Conscious of Ji Mian’s disdain toward him, Ji Cheng sat there in a daze for a while, letting the icy stream flow over his hands.
Back on the capital star, Ji Mian had already been officially declared dead, though the family had not yet held a funeral.
Ji Cheng didn’t know why the spaceship carrying his brother crashed back then, nor what his brother had experienced in this time apart. Yet, during his brother’s absence, the atmosphere in the Ji household had noticeably worsened.
Now that they had been reunited, why was his brother still unwilling to return?
Returning to the Ji family meant being re-accepted by their father, sheltered under the family’s protection. Even though Ji Mian was no longer an S-rank ability user, his path forward would undoubtedly be much smoother with the Ji family’s support.
Ji Cheng tried again, saying, “Brother, if you’re worried about being bullied because you’re a B-rank… don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”
Ji Cheng himself was an A-rank ability user—although a non-combat, auxiliary type—still technically higher-ranked than his brother.
In reality, Ji Mian’s spiritual power had dropped to B-rank two years ago. The Ji family had hidden this news, telling outsiders he was sick, which was why Ji Mian had rarely appeared in public during those two years.
It wasn’t until Ji Mian himself publicly revealed the truth, forcing the Ji family to have him undergo a spiritual power test in front of others under external pressure, that everything was exposed.
During that time, although their father raged about it at home, he never intended to drive Ji Mian out of the family. It was Ji Mian himself who chose to leave.
Thinking about this, Ji Cheng suddenly froze.
That’s right—he had almost forgotten. His brother wasn’t kicked out of the Ji family, as their mother had claimed.
Ji Mian had left on his own accord.
…So, had his brother already wanted to cut ties with the Ji family long before?
…And was that why his brother was so unwilling to go back now?
Ji Cheng stared at Ji Mian. Though he had figured this out, he was even more confused than before.
Unable to hold back, he murmured, “Brother… if you don’t go back, where else can you go?”
Without the Ji family, where could you go, and what could you do?
Ji Mian had heard this question many times.
Back when he was determined to leave the Ji family and the capital star, Ji Tingyan had demanded answers, and many others had either mockingly or incredulously asked him the same thing.
At that time, he didn’t respond.
Now, he calmly replied, “There’s someone waiting for me.”
It was an answer given without hesitation.
Ji Cheng was stunned.
What?
Who?
Was it someone his brother had met during his time away? A regular friend, or… someone truly important to him?
Ji Cheng’s mood inexplicably soured. After hesitating for a few seconds, he grumbled, “They… they can’t be treating you that well. If they were, how could…”
How could you have ended up in such a state?
Before he could finish the sentence, Ji Cheng felt a piercing, cold gaze lock onto him.
Ji Mian’s eyes were sharp, frigid, and devoid of any warmth.
In all his years, Ji Cheng had never seen such an expression from his brother. Not even during his childish provocations, which Ji Mian had always met with indifferent silence.
The forest rustled as a cold wind blew through, sending chills through Ji Cheng’s bones.
Even the stream water running over his hand felt icy enough to pierce his skin.
Only when Ji Mian withdrew his gaze did Ji Cheng slump to the ground, as if his entire body had come undone.
Breaking into a cold sweat, he finally understood how terrifying his brother could be.
—
Crack.
The cleaned wild animal roasted over a crackling fire, sizzling as its fat dripped onto the flames. Before long, a tantalizing aroma filled the air.
Ji Cheng, having barely recovered from his shock, sniffed the air eagerly. Trying to make amends, he said, “Brother, you eat first.”
Ji Mian remained silent, using the sharp fragment to slice off a roasted leg before tossing the rest to Ji Cheng.
Ji Cheng protested, “I don’t need that much! Brother, you should eat more!”
Without speaking, Ji Mian took a small bite of the leg.
Understanding this as a cue to stop talking, Ji Cheng happily dug into his portion, moved by his brother’s tacit approval.
The first bite burned his mouth, but he quickly cooled it off and took another.
