Li Yue, Draw Him.

"I intended to be polite with you lot, but since you're so unappreciative, there's no need to keep up the act!"

Ma Hongjun shook off the vegetable leaves clinging to his hair, his face flushed a deep, angry red.

Half of it was from the swelling, and the other half was from pure rage.

He clenched his fists, his rolls of fat trembling as viscous, purplish-red Soul Power erupted from his body.

The Soul Power carried a scorching heat; the moment it touched the surrounding air, the vegetable leaves and scraps of cloth on the ground instantly turned charred and curled, incinerated to ash within a few breaths.

The surging Evil Fire flowed across his skin with a low, whistling sound, causing the temperature at the street corner to spike sharply.

Rolling waves of heat rippled outward, forcing the onlookers who had gathered to watch the commotion to retreat again and again, huddling together at the corner of the street and daring only to peek out with half their heads.

Within a fifty-pace radius, there was not a single soul left besides him.

"Boss Dai, let's attack together!"

Ma Hongjun let out a low roar, his Evil Fire Phoenix martial soul instantly possessing him.

Long, fiery-red feathers sprouted from the outer sides of his arms with a sizzling sound, their edges singed a charred black.

His messy hair stood on end under the impact of his Soul Power, transforming into a striking mohawk, with sparks still drifting from the tips.

Two century-level yellow soul rings rotated beneath his feet, the bright yellow halos expanding in circles to signify his status as a two-ring Soul Grandmaster.

Here, Ma Hongjun was brimming with Evil Fire and itching for a fight, desperate to burn this unappreciative man and woman to cinders to regain the face he had lost in front of a beauty.

Little did he know that his "good big brother," Dai Mubai, was already looking for an exit.

To be precise, it wasn't just looking for an exit; he wished he could sew Ma Hongjun's troublesome mouth shut and vanish from this street immediately.

Even though Dai Mobai had only spoken two words, and his voice wasn't particularly loud—vanishing almost instantly in the noisy market—Dai Mubai had heard them clearly.

That voice, that tone, that lazy and indifferent way of speaking—he knew it all too well.

He didn't know why Dai Mobai would appear here.

But now was not the time to ponder that.

He only knew that he could not remain here.

Absolutely not!

Dai Mubai had originally intended to slip away quietly while Dai Mobai hadn't noticed him, blending into the crowd of civilians at the street corner to disappear without a trace.

But just as he turned around, Ma Hongjun shouted at the top of his lungs.

The shout was full of vigor, echoing down half the street, the lingering sound reverberating between the shops on both sides.

Dai Mubai's burly frame stiffened abruptly.

He remained in his turning posture, his back as rigid as an iron plate.

If looks could kill, Ma Hongjun would have been riddled with holes by his glare.

You bastard! You damn fatty! Of all the people you could have called, you had to call my name at a time like this! And so loudly! Are you afraid people won't know I'm standing behind you?

"It seems you've been doing well these past three years."

Dai Mobai's lazy voice drifted from behind Dai Mubai.

Yet, it was this casual, indifferent tone that sent a chill down Dai Mubai's spine.

"You've even become a boss, my—"

Dai Mobai paused deliberately.

Dai Mubai's breathing hitched in sync.

"—good younger brother."

The moment the last three words left his lips, the air in the entire street seemed to be sucked away.

Dai Mubai closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

His fingers curled one by one, his knuckles popping with a crisp, sharp sound.

He knew he couldn't leave anymore.

From the moment Ma Hongjun shouted his name, he had already lost his chance to escape.

Ma Hongjun was a bit stunned now.

His brain, battered by both Evil Fire and rage, finally cooled for a split second, struggling to process the information he had just received.

He had intended to call Boss Dai for a pincer attack to take down this arrogant man and woman.

But he never imagined that Dai Mubai and the other party were actually brothers.

It left him in an awkward position; he didn't know whether to attack or stand down.

But Dai Mubai had caught the underlying meaning.

Unfortunately, he couldn't leave now.

He could only feign composure as he turned around, straightening his back and trying his best to make his expression look calm and tough.

The moment he turned, his gaze collided directly with Dai Mobai's.

That person's eyes were the same as they had been three years ago: calm, composed, bottomless, and devoid of any superfluous emotion.

He was even smiling.

It was the smile Dai Mubai hated most.

Because he could never know what was hidden behind that expression.

"Dai Mobai, what are you doing here?"

Dai Mubai lowered his voice, striking first to gain the initiative.

His tone was harsh, his voice laced with undisguised hostility.

Dai Mobai raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Three years have passed; have we really grown so distant?"

His gaze fell upon Dai Mubai—not sharp, yet possessing a penetrative power that made one feel there was nowhere to hide.

Dai Mubai felt as though his heartbeat were loud enough to be heard across the entire street corner.

"You won't even call me brother?"

Dai Mobai's tone was light, his cadence level.

Yet, those words struck Dai Mubai's ears more painfully than any mockery.

Because Dai Mobai was speaking the truth.

If he didn't call him that, he was the one in the wrong.

And yet, Dai Mobai pointed this out in such a flat tone that it made Dai Mubai look like he was being unreasonable.

"Stop with the hypocrisy!"

Dai Mubai gritted his teeth, squeezing the words out from between them.

His voice was kept low, but every syllable carried three years of accumulated resentment and humiliation.

Dai Mobai was always like this—always using the gentlest tone to say the most heart-piercing words, always using the most indifferent expression to drive others into a corner.

This was the trick he excelled at, and Dai Mubai had suffered for it countless times.

Every time he thought he had learned his lesson, he would face him again, only to be struck in his most vulnerable spot by a single sentence.

"Fine."

The smile at the corners of Dai Mobai's mouth faded.

That faint arc that had been hanging on his face vanished completely in an instant.

His expression returned to absolute stillness, even the warmth in his eyes receding with it.

But that stillness was more terrifying than anger.

Because anger at least meant he still cared, while stillness meant that, in his eyes, you were no longer worth any emotional fluctuation.

"Since you want to be so distant, I shall oblige."

Dai Mobai's voice was faint, his tone as light as a feather, yet to Dai Mubai, it felt as heavy as a mountain, pressing down until he could barely breathe.

Dai Mobai tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling upon Li Yue at his side as he uttered four words.

"Li Yue, strike him."

Li Yue's hand had never left the hilt of her sword from the very beginning.

Upon hearing Dai Mobai's command, she did not hesitate in the slightest; with a light tap of her toes against the ground, she transformed into a blur and lunged forward.