Chapter 153: A Band of the Wounded

Thud!

Tanimu Aotian struck out with his palm, sending a subordinate who was in the midst of a report flying across the room to crash against a pillar in the grand hall. Fortunately, this subordinate was an adept in physical combat, and Aotian had only acted in a fit of sudden rage without truly intending to take his life. Even so, the man would be bedridden for several days, unable to pick himself up from the cold floor.

More than a dozen department heads from the headquarters stood below, their heads lowered. The fury of the old master was no trivial matter, and not a single person dared to breathe heavily.

"Speak! Why has it come to this?" Tanimu Aotian rebuked angrily. "Within two days, eighty-nine people have been killed, all of them managerial staff, and even regional directors among them. Tell me, what is the meaning of this?"

Ever since Xiao Tianci had departed, Tanimu Aotian had remained in seclusion. He still harbored deep resentment over being successfully ambused by Chief Steward Lin Jian and had been engrossed in researching his own Netherworld Black Qi.

Never had he expected that the moment he emerged, his subordinates would bombard him with such reports. Standing there, they cast nervous glances at the groaning wretch still sprawled on the floor, unable to rise, a chill sweeping through their hearts. Yet, report they must. The executive in charge of legitimate business operations finally stepped forward.

"Recently... recently, our other ventures have also faced powerful and coordinated resistance. Three of our companies have already been acquired hostilely, four publicly listed firms were driven to bankruptcy, and the rest are currently being..."

Thud!

The terrified executive shuddered violently mid-sentence. Fortunately, this blow was not meant for him; the table beside Tanimu Aotian had been reduced to fine powder by a single strike of his palm.

"Who did this?"

The executive was too terrified to utter a word. Tanimu Aotian roared, "Speak!"

The executive dropped to his knees with a thud and stammered, "It... it is Xiao Tianci of the Xiao family! He said... he... said..."

Xiao Tianci. At the mere mention of the name, Tanimu Aotian froze. It was him. He had spared that ungrateful wretch before. If not for... he would have killed him long ago.

Yet now, the fellow actually dared to turn around and retaliate against him. Kill, kill, kill, kill! Although Tanimu Aotian’s chest was filled with murderous intent, itching to tear Xiao Tianci apart immediately, he knew he could not.

The people below were stunned. Why did the master's murderous aura diminish so drastically the moment he heard the name Xiao Tianci?

Tanimu Aotian asked coldly, "What did he say?"

Swallowing hard, the man trembled in fear. "He... he... he said... members of our Sakura Group went to ex... ex... extort his family's vegetable vendor, demanding a higher price for Chinese cabbage... and so... and so..."

He didn't dare mention the sum of twenty cents. He was currently too terrified to think straight; if a strike were directed at him, he wouldn't even know how to dodge, and the fellow behind him, usually so formidable, was currently reduced to this state.

"Hmph... Xiao Tianci..." Tanimu Aotian felt as if his chest had suffered a heavy blow, his blood roiling and Qi churning. He stood up and strode away, leaving all the executives standing there in utter bewilderment. Had he gone off to kill Xiao Tianci?

The world had long grown accustomed to Xiao Tianci's nearly frantic, bizarre, and incomprehensible actions. Whenever he had free time, he invariably became the prime topic of conversation for everyone.

"Hey, did you know? That madman from the Xiao family is acting crazy again!"

"Everyone on Earth knows that! Isn't he just launching a mad campaign against the Sakura Group? Who knows how the Sakura Group offended him. I heard he threw tens of billions into this. What a bloody prodigal son, throwing money around like he has nowhere else to spend it."

"Ah, you don't know the half of it! That vegetable vendor joke is actually quite funny, but now everyone's saying the Sakura Group tried to extort him, and in his rage, this prodigal son orchestrated this whole mess. Well, who told his family to be so filthy rich? I heard he's spent at least hundreds of billions by now."

"Talk nonsense! Just how much money could the Xiao family possibly have? The Meihua operations drained him dry, leaving him half-dead, and now he's running two companies to fight each other in a fierce clash. His brain must genuinely be malfunctioning."

