When Ma Liang volunteered to join the mission, Chu Xinghe was initially reluctant. After all, Ma Liang's backstabbing skills were notoriously sharp. But after some thought, Chu Xinghe reasoned:
We're just going to repay a debt, how could he possibly backstab me?
I'm the one giving things away, how could I lose?
So what if Ma Liang tags along?
Chu Xinghe nodded and agreed to Ma Liang's request.
The Great Elder was also very supportive of Ma Liang's initiative. With Ma Liang accompanying Xinghe, not only could he handle the dirty and tiring tasks, but with the Feng City Formation in hand, their safety was also assured.
The Feng City Formation, strengthened by the Deputy Sect Master, could withstand even Wu Xingyun's attacks until reinforcements from the Grand Sky Sect arrived.
Of course, the Great Elder personally had a word with Ma Liang.
The Great Elder found Ma Liang to be exceptionally astute, even before he spoke, Ma Liang had already understood his role.
"Rest assured, Great Elder, all the dirty and tiring work is mine... Anything Senior Brother Xinghe finds inconvenient, I'll handle it discreetly. Anything he finds difficult to say, I'll have a private word with them. No matter what happens, it's all on me, Ma Liang!"The Great Elder was full of praise for such a sensible Ma Liang.
After sending Ma Liang off, Elder He slapped the table and remarked, "Great Elder, Ma Liang's current demeanor is reminiscent of your shameless younger days..."
Though he berated Elder He for his nonsense, the Great Elder had to admit that Ma Liang indeed had a touch of his younger self.
Not just shamelessness, but a clear understanding of his own position.
He knows what he wants and what he shouldn't want!
Is Ma Liang outstanding?
Everyone present would unanimously agree on Ma Liang's excellence.
With the Feng City Order in hand, Ma Liang was unmatched among the younger generation, even Zheng Yu couldn't rival Ma Liang wielding the Feng City Formation.
But Ma Liang never provoked others or sought to defeat Zheng Yu to claim the title of the second best among the younger generation.
This was precisely Ma Liang's brilliance.
If Ma Liang had done so, what would others think?
Are you trying to outshine everyone?
If you can defeat Zheng Yu today, will you challenge Senior Brother Xinghe tomorrow?
If Ma Liang had done so, he would never have achieved his current status in the Grand Sky Sect.
On the contrary, Ma Liang never pursued status, nor did he care about reputation, which was his most remarkable trait.
Ma Liang was notorious for his countless scandals... He had tarnished his reputation early on, signaling to everyone.
I, Ma Liang, have never intended to compete with Senior Brother Xinghe for the position of Young Sect Master. My sole aim is to support Senior Brother Xinghe!
Don't be fooled by the Great Elder's current dignified appearance; in his youth, his reputation was beyond repair.
Yet, despite his tarnished reputation, he indisputably became the Great Elder of the Grand Sky Sect.
Everyone could see the path Ma Liang was on; from the moment he acquired the Feng City Formation, he had set his goal and never wavered.
So Ma Liang didn't care about reputation, nor did he compete for anything. He was always at the forefront of dirty and tiring tasks, shamelessly doing whatever was necessary... What did it matter if the whole world cursed him?
Ma Liang was a grateful person; he never forgot why he had come this far.
To be blunt, if Xinghe had been even slightly unscrupulous, Ma Liang would have been dealt with by the sect during the spirit cave expedition.
But no one mentioned that incident, partly for Xinghe's sake and partly because the old foxes were observing Ma Liang.
To see if Ma Liang would forget his roots as he grew stronger.
The fact was, Ma Liang never forgot his roots. With the Feng City Formation, his name spread across the land, and he could challenge even the older generation of powerhouses.
But Ma Liang never let his control over everything get to his head.
The Great Elder knew Ma Liang's future goal, but he saw nothing wrong with Ma Liang's ambition.
Once, the Great Elder wondered if Feng Fei would be a better support for Xinghe in the future.
But later, he realized Feng Fei was too upright, and someone so righteous couldn't hold the position of Great Elder.
In contrast, Ma Liang was entirely different. He was flexible, shameless when necessary, and most importantly, he had a broad mind.
Last time, when he was demoted to the outer sect, anyone else might have felt disgruntled.
But look at Ma Liang, not a hint of displeasure, shameless as ever, just like the Great Elder in his youth...
Outside the Grand Sky Palace, Ma Liang was overjoyed. The sect's big shots letting him support Senior Brother Xinghe was a clear signal.
I, Ma Liang, am destined to become the Great Elder of the Grand Sky Sect...
That's my only goal!
What? You say Sect Master? Is that a position I should even consider?
The position of Sect Master is only for my Senior Brother Xinghe. Anyone who dares covet it, I'll be the first to take them down!
It's not that Ma Liang doesn't know he's excellent, but he knows why he's excellent!
