Parsed with an automated reader. The content accuracy is not guranteed.\n
<figure class="wp-block-gallery columns-0 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1"></figure>\nElder Brother: Chapter 4\n
When Xu Feng had woken up, the sun had already started setting towards the west, the glow of the setting sun washed over his body, having a sort of harmonious warmth. He raised his hand to cover his eyes, for a moment he thought he was still dreaming, but after some time had passed, he ascertained that he hadnât died in the face of calamity and that he was actually still alive in this world.\n
Xu Fengâs body hurt like hell from head to toe, he couldnât exert even the smallest amount of energy, and all he could do was to continue lying on the ground. He looked around, and found that he was situated in the middle of a mountain valley, the stream murmured as it flowed beside him, the water flowing through turgidly. He recalled that he had fallen into the water after falling from the mountain cliff, and was most likely washed up here by the flowing water.\n
When his back struck the rock, each and every one of his internal organs had been shocked, which would usually mean that he should have suffered extremely severe internal injuries. But in that moment, as he circled his energy with rapt attention, he felt the zhenqi smoothly revolve around, there were no places that were blocked, it really seemed as if when he was dreaming, he managed to open up his meridians, it was really quite strange.\n
Xu Feng was truly exhausted, and when he saw that the sky had grown darker, he stopped his pondering, lay on the ground, and fell asleep.\n
After one night had passed, when his energy had recovered by more than half, he finally sat up and used the small stream beside him to wash his face. His entire face was caked in mud, and his chin had grown stubble, his hands and face had small scars from being scratched by the rocks, and his appearance was quite downtrodden.\n
Xu Feng stared blankly at his reflection in the water, he stared and stared, and in the end, he brought his arm up and covered his eyes, then laughed silently.\n
From this moment onward, the skyâs height was vast, and the insignificant Ji Le Palace would no longer confine him.\n
Xu Feng didnât dare relax too much, after washing his face, he immediately got up and left the stream bed. He hadnât eaten anything for a whole day and night, by this time he was starving, it was a pity that he couldnât find anything to eat in the mountain valley. He wandered around quite a bit before he saw a tree bearing some green fruit. At this moment, a flying bird leaned down and pecked at the fruit, making it clear that the fruit wasnât poisonous. Xu Feng picked a few and tasted them, and discovered they were deathly sour, but to appease his hunger, he had no choice but to begrudgingly eat a few of them.\n
The sun rose higher, and the mist in the mountain valley dispersed. Xu Feng looked back, and saw the mountain peak where the Ji Le Palace was located, standing lofty and firm, the sheer cliff was like a sharp blade sticking straight down, giving people chills as they looked upon it.\n
His heart thumped wildly as he looked, he didnât even know where he got the skill, to have only relied on his left hand to climb down. After he had fallen midway down the mountain cliff, it really seemed like he received the help from some deity, dropping directly into the water, he didnât even have that many injuries.\n
Xu Feng was happy in the midst of sorrow and thought to himself that of all the luck he had in his lifetime, he must have used up all of it right here.\n
It was hard to tell the direction in the mountain forest, so he thought to himself that the further from the Ji Le Palace he was, the better, and just randomly selected a path and started walking. In the mountain valley, let alone people, even birds and animals were extremely rare occurrences[1]Â , he walked alone by himself in the forest, it was needless to mention the difficulty. It was quite fortunate that he had run from calamity since his childhood, he was used to suffering, where every day he ate in the wind and slept in the dew<sup>[1]</sup>, so he didnât really feel the hardship anymore.\n
In the beginning, Xu Fengâs meals consisted of eating his fill of some fruit, afterward he set up a snare, and caught a couple of pheasants and hares, he started a fire then roasted and ate them, the flavor wasnât too bad.\n
Several days had passed like this when one day Xu Feng jumped into the water and felt a fish swim by[2] , he really wanted to start a fire so he could cook and eat it, but he suddenly felt like something was amiss⊠He was in the middle of a dense mountain forest, yet he could hear the sound of someone else breathing!\n
That person was very good at hiding their breath, and if it werenât for that fact that Xu Fengâs internal energy had slightly recovered, he would never have noticed.\n
What kind of person was hiding between the trees?\n