"Yeah, I suspect the same. How could a prodigal son and mental patient like him inherit so much wealth while someone as handsome as me... sigh, is it a crime to be handsome?"

In one country, a pirated publishing house released a book chronicling Xiao Tianci's exploits following his inheritance. The cover of the first volume in the series read: *"If you want to laugh, listen to and watch what the Xiao family prodigal son is up to; it will surely make your stomach ache with laughter, for he is a mental patient, a madman. If you want to cry, listen to and watch what the prodigal son is up to; it will surely make you cry your heart out, for his wastefulness is so heartbreaking that anyone watching will want to weep."*

Who said one would feel completely refreshed and full of energy after a long, deep sleep? After sleeping for over forty hours, Xiao Tianci woke up with his entire body aching as if he had fallen apart. He yawned continuously, feeling as though another forty-eight hours of sleep wouldn't cure his exhaustion.

The first thing Xiao Tianci did upon waking was to check on Fire Phoenix and the young princess. Fire Phoenix and the little princess were resting together; while there were plenty of rooms available, they felt lonely on their own, so they deliberately shared quarters in pairs.

"Fatty, you're still eating this much even while injured?" Xiao Tianci walked in to find Fatty holding a plate of food, surrounded by numerous small pastries and various snacks.

Upon seeing him arrive, Fatty hurriedly swallowed the food in his mouth, nearly choking himself in the process. "Damn... you brat, you almost made me choke! How are you holding up?"

Xiao Tianci nodded. When he had first returned, everyone's emotions were deeply depressed. Although they were all conscious, few words were spoken. Seeing that Fatty's mood had improved significantly, Xiao Tianci felt a measure of comfort in his heart.

He turned his gaze to Tang Bing and asked, "Tang Bing, how are you feeling?"

Tang Bing leaned against the headboard, looking thoroughly unhappy. "Mm, I'm a lot better."

Seeing him like this, Xiao Tianci walked over and asked, "What's with that look? Is something bothering you?"

Fatty tossed back a couple of small snacks. "He... mm... him! Urph... he's just brooding. In this world, there is no strongest, only stronger."

Ah, Xiao Tianci understood. Tang Bing was still struggling internally with his defeat at the hands of Tanimu Aotian in a single move. Although he had never fought Vajra head-on, the gap shouldn't have been that vast. Yet remembering how neither of them had managed to block a single blow before losing consciousness, Tang Bing felt as though all his years of cultivation had been for naught, and his confidence in combat had shattered in an instant.

It seemed true that a canary raised at home was fundamentally different from a wild sparrow outside. While Tang Bing was considered formidable, looking at the contrast between him and Fatty made it clear: Fatty had fought his way up step by step through his own efforts, whereas Tang Bing had been meticulously nurtured and raised in a specialized environment. When faced with a minor setback, it felt to him as though the sky were falling.

Xiao Tianci walked over and patted the dejected Tang Bing on the shoulder. "Tang Bing, didn't Fatty just say it? What counts as this little bit of hardship? A man must be able to bear responsibility and withstand blows. If we talk about suffering, I haven't suffered any less than you. So many brothers died, and being grabbed by the neck like a little chicken, our lives controlled by others—I haven't suffered any less than you. Vajra and Successor, the two of them are far stronger than you, yet weren't they in the same boat?"

Seeing Tang Bing's eyes flicker as he looked up, Xiao Tianci continued, "No one starts out strong; you should know that best. Others might think you're formidable, but who knows how much effort you put in behind the scenes? Besides, were you this strong a few years ago? That old bastard Tanimu Aotian is so old, while we are still so young. So don't be discouraged. You should learn more from Vajra and Successor. Do you know what Successor is doing right now?"

Tang Bing shook his head. Xiao Tianci pointed outside. "Right now, he's practicing his martial arts against the ocean waves. There are no shortcuts to success, and there are no shortcuts to defeating stronger enemies. Tang Bing, I imagine if your godfather, the King of Soldiers, were here, he would also want you to pull yourself together quickly and keep striving. If the enemy is strong, you must become even stronger than them; that is the only way."

