Chapter 65: Brothers Reunite

  "Alright, you little scamp, go ahead and torment me. This old body of mine is almost worn out from your antics."

  I smiled wryly: "Do you think I'm enjoying this? But after all, we're safe. A gentleman takes revenge ten years later, and in the future, we can still make a comeback." As soon as I thought that the commanders of our two tribes, the demons and beasts, were forced to this point, I found it laughable.

  Furukawa sighed and said, "You may still have a chance, but I don't have much hope left. You see, our demon clan is very rare to live past the age of 100. At my age, it's hard to make another breakthrough in Tianmo's decision. Maybe, practicing up to the eighth layer can still give me hope to compete with Liefeng and the others."

  I asked hesitantly: "There's a question I've been unable to find an answer for, why didn't the copy of Tianmo Scripture that grandma gave me have the cultivation method for the ninth level? Is it only in the original version of your demon clan?"

  Furukawa shook his head and said, "No, our original method of cultivation only goes up to the eighth layer. The higher you go in the Tianmo Decision, the more difficult it becomes to cultivate. As far as I know, even among our demon clan, only one ancestor was able to barely cultivate up to the eighth layer with the help of the Tianzong genius. It's possible that the method for cultivating the ninth layer doesn't exist in this world, and even if it does, it's unlikely that anyone can cultivate it. You're still young, work hard, maybe one day you'll be able to cultivate up to the eighth layer."

  It turns out that the Demon Clan didn't have a ninth level either. It seems that only the Great Demon God Lucifer of the Underworld can reach the Six-Winged Fallen Angel.

  Until dawn, our physical strength had recovered a bit. We stood up from the grass and looked at each other's clothes, which were torn to shreds, and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

  Furukawa, while releasing magic to heal his wounds, said: "Kid, if you were one of us demons, that would be great. Talents are hard to come by, and Beast Emperor is lucky to have your assistance. Alright, let's go." Under the effect of his pure dark magic, those minor injuries had mostly healed.

  For safety, Kogawa and I walked back to the small town on foot. We each changed into a new set of clothes, found a restaurant and had a big meal. With food and sweet water in our bellies, our spirits lifted greatly.

  Looking at the table full of empty plates and bowls, Furukawa couldn't help but laugh: "I haven't eaten like this in decades." Since learning about the Dragon God's power, Furukawa no longer held any hostility towards our Beastman tribe, and our relationship took another step forward.

  "Old uncle, I think your mental state is not good. Ever since you encountered those three dragon riders, you've been in a slump. This is very detrimental to your future cultivation and if this continues, your powers will greatly decline." We're no longer enemies, so of course I'd remind him.

  Furukawa was taken aback, saying: "I understand this principle too, but do you think I can still rally? I'm already over 60 years old, and I'll soon be entering my 70s. There's no more opportunity for me, perhaps this is my last time coming to Ryujin. To be honest, you're the only one besides the Demon Emperor that makes me feel admiration. At such a young age, you've already achieved so much, it's already very good. Since you call me uncle, I'll give you some advice: don't go to Hakuenzan again, there's no chance at all."

  I smiled and shook my head, saying: "Baiyan Mountain I still have to go, this is a challenge for myself. If I really succeed, it will have an unparalleled boost to my future cultivation. What can I say? I also want to take a gamble. You said so too, I'm still young, that's my biggest advantage. I'll be careful, didn't those people like Lian Feng not discover me either?"

  Kogawa said helplessly, "You have a strong conviction and a determined mind, which is the basic quality of a strong person. Since you've already made up your mind, I can only wish you success."

  "Thank you, Uncle Gu. If I don't die, I will definitely go to the Demon Clan to find you. There are some things that I must do."

  Furukawa Ichirō said, "What's the matter?" After all, I had once led an army to attack the demon tribe, and a thread of doubt always existed in his heart.

  I forced a wry smile and said, "This isn't the time to talk about it. You'll understand when I arrive at the Demon Clan. Don't worry, I won't do anything that would harm your clan."

  Furukawa nodded and said, "I'm tired, I'll go rest first." As he spoke, he was about to get up and leave.

  At this moment, a large number of city people suddenly rushed in from outside. Looking at their expressions, they were panicked and terrified. Had something happened again?

