Chapter 490: You May Break Even, But I Profit Big

"This... doesn't seem quite appropriate," Little Nine hesitated.

It seemed reluctant on the surface; however, deep down, joy bloomed in his heart. This kind of sworn brotherhood, no matter how one looked at it, was a complete win for him.

After all, Li Xiaofei was one of the chosen ones. As long as he didn’t fall from the fractured or collapsing heavenly laws, he was destined to stand on equal footing with his master and those four other beings.

If he and Li Xiaofei became sworn brothers, how would he address his master, Li Mu, in the future? Just thinking about it amused him greatly.

Li Xiaofei quickly said, "What's wrong with it?"

Little Nine feigned restraint and replied, "As man and beast, you and I are of different paths."

Li Xiaofei retorted, "We are both intelligent beings, each the best-looking among our respective kinds. We’re kindred spirits who hit it off instantly. Why should we care about the difference between man and beast? You must know that fate connects us; we should cherish this bond."

Little Nine asked, "Really?"

Li Xiaofei affirmed, "Really."

Little Nine pressed, "Truly?"

Li Xiaofei insisted, "Truly."

"Alright!" Little Nine smacked his front paw down before raising his thumb in a gesture of righteousness. He put on a noble air as he declared, "Since you have pleaded so earnestly, I shall graciously accept you as my little brother."

A deeply moved Li Xiaofei responded, "Big brother."

Little Nine, equally thrilled, exclaimed, "Little brother!"

Li Xiaofei spoke generously, "One call of big brother, a lifetime of brotherhood. From this moment on, you and I are brothers, different in species and surname but bound by loyalty. What’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is yours. We shall share blessings and endure hardships together. We do not seek to be born in the same year, month, or day, but we vow to die in the same year, month, and day."

Little Nine was stunned. "Woof! You're going all in?"

Li Xiaofei replied righteously, "Big Brother, your words lack understanding. Only such a vow can reflect the sincerity of our bond."

This dumb dog can travel five hundred years through time, lives in a kennel that controls the flow of time, and has a small world in its belly filled with countless secret manuals. Isn’t it basically a living god? A creature that can undoubtedly live for countless years? I must hold on tight to this golden opportunity.

Besides, with a sworn bond like that of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei’s[1], this dumb dog would be obligated to help him if he ever faced life-threatening danger.

Little Nine excitedly clapped. "Good brother, you truly have sincerity."

He then repeated the oath word for word.

Oh my gosh. This is one of the chosen Li Mu and the others selected. Sooner or later, this human will leave Earth and step into the cosmos. If he ever reached the level of my master, Li Mu, my profit would be immeasurable.

And so, one man and one dog, each with their own hidden agendas, officially became sworn brothers.

Li Xiaofei put his arm around the dumb dog’s neck as he said, "Big Brother, as you can see, your little brother here is penniless. I have no car, no house, and I’m constantly being bullied. I'm just barely managing as a struggling worker. Can you, as my big brother, lend me a helping hand?"

Little Nine stood on his hind legs and placed his front paws on Li Xiaofei’s shoulder. Speaking in a tone filled with worldly wisdom, he said, "Little Brother, the meaning of life lies in struggle. You can’t always think of taking shortcuts."

Li Xiaofei asked, "So, Big Brother, are you saying you struggled to achieve what you have today?"

"Not really," Little Nine shook his head.

Li Xiaofei was speechless for a moment and then said, "You haven’t struggled yourself, and yet you’re lecturing me about struggling?"

"I’m a dog," Little Nine replied confidently. "As long as my master is powerful, I don’t need to struggle to live well."

Li Xiaofei was momentarily speechless.

That... makes so much sense. I can’t even argue with it.

After a moment, Li Xiaofei said, "Since that’s the case, I’m willing to work hard too. But Big Brother, can you at least give me a meeting gift or something? Maybe an unused Zhuxian Sword, a Taiji Diagram, a Golden Cudgel, a Purple Gold Gourd, a Sky-Mending Stone, a Pangu Axe, a Wind-Fixing Pearl, a Lotus Throne—anything will do. Just a couple hundred pieces will be fine."

Little Nine’s fur practically stood on end at the audacity of the request. This wasn’t just asking for a lot. This was a lion attempting to swallow the heavens.

"Little Brother, your life is still long. Don’t aim too high too soon." He advised, his tone full of earnestness. "Even if I gave you those little things, you wouldn’t be able to handle them. Being human is all about staying grounded and living happily."