Seeing Tang Bing lower his head in silence, Xiao Tianci did not press further, as this required time for him to digest. Still, he held high hopes for Tang Bing; the current Tang Bing had already undergone immense changes compared to the past.

Walking over to Fatty's bedside and seeing him reach for more food yet again, Xiao Tianci snatched the snacks right out of his hand. "Damn Fatty, you haven't even been beaten to death yet, and you're going to stuff yourself to death instead. Can't you eat a little less?"

Fatty chuckled sheepishly and gave him a thumbs-up. Xiao Tianci didn't understand. "Hm?"

Fatty whispered, "I must say, you brat are impressive! Your political ideological work is getting more and more formidable; you rattle off one set of theories after another!"

Ah, so he meant that. Xiao Tianci said softly, "That kid Tang Bing has a good heart, though who knows what the King of Soldiers was thinking—aside from combat, he left him as blank as a sheet of white paper. Now that he's by my side, I'll fill in whatever blanks I can."

Fatty casually grabbed another bag of snacks from the side. "Hm, that King of Soldiers is a strange one indeed. Heh... you don't suppose he knew long ago that you'd be the one filling in the blanks for him, do you?"

"Impossible. The King of Soldiers adopted Tang Bing when he was a child, and that was so many years ago. Do you think he's an immortal?"

Fatty nodded while chewing his food. "Well, that's true too. Don't worry, you've got me here. I've got nothing to do anyway; for all these years, *** I've spent my time killing people and seizing territory, and I haven't flexed my special skills in ages. This time, I'll make sure to help him out properly."

Xiao Tianci nodded and smiled. Indeed, Fatty's eloquence was undeniable. No matter what, seeing Fatty in this mental state made Xiao Tianci feel quite relieved. Mortals are mortals, and all worldly people have their worries; how can one have no troubles? But one must always move forward, and never face things with a stagnant attitude.

Seeing Fatty resume eating, Xiao Tianci shook his head helplessly. "Fine, stuff yourself to death, you fat bastard. Take good care of your injuries; I'm going to go check on Fire Phoenix and the little princess."

"Old Wu, enough is enough. Leave the rest of the work to me from now on," Fatty said. As Xiao Tianci turned to leave, he suddenly heard Fatty's words. Xiao Tianci knew that during the two days he had been asleep, Fatty had already learned of the measures he had taken.

Xiao Tianci never regretted anything he had done, whether right or wrong, because regret served no purpose. Moreover, it wasn't that the thought hadn't crossed his mind before; it was simply that he hadn't felt the necessity back then.

After the battle in Japan, Xiao Tianci had suffered a massive shock. In his heart, he had made a firm decision: he must drive the Sakura Group to ruin and then defeat Tanimu Aotian.

Fatty knew how much effort Xiao Tianci's current course of action would cost. Although Fatty didn't elaborate, Xiao Tianci knew whether his brother understood him or not. Unless Fatty died, he would absolutely not let the Sakura Group or Tanimu Aotian off easy.

"Fatty, let me handle the first half of this show. You just get well as fast as you can, and you can handle the grand finale."

With those words, Xiao Tianci walked out. Fatty sat there, nodding gently, mechanically putting food into his mouth, while Tang Bing sat quietly with his head bowed in deep thought.

When Xiao Tianci entered the room shared by Fire Phoenix and the little princess, the little princess was sitting by Fire Phoenix's bedside, the two of them whispering about something with their heads bowed. Technology had advanced significantly, especially here within the Xiao family estates, but fractured bones still could not be healed instantly.

Naturally, through the assistance of medicine and advanced equipment, the recovery time for comminuted fractures could be shortened to within thirty days. For injuries like the little princess's, however, ten days would suffice.

"What are you two chatting about so happily?" Xiao Tianci walked in with a smile. The little princess immediately cheered, "Brother..."

Xiao Tianci quickly cautioned, "Don't move, don't move! Didn't I tell you not to thrash about? Just endure it for a few more days and everything will be fine."

