Last year, Leo Ye lost his father. As the eldest son, all the family’s land and property fell under his possession. He could hardly contain his delight, promptly selling a piece of land for some money and indulging himself at the village’s small tavern. <br><br>From then on, he idled, wandering around the village and mountains and becoming even more brazen in his teasing and thieving ways. In the entire Li Jing Village, aside from his uncle Matthew Lee, he feared no one and respected no one. <br><br>It was pitiful for his younger brother, Leo Sheng. Although he was the same age as Xander Li, Xander had been studying with the teacher at the village head since childhood, while Leo Sheng was left abandoned, destitute, and starving. <br><br>This boy, barely in his teens, had just lost his father. Day after day, he had to herd ducks and watch cattle for others. If not for Matthew Lee’s family constantly helping, he might have starved to death at home long ago. <br><br>As for Leo Ye, he cared nothing for his younger brother's survival. Instead, in his idle moments, jealousy burned in his heart as he watched John Li’s family come and go from their spacious brick courtyard. <br><br>“We all share the Li surname. Why are you the legitimate one and I the illegitimate? Why could you buy fertile land and build a grand courtyard? Just a big household in the village, yet you act so high and mighty building such a courtyard! As if it has some hidden treasures inside!” <br><br>Suddenly, he stood up straight, as if enlightened, recalling a tense night years ago and the knife in Matthew Lee’s hand. <br><br>“Matthew Lee must have treasures...” <br><br>With a blade of dogtail grass in his mouth, Leo Ye looked at John Li conversing cheerfully with tenants in the field, an unpleasant feeling lurking in his heart. <br><br>“Just born into the right womb, huh?” <br><br>After dozing off under a tree for a while, seeing nightfall deepening, Leo Ye spat out the dogtail grass, rolled up his pant legs, and stealthily headed toward the Li family’s grand courtyard. <br><br>He circled the perimeter of the courtyard but couldn't find a single crack in the wall. Even clawing at the wall revealed it to be smooth and seamless, too hard to climb over. <br><br>“Damn it.” <br><br>Leo Ye spat on the wall in frustration and, with renewed determination, sprinted toward the back mountain. <br><br>“No way you’ve put a shield over your house.” <br><br>The Dali Heights stretched and twisted. The back mountain of Li Jing Village was just one of its peaks. The villagers, too lazy to name it, simply called it the “back mountain.” <br><br>Beyond the back mountain to the south was Meichi Peak. Further south at the base of the mountain was Jingyang Village. The two villages exchanged goods by using the mountain path. <br><br>Pushing aside the foliage, Leo Ye climbed along the path for about fifteen minutes until he found a protruding spot with a broad view. He crouched down, peering toward the courtyard below. <br><br>Rubbing his eyes, he faintly saw several figures moving. Some appeared to be sitting cross-legged, while others carried greenstones back and forth. He couldn’t discern what they were doing. <br><br>“I heard this place has stone locks. Could it be that Matthew Lee secretly brought back martial arts techniques and is teaching those folks here?” <br><br>Leo Ye looked up at the sky. The mountain was already dim, and the bright moon was hidden behind clouds. The ground was pitch black, and even the figures became harder to distinguish. <br><br>It was late at night. The mountains were filled with the cries of howling apes and barking wolves. A cold wind passed through Leo Ye’s shorts, making him shiver and clamp his legs together as he plopped onto a large rock. <br><br>“Pretty spooky.” <br><br>After sitting for another fifteen minutes, his nose running from the cold, Leo Ye silently crafted rumors in his mind to spread among the villagers: <br><br>If it was some ancestral treasure, he, as a member of the Li family, deserved a share. If it were martial arts techniques, he couldn’t care less about practicing. He’d rather sell it for money and live comfortably for some time. <br><br>Looking down at the courtyard, not a single figure remained. Unconcerned, Leo Ye tightened his sleeves and stood up, ready to head home. <br><br>“Aah!” <br><br>As he turned, he suddenly saw a figure standing silently on the mountain path. Startled, Leo Ye tumbled and crawled back behind the large greenstone. <br><br>Peeking out cautiously, he saw a familiar, handsome face looking down at him—his cousin, Xander Li. <br><br>Leo Ye widened his eyes, adopting a belligerent posture, just about to lash out when he noticed Xander forming casting hand gestures. <br><br>“What?” <br><br>A brilliant golden light flashed before his eyes. A sharp pain pierced his throat. The world spun around him—one moment showing the bright, full moon and the next revealing the dimly lit courtyard below. <br><br>Leo Ye’s head flew into the air before landing heavily on the mountain path. His fading consciousness stared at Xander Li’s cold, emotionless smile and found this cousin more unfamiliar than ever. <br><br>Blood spurted from the neck of his headless body, the warm spray staining the greenstone, the dirt road, and the fallen leaves—all the way to Xander Li’s feet. <br><br>Taking a step back in disgust, Xander watched Leo Ye’s body collapse. After a moment of thought, he performed more casting hand gestures, summoning another golden light. <br><br>He crouched, systematically slicing the body into large chunks to ensure the wild beasts drawn by the scent of blood would scatter the remains across different parts of the mountain. <br><br>Once finished, Xander stood, gazing around. In the shadows of the forest, numerous pairs of greenish eyes glimmered. Xander clapped his hands and murmured softly: <br><br>“Bon appétit, friends.” <br><br>--- <br><br>The Li Household. <br><br>John Li woke from his meditation, but neither of his two brothers was in sight. The vast backyard was so silent that only the chirping of insects could be heard. Confused, he hurried to the main courtyard, where he finally found Leo Li. <br><br>Sitting at the wooden table, leafing through an Arcane Incantation, Leo Li appeared calm. <br><br>“Where’s Xander?” John asked with some confusion. <br><br>“Washing his hands,” Leo replied slowly, rolling up the wooden scroll as he addressed his elder brother. <br><br>“Leo,” John pressed his hands on the wooden table and asked with a hint of envy, “Have you started preparing to condense The Wheel of Mystic Horizon?” <br><br>“In a few days, I should be able to gather eighty-one strands of Moonlight Radiance. Unlike Chi Jing, I feel the need to wait and prepare a bit more.” <br><br>Leo smiled, picking up a small piece of white cloth and wrapping it tightly around the wooden scroll, knotting it securely. <br><br>“Brother, among the four of us, who do you think resembles Father the most?” Leo suddenly asked, fixing his gaze seriously on his elder brother. <br><br>“Of course, it’s you,” John replied instinctively, then paused, finding a seat before continuing with a laugh, “I’m too lenient, Xander too restless, and Chi Jing too shy. Only you, Leo Li, remain calm and composed, the most like him.” <br><br>“Hahaha.” <br><br>Leo chuckled dryly before waving his hand dismissively. Straightening his posture, he added: <br><br>“Don’t flatter me, Brother. In my view, Xander is the one who most resembles Father.” <br><br>“Why?” John asked, puzzled. <br><br>Leo began to speak slowly: <br><br>“When we were children playing in the courtyard, Father once told us: during first bloodshed, some may experience ringing ears, heated heads, and disorientation; others tremble uncontrollably, unable to compose themselves; some may roar endlessly, losing all sense of reality. <br><br>“Only Matthew Lee, during his first bloodshed, sheathed his blade, drank wine, and conversed and laughed as if nothing had happened. Afterward, he laughed heartily, full of pride.” <br><br>“Xander most resembles Father.” <br><br>Lowering his voice, Leo leaned toward John’s ear and whispered: <br><br>“Because he is ruthless enough.”)
