We Are Brothers

A carriage had stopped by the riverbank.

Yang Ming had long since removed his bloodstained clothes and soaked in the icy river like a fish, calming the almost deranged killing intent within him.

Only after leaving that slaughterhouse-like scene did Yang Ming feel weak and nauseated.

This was the aftermath of killing someone for the first time.

Splash!

Ripples spread across the river as Yang Ming climbed ashore. Under the sunlight, his body reflected a golden-triangle physique, with broad shoulders, a powerful chest, and a taut waist.

His muscles coiled like horned dragons, his abdomen showed smooth mermaid lines, and his abs were firm and solid as stone.

Having just experienced slaughter, his still-youthful face had already taken on a fierce edge. Its features were sharply defined, with thick brows and bright eyes, giving off a heavy, imposing air. That was because the killing aura around him was still too dense and had yet to fade. Only after some time would it gradually dissipate.

Old Jack held a bundle of clean clothes and draped them over Yang Ming's bare shoulders. Like an ordinary elderly man advising a younger generation, he nagged on and on:

"You little rascal, you came ashore without putting on any clothes. What if you catch a chill? Once you get to the city to study, no one will take care of you like I do."

Faced with the old man's nagging, Yang Ming did not look at all like a swordsman who had just killed dozens of bandits in one go. Instead, he looked like the kid next door, wearing an awkward expression as he changed into fresh clothes under Old Jack's insistence.

As the saying went, clothes made the man.

After putting on a carefully tailored set of white clothes, Yang Ming's entire bearing changed completely. He no longer looked like a child from the countryside, but rather like a refined young gentleman from the city.

The only slight flaw was perhaps that, after years of training and deep exposure to sunlight, Yang Ming had healthy wheat-colored skin rather than the pale face and red lips of those young masters.

Yet this gave him an inexplicable masculine beauty.

Unlike those young masters in the city, he did not give off a frail and delicate impression.

After such an accident on the road, Old Jack did not continue their journey. Instead, they rested by the riverbank. First, it was to let Yang Ming and Tang San recover; second, because the delay had brought them to lunchtime.

After gathering some firewood from the forest and building a simple campfire, Old Jack skillfully took a forked branch and jabbed it into the clear river several times. Three misses and one hit—before long, he had skewered a lively grass carp.

In just a few swift motions, Old Jack cut off the grass carp's head and tail, scraped away its scales, and set it over the campfire to roast.

Taking advantage of this time, Old Jack also explained some common knowledge about city life to Yang Ming and Tang San.

"You two are both geniuses. Sooner or later, you'll enter an Intermediate Soul Master Academy. Let me tell you about academies now."

Although Yang Ming was a little sleepy and did not particularly enjoy listening to grandpa's nagging, he still patiently listened.

He could not help it. When he had read the original Douluo novel, he had never paid close attention, mostly skimming through it. He only remembered the general details.

Old Jack picked up his wine flask and took several large gulps to wet his throat before continuing:

"After completing six years at a Junior Soul Master Academy, most people choose to continue their studies at an Intermediate Soul Master Academy until they turn eighteen. Intermediate Soul Master Academies teach more advanced material, but the difficulty increases greatly as well. If you cannot meet the academy's requirements, you will not be able to graduate successfully. This is different from a Junior Soul Master Academy."

"Besides Junior and Intermediate Soul Master Academies, there are also Advanced Soul Master Academies. Those are places that everyone aspiring to become a Spirit Master longs for."

"In our Heaven Dou Empire, there are only two Advanced Soul Master Academies in total, and together they admit fewer than a hundred students each year."

At this point,

A glimmer appeared in Old Jack's clouded eyes—a look of longing for Advanced Spirit Masters. Then, realizing how cruel reality was and that he was merely a worn-out old man, he could not help but sigh deeply and say:

"This old man has no hope in this life. I can only hope that you young ones will make something of yourselves and have the chance to enter an Advanced Soul Master Academy someday. Then you can cast off your commoner status and become part of the nobility. Countless people would crack their heads open just to squeeze into that class!"

"So, you must work twice as hard. Never become complacent just because you have outstanding talent. You must understand that Holy Soul Village is only a remote corner of this vast continent. There are always greater mountains beyond mountains and greater people beyond people. Outside, there are plenty of geniuses better than you."

Old Jack paused and deliberately glanced at Yang Ming.

Obviously, those last words were meant specifically for Yang Ming. He was afraid that Yang Ming would become arrogant after easily killing dozens of bandits, and that was absolutely unacceptable for a person's growth.

Fortunately, Old Jack found some comfort in the fact that Yang Ming showed no unusual reaction. It seemed that he had at least taken the words to heart. As for how much he had absorbed, Old Jack could do nothing about that.

"Of course, you shouldn't put too much pressure on yourselves either."

Old Jack took a sip of wine and continued at length:

"Graduating from a Junior Soul Master Academy is very simple. As long as your Martial Soul reaches level ten and you obtain a Soul Ring, successfully advancing to the rank of Spirit Master will be enough."

"But an Intermediate Soul Master Academy is different. Your Martial Soul must reach level twenty, and you must obtain a second Soul Ring. Moreover, as far as I know, after reaching level twenty, obtaining a Soul Ring becomes extremely difficult. You must rely on your own strength to hunt Soul Beasts and acquire one."

"During this process, Spirit Masters born as commoners can only rely on themselves. But nobles are different. They have family warriors accompanying them, so it is much easier for them."

"And because of that."

Old Jack patted Yang Ming and Tang San on the shoulders and said earnestly:

"I hope that the two of you will watch out for and support each other in the future. Whenever one of you encounters trouble, help the other as much as possible."

No matter what Yang Ming and Tang San were thinking at that moment, they both instinctively extended their hands and clasped each other's tightly.

Yang Ming broke into a smile, revealing a row of gleaming white teeth.

"Though we aren't blood brothers, we are brothers in all but blood. Through wind and fire, through blade mountains and seas of flame—if my third brother ever faces trouble, I will never refuse, even if it costs me my life!"

Tang San looked at the best friend, best brother, and best rival before him. He smiled broadly, nodded heavily, and said:

"Me too. If anyone wants to harm you, they'll have to step over my corpse first!"

Clearly,

From this bandit incident, Tang San had already faintly caught the scent of a conspiracy.

Perhaps,

It was because Cao Mengyun had left in disgrace last time, yet still lingered like a ghost.