After settling the little princess, Xiao Tianci pulled over a chair and sat down beside her bed. This, however, placed him quite close to Fire Phoenix as well, causing Fire Phoenix's heart to suddenly skip a beat...

Chief Steward Lin Jian's injuries were not severe, so he was resting in his own room. Originally, he had wanted to remain by Xiao Tianci's side, but Xiao Tianci had ordered him to recuperate for a few more days while informing him that he would be practicing martial arts himself from now on.

The little princess happily said, "Brother, Fire Phoenix Sister and I were just discussing it. Once our injuries heal, we'll practice marksmanship and martial arts at the same time; combining the two should make us quite formidable!"

Xiao Tianci nodded. Indeed, that was true—unless they encountered someone like Tanimu Aotian, such a combination would vastly increase their lethality. Furthermore, as a martial artist, practicing marksmanship inherently granted certain advantages. Suddenly, Xiao Tianci wondered why Chief Steward Lin Jian hadn't practiced martial arts; given his marksmanship and sharp intellect, learning martial arts would surely yield twice the result with half the effort!

In the past, Xiao Tianci hadn't carefully considered such matters and thus hadn't given it much thought. Now, with his mind racing on these subjects, the little princess's remark naturally brought it to the forefront.

Noticing his sudden distraction, the little princess tugged on his sleeve and called out, "Brother? Brother?"

"Oh," Xiao Tianci snapped back. "Brother's listening. Just now, hearing you mention this made me think of something: is there some rule that those who practice martial arts aren't allowed to use firearms? Under normal circumstances, combining the two should yield incredible power."

The little princess shook her head, prompting Xiao Tianci to tap her gently on the forehead with a smile. "I knew you wouldn't know!" Looking up at Fire Phoenix, he found her meeting his gaze with a warm, soft expression as she offered an explanation: "Actually, no one explicitly forbids it. In fact, quite a few people who have mastered basic martial arts also use guns. However, those who reach a certain advanced level in martial arts mostly abandon firearms. For one thing, ordinary bullets can no longer harm them; moreover, for a martial artist, over-reliance on firearms creates a bottleneck that hinders breakthroughs in their martial arts."

"Ah, so that's how it is," Xiao Tianci nodded in understanding. "It seems a bit like you can't have your fish and eat it too. By the way, aren't you afraid that using a gun will affect you?"

Fire Phoenix looked slightly embarrassed as she replied, "Actually, I've thought about it. Given my current situation, it will be very hard for me to make significant progress in the short term. If I want to vastly increase my combat effectiveness while making modest gains in martial arts, I have to find alternative methods. So..."

Xiao Tianci nodded understandingly and reflected for a moment. "In my opinion, there's no need to view it so rigidly. First of all, martial arts and marksmanship are completely different things. While some argue that studying both divides one's focus and is inferior to mastering just one, I agree with that to an extent. However, can't someone excel at both? If they do, wouldn't their power be even greater? Therefore, if you develop both simultaneously, you should aim for that synergy. Especially you, little princess—you've been practicing both side by side from the very beginning, which gives you a great advantage here."

The little princess nodded eagerly. "Brother, I'll definitely practice hard so no one can ever bully you again."

Hearing this, both Fire Phoenix and Vajra turned somewhat solemn, because protecting Xiao Tianci was their sacred duty. Xiao Tianci, however, dismissed it with an indifferent smile. "Alright, the little princess is the most obedient. But you have to grow up first, and become truly powerful, before you can do that. Brother's going to learn martial arts from now on too, so later on, we can even spar together!"

"Really, Brother? That's wonderful! When can we spar?" The little princess was clearly eager.

Xiao Tianci chuckled. "You, don't be in such a hurry. Just focus on healing your injuries first."

"Mm," the little princess nodded obediently. Looking up, Xiao Tianci found Fire Phoenix's eyes fixed on him; the moment their gazes met, she hastily looked away, causing Xiao Tianci's heart to flutter slightly as well.

