Chapter 4: Brothers

The Next Morning

Yishui City – Longshan Tower

In this world, every city had a Longshan Tower!

 The Longshan Tower in Yishui City was an ancient five-story stone building.

 Outside the tower, powerful knights stood guard. No commoner or noble dared to approach within ten meters of the entrance—even nobles risked being killed on sight if they got too close!

 A white-haired elder in a white robe rushed toward the tower, moving swiftly.

 "Lord You Tu!" The two blue-armored knights at the entrance greeted him respectfully.

 "Is the Tower Master inside?" the white-haired elder asked.

 "Yes," one of the knights replied. "The Tower Master hasn't been in a good mood since early this morning."

 The white-haired elder entered Longshan Tower and made his way to the third floor.

 "Knock, knock."

 "Come in," came a voice from inside.

The elder pushed open the door and closed it behind him. Inside, a smooth, dark yellow table was stacked with papers and books. Behind the table sat a black-haired middle-aged man, flipping through a dossier.

 This man was Lord Si An, the Tower Master of Yishui City's Longshan Tower!

 "You Tu, what's the situation?" Si An looked up.

 "The reports are confirmed," the elder said grimly. "Last night, Baron Dongbo and his wife were taken away from Xueying Territory."

 "Snowrock Castle's guards tried to resist, but within a single breath, they were struck down by lightning and rendered powerless."

 Si An scowled. "Hmph! The Moyang Clan is truly tyrannical!"

 He slammed the dossier shut.

 "Just yesterday, I received news from the provincial city," he muttered, "and by nightfall, they had already made their move."

 Longshan Tower was a strict and highly organized force within the empire.

 The Empire had nineteen provinces, and each provincial capital housed a Grand Longshan Tower, overseeing a vast and secretive intelligence network.

 From provincial capitals to county-level cities, every region was monitored and managed in a strict hierarchy.

 "The Moyang Clan is one of the top ten families in the Eastern Province, after all," the elder sighed.

 Si An scoffed. "Top ten? The Moyang Clan barely ranks tenth! They only maintain that position because of the lingering influence of their old ancestors. Otherwise, they wouldn't even be on the list."

 "Even so, they are still a monstrous power that could crush us with ease," the elder shook his head. "It's a pity—Xueying Territory is now left with only two children. I heard… their two-year-old son has been crying non-stop. Even the soldiers and servants of Snowrock Castle are heartbroken."

 Si An sighed. "The Dongbo couple treated their people well. It's no surprise that they were deeply loved."

 Xueying Territory – Snowrock Castle

At the peak of the tallest mountain in Xueying Territory—Snowrock Mountain—stood the majestic Snowrock Castle.

 Inside the castle, whispers and hushed discussions spread among the servants.

 However, the presence of Tong San, the lionman, and Zong Ling, the six-armed demon serpent, ensured that order was maintained.

 Even though it was morning, the youngest son, Qingshi, had only just calmed down.

 Ever since his parents were forcibly taken, he had been crying non-stop—no one could comfort him.

 In the past, it was always his mother who put him to sleep. As a mage, her voice carried a subtle hypnotic effect, making it effortless to lull a child to sleep.

 But now, after experiencing such a traumatic event, Qingshi was inconsolable—leaving everyone at a loss.

 Neither Tong San nor Zong Ling could help—Qingshi was already afraid of them.

 The maids?

 They had never put him to bed before.

 And so, the task fell to Dongbo Xueying himself.

 Despite his own grief, Xueying endured it—doing his best to comfort his younger brother.

 Finally, as the day stretched on, exhaustion overcame Qingshi.

 Perhaps, being so young, he would eventually forget what happened last night.

 "Be good, Shitou. Sleep well."

 "I want to sleep with Brother."

 "Alright, I'm right here with you."

 "Brother, sing me a song."

 "…Fine."

 Gradually, the exhausted Qingshi fell asleep, sprawled across Xueying's chest.

 Xueying, too, was afraid to move—fearing he might wake his little brother.

 By evening, Zong Ling and Tong San arrived outside the room.

 "Let me take a look," Zong Ling whispered, carefully pushing the door open a crack.

 Through the gap, he saw a chubby little Qingshi sprawled out on his older brother's chest, his limbs stretched out, his mouth slightly open, drooling onto Xueying's shirt.

 Meanwhile, Dongbo Xueying had also fallen asleep—his clothes slightly disheveled, the blanket only half-covering his body.

Tong San also peered through the crack in the door. Seeing the two little brothers nestled together, he felt a pang of sorrow.

 "Shitou was always taken care of by Ayu," Zong Ling murmured. "The maids never handled him before. Now, he's terrified of us… What are we going to do? Does this mean Xueying will have to put him to sleep every night?"

 Zong Ling sounded worried.

 Just then, Dongbo Xueying quietly shifted out from under his sleeping brother and got up.

