Chapter 15: Brotherly Affection

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**Volume One: First Entry into Another World**

Zu An also laughed. "With Brother Twelve looking after me on the road, it couldn't be better." He was now certain this guy had malicious intentions and decided to use the opportunity to find out who was trying to harm him.

They left the city, each with their own secret agenda. Only now did Zu An realize how fortunate he had been on his first day. When he woke up in the outskirts, it wasn't strictly the wilderness yet, as that area was still a human activity zone, protected by soldiers and human cultivators to prevent fierce beasts from entering and harming people. Beyond the city outskirts was the true wilderness. Near Bright Moon City lay the sprawling Dragon Concealed Mountain, home to an unknown number of fierce beasts.

From time to time, fierce beasts would emerge from the edge of the mountains to attack people. Therefore, between the true wilderness and the city outskirts, soldiers had established checkpoints and outposts, both for vigilance and to deter ordinary people who were unaware of the dangers.

Fortunately, Plum Blossom Twelve was with him; otherwise, Zu An alone probably wouldn't have been able to pass the checkpoint. Plum Blossom Twelve produced something like a pass and also displayed his cultivation level, which was why the guards at the checkpoint allowed them to proceed.

After leaving the outpost, Zu An put on an admiring expression and looked at Plum Blossom Twelve: "Brother, what rank is your cultivation now? Those soldiers seemed to look up to you just now." He decided to subtly gather information while the other party was unaware of his true capabilities, to better plan his next moves.

Plum Blossom Twelve clearly enjoyed such flattery: "It's alright, just a second-grade, third-tier cultivation."

Zu An thought to himself that it wasn't very high at all, roughly equivalent to his own cultivation after one day.

After Plum Blossom Twelve finished speaking, he expected Zu An to shower him with adoring compliments, after which he would modestly deflect them, subtly showing off. To his surprise, the guy just stood there blankly like an idiot.

However, he quickly dismissed it, thinking that a useless person like Zu An probably didn't even know what cultivation was, let alone how difficult it was to reach second-grade, third-tier at his age.

Zu An then asked, "You're so powerful; you must be the highest-ranked among your brothers, right?" He remembered how novels always portrayed villains having a slew of relatives, friends, and backers after being defeated, so he naturally wanted to gather information in advance.

"Not really," Plum Blossom Twelve replied proudly. "There are several others close to my level, and the strongest is our Thirteenth Brother; he's already reached third-grade." He spoke with pride, as their thirteen sworn brothers had enjoyed immense success over the years.

"If you're all so strong, then your gang leader must be even more powerful?" Zu An said cooperatively.

"Of course, the gang leader is already..." He suddenly realized something and corrected himself, "But you don't understand cultivation, so what's the point of telling you all this?"

Zu An felt a little regretful but had still gathered a fair amount of information.

Soon after leaving the checkpoint, a person approached. As soon as the person saw Plum Blossom Twelve from a distance, their expression changed, and they quickly pulled down their hat and turned to leave.

Plum Blossom Twelve took a few large strides and caught up: "Brother Tan, what's the hurry?"

Seeing that he had been recognized, the person stopped running, turned around, and tightly clutched the knife in his hand: "Plum Blossom Twelve, are you here to capture me?"

Plum Blossom Twelve raised his hands, indicating he had no ill intent: "Brother Tan, it's one thing to suspect others, but why would you suspect me? During that fierce clash with the Azure Dragon Gang years ago, if you hadn't risked your life to carry me out, the grass on my grave would be tall by now."

"Since you still remember those things..." Hearing this, Brother Tan's expression softened.

"How could I forget a life-saving grace? You and the gang leader simply have some misunderstanding; it just needs to be clarified. Why run?" Plum Blossom Twelve said with a sigh. "It would be so good for us brothers to eat large chunks of meat and drink large bowls of wine together, but now I can't find anyone to drink with."

Brother Tan's eyes immediately reddened, and veins bulged on his hands: "Don't speak for that fellow Mei. No man can endure the hatred of having his wife stolen. My only regret is that my knife failed to kill him."

"I can't really say anything about the grievances between you and the gang leader, but from my personal perspective, I truly sympathize with you," Plum Blossom Twelve said, patting his shoulder to comfort him. "Why should a man worry about not having a wife? With your abilities, you can make a living just as well in another place. Don't lose heart."

Brother Tan's face showed gratitude: "For so many days, the brothers in the gang have been hunting me, and only you still treat me this way."

"Of course," Plum Blossom Twelve smiled. "We have a bond forged through life and death; how could I be like the others?"

Moved, Brother Tan said, "Brother, can I entrust you with something?"

Plum Blossom Twelve patted his chest and said, "Just tell me what it is. As long as it doesn't involve betraying the sect, I'll definitely do it without hesitation!"

"Of course, I wouldn't make things difficult for you, brother," Brother Tan explained. "It's like this: I fled in such a hurry that I couldn't bring anything with me. I've accumulated one hundred taels of silver from all these years of dangerous work, and it would be a shame to just abandon it. Brother, could you go into the city and retrieve it for me? I'll split half with you then!"

"Brother Tan, you're treating me like a stranger. It's just a small favor. How could I take money from the man who saved my life? Don't worry, I'll definitely go and get it for you," Plum Blossom Twelve said, waving his hand.

"You truly are a good brother!" Brother Tan exclaimed joyfully. "Don't worry, I'll definitely give you half after it's done. I hid the silver behind the bricks in the sixth row, ninth column, of the back wall of my house..."

"Yes, I remember," Plum Blossom Twelve nodded repeatedly. "But there's a small problem right now. I need to take this young brother to Jackal Valley first, and you know I'm a bit inconvenient for that... certain kind of thing."

