Chapter 69: The Real Inside Story (Part 2)

  "I've never dared to slack off, I must be stronger than others in order to have the capital to survive! I must be more ruthless than others, only then can I defeat my opponents and become even stronger! I must completely forget about my own life and death in order to be more ruthless, make my enemies fear me, and live through their hands!"

  Just as Zong Yin was coldly staring at Yang Jun, Yang Jun slammed his fist on the table, completely disregarding whether his words would be heard by others, and scolded Xuanling Country and Ding Sheng without any reserve.

  Zong Yin always thought that Yang Jun was also a substitute, forced to enter the Soul Academy, but unexpectedly, Yang Jun turned out to be the heir of his family and had even entered the academy voluntarily. Yang Jun's final words made Zong Yin somewhat understand why Feng Shi didn't take action when she asked for help - after all, Feng Shi and he were only acquaintances, and Yang Jun wouldn't risk his life by violating the Empire's rules for her sake.

  "I never believed in anyone, nor did I bother to interact with them. In my eyes, they were just stepping stones for me to become stronger. But you're different. The feeling you give me is like a pawn on a chessboard, looking similar to us but completely not the same kind of person."

  Yang Jun looked deeply at Zong Yin and said slowly.

  "When you say 'we have no way out, we can only go all out', I feel that you and I are the same type of people. I don't know what you're persisting in, but I understand that like me, you will never give up. At that moment, you become a hurdle in my mind, a hurdle I need to overcome. I know that one day your strength will catch up with me."

  "But when I thought you were just another fence, you stood out and struck down the one who was about to kill me without hesitation. No one in my life except her has ever moved me so much, and in my heart, I am no longer those stepping stones or fences that need to be crossed, but rather a rival like myself, constantly crossing over others."

  Yang Jun didn't stop, and in one breath, he poured out all his opinions about Zong Yin that had been pent up inside him. His previously serious expression gradually relaxed as he continued to speak.

  "I'm actually quite envious of you, doing things completely based on your own preferences, without too much pretence, all emotions written on your face, able to reveal all your feelings in front of others, I suppose this is also why you were noticed by the top leaders."

  "It wasn't until today when you said I was your idol and a goal for you to surpass that I realized we're actually quite similar."

  Yang Jun smiled slightly at this point, and then shook his head again. Even he himself didn't know why these words hidden in his heart would come out and pour out towards Zong Yin.

  "I don't know why I came here today either, maybe it's because some things need to be said to someone who understands. Keeping everything in my heart is really suffocating. Or perhaps I don't want to lose you as a good brother, Yang Jun's first acknowledged brother, a brother with whom I can share life and death."

  He opened another jug of wine on the table, took out a large bowl from the edge of the table, filled it to the brim, took out a small knife and cut his own finger, dripping a drop of blood into it, and placed it in front of Zong Yin. When Yang Jun's drop of blood dripped into the wine, there seemed to be a sound of thousands of troops shouting and killing, the sound of a passionate and stirring battle song came, and a warm feeling surged up from the depths of his soul.

  When Zong Yin heard Yang Jun say the last reason, he didn't know what to say anymore. When he saw the blood wine in front of him, Zong Yin understood its meaning even more, and his eyes turned slightly red.

  In the ancient Xuanling Kingdom, before soldiers went to battle, they would drink a wine mixed with each other's blood as a ritual sacrifice, indicating that they were brothers who could rely on each other. On the battlefield, they would never abandon each other. If they couldn't return alive together, they would fall together. This blood wine was called "Blood Oath!"

  A surge of hot blood rushed to Zong Yin's head, and without saying a word, he cut his own finger, letting the crimson blood drip into the blood wine. The two streams of blood merged into one, symbolizing that people without blood ties had gained trust and dependence like real brothers at this moment.

  "There's one more thing, you don't know that Fengzi won't die, Li Nuo and the others won't let any of the six hundred people we originally chose die due to external reasons. I'm waiting for you to surpass me, but before that, we will definitely have a battle, and I will knock you down."

  Yang Jun smiled, picked up the large bowl in front of him, drank more than half of the wine in it, and then got up and left without stopping. But before he left, his words made Zong Yin feel deeply puzzled.

  Zong Yin vaguely sensed that there might be some things he didn't know about mixed in, but now these were no longer his concern. He picked up the large bowl still swaying on the table and drank the remaining blood water in one gulp, gazing at Yang Jun's departure. After drinking the blood oath, both parties meant having absolute trust in each other, although it did not possess real binding force, but for Yang Jun who grew up in the three southwestern provinces, it was a spiritual symbol.

