This Hatred Could Never Be Repaid!

Outside Huanzhen Temple, before a fresh grave, Jiang Wang opened his eyes.

The tiny silver moon fell into his right palm, transformed into a Silver Moon Mark branded onto it, and then disappeared.

But Jiang Wang could still sense its presence clearly. It had no power of its own; it would simply reappear when Jiang Wang willed it, linking to the Lunar Star and carrying his spiritual consciousness into that wondrous, unfathomable Great Void Illusion Realm.

He did not explore the Great Void Illusion Realm for long. The wilderness where he stood was no place to explore in peace.

Not to mention whether cultivators from Maple Forest City might come investigate after the aftermath of the powerful cultivators' battle had faded. Jiang Wang himself had more urgent matters to attend to.

If he remembered the date correctly, the Maple Forest Dao Academy's Inner Academy selection would take place in three days.

If he missed that chance, he would never find another opportunity—an opportunity for revenge.

That was because only students of the Inner Academy were truly recognized by the Zhuang Kingdom as Dao Academy disciples. Dao Academy disciples could not be insulted lightly, let alone harmed or killed!

He took one last look at the ruined temple where he had spent so many days, stubbornly clinging to life through his illness, then strode away beneath the moonlight.

Weeds grew thick before the broken temple gate. A gust of wind swept through, allowing moonlight to spill across the old signboard that had lain on the ground for years. Its writing was blurred, but the characters "Huanzhen" could still be faintly made out.

Moonlight shone on the broken temple and the fresh grave; wind rustled through the leaves.

As if someone had let out a sigh.

Maple Forest City was not small. To many who had lived there for generations, it was the whole world.

Apart from the City Lord, who represented the will of the Zhuang Kingdom, the Zhang, Fang, and Wang families ruled this territory.

Deep in the night, the back door of Yicui Pavilion swung open. Amid the coquettish laughter of a voluptuous courtesan, a man in a long robe slit up both sides staggered out. The smell of liquor on him only made him look more self-satisfied.

His name was Fang Decai.

The surname Fang had not come easily. Starting with his grandfather's generation, his family had served the Fang Family for three generations before finally being granted the name. It was precisely because the Fang Family trusted him as a confidant that he had so much money to spare and could visit a pleasure house like Yicui Pavilion once a month.

He gave his sweetheart another hard pinch before laughing heartily and heading off.

The voluptuous courtesan watched him with embarrassed irritation, whining a few coquettish complaints. Only after his back had disappeared down the alley did she spit and curse, "A cur that borrows his master's power!" Then she slammed the small door shut.

And so she failed to notice the ragged man who had already crept up behind Fang Decai.

Fang Decai had some martial skill. The moment he sensed something amiss, he whipped around and threw a punch, but his opponent casually slapped it aside, shattering his stance.

The next instant, a hand clamped around his throat. He was lifted into the air, then slammed hard against the wall.

The pain of his face swelling rapidly and his breath growing more labored was nothing compared to the fear inspired by that face.

Gentle. Calm. Jiang Wang's face.

"J-Jiang..." Fang Decai choked out in terror, struggling against the hand around his throat.

"Who ordered you to do it? The Fang Family, or Fang Pengju? Who else was involved? What poison was in the wine? And how did you get in touch with the West Mountain Remnant Bandits?"

Jiang Wang asked slowly. Just as Fang Decai was about to choke unconscious, he leisurely let go. "Now, tell me everything. Take your time."

He looked up at the moon. "We have plenty of time."

The evening breeze gently pushed the clouds along, dimming the moonlight a little. The hushed conversation in the alley was as faint as the private whispers of evil spirits.

That night, as the drums sounded beneath the bright moon in the sky, a man who had not died returned to the city.

When the sky grew bright, Jiang Wang stood at the gate of the Maple Forest City Daoist Academy.

The Daoist Sect was the state religion of the Zhuang Kingdom, and its strongest transcendent power naturally came from the Daoist Sect. The Dao Academies scattered across the kingdom's three prefectures and cities were proof enough.

