Five Brothers

Linley walked over, his gaze settling on the five burly men.

The five stood together. The tallest was half a head taller than Linley, with shoulders broad enough to carry an ox. Though wounded and dressed in ragged clothes, they stood perfectly straight, showing no sign of dejection. It was the kind of bearing that came from years of living by the sword—something no one could fake. Linley noticed their hands: all were covered in calluses, their knuckles thickened from years of gripping weapons. Though the five looked battered, their eyes were clear. They weren't panicking; instead, there was a hint of ferocity in their gazes.

After studying them for a moment, Linley asked, "Who are you? Why were you captured?"

The five burly men exchanged glances. The one with the injured arm spoke up. "The five of us are brothers and mercenaries. We've always taken jobs in the Northwest Province. My name's Barker, and these are my younger brothers—Gates, Ankh, Bullen, and Welin."

He pointed to the men beside him and introduced them one by one. The four nodded in turn, looking at Linley with a mixture of gratitude and caution. They were grateful because he'd rescued them, but wary because they didn't know who he was or why he'd saved them. The one called Gates was the biggest of them all. A long, old scar ran from the corner of his left eye to the back of his bald head, an unsettling sight. Ankh had a round face and small but brightly gleaming eyes. He looked like a quick-witted fellow. Bullen was taciturn and merely nodded in greeting, his eyes fixed on Linley's hands. Welin was the youngest, looking not yet twenty, with a hint of boyishness still on his face. He was secretly sizing up Bebe.

"Half a month ago," Barker continued, "someone offered us a high price to escort a shipment of goods. They said it was going from Fenlai City to the border, and the pay was three times our usual rate. So we took the job. But we were ambushed halfway there. Those men were too strong for us, and they captured us. You saw what happened after that."

"Do you know who captured you?"

"The Radiant Church," said another burly man—Bullen—through clenched teeth, hatred written on his face. "Their clothes had the emblem. There's no mistaking it. And their leader even said, 'These specimens are pretty good. The headquarters can put them to great use.' In all my life, I've never been treated like a piece of cargo!"

As Bullen spoke, his fists clenched with a crack. The wound on his shoulder split open, and blood seeped out again, but he didn't even notice.

Welin—the youngest of the five brothers—scratched his head and asked, "Big Brother, I still don't get it. Why'd the Church capture us? We're just ordinary mercenaries. We never offended them. My ma taught me from a young age to bow when I passed a church and make way for priests. I did all that!"

Barker shook his head. "I don't know either. But whatever the reason, there's no good coming from being taken by them. I heard their leader call us 'promising material' and talk about 'vessels.' I don't understand what he meant, but the way that bastard looked at us was like we were livestock."

Linley nodded and didn't ask anything further. He already had a good idea: the descendants of the Undying Warriors. Akes and Sessler had both told him what the Radiant Church wanted with them.

Akes watched from the side, understanding the situation. The five men didn't know about their bloodline; they thought they'd simply had bad luck and been captured. But the Radiant Church hadn't taken them because they were ordinary mercenaries. There were plenty of ordinary seventh-level warriors around. If the Church wanted to capture them, it could have done so long ago. Why go out of its way to pick these five?

The descendants of the Undying Warriors were born with powerful bodies. Even without awakening their bloodline, they far surpassed warriors of the same level. These five were only seventh-level warriors right now, but if their Bloodline Awakening occurred, their cultivation speed would skyrocket, and they could soon reach the ninth level or even the Saint-level. Their bodies were what the Church wanted: vessels for angels to descend into. An angel needed a powerful body to contain it. An ordinary person's body couldn't withstand an angel's power, but the descendants of the Undying Warriors were just right.

Akes recalled the Radiant Church's secrets. How many of those so-called "messengers of God" had truly descended of their own free will? Their souls were merely wiped away, then stuffed into strong bodies. If these five brothers were taken away, their fate was obvious.

