Death… and me

Young Black Devil shuddered a little. He then involuntarily said, "What?"

He had thought of many possibilities… He had thought that Dong Wu Lei would beg him to spare them. Or, he would come to negotiate. Or, he would swear allegiance. Or, he would do this or do that…

However, he hadn't expected that Dong Wu Lei wouldn't do anything like that, and say this instead.

Dong Wu Shang would definitely die in the present scenario! But, Dong Wu Lei could narrowly escape death if he were to be cold-hearted enough to abandon his brother. He could even return to his clan if he were to rush out of this encirclement by chance.

However, Dong Wu Lei had given himself up to save his younger brother!

"Don't you know that your younger brother won't be able to live long even if he goes back?" Black Devil said in a hoarse voice whilst looking at Dong Wu Lei. "Moreover… let's say that I don't attack him now, and let him leave. But, he still might not be be able to reach Dong Clan's entrance… He might die on the way! You know that, right?"

Dong Wu Lei coldly snorted, and said, "What about it? I only want my younger brother to go back… That's all!

"My younger brother… has been out for almost a year. He hasn't met our father… and our mother for a year," Dong Wu Lei mischievously laughed. He then said with a smile, "Everyone misses him very much. I know this because I see them every day in the clan. They'll be hurt to see him dying. But, it would still be better than not seeing him at all.

"I only have this one request… Do you agree to it?" Dong Wu Lei insipidly said, "You've come to kill people. Or so to say, you've come to kill Wu Shang… You've already seized total victory. And, you'll have me as a bonus… I'll certainly die at your hands. And, Wu Shang will also succumb to his injuries soon.

"Your goal will be achieved. So, do you agree to it?" Dong Wu Lei asked in a heavy voice.

"Moreover, you'll have much less casualties this way. So, do you agree to it?"

Young Black Devil felt like he was losing his head in confusion.

[Should I agree to it?]

[What Dong Wu Lei is saying is right. My goal has already been achieved to a satisfactory degree. Moreover, we can preserve strength this way since our casualties will be reduced.]

[Should I agree to it? Or, should I not?]

He hesitated.

The assassins of Black Devil looked at their Young Clan Lord with flashing eyes.

They felt that he mustn't agree to it! That's because they believed that there was no joy that could replace the mental satisfaction of killing a powerhouse and a high-positioned person in a battle.

But, what thrill would there be in killing a helpless person who was just waiting for death?

Wouldn't one achieve top-most prestige among the people of Jianghu by stepping upon the corpses of one's enemies… one by one?

"Alright! I…" Young Black Devil's gaze involuntarily went in Dong Wu Shang's direction as he spoke. He was just about to agree… even though he knew that he mustn't agree to it. But, he still was going to do so.

However, he had suddenly seen Dong Wu Shang when he was about to agree. The words were about to come out of his mouth, but they got stuck in his throat.

It was because Dong Wu Shang had slowly stood up… He was walking step by step, and his big saber stood tall and erect on his shoulder. Moreover, his eyes were glowing with vitality… It was clear that he was now brimming with life!

Young Black Devil fiercely drew a step back. His mouth was opened wide behind his mask, and his eyes were filled with an incredulous expression. However, there was also a faint expression of joy in the depths of his eyes!

It was probable that Young Black Devil himself didn't know about this faint expression of joy…

Dong Wu Lei was about to urge him to give an answer. However, he suddenly felt that something was wrong. So, he turned his head to follow the Young Black Devils' line of sight, and looked… However, he couldn't help but become startled! He even issued a cackling sound.

His entire body became stiff!

[What am I looking at?! I'm seeing my younger brother in a healthy state?!]

Dong Wu Lei blinked with all his strength. He blinked again and again. Then, he lifted his hands, and rubbed his eyes as hard as he could. Suddenly, tears started to make their way through his eye-sockets. He wanted to restrain them. But, he couldn't help it. So, he covered his eyes, and coughed with all his strength.

[This is so embarrassing… I'm shedding tears in front of the enemy like this…]

"Black Devil, I have recovered!" Dong Wu Shang slashed his blade horizontally, and a big tree toppled over in the distance… It had gotten chopped up into pieces!

"Don't put forward any conditions. You can't kill us now! Do you regret it?" Dong Wu Shang insipidly said.

Dong Wu Shang stood tall and strong in front of Young Black Devil. Young Black Devil's stature would usually seem tall and lean. However, he seemed short in front of Dong Wu Shang at this moment!

Young Black Devil took a deep breath. And, a strange look flashed through his eyes… It seemed as if he had heaved a sigh of relief. He sinisterly said, "Regret? Of course, I regret! I regret that I didn't kill you earlier."

Dong Wu Shang could tell that Young Black Devil had spoken insincerely. So, he couldn't help but burst into loud laughter.

Young Black Devil quietly stood there for a while… He had lowered his head so that no one could see the expression in his eyes. One would certainly become flabbergasted if they saw the current expression on his face.

It was because he clearly had the look of relief in his eyes. In fact, he had suddenly become completely relaxed. It seemed as if he had finally found a justification. He felt relieved of a burden. He suddenly waved his hand, and said, "Abort this mission. Leave at once!"

He then turned around, and rushed away!

The four Heavenly Assassins behind him were the most astonished!

[What is this…? Are we going to just leave?]

[Then, why did we come here in the first place?]

[So what if Dong Wu Shang has recovered? We have more than sixty people here. Four of us are Heavenly Assassins, and we also have Young Lord. Moreover, more than fifty of us are Earthly Assassins. This strength is enough to attain an absolute upper hand!]

[We might not be able to take down Dong Wu Shang. But, we can still inflict serious damage to him by paying some price. It won't be an issue. And, Dong Wu Lei will undoubtedly die!]

