Chapter 766: Irreconcilable Enemies (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
“Third Brother and Seventh Brother are already gone… Eldest Brother and I cannot lose any more of them… No one will forget the matter of revenge! They will not have died in vain! But—we cannot force it! Qingzhi, do you understand?” Gu Ren, the sixth brother, had red eyes and was saying words of persuasion to Chao Lian, but the veins on his hands that were gripping Chao Lian were bulging as he used all his strength to suppress his hatred.
Chao Lian, almost delirious, exclaimed, "I don't understand!"
She raised her hand and shook off Sixth Brother's arm.
But upon seeing Gu Ren's appearance, he froze in his tracks, a surge of hatred coursing through his chest. An unprecedented urge to kill made him want to abandon all reason and commit murder. In the end, however, he could only vent his hatred with a long howl.
With just his fists, he smashed the stone wall to pieces.
"Aaaaaahhhhhh—"
The painful screams eventually turned into cries of agony.
Thump!
Chao Lian knelt before the corpses of his two sworn brothers, burying his face in his hands and pounding the ground, his mouth filled with self-reproach, until tears blurred the blood before his eyes. He didn't know how much time had passed when a pair of boots appeared before him. A hand gripped his shoulder and lifted him up.
It turned out to be the eldest brother, Gu Ren.
Chao Lian had never seen Gu Ren like this before.
They had been sworn brothers for so many years, and the eldest brother, Gu Renru, treated everyone's lives like a father, taking care of every little detail. From major arguments and conflicts to minor matters like food, clothing, and shelter. Sometimes, his strictness would even elicit eye-rolls and complaints from the third brother.
Chao Lian asked, puzzled: "Isn't this better?"
Third Brother smacked his lips, stroking his naturally curly, bushy beard, and put one arm around his shoulder. The two brothers, like mice, were hiding from their eldest brother, who was constantly chasing after them, while they secretly sipped their drinks in a corner. Third Brother said mysteriously, "Sigh, that's why I say, Twelfth Brother, you're still too young. You're not married, you don't have a wife, you don't understand."
Chao Lian was filled with questions: "Brother, what does this have to do with getting married and having a wife?!"
Third Brother sighed and said, "Once you get married, your wife will take care of your food and drink, and even worry about what you wear."
Chao Lian fell into an eerie silence upon hearing this.
Third Brother said quietly, "Sometimes I wonder, did I just gain a sworn brother, or did I bring home a wife?"
Chao Lian suddenly shivered.
The question was asked: "Why didn't you bring back a father figure?"
After all, an elder brother is like a father.
Third Brother chuckled: "Have you ever seen a father who worries about every little thing? That's why they say being a father is great, but being a mother is full of worries!"
Chao Lian: [Then why not just bring back a mother?]
Although my elder brother is not bad-looking, he is nowhere near as beautiful as my daughter. Just thinking about it would give me nightmares.
Third Brother took a swig of his drink: "Why should I be of a lower generation?"
Being someone's younger brother is bad enough, but to be someone's son is even worse?
The two brothers had just taken a few sips of their drinks when a head peeked out from above the low wall behind them: "What did you two say?"
The owner of the head had a face full of hostility.
[Pfft—Big Brother!] X2
Gu Ren, his face dark with anger, scaled the wall: "If I had sons like you who cause me so much trouble, I would have strangled you long ago! And you dare to run away?"
Third Brother's family perished in the massacre of the city by Zheng Qiao's army.
Orphaned, widowed, and childless, he poured his unfulfilled emotions into his sworn brothers. Driven by a desire for revenge, he declared, "Even we, the lowliest among us, possess the heart to slay dragons." He witnessed Zheng Qiao's death, but never had the chance to personally deliver the good news of his revenge to his family's graves. He didn't even have a chance to celebrate with drinks…
He died while covering the retreat.
Seventh Brother was fatally wounded when he went to retrieve his body.
“Big brother—” Chao Lian was grabbed by Gu Ren with one hand. Meeting the determination brewing in the latter’s dark eyes, the big brother, whose eyebrows and eyes were always full of kindness, was now like a god of death. His tears rolled down his cheeks uncontrollably. “It is because I am incompetent.”
If he were any stronger...
If we were stronger, we could at least win back Seventh Brother.
To save that brother who looked fierce but was incredibly kind to them, instead of watching him use all his martial arts to protect his heart, clinging to life until he finally breathed his last in his brother's arms. Even if, even if that wound were a little more off-center, it would have been better.
"Qingzhi."
Gu Ren put him down.
Patting Chao Lian's shoulder amidst his puzzled gaze, he spoke softly with an eerie calm: "Take good care of your nephews and nieces in the future. And pass on a message to your sister-in-law for your elder brother: she is still young, and she should find a good husband who will care for her. In my life, I, Gu Ziyi, have never wronged anyone, except for her, whom I have neglected and allowed to suffer ridicule from the outside world."
