The Thirty-Fifth Chapter: Family Meeting

  Having sent off the nagging king, I returned home and once again received a hero's welcome! Looking at the servants cheering and jumping around, it really felt great!

  Grandfather magnanimously allowed them to add dishes again, this decision brought their enthusiasm to a high level, even my two usually calm bodyguards smiled at me and said: "Young master, it would be great if you could duel every day!"

  Fainted! You're fine, what about me? Who's so full that they'd duel for fun?

  Finally settling down, Grandfather, parents and I began our post-war big discussion together.

  "What does the king want with you?" Mother was still interested in the king's intentions.

  "He wants to buy the scroll of 'Great Seal of Magic' from me!" I said innocently.

  "Dizzy, you deceived him into thinking it was the merit of the scroll?" Mother said: "Do you know what crime deceiving the king is? You're really reckless!"

  "Haha! So what if he does? He can't possibly know!" The poor but confident one said: "Even if I do, I have an excuse to call him out for being a mute loser!"

  "Okay, but what if he wants to buy a scroll?"

  "Sell! He wanted to buy it at that time, and I agreed!"

  "Ah! What did you give him then?"

  "He thought it was too expensive and didn't buy it!"

  "How much does it cost?" "Even a king can't afford it," Mom said.

  "Not much!" The poor Taoist said with a hint of grievance: "I even gave him a 30% discount! It's just 100 million gold coins!"

  "Ah!" The three of them exclaimed in surprise, with the mother shouting: "Selling for 300 million after a 30% discount? You're too black-hearted! He's not an easy target to cheat!"

  "It's really troublesome to haggle with the king, you might as well just say no sale! He thinks you're playing him!" Grandpa also said.

  "Haha, I have a reasonable calculation method, gave it to him on the spot, he didn't get angry!"

  "Oh? How did you calculate it?" Mom asked

  The poor way just told them that set of calculations!

  "Seems like there's some truth to it!" Grandpa agreed

  "Hmph! What a load of nonsense!" Mother, being the businesswoman she was, immediately saw through the trick: "The range of your magic is only a few meters, while the 14th-level forbidden spell used by the Spirit Queen has a range of several kilometers. The difference is huge! They can sell it for 1 billion without losing out, but yours would be lucky to sell for a few hundred million. It's clear they were intimidated by the name of this scroll. What a waste!"

  "Haha! Mom is still awesome!" I admire her.

  "I have a question! Why was Xiao Wu able to win these two rounds of dueling?" The father, who usually didn't speak much, suddenly spoke up and said: "No matter how I look at it, his strength is far inferior to others. If he had used a divine artifact, it would be understandable, but he almost won solely based on his own strength. How can I not understand why this is the case?"

  "Not bad! I also have some doubts, this kid's strength is indeed different from others, but judging from the results, it seems to be the opposite. One time can be luck, but twice, three times, it shouldn't always be like that!" Grandpa said.

  "I've only dueled twice, where did this 'three' and 'total' come from?!" The poor Dao protested.

  "Hum! In the past, when you were eighteen, weren't you more formidable than eighteen people? And this time, the five of you beating up fifty people, you've also forgotten. You yourself count how many times you've fought in these few years, and how many people have been beaten to death or disability, there must be dozens! Your skills are greater than others, but why is it always you who beats people, and others who get beaten? Moreover, I also know that the two bodyguards I assigned to you never helped you!" Grandfather said strangely

  "Yes! And another thing, look at your brothers, when they get into fights at school, even if they win, they come back with bruises and torn clothes. You, on the other hand, always come back spotless, not a hair out of place. If it weren't for others coming to our door, I wouldn't have known about all your 'exploits'!" Mother said in an odd tone.

  "Ah! This time if your father hadn't reminded me, you would have really gotten away with it! Speak up, what's the trick!" Grandfather said.

  "Haha! That's all! I just like to think too much!" The poor Taoist said humbly.

  "Are you saying your brothers are all brainless idiots?" Mom said disapprovingly.

  "No! I didn't mean it like that! Mother, don't wrong me!" Poor Dao hurriedly said.

  "What's going on with you? In the past, even when we had small arguments, it wasn't obvious. Now, however, it seems that even the Magic Masters are no match for you. Those are guys at my level, and I wouldn't dare say I'd win if I were to face them myself. Even if I did win, it would be a narrow victory, not as effortless as you make it look! Which means... taking care of me should also be easy for you?" Mom's last sentence was spoken in a very low tone, and her face looked dejected.

  "Hehe, actually I'm definitely no match for mom!" Poor Dao said

  "Why? I can't even cast a spell in your domain! Without magic, I'm useless!" Mother said.

  "Hehe! You can run first, with your speed I won't be able to catch up. As long as you waste my domain time, you can do whatever you want to me!"

  "Really! Why didn't the Weikela magician run away?" Mom asked

  "That idiot met for the first time, didn't know the details, and didn't know how to deal with it!"

  "What about your past achievements? Especially the duel with Ishihara Niō, he knew all about you and yet you still lost so badly?" Mom asked.

  "That white idiot is too familiar to me, but at the same time I'm also familiar with him. He knows I'll use scrolls, so he's prepared tactics and equipment to counter them! Haha! But I thought further ahead, I knew the tactics he designed for me, so I designed mine against his, that's why I won!"

  "I understand this now, but what about before? Did you know their tactics? Be more specific." Grandfather said.

  "Some know, some don't, it depends on the situation. Actually, I've won every battle because my way of looking at strength and weakness is different from yours." The poor Taoist will give you a lesson in military strategy this time.

  "Oh! How is it different?" Grandfather asked excitedly. The old man, who had once competed with the five strongest, still yearned for power!

  "Most of you think of strength as a matter of how strong one's ki or magic is, don't you?"

  "Right! Like me, I'm much stronger than others. I can beat dozens of Stone family warriors and make them roll on the ground to find their teeth. Isn't this power?" Father said

  "It's power, but in my opinion, it's just second-rate power!"

  "What is that great power?" Grandfather asked

  "Wisdom" is definitely what the poor monk said

  "What's wisdom? I don't understand! Be more specific!" said Grandfather

  "For example, take Father for instance. His level is roughly on par with a thousand ordinary people, meaning he can defeat an entire army of a thousand by himself, right? Father!" Poor Way asked

  "Ah! That's about it! Can't take any more!" He was still quite modest.

  "But if I were in command, you'd probably be in danger of being taken alive! Do you believe it?"

  "Hmph! With so many tricks up your sleeve and a divine artifact in hand, I'm afraid you could capture me yourself. Do you still need 1,000 men?" The father was unconvinced.

  "I don't do it myself, I just direct!"

  "Impossible!" Grandfather jumped out and said: "His martial skills were all taught by me, I can clearly tell you, don't underestimate the youngest Sword Saint on this continent. He spent ten years alone in the Spirit Forest, also fighting with the magical beasts there for ten years, his martial skills honed between life and death are absolutely not to be trifled with! I dare say that if it's the Qinglong Army's thousand-man squad, he can barely beat them, but other armies, even the Royal Guard, he can easily defeat two thousand-man squads. How do you plan on capturing him alive?"

  "Rely on wisdom! First, we need to observe the location of the battle, the time, the method, and so on. Then make preparations, and that's it! Don't believe me? You set the details, I'll pay attention, Father will respond, let's see if we can capture him alive!"