Xu Fengâs first thought was that the Ji Le Palace had dispatched someone to capture him. Although he was only an insignificant side character while he was at the Ji Le Palace, after all was said and done, he had escaped from right under the Palace Masterâs nose[3]Â that day, it was unclear whether or not the Palace Master would fly into a rage from the shame, and would also want to capture him to bring back to torture.\n
Previously, so that it would be easier to walk, he had broken off a tree branch to use as a walking stick, at that moment he clenched the branch tightly, and looked around cautiously. It was a pity that his martial arts still lacked some maturity, he was unable to tell where the person was truly hiding. Yet, the other party never seemed to reveal themselves, which only proved that he hadnât lost his own self-confidence in one fell swoop either.\n
On one hand, Xu Fengâs thoughts churned, on the other hand, he pretended not to have noticed anything, he started a fire with deft movements, then strung up and roasted the fish on the rack.\n
Heâd gotten used to doing such things over the past few days, his hand movements were very skillful, and not too much time had passed before the fish was cooked in a way that the outside was charred while the inside was tender, it made a crackling noise on the fire.\n
Xu Feng had already come up with a plan, thinking that since he was already being watched by somebody, he would eventually be unable to avoid a nasty battle, so instead of having his heart in his mouth<sup>[2]</sup> for the whole day, it would be better to just lay it all there and then, and fight a solid battle.\n
He gently turned the roasted fish on the rack, looking all around him, he raised his voice then said, âThe fish is already well-roasted, would your distinguished self not come out and have a taste?â\n
All of a sudden, the personâs breathing hitched, but it calmed down very quickly.\n
Xu Feng waited quietly.\n
He didnât know how much time had passed, but even the fish was almost roasted to the point of being burnt before he heard a subtle sound drift through the thicket of trees to his left.\n
Xu Feng couldnât help but hold his breath. Since before, up till now, he had been guessing to himself, what kind of person had arrived? Was it an ordinary sect brother from the Ji Le Palace, or was it one of the clanâs Clan Master? It couldnât be that the Palace Master had come personally?\n
If it was Liu Yue who had come, he could probably still try to gain her friendship.\n
As he was thinking, the opposite party had already pushed aside the branches and walked out.\n
Xu Feng caught sight of his appearance and was unwittingly seized with terror.\n
The person that approached was very tall, he had a sallow face, and looked weak and weary from sickness, it looked like he was around forty years old, but after taking a closer look, it seemed like he was only around thirty years old, his facial features were average and unremarkable, and even though he wouldnât be considered ugly, he couldnât really be called handsome either.\n
With such an appearance, he absolutely could not be someone from the Ji Le Palace.\n
The two menâs eyes met, and Xu Feng found that this manâs eyes were actually quite beautiful.\n
Soon afterward, he couldnât help but laugh as thought to himself that he had stayed too long in the Ji Le Palace, and had contracted the bad habit of judging others by their appearance. He concluded that this person couldnât have come from the Ji Le Palace, all because the Palace Masterâs tastes were exceedingly picky, and didnât like any type of person with a hideous appearance to move in his presence, even Jin Shu, who was just a servant, was also selected because he was delicate and pretty, as well as clever, so naturally, he would turn his nose up at this person who had the appearance of a sick ghost.\n
Xu Feng was lost in thought, but then he heard that person cough faintly, and say, âThe fish is burning.â\n
His voice was hoarse, sure enough, as if he had contracted a serious illness. Xu Fengâs mind wasnât thinking about eating food at all, but after hearing him say such a thing, he took the fish off the rack.\n
The man didnât make a sound, but walked straight to Xu Feng and picked a place to sit down.\n
Although Xu Feng suspected that he wasnât from the Ji Le Palace, he didnât dare let his guard down, as he sized up his appearance, he asked, âFor your distinguished self to follow me up till now, is there something you wanted to see me about?â\n
âCough, coughâŠâ That person coughed a few more times, then pressed his hand against his stomach, and said, âAs it turns out, I was merely passing through here.â\n
Of course, Xu Feng didnât believe his words, âIs that so, then why would your distinguished self hide in a secretive location and spy on me?â\n
The other person said, âJust now, I was passing by here when I saw you catch a fish from the streamâŠâ\n
As he spoke, his eyes stared at the burnt fish in Xu Fengâs hands.\n
Xu Feng had experienced the feeling of starvation before, so he understood by looking at his expression, he wasnât a petty man either, so he held out the roasted fish that was in his hands, and said, âEat.â\n
That person didnât hold back either, and he came over to eat it. The garment he was wearing was dirty from head-to-toe, his clothes and ornaments were extremely rough and simple, yet surprisingly, his table manners were quite refined, it was the mirror image of a young master from a rich household.\n