The Dao Academy was not only the first choice for young people in the Zhuang Kingdom who wished to cultivate; even officials at every level needed a record of studying at a Dao Academy to earn the people's respect.

And so, in all of Maple Forest City, the most important place might not have been the City Lord's Mansion or the estates of the three great families, but the Maple Forest City Daoist Academy.

The Daoist Sect tradition followed by the Zhuang Kingdom belonged to the Yujing Mountain lineage, which placed great importance on ceremony. The entire Dao Academy had therefore been built in splendid grandeur. The pair of jade lions squatting on either side of its gate alone exuded an imposing dignity and air of nobility.

Jiang Wang's clothes were still worn out, and a sour stench clung to them. He had merely splashed some water on his face and tied his unruly hair behind his head.

He stood before the Dao Academy's wide-open gates, head held high, back straight as a pine.

The outer disciple on duty rubbed his eyes again and again before finally crying out in disbelief, "S-Senior Brother Jiang!?"

Jiang Wang nodded in greeting. "Good to see you, Junior Brother Wu."

As the Outer Academy disciple of the Maple Forest City Daoist Academy most willing to risk his life, he had taken part in countless Academy missions. Almost every outer disciple who had been there for more than a year knew him.

Junior Brother Wu turned and ran into the Academy, shouting excitedly, "Senior Brother Jiang Wang is back! Senior Brother Jiang Wang is back!"

Before long, a crowd of outer disciples came rushing over, packing the entrance full. Senior brothers and junior brothers all called out to him at once. It was clear how popular Jiang Wang was among the outer disciples.

Among the dozens of outer disciples, a few stood out. Even in the crush, the crowd instinctively made way for them.

"Bastard Jiang! Where the hell have you been hiding all these days? I thought you were dead, damn it!"

The one shouting from far away was Du Yehu. As he ran, his muscles looked ready to burst through his training clothes. His face was unusual too, covered in a bushy beard. Standing there, just his face looked two or three times larger than those of the outer disciples around him. You could believe he was some mountain bandit king, but not an eighteen-year-old boy.

Because his growth had come too soon, people called him "young and already bearded."

He pushed through the crowd like a bear and wrapped Jiang Wang in a tight embrace, not caring about the faint sour stench on him. "Damn it! Damn it!"

"Thank goodness you're back!"

Ling He was the one who said it, though his eyes were bloodshot and his lips trembled.

He had regular features and a broad forehead, giving the impression of a steady, composed man. Now he stood behind Du Yehu in a training uniform washed pale with wear, gazing steadily at Jiang Wang.

Only one handsome young man came over, looked Jiang Wang up and down, then pointed at his ragged clothes with a teasing grin. "How'd you end up looking like a ghost?"

His name was Zhao Rucheng. He was the most handsome of them all, and the smile on his face seemed a little flippant. But only those who truly knew him could see the faint glimmer of tears in his charming eyes.

These men had different looks and personalities, but every one of them had been through life and death with Jiang Wang.

During the many trials and missions of the Outer Academy, they had worked together and overcome countless dangers and hardships, forging a deep bond long ago.

But Jiang Wang's gaze passed over them and fell only on the handsome young man in the crowd whose eyes seemed reddened.

He said nothing and made no move, yet simply by standing there, he was faintly the center of the crowd.

"Pengju, it's been fifty-seven days." Jiang Wang spoke almost one word at a time. "I thought about you every day."

"You only thought about Pengju? Didn't you miss your second brother?" Du Yehu grabbed Jiang Wang by the shoulders and shook him, hollering.

Ling He and Zhao Rucheng, however, fell silent.

Fifty-seven days was an exact and sensitive number. It had been precisely fifty-seven days since Jiang Wang disappeared.

Dressed in rich brocade, Fang Pengju smiled and stepped forward. "Thank goodness you're back. Everyone's been worried about you all this time."

