Chapter 368: Tilting

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“I am a little disappointed.”

Feng Zhuo’s words are met with a glare and a burst of Qi. Both are completely expected. Others might have felt intimidated, but a friend—a best friend, some might say—will never let such things stop him.

“There is something to be said about letting the people of this country handle their own affairs, but this was clearly your moment. There was no need to let either of those old men take the leading part, my friend,” Feng Zhuo says, nodding seriously. “I was half-convinced you had done it on purpose, but looking at you now, you really can’t do it, huh? That’s disappointing, but have no fear! This Feng Zhuo is here to help through this dark time! You may bask in my shining presence!”

As Feng Zhuo spreads his arms, Xiao Nan looks at him and takes a long, deep breath.

His fist smashes into Feng Zhuo’s face a fraction of a second later.

The punch is a work of art. From start to finish, not a single motion is wasted. Even as the attack is happening, Xiao Nan’s aura does not broadcast any ill intent whatsoever. Feng Zhuo is not just incapable of reacting. It is doubtful he even realizes the attack is happening.

As Feng Zhuo’s nose is broken with shattering finesse, several people all over the continent feel an inexplicable burst of joy. Even Bai Wen, who is in the middle of a rather tense situation, suddenly feels like smiling. Only the guards in Cloudburst Arena feel nervous, but that passes quickly when it becomes clear the Renegade they are in charge of has no intention of doing any more violence.

It takes two hours for Feng Zhuo to regain consciousness.

“You punched me in the face!” Feng Zhuo yells as he leaps to his feet. “I can’t believe you punched me in the face! Ow! You broke my nose.”

Feng Zhuo flinches as he fights the urge to touch his broken nose. His expression twists with disbelief as he directs his Qi to the injury, but is unable to mend it.

“You used your Dao to increase its permanence!” He yells at him. “How petty can you be? Truly, the Renegade Realm has you deep in its grasp!”

“I merely calculated my odds,” Xiao Nan says. “I am in an indisputable position of power over you. It would be foolish of me not to take advantage of it.”

“The rationalization of the Renegade Realm is truly fearsome,” Feng Zhuo says, putting a hand over his broken nose. “There is no way you could ever harbor negative feelings towards me. This Feng Zhuo is like a ray of sunshine, bringing joy and laughter wherever he goes. Even babies will stop crying at the sight of my face—except Feng Zhi. He peed on me the first time I tried to hold him. The second as well. I suspect that one might have been on purpose.”

Xiao Nan shakes his head.

“Why are you here?”

“To help my best friend, of course!” Feng Zhuo says. When Xiao Nan fails to be moved, he adds, “Also, a visitor of the Divine Frozen Palace is going to arrive soon. I never know how things are going to turn out with that lot, so I thought it’d be best to be away from the palace for a while. Thanks to that, you can enjoy my presence in your time of impotence!”

“I can punch you again,” Xiao Nan warns. “I am completely fine with continuing this conversation after you regain consciousness.”

Far from being threatened, Feng Zhuo shakes his head and clicks his tongue softly.

“See, you are proving my point,” he says. “Xiao Nan of the Xiao Sect is a staggering talent that knows no fear. He would not run away from this conversation.”

“Are you trying to imply a conversation with you is something that requires courage?”

“I am a very intimidating man, my friend. Talent and good looks such as mine obviously cause unease in others,” Feng Zhou says, smiling brightly. The effect is ruined by his bleeding nose. “However, it is not me you fear facing. It’s my words. You know I am right. It should be a shining Emperor before me, not a brooding Renegade.”

“Do not speak of things you know nothing about,” Xiao Nan says.

“You are right,” Feng Zhuo says, his voice suddenly serious. “I have done what is expected of me and remained in the Heaven Realm. I cannot imagine what it must have been like to be forced into becoming a Renegade. However, I do know one thing. The Xiao Nan I knew faced me despite his weakness. The Xiao Nan I see now hides behind his power.”

Xiao Nan’s Qi spikes.

And deflates.

He exhales and allows his muscles to relax. His menacing intent vanishes from the air, making the guards around the arena sigh in relief. The urge to punch Feng Zhuo is still there, but Xiao Nan resists it.

“My siblings are in danger,” he says.

Feng Zhuo’s face softens.

“My family situation is complicated, but I can somewhat relate,” he says. “Little Hao is too gifted. My sister has positioned herself too well for her own good. Feng Zhi is the only one I can feel at ease about, which is very surprising, but don’t let him know I said that. He’s terribly sensitive.”

“I have no time for your jokes!” Xiao Nan shouts at him. “Xiao Fang has gone off to some foolhardy mission, and I’m here!”

A light shines in Feng Zhuo’s golden eyes.

“Ah, I see the issue now,” he says. “It’s not worry.”

He raises a finger and points it at Xiao Nan.

“It’s guilt,” he says. “It’s not that your family needs you. It’s that you are not sure which family member to help. You don’t want to choose.”

“That’s not it at all!”

“It was easy to focus on some grand goal when you were in the Dead Plains, but now you’re here,” Feng Zhuo continues. “It is messy. It is complex. That makes you doubt, but that’s no good, friend. Doubt is the greatest poison there is for people like us. It binds us. It paralyzes us. It makes us weak. The thing that should be making you strong is keeping you from the step that should be natural for you.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Xiao Nan yells. His Qi stomps on the land around them, sending a cloud of dust throughout the arena.

Feng Zhuo remains unmoved.

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“My friend,” Feng Zhuo says. “There is no one who can possibly understand better than I. Have you seen my family? Do you have any idea how much trouble they are? My father and uncle wanted to kill each other until recently. My mother would kill my sister if she could get away with it. My aunt could go either way on that, but only because she’d enjoy either aftermath. They are all very difficult people!”

Xiao Nan opens and closes his mouth a few times.

“That’s… I suddenly feel a lot better.”

“Naturally, you are speaking with your best friend.”

“That’s not it,” Xiao Nan says. “I just know that no matter what I do, my family will always be better than yours.”

“Then rejoice,” Feng Zhuo says. “On this one thing, you are superior to me. No matter what you choose, you will be loved. Laugh and hold it over my head as much as you wish. Just don’t forget to take action.”

For once, Xiao Nan has nothing to say.

~~~