Xu Feng looked at him strangely and thought to himself to be a bit more wary.\n
That person was entirely unaware, and in the blink of an eye he finished eating the fish cleanly, even the burnt parts werenât forgotten. After heâd finished eating, it looked like he suddenly realized that Xu Feng still hadnât eaten, so he said, âIâm sorry, I even ate your portion, what if I caught a fish as repayment? The only thing is that I am unable to roast the fish, so for that, I will still need to trouble you.â\n
Xu Feng wasnât willing to involve himself with this person any further, so he waved his hands and said, âIt is just one fish, and in any case, Iâm not hungry.â\n
The person had eaten and drank his fill, yet he actually tried winning over Xu Fengâs friendship, and said, âI am named[4]Â Zhou, whereas my given name is just the character Yan, I am unaware of how this Xiao Xiong Di is addressed[5]Â ?â\n
Would Xu Feng dare to share his full name with someone heâd never met before? Moreover, for a person to suddenly turn up in this dense forest on this remote mountain, he didnât even know if they were friend or foe.\n
He picked up the tree branch that he was using as a walking stick, and said as he got up, âIt is getting late, and I still need to continue on my journey, please do as your distinguished self pleases.â\n
The person sat and didnât move, he lifted his head and looked at the color of the sky, then said, âIt looks like it will rain today, would it not be best to find someplace to seek shelter from the rain?â\n
Xu Feng didnât pay him any attention, and left, minding his own business.\n
He walked a distance away, and when he incidentally looked back, he saw that the person had actually remained sitting in the same place, his eyes were raised, looking at the horizon, thinking about who knew what, his back looked exceedingly lonely.\n
Xu Feng increased his vigilance along the way, seeing that that person truly hadnât followed him, he sighed in relief. After all, they were only strangers who had met by chance, he forgot about that person very quickly, and only concerned himself with a single-mindedness to continue on his journey\n
Who would have known that after walking for only about an hour, the sky would darken, and the pitter-patter of rain began to drizzle down.\n
At first, Xu Feng had still been able to continue traveling despite the rain, but the rain became heavier and heavier as it continued to fall, and Xu Feng started to fear that he would become sick on this desolate, uncultivated mountain ridge, thus he could only find someplace to seek shelter from the rain. It could be that he had good luck because after making his way around once, he had found a nearby mountain cave.\n
The cave entrance was a little narrow, Xu Feng twisted his body and entered, then discovered that it was quite spacious inside, in the middle, there was a small mound of fire, someone had actually arrived here before him.\n
Where in this place was there still a third person to be found?\n
The man called Zhou Yan was sitting beside the open fire, he smiled at Xu Feng, then said, âXiao Xiong Di, we meet again.â\n
He pointed towards the ground, and said, âI just caught a pheasant, it is unfortunate that Iâm not skilled at cooking, so you came at the perfect time.â\n
Xu Feng looked outside, the heavy rain seemed to be pouring down. The placed fire was readily available and wasnât being used to roast anything, going outside would mean getting wet in the rain, which was definitely not a sensible act. He sighed, then cupped his fist in his other hand, and said, âPlease excuse me.â\n
He accepted his fate and walked over to deal with the pheasant.\n
Zhou Yan looked at him a bit, then said, âThe clothes on your body are all wet, first come sit and warm up by the fire.â\n
âNo need, when the bird is done being roasted, my clothes will have dried.â\n
Zhou Yan wasnât very talkative, he just laid aside a dagger to give to him to kill the bird, to actually be unwilling to stain his own hands, he truly had the temperament of a spoiled son from a rich family.\n
Xu Feng presumed that this personâs background couldnât be simple, and as he cut the pheasantâs throat and sliced through its stomach, he felt him out in a roundabout fashion, âDoes your distinguished self practice martial arts?â\n
Zhou Yan replied, âI have studied some quanjiao<sup>[3]</sup> martial arts.â\n
âLooking at your distinguished selfâs complexion, it looks like there may be injuries on your body?â\n
Zhou Yan was quiet, then said, âA few days ago, I was in a martial arts competition with someone else, and indeed received some internal injuries.â\n
He saw Xu Feng stare at him, so he rushed to explain further, âBut they are only small injuries, and will heal after a few days of recuperation.â\n
Xu Feng knitted his brow, he thought to himself that he hadnât asked him anything about the condition of his injury and that this person really liked to shower affection on an uninterested party.\n
He hadnât picked up any clues from what heâd said, so Xu Feng asked again, âWas your distinguished self having a martial arts competition inside these deep mountains?â\n