  They all found their seats and sat down, and the tense nerves were slightly relaxed. Furukawa made a gesture to me, I stood up and walked to a civilian and asked: "What's going on? Why are you so flustered?"

  The commoner hung his head, sighed and said: "Monster, monster, there's a monster in the city." As he spoke, he slowly raised his head. When he saw me, he let out a cry of surprise and fell backwards, chair and all. He seemed to feel no pain as he quickly scrambled away from me on his backside. Pointing at me with a shaking hand, he stammered: "Y-you're not the person who was with the monster, are you?"

  I stared blankly and said: "What monster? I've been eating here all along. Are you mistaken about me?"

  "That's right," said Na Pingmin definitely: "It was you, it was you, it was you and that monster fighting with the soldiers in the city."

  The civilians who had just arrived gathered together, looking at me with a terrified expression, not daring to say that I was destroying the city's buildings with some kind of monster and fighting with the guards.

  I exchanged a surprised glance with Furukawa, trying to soften my tone as I asked, "I'm really not the person you're talking about, maybe it's just a resemblance, can you tell me what happened?"

  Seeing that I didn't seem to pose any threat, a slightly bolder civilian asked: "You're really not the person who's with the monster, are you?"

  I nodded definitely.

  He stood up, carefully sizing me up, and turned to his companion saying: "It seems like it's really not him, although he looks very similar, but he doesn't seem as arrogant and domineering as that person."

  "What exactly happened and where did this monster come from?"

  "That commoner said: 'It's like this, near the East City Gate, a human who looks very similar to you and a monster appeared. The monster was initially covering its face with a hood, they were drinking a lot of wine in a restaurant when the monster's hood accidentally fell off. I was also in that restaurant at the time, it was too terrifying! That monster actually had two heads, both wolf heads, one golden and one silver. After everyone discovered he was a monster, they immediately ran out, the human who looks like you and the monster chased after them and clashed with the patrolling guards. We were afraid of getting hurt, so we didn't know what happened afterwards, maybe they're still entangled there.'"

  I was shocked and said: "What? Double-headed wolf."

  Kogawa looked at me and transmitted: "Is he your companion?"

  I shook my head and said, "I'm the only one who's come to Longshen Temple, but judging from their description, it's possible that the so-called monster is actually a friend of mine. I'd better hurry over and take a look."

  "Right, it's that two-headed wolf we teamed up against last time. I'll go with you."

  We quickly exited the restaurant, and I put on my hat. Kokawa was surprised to see my mustard bag, but he didn't ask any questions. Before we even reached the East Gate, we found a huge crowd of civilians, mercenaries, warriors, magicians, and others gathered there, occasionally erupting into a commotion.

  I nodded to Furukawa, hopped on one foot, and floated up onto the roof of a house. Furukawa followed closely behind me, and we leaped over several houses until we finally saw the source of the commotion. There were many soldiers from the small town surrounding something, and in the center of the circle was a dazzling amount of gold and silver. I immediately spotted them - next to the treasure was a person who looked exactly like me, fighting alongside the treasure against several mercenaries. The entrance of a nearby hotel was damaged, with parts of the wall crumbling down. There were also some soldiers lying on the ground in the center of the circle, apparently defeated by them. The surrounding crowd was shouting something, seemingly hostile towards the treasure. It seems that humans have a very unfriendly attitude towards other species.

  How did Jinyu come to Longshen? Didn't I instruct my mother not to let him and Panzong find me? Since he came, Panzong should have also come, but I didn't see Panzong's shadow. If Jinyu is more playful and prone to trouble, then Panzong is much more stable, with him by Jinyu's side, it wouldn't be such a big mess. What about the human who looks like me next to Jinyu? With these doubts, I quietly jumped down and slipped into the innermost part of the crowd.

  Those mercenaries who were fighting against Jin and Yin had impressive skills, each of them emitting a strong aura that flashed on their weapons in various colors, striking at Jin and Yin repeatedly. Jin's eyes seemed dazed, unable to bring out even half of his usual abilities, but his aura was still powerful, with golden and silver lights protecting him, occasionally making some counterattacks, which made it difficult for those mercenaries to get close to him and land a bigger blow. Meanwhile, the person who looked just like me was strolling around, watching the people around him, occasionally letting out loud, arrogant laughter. This voice sounds so familiar.