"Yeah." Jiang Wang smiled too. "How could you not worry when you hadn't seen my corpse?"

Fang Pengju's expression changed. "What do you mean by that? After you went missing, I was beside myself with worry! I sent people everywhere to look for you!"

Jiang Wang's voice was somber. "That's why I only dared show my face today."

"Jiang Wang! Everyone knows the ones who attacked you were remnants of the West Mountain bandits! Are you seriously suspecting me?" Fang Pengju flushed red, looking furious and shocked. "The Five Heroes of Maple Forest are as close as brothers! Did you hear some rumor?"

Ling He, Du Yehu, Jiang Wang, Fang Pengju, and Zhao Rucheng were the most outstanding disciples of the Maple Forest City Daoist Academy's Outer Academy. Because they shared the same ideals, they often went out together to hunt bandits, always side by side. People called them the Five Heroes of Maple Forest.

Sensing the atmosphere turn heavy in an instant, the Outer Academy disciples who had come to welcome Jiang Wang began to feel uneasy.

"Could Fang Pengju have harmed Jiang Wang?"

"Don't talk nonsense. Fang Pengju's always been righteous. Why would he do such a thing? It must be a misunderstanding!"

"I don't think so... Senior Brother Jiang isn't some fool anyone can toy with."

The crowd whispered among themselves.

"You're brothers. Don't say things like that!" Du Yehu glared at Jiang Wang, his face full of agitation. His instincts told him something was terribly wrong, but there was nothing he could do to stop what was coming.

Ling He thought for a moment, then spoke up to persuade him. "Third, you must have been through a lot and suffered plenty these past days. Why not settle in first? The Inner Academy selection is in a few days. It's a major event that could shape your whole life, so you need to take it seriously. We've already joined forces to wipe out the West Mountain Remnant Bandits. If there's still something hidden behind this, we can sort it out slowly. If you've been wronged, if you're angry, we brothers will help you—even if we have to take it to the Prefecture Daoist Academy or the State Daoist Academy!

"But Pengju is a brother who swore an oath with us over blood. I believe there must be some misunderstanding. Perhaps someone is trying to drive a wedge between us..."

"Big Brother." Jiang Wang cut him off. "When have I ever spoken carelessly? I value our brotherhood no less than you do. So if I'm saying this today, it means this is exactly what happened."

"Fang Pengju!" Jiang Wang turned to the young man in brocade and pointed at him. "I hope you can still be so self-righteous after you open this box!"

Only then did everyone notice the large box behind Jiang Wang.

"No matter what happens, I, Fang Pengju, will never harm a friend!" Fang Pengju paused for only a moment before declaring resolutely, "I'll see for myself what false evidence could make Third Brother suspect his own brother!"

He strode outside the courtyard, drew the long sword at his waist, and flicked the box lid open with a single stroke!

Inside was a man bound hand and foot, his mouth stuffed with rags. The moment he saw Fang Pengju, his expression turned desperately anxious, and he struggled to make muffled sounds.

Du Yehu and Ling He fell silent too. They recognized him: Fang Decai, one of Fang Pengju's close servants.

"That day, your servant brought me a note, saying you'd invited me to drink at Moon-Gazing Pavilion. When I arrived, you still weren't there. He told me to have a few drinks first and taste the fine wine you'd specially sent. The poison in that wine was Yin-Yang Separation Powder.

"As soon as the poison took effect, bandits smashed through the door... I personally wiped out the West Mountain bandits. I never thought I'd nearly be killed by a bunch of their remnants right here in Maple Forest City!"

Jiang Wang's voice drifted over. "So the first thing I did after recovering was look for Fang Decai."

Fang Pengju was silent for only a moment. The next instant, he thrust out his long sword!

"Beast! My Fang Family treated you well, and you dared collude with bandits, forge letters, and harm my Third Brother!"

His sword was both fast and precise. Blood splattered. Fang Decai convulsed violently, let out a few muffled groans, then lay motionless like a dead dog. From beginning to end, he had not even had the chance to say a word in his own defense.

