Chapter 39: Five Brothers

Linlei walked over, his gaze falling on the five burly men.

The five stood together; the tallest was half a head taller than Linlei, with shoulders wide enough to carry an ox. Even with injuries and tattered clothes, they stood straight, showing no sign of weakness. This was a temperament forged from years of licking blood from blades, impossible to fake. Linlei noticed their hands—all calloused, with thickened knuckles, worn down by years of gripping weapons. Though ragged, the five had clear eyes, no panic, but a hint of ruthlessness.

Linlei sized them up for a moment and asked, "Who are you? Why were you captured?"

The five burly men exchanged glances. The one with the injured arm spoke up: "We five brothers are mercenaries, taking jobs in the Northwest Province. I am Bake, and these are my brothers—Gaici, Anke, Bulun, and Weilin."

He pointed to the burly men beside him, introducing them one by one. The four nodded respectively, their eyes on Linlei filled with gratitude and wariness—gratitude for being saved, wariness because they didn't know who Linlei was or his purpose in saving them. The burly man named Gaici was the largest, a bald head bearing an old scar running from the left eye corner to the back of the skull, looking gruesome. Anke had a round face, small eyes but flashing with sharp light, clearly a clever person. Bulun was taciturn, only nodding in acknowledgment, his gaze fixed on Linlei's hands. Weilin was the youngest, appearing under twenty, with a touch of childishness on his face, secretly eyeing Beibei.

"Half a month ago," Bake continued, "someone offered a high price to escort a shipment, saying it was from Fenlai Cheng to the border, with triple the usual commission. We brothers took the job, but were ambushed halfway. Those people were too strong; we couldn't fight them and were captured. You've seen what happened after."

"Do you know who captured you?"

"The Radiant Church," another burly man—Bulen—ground out, his face filled with hatred. "Their clothes had the insignia, no mistake. And that leader even said, 'These few are good quality, sending them to headquarters will be of great use.' I've lived this long and never been treated like cargo!"

As Bulen spoke, his fists clenched with a cracking sound; the wound on his shoulder burst open, blood seeping out again, yet he seemed entirely unaware.

Weilin, the youngest of the five brothers, scratched his head and asked, "Big brother, I still can't figure it out. Why did the Church people capture us? We're just ordinary mercenaries, we haven't offended them. My mother taught me since childhood to bow when seeing a church and yield the road to priests; I've done all that."

Bake shook his head: "I don't know either. But no matter why, being captured by them can't be good. I heard that leader say we five are 'good seedlings,' and mentioned something about 'Vessels.' I don't understand, but looking at that dog's eyes, it was like looking at livestock."

Linlei nodded, asking no further questions. He already had his answer—the Undying Warrior descendants, what the Radiant Church wanted with them, Aikesi and Saisile had both said.

Aikesi watched from the side, understanding clearly. These five didn't yet know their bloodline, thinking they were just unlucky to be captured. But the Radiant Church capturing them was certainly not because they were ordinary mercenaries—ordinary Level 7 Warriors were plentiful; if the Church wanted to capture them, they would have done so long ago, why specifically pick these five?

Undying Warrior descendants possessed naturally powerful physiques; even without awakening their bloodline, they far surpassed warriors of the same level. These five were currently only Level 7, but if their bloodline awakened, their cultivation speed would skyrocket, quickly reaching Level 9 or even Saint Domain. What the Church coveted was their bodies—they could serve as Vessels for Angel Descension. Angel Descension required a powerful body to bear it; ordinary human bodies couldn't withstand the power of an Angel, but the bodies of Undying Warrior descendants were just right.

Aikesi recalled the secrets of the Radiant Church—how many of those so-called "God's Messengers" truly descended willingly? They were merely souls erased and stuffed into strong shells. If these five brothers were taken away, their fate was easy to imagine.

Saisile walked over, glanced at the five brothers, and clicked his tongue: "All good seedlings, no wonder the Church wants to capture them. This physique, this foundation, with a little training they'd be Level 8 or Level 9. I've lived many years and seen many warriors, but talents like yours are rare."