Li Xiaofei squinted suspiciously. "Big Brother, are you sure you’re not just saying this because you don’t have those so-called little things?"

"How could that be?" Little Nine vehemently denied the accusation. "Those trinkets? I have plenty of them. But I can’t give them to you now. I’m only doing this for your own good. Woof!"

Li Xiaofei remained unconvinced. Little Nine scratched his head with his paw, visibly conflicted.

Finally, he grit his teeth and said, "Woof! Let me think about what to give you. Woof... I’ve got it! Three days from now, I’ll give you a great treasure, one that will absolutely satisfy you."

"Really?"

"Really."

"That’s why you’re my Big Brother!"

"Don’t worry. Big Brother’s got your back."

Man and dog finally reached a consensus. A thoroughly satisfied Li Xiaofei leisurely made his way to the small mountain of secret manuals. He picked up the one at the very top, the Tai Xuan Sutra.

At last, he had obtained this legendary manual. It was the most powerful one in the world of Jin Yong. Having previously drawn multiple secret manuals from Jin Yong’s universe, Li Xiaofei had mentally prepared himself for the day he’d acquire the Tai Xuan Sutra. Now, that day had finally arrived.

Who can inscribe this beneath the pavilion? White-haired Tai Xuan Sutra.

Many believed that the Tai Xuan Sutra was the only cultivation manual in the Jin Yong martial arts universe. The illiterate mongrel Shi Potian had stumbled upon it and accidentally cultivated it to become the unrivaled champion of the martial world. He had reached a realm nearly akin to shattering the void. Shi Potian was often regarded as the strongest protagonist in the Jin Yong universe.

Li Xiaofei opened the manual. As described in the original work, the first thing to greet his eyes was Li Bai’s[2] poem, Ode to the Gallantry.

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

From "Zhao's guest donned the silken cap, Wu's blade glinted like frost," to "Three cups sworn in sincerity, Five Peaks weighed as light," and finally to "Two heroes through a thousand years, radiant in Great Liang's city. Even in death, their heroic bones held fragrance, unashamed of earthly glory. Who can inscribe this beneath the pavilion? White-haired Tai Xuan Sutra."

Each line of the poem was accompanied by illustrations and annotations. The annotations provided detailed explanations of the martial arts principles hidden within the poem.

In the original work, countless martial arts masters and prodigies had gathered on Gallant Island to study the secrets of the poem, but they had all gone astray. This was due to the diagrams and annotations in the island's stone chamber, which pointed them in entirely wrong directions. These errors caused even the most brilliant and exceptional individuals to spend their lives in vain as they failed to unravel the sutra’s mysteries.

However, the manual in Li Xiaofei’s hands contained the correct illustrations and explanations. This time, the path was clear. When Li Xiaofei glanced at the manual, his starforce qi began to circulate actively of its own accord. His body moved instinctively, his limbs shifting and flowing through movements.

In the span of a single incense stick burning, Li Xiaofei practiced all the martial arts contained within the Tai Xuan Sutra, including body techniques, sword techniques, palm techniques, inner strength cultivation, and breathing methods.

It’s certainly an exceptional martial art, though it falls short of being a true cultivation method. However, its reputation as the strongest in the Jin Yong universe isn’t exaggerated.

That was Li Xiaofei’s verdict.

Yet, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this so-called "strongest" manual didn’t provide him with a significant improvement. He stifled his faint sense of dissatisfaction and reached for the second manual sitting atop the small mountain of books in front of him— The War God Records.

Could it be fake?

The thought crept unbidden into his mind. In the original story, the War God Records wasn’t even a book, nor a painting, nor any form of recorded text. Instead, it was a collection of floating relief sculptures, suspended in the air, quietly waiting for a destined individual to discover them within the War God Hall.

The War God Hall itself was hidden deep underground, surrounded by an isolated realm. It was guarded by a demonic dragon and adorned with rare, magical flora. Its ceiling displayed the vast constellations of the heavens, and the hall could even relocate itself autonomously, changing its position at will.

So how could this small book in his hands possibly contain the entirety of The War God Records’ profound mysteries?

With doubt swirling in his mind, Li Xiaofei slowly unrolled the scroll-like manual. However, something completely unexpected happened.

1. These are the characters of the Three Kingdoms Period of Chinese history. ☜

2. Li Bai, formerly pronounced Li Bo, courtesy name Taibai, was a Chinese poet acclaimed as one of the greatest and most important poets of the Tang dynasty and in Chinese history as a whole. ☜