"Fang Pengju!" No one present was a fool. Du Yehu might have been rough around the edges, but that did not make him stupid. Now his tiger eyes were wide, his anger surging.

"Second Brother." Fang Pengju lowered his bloodied sword, his face full of shame. "I... I was overcome by anger for a moment. I only thought of killing this beast to avenge Third Brother!"

"It's all right." Only after watching Fang Pengju finish his performance did Jiang Wang take a piece of paper from his robes. It was covered in closely written lines. "Here are Fang Decai's confession and his signature. Would you like to see them, Pengju?"

"Clang!"

Fang Pengju casually tossed aside his sword and dropped to his knees. "I don't need to read it to know roughly what it says. All I can say is that the West Mountain bandits still want us dead. I don't know what price they offered, but they made that beast Decai so loyal to them! But believe me, Third Brother. I've always been upright. When have I ever done anything so contemptible? Whatever led to this, my Fang Family will give you an explanation. I'll offer a reward of ten thousand coins and make sure every bandit within a hundred li is wiped out, to wash away the hatred in your heart, Third Brother!"

An Outer Academy disciple in the crowd spoke up too. "That's right, Senior Brother Jiang. All of you in the Five Heroes of Maple Forest are true heroes, the pride of our Maple Forest City Daoist Academy's Outer Academy. Don't let a villain drive you apart!"

"Once, when my mother was seriously ill, Senior Brother Fang generously gave me money. I believe he isn't that kind of person."

Another disciple spat at Fang Decai's corpse. "A wicked servant like this deserved to die! He even smeared Senior Brother Fang's name and ruined the brotherly bond of the Five Heroes of Maple Forest. If he were still alive, I'd want to cut him into a thousand pieces!"

"Fellow disciples, there's no need to say more!" Fang Pengju raised a hand to quiet them. He shuffled forward on his knees and looked at Jiang Wang earnestly. "After Third Brother disappeared, I took people everywhere to search for him. Several times, I wept until I couldn't speak! Everyone knows my loyalty to Third Brother. Heaven and earth can bear witness! But even if my conscience is clear, if I hadn't trusted Decai, and Third Brother hadn't trusted me, how could this beast have found an opening? This is all my fault. I'm willing to bear the blame alone!"

"I'll give up all the wealth in my private coffers to ease Third Brother's pain; I'll endure the whip to make amends for trusting the wrong person; I'll go alone to hunt the bandits, and swear to wipe out every last remnant of the West Mountain bandits. I won't return to the city until they're gone!"

"I'm willing to do this not to make amends. Third Brother nearly died—this hatred can never be repaid! It's only because we're brothers that I can't forgive myself!"

"If..." Fang Pengju was nearly sobbing by the end. Gritting his teeth, he said, "If Third Brother still can't let go of your hatred, then take this sword and kill me with one stroke! Pengju has no complaints!"

Everyone's gaze fell on the bloodstained sword lying on the ground.

"Senior Brother Fang, you can't do this!"

"I believe it wasn't your fault. How can a real man speak so lightly of death?"

Everyone who witnessed the scene was moved, and they all spoke up to dissuade him.

Even Ling He fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "Third, Fourth, about this matter..."

Jiang Wang swept his tattered sleeve aside and stood upright. "Pengju, I once bore several wounds for you, and you once stood up for me. The five of us have shared life and death."

Ling He, Du Yehu, and Zhao Rucheng were all deeply moved. The blood and tears they had shared, the days they had struggled side by side, the joy they had known together... Only they knew what it meant.

Could a bond forged through life and death ever be explained in a few words?

"Third Brother..." Fang Pengju lowered his head. For a moment, he wept even harder, crying until he could barely speak. "Every mistake was mine, little brother's. I shouldn't have trusted a wicked servant and nearly brought disaster upon us!"

"But since you put it that way, Pengju..." Jiang Wang's voice came slowly. "Then your Third Brother will, with all due respect, accept your offer!"