Brotherly Bond

"Brother, what did you want to say? Go on, I'm listening." Little Luo Fu was surprised to see his brother looking so hesitant. Was this really the brother who had been strict with him since he was little? The same brother who was cold but doted on him?

"Luo Fu, what I wanted to tell you is that I'm not planning to go to the imperial capital to accept a noble title. A quiet, ordinary life as a minor noble isn't what I want. I long for a life of passion and excitement. One day, I'll create a legend of my own, a legend of Luo Feng. The War God, the High Priest-one day, I'll surpass them." Hearing Luo Fu's words, Luo Feng spoke his mind.

"Brother, what do you mean?" Luo Fu was a little confused.

"I mean, after a while, I'll be leaving. I'll leave the O'Brien Empire and continue my arduous training elsewhere. I long for an exciting life, and I want to challenge powerful opponents," Luo Feng said.

"Brother, you mean you're leaving again? You're going to leave me at Philipzi Warrior Academy?" Luo Fu said blankly.

"Luo Fu, you're still young, and you're not strong enough yet, so I can't take you with me. But I promise, give me some time and I'll come back for you, all right?" Luo Feng stroked little Luo Fu's head, his face full of affection.

"No, I don't want that, Brother! It's been three years. You left for three whole years! Do you know? Father's gone, Mother's gone, and you're the only family I have left. You're my only brother, my only family. Why are you always the one standing in front? When I was bullied as a child, you beat them up for me without hesitation." Luo Fu roared, "For my sake, you were willing to waste three years waiting for me to become a Warrior of the First Rank before bringing me to the provincial capital for the academy's admissions. Don't you know I've grown up now? I can take care of myself!"

"Luo Fu, give me some time. The world out there isn't as simple as you imagine. I'll come back for you when the time comes." Luo Feng didn't want little Luo Fu to get hurt. People said dragons had reverse scales, and Luo Fu was Luo Feng's reverse scale. If anyone dared hurt him, Luo Feng would even fight them to the death, because he was his only family in this world, his only younger brother.

"No, Brother, I don't want that." Luo Fu could no longer hold back his tears, and they poured out. After three years, his brother had finally come back, only to leave him again now.

"Luo Fu, have you forgotten everything I told you? Men shed blood, not tears. Even if we shed our last drop of blood, we won't cry, because we're men. We stand tall between heaven and earth. What do you think you're doing now?" Luo Feng said sternly.

Seeing how pitiful Luo Fu looked, Luo Feng's resolve suddenly weakened. "Luo Fu, how about this? When you reach my level, when you become an Eighth-level Warrior, I'll come and get you. I absolutely won't go back on my word. What do you say?"

Luo Fu looked at his brother as though trying to see right through him. "You said it. You have to come for me when the time comes." After a long while, Luo Fu realized he couldn't persuade his brother and agreed to Luo Feng's terms. Although becoming an Eighth-level Warrior was still a distant prospect, Luo Fu believed that only with a goal could he have the passion to strive.

Luo Feng smiled and stroked Luo Fu's little head. "That's right. I'll definitely come for you when the time comes. As you are now, you're too weak and would only be a burden to me. You have to work hard. Don't make me wait ten or twenty years before I can come for you."

The battle between the two brothers finally came to an end.

Night fell, and the land was shrouded in darkness. Several candles burned in the dormitory at Philipzi Warrior Academy, lighting up the entire living room. Luo Feng took out the leather bundle he had been carrying and placed it on the table, smiling at little Luo Fu.

"What's this?" Little Luo Fu looked at his brother in puzzlement.

"Open it in a moment." Luo Feng got up and shut the main door. Little Luo Fu couldn't help laughing. "Brother, why all the mystery? You even have to shut the door."

Luo Feng sat down with a smile. "Luo Fu, open this bundle and take a look. What's inside will surprise you."

"Let's see what you've got in here." Luo Fu opened the bundle curiously. To his surprise, there was a large sack inside, its mouth tied tightly shut. A great number of Magic Crystal Cores filled it to bursting.

Luo Fu felt the large sack and asked in puzzlement, "Such a big sack, and it doesn't seem to be full of gold coins. Could it be gravel?" Luo Fu couldn't figure it out. As he spoke, he opened the sack.

The moment the sack opened,

Magic Crystal Cores of every color gave off a brilliant multicolored glow, dazzling Luo Fu's eyes. He had never seen a whole sack full of so many different Magic Crystal Cores in his life.

"Are these Magic Crystal Cores?" Luo Fu's eyes widened into circles. He looked at Luo Feng in shock, then swallowed with difficulty. Luo Fu had seen Magic Crystal Cores before, but only the nobles at the academy had them, and he had never seen so many. The sheer number of them was a stunning sight.

Luo Fu suddenly realized something. "Brother, did you get these Magic Crystal Cores from the magical beasts you killed while training in the Magical Beast Forest?"

Luo Feng nodded. "Yes. Almost all the cores in this sack are level five or six. Going by the values recorded in books, these Magic Crystal Cores should be worth around a hundred thousand gold coins."

"Around a hundred thousand gold coins?" Luo Fu felt his heart give a violent lurch.

Money had troubled Luo Fu all these years. He had even been working a temporary job when Luo Feng found him, which showed just how hard up little Luo Fu had been. Now he had suddenly seen so many Magic Crystal Cores, worth over a hundred thousand gold coins. How could he not be astonished?

Little Luo Fu looked at the colorful pile of Magic Crystal Cores before him and felt as though he were dreaming, his whole body strangely light. Although he knew his brother was very strong, he had never expected him to suddenly put Magic Crystal Cores worth such a fortune in front of him.

Luo Fu took several deep breaths before he managed to calm himself down.

"Brother, what are you doing?" little Luo Fu asked.

"Tomorrow, let's go sell them together. After that, you won't have to work anymore. Just focus on training at the academy. I also need to buy a few things while we're out." In truth, Luo Feng had felt a pang of sadness when he saw little Luo Fu earlier. It was all his fault. He hadn't taken good care of his younger brother, leaving little Luo Fu with no choice but to work for money.

In fact, Luo Feng had so few Magic Crystal Cores only because he had spent very little time hunting magical beasts. Over those three years, he had spent most of his time comprehending nature and had rarely hunted magical beasts. Otherwise, collecting a huge pile of level-eight cores would have been as easy as playing a game. Even so, what he had brought back had nearly scared little Luo Fu silly.