  I said to Furukawa: "Uncle Gu, you go back to the restaurant we were at earlier and wait for me. I'll get these two out of here first. If things get messy, it won't be good."

  Kogawa nodded and walked away.

  Looking at Jin and Yin's appearance, I couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. These two siblings are really good at getting me into trouble.

  "I shouted loudly: 'Get out of the way and watch me!' I leaped into the air and pounced fiercely at Jin and Yin."

  Because I was emitting a strong yellow aura, the mercenaries who were attacking Jin and Yin suddenly retreated. I punched Jin with a loud bang and transmitted my voice to him: "Second brother, it's me, Lei Xiang, how did you guys end up in Longshen?"

  His bleary eyes cleared a bit, and he said: "Old... Fourth Brother, I've... found you. What are these people doing surrounding me? Heh heh." Judging from his appearance, he really had drunk quite a lot of wine. The punch I threw didn't use much force, but it was dissipated by the protective aura around him.

  Due to my sudden appearance, Jin and Yin immediately gave up their resistance. I grabbed Jin's arm with one hand and reached out to the person who looked exactly like me with the other. That person seemed to be even more drunk than Jin and Yin, mumbling: "Do, do what?" As he opened his mouth, a purple gas spewed out towards me, and I was shocked - this person was actually Panzong! How did he disguise himself as such? I didn't have time to be surprised, and with a wave of my hand, a thick black fog emerged, instantly wrapping up the poisonous gas that Panzong had spat out, not leaving a single thread behind. This move was still learned from Gu Chuan's body, and its effect was really good - if the toxic gas were to leak out, who knows how many people would die?

  He whispered to him: "Big brother, I'm Old Fourth, don't fight back, I'll take you away."

  Pan Zong's drunken eyes gazed at me dizzily, and indeed gave up the attack. I grabbed his body with one hand and shouted loudly: "Which demon dares to come to my Dragon God to make trouble, look at me collecting you." As I spoke, I muttered: "Mustard seed bag, collect." In order to cover people's ears and eyes, I had to take a risk. The mustard seed bag floated out, and Pan Zong and Jinying were sucked in without any resistance due to their lack of defense. Although there was no air inside the mustard seed bag, I thought that with their abilities, they should be able to hold on for a while. Because I quickly subdued the alien in the eyes of the crowd, the onlookers suddenly burst into cheers and applause.

  I retrieved the mustard seed bag, and without any hesitation, I said loudly: "The demon has been subdued by me, everyone can disperse!" As I spoke, I didn't wait for those dragon god soldiers to come and interrogate me, and immediately sprang up, disappearing among the houses with a few leaps.

  I found a secluded corner and stopped, "Jie Zi Hua Xu Mi, appear." Pan Zong and Jin Yin were immediately taken out of the Jie Zi bag by me. Earlier, when I put them in, I felt that it was extremely consuming for me. Originally, my current state wasn't very good, and after this exertion, I suddenly became so tired that I started panting heavily.

  Jin and Pan Zong shouted in unison: "I'm suffocating!" Their bodies swayed, almost falling over.

  These two drunkards, really... I waved my hand and a large water ball appeared in the air, fiercely smashing towards the two of them.

  "Whoa......" Jin and Pan were suddenly drenched, but thanks to their profound skills, they shook off the cold after a few moments.

  I leaned against the wall beside me, took off my bamboo hat and stared at them.

  Shaking off the water on his head, he cleared his eyes and suddenly his eyes lit up, "Old Fourth, I've finally found you! Where is this place? How did we end up here?"

  I glared at them with a bad temper and said, "I was going to ask you too, how did you end up here and cause such a big commotion?"

  Pan Zong also came to, "Old Fourth, it's really you! I seemed to hear your voice just now, but my head was always dizzy and confused. Now that's good, I've finally found you."

  I couldn't help but laugh and cry as I said, "Didn't I leave a message at home telling you not to come looking for me? If I hadn't happened to arrive just now, who knows what kind of trouble you would have gotten into. And big brother, how did you disguise yourself as me? Moreover, you shouldn't be causing such a commotion with second brother and second sister."