Everything he has today is because of Senior Brother Xinghe. Ma Liang never thought he could surpass Senior Brother Xinghe, even with the Feng City Formation and the Ghost Emperor's blessing.
Not only because the Feng City Formation was given by Senior Brother Xinghe, but also because Ma Liang knew his limits. Even if today, with the Feng City Formation, he might surpass Senior Brother Xinghe, it would only be temporary. Senior Brother Xinghe's potential far exceeds his own.
Give Senior Brother Xinghe some time, and surpassing Ma Liang would be a matter of minutes.
People can dream, but Ma Liang believed in realistic dreams. As the future Great Elder of the Grand Sky Sect, Ma Liang's life goal was to support Senior Brother Xinghe. Anyone who dared to obstruct him was his lifelong enemy!
Following Senior Brother Xinghe on this debt-repaying journey, Ma Liang had already planned it out.
Senior Brother Xinghe, rest assured... You focus on repaying the debts and gaining a good reputation. I'll handle all the dirty and tiring tasks. Anything you find inconvenient, I'll take care of it for you. With me, Ma Liang, there are no worries!
Whether having Ma Liang around was worrisome, Chu Xinghe didn't know. All Chu Xinghe knew was that he had no worries at the moment.
Look at this pile of debts; if they were all repaid, what would the little Ma Liang recovered amount to?
Chu Xinghe spent the night organizing these debts.
For those forces or individuals that no longer existed, Chu Xinghe insisted that they must not miss any opportunity to repay.
Thus, Chu Xinghe tasked the sect's intelligence-gathering brothers to track down the descendants of these people. Until the debts were repaid, the Grand Sky Sect would not rest!
While others were investigating these dead accounts, Chu Xinghe sorted out a batch of currently existing sects. Soon, he discovered that all these creditors were allies or vassal sects of the Grand Sky Sect?
How could this be?
As the number one sect under heaven, how could the Grand Sky Sect owe debts to its allies and vassal sects? What would the outside world think?
So the first batch of repayments targeted these debts.
They had to set off to repay the debts first thing in the morning!
The next morning, when Chu Xinghe opened his door, he found Ma Liang already waiting outside.
Despite Ma Liang's constant backstabbing, he was indeed the best at understanding Chu Xinghe.
Rushing to the Spirit Crane Palace's kitchen, they found breakfast wasn't ready yet. To save time, Chu Xinghe took Ma Liang to the Artifact Refining Palace for breakfast.
After all, the Artifact Refining Palace started and ended meals the earliest and latest in the Grand Sky Sect.
Arriving at the Artifact Refining Palace, they were greeted by the aroma of food.
However, through the mist, Chu Xinghe saw a figure squatting in a corner, devouring a pork knuckle.
Approaching closer, Chu Xinghe was shocked!
Ouyang Ling?
Ouyang Ling, isn't the Artifact Refining Palace banned from having pork knuckles?
How dare you openly violate sect rules?
Furious, Chu Xinghe snatched the pork knuckle from Ouyang Ling's hands, and Ma Liang, not to be outdone, grabbed the other one hidden behind her.
Chewing on the stolen pork knuckles, they told Junior Sister Ouyang, "Since it's your first offense, we won't report you to the sect, but the pork knuckles are confiscated!"
Amid Ouyang Ling's cries of protest, Chu Xinghe and Ma Liang activated the teleportation array and left the Grand Sky Sect...
Ouyang Ling sat on the ground, incredulous. Senior Brother Xinghe... Senior Brother Ma Liang... Was it the decline of morality or the distortion of humanity that made you come to my Artifact Refining Palace to steal my pork knuckles first thing in the morning...
Do you know those were my last two pork knuckles?
Do you know how much psychological damage it does to me, Ouyang Ling, to have my pork knuckles stolen?
Killing me would be less painful than this heartless act of stealing my pork knuckles!
Amid Ouyang Ling's despairing cries, Chu Xinghe activated the teleportation array and arrived at the Tianwu Sect with Ma Liang.
The Tianwu Sect was one of the Grand Sky Sect's vassal sects, so when Chu Xinghe appeared, the entire Tianwu Sect was on high alert.
The Great Elder of the Tianwu Sect even personally came to the mountain gate to greet them, but upon seeing Ma Liang behind Chu Xinghe, his face changed dramatically!
We don't owe the Grand Sky Sect any debts, so why is Ma Liang here?
Just as the Great Elder of the Tianwu Sect, Qu Ying, was puzzled, Chu Xinghe spoke.
"Chu Xinghe greets Elder Qu. No need to panic, Elder Qu. Today, we're here not to collect debts but to repay the resources the Grand Sky Sect owes the Tianwu Sect."
Qu Ying's face changed drastically upon hearing Chu Xinghe's words!
What? Chu Xinghe isn't here to collect debts? He's here to repay them?
But that's even scarier than collecting debts...