Saisile circled the five brothers, his cloudy old eyes sweeping over them, his gaze like inspecting rare objects. The five brothers felt uneasy under his stare; Bake instinctively stepped back half a pace.

The five brothers were completely confused, not knowing what the old man was talking about. But they didn't ask much—they had just been rescued, still unclear on the situation, only knowing that the people before them possessed terrifying power, beyond their ability to provoke. That young man covered in scales was at least Level 9; that fire-playing kid was frighteningly powerful, killing a Church Mage with a single arrow. And this old man, summoning a horde of undead with a wave of his hand, looked chilling.

Bake hesitated, then clasped his hands and said, "We brothers remember your lifesaving grace. If you ever need us in the future, we will face boiling water and blazing fire without hesitation." Saying this, he prepared to lead his brothers away. He gave a glance to his younger brothers; Gaici, Anke, Bulun, and Weilin immediately stood up and followed behind him.

Linlei raised a hand to stop him: "Where are you going?"

Bake paused, then said, "First find a place to heal, then... we'll see. The Church people will surely chase us; we must get as far from here as possible. We have a hiding place in the mountains, with some dried rations; hiding for a few months is no problem."

"The Church wants to capture you; where can you run to?" Linlei asked. "The Northwest Province is the Church's territory; no matter where you run, you will be found. Captured this time, what about next time? The time after that?"

Bake fell silent.

Of course he knew Linlei spoke the truth. The Church's power was too great, spanning the entire Yulan Continent. Even if the five of them ran as far as possible, as long as they remained on the continent, they couldn't escape the Church's grasp.

"Then what do you suggest?" Gaici asked in a muffled voice, his bald head reflecting the moonlight. "We can't just wait to die, can we?"

Anke tugged his sleeve, signaling him to keep quiet. Gaici unhappily shook off his hand: "What are you pulling for? They saved us, so we say what we think. I think this brother is right; where can running get us?"

"Then what is your suggestion?" Bake asked.

"Come with me," Linlei said. "I am short on manpower. If you follow me, at least when the Church returns, we can deal with them together."

Bake looked at his brothers.

Bu'en frowned: "Big brother, we don't even know who they are... Brother, I'm not ungrateful, but we met by chance; you saved us, we are grateful, but following you is another matter. What if you are also part of some faction? Wouldn't we be leaving the tiger's den only to enter the wolf's cave?"

Bu'en spoke while looking directly into Linlei's eyes, his tone neither humble nor arrogant. He was the second eldest of the five brothers, usually responsible for negotiations and taking jobs, the most clear-headed.

"My name is Linlei, from Fenlai Cheng," Linlei interrupted him. "These are my partners. We have a grudge against the Radiant Church; saving you was convenient, and also because we need helpers. If you want to follow, follow; if not, you can leave now, I won't stop you."

Linlei spoke calmly, but his tone left no room for negotiation.

Bake fell silent for a moment, then looked up into Linlei's eyes.

Linlei's gaze was very calm, without threat or expectation, merely stating facts. Bake had been a mercenary for years, seen all kinds of people, and could distinguish sincerity from pretense. Linlei spoke directly, which made him feel trustworthy. Moreover, Linlei's previous statement—"have a grudge against the Radiant Church"—was the key. The five brothers were now also prey of the Church; the enemy of an enemy could at least be a friend.

"Good," Bake nodded. "We brothers will go with you."

Just then, a knight's corpse suddenly moved.

Aikesi instantly became alert, the Falling Heart Flame condensing in his palm. But the corpse did not stand up; instead, a palm-sized crystal rolled out from its chest. After hitting the ground with a crack, a beam of light shot into the sky, exploding in the night air to form a dazzling light insignia—a burning Holy Sword, standing out starkly in the darkness.

A distress signal.

The light was too glaring, bright enough to make one unable to open their eyes. The Holy Sword pattern rotated slowly in the air, its edges burning with golden flames, clearly visible even from dozens of li away.

Linlei's expression changed.

Saisile rushed over, kicked the corpse aside, but it was too late. The signal had been sent, visible dozens of li away. He looked down at the corpse—it was an inconspicuous knight, lying in the pool of blood, unnoticed by anyone. The crystal pressed beneath him before death must have been specially made; once crushed, it would release a signal. Saisile rummaged through the corpse again, pulling out several more identical crystals from its chest, his face growing even darker.

"It's a distress signal," Saisile said, his face grim. "This thing is specially made; once crushed, it releases a signal. That knight must have been crushed beneath it before dying; we didn't notice. Now the signal is sent, the nearest Church outpost will surely send people to check. That damn thing, even in death, still bites."

Linlei looked at that beam of light, his brows tightly furrowed. The light insignia lingered in the air for over ten seconds before slowly dissipating, but it was enough for people within dozens of li to see. He clenched his fist, veins bulging on his arm—he had been careless.

"Go," Aikesi said. "No matter who comes, let's leave here first."

Linlei nodded, turned to the five brothers, and said, "Come with us, don't fall behind."

The five brothers hesitated not at all and immediately followed.

The group quickly left the main road, disappearing into the night. Saisile withdrew the undead as he walked; those skeleton zombies sank back into the ground as if they had never appeared. Only the bodies lying haphazardly and shattered weapons remained on the battlefield, looking eerie under the moonlight. The wind blew, sweeping up a few withered leaves that fell into the pool of blood.

An hour later, a figure descended from the sky, landing on the battlefield ruins.

It was a middle-aged man, tall, with a deep aura. He wore a priestly robe of the Radiant Church, the hem embroidered with gold trim, indicating a noble status. He scanned the surroundings, his gaze falling on the residual bloodstains and signs of fighting on the ground, his face darkening terribly.

He squatted down, examining the wounds on several corpses. Some were torn by sharp claws, some scorched by fire, some bitten by undead. He reached out to check the temperature of the corpses, then looked up at the prison cart—the chains were broken, and the cart was empty.

"Necromancer..." the middle-aged man murmured, his gaze dark. "Interesting."

"They ran fast."

He sneered, took a Communication Crystal from his chest, and infused it with fighting energy. The crystal lit up, and a respectful voice came from within: "What are your orders, Lord?"

"Send a squad to retrieve the bodies. Also, inform headquarters that the mission encountered an accident; someone hijacked the cargo. I need to review all intelligence in this area to see if any suspicious figures have passed through recently."

"Yes, Lord."

The group traveled through the night, stopping to rest only at dawn.

Although the five burly men were injured, they gritted their teeth and followed through the night; not one fell behind. Aikesi saw this and nodded inwardly—setting aside other things, their physical condition was indeed a cut above ordinary Level 7 Warriors. It was no wonder the Radiant Church had set its sights on them. Especially Bake; the wound on his arm kept bleeding, yet he didn't utter a sound, running at the front the whole way, occasionally looking back to see if his younger brothers were keeping up.

After dawn, they rested in a valley. Saisile released several undead creatures to guard the surroundings, and only then did everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

The five burly men sat on the ground, panting heavily. The one with the injured arm had lost a lot of blood along the way, his face somewhat pale. Linlei walked over and tossed him a bottle of healing medicine.

"Apply it yourself."

The burly man took the medicine, paused in surprise, then clasped his fists in thanks: "Thank you, brother!"

The other four also clasped their fists, their eyes full of gratitude. Gaici even knelt down and kowtowed, startling Linlei. Anke pulled him up, but he mumbled: "My mother said a life-saving debt is greater than the sky; what's a kowtow?"

Linlei nodded and sat down nearby. Beibei jumped from his shoulder, hopped in front of Bake, and looked him up and down with his head tilted back. Bake felt a chill under the gaze of this little creature and smiled awkwardly: "This little fellow is..."

