Legend Management Bureau Chapter 209

[ … words ]

“Little Du, did you bully Xiaonian?” Xie Bi’an asked.

Fan Wujiu’s expression also changed as he glared fiercely at Du Yu.

Just as Xiaonian had said, Xie Bi’an and Fan Wujiu completely trusted her. As someone who had only been here for two days, Du Yu couldn’t even compare.

This kind of trope appeared in television dramas all the time. A woman would put on an act to drive a wedge between brothers, and their brotherhood would quickly fall apart.

However, Xiaonian was much smarter than the women in those shows. She chose to run away without saying a word, making it seem much more genuine while leaving plenty of room for Xie Bi’an and Fan Wujiu’s imaginations to run wild.

If he acted like the characters in those shows—defending himself relentlessly and denying everything—he was sure the outcome wouldn’t be very good.

Du Yu slowly stepped forward, looked at Xie Bi’an and Fan Wujiu, and spoke.

“Yeah, I beat her up.”

The two of them hadn’t expected this answer at all. They froze, their pent-up anger suddenly left without an outlet, and could only ask in bewilderment,

“Why?” Du Yu shrugged. “Even though we haven’t known each other for long, why do you think I handed three thousand coins directly to you?”

The two exchanged glances, having no idea what Du Yu was getting at.

“The only reason I would just give you such a massive sum of money is because I treat you as my own blood brothers.” Du Yu sighed, pretending to be profound as he continued, “So, when we were talking at the restaurant today, I could tell that both of you really liked that girl Xiaonian. Because of that, I took it upon myself to ask her clearly in the dead of night. Who exactly does she like? Is it my Seventh Brother or my Eighth Brother?”

The fierce glares on Xie Bi’an and Fan Wujiu’s faces vanished without a trace, replaced entirely by curiosity. They hurried closer and asked, “What did Xiaonian say?”

“What else could she say?” Du Yu sighed quietly. “If she gave me a normal answer, why would I have beaten her up?”

Xie Bi’an thought for a moment before saying, “Regardless, it’s still wrong for you to bully a girl. As men, we should protect women, not bully them in the middle of the night.”

He paused, then asked,

“What answer did Xiaonian actually give?”

“Sigh.” Du Yu shook his head. “She said she likes Seventh Brother’s sense of humor, but also likes Eighth Brother’s honesty and dutiful nature. It’s just a pity that Seventh Brother is too ugly and Eighth Brother is too weak, so neither is a suitable choice. Therefore, she just wants to see which of you treats her better before considering whether to lower herself to marry one of you.”

Upon hearing this, their expressions noticeably changed.

Striking while the iron was hot, Du Yu added, “I originally thought that would be the end of it, but guess what else she told me? She asked if I had any plans to take a wife, because she thought I was good at making money and could give her a good life.”

Although Xie Bi’an and Fan Wujiu knew this made sense, it still left a bitter taste in their mouths.

“But who do you think I am?!” Du Yu shouted loudly. “I used to be a young master from a wealthy family! I have my pride! Could I just let her get away with that? I went right up and used a Dragon Claw strike, scratching her arm. I told her, ‘Seventh Brother and Eighth Brother took meticulous care of you for a whole year, yet we’ve known each other for less than two days, and you have the nerve to say something like this? Bah! Today I’m going to teach you a lesson on their behalf, you ungrateful woman!'”

Du Yu’s vivid and dramatic performance left Xie Bi’an and Fan Wujiu completely stunned.

“I don’t believe it!” Fan Wujiu declared. “I’m going to ask Xiaonian!”

“Go ahead!” Du Yu sneered coldly. “As if she’d ever admit it! If she wanted to come clean, she would have explained everything just now. Why else would she run away without saying a single word?”

Knowing that Du Yu’s words made sense, the two stood there in an awkward spot, entirely at a loss for what to do.

“If you ask me, romantic feelings are nowhere near as lasting as brotherhood. If I hadn’t helped you clear things up today, you probably would have developed a rift over Xiaonian in no time. A brotherhood spanning over a decade would have crumbled because of a single woman. Neither of you wants that, right?”

Hearing this, the two seemed to realize something. They had always relied solely on each other to survive, but ever since Xiaonian arrived, subtle changes had started to appear.

They no longer shared absolutely everything with each other, instead often harboring their own private thoughts.

If things really continued like that, would they even still be brothers?

“By the way, have you two sworn an oath of brotherhood yet?” Du Yu suddenly asked.

Xie Bi’an frowned. “Little Du, why is your train of thought always jumping all over the place? How did we get on the topic of blood oaths?”

“I just thought of it, so I asked.”

“We’ve depended on each other since we were kids. We’re practically blood brothers already, so why would we need to swear an oath?”

“It’s not the same!” Du Yu’s interest was instantly piqued. “Today is the perfect day! Not only did we clear the air, but we also experienced what it’s like to shake off poverty and strike it rich. Swearing brotherhood now wouldn’t just show your promise to ‘not forget each other in times of wealth’; it would prove that your bond is stronger than gold, and show your determination that your brotherhood won’t be ruined by anyone.”

“This…” Xie Bi’an thought it over and felt that Du Yu was right. He had always ‘treated’ Fan Wujiu as a brother, but at the end of the day, they weren’t truly family. If they swore an oath now, they would genuinely become inseparable.

