Brothers

Time rewound to a few minutes earlier.

"Sir, you took the wrong turn. This isn't the path we came in on!" Seeing Xiao Yan head toward several other forks, Sun Shan could not help reminding him.

"Didn't you smell something foul?" Xiao Yan suddenly asked.

"A foul smell?" Sun Shan froze, then sniffed carefully. "There does seem to be a little. Strange, it wasn't there just now."

"When Xian'er entered, she scattered some medicine at the cave entrance. Once someone passes through it, they'll start to stink, and it spreads very easily."

"What? Does that mean someone already came in? Could it be those Snake-People?" Sun Shan asked in alarm.

"What are you panicking for? Hurry up and erase the footprints in the other passages. Then we'll hide," Xiao Yan said with a frown.

"Oh! Right, I'm on it!" Scolded by Xiao Yan, Sun Shan immediately seemed to find his backbone and hurried over to clear away the footprints.

Both of them were cultivators, so working together, they quickly cleaned away all traces. They randomly chose a side passage, entered it, and hid beyond a bend.

Before long, the leader of the Golden Snake Tribe arrived with his Snake-People subordinates and sent people to inspect every side passage.

Just as Xiao Yan was preparing to take Little Fairy Doctor and Sun Shan deeper inside to hide, the Snake-People scouts were called back.

After another burst of commotion, all the Snake-People charged into the passage on the far right, just as Xiao Yan had hoped.

With a sigh of relief, Xiao Yan was about to take the two of them back when Sun Shan tugged at him from behind.

"What is it?"

"Um, sir, look over there." Sun Shan pointed awkwardly toward the rear of the Snake-People group.

"You want to save those people?" Under safer circumstances, Xiao Yan naturally would not have minded saving a few more people. But his Dou Qi had only recovered a little, and he did not want to take such a risk. These people had nothing to do with him, and he had no obligation to save them.

"Well, didn't I tell you before that I have a friend named Zhong Bang? He's among them too," Sun Shan said sheepishly.

"You want me to save him?"

"Yes. I beg for your mercy, sir." Sun Shan directly dropped to his knees and pleaded.

"I didn't expect you to be so loyal." Xiao Yan seemed to be seeing the man before him anew.

"You can save him if you want." After some thought, Xiao Yan said, "But I'll only give you one chance. Whether you can actually escape will depend on yourselves. If the Snake-People catch up, I'll take Xian'er and leave first. Don't blame me for being heartless then."

"Yes, thank you for saving us, sir!"

Time returned to the present.

The moment Xiao Yan blocked the passage, he immediately retreated. Zhong Bang and the other captives had already been freed by Sun Shan and were rapidly fleeing under his lead.

Xiao Yan brought up the rear, Little Fairy Doctor in one arm while he continuously destroyed the passage behind them with the other.

Naturally, the Golden Snake Tribe would not let this go. The leading Snake-Person had already reached the Dou Spirit realm. With one punch, he cleared a ten-meter stretch of tunnel.

"Chase!" the Golden Snake Tribe leader said through gritted teeth. The Snake-People behind him all used their methods to clear the rubble ahead.

Feeling the drain on his Dou Qi, Xiao Yan decisively instructed the fleeing group, including Sun Shan, to handle the rest of the tunnel-blocking work.

He had said it in advance: he would only give them an opportunity. Whether they escaped in the end depended on themselves. After all, he could not ignore his own safety and Little Fairy Doctor's.

Sun Shan had already informed everyone ahead of time. Though a few people were dissatisfied, they knew this was not the time to object, and they all began using their techniques as well. Xiao Yan, meanwhile, leaped to the very front with Little Fairy Doctor.

Fortunately, blocking a passage was far easier than clearing one. Along the way, Little Fairy Doctor also woke up and helped by scattering a cloud of poisonous gas, poisoning several Snake-People.

They climbed out of the well along the rope the Snake-People had left behind. Once they reached this point, they were basically safe. As long as so many people scattered and ran, the Snake-People were unlikely to pursue them. After all, there was no way they could catch Xiao Yan's group, who might possess a Heavenly Flame—the Snake-People should have been able to figure that out.

Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. After Sun Shan, Zhong Bang, and several others who had been saved came forward to thank him, Xiao Yan bid everyone farewell and flew with Little Fairy Doctor toward the nearest Stone Desert City.

Stone Desert City lay east of Mo City, very close to where the Green Lotus Core Flame was located. Xiao Yan reached Stone Desert City's gates after flying for only half a quarter-hour. When Xiao Yan had parted from his two older brothers, they had come here.

The bright moon hung low in the sky, while the first ray of morning sunlight fell upon Stone Desert City's walls, making them shimmer brilliantly—much like Xiao Yan's mood at that moment.