[Why do we need to leave in such an excellent situation?]

"Young Lord, this…" one of the Heavenly Assassins hesitantly spoke as he looked at his Young Lord's back profile.

"I said… leave!" Young Black Devil snorted from far away. He then sinisterly said, "Do you have any objection?"

"But we…"

"No ifs… No buts…'Saber Emperor rises and the whole world cries'– have you never heard these words? It is impossible to get rid of an enmity with a Saber Emperor. So, it's better to do him a favor today!"

Young Black Devil had already floated to a faraway place as he said this. His sinister voice came through from a distance, "Dong Wu Shang, you owe me a favor! Don't forget!"

The numerous assassins of the Black Devil Clan stared blankly for a while. Then, that Heavenly Assassin finally waved his hand. He reluctantly and hatefully said, "Let's go!"

The assassins of Black Devil Clan left with several swishing sounds. And, they soon disappeared without a trace.

Dong Wu Shang bitterly smiled. He knew that what Black Devil had just said wasn't wrong. Dong Wu Shang would've had no problem in getting away even if he couldn't beat the overwhelming numeric strength of the enemy… The real problem was that his elder brother would've died!

Therefore, the Black Devil's departure was a big favor to him.

Dong Wu Shang didn't know why Black Devil – who was known for his sinister terror in the Middle Three Heavens – had spoken so well with him, and had withdrawn so easily. He knew that there had to be a reason behind it. However, he couldn't figure it out. It made no sense no matter what he thought.

Anyway, he had remembered this favor in his heart.

However, he owed this favor to an enemy… No one would wish to owe such a favor!

Dong Wu Shang and Dong Wu Lei didn't notice, but Young Black Devil had suddenly emerged on a treetop after he had entered into the woods and gone far away. It seemed that Young Black Devil had glanced in their direction from afar. After that, he had suddenly disappeared into the dark woods like a cold breeze.

A gust of wind blew… It carried a sigh of unknown emotions…

However, there was no way the two brothers were going to pay any attention to Black Devil in a moment like this.

"Elder Brother!" Dong Wu Shang excitedly took a step forward.

"Wu Shang, you… how are you?" Dong Wu Lei was still in disbelief.

"I'm alright." Dong Wu Shang naturally knew that his Big Brother's elixir was a top secret. His elder brother had been good to him. But, his Elder Brother Dong Wu Lei hadn't yet reached to a criterion wherein he wouldn't try to attain his goals by any means possible. And, this made Dong Wu Shang abstain from telling him.

[Big Brother would perhaps be in a difficult situation if Dong Wu Lei were to find out.] Therefore, Dong Wu Shang had spoken vaguely whilst avoiding eye contact.

"You healed so fast… It was clear just a while ago that…" Dong Wu Lei wanted to say – [It was clear just a while ago that you were on the verge of death. So, how did you recover so quickly? Was all that fake?]

However, he just thought about this possibility… He didn't say it.

Dong Wu Shang was a bad liar. He would whimper and stammer whilst telling a lie. He would continuously shift his gaze, and would avoid eye-contact.

"Were you pretending just a while ago?" Dong Wu Lei finally thought of another possibility, and his complexion turned dark. He couldn't help but become deeply angry as he asked.

Dong Wu Shang opened his eyes wide. He thought for a moment, and felt that this was a good way. So, he foolishly chuckled while he nodded.

"You… you! You're aggravating!" Dong Wu Lei pointed his finger on his brother's nose. He thought, [I almost killed myself out of remorse… I hadn't expected that this bastard had been pretending all along… Doesn't it mean that he had been mocking me all this time?]

[He has crossed all the limits of shamelessness this time!]

Dong Wu Lei's face turned from white to red. Then, it turned from red to purple… then from purple to black, and then from black to green…

He suddenly bellowed, "You bastard! Do you find satisfaction in pulling pranks on others?"

He then jumped up, and kicked Dong Wu Shang to the ground… He pounced on him, and rode him like an animal… He clenched his teeth, and rained punches on him!

Dong Wu Shang didn't dare to hit back. He took the beating with his teeth clenched. He didn't utter a word.

Dong Wu Lei's anger would've gradually vanished if Dong Wu Shang had begged for mercy a few times… The problem was the kind of person Dong Wu Shang was! This guy was a fierce man who wouldn't utter a word even if he were to be crushed bone by bone!

How could he possibly cry out with such a temperament?

He didn't cry out… In fact, he felt comfortable in his heart. [Elder brother will calm down after beating me for a while… Aren't these just a few punches? I can take them!]

However, he didn't know that the more he restrained his cries, the angrier Dong Wu Lei got!

And, the angrier he got, the more he beat him!

A long while passed like this. Dong Wu Lei was finally left with no strength after beating Dong Wu Shang so much. Meanwhile, Dong Wu Shang still didn't utter a word.

"I. I, I… I'll beat you to death… you unyielding bastard!" Dong Wu Lei's eyes turned green. He then ruthlessly kicked Dong Wu Shang. This younger brother had been like this since childhood to adulthood… He had always been mischievous. He would never admit his mistake. He wouldn't utter a word no matter how much he would be beaten!

He would die… But, he wouldn't say, [I made a mistake…]

Such kids make adults worried to death… and angry to their livers…

The rims of Dong Wu Lei's eyes turned red as he beat Dong Wu Shang. He recalled that he had given up all hope just a while ago. He had been feeling so guilty that he wished to commit suicide… Dong Wu Lei sat down on the ground. Then, this majestic man suddenly burst into tears, "You bastard! You don't know that you had scared me to death! You stupid pig, what would I have explained to Mother and Father if something had happened to you? You bastard… You pig!"

Dong Wu Lie had truly been frightened when he had seen Dong Wu Shang in that injured state…

….