Sessler walked over and sized up the five brothers, clicking his tongue. "You're all promising material. No wonder the Church wanted to capture you. With bodies like those and such solid foundations, a little training would make you eighth- or ninth-level warriors. In all my years, I've seen plenty of warriors, but few with talent like yours."

Sessler circled the five brothers, his cloudy old eyes roaming over them as if he were inspecting a few rare curiosities. His gaze made them uneasy, and Barker instinctively took half a step back.

The five brothers were completely baffled by what he was saying. But they didn't ask. They'd just been rescued and had no idea what was going on. All they knew was that the people in front of them were terrifyingly powerful, and they couldn't afford to provoke them. The young man covered in scales was at least a ninth-level warrior, and the youngster who played with fire was frighteningly powerful too. He'd killed a Church mage with a single arrow. Then there was the old man, who'd summoned a horde of undead with a wave of his hand. He was downright creepy.

Barker hesitated, then cupped his hands. "We brothers will remember your kindness in saving our lives. If you ever need anything from us, we'll brave fire and water without hesitation." He turned to leave with his brothers, signaling them with a glance. Gates, Ankh, Bullen, and Welin immediately got to their feet and followed him.

Linley raised a hand to stop him. "Where are you going?"

Barker paused, then replied, "First, we'll find somewhere to recover. After that... we'll see. The Church will definitely come after us again, so we need to get as far away from here as possible. We have a hideout in the mountains with some provisions. We could stay there for a few months without any trouble."

"If the Church wants to capture you, how far do you think you can run?" Linley asked. "The Northwest Province is Church territory. No matter where you go, they'll find you. They captured you this time. What about next time? And the time after that?"

Barker fell silent.

He knew Linley was right. The Church's power was immense, and it spanned the entire Yulan Continent. No matter how far the five of them ran, as long as they stayed on the continent, they couldn't escape the Church's grasp.

"Then what do you reckon we should do?" Gates asked in a booming voice, his bald head reflecting the moonlight. "We can't just wait to die, can we?"

Ankh tugged at his sleeve, signaling him to keep quiet. Gates impatiently shook his hand off. "What're you tugging me for? He saved us, so we should say what we think. I reckon this brother's right. How far can we really run?"

"Then what do you suggest?" Barker asked.

"Come with me," Linley said. "I could use some help. If you come with me, at least we can face the Church together if they come after you again."

Barker looked at his brothers.

Boone frowned. "Big Brother, we don't even know who these people are... Brother, it's not that I'm ungrateful, but we just met you. We're thankful you saved us, but following you is another matter. What if you're part of some other faction? We'd be jumping out of the tiger's den and into the wolf's."

Boone looked Linley straight in the eye as he spoke, his tone neither servile nor arrogant. He was the second-oldest of the five brothers and usually handled negotiations and job offers. He was also the most clearheaded.

"My name's Linley. I'm from Fenlai City," Linley cut in. "These are my companions. We have a grudge against the Radiant Church. I saved you because it was convenient, and because we need help. You can come with us if you want. If you don't, you can leave right now. I won't stop you."

Linley spoke calmly, but his tone left no room for discussion.

Barker was silent for a moment, then looked Linley in the eye.

Linley's gaze was calm. There was no threat in it, nor any expectation. He was simply stating the facts. Barker had been a mercenary for many years and had met all kinds of people. He could tell who was sincere and who wasn't. Linley's directness made him seem more trustworthy. And the most important part was what Linley had just said: he had a grudge against the Radiant Church. The five brothers were now targets of the Church too. The enemy of their enemy could at least be a friend.

"Fine," Barker said with a nod. "We brothers will come with you."

Just then, a knight's corpse suddenly twitched.

Akes sprang to attention, the Fallen Heart Flame gathering in his palm. But the corpse didn't get up. Instead, a palm-sized crystal tumbled out of its clothes. It hit the ground and cracked with a sharp snap. A beam of light shot skyward and burst open in the night, forming a dazzling emblem of the Radiant Church: a burning holy sword, glaringly bright against the darkness.