 "You should rest more," Zong Ling said at once. He knew that Xueying probably hadn't slept much.

 And indeed, Xueying had barely slept at all. His heart was in turmoil, and he had been comforting his brother all night. Only when exhaustion overwhelmed him did he doze off—but even then, it had been a light sleep. The moment Zong Ling and Tong San arrived, he had woken up.

 Thankfully, Xueying's constitution was far stronger than ordinary children—he could endure it.

 "I'm fine, Uncle Zong, Uncle Tong," Xueying said. "Shitou was always taken care of by my mother—no one else ever looked after him."

 His voice grew firm.

 "Now that my parents have been taken away, there's no way to hide the truth anymore. I definitely can't entrust my little brother to the servants!

 "And since he's afraid of both of you… that means I'm the only one left to take care of him.

 "It's just putting him to sleep at night—that's not a big deal. During the day, we can just have someone watch over him."

 "That won't be a problem," Tong San said. "There are plenty of people in the castle to keep an eye on him during the day."

 "Then it's settled. Once he's older, things will get easier," Zong Ling added.

 Xueying nodded silently.

 This was his younger brother—his only younger brother.

 Now that their parents were gone, he was all Qingshi had left. Of course, he had to take care of him.

 But then, Xueying suddenly thought of something.

 His gaze sharpened.

 "Uncle Zong, Uncle Tong, before—when you said that I could learn everything if I got Longshan Tower's Black Iron Order—how exactly do I obtain it?"

 Zong Ling and Tong San exchanged glances.

 They both sighed inwardly.

 "This child… He's still thinking about saving his parents…"

 Zong Ling answered, "As long as you're strong enough, Longshan Tower will send you the Black Iron Order."

 "Strong enough? How strong?" Xueying pressed.

 Zong Ling's expression remained calm. "Your father, Uncle Tong, and I—we don't have Black Iron Orders."

 He met Xueying's gaze.

 "When you're powerful enough, Longshan Tower will recognize you… and the Black Iron Order will come to you naturally."

 Xueying immediately understood.

 To get the Black Iron Order, he had to surpass Zong Ling, Tong San, and even his own father!

 "I see," Xueying said.

 He didn't ask any more questions.

"I understand," Dongbo Xueying said, not asking any further questions.

"How long has Shitou been sleeping?" Zong Ling asked.

"Almost three hours," Xueying replied.

"Then it's time for him to wake up," Zong Ling said. "It's already evening. He's been exhausted and barely ate anything. Let's get him up for dinner and let the maids play with him for a while… That way, he'll be able to sleep properly at night. If he sleeps too much now, he'll be restless in the middle of the night."

Night had fallen.

In the dining hall, a square dining table stood at the center.

Dongbo Xueying sat at the head of the table, while his younger brother, Qingshi, sat beside him.

Servants brought in trays of food.

Xueying's meal consisted of fruit juice and finely prepared magical beast meat, while Qingshi was served beast milk and grains.

Qingshi ate happily, stuffing his small mouth with food.

Xueying watched him with a gentle smile, but his heart ached.

In the past, their father and mother had always been seated at this very table.

Now, only he and his little brother remained.

"Are you full?" Xueying asked.

"Mhm! I'm full! So full!" Qingshi patted his small belly before looking around curiously.

"Where's Mother? Where's Father? Why aren't they here? Are they still sleeping?"

Xueying's heart clenched.

But he forced himself to stay calm.

"They went out," he said gently. Then, changing the subject, "Shitou, do you want to go play in the back garden?"

"The back garden! Yes! Let's go!"

Qingshi's attention immediately shifted.

The back garden had many fun areas to play in, specially built by their mother just for them.

When Xueying was younger, he had loved playing there too.

There were even some magical devices placed throughout the garden.

"Take Young Master Qingshi to the back garden and keep a close watch on him," Dongbo Xueying instructed the three maids standing nearby.

 "Yes, young master."

 The three maids responded respectfully.

 They all understood—from this day forward, this young boy was the new master of Xueying Territory.

 Xueying watched as the maids led his younger brother downstairs.

 Leaning against the railing, he gazed out over the back garden, where over twenty fire crystal lamps illuminated every corner.

 Inside the garden, more than ten carefully selected, loyal servants were playing with Qingshi, ensuring his safety.

 After a moment, Xueying straightened and headed to his study.

 The study was spacious, with a height of six meters, a length of fifteen meters, and a width of ten meters.

 For Snowrock Castle, which spanned two miles, this study was considered rather ordinary.

 Inside, a large desk sat in the center, while bookshelves lined the walls, filled with countless books.

 Most of them were biographies and novels.

 In the past, Xueying had loved reading stories, and his mother had collected many books for him.

 Sitting at his desk, he flipped his hand, and a golden book appeared in his palm.

 "A spear technique manual from an Extraordinary Knight?"

 Without hesitation, Xueying opened the book and began reading.