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墨書 Inktalez
The Wang family members left one after another, soon vacating the area completely as they sought shelter from the wind and fell asleep once more.
"Damn it!" Fifth Brother spat as he looked in the direction where the Wang family was resting.
"Elder Brother Five, you should go to sleep too," Ye Tian said softly.
"I can't sleep, I'm feeling suffocated!" Fifth Brother replied, biting his teeth.
Hearing this, Ye Tian chuckled lightly and said, "Elder Brother Five, you're too worked up. Just go to sleep."
"I'm not going anywhere. You need to tell me about your plan, or I might really lose my patience," Fifth Brother said, puffing out his cheeks and glaring as if ready to fight.
It wasn't surprising that Fifth Brother was so angry. Everyone had come with the mindset of fighting for the Cold Family, but along the way, they hadn't been able to engage in any real battle and had instead been oppressed by the Wang family members, feeling like they were being treated like beasts of burden.
They were all men of spirit who would rather die than lose face. Although their strength was not high, they were willing to risk their lives; they had never experienced such humiliation before.
"Sigh..." Ye Tian sighed and said, "Elder Brother Five, do you trust me?"
"Of course I do," Fifth Brother nodded earnestly.
"Then just wait quietly. It won't be long before it's your chance to vent," Ye Tian said, gazing far into the distance where a tributary of the Spirit Martial River flowed. On the opposite bank lay their destination this time: Black Wind Stronghold.
"But..."
"No buts. To be honest, I'm even more frustrated than you are," Ye Tian interrupted Fifth Brother and shifted his gaze back to where the Wang family was resting.
Ye Tian was not exaggerating; he bore humiliation for the sake of over three hundred brothers to minimize their casualties. This operation against the bandits appeared to be a collaboration with the Wang family on the surface, but in reality, it was a deep infiltration into enemy territory. At that time, not only would the Wang family not lend a helping hand, but they might also collude with Black Wind Stronghold to attack from both sides. This kind of situation could easily lead to total annihilation.
Therefore, he needed to placate Wang Tiankuang, making him feel confident and letting his guard down. Once Wang Tiankuang was completely relaxed, it would be Ye Tian's moment to strike back.
In other words, if Ye Tian did not want to do his best to protect the lives of these three hundred or so brothers, then with his character, he would have already killed his way through the Wang family, leaving chaos in his wake.
"Leaf Young Master, you are doing this for us brothers, right?" Fifth Brother, despite his rough demeanor, was not foolish; he could already sense Ye Tian's intentions.
Ye Tian was taken aback by this and did not expect that Elder Brother Five, who seemed so rugged, could actually think this deeply.
After a moment of silence, under Fifth Brother's gaze, Ye Tian finally nodded slowly. Since Fifth Brother had guessed it, there was no need to hide it anymore.
"Leaf Young Master, you have really suffered!" Fifth Brother patted Ye Tian on the shoulder, a hint of emotion in his voice.
"Heh, it's not that bad," Ye Tian replied with a light smile.
Seeing Ye Tian's forced smile, Fifth Brother understood that he was trying to reassure him. After some thought, he gritted his teeth and said, "Leaf Young Master, I know what kind of person you are. Not to mention your current strength, even when you were nothing before, you dared to stand up to the Wang family. With such spirit, I feel a bit guilty for letting you endure the humiliation from these petty people!"
Ye Tian frowned and looked at Fifth Brother helplessly. Although Fifth Brother was saying good things, they sounded quite awkward coming from him...
"Elder Brother Five... can we not be so blunt when we talk..." Ye Tian said with a wry smile.
"What’s wrong?" Fifth Brother asked in confusion, staring wide-eyed.
"You could say I was once worthless instead of... nothing at all; it sounds better..." Ye Tian squatted down to warm himself by the fire.
"Heh heh, I'm just a rough man; Leaf Young Master, please don't mind," Fifth Brother chuckled awkwardly.
"No worries; am I really that petty?" Ye Tian smiled at Fifth Brother and gestured for him to sit beside him.
"Leaf Young Master, how did you become so impressive?" Fifth Brother asked as he sat next to Ye Tian with a hint of envy.
"Impressive? How so?" Ye Tian asked in confusion.
Facing Ye Tian's question, Fifth Brother's eyes lit up as he excitedly said, "I've been paying attention to you for a long time."
"..." Ye Tian was speechless; Fifth Brother's words made him feel even more awkward.
"You killed Wang Hu right under Wang Weiyang's nose, then you incapacitated Leng Yong right under Cold Wu's nose, then you took out Xu Kun, defeated Xu Ao, and even killed Zhang Sen under Xu Tai's watch. Tsk tsk... truly a hero in the making!" Fifth Brother recounted Ye Tian's exploits and then looked at him, clicking his tongue in admiration.
"It was just luck," Ye Tian humbly replied.
"Nonsense!" Fifth Brother huffed, glaring.
"Heh, it really was luck," Ye Tian reflected on everything he had experienced up to that day, a saying coming to mind: fortune depends on misfortune, and misfortune hides within fortune.
"Then your luck must be incredible," Fifth Brother teased with a hint of skepticism.
"Well, maybe," Ye Tian said as he held a piece of dry wood and poked at the fire, gazing far into the distance.