A distress signal.

The light was so blinding that it was hard to keep their eyes open. The holy sword emblem slowly revolved in the air, golden flames burning around its edges. It was visible for dozens of miles.

Linley's expression changed.

Sessler rushed over and kicked the corpse aside, but it was too late. The signal had been sent, and people dozens of miles away could see it. He looked down at the corpse. It was an unremarkable knight who'd been lying in a pool of blood, unnoticed by everyone. The crystal beneath him must have been specially made to release a signal when crushed. Sessler searched the corpse and found several more crystals of the same kind tucked in his clothes. His expression darkened further.

"It's a distress signal," Sessler said grimly. "This thing is specially made to release a signal when crushed. That knight must've been lying on it before he died, and none of us noticed. Now that the signal's gone out, the nearest Church outpost will definitely send people to investigate. That bastard still managed to bite us, even after he died."

Linley looked at the light, his brows knitted tight. The Radiant Church emblem lingered in the sky for over ten seconds before slowly fading, but that was more than enough time for people within dozens of miles to see it. He clenched his fists, veins bulging along his arms. We were still careless.

"Go," Akes said. "Whoever comes, we need to get out of here first."

Linley nodded and turned to the five brothers. "Come with us. Don't fall behind."

The five brothers didn't hesitate and immediately followed.

The group hurried off the main road and disappeared into the night. As they walked, Sessler recalled the undead. The skeletons and zombies sank back underground as if they'd never appeared. All that remained on the battlefield were bodies strewn everywhere and shattered weapons, casting an eerie scene in the moonlight. The wind blew past, lifting a few dead leaves and dropping them into the pools of blood.

An hour later, a figure descended from the sky and landed on the battlefield.

He was a tall, middle-aged man with a profound aura. He wore the Radiant Church's priestly robes, their hems embroidered with gold thread, marking him as someone of high status. He scanned the area, his gaze settling on the bloodstains and signs of battle on the ground. His expression was frighteningly dark.

He crouched and examined the wounds on several corpses. Some had been torn apart by claws, some burned by flames, and others bitten by undead. He felt the temperature of a corpse, then looked up at the prison wagon. Its chains had been snapped, and it was empty.

"A necromancer..." the middle-aged man murmured, his gaze dark. "Interesting."

"They sure ran fast."

He gave a cold laugh, took out a communication crystal, and infused it with Dou Qi. The crystal lit up, and a respectful voice came from within. "What are your orders, my lord?"

"Send a team over to retrieve the bodies. Also, tell headquarters the mission went wrong—someone stole the cargo. I need access to all the intelligence on this area. Find out if anyone suspicious has passed through recently."

"Yes, my lord."

The group traveled through the night, only stopping to rest at daybreak.

Though the five burly men were wounded, they gritted their teeth and kept up all night. Not one of them fell behind. Akes took note and silently approved. Whatever else one could say, their physical strength was indeed a cut above that of ordinary seventh-level warriors. The Radiant Church had its reasons for targeting them. Barker in particular had a wound on his arm that kept bleeding, but he never uttered a sound. He ran at the front the whole way, turning back now and then to check that his brothers were keeping up.

After daybreak, they rested in a valley. Sessler sent a few undead creatures to keep watch around them, and only then did everyone let out a sigh of relief.

The five burly men sat on the ground, panting heavily. The one with the wounded arm had lost a lot of blood on the way, and his face had gone pale. Linley walked over and tossed him a bottle of wound medicine.

"Apply that yourself."

The man took the medicine, froze for a moment, then cupped his hands in thanks. "Thanks, brother!"

The other four also cupped their hands, their eyes full of gratitude. Gates even dropped to his knees and kowtowed, startling Linley. Ankh pulled him back to his feet, but he muttered, "Ma said saving a life is a debt greater than heaven. What's a kowtow compared to that?"

