Each move was faster than the last, each aimed straight for the heart, each strike meant to kill. He clutched the oiled paper package tightly, tumbling and dodging along the moonlit, shadowy riverbank. Though somewhat disheveled, he felt a strange sense of relief—a truly bizarre feeling.
In a moment of distraction, my wrist was swept by the end of the whip, and the stinky tofu in my palm scattered all over the ground, some even rolling into the river.
The hot liquid dripped stickily from my fingertips.
He didn't even feel the pain, only regret for the dusty dried tofu. After mourning, he raised his head, looked at the angry young man opposite him who resembled him, and his eyes softened.
"Third brother, you've grown up."
"shut up!"
Whether out of fear of the man's anger or something else, he really didn't say another word.
“Ever since you abandoned the Wei family, abandoned your mother, and followed that group to squander your life, you have no right to be my second brother.” The cold-faced young man could not hide his hatred. “I only ask you one question: Is the civil unrest in Zhili related to you?”
He didn't answer, but instead threw the iron mask to the ground with a dull thud.
His eyes turned icy, and Wei Zhuofeng gritted his teeth in extreme hatred. "Disgracing the family is not enough, yet you have willingly fallen into depravity."
Seeing that he was about to make a move, the tall guard stepped forward and blocked the two of them.
"Third Young Master, please allow me to do it."
"Get out of the way," Wei Zhuofeng ordered.
The unwavering determination in his eyes made Gao Dashan yield; the mountain-like figure slowly stepped aside, and the bright moon emerged from the clouds at that very moment. One in white, one in black, confronted each other under the pale moonlight of late autumn.
He was extremely unwilling; it was rare for brothers to meet, and even though Zhuofeng had no intention of acknowledging him as his elder brother, he was still overjoyed at his younger brother's growth. His little brother, who had once only reached his waist, whose adoring eyes always satisfied his vanity as the elder brother...
The whip lashed out, its sound like a snake's tongue, sending chills down one's spine.
He sighed inwardly, rolled to his side, and the whip's end whistled past his hair. Time seemed to stand still; through the night, he seemed to see his little brother standing under the moon, foolishly waving the whip until he was covered in wounds. Later, it was through his mother's tears that his little brother finally switched to practicing with a longsword.
However, the weapons have already changed hands.
The moment blood flowed again from his arm, he flicked his right wrist and drew a soft sword from his waist.
Now he wields the Zhuofeng Sword, and he uses the Changfeng Whip.
I really miss that little boy who begged me to exchange weapons before he left home.
But at this moment, there was nothing but deeper hatred in those eyes.
The soft sword followed the whip upwards, like a dragon and snake swimming together, seemingly clinging to each other but actually having already parted ways.
He felt guilty for leaving home, but he never regretted it.
At the same time, they unleashed their true energy, causing the whip and sword to repel each other and separate, just like the figures of the two flying out.
His toes touched the ground, leaving a long trail on the riverbank. He stood leaning against his sword, and his opponent gained no advantage.
Wei Zhuofeng, unwilling to back down, wiped the red stains from his lips and lashed out again with his whip.
Light clouds obscured the moon, and shadows flickered ominously. A glint of silver light occasionally flashed in the whip's shadow, and ghostly figures sometimes flitted across the old trees by the river. But apart from the startled owls, nothing else seemed amiss; not even a single withered branch fell.
Gao Dashan watched quietly from the side. Suddenly, he heard a clash of palms, and the two figures trembled uncontrollably, falling abruptly to the east and west. The one who fell to the west was less fortunate, landing amidst rolling waves. The one who fell to the east, as if seizing an opportunity, used the moment to push off a tree trunk, his silver sword flashing swiftly towards his opponent.
At this moment, Gao Dashan was so eager to protect his master that he had already forgotten his master's orders. His mountain-like body swept through the wind as he flew into the river, unleashing a powerful palm strike.
"Stop, Dashan!" It was the master who spoke.
Gao Dashan was momentarily stunned, only then realizing that the silver sword wasn't a killing move, but rather a deliberate attempt to save someone by pulling back the whip. But the palm strike had already been unleashed, and disaster was imminent; he couldn't stop it.
Second Young Master...
Just as the giant hand was about to strike, a gray shadow appeared in mid-air, emitting a foul stench. As Gao Dashan's giant hand landed, paralyzed, he was still marveling at how small it was—just a tiny piece of dried bean curd.
Although he wasn't hit, Wei Changfeng's feet felt unsteady. Gao Dashan was half-paralyzed and could only save one person. Without thinking, he pulled his master back to the shore.
Just as they reached the shore, they saw a man carrying Wei Changfeng skimming across the water.
“Luo Sichuan.” Gao Dafeng was somewhat surprised.
The servants of the Wei family were named in order, starting with him.
Mountains, rivers, peaks, Sichuan...
Although it sounds a bit unpleasant, it's easy to remember; this is one of the Wei family patriarch's quirky tastes.
"I changed my name a long time ago. Luo Chuan, it sounds like something out of place, ptooey, no, isn't it Sichuan!"
As expected of Sichuan, this servant, who always seemed to be fussy and nagging, was just trying to make up for the second young master's taciturn nature.
"You can't even manage your servants." Chao Wei Changfeng snorted coldly, and Wei Zhuofeng's eyes swept over the late-arriving Luo Shi with a sinister gaze.
“You’re clearly just concerned about Ninth Senior Brother, Third Young Master, you’re really being awkward.” Luo Shi continued nagging, unfazed.
"Ninth Senior Brother?" A strange emotion flashed across his cold face. "Not only do you mingle with vagrants, but you also call your servants brothers. Wei Changfeng, you have truly degenerated."
Regardless of whether he had fallen into depravity or not, he was very happy tonight, at least he had seen the true feelings his younger brother had hidden. Although it was only for a moment, it was enough for him to savor for a while.
But the next sentence completely shattered his good mood.
"Wei Changfeng, listen to me! I, Wei Zhuofeng, swear to seize the position of leader of the alliance and revive the Shiying Wei family. If we meet again, one of us will be an official, and the other a bandit. I will do everything in my power to take your life!"
The night breeze was a bit chilly. He swallowed the sweet, metallic taste in his throat, and his eyes remained motionless, turning him into a dead fish once more.
“Okay,” he said softly.