âI won the martial arts competition, but my opponent became angry and refused to accept it, so they sent people to kill me, I temporarily panicked and couldnât tell the paths apart, and ended up fleeing into these mountains.â\n
He spoke in a way that wouldnât let a drop of water leak out<sup>[4]</sup>, Xu Feng hadnât known him for very long, and he couldnât ask too much either, so he just single-mindedly focused on cooking up the bird.\n
The gale raged outside, and the torrential rain poured down, it really contrasted with this small cave which was especially warm and snug.\n
Zhou Yanâs thoughts were also indiscernible, he just steadily looked at the leaping flames, when all of a sudden, he said, âIn fact, when I left this time, it was to find my little brother.â\n
Xu Feng had finished preparing the pheasant and was thinking of setting up a rack to roast it on, but when he heard these words, he spoke without thinking, âCould it be that your honorable younger brother is a playful young man, and snuck off by himself to go play?â\n
âNo.â Zhou Yan said, âI experienced a catastrophe in my childhood, so I have been separated from my younger brother ever since I was young. Afterward, I was taken⊠taken in and raised by someone, and never really suffered, but my younger brother lived the life of a vagabond, and to this day I still donât know where he is.â\n
He paused, then said, âSince the moment we were separated, there hasnât been a day where I havenât thought about finding him. Later, I mastered skills in martial arts and succeeded a clan, furthermore, I sent out subordinates to go find his tracks.â\n
Xu Feng thought to himself about how he would like to roast the pheasant, and not even lifting his head, he said, âComplete sincerity can move even metal and stone, your distinguished self will surely be able to achieve what you wish for.â\n
Zhou Yan looked at him deeply, and said, âWith your blessing, if only there would be such a day.â\n
Xu Feng just concentrated on roasting the bird and didnât continue to converse with him. In this aspect, he was quite skilled, and not long after, the pheasant was roasted to a golden brown and its aroma permeated the whole place.\n
Because it was prey that Zhou Yan had caught, Xu Feng was unwilling to take advantage of him and left the two drumsticks for him. Zhou Yan was obviously someone who was used to living a life of luxury, so he didnât think there was anything inappropriate, and immediately gobbled them up. After heâd finished eating, he even praised Xu Feng a bit.\n
Xu Feng hadnât thought his workmanship was anything special and thought that this person had been nibbling on sour fruits for a few days, so whatever they ate would taste fragrant and sweet. However, ever since he was young up till now, there had been very few times where heâd been praised by someone, and although he was only praised for his cooking skills, it still felt good inside.\n
The two people finished eating the roasted bird, and all things considered, they were somewhat friendly, Zhou Yan asked for his name again afterward, and Xu Feng found it difficult to continue acting naive, so he had no choice but to be honest.\n
The man named Zhou was enthusiastic since the beginning and immediately started calling him âXu Xiong Diâ, then asked him how old he was, what sect was he from, and even what sort of people were in his family.\n
Xu Feng hadnât completely let down his guard, so of course, he didnât tell it like it was, and just responded with some randomly made up white lies.\n
Zhou Yan sighed a breath of air, then said, âMy little brother⊠should be around the same age as you.â\n
âHis zodiac animal is the dragon, and he is twenty-two years old this year.â\n
Xu Fengâs heart leaped.\n
He thought to himself how his zodiac animal was also the dragon, moreover, he had an older brother from whom heâd been separated for many years⊠But this thought was fleeting and was immediately vetoed, there could never be such a coincidence in this world, right?\n
Zhou Yan continued to speak, âWhen my brother and I were separated, my little brother was no older than four or five, so his appearance had not yet fully matured, so will I know what he looks like after growing up? Is it possible that on the day I meet him in person, I wonât be able to recognize him?â\n
Xu Feng smiled, and said, âSince you are brothers from the same parents, how could a change of appearance affect your ability to recognize each other? Even if you continue to be apart for longer, when you see each other, you will feel like they are different from others.â\n
Zhou Yan gazed at Xu Feng luminously, then said, âXu Xiong Di, since I saw you for the first time today, I have really wanted to get to know you, it could be that⊠you are my long-lost little brother.â\n
Xu Feng listened and was startled, he hadnât anticipated this person to unexpectedly and arbitrarily recognize him as his younger brother. Even though he missed his older brother too, he wouldnât lose his rationality, such that he would grab someone and call them Ge Ge<sup>[5]</sup>. He adjusted the open fire in front of him, then said, âAlthough I have an older brother, he is only six years older than me, I am afraid that your distinguished selfâs age doesnât match up?â\n
