Chapter Nine: Brotherhood

Gu Shen was originally sitting on a grass mat, but at that moment he fell backward, feeling a pain that penetrated to the bone. His arms immediately lost their ability to move, and large beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. A cry of pain escaped his lips, but he quickly forced himself to endure it.

The sharp-faced youth pointed at Gu Shenwei

The day after the argument between the father and daughter, the young girl quietly repeated the few phrases she had learned in the Central Plains dialect. When she mentioned "Ning tea" for the umpteenth time, she let out a sigh for no apparent reason, which was overheard by the young lady

He apologized in two languages, and Gu Shenwei exchanged glances with the two brothers, nodding together to indicate their forgiveness of the sharp-faced youth's act of informing.

Everyone felt a tension as if a storm was approaching, scrubbing the bronze vessels more vigorously while straining to listen. It was on this day, the sixth day of the dowry, that the young men heard the young lady's voice for the first time

Even the bandit leaders who roam the Western Regions can only issue verbal threats to the King of the North; in reality, they have no choice.

The big-headed deity returned at an unknown time, striding into his daughter's tent with large steps, his face ashen, a look that only appeared when he was compelled to kill

He scanned everyone with a pretentious and authoritative gaze, and seeing no one object, continued to speak in three languages

Xue Niang let out a snort, asking nothing, and tossed the brothers upward. Then, she simultaneously pressed her palms against their backs. The two young men did not utter a sound as they fell onto the grass mat, their fates unknown.

No, I will not marry him

The voice of the giant-headed deity was almost inaudible, and it was unclear what the young lady had said. Then, a beast-like roar echoed from within the tent, as the bandit leader, possessing an extraordinarily large physique, finally erupted, revealing his true nature

No one has raised any objections, not because everyone has truly developed a brotherly bond, but rather due to the language barrier, leaving them unaware of each other's thoughts. Furthermore, no one dares to be the first to speak out, especially since this is the camp of the Iron Mountain Big Head God, where a father and daughter are currently in a fit of anger and could find any excuse to kill at any moment. No one wants to provoke a dispute at this time

The two brothers and the sharp-faced youth were not dead; they woke up in the early hours of the morning. Although Gu Shenwei's shoulder still ached considerably, it no longer hindered his movements

Her eyes and tongue are both gone

Lin Yang is also very clear about this, but he is quite satisfied. One cannot take steps too quickly; the journey must be taken one step at a time. Once they enter Jinpeng Fortress, he will gradually tighten his grip on this small group. The young lady is the nominal owner, but he intends to be the true leader

The deity known as Big Head has the surname Luo, and his daughter naturally also bears the surname Luo. Her name is quite peculiar, being "Ning Cha." The Big Head deity forbids any man from looking at his daughter, yet he shows no restraint regarding her name, which is often on the lips of bandits, and he does not mind.

Since everyone agrees, let us formally become sworn brothers of different surnames, sharing blessings in good times and facing difficulties together in the future

The screams continued unabated. After a while, the punished maiden was brought out, her face covered in blood, making it nearly impossible to recognize her original appearance

Sigh, I am doing this for your own good; there is no escape, you will only be caught and killed

They all harbor more significant secrets in their hearts and truly do not pay much attention to the little tricks of the sharp-faced boy

I have no choice; we are the purchased servants of others, and it is our duty to be loyal to our master. You can expose me just the same.

I come to apologize, hoping you can understand my actions that night. We live in the same tent, eat the same food, and serve the same master; we should support each other, just like brothers.

Throughout the morning, ten young boys were outside the tent cleaning incense burners of various sizes. As noon approached, an incident occurred that nearly made Gu Shenwei forget the annoyance of the sharp-faced boy.

Gu Shenwei was unaware of what others thought; he was filled with righteous indignation. This Miss Luo Ningcha was truly ruthless, no different from her father, who indiscriminately killed the innocent

The eight youths spoke in the languages of the Western Regions, and Gu Shen could not understand a single word, not even the names of the others. When it was finally his turn, he hesitated for a moment and said coldly

The boy with a pointed face was so excited that his cheeks turned red, and he was almost about to shout in approval

Xue Niang took two steps to stand in front of Gu Shenwei, without asking a single question, and with lightning speed, her two fingers jabbed at his left and right shoulders

Feiying is correct; it was Jinpeng Fortress that annihilated the Gu family, and the one who took action is none other than the future son-in-law of Datou Shen

Gu Shenwei suddenly heard his name, feeling both startled and fearful, a wave of heat surged to his head, nearly causing him to faint. In that instant, he realized who his enemy was

However, Miss Roning Cha is indeed concerned about it, especially when she is angry

Who is Gu Shenwei? Bring that little rascal here, so I can poke him a hundred holes!

The prohibition against men seeing their daughters naturally does not apply to him

In response to the father's threat, it was the young lady's unwilling cries that echoed.

The two brothers exchanged a few words in their native language, and the sharp-faced youth's expression shifted between green and white as he responded a few times. At that moment, Xue Niang entered again

This voice is exceptionally crisp, akin to the first sip of ice water on a scorching summer day. It bears no resemblance to her rugged father, yet it is resolute and forceful, a tone that could never be manifested by others in the presence of the Great Head God

The eyes of the Big Head God are as red as if they are about to bleed

The giant-headed deity, holding his iron spear, sought someone to vent his anger upon. However, to his dismay, there was not a single soul in sight. Thus, he crossed the spear over his chest and shouted in fury

He, Gu Shenwei, once secretly resolved to go to any lengths for revenge, but now he does not even know how to go about "going to any lengths".

