Worship

"My Lord, the Nord Family sent two Giant Sun Elephants," the steward of Marquis Lanling's estate reported to Marquis Lanling, who was grooming himself in front of a mirror.

"Bang!" Marquis Lanling slammed the dressing table in front of him, and instantly, the surface made of hard, fire-scorched wood and everything on it turned to dust.

"You Nord brat, I'll tear you to shreds!" Marquis Lanling roared, his pretty face contorted.

The steward flinched, then, with shared indignation, he exclaimed, "My Lord, I'll have someone slaughter those two Giant Sun Elephants right away."

Marquis Lanling, however, calmed down. He took out a silk handkerchief and wiped his hands, seemingly deep in thought. After a moment, he spoke, "Slaughtering them would be a waste. Giant Sun Elephants are valuable fourth-tier magical beasts, worth hundreds of thousands of gold coins. Accept them."

"Yes, my Lord." The steward, having received the order, quickly went out to have the two Giant Sun Elephants brought into the estate.

"Hmph, a wet-behind-the-ears brat trying to enrage me and make me a laughingstock in the Imperial Capital? You're still too green," Marquis Lanling snorted coldly.

At this moment, Marquis Lanling thought of Vajra, who was by Qi Bei's side. That imposing physique, those bulging muscles... the more he thought about it, the more he couldn't control himself.

Marquis Lanling walked over to the bookshelf in the room and pressed a mechanism. The bookshelf slid open to the sides.

A shocking scene appeared. Inside the bookshelf was a recessed rectangular metal cabinet, within which stood a row of imposing men, like puppets.

"Little Six." Marquis Lanling's gaze swept across them, stopping at the sixth man. He flicked his finger in the air at the man's brow.

The man's closed eyes suddenly snapped open, flashing a dark, eerie light. Then, a beast-like ferocity appeared in his eyes, and with a low growl, he lunged at Marquis Lanling.

Instantly, passion erupted!

Nord Family, Qi Bei's courtyard.

The stars were already scattered across the sky. Inside a small pavilion, Feng Ruoyu rested her chin on her hand, her lake-green eyes shining brightly, exclaiming from time to time.

Phantom sat quietly to the side, her beautiful eyes following Qi Bei's pacing figure, her expression shifting between tension and relaxation.

Qi Bei paced back and forth in the pavilion, recounting his perilous experiences in the Undead Mountain Range with rising and falling intonation.

"At this point, I was surrounded by an army of tens of thousands of undead. Nowhere to go, no way to escape, life or death in an instant." Qi Bei stopped abruptly here.

"And then? And then?" Feng Ruoyu, engrossed in the story, urged him on.

"To know what happens next, please wait for the next installment," Qi Bei said with a laugh, clapping his hands.

"Brother Qi Bei, dear brother, please finish this part," Feng Ruoyu hopped up, hugging Qi Bei's arm and acting spoiled.

"It's late. I'll tell you tomorrow. Your sister is here to pick you up," Qi Bei said with a smile, pointing outside the pavilion.

Feng Ruoyu turned her head and saw her sister and Huai'an Nord standing not far away, smiling at them.

The two sisters returned to the courtyard arranged by the Nord Family to rest, while the two brothers began drinking wine on top of a rockery.

"Big Brother, you look so cheerful. Be honest, did you and my future sister-in-law do anything inappropriate for children?" Qi Bei asked playfully.

"Get lost! What kind of things are always in your head?" Huai'an Nord said, though his mouth split into a grin that reached his ears.

"Big Brother, the things in my head were instilled by you," Qi Bei chuckled. Huai'an Nord had been a delinquent in his youth, and it was Huai'an Nord who had told him about these matters between men and women in Qi Bei's memory.

Huai'an Nord chuckled, looking at Qi Bei for a long time. He vaguely recalled his childhood, when Qi Bei, with a runny nose, would follow him around all day. He would take this little guy with him when he fought, chased girls, and caused trouble.

He had once thought he would protect Qi Bei like this forever.

Life is unpredictable. During his life-and-death trials in the Undead Mountain Range, this rascal had matured overnight. Not only was his strength comparable to his own, but his every word and action also shone with a unique brilliance.

"You brat, you've grown up." Huai'an Nord suddenly clapped Qi Bei on the shoulder, lifted the wine jar, and drank a long swig. A hint of loss mingled with his feelings, but relief was more prominent.

Qi Bei's heart suddenly felt heavy. That clap from his big brother contained too much brotherly affection.

An elder brother is like a father!

If Huai'an Nord's previous protection of him had only existed in memories and wasn't felt so deeply, then during the Undead Mountain Range, this big brother had, at his word, unhesitatingly decapitated Princess Ruixue's maid without a second thought. Even now, thinking about it made his heart feel warm and moist.

"Big Brother, I want to pay respects to Mother tomorrow," Qi Bei said.

"Okay, Big Brother will accompany you tomorrow," Huai'an Nord nodded.

The brothers drank under the moon, reminiscing about the past and discussing the current state of affairs and the hidden meanings behind certain actions.

Of course, Huai'an Nord was the one doing the explaining.

As one of the three commanders of the Black Armored Army and a direct descendant of the Nord Family, he had access to some deeper secrets.

Qi Bei listened intently. He was about to head to his fiefdom, West Spirit City, and what Huai'an Nord was telling him was very useful.

Unknowingly, the east began to brighten, and the stars faded.

Qi Bei's mother was buried in the Nord Family's ancestral graveyard, located on the western outskirts of the Imperial City. Only direct descendants of the Nord Family and their principal wives could be buried there.

The brothers' mother was named Lilith. She was not from the Golden Leaf Dynasty; according to their father, she came from a faraway country.

A lifelike portrait of Lilith was embedded in the tombstone. She was extremely beautiful, with a pure and radiant smile, like the warm sun of early winter.

It was evident that Qi Bei's appearance had inherited more from his mother's features; he was very handsome.

Big Brother Huai'an, on the other hand, resembled their father, with sharp features and a heroic aura.

The moment Qi Bei saw the portrait of his mother, Lilith, his heart trembled inexplicably. Even though they were separated by life and death, he could still feel that unbreakable blood connection. This feeling was much more pronounced than when he saw his father, Raymond Nord.

After performing the rites of worship, Qi Bei said to Huai'an, "Big Brother, you should report to the military camp first. I want to stay here a little longer."

Huai'an patted Qi Bei's shoulder and left the cemetery.

Qi Bei leaned against his mother's tombstone, slowly closing his eyes. For some reason, he felt as if his mother was gently embracing him. The feeling was incredibly warm, making him reluctant to let go.

In his past life, he was an orphan. Having grown up in an orphanage, he was self-reliant and strong. He didn't even know who his parents were.

In this life, he had never met his mother, but at least he knew what she looked like.

Suddenly, the ball of faint golden, misty inner force in Qi Bei's Dantian pulsed violently. His back, pressed against the tombstone, felt as if it had been seared by a red-hot iron. The divine dragon pattern on his left palm began to surge, and within the golden radiance, another kind of golden light seemed to appear. Immediately, the two merged together.