Zhou Yan was stunned, then opened up his mouth, apparently wanting to say something. But Xu Feng continued to speak, âEven though I donât remember what my older brother looks like, I still remember that he resembled my mother considerably, and my motherâs appearance was exceedingly beautiful, yet your distinguished selfâŠâ\n
Xu Feng shot Zhou Yan a glance, and did his best to speak tactfully, âIn that regard, you are quite far away.â\n
Zhou Yan was immediately rendered speechless.\n
He felt his face, then laughed with seeming bitterness, and said in a small voice, âActually my age is not that old.â\n
The sound of the rain was loud, and it drowned out his voice, so Xu Feng couldnât hear him.\n
Zhou Yan hadnât recognized his younger brother, and would be inevitably somewhat depressed, he looked outside at the heavy rain, then said, âI remember that my little brother was very timid when he was bullied when he was young, he would leap into my arms and cry out for his big brother. Now he is wandering about out there, nor do I know how many grievances he has suffered either. I think about it often, waiting for the day I find him, I must protect him well, and never let him sustain another injury, or suffer anymore.â\n
Xu Feng saw how much he treasured his little brother and felt a stirring inside his heart, he couldnât help but urge, âZhou[6]Â Xiong<sup>[6]</sup>, you need not be so worried, with such an elder brother like you, your honorable little brother is certainly a fortunate person.â\n
Zhou Yanâs eyes flashed, which faintly exposed an agonized thought, it seemed like he had a lot of things he wanted to say, yet in the end, nothing was uttered from his mouth.\n
The heavy rain fell the entire night.\n
Xu Feng had no choice, he could only take a break inside the mountain cave. With an unfamiliar person beside him, he supposed that he would have definitely had difficulty sleeping and wouldâve tossed around, yet unexpectedly, he felt that he had slept quite peacefully, and when the sun of the second day shone on his face, he woke up in a dazed manner.\n
Zhou Yan had already gone outside and walked around[7]Â , his body was damp with the early morning dew, and holding several bird eggs to his bosom, he walked back into the mountain cave.\n
âBrother Xu, you are awake.â\n
He smiled as he greeted Xu Feng, then placed the bird eggs in front of Xu Feng, and looked at him eagerly.\n
Why had this person regarded him as the family cook?\n
Xu Feng felt a little bit like crying and laughing. However, he had eaten his fill of roasted fish and roasted rabbits these past few days and had gotten a bit tired of them, so he got to work on digging a hole in the dirt, he then covered the bird eggs with dirt, then started a fire burning above them, and it wasnât long before he dug up the steaming hot bird eggs, which smelled absolutely delicious.\n
Zhou Yan ate them full of praise.\n
After the rain, the sky was clear, and it was bright and sunny outside.\n
Xu Feng simply tidied up and planned to continue with his journey, when Zhou Yan spoke, âWe should travel together, it would be good to look after each other on the road.â\n
Xu Feng thought for a moment and still thought to politely decline. First of all, he hadnât thoroughly parsed out the details of Zhou Yan and didnât want to provoke any more incidents. Second of all, he didnât know whether the Ji Le Palace had sent anyone to capture him or not, and he didnât want to involve other people.\n
Soon after heâd left the cave, he remembered the tree branch he used as a walking stick that heâd thrown to the side yesterday, so he hurried back to search every nook and cranny for it. He searched and searched, yet he felt a circular rock, the outside was glossy and smooth, and it didnât seem naturally-made, instead, it looked like it was polished by hand.\n
Xu Feng attempted to push it slightly, but it wouldnât budge after being pushed, then he gently rotated it, and the rock actually movedâŠ\n
The ground suddenly started shaking.\n
<hr class="wp-block-separator">\nTranslator: God\n
English Proofreader: Grumpykit\n
<hr class="wp-block-separator">\nProofreader Comments: Why do I feel like the little guy is being played?\n
Xiaoâs Comments: Oh, heâs getting played for sure~\n
<hr class="wp-block-separator">\nTranslatorâs Notes:\n
<sup>[1]</sup> Eat in the wind and sleep in the dew â éŁé€éČćźż, endure the hardships of an arduous journey\n
<sup>[2]</sup> Have oneâs heart in oneâs mouth â æćżćè, to be very scared and on the edge\n
<sup>[3]</sup> Quanjiao â æłè, martial arts related to punching and kicking\n
<sup>[4]</sup> Not letting a drop of water leak out â 滎氎äžæŒ, aka watertight, something so carefully put together that nobody would be able to find a fault in it\n
<sup>[5]</sup> Ge Ge â ć„ć„, means big brother. To me, itâs a more intimate way to say it compared to xiong (ć
)\n
<sup>[6]</sup> Xiong â ć
, older brother. In this context, it just denotes that he is an older male.\n
<hr class="wp-block-separator">\nChapter 3 Chapter 5\n
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