Means to an End

"Hiss!"

The pain in the back of his head made Ye Liuyun, who was gradually regaining consciousness, gasp.

Was I ambushed?

He opened his eyes in a daze and looked around. He seemed to be in a dilapidated temple. The ground was covered with weeds, and even the roof had a large hole.

"Could it be those enemies from before?" Realizing this possibility, Ye Liuyun's face sank.

Ye Liuyun was a transmigrator, having crossed over to this era about half a month ago.

If that were all, it would be fine, but after sorting through his memories, he discovered that the original owner was actually a notorious hooligan. Relying on his twin brother who worked for the Brocade Guard, he had done many things to bully men and oppress women.

This had created quite a few grudges.

After learning these things, Ye Liuyun rarely went out, trying to minimize his presence, while also gathering information about this era.

Initially, after learning that his brother worked for the Brocade Guard, he thought he had arrived in the Great Ming Dynasty.

But it turned out to be a Great Qian Dynasty he had never heard of.

Moreover, this world had Fourteen Prefectures and vast territories. Besides the Great Qian, there were many similar dynasties.

There were numerous sects in the martial world, and there were even rumors that powerful martial artists could harness the power of heaven and earth. To be honest, when he learned these things, Ye Liuyun was excited.

Who hadn't dreamed of roaming the world with a sword and upholding justice everywhere in their youth?

He had even planned to ask that cheap brother for a martial arts manual. Even though in his memory, the original owner and his brother didn't have a good relationship, blood was thicker than water. Asking for a martial arts manual shouldn't be a problem, right?

But just as he had this idea, he was ambushed that very night and tied up here.

I won't be the first transmigrator to get a lunchbox so quickly, will I?

His hands and feet were tied tightly. Ye Liuyun tried to struggle a couple of times, but it had no effect. His body even hit the stone platform behind him.

"Creak!"

A faint crisp sound made Ye Liuyun stop his movements. He couldn't help but turn his head to look behind him.

He saw a stone statue with an unclear face placed on the dusty stone platform. One hand of the statue was raised high, and the elbow was covered with cracks, as if it could break and fall off at any moment.

The crucial point was that the place where it would fall was exactly where Ye Liuyun was currently located.

If this thing, which looked like dozens of pounds, really fell on him, would he still be alive?

Thinking of this, Ye Liuyun was about to wiggle his body like a caterpillar to move to another spot.

But at this moment, the large door of the dilapidated temple was suddenly pushed open from the outside. Realizing that the person who tied him up had arrived, Ye Liuyun couldn't care about anything else. Before he could even see the other person's face clearly, he shouted repeatedly.

"My brother is a Brocade Guard Centurion. If you kill me, you won't have an easy time either."

As soon as he said this, the other party actually fell silent for a while and didn't move.

There's hope?

Just as Ye Liuyun's heart was filled with a little surprise, a familiar voice suddenly came.

"Is this how you've been ruining my reputation before?"

"!"

Realizing something, Ye Liuyun looked up in disbelief.

As the other person approached step by step, what came into view was a face identical to his own.

"Bro... brother!"

The person was none other than this body's twin brother, Ye Liufeng.

How could it be? How could this guy be the one who tied him up?

"Wait, brother, there must be some misunderstanding here. I've already changed. Give me a chance. I'm willing to leave here, leave the Imperial City, and live somewhere else. I promise I won't cause you any more trouble in the future."

Now was not the time to think about other things. Being alive was more important than anything.

Ye Liufeng, dressed in plain clothes, looked at his pleading younger brother with only indifference in his eyes.

He drew the saber from his waist and pointed it directly at Ye Liuyun.

"Too late!"

Am I really going to die? Then this transmigration is too frustrating. As the cold blade approached his neck, Ye Liuyun felt his hands and feet turn cold.

"You... you promised father you would take good care of me."

Under the influence of his will to survive, Ye Liuyun recalled some of the original body's memories.

When their father was dying, he did indeed ask Ye Liufeng to take good care of Ye Liuyun. And because their mother died early, the two brothers had grown up depending on each other. It was just that their paths in life were different; one became an official, and the other became a scoundrel.

He thought that saying this might somehow rekindle a bit of Ye Liufeng's brotherly affection.

But.

"That's why I let you live until now. Otherwise, on the night you poisoned father, I would have killed you too."

"!!!"

"You killed father?"

The original body truly didn't know about this. He had thought their father died from overwork and illness.

Ye Liuyun had thought that the original body's actions of bullying men and women were already bad enough. He didn't expect there to be someone even worse.

"Anyone who blocks my path must die."

"Don't worry, I'll allow you to go to the underworld and complain to father."

The cold blade was still pressed against Ye Liuyun's neck. As if thinking of something amusing, Ye Liufeng suddenly lowered his head and whispered something into Ye Liuyun's ear.

This kind of scoundrel, killing his own brother is just an incidental matter, isn't it?

What to do! What to do! Hurry up and use that smart brain of yours! Ye Liuyun was roaring in his heart.

"I'm sorry!"

Just as Ye Liufeng was about to make his move, Ye Liuyun suddenly looked up and said.

"?"

Just as Ye Liufeng was confused.

Ye Liuyun suddenly moved, slamming his back hard against the stone platform behind him, then dodging the blade at his neck and rolling to the side.

Before Ye Liufeng could ask in confusion, the already precarious arm of the stone statue above them snapped.

"Crack!"

Something weighing dozens of pounds hit its target squarely.

Watching the dust kicked up by the falling heavy object, Ye Liuyun gasped for breath.

"Sorry, I also want to live."

Who would want to die if they could live? Ye Liuyun wasn't lying; he truly wanted to stay away from this dynasty, but Ye Liufeng didn't give him the chance.

He twisted his body to pick up the saber that had fallen to the side and used it to cut the ropes binding him.

"Ye Liuyun!"

Ye Liufeng was a martial artist, albeit the lowest Third-Rate Martial Artist, but his physical fitness was far superior to that of ordinary people. Being crushed like this wouldn't kill him on the spot.

Instead, he struggled to push away the stone on his body, his bloodshot eyes glaring fiercely at Ye Liuyun.

"Do you dare to leave? If I die, you won't have an easy time either."

"I know!"

Ye Liuyun didn't leave. Instead, he walked over with the saber in hand, looking at the struggling Ye Liufeng on the ground, and said word by word.

"So, only Ye Liufeng can leave here alive today."

Ye Liuyun was a street ruffian; no one would care if he died. But if Ye Liufeng, a Brocade Guard Centurion, died, a large number of people would seal the city and investigate the next day.

"Thank you for teaching me that to achieve a goal, one must be ruthless."

He raised the saber high with both hands.

Meeting Ye Liufeng's eyes, which were about to split with rage, he brought it down quickly.

"From now on, I am Ye Liufeng!"

New book on the road! Hope everyone likes it!

New book released, hope everyone likes it