Chapter 10: Brotherhood Through the Years
Peaceful City South District.
Chen Xue Wen walked along the cracked cement road, the occasional barking of stray dogs echoing through the quiet night. This was the most rundown part of Peaceful City, barely distinguishable from the countryside. His childhood friend, Li Er Yong, lived here.
Li Er Yong’s father was a cripple, and his mother worked as a textile laborer. Years ago, when his mother lost her job, she and his father started a small vegetable stall, barely scraping by. Compared to him, Chen Xue Wen’s family was slightly better off, and back then, he had helped Li Er Yong as much as he could.
Li Er Yong was smart, someone who should have continued school. But with a younger brother and sister to care for, he had no choice but to drop out early and start working. He found a job watching over an arcade, and the owner, a gangster, took him under his wing.
The day Chen Xue Wen received his university admission letter, Li Er Yong drank himself into a stupor, crying and begging him to finish his studies properly. But who would have thought that before he could even set foot in a university, he’d end up in a situation like this?
And Li Er Yong—he had gotten his arms and legs broken because of Chen Xue Wen’s troubles. The thought of it moved him deeply.
Chen Xue Wen knew his days were likely numbered. He came tonight to see his brother one last time.
Tomorrow, once he uncovered the mastermind behind everything, he would risk his life for revenge. Tonight might be his final farewell.
As he walked toward Li Er Yong’s home, he noticed a flickering light in the distance. Moving closer, he saw the glow of flames and realized someone was burning paper money.
Looking carefully, he saw that the person sitting by the fire was none other than Li Er Yong.
Li Er Yong’s arm and leg were wrapped in bandages. He couldn’t stand, so he sat on the ground. Two crutches lay beside him—he must have hobbled out with them.
Chen Xue Wen quietly hid behind a stone wall and listened as Li Er Yong muttered to himself:
“Brother, we were always broke back in school.”
“You used to say that once we had money, we’d get a big TV, a car, and a villa.”
“Look, I got you a big TV, a car, and a villa. Later, I’ll burn you some beautiful women, too.”
“And I’ll send more money, so you can spend as much as you want down there.”
“But… why the hell did you have to die?”
At this, Li Er Yong broke down, wailing in grief.
Chen Xue Wen, hidden behind the wall, felt his eyes burn with unshed tears.
After crying for a while, Li Er Yong wiped his face dry and finished burning all the paper money. Then, struggling to stand with his crutches, he declared:
“Brother, I burned enough for two people this time.”
“Hold onto my share for now.”
“Once I recover, I swear I’ll find out who did this to you and get revenge.”
“If I’m lucky enough to survive, then the offering is yours to keep.”
“But if I fail and end up down there with you, you better return my share to me!”
He then grabbed a wine bottle, poured half onto the ground, and downed the rest in big gulps.
As he sat by the fire, he hummed a song.
“Forget right and wrong, cherish the past, the days of hardship were filled with joy…”
Chen Xue Wen, still hiding, softly sang along. This was their song—‘Brotherhood Through the Years.’
After a long while, Chen Xue Wen let out a slow breath. He looked at Li Er Yong, who had dozed off by the fire, his expression firm with resolve.
Clenching his fists, he turned away and walked toward the city. Having seen his brother one last time, he had no regrets. Now, it was time to settle his affairs.
Chen Xue Wen arrived outside the funeral home. Despite the late hour, several shops were still open. After all, death followed no schedule.
He bought some paper money and knelt by the roadside outside the funeral home, burning the offerings.
His parents had been buried, but he had no idea where. He didn’t dare ask—if he exposed his whereabouts, he could forget about revenge.
So, this was the only way he could pay his respects.
Fortunately, such scenes were common around funeral homes. Many people burned paper money here, making silent offerings to the deceased.
As he burned the last of the paper, tears streamed down his face.
He bowed three times, knocking his forehead against the ground with force.
“Dad, Mom… If there’s a next life, I swear I will repay you twice over!”
This was the greatest pain in his heart—the debt to his parents that he would never be able to repay.
After finishing, Chen Xue Wen entered the funeral home.
There were still quite a few people inside—staff members and grieving families.
He found a secluded corner, lay down fully dressed, and drifted into sleep.
He didn’t dare return to his hotel. He had no idea whether his identity had been exposed. The funeral home was safer; many grieving families stayed overnight, making it easy for him to blend in.
By the time he woke, daylight had broken.
Pulling his hat low over his face, he grabbed breakfast from a roadside stall. As he passed a butcher’s stand, he stopped.
The butcher’s bone cutting knife looked exceptionally sharp and sturdy, capable of slicing through bones without dulling.
He recalled his broken dagger from last night.
Not knowing what dangers lay ahead, he needed a new weapon—and this bone cutting knife was perfect.
Feigning interest in buying meat, he distracted the vendor and slipped the bone cutting knife into the pork he purchased.
Carrying the meat to an isolated alley, he retrieved the bone cutting knife and hid it beneath his clothing.
Now, with a proper weapon, he felt slightly more at ease.
Heading into the city, he bought a copy of the Peaceful City Daily.
The front page still featured a wanted notice—but the target remained Old Du.
That meant the Peaceful City Law Enforcement Squad hadn’t yet discovered Chen Xue Wen’s true identity.
That gave him some relief. For now, he could still move freely.
Next, he went to the most crowded shopping mall in the city. The sheer number of people made it difficult for law enforcement to track him.
He remained there all morning, only leaving around noon for a quick meal.
Now, it was time to meet Wu Li Hong and uncover the truth behind his betrayal!
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation