A Brother Like You

The autumn festival officially began. The busy streets were filled with colorful lanterns and decorations. People celebrated the lively holiday with their families as they enjoyed homemade mooncakes and other delicacies. Children filled the nearby river with their lanterns and made their wishes as it glided along the current. Hyunhei never enjoyed such merry occasions, considering that he was a workaholic in his former life. He remembered that he was still working on his designs even if he was on a day off, let alone during holidays. Lost in his thoughts, Daiyu approached him from behind.

"Fourth Young Master, your lantern." She offered him a red lantern. Hyunhei was slightly shocked by her arrival, yet he still accepted the lantern. "Master, may you have a happy Autumn Festival!"

"Same here." He gave him a shy smile as Daiyu walked away. He needs to savor this three-day festivity as he will be sent to Mount Tianluo right after it ends for his cultivation training. He finally lit his lantern and set it afloat, whispering, "I hope to find my purpose soon."

Fireworks filled the night sky with different colors and shapes that brought amusement to the people of Meilin. Entertained by the light show, Hyunhei didn't notice it was midnight. Jingyi called him over to try the lavender tea he had brewed for them not long ago. He agreed with a nod and followed him inside.

The joyous festival successfully came to an end. Clan Head Jingyue arranged everything for the departure of his two sons, Jingyi and Hyunhei. He instructed them about the etiquette they must observe when entering the sect's premises. He also provided them with snacks and other necessities to use along the way. The two young men prepared themselves as well. Hyunhei noticed that Jingyi had brought along his sword.

"Yi-gege, are we taking weapons on our trip?"

"Of course. If we encounter bandits on our way, I can defend myself from them. Where's yours?" He asked Hyunhei eagerly. He only gave him a shrug. "Oh fuck, my bad. I forgot you don't have a weapon yet."

Realizing this, Jingyi went to his quarters, and after a moment, he returned with a dagger and tossed it to Hyunhei.

"Use that as a temporary weapon. We can't bring any of the swords from the training grounds." Hyunhei responded with a nod, and they bid their goodbyes to their family.

Mount Tianluo is located northeast of the Meilin Empire. They need to take the shortest route to reach it before the entrance examination. Unfortunately, the shortcut was located within the Gloomy Forest. This area is inhabited by wild beasts and dark spirits. Jingyi can quickly suppress wild beasts with his physical strength. However, they might be in big trouble when encountering dark spirits. Hyunhei knows a little too much about them.

"Hyun-hyun, stay alert when we reach the Gloomy Forest. I only know a little about talismans, so our only option is running during an encounter with dark spirits."

"J-just don't overwork yourself, Yi-gege. Oh, I remembered something related to talismans. I learned a spell at the public library the other day. It was a spell that could create fire.

"That's better then. We don't have to use a flint to make a fire. The sun may set anytime, so we need to find an inn to settle for the night."

They continued their journey and found an inn beside a lake. Jingyi reserved a room for two people and ordered the food for their dinner. Hyunhei surveyed the area for safety purposes. After being occupied with some issues, they went to their room and carefully arranged their stuff.

"Yi-gege, do you know some protection talismans? I spotted some negative energy from outside, though it was far from here. Perhaps it originates from the Gloomy Forest."

"I know one; it's a talisman that creates a barrier, yet it's not that powerful due to the level of my current spiritual force. But it'll work, at least. That filthy place is approximately 6 li from here, so be vigilant."

Jingyi cast a spell on a piece of paper and attached it to the door and window while Hyunhei carefully watched his brother. The feeling of uneasiness vanished after that. After some time, the server knocked on their door to deliver their dinner. They had a hearty dinner and enjoyed the leftover lavender tea they had brought. Subsequently, they made plans for tomorrow's trip and rested afterward.

The two young siblings left the inn before sunrise and continued their travel. They munched on the pork steamed buns they bought from the inn while walking down the road that led to the Gloomy Forest. Before sleeping last night, Hyunhei examined the dagger Jingyi lent him. It was a sharp blade with a gold-plated handle. The sheath was carved with a dragon figure and plated with gold.

"Yi-gege, c-can I see your sword?" He asked nervously. Jingyi lent him his sword as they walked. His sword has the same intricate design.

"That sword was custom-made. Don't worry. If we pass the exam, we can summon our permanent weapons in the Arsenal Hall. I'm pretty sure they will teach us— hey! What are you doing with my sword?" Jingyi panicked as he watched his brother make some changes with the sword.

"I only cast an enhancement spell on your sword. See for yourself." He handed over the sword to him. Jingyi unsheathed the sword, and he could not believe his eyes. The sword was engulfed in spiritual flames, and he felt formidable while holding it. "I already told you I learned a fire spell days ago."

To be honest, Hyunhei did learn a fire spell in the library, not knowing that that fire spell was a series of spells used by the former Fire Immortal. Despite the lack of many details in the book, he managed to master it just by reading the description of each spell.

Distracted by the enhanced weapon, they soon reached the entrance of the Gloomy Forest. Jingyi put on a protection talisman before setting foot on the filthy ground. After walking for an hour in the forest, Hyunhei decided to rest briefly. He cleansed an area using some spells so they could sit and regain some strength.

"Hyun-Hyun, you really are something. I'm so grateful to have a brother like you." Jingyi cheerfully blabbed as he patted Hyunhei's shoulder. "Alright, let's change the plan. I'll be in charge of close-range combat. You'll take the long-range ones. Let's watch each other's backs until then."