The meat, though unseasoned, was tender and flavorful, making Ji Cheng tear up in joy.
After two days of eating only fruit, finally, a proper meal!
Thank goodness his brother was here.
As he ate, Ji Cheng occasionally sneaked glances at Ji Mian.
Despite the repeated rejections and cold treatment, Ji Cheng wasn’t discouraged. He silently vowed to himself: I must convince my brother to come home.
He couldn’t let his brother stay in contact with “that person”—the one who had supposedly caused all these injuries.
—
After finishing their meal, they continued their journey.
By midday, Ji Mian’s body began to give out. His vision blurred, and the pain became unbearable, making it hard to breathe.
Leaning against a tree, he slowly slid down to sit.
“Brother! Are you okay? Do you want me to carry you? Brother…”
“Shut up,” Ji Mian snapped, his voice cold.
Ji Cheng immediately clammed up, retrieving his small medical device to help.
As Ji Mian leaned back, sweat-soaked hair clinging to his pale face, Ji Cheng glanced around and spotted a familiar shrub not far off. His eyes lit up.
“Brother! There are more fruits over there…”
Before he could finish, Ji Mian clamped a hand over his mouth and dragged him behind a tree.
“Someone’s coming,” Ji Mian whispered.
Peering out from their hiding spot, they saw several figures emerging from deeper within the forest.
Their faces and bodies were painted with heavy oil-based designs, and they wore simple garments made from animal hides. They carried long wooden spears and moved effortlessly through the rugged terrain.
These were clearly the native inhabitants of this planet.
Despite this discovery, Ji Mian didn’t step out immediately. He remained hidden, observing the group closely.
Ji Cheng whispered nervously, “Their clothes look so strange… like something out of a novel about primitive tribes.”
Just as this thought arose, the local residents began walking toward where Ji Mian and Ji Cheng were hiding.
Ji Mian remained calm, but Ji Cheng flinched, startled, and instinctively took a step back.
Crack.
He accidentally stepped on a branch.
The previously unaware locals immediately snapped their heads in their direction.
“Who’s there?!”
Ji Mian: “…”
With the situation already exposed, Ji Mian calmly stepped out from behind the tree.
The local residents saw a pale, strikingly handsome young man emerge from the forest. For a few seconds, their gazes all landed on Ji Mian’s face, frozen in place.
Then, one tall man among them spoke, “Another outsider?”
Another?
Ji Mian picked up on the word and replied, “We mean no harm. Our spacecraft accidentally crashed here.”
One of the locals muttered something in their native tongue.
The tall man asked, “Are you a Beta or an Omega?”
“Why does that matter?” Ji Cheng quickly stepped in front of Ji Mian and said, “I’m an Alpha.”
The tall man glanced at Ji Cheng dismissively before turning back to Ji Mian. “You seem injured, and it looks serious.”
“Come with us, back to the village,” he added.
When Ji Mian didn’t immediately move, the man continued, “You’re guests in the village. We won’t harm you.”
Ji Cheng hesitated and glanced at Ji Mian for guidance.
Ji Mian said calmly, “Okay.”
The tall man walked over to Ji Mian. “I’ll carry you.”
Ji Mian shook his head. “No need, I can walk on my own.”
“Suit yourself,” the man replied.
Under their lead, Ji Mian and Ji Cheng followed them deeper into the forest.
Ji Cheng stuck close to Ji Mian, whispering nervously, “Brother, I’m sorry, I…”
Before he could finish, Ji Mian raised a hand, signaling him to stop.
The three locals ahead spoke in their native tongue, occasionally glancing back at Ji Mian to check on his condition.
After about half an hour of walking, they emerged from the dense forest into an open area.
In the clearing stood dozens of wooden houses, each adorned with hunting tools and animal bones hanging outside like decorations.
The villagers, wearing simple animal hide clothing and covered in vibrant oil-based body paint, turned their painted faces toward the newcomers.
Ji Cheng’s face tensed, his body stiff with nervousness under so many staring eyes.