In truth, the two of them hadn't done anything improper, yet the sudden shift in atmosphere felt inexplicably awkward. Xiao Tianci quickly stood up and said, "Little princess, you and Fire Phoenix Sister rest up well. Brother might not be able to visit as often these days, so you must be a good girl, understood?"

"Mm, don't worry, Brother."

Xiao Tianci patted her head, then looked at Fire Phoenix. "Fire Phoenix, you... you should take good care of your health too. Don't rush it; you can only push forward once your body is fully healed, otherwise impatience gets you nowhere."

Fire Phoenix, being who she was, raised her gaze slightly to look at him. "Mm, I will. You take care as well and don't overwork yourself."

Why did it feel like something was a bit off? Xiao Tianci stood up, exchanged a few more parting words with them, and walked out while turning the matter over in his mind.

When Xiao Tianci arrived at Chief Steward Lin Jian's quarters, the latter was actually reading a book—and an examination study guide at that! Xiao Tianci felt as though he might faint on the spot.

Gesturing toward the study materials, Xiao Tianci asked incredulously, "You're actually planning to take the exams?!"

Lin Jian attempted to rise, but Xiao Tianci motioned for both him and Vajra to sit. Only then did Lin Jian reply, "Mm, I look over them when I have time, and I'll take the tests when the time comes."

Xiao Tianci stared in utter admiration. "If the people who are currently breaking their backs studying just to pass those exams heard what you just said, they'd drown you in their spittle."

A faint hint of a smile touched Lin Jian's lips. Xiao Tianci then inquired about the recovery of his injuries. Since Lin Jian had grown up here in the Xiao family, Xiao Tianci had no need to worry about other aspects of his care.

After chatting for a bit, Xiao Tianci recalled the conversation he'd just had with the little princess and Fire Phoenix, and brought it up with Lin Jian. Lin Jian pondered for a moment before speaking, "Boss, actually... according to the rules of the Xiao family, the Chief Steward is strictly forbidden from practicing martial arts."

"What?" Hearing this, Xiao Tianci stared at him in astonishment. "That's strange, why didn't you ever mention this to me before? I've often wondered why you never learned martial arts; given your marksmanship and your sharp mind, if you practiced martial arts, your achievements would surely be extraordinary, complementing your shooting skills perfectly!"

Lin Jian replied calmly, "We never discussed it in the past, but it has been a long-established rule. Besides, the Xiao family never really needed..."

Xiao Tianci waved a hand to cut him off. "You don't need to finish that sentence. It's very simple: from now on, this rule is abolished. I was worried about having no company anyway, so you'll practice the *Xuanyuan Formula* right along with me."

"Boss, how could that be permissible?"

Xiao Tianci declared, "What's not permissible about it? Don't give me any of that nonsense about family rules—those dogmatic things mean nothing to me. Right now, I am the boss, and my word is the family rule! Damn it, I don't even know which ancestor came up with that rule in the first place, but good or bad, let's blame it on the ancestors. In the past, the Xiao family probably didn't need the Chief Steward to practice martial arts because they had sufficient external strength. But things are different now; this is my command, and you must study it with me."

Hearing his boss speak with such finality, what else could Lin Jian say? While he inherently favored marksmanship over martial arts, he harbored no fear of a divided focus. After all, his marksmanship had already reached a bottleneck; unless he could fundamentally enhance his own physical strength and speed, it was impossible to push his shooting skills any further.

In his heart, Xiao Tianci knew clearly that dealing with the Sakura Group was merely a minor matter; the individuals who had appeared the other day only served to confirm his initial intuition. Even so, the Sakura Group had to be brought down. Afterwards, he would devise a few more schemes to make them wish they were dead, and only then would he turn his full attention to Tanimu Aotian. *Hmph, old man, you just wait. Next time I go after you personally... anyway, I will make you fall at my feet.*

Xiao Tianci was well aware that reaching the level of Tanimu Aotian was not something achieved overnight. While he naturally hoped for a miracle, the most practical approach was first to strengthen the combat power of his subordinates, and secondarily to enhance his own strength.