  Pan Zong scratched his head and said, "Trouble? Have we ever had trouble? I don't remember. Jin, do you remember?"

  Jin and Yin exchanged a glance, shook their heads, and said: "It seems like we drank some really good wine earlier, and then I don't remember anything. Fourth brother, what exactly happened?" I was almost suffocated by them, being so drunk in a foreign land and not even knowing what happened afterwards. I didn't know what to say to them, so I recounted the events that occurred on the street. Jin, Yin, and Pan Zong immediately became embarrassed.

  "Wow, we've actually attracted so many people. I'm really sorry about this, Fourth Brother, I've caused you trouble."

  It's already happened, what's the use of blaming them anymore. I sighed and said: "Alright, let's hurry up and follow me back to my place first. Big brother, your disguise is really good, it's incredibly lifelike, teach me sometime when you're free."

  A pleased smile spread across Pan Zong's face as he said, "This is something you can't learn. It's a skill I acquired after breaking through to the Absolute Land boundary. I can change my body shape at will. Isn't it awesome?"

  I smiled wryly: "Then why must you become like me?"

  Pan Zong smiled and said, "This is even better for finding you. Every time we arrive at a new place, we can ask if anyone has seen someone who looks like me. And then... When we first arrived in the small town, we met a beautiful young girl and a handsome man who looked just like you. That man had two sons, I don't know why, but as soon as he saw me, he looked at me with hostility and shouted to fight. But to avoid trouble, I took Jin and Yin away. Do they know you?"

  It seems that Pan Zong and the others have encountered Kelan and Bailixiao, fortunately they didn't fight, otherwise it would be even harder to clean up. "Let's hurry up and leave, since you can change your appearance, change into a commoner. Once we get back to the inn, you all tell me what exactly happened."

  Pan Zong and Jin Yin's wraps were lost just now, I took out two sets of clothes from the mustard bag for them to change into, and gave the bamboo hat to Jin Yin. Although they looked a bit awkward, it was much better than revealing their wolf heads. Pan Zong twisted his head a few times and transformed into an ordinary commoner, this ability of his is really amazing.

  I quickly took them back to our lodging house. We moved very swiftly all the way until I closed the door behind us, and then I finally felt relieved.

  "Older brother, second brother and sister, you guys take a rest first, I'll go find a friend. Whatever you do, don't go out again." After reminding them, I left the inn, fortunately not everyone in this small town saw their crazy behavior, nor did anyone recognize me. I found a grocery store and bought another bamboo hat, then quickly rushed to the restaurant where I had dinner with Furukawa earlier.

  Kogawa was sitting there alone, writing with a carefree expression while drinking tea. He didn't seem to have any worried emotions at all. I walked over and sat down. Kogawa looked up and smiled, saying "All set?"

  I nodded and said: "They really know how to find trouble. Fortunately, I arrived in time. You'd better come with me too. It's safer for everyone to live together."

  Kogawa Michi: "Actually, I also thought of resting for a while before immediately rushing back to the demon tribe. These days' commotion has made me feel very tired. It's good to rest for a while too. Let's go."

  When we returned to the inn, Kin and Gin were already fast asleep on my bed. I opened another room for Furukawa and let him rest, while I sat down on the sofa in my room, deep in thought. I didn't dare leave those two alone, not even for a moment. In Ryujin's territory, they could cause trouble at any time.

  Fatigue is constantly invading my brain, and gradually, I am also immersed in the rhythm of energy within my body.

  The furious god's energy has been circulating continuously, restoring my physical strength. My external senses have also started working again.

  Pan Zong and Jin Yin have woken up and are talking.

  Pan Zongdao said: "It's all because of you two, insisting on drinking that wine, now look at the trouble we're in."

  Yin snorted and said: "You didn't drink less either, you drank even more fiercely than us. You insisted on competing in drinking, and ended up like that later, yet you blamed us."

  Pan Zong murmured: "That wine is really too good to drink, I'm drunk for the first time."

  I slowly opened my eyes and said, "From now on, you are not allowed to drink in the Dragon God's place." The sky was bright, it seemed like it should be around noon of the second day. The bright sunlight made the room very spacious.

  Pan Zongdao: "Lao Si, you're awake? I'm really sorry, letting you sleep on the sofa."