"Come on, Xian'er. I told you before that I'd bring you to meet my two older brothers. They're in Stone Desert City ahead." Xiao Yan pinched Little Fairy Doctor's slightly nervous cheek, then took her hand and led her into Stone Desert City.

Stone Desert City was one of the Jia Ma Empire's border cities that extended deepest into the Tagore Great Desert. Compared with Mo City, it was somewhat weaker. Its strongest original force, the Sand Mercenary Group, had been led by Luo Bu, who was only a Great Dou Master. To keep others from discovering that they possessed Earth-tier cultivation techniques, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li had initially come to Stone Desert City as the lowest-ranking independent mercenaries, unaffiliated with any group. Until half a year ago, when the two successively broke through to Great Dou Master, they naturally no longer had to hide. After all, even if they continued advancing rapidly or even broke through to Dou Spirit, they could still pretend to be Great Dou Masters. No one would be able to tell anyway. So the brothers had attacked the Sand Mercenary Group together and absorbed both it and its leader Luo Bu. It was now called the Mo Iron Mercenary Group, and nearly all the mercenaries in Stone Desert City directly or indirectly belonged to it.

As the headquarters of the Mo Iron Mercenary Group, which ruled Stone Desert City like local emperors, it was naturally easy to locate. Xiao Yan quickly got directions from a passerby. Following Stone Desert City's largest road straight ahead, one would find a massive pavilion at the city center. If not for the large banner painted with the words Mo Iron Mercenary Group and the mercenaries constantly entering and leaving, most people would probably have thought it was something like the City Lord's Manor. Of course, that would not have been entirely wrong. Even the City Lord's Manor now dared not slight the Mo Iron Mercenary Group.

At the entrance to the Mo Iron Mercenary Group's compound, two burly men who clearly looked battle-hardened stood guard on either side of the gate.

"Hello, brother. My name is Yao Yan. I'm friends with your leaders. Please help announce my arrival." Xiao Yan stepped forward and displayed some long-lost politeness.

The two gatekeepers were both peak Dou Fighters, figures of some standing in Stone Desert City. Looking at the seventeen- or eighteen-year-old youth before them, with his smooth, delicate appearance and a woman beside him who looked frail at first glance, they wondered which young master from some family had wandered over.

Over the past half-year, they had seen countless children of prominent families come here hoping to curry favor with their leaders. The more timid ones would respectfully follow procedure, while the bolder ones would directly claim to be friends of the leaders or sons of old acquaintances, trying to meet the leaders without delay. The two guards had been scolded by their superiors several times because of this, and they had learned their lesson.

"Oh, a friend of the leaders, right? Fine, we understand. Go in here, turn left, and register. If the leaders see it and are interested, they'll naturally meet you."

"Uh." What was going on? This was not how he had imagined it! Shouldn't it have been, "Ah! A friend of the leaders! Please come in, we'll notify them at once"? Xiao Yan thought gloomily.

Still, these were his own brothers' subordinates. Rounding it up, that made them his subordinates too. It would not be good to make a move and explain things by force.

Xiao Yan decided to try a little harder and salvage the situation. "Um... I really am friends with your leaders. Just go in and report my name. They'll definitely come out to receive me."

"Oh, we know, we know. But there have to be rules, right? You should register first."

Damn it, he had to register just to see his own brothers? What kind of sense did that make?

"Pfft!" Little Fairy Doctor accidentally laughed out loud beside him. But considering Xiao Yan's dignity, she hurriedly turned away and covered her mouth, her shoulders trembling.

Xiao Yan could tell by now that these two probably took him for a fraud. He could not help feeling helpless. Why would no one listen when he tried to speak properly?

But registering was out of the question. Judging from their attitude, who knew how long it would take for his registration to be submitted? Whether they would submit it at all was questionable.

Left with no choice, Xiao Yan decided to show the two burly gatekeepers a little friendliness. The aura of a Great Dou Master burst forth without reservation.

"G-G-Great Dou Master!" The terrifying aura instantly scared the two gatekeepers into wetting themselves. I'm finished. Mom, don't save dinner for me tonight.

"How dare you! Who is causing trouble before my Mo Iron Mercenary Group?" A figure rushed out from the pavilion. It was Luo Bu, the former leader of the Sand Mercenary Group who had been absorbed by Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, now one of the Mo Iron Mercenary Group's vice leaders and a three-star Great Dou Master.

Just as Luo Bu was about to teach this unknown brat a lesson, he gradually realized that Xiao Yan's aura seemed to be... stronger than his own.

He hurriedly turned to the people beside him. "Quick, invite Leader Xiao Ding and Vice Leader Li Xiao Li!"

