do so. His mind was blank, and his heart had this grinding hurt that he could feel in his very bones.
Phantom gulped. He had never before seen Xia Fei so fragile as he had today. It was as if his entire being had aged by a decade in the span of a few minutes.
Even Furball, which usually only knew how to eat and sleep, also sensed something different in Xia Fei. It called from the pile of magazines, wanting to know the pain Xia Fei was feeling, but it was unfortunate that there was simply no way for an exotic beast to comprehend the desolation Xia Fei was feeling right now.
…
It was consciously linked with Xia Fei, and the heartache he felt made Furball feel extremely infuriated. However, it simply had no idea why it was angry or why it was in pain. It only hoped of finding a way to vent it all out, to alleviate that uncomfortable emotion it was feeling inside it.
The small robot Pod was so fl.u.s.tered that it went around in circles sans a direction. It would serve some tea to Xia Fei one moment, then bring some snacks and food the next. It watched with pleading eyes, hoping it could help make its master a bit happier, but it was unfortunate that Xia Fei simply did not register all his hard work. That sadness and grief, which was hard to describe, had already drowned him.
Several hours later, Xia Fei was still standing where he had been, not making a sound.
All of a sudden, his figure swayed. Around him, Furball, Phantom, and Pod were all stunned when it happened.
Lifting their heads, they saw Xia Fei no longer smiling happily as he used to do. Instead, his cold eyes could not help but fight a cold war with Phantom; n.o.body dared to meet Xia Fei’s gaze.
Just what level of ferocity and anger was this?
Phantom took a long time wracking his brains before he could think of a word to describe this.
Demonic.