In a small courtyard, a pond lay in silence, its surface barely disturbed by the gentle movement of fish swimming without a care. A soft breeze made the leaves whisper, and amid that calm, a young man rested on a tree branch, absorbed in reading a book.
Suddenly, his brow furrowed.
"What kind of cheap story is this?" he muttered, unable to contain his irritation.
He turned the page roughly, as if the paper were to blame.
"The characters are awful… and their intelligence is so low it's almost offensive."
His voice, laden with annoyance, broke the harmony of the place.
"Why does the villain, who had everything, decide to throw it all away just to try to kill his younger brother… whom he adored?"
He shook his head, incredulous.
"Extract blood, bones… and even a heavenly spiritual root? If it were that easy, do they really think countless people wouldn't have already tried it?"
He closed the book for a moment, resting it on his knee as he looked up at the sky through the branches.
"Even if the older brother didn't have a special physique, with his natural talent he could have reached immortality without needing something so absurd…"
His tone grew darker, more personal.
"And besides… how dare they ruin the relationship between the two brothers?"
The words, tinged with barely restrained malice, slipped from his lips without pause. Finally, he let out a long sigh, as if all the weight of his frustration dissipated in that instant.
"If it weren't because they share our names… I wouldn't have read this even by chance."
He glanced at the cover with disdain.
"Whoever wrote this book… must have a serious problem in their head."
For a moment, he considered throwing the book away, but for some reason, he felt it wasn't a good idea.
"Well… I can store it with the others; it's not very different anyway," he muttered.
With a careless motion, he tossed the book into the air. The space in front of him distorted slightly, and out of nowhere, an ancient tome appeared—its covers worn and its aura mysterious. The cheap novel was absorbed into that book as if it had never existed.
He clicked his tongue and spat on the ground in distaste, trying to erase any trace of what he had just read.
"If I see it again, I feel like my brain will rot from the bad writing."
"Brother Wu Huang!"
The shout pulled him from his thoughts. His expression changed instantly, and a genuine smile appeared on his face as he lightly descended from the tree.
"Younger Brother Su Feng, what brings you here?" he asked.
Su Feng was shorter, only reaching his chest. His fair skin and delicate features gave him an androgynous, almost feminine charm. Without hesitation, he approached and hugged Wu Huang naturally.
"Oh, a child who still runs into his brother's arms," Wu Huang joked with a smile, patting his head.
"You two really get along well."
A third voice, calm yet imposing, interrupted the scene.
Wu Huang and Su Feng immediately looked up and stepped apart, adopting respectful postures. Both gave a slight bow.
"Greetings, Master Li Tingxue."
"There's no need for formalities," she said as she approached. "I came to tell you that the second and third sisters have come out of seclusion. You should go greet them."
Wu Huang raised his eyebrows slightly.
"Did they manage to break through to the Golden Core?"
Li Tingxue shook her head gently.
"Unfortunately, not yet. They are just one step away, but that final stretch is critical. They did not find the inspiration needed to advance."
Su Feng was about to ask something else, but Li Tingxue raised a hand to stop him.
"If you're worried something happened to them, no. Both physically and mentally, they are fine. However, they've decided to go wandering for a while to stabilize their minds before trying again."
Su Feng sighed in relief.
"It's a shame they couldn't advance… but I'm glad both senior sisters are well."
Wu Huang nodded silently. There was no need to force that step. They were both young and had countless years ahead of them. If they tried to break through recklessly and damaged their foundation, not even living as long as a mortal would be guaranteed—much less aspiring to immortality.
"Will you join us, Master?" Wu Huang asked.
Li Tingxue shook her head slightly.
"I have matters to attend to in the main hall. You may go ahead."
Before either of them could respond, her figure vanished like mist carried away by the wind.
Su Feng stepped forward.
"Let's go, elder brother."
Wu Huang nodded and began to follow him, a faint smile forming on his lips.
After all, having such an affectionate younger brother, who admired him and treated him with so much warmth… was something he would never give up. Much less for the mere sake of advancing in immortal cultivation.
"After all, even when sharing the same name… a person's attitude and nature can be completely different," he murmured to himself.
And as if a bad taste returned to his mouth, he couldn't help but silently curse that mysterious book that had appeared one day in his room.
He frowned slightly, though the expression disappeared as quickly as it came.
Now that he thought about it… that mysterious book mentioned that a month after the senior sisters came out of seclusion, the Qi Refinement stage disciples' tournament would begin.
His steps slowed for just an instant.
In exactly one month… that very trial would indeed be held.
Wu Huang narrowed his eyes.
A coincidence… too perfect?
His gaze shifted to Su Feng's back, who walked a few steps ahead of him without a care, oblivious to any suspicion.
He didn't like it.
Coincidences existed… but when they aligned with such precision, they stopped feeling like mere chance.
He recalled the pages of that book: absurd, poorly written, filled with ridiculous decisions… and yet, certain events seemed to reflect reality with unsettling accuracy.
"Just a coincidence… just a coincidence…" he murmured under his breath.
"Elder brother, why so slow?" Su Feng asked, turning around with an innocent smile.
Wu Huang looked at him for a moment.
That warmth… that naturalness… didn't match at all with the twisted scenes described in that book.
And perhaps for that very reason, he chose to set those thoughts aside.
He smiled.
"Nothing important. I was just thinking about something trivial."
He quickened his pace and soon walked by his side, as usual.