"Beibei," Linlei said, "my companion."

Bake nodded, not daring to ask more. Although he was a rough man, he wasn't stupid. He had seen clearly during the battle last night—this young man's power was terrifying after his dragon transformation, the fire-wielding youth had casually killed a Level 9 Mage, and that sinister old man could summon the undead. None of these people were easy to mess with. That talking magical beast was even more rare; as a mercenary for over ten years, he had never seen such a breed.

After resting for half a day, everyone continued on their journey.

Saisile walked at the very front, muttering as he went: "We can't go back to De Ke Jun Cheng. Once the signal is sent, the Church will definitely send people to investigate. We need to find a place to hide for a while."

"Where?" Aikesi asked.

Saisile thought for a moment: "This old one actually knows a place, remote and with few people. There is a small town called Yunfeng Town in the northwest, hidden in a mountain valley; the Church's hand shouldn't reach that far. This old one stayed there for a few years when young. The people in the town are all hunters and herb gatherers; they don't pay much attention to outsiders, but they don't meddle either. As long as you pay, anything is negotiable."

Linlei looked at Aikesi, and Aikesi nodded.

"Then let's go to Yunfeng Town."

The group turned northwest.

After walking for two days, the injuries of Bake and his four brothers had mostly healed. These five were indeed Level 7 Warriors; their recovery was astonishing, especially Bake, whose arm wound had already begun to scab over. Gaici was even more exaggerated; a half-foot-long gash on his back allowed him to carry a wild boar on the third day—that wild boar they had hunted on the road weighed a full two hundred jin, and Gaici carried it alone, his face unflushed and his breath steady.

On the road, Aikesi observed them intentionally or unintentionally.

The five brothers had different personalities. Bake was steady, with the air of an elder brother; he asked Linlei's opinion on everything and never acted on his own initiative. Gaici was honest, spoke little but had the most strength, doing the work of three men. Anke was sharp, his eyes always darting around as if plotting something, though he would straighten up immediately whenever Bake glared at him. Bulun was taciturn, having spoken only a few words on the entire journey, but he was the most meticulous; during camp, he was always the last to sleep, responsible for keeping watch. Weilin was the youngest, lively and active, frequently coming over to try to play with Beibei, only to retreat awkwardly after Beibei glared at him a few times.

But there was one thing they had in common—they could all eat a lot.

After one meal, the five of them could consume the amount of ten normal people. Watching the dry rations decrease rapidly, Saisile gasped in pain.

"Are the five of you reincarnated rice bowls? This old one's entire savings will be eaten up by you!"

Bake scratched his head awkwardly: "Sorry, sorry. We brothers have been able to eat a lot since childhood. My father, while he was alive, often said that raising you five was no better than raising five pigs. How about... we go find some wild game? Gaici is a master hunter; within a hundred paces, one arrow, one kill."

Linlei waved his hand: "Forget it, there is a town ahead; we can resupply when we arrive."

After walking another three days, signs of human habitation finally appeared ahead.

It was a small town nestled between two mountains, with only one street. There were a few shops on the street and scattered pedestrians; it indeed looked remote. A stone tablet stood at the town entrance, carved with the three characters "Yunfeng Town," but the weathering had made the strokes illegible. The mountains on both sides were very high, blocking out the sunlight; the town was cool and damp, permeated with a musty smell.

Saisile, familiar with the place, found an inn, whispered a few words with the owner, and then called for everyone to enter.

The inn was not large, but there were a few empty rooms in the backyard, just enough for everyone to stay. The owner was a thin old man in his fifties, smoking a dry tobacco pipe, squinting as he sized up Linlei and his group a few times. He asked nothing, took the money, and handed over the keys.

The five brothers squeezed into one room and fell asleep immediately. After rushing these past few days, although they hadn't complained, they had injuries and were indeed exhausted. In a short while, the room was filled with rising and falling snoring, sounding like thunder.