  "I like this man's character, unfortunately his heart already has a goal that needs protection. Otherwise..."

  Lu Jin let out a faint sigh after Yang Jun had left for a long time, and said somewhat dejectedly that there was nothing more frustrating than discovering excellent talent but being unable to use it.

  Looking at the six people behind Lu Jin, Xiao Liu's face was already covered in tears, obviously moved by Yang Jun's story. Lao Xia and Ning Yan had a look of melancholy on their faces, as if Yang Jun's words had reminded them of past events, causing them to fall into reminiscence. Bing and Shuang, on the other hand, were filled with fighting spirit and excitement. The Blood Oath was not something that could be used lightly; it was an ancient pact that only true warriors would employ.

  "Lu Jinda, although I'm a bit embarrassed to ask, but I don't know if you can help me with something..."

  Zong Yin's dejected expression had vanished after Yang Jun left, and a hint of solemnity appeared between his eyebrows.

  "Although Zong Yin's brothers opened their mouths, I, Lu Jin, will definitely go all out for what I can do!"

  Lu Jin saw that Zong Yin had something to ask of him and was immediately delighted, the more trouble Zong Yin gave him, the happier he became, only then would Zong Yin follow him devotedly.

  "Can you help me find out about Jiuhuang City? My mother is in the city."

  Zong nodded and didn't say anything more.

  "It's a small matter, next time just ask Old Xia directly about these trivial things."

  Lu Jin raised an eyebrow, as he had expected, Zong Yin indeed wanted to know the latest news about Jiuhuang City, and the situation in the three southwestern provinces was not as good as rumored.

  "In the three southwestern provinces, there are thirty cities, twenty-seven small towns and three main castles. According to the latest intelligence received, eighteen of the twenty-seven small towns have been lost, with the ten closest to the demon tribe having no survivors. The remaining eight small towns were not massacred by the demon tribe, as long as people hid in their homes and did not go out, they would be safe. Currently, 200,000 demon beast cavalry are divided into three groups camping outside the three main castles, seemingly waiting for something. This is what I find most puzzling - logically speaking, a large part of the demon tribe has the habit of not going out in winter, and with winter approaching soon, why haven't these guys who already have enough food returned?"

  When Lu Jindian called out his name, Lao Xia opened his drowsy eyes and said in an orderly manner, with a hint of doubt at the end.

  Zong Yin's eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and this news was almost no different from what Ye Feng had said. Moreover, there was no detailed information about the Nine Ring City, which made him somewhat disappointed.

  "You also know that Jiuhuang City is the strongest defensive city among the three main cities, and its lord Zong Yue is a defensive general. Even if a million-strong demon army attacks, I believe he can hold out for several months even in isolation, so there's no need to worry."

  Lao Xia seemed to see Zong Yin's disappointment and couldn't help but comfort him with a sentence. Zong Yin nodded absent-mindedly, the reason why Jiuhuan City was called Jiuhuan City was because it had nine layers of strong defense, each layer connected to the other, and in terms of defense alone, it was indeed exceptionally excellent.

  "Stop pretending, Zong Yin and his brothers are our own people. Don't say things that you would tell others, say some real information."

  Lu Jin smiled slightly, knowing the inside story of Old Xia, he couldn't help but scold him silently, pretending to be serious!

  "As of today at noon, the three southwestern provinces have been breached, with the main city of Riyuecheng already fallen. The four smaller cities behind it have all surrendered. The Ninth Ring City and Xuance City are surrounded by over 200,000 strong demonic army, and only four out of twenty-seven small cities remain. This time, the total force deployed by the demons has reached as high as 400,000."

  Lao Xia forced a smile, putting away the half-dead look, and on the thumbs of both hands, red soul technique patterns lit up. He rubbed his temples with some headache and said in one breath the true situation of the three southwestern provinces.

  Zong Yindun suddenly took a breath of cold air, he had already guessed that the official announcement of Xuanling Country might not report all the battles, but he never thought that the situation would be so bad.

  With this layer of worry, the Red Star Soul Technique in Old Xia's hand was not as eye-catching. Ordinary people want to cultivate the Red Star Soul Technique, without a few tens of thousands of gold coins, it is impossible. But in Zong Yin's understanding, Lu Jin has nothing but money, and a few tens of thousands of gold coins are nothing to him. A mountain of gold can be thrown away, let alone the Red Star Soul Technique, I'm afraid that even the higher-level Purple Star Soul Technique may appear on the bodies of these people behind him.