Snow Maiden, you can rest assured, I ... ...

The sharp-faced youth had clear handprints on his face. He covered his face, appearing quite puzzled, and when he saw the two brothers walking towards him with Gu Shenwei, he sat up abruptly.

The other youths tried their best to avoid contact with or even look at these four individuals; they were unaware of what had transpired and simply wished to remain uninvolved

Xue Niang raised her arm and slapped him. The force of this slap was so great that the sharp-faced youth flipped over completely and fell heavily, lying motionless, with his life and death unknown.

The maiden did not die; merely two days later, she returned to the young lady's tent, unable to speak or see, with only her ears left to hear, yet still required to serve her cruel mistress

The sharp-faced youth spoke these words while touching the lingering handprint on his cheek, his expression quite sincere. He possessed the ability to change his appearance at will, so swiftly that one might think he was two different people.

The sharp-faced boy's eyes sparkled with excitement at the scene of punishing others; even if he was not the one directly involved, it always managed to evoke his thrill

Other bandits who heard the noise rushed in, brandishing torches, but upon seeing that Xue Niang had already taken control of the situation, they refrained from intervening

The snitching little bastard

However, the schemes of the sharp-faced youth were not merely aimed at reconciliation. That evening, when ten youths returned to the tent to prepare for rest, he cleared his throat and spoke in a very formal tone.

Every time Gu Shenwei saw the blind and mute maiden groping her way in and out of the tent, he would feel a chill spreading from the depths of his heart to every hair on his body, feeling both sympathy and fear; he believed that other young men shared the same emotions.

After a moment of silence in the tent, a young boy was the first to speak, stammering in his native language about *pictures* and *books*, likely conveying a sense of oath, as the sharp-faced boy Lin Yang appeared quite pleased.

I will not marry a disabled person, Father, please cancel the engagement

Shangguan Fa, damn it, you killed the wrong person, just kill again, why did you chop off my son-in-law's hand? I, I ... ...

If it were a few days ago, the young master of the Gu family would have eagerly participated in the brotherhood ceremony, taking everyone's words seriously. Now, he swears by lies, fully aware that not a single truth exists among the oaths of the ten people.

This is not a sincere vow; Gu Shenwei did not even use his real name.

As for why Luoning Tea chose to keep this little female servant, it is likely that only she herself knows the reason.

Perhaps the tragic fate of the maiden serves as a reminder to the youth of the necessity of unity. On the third day after the incident, the sharp-faced boy unexpectedly took the initiative to extend an olive branch, seeking to reconcile with Gu Shenwei and the two brothers who wished to escape

I, Lin Yang, from this day forward, shall treat the people in this tent as my own brothers. If I have food, I will not let them go hungry; if I have clothing, I will not let them feel cold. Should I achieve great success, I will certainly ensure that my brothers also rise to prominence.

Therefore, in the face of the false accusations from the sharp-faced boy, he hesitated for a moment but did not refute them, indicating that he did not wish to betray those two brothers

The voice of the big-headed deity, instead, lowered, as if earnestly advising, yet it only elicited an even angrier declaration from the daughter

However, indignation is merely that; even without personal grievances, and even as the young master of the Gu family who still values family, Gu Shenwei lacked the courage to stand up for the young girl.

Xue Niang threw down such a remark and turned to leave. Although she despised the informers, she still arranged for a small minion to guard the tent

Marry if you must, marry even if you don't want to, even if it means death, damn it!

He first spoke in two kinds of Western Region Hu languages, and only at the end did he use the Central Plains language

Heaven has eyes, and divine will protects him, allowing him to be bought by the Great Head God. He will draw near to his enemy alongside the enemy's fiancée.

In the end, the big-headed deity did not find the opportunity to kill and vent his anger, but the fury of the father and daughter filled the entire camp, causing everyone to feel anxious. The first unfortunate victim was a purchased young girl.

The young maiden caused trouble in this matter; she was from the mountainous region, and no one could understand her dialect. She worked hard to adapt to the new environment and diligently studied the common language. One of the first words she learned was "Ning Cha". Regrettably, she never understood the meaning of these two characters, nor did she know that it was the name of the young lady.

I, Yang Huan, have formed a brotherhood with everyone. Should anyone resort to underhanded tactics behind our backs, may they face divine retribution and earthly destruction

On the fifth day after the ten young men swore brotherhood, Miss Luo Ningcha, unable to defy her father's wishes, dressed in finery and prepared to marry into Jinpeng Fortress. On this day, Gu Shenwei also met for the first time the enemy of the Gu family, Shangguan Nu.

The specific circumstances that followed are known to very few. Gu Shenwei, like the other youths, was working outside the tent when he heard the screams coming from within.

The two of them wanted to escape, but I discovered it, and he as well; he also wanted to flee

The youths took their oaths one after another, some reluctantly, some with enthusiasm. Even the two brothers who had been betrayed by Lin Yang swore an oath, though their words were brief and lacked sincerity

Everyone has already experienced the formidable nature of this emaciated woman, and no one dares to act recklessly in her presence, each retreating to their original position.

The Snow Maiden walked up to the sharp-faced youth once more. The sharp-faced youth knelt on the grass mat, seemingly waiting for something, and spoke urgently:

The large-headed deity bent down and walked out of the tent, standing at the entrance, letting out a roar towards the sky. He then made his way to the main tent, each step seemingly capable of creating a hole in the ground. Everyone along the way, whether they were high-ranking leaders or lowly subordinates, kept their distance, and not a single person dared to step forward to offer advice.