"Am I really such a lucky person?" Ye Tian pondered deeply, his mother's gentle face appearing in his mind along with an imagined image of his father.
"Leaf Young Master, I know our situation. I hope we can borrow your good luck this time and turn danger into safety," Fifth Brother's tone became serious. Although he wasn't afraid of death, he still hoped to get through the crisis safely.
"Don't worry. As long as I, Ye Tian, draw breath, I will ensure the safety of my Brothers," Ye Tian was interrupted from his thoughts by Fifth Brother, and after a moment of silence, he spoke with great determination.
"Wrong!" Fifth Brother patted Ye Tian heavily on the shoulder and declared boldly, "Brothers don't need you to protect us; we only wish to live and die together with you!"
Ye Tian was immediately moved, a sense of camaraderie welling up within him as he proclaimed loudly, "I, Ye Tian, vow today that if even one of these three hundred brothers meets with misfortune, I will never live alone."
"Spit! Spit! Spit!" Fifth Brother spat several times and pretended to be angry. "Get out of here! We follow you because we genuinely admire who you are. If you say that, it would mean looking down on us."
In truth, they hadn't known each other for long; it had only been a few days. Yet in just those few days, their bond had grown incredibly strong. Ye Tian could lower himself before Wang Tiankuang, and they were willing to risk their lives to support him against the bandits.
Every member of the Cold Family who followed Ye Tian was aware of the dangers that lay ahead, yet they all pretended to be indifferent because they hoped to advance and retreat together with Ye Tian. In their hearts, Ye Tian had already become the next master of the Cold Family, a master worth following with their lives.
"Elder Brother Five..." Ye Tianxin was moved and didn't know what to say.
Fifth Brother chuckled and extended his left hand in front of Ye Tian. Ye Tian reached out his right hand, and they shook hands tightly. The two exchanged glances and burst into laughter.
"To be honest, I’m here on behalf of the Brothers," Fifth Brother said, stopping his laughter to reveal the truth.
Fifth Brother's name was Zhang Wu, and among the more than three hundred people, he belonged to the "esteemed" category. Thus, he was unanimously elected by everyone to convey their loyalty to Ye Tian.
"I know," Ye Tian replied with a faint smile, as he was indeed aware of this.
"Young Master Leaf, the hand you are holding is not just mine; it also belongs to these three hundred brothers," Fifth Brother said solemnly, tightening his grip even more.
"Elder Brother Five, brothers united!" Ye Tianxin felt moved and thought that saying more would be unnecessary.
"Their strength is like steel!" Fifth Brother responded passionately and loudly.
...
The next morning, Wang Tiankuang woke everyone up early. After some arrangements and instructions, the Cold Family members started cooking. After eating, they set off again.
Today, they moved a bit faster; in less than four hours, they had covered nearly a hundred miles. They had now arrived near a branch of the Spirit Martial River. Although they could not yet see the water, the roaring sound of rushing currents could already be faintly heard.
"Footsteps! Hurry up! You’re moving like you haven’t eaten!" Wang Tiankuang halted his horse and shouted back at the Cold Family members.
"Brothers, pick up your pace! Sky Mad Second Master is eager to hit the road," Ye Tian called out to everyone, signaling them to speed up.
"Why does what you say sound so awkward?" Wang Tiankuang urged his horse forward to confront Ye Tian with an unfriendly expression.
"Spit, spit, spit..." Ye Tian spat several times and said, "Sky Mad Second Master, please don't take offense. I truly didn't mean it."
"Stop playing these word games with me. I don't have the time to waste on you!" Wang Tiankuang pointed at Ye Tian with extreme arrogance.
The term "on the road" has a double meaning; it can refer to traveling or heading to the underworld. Wang Tiankuang naturally understood which meaning Ye Tian intended. However, for him, as long as they crossed the Great River ahead, they would be in the territory of Black Wind Stronghold. At that point, he wouldn't even need to lift a finger; the Black Wind Five Great Warriors would naturally take Ye Tian's head. So letting him have a bit of verbal fun now wasn't a big deal.
"Of course, of course," Ye Tian feigned a submissive demeanor but secretly breathed a sigh of relief. His earlier provocation was merely a momentary impulse, a result of his mischievous nature. Fortunately, Wang Tiankuang didn't get angry; otherwise, all his previous restraint would have been in vain.
Wang Tiankuang shot Ye Tian a fierce glance, snorted coldly, then turned his horse around and urged it forward again at full speed.
"Everyone keep up!" Seeing Wang Tiankuang accelerate, Ye Tian called out and quickly followed suit toward the river.
The pounding of hooves even drowned out the sound of the rushing water. After about a quarter of an hour in this rapid march, they finally reached the riverbank.
"Once we cross this river, it will be the battlefield!" Ye Tian looked at the turbulent waters and sighed.
"It’s not a battlefield," Wang Tiankuang replied with a sinister smile as he looked at Ye Tian, correcting him in a dark tone. "It’s a grave."
Ye Tian pretended to be taken aback but inwardly sneered: "That's right, it is a grave; it's just uncertain whose grave it will be."
To the readers:
Please take a moment to bookmark this; it doesn't cost you anything... As the saying goes, bookmarking is better than building a seven-story pagoda!
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