“Old Ninth, you’re right,” Fan Wujiu spoke up. “Seventh Brother practically raised me since I was young. In my heart, he is both a brother and a father. Since we aren’t brothers by blood, we naturally ought to become sworn brothers.”

Under Du Yu’s persuasion, the two had completely shifted gears. Regardless of what Xiaonian had actually said or done, Du Yu’s words were correct. Without swearing an oath, they were ultimately just two unrelated people.

“But it’s the dead of night. We can’t see the heavens above, nor are there any gods looking down on us. Isn’t this a bad time to swear an oath?” Xie Bi’an said. “How about tomorrow…”

“No! Tomorrow won’t do!” Du Yu said. “As the saying goes, ‘There’s no time like the present.’ Right now is perfect!”

In truth, he didn’t know why tomorrow wouldn’t work either. However, Xiaonian had previously stated her intention to create a rift between him and the Black and White Guards before tomorrow. Even though he had no idea what was supposed to happen the next day, doing the exact opposite of what the enemy wanted was always the right move. Today, not only would there be no rift, but he was also going to make sure Xie Bi’an and Fan Wujiu forged a ‘bond stronger than gold’ right under his supervision.

“Who says the night sky isn’t the heavens? Who says the underworld emissaries in the City God Temple aren’t gods? Your oath will be just as valid with them as witnesses, don’t worry!”

The two nodded, half-understanding, and proceeded to formally swear their oath in the cold, dreary night.

They bowed up to the pitch-black sky and down to the freezing earth.

Before them stood the Civil and Martial Judges, and on either side were Ox-Head and Horse-Face. Chilling underworld winds swirled around them, while the mournful cries of nighthawks echoed in the distance.

The two knelt down and called out to the sky,

“I, Xie Bi’an.”

“I, Fan Wujiu.”

After speaking, the two involuntarily looked toward Du Yu standing nearby.

“Hmm?” Du Yu paused, then said, “Am I in the way? You guys do your thing, don’t mind me.”

The two frowned and said in annoyance, “What are you standing around for? Come here and kneel.”

“Eh?” Du Yu pointed a finger at himself. “I’m swearing in too?”

“Stop spouting nonsense!” Xie Bi’an stood up and yanked Du Yu over. “Do you think it’s embarrassing to become sworn brothers with us?”

“No, that’s not it! It’s just that I don’t remember this part happening!”

“You’re speaking gibberish again.” Xie Bi’an shook his head helplessly. “You said it yourself—when you gave us those three thousand coins, you were already treating us like your own blood brothers. Since we’re brothers, why shouldn’t we swear the oath together?”

Du Yu still wanted to refuse, but thinking it over, he honestly couldn’t find a reason to say no, so he obediently knelt down beside them.

“I, Xie Bi’an.”

“I, Fan Wujiu.”

“I… Little… Little Du.”

“Today, we swear to become brothers of different surnames. May the Heavens Above and the Earth Goddess below bear witness to our bond. May the Six Great Ghost Emissaries serve as our testaments.”

Du Yu didn’t know the words at all and could only fake his way through repeating them. It was then he realized that whenever people swore an oath of brotherhood, they would invoke Houtu, the Earth Goddess. He wondered just how many people she actually remembered.

“From this day forth, we entrust our lives to one another and will save each other in times of peril. We will share in fortune and disaster, and stand together through thick and thin. Should any of us turn our backs on righteousness or forget this grace, may both heaven and man strike us down. We ask not to be born on the same year, month, and day, but we ask only to die on the same year, month, and day.”

When it came to that final sentence, Du Yu froze.

Lord Seventh and Lord Eighth were going to die in the near future! Didn’t that mean he’d be burying himself right alongside them?

If he didn’t die with them, he’d look unrighteous. But if he did die, he’d be dead for real.

Wasn’t this pure moral kidnapping? Wasn’t this straight-up premeditated murder?!

Xie Bi’an and Fan Wujiu completely missed Du Yu’s subtle expressions. They both stood up; from this moment on, the three of them were true brothers.

Hiding inside the temple, Xiaonian couldn’t help but frown as she witnessed the scene.

“You really aren’t that easy to deal with…”

After daybreak, the group packed their belongings, preparing to head out and continue their ‘work’.

Du Yu noticed that the way Xie Bi’an and Fan Wujiu looked at Xiaonian had changed. While they were still exceptionally polite to her, their eyes now held more of an older brother’s protective care rather than romantic affection.

Xiaonian tactfully said nothing more, throwing herself into perfectly playing the role of a beggar.

The group discussed their plans and decided to split into two teams again today. However, after mulling it over, Du Yu restructured the teams.

He, Xiaonian, and A’kui would form one team, while A’can, Xie Bi’an, and Fan Wujiu would form the other.

This arrangement was born out of necessity. Based on what Xiaonian had said last night, something was likely going to happen today, so he chose to keep her close. After all, as an ordinary mortal, she wouldn’t disregard her own safety, meaning staying with her would be a bit safer.

Furthermore, considering that the future ‘Ashamed Brothers’ could come to assassinate him at any moment, he had to bring along one of the two brothers. Thus, he chose A’kui, who was less severely injured.

The more heavily injured A’can would go with Xie Bi’an and Fan Wujiu. All three of them were skilled in martial arts and could protect each other; ordinary troubles wouldn’t be able to stump them.

With the teams decided, they made their way to the marketplace, only to find that many of the local townsfolk were already there waiting for them.