"Heh heh."
Lying on the ground, Myriad Demon Child's body gradually stopped convulsing under the effects of the healing pills. He took out several more pills and stuffed them into the horrifying wound in his abdomen before shakily rising to his feet. From his robes, he pulled out a handkerchief and carefully wiped the spirit tablets on the offering table.
"Big Brother. Little Nine finally succeeded. Didn't you always say that Little Nine was the most cowardly, the most afraid of death, the one with the smallest courage among us brothers..."
"If only you were still alive."
"I really wanted you to see that I'm not afraid of death. I just didn't want to leave you all. Now even Eighth Brother is dead. I have nothing left to hold onto."
"See? I can be fearless too."
He did not know who had killed Big Brother and Second Brother.
Big Brother had only died after escaping into the cave with grievous injuries. Before his death, he refused to say who had killed him no matter what. He only told them never to seek revenge. Their sole objective was to rescue their master. No matter which of them died at another's hands, that merely meant they deserved to die.
Forget every grudge. Revenge would only drag down their progress.
Ignore everything. Rescue their master.
Big Brother had been fortunate, at least. He had left behind final words.
Sixth Brother, Seventh Brother, and Eighth Brother had all died outside, without even a final message making its way back.
With a dazed expression, Myriad Demon Child shakily took out twenty-four incense sticks from his robes. After lighting them, he placed three before each of the eight incense burners before the spirit tablets. They had commissioned the tablets long ago—nine in all.
And now...
Myriad