  I smiled and said: "It's nothing, how are you guys doing? Have you sobered up?"

  Jin Embarrassed said: "The wine is awake, just a little hungry." For this matter, they felt very guilty, and the tone of speech changed.

  I stood up, stretched and felt much more comfortable all over. I opened the door and called for room service to bring some food, and while eating with Pan Zong and others, I asked them about their story.

  They left the Ruiqin Wangfu and followed their mother's instructions to go to the imperial palace to ask Beast Emperor for the Dragon God's map. The Beast Emperor did not intend to let them come, fearing it would affect me. However, after seeing Panzong perform his transformation technique again, he had no choice but to agree to their request. The two of them carefully climbed over the steep cliff beside the Stru Fortress and entered the Dragon God's territory. As they were new to the Dragon God's place, Jinsil found everything fresh and exciting. Fortunately, Panzong was more stable and transformed into my appearance, keeping a close eye on Jinsil along the way, which prevented any accidents from happening. Although they took many detours, they finally found the White Smoke Mountain according to the map and planned to stay in the small town for a day before coming to find me. At that time, they met Baili Xiao and Kelan. From Kelan's words, they learned that I was nearby, and the two of them were overjoyed, starting to search for me in the small town. After searching for several days without finding any trace of me, due to physical fatigue and Jinsil's curiosity, the two of them entered a hotel to eat and drink. During their time in Longshen, they had been anxious to find me and hadn't had a proper meal. This time, even Panzong couldn't resist and ended up drinking a few more cups, resulting in the state I found them in.

  From their words, I can tell that they are eager to find me mainly because of their concern for my safety. A strong sense of warmth surged in my heart, and the anger I had towards them for causing trouble yesterday has completely disappeared.

  "...That's right, Old Fourth, you've been in Longshen for quite some time now. Has the Beast Emperor's mention of that five-colored auspicious light led to any clues?"

  His words reminded me of those Dragon Riders, and I nodded heavily, saying: "There is a clue, but until now, not only do I still not know what that colorful glow was, but I also almost didn't get to see you guys."

  Yin exclaimed in surprise: "What? You're already capable of transforming into a four-winged form, aren't you? How could this be? Even if you encountered one or two Dragon Knights, it shouldn't be a problem to retreat unscathed."

  I smiled wryly and said, "It's not one or two, but three. Do you still remember the Holy Dragon Knights I mentioned earlier? This time, three of them have arrived at White Smoke Mountain, and each of their abilities surpasses that of the current Three Great Dragon Generals. What's more, one of their mounts is actually a Dragon Clan Elder. Big brother, you should be aware of the strength of a Dragon Clan Elder, right?"

  Golden and Silver were speechless, staring at each other in dismay.

  "I continued: 'If the three of us join forces and use our strongest power, we might be able to capture one of them, but if we encounter that dragon rider called Lie Feng, there's no hope at all. I just barely escaped back here myself.'"

  "Yes, that's not a power that our two tribes of demons and beasts can contend with." The door opened, and Kotogawa walked in calmly.

  Suddenly seeing Guan Jiang, Jin Yun and Pan Zong instantly stood up, their eyes filled with hostility.

  I grabbed Pan Zong's arm: "Big brother, don't move, Gu Chuan uncle is our friend now."

  Pan Zong glared fiercely at Furukawa, who had severely injured him in the past, and said angrily: "How can you call him uncle? Friend? What friend, Old Fourth, have you forgotten that I almost died at his hands?"

  Before I could even speak, Kokawa surprisingly bowed respectfully to Panzong and said: "You are the Nine-Headed Snake from back then. We were on opposing sides at that time, and I had no choice but to take action. Here, I'd like to apologize first."

  Not only did Pan Zong Leng stay, but I also didn't expect Gu Chuan to apologize in a low voice, "Big brother, due to the appearance of the Holy Dragon Knights, our two tribes of demons and beasts must re-form an alliance. There are no permanent enemies in this world."

  Pan Zong looked at me for a moment, then exchanged a glance with Jin Yin, and sat back heavily. His face still wore an indignant expression.

  I saw the atmosphere ease a bit and quickly pulled over a chair for Furukawa to sit down.