Gu Ren is nearly a generation younger than his third wife. From the age of fifteen when he was chosen by his mentor to be his son-in-law until now, he has married three wives in succession.
He is criticized for being "cursed to die after marrying" women, and some people say he is "hypocritical," saying that he got promoted and made his fortune by marrying his dead wives. Otherwise, how could he have achieved his current wealth and status? Some even say that he will lose a wife every ten years.
When he was forty-five, he made a bet that his current wife would also suffer a bloody disaster. These rumors even reached the inner courtyard, reaching the ears of his wife and father-in-law, who instead comforted him, stating bluntly that these fortune-telling claims were utter nonsense…
Gu Ren felt guilty for not spending enough time with her.
Chao Lian felt a sense of unease.
The way my elder brother said that sounded like he was entrusting his son to someone else.
"Big brother..."
Gu Ren said, "Just remember it."
"Big brother!"
Gu Ren continued, “I really want to go back, back to Shangnan, but Huang Xiguang will never let us go. It’s impossible for me to bow down to the enemy who killed my brother and beg for a life of shame! So, I can only entrust the family to you. You are steady and sensible, so I have no worries. Oh, and Thirteen… keep an eye on Thirteen, he’s all I have left.”
Chao Lian suddenly opened his eyes wide.
He twitched his shoulder, trying to shake off Gu Ren.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through that area.
In his vision, Gu Ren's expressionless face was instantly swallowed by darkness, followed by a sudden draining of all his strength. His knees buckled, and he fell forward, only to be caught by Gu Ren: "Second brother, fourth brother, is the coffin ready?"
The third and seventh brothers had a life full of hardships, and they couldn't just be buried in the ground without even a coffin after they died.
"Big brother, it's ready."
"That's good."
Gu Ren placed the two corpses into the simple coffins, calmly supporting himself with one hand as he gently wiped the blood and grime from their faces with his sleeve. After cleaning them, he and the others lowered the coffins into the large pit that had been dug beforehand and filled it in.
He looked at the two brand-new graves, standing side by side.
One faces south, the other faces north.
It was as if the two brothers were still back to back, protecting each other's blind spots, just like when they were alive. But in reality, they were still gazing at their hometown, a place they could never return to, where their blood relatives were buried. Gu Ren poured wine before their graves: "This place is beautiful, quiet, and undisturbed. Moreover, its high elevation makes it a great spot for panoramic views. Third brother, seventh brother, wait a little longer. Before long, we brothers will be able to share a drink again in the underworld. This time, I won't restrict your drinking."
After saying that, Gu Ren smiled freely.
"After we finish our drink, let's go to the Yellow Springs together!"
Eight sworn brothers stood behind him.
Apart from the sixth brother, the healer, who stayed at the rear, the other eight men were all covered in blood to varying degrees, and scraps of flesh could be found among their scales. After Gu Ren finished offering the toast, the other eight men also stepped forward with somber faces and spoke for a while, while the rain intensified instead of decreasing.
After a quarter of an hour, the sixth brother stepped forward.
"Brother, it's almost time."
Gu Ren turned to look at everyone and sighed, "Why bother!"
The second brother laughed loudly while patting Gu Ren's back. The pats made a loud noise, and if Gu Ren hadn't been used to it, he really wouldn't have been able to stand up straight.
"What's it like without my brothers?"
"Wherever my elder brother is, that's where I'll go!"
"Let's go, let's go find Huang Xiguang to cause trouble!"
"Fuck Huang Xiguang's ancestors for eighteen generations! Damn it, if we don't kill him this time, we'll disgust him to death! You and I, brothers, will storm the King of Hell's palace, overthrow his throne, and let our eldest brother sit on it. When Huang Xiguang is brought down, we'll scare him to death!"
"Exactly! That scared him so much he peed his pants!"
Gu Ren frowned deeply upon hearing this: "Be more refined."
The sixth brother, who hadn't said much until now, frowned and pondered: "Shall we invite Huang Xiguang and his ancestors for eighteen generations to spend the night together?"
Gu Ren: "...Never mind."
The image depicted him as a skeleton, to the point where he would have to do sit-ups and vomit every thirty to fifty years—it was disgusting.
The others burst into laughter at Gu Ren's reaction.
"Sixth brother, you're the best."
As expected of a doctor, he speaks so pleasantly.
Gu Ren, annoyed, raised his hand and gave each of the most boisterous individuals a light tap on the back of the head. Hilariously, the tap was neither too light nor too heavy, and with their helmets in the way, it was no match for their defenses. Gu Ren then tore off the raincoat draped over his shoulder with one hand, removed his straw hat, and slapped it down with another.
"Army, move out!"
Wasn't Huang Lie relying on his superior numbers to encircle them in the mountains, surrounding them without attacking, and watching them wait to die with a mocking attitude? Gu Ren, however, did not share his wishes: "Huang Xiguang, you are but a mere brat, how dare you discuss heroes in front of me!"
The army has been forced into the mountains for three days.