Brother Tan glanced at the somewhat dazed Zu An nearby and instantly understood. Jackal Valley was the best place to dispose of bodies, often used to eliminate targets that couldn't be openly killed. Over the years, they had become proficient at such tasks: "Don't worry, I'll take care of him for you."

Plum Blossom Twelve cupped his hands: "Then I thank you, Brother Tan!"

Zu An, standing by, saw Brother Tan approaching him, gripping his knife, and couldn't help but feel depressed: *You two are putting on a show of brotherly affection, so why am I the one who ends up suffering?*

He was pondering whether to reveal his cultivation when his eyes suddenly widened. Plum Blossom Twelve, like a leopard, suddenly lunged from behind, covered Brother Tan's mouth, and then fiercely slashed his knife across his neck.

Brother Tan clutched his neck, desperately backing away, pointing at him with an expression of disbelief: "You... you..."

Plum Blossom Twelve wiped the blood from his knife with a handkerchief: "Killing you gets me the gang leader's bounty, and I get to keep all the money you've hidden for myself. Why would I split it with you?"

"You'll... definitely... not... have... a good... end..." Brother Tan clutched his neck, stumbled, and fell to the ground. When he died, his eyes were wide open, never closing.

"Curses are merely the impotent rage of the incapable," Plum Blossom Twelve said, sheathing his knife and walking towards Zu An. "Brother Zu, there's no need to be afraid. He was a traitor to our gang, and everyone has the right to kill him."

"Oh," Zu An swallowed, suddenly finding the term "Brother Zu" particularly jarring coming from him. After all, the very person he had just affectionately called "brother" was now lying dead on the ground, eyes wide open.

The atmosphere for the rest of the journey was somewhat heavy. It wasn't until Zu An noticed how much fresher and sweeter the air felt compared to his previous life that his mood finally calmed down. He mused that this must be due to the abundant spiritual energy, which explained why so many people in this world could cultivate.

There were no significant dangers encountered for the rest of the way. After all, this area was near the edge of the town, and the fierce beasts of Dragon Concealed Mountain mostly resided deep within. Only occasionally would one or two emerge, and even those wouldn't be very high-level.

"Hey, what are you going to Jackal Valley for?" Plum Blossom Twelve suddenly remembered something and asked with a hint of curiosity.

"The divine physician Ji in the city posted a quest to collect 'dog treasure,' so I'm here to try my luck," Zu An replied, putting on the most innocent and guileless expression he could muster.

"You? By yourself?" Plum Blossom Twelve burst out laughing. Even he only dared to venture along the edges of Jackal Valley. This guy was actually audacious enough to go looking for dog treasure?

Zu An chuckled, "I'm just going to try my luck. What if I happen to find some corpses of fierce black jackals?"

Plum Blossom Twelve looked disdainful, thinking this kid was truly incredibly stupid. However, he resisted the urge to voice his thoughts, as that might make Zu An back out and spoil his plan: "But since you're already the son-in-law of the Chu family, couldn't you just pay the medical fee directly?" He had heard a thing or two about Divine Physician Ji's rules.

Zu An sighed: "I hope you don't laugh at me, brother, but as a live-in son-in-law, I have no status in the Chu family. Everyone looks down on me, so how could they give me money? It's good to have a brother like you who hasn't forgotten me all this time."

"That's right, that's right, we're like brothers," Plum Blossom Twelve thought, realizing the guy at least had some self-awareness. "By the way, is Miss Chu really as beautiful as they say?" He had never had the opportunity to meet someone as high-status as Miss Chu, only known of her through rumors.

"Like a celestial fairy descending to the mortal world," Zu An replied truthfully. His "cheap wife" certainly possessed some charm.

"Does it feel good?" Plum Blossom Twelve asked, winking suggestively with a lecherous expression.

Zu An sneered inwardly, but outwardly replied, "So fair, tender, and smooth; it's absolutely heavenly."

Plum Blossom Twelve swallowed, then said sourly, "You certainly have quite the luck with women, kid."

Rage value from Plum Blossom Twelve: 99!

Zu An was instantly amused. It seemed this was another toad who couldn't get the swan but envied those who could.

A foul stench wafted through the air. Not far away, some bone fragments were scattered, making it impossible to tell what animal they had belonged to. Plum Blossom Twelve chuckled, "If it falls into the mouth of other fierce beasts, at least there'd be a skeleton left after death. But if it falls into the hands of a fierce black jackal, even the bone fragments will be chewed away."

They were now approaching Jackal Valley, and with no one else around, he wasn't afraid of the other party backing out.

"Is that Jackal Valley ahead?" Zu An vaguely saw a valley in the distance and, feigning fear, grabbed Plum Blossom Twelve's arm. "Brother, you're so powerful; you must protect me later!"

"Yes, that's it ahead. I'll definitely 'protect' you well," Plum Blossom Twelve sneered. "Zu An, Zu An, I actually admire you a bit. How can someone be so foolish? The last time the lightning didn't kill you, and now you've voluntarily walked right into my hands again."

Zu An put on a "panicked" expression: "Brother, what do you mean?"

He had originally planned to ambush him, but upon hearing words like "lightning strike," he decided to hold back. This was a good opportunity to gather more information and, incidentally, get used to the newly acquired strength in his body.

Anyway, the opponent was slightly weaker than him, and he had trump cards like a dagger and paralyzing poison, so he should be fine.

Plum Blossom Twelve pushed him away. Seeing Zu An fall to the ground with a slight push like a weakling, he couldn't help but grow even more disdainful. He patted his sleeve where Zu An had touched it: "I'm in a good mood today, so I'll let you die knowing why. Last time, it was me who took you to the outskirts and tied you to a tree during a thunderstorm. Who would have thought the lightning wouldn't even kill you?"