"No need. We're already here." Xiao Yan's aura had naturally not gone unnoticed by Luo Bu alone; he had merely been closer to the gate.

"Leaders, this person suddenly appeared at the entrance of our Mo Iron Mercenary Group. I'm afraid he has ill intentions..." Luo Bu was just about to tell Xiao Ding and Xiao Li to heighten their guard, but the two ignored him completely and walked right past him.

The two young men, dressed in typical mercenary attire, approached Xiao Yan from the left and right and each thumped him once on the chest.

"You brat, you finally remembered to visit your two older brothers! I thought you'd forgotten all about us!" Xiao Li said, hooking an arm around Xiao Yan's neck and feigning displeasure.

"Oh, come on, Second Brother. I only arrived in the Tagore Great Desert ten days ago. See? I came to find you as soon as I could." Xiao Yan smiled apologetically. To be honest, since leaving home two and a half years ago, he had not only failed to return, but had not even sent a single letter. He had also kept delaying his promised reunion with his two older brothers in the Tagore Great Desert. It was no wonder Xiao Li harbored some resentment.

"Enough, Second Brother. Little Yan must have had his own matters to attend to. He didn't deliberately delay coming. Haven't you noticed he's already a Seven-Star Great Dou Master? He's even stronger than you now." Xiao Ding mediated from the side. Compared with the more carefree Xiao Li, he was clearly far more observant.

"Seven-Star Great Dou Master?" Only then did Xiao Li realize. "Damn, it's true! Little Yan, how did you cultivate? How did you get so strong so fast?"

"Ahem, well... about that..." Second Brother, did he really think this was an appropriate place to ask something like that?

"Enough, Second Brother. Calm down for now." Eldest Brother Xiao Ding once again stepped forward to play the peacemaker. "Little Yan has been standing outside for quite a while. Let's go inside first and talk there."

"Oh, right, right. Look at me, I got so excited I forgot everything." Coming to his senses, Xiao Li dragged Xiao Yan inside.

Xiao Yan had no choice but to follow. He turned and gave Little Fairy Doctor a look, signaling her to follow, then gestured to his still-composed eldest brother Xiao Ding.

Xiao Ding naturally understood Xiao Yan's meaning. He turned to Little Fairy Doctor, who was still standing at the entrance. "This must be our younger sister-in-law. Sorry, my second brother is rather rude. Please forgive him."

That form of address immediately made Little Fairy Doctor blush. Although her relationship with Xiao Yan had already reached that point more or less, she was still embarrassed to have one of Xiao Yan's elders say it outright in public.

After trying to regain her composure, Little Fairy Doctor respectfully said to Xiao Ding, "Hello, Eldest Brother. My name is Little Fairy Doctor. I'm... I'm Xiao Yan's girlfriend."

In the end, Little Fairy Doctor still could not bring herself to say "wife." Perhaps it was because she had not formally married into the family yet. And due to her nervousness, she had even forgotten to hide Xiao Yan's real name. Fortunately, after seeing that the visitors were the two leaders' younger brother, everyone nearby had already tactfully left, so no one heard.

"Mm, hello, Little Fairy Doctor. Xiao Yan has had to rely on you to take care of him during this time. Come in with me."

"Okay."

Passing through the grand and luxurious pavilion behind them, Xiao Ding led Little Fairy Doctor into a residential compound beyond it.

Though the pavilion in front was large and lavish, it was not the residence of Xiao Ding and Xiao Li. It served as the Mo Iron Mercenary Group's assembly point and public office. They normally cultivated and lived in the courtyards behind the pavilion.

Not only did Xiao Ding and Xiao Li have their own courtyards here, many of the Mo Iron Mercenary Group's upper ranks lived here as well. Luo Bu, for instance, also had a courtyard here. Naturally, Xiao Yan had one too. It was to the right of Xiao Ding's courtyard, while Xiao Li's courtyard stood to the left. The three brothers were together.

Xiao Ding led Little Fairy Doctor into the main hall of his courtyard. Inside, Xiao Li was relentlessly questioning Xiao Yan about everything that had happened over the past two years.

The moment Xiao Yan saw Xiao Ding enter with Little Fairy Doctor, he looked as though he had seen a savior.

"Eldest Brother, save me!" Heaven knew it had only been a little over two years since they last met—when had his second brother become so nagging?

But Xiao Ding did not save him. Instead, he kicked him while he was down. "Little Yan, don't look at me like that. You've given Father and Second Brother quite a scare by disappearing for over two years. Now that they're only asking you a few more questions, just bear with it. Besides..." Xiao Ding paused. "I also want to know what you've encountered over these past years."

Xiao Yan felt like crying without tears. It felt just like returning home for the holidays and being interrogated by relatives about work and studies. He had never felt more hopeless.