  Furukawa smiled slightly and said, "Brothers Snake and Wolf may still harbor resentment towards what happened back then. That's unavoidable. What Lei Xiang said is right - there are no eternal enemies in this world. Before coming here, I never thought I'd be apologizing to others with humility, even when facing the Emperor, I've never been one to show deference. However, for our demon clan and your beastman tribe to continue surviving, we need to cooperate once again. Many of our demon children have died at your hands, if their families also hold grudges against you and never forgive you, letting our two clans remain like fire and water, then the only ones who will benefit are the humans under the Dragon God's rule. I've only now realized how childish and ignorant our attack on the Dragon God was back then...

  After hearing Kokawa's words, Panzong's expression eased and he said, "Is it really that fierce?"

  "Indeed, with me and Lei Xiang's two four-winged fallen angels plus the four two-winged fallen angels I brought, we could only barely escape with our lives, and were severely injured. With my abilities, I couldn't even withstand a single move from Mie Feng, the Wind Extinguishing War God."

  Jin and Yin looked at each other in dismay, although they had never heard of the Wind God Lie Feng, but they knew about Kogawa's strength. Even if Pan Zong broke through to the realm of the absolute land now, he wouldn't be a match for Kogawa. Yet, Kogawa couldn't even take one move from his opponent. To them, this was simply unthinkable.

  "Uncle Furukawa was right, if I hadn't ambushed them from the side, we would have probably all died at their hands. In the Holy Dragon Knights, there are two people who exist and are even more terrifying than Makkusu, the Wind Destroyer."

  Kogawa Michi: "I came mainly to bid you farewell, I must return to the Demon Clan immediately and report this matter to His Majesty. Wolf brother, Snake brother, whether or not you can forgive me for the harm I caused you in the past, I hope you will persuade Lei Xiang again to give up that Five-Colored Light thing. You don't have a chance. He's still young, maybe he'll have another chance in the future." After finishing speaking, he stood up.

  I hastily stood up and said: "Uncle Gu, are you leaving now?"

  Kogawa nodded and said, "You don't have to see me off, I can go by myself. I'll be waiting for you in the Demon Clan." After finishing speaking, he turned around and floated away.

  Furukawa may have left, but Panzong and Jinyan remained seated, motionless. Furukawa's words had a profound impact on them, and to this day they still couldn't believe that there existed someone who could defeat Furukawa with just one move.

  I shook Panzong's body and called out: "Big Brother."

  "Ah! Old Four, is what he said really true?"

  I nodded solemnly and said, "Yes, it's all true."

  Jin and Yin also came back to their senses, Yin said: "Old Fourth, did that old man just say you still have to go again?"

  I nodded and said, "Yes, although there's almost no chance, I still want to try again. If I just leave like this, then I'll really never have the hope of reaching Lie Feng's level, nor can I become an unparalleled strongman. So, I must go. You've all rested enough, immediately return to the Beastmen Country. If I don't die, I'll come back to find you."

  "Jin angrily said: "What did you say? Have you forgotten that we are sworn brothers? It's just a few Dragon Riders, we'll go with you. What's the use of just listening to Furukawa's nonsense? As long as I haven't seen it with my own eyes, I absolutely won't believe that humans can possess such great power. Boss, are you going or not? Silver and I have already decided to go with Raijin."

  Pan Zong smiled slightly and said, "Given Gu Chuan's status in the Demon Clan, he wouldn't speak carelessly. I believe him, but as an older brother, how can I watch my own brother take risks alone? I'll go too. One more person means one more chance, right?"

  "Big brother, second brother, second sister, you..." They were so sincere that I was moved to tears and couldn't speak.

  Pan Zong smiled and said: "Fourth brother, you don't have to say anything more. Since we didn't persuade you to leave, you shouldn't persuade us either. As brothers, let's not speak useless words."

  I took a look at Pan Zong, then looked at Jin and Yin, nodded heavily and said: "Alright, let's three brothers go up to White Smoke Mountain together. This will be the most wonderful part of our life journey." At that moment, I made up my mind that even if I die, I must protect them completely.

  Pan Zong and Jin Yin stood up together, the three of us, four hands clasped together in mid-air, with a bond stronger than blood flowing through the air. Rainbow-colored aurora, no matter what you are, we've arrived. Fierce winds, no matter how strong you are, we've arrived.