Linley nodded and sat down nearby. Bebe leaped off his shoulder and hopped up in front of Barker, looking up at him. Barker felt a little uneasy under the little fellow's stare and gave an awkward smile. "This little one is..."

"Bebe," Linley said. "My companion."

Barker nodded and didn't dare ask anything more. He might have been a rough fellow, but he wasn't stupid. He'd seen the battle last night. The young man in front of him had been terrifyingly powerful after transforming into a dragon. The young man who played with fire had casually killed a ninth-level mage, and the gloomy old man could summon undead. Not one of them was someone to trifle with. The talking magical beast was even more unusual. In over a decade as a mercenary, he'd never seen one of its kind.

After resting for half a day, they continued on their way.

Sessler walked at the front, muttering as he went. "We can't go back to Deke County City now. The Church will definitely investigate after that signal went out. We need to find somewhere to lie low for a while."

"Where?" Akes asked.

Sessler thought for a moment. "I do know a place. It's remote, with hardly anyone around. There's a small town to the northwest called Yunfeng Town, tucked away in a mountain valley. The Church's reach probably doesn't extend that far. I spent a few years there when I was young. The townspeople are hunters and herb gatherers. They're not very welcoming to outsiders, but they don't meddle in other people's business either. As long as you pay, you can get anything."

Linley looked at Akes, who nodded.

"Then we'll go to Yunfeng Town."

The group turned northwest.

After two days of travel, the five brothers had mostly recovered from their injuries. As seventh-level warriors, they had astonishing recuperative powers. Barker's wound in particular had already begun to scab over. Gates was even more remarkable. He had a half-foot-long gash on his back, yet by the third day he could carry a wild boar while walking. They'd hunted the boar on the way; it weighed at least two hundred pounds, but Gates carried it alone without turning red or breaking a sweat.

On the road, Akes observed them now and then.

The five brothers had distinct personalities. Barker was steady and had the air of an eldest brother. He always asked Linley's opinion and never acted on his own. Gates was honest and simple, not much of a talker, but the strongest of them all. When there was work to do, he could do the work of three men. Ankh was quick-witted, his eyes always darting about as though he were plotting something, but he behaved himself whenever Barker glared at him. Bullen was taciturn and barely spoke during the journey, but he was the most meticulous. When they made camp, he was always the last to sleep, taking responsibility for the night watch. Welin was the youngest and full of energy. Now and then, he tried to play with Bebe, but after a few glares from Bebe, he would back away with an awkward smile.

But they all had one thing in common: they could eat.

In a single meal, the five of them could eat as much as ten ordinary people. Sessler watched the provisions disappear at an alarming rate and winced with every bite.

"Were you five born to be bottomless pits? You're going to eat through my entire supply!"

Barker scratched his head sheepishly. "Sorry, sorry. We've always been big eaters. When our pa was alive, he used to say raising the five of us was worse than raising five pigs. We could... go hunt something, maybe? Gates is a good hunter. He can hit anything within a hundred paces."

Linley waved a hand. "Forget it. There's a town ahead. We can restock when we get there."

After another three days on the road, they finally came upon signs of human habitation.

It was a small town nestled between two mountains, with only a single street. There were a few shops and a sparse handful of passersby. It certainly looked remote. A stone stele stood at the town's entrance, with the words "Yunfeng Town" carved into it, though weathering had made the characters difficult to read. The mountains on both sides were so tall that they blocked out the sun. The town was cool and dim, with a damp, musty smell.

Sessler found an inn he knew well and muttered a few words to the owner before ushering everyone inside.

The inn was small, but there were a few empty rooms in the back courtyard, just enough for them. The owner was a thin old man in his fifties, chewing on a long-stemmed pipe. He narrowed his eyes and looked over Linley and the others, but asked nothing. He took the money and handed them the keys.

The five brothers crowded into one room and collapsed into bed. They hadn't complained during the journey, but they had been wounded and were truly exhausted. Before long, snores rose and fell inside the room like thunder.