The physical strength and martial energy consumed have been replenished.
Even though Huang Lie's men outside claimed that Gu Ren and the others could be spared if they surrendered and handed over the imperial seal, based on their understanding of Huang Lie's character, they suspected he might have been surnamed Sima in his past life. If his two sworn brothers survived, Gu Ren was willing to try, even knowing he would be humiliated. As the eldest brother, he had brought his sworn brothers alive and naturally had an obligation to bring them back alive and intact.
But now—
The only option is to fight to the death!
Outside the mountain, Huang Lie's scouts immediately detected the situation inside. Gu Ren's troops had already regrouped!
When this news reached Huang Lie's ears, he was stroking the lustrous surface of the national seal, his eyes lighting up. At this moment, Huang Lie was no longer pretending; his otherwise ordinary face, now filled with undisguised ambition, was completely different from his previous humble self.
"Huh? Gu Ziyi is out now?"
Huang Lie was not a magnanimous man. During the final battle between the allied forces and Zheng Qiao's army, Gu Ren's undisguised hostility stirred his murderous intent. Of course, even if Gu Ziyi hadn't made that move, Huang Lie wouldn't have spared Gu Ren. Because if Gu Ren wanted to, he could win the favor of anyone, and such a scholarly approach was intolerable to any ruler.
Huang Lie himself got to where he is today by relying on a large number of desperate commoners. If he were to recruit Gu Ren, it would only be a matter of time before Gu Ren could deceive those commoners and win their hearts and love.
How could Huang Lie allow him to live?
However, Huang Lie did not want him to die easily.
This was one of the main reasons why he forced Gu Ren's troops into the mountains instead of launching a full-scale attack. He wanted to exhaust Gu Ren, leave him in a hopeless and desperate situation, and ultimately make him a complete loser!
Huang Lie asked, "Did they send someone to negotiate surrender?"
The messenger looked troubled and stammered.
He couldn't explain it for a long time.
That was something he had never seen or heard of in his life.
Seeing this, Huang Lie impatiently pushed the messenger away.
He mounted his warhorse and rode to the front of the battle.
As the vanguard troops parted from both sides, his view was now unobstructed. Finally—thanks to his excellent eyesight—he could clearly see Gu Ren's troops.
The densely packed troops advanced slowly with an unshakeable momentum, countless morale clouds gathering above their heads, growing thicker and thicker until they almost materialized. Even the rain falling from the sky was forced to hang upside down upon contact with them.
They vaguely converged above the army into three pairs of giant long arms.
However, none of this was enough to shock Huang Lie.
What truly shocked Huang Lie was the continuous expanse of white.
The three armies hung white banners and carried nine coffins.
When the morale of the three armies was fully formed, the overwhelming sense of pressure forced Huang Lie's troops into a riot. The warhorses neighed incessantly, the more aggressive ones becoming agitated, attempting to throw off the cavalrymen trying to maintain control. The riot spread rapidly.
Huang Lie lowered his hand from in front of his eyes.
His facial muscles twitched violently, his hands, hanging limply at his sides, clenched tightly, making a crackling sound that revealed the fury within him. Gu Ren's answer lay in the nine coffins!
surrender?
Peace talks?
To bow down and submit?
Huang Xiguang, you're dreaming!
clatter!
Gu Ren tightened the reins, and his warhorse stopped immediately.
With a deafening boom, two beams of light shot into the sky from his and Huang Lie's bodies, their immense and overwhelming pressure bearing down on each other with unparalleled might. In an instant, the beams of light transformed into two illusory dragon shadows, the two dragons glaring at each other, growling menacingly, their tension palpable.
Two flowers bloom, each representing a different branch.
Chao Lian was plunged into a long period of darkness.
When he regained consciousness, he vaguely heard a series of thumping sounds, and a little while later he heard something cracking.
He struggled to open his eyes, still half-asleep.
I vaguely saw a figure waving a fist at me.
With a snap.
Click, click.
The cracking sound became clearer.
"Twelfth Brother, Twelfth Brother... wake up..."
The figure moving in front of me had an anxious expression on its face.
A thought suddenly flashed through Chao Lian's muddled mind—
This face really looks like Xiao Shisan.
No, this is thirteen!
In an instant, Chao Lian regained his senses, his eyes widened abruptly, and he blurted out, "Thirteen, what are you doing here?"
He sat up abruptly.
It just so happened that he met the 13th person who was terrified and had a deathly pale face.
"Twelfth Brother...where is he?"
Chao Lian asked instinctively, "Who is it?"
"Where are my brothers...?"
With a deafening boom, a thunderclap exploded in Chao Lian's ears.
Scenes from before he fell into a coma flashed through his mind.
"Oh no!"
He looked around and saw two new graves standing not far away.
(_)
There are quite a few boxed meals; let me distribute them slowly.
P.S.: I had a dream yesterday that Yuanliang went to college and all seven of his roommates were from Dragon Ball. It was so tragic.
(End of this chapter)
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