Ji Mian, however, remained calm, meeting their gazes without any visible reaction.
He had heard of remote planets where tribes like this still existed—uncontacted by interstellar civilization, living off traditional hunting and fishing practices passed down from old Earth.
This was clearly one such tribe.
The tall man called over an elderly woman. “Treat him.”
The elderly woman, her face wrinkled like tree bark, scrutinized Ji Mian for a moment before breaking into a smile. She gently took Ji Mian’s hand, motioning for him to follow her.
Inside a small hut, the old woman skillfully crushed herbs, pouring them into a wooden cup. She then boiled a mixture of seemingly random ingredients, combining it with the herbal paste before presenting it to Ji Mian.
Gurgle, gurgle.
The cup held a thick, unidentifiable liquid that bubbled ominously, emitting an indescribable smell.
Ji Cheng’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Ji Mian met the elderly woman’s gaze, his expression unchanged, and reached for the cup, ready to drink it.
“Brother!”
Ji Cheng, panicked, quickly grabbed his hand to stop him.
“Don’t drink that! Aren’t you afraid it’ll…”
Ji Mian replied calmly, “If they wanted to harm us, they wouldn’t need to do it this way.”
Ji Cheng glanced at the bubbling liquid and grimaced. “But, but…”
That stuff didn’t look remotely drinkable!
Ji Mian ignored his protests, took the cup, and drank it in one go.
The taste was as revolting as it smelled, but Ji Mian’s expression remained stoic as he swallowed.
A few minutes later.
A warm current spreads along the place where the herbs were swallowed to the limbs of the body.
The pain subsided a little, and his injuries… seemed to have eased.
Ji Mian: “Thank you.”
The old woman smiled and uttered something in the tribal language, lifted the curtain in front of the door of the low house, and left.
Ji Mian and Ji Cheng were the only ones left in the room. Ji Cheng carefully observed Ji Mian’s expression and asked, “Brother, how are you now?”
Just as Ji Mian was about to speak, the curtain of the low room was opened by a hand.
A figure appeared in the doorway, blocking out all light just by standing there.
Ji Mian raised his eyes and the tall, dark man met his gaze.
The hanging door curtain was tied up with a rope, the door was open, and several tribal residents were guarding the door.
The tall man from earlier squeezed into the room and said, “This is our leader, Lord Shou Ling.”
Ji Mian nodded. “Hello.”
Shou Ling sat down in an imposing manner, then pointed at Ji Cheng and asked Ji Mian, “Who is he to you?”
Ji Mian replied calmly, “Just someone I met on the way.”
Ji Cheng froze, his expression dimming.
The tall man muttered something to Shou Ling in their tribal language.
Shou Ling raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so he’s your younger brother.”
Then, with a casual wave of his hand, he ordered, “Take him away.”
Immediately, several tribal members stepped forward, grabbing Ji Cheng’s arms and attempting to drag him outside.
The sudden turn of events made Ji Cheng panic. “Wait! What are you doing? Let go of me!”
Ji Mian stood up and walked to Ji Cheng’s side.
Under his cold, piercing gaze, the tribal members hesitated and slowly released their grip.
Shou Ling reassured him, “Relax, I have no intention of harming you.”
Ji Mian remained unfazed. “Then what exactly is your intention?”
Shou Ling stared at Ji Mian’s face, then suddenly grinned. “I want you to stay and become my Omega.”
Ji Cheng’s eyes widened in shock. “Like hell you will! That’s my brother!”
Shou Ling smirked. “Great, then you can start calling me…”
He thought for a moment and naturally concluded, “Sister-in-law.”
Ji Cheng exploded. “SCREW YOU!!”
This was beyond outrageous. Without hesitation, he unleashed his spirit beast.
A massive octopus materialized, spewing thick, inky-black smoke.
In an instant, the heavy fog engulfed the tribal village, throwing its inhabitants into a frenzy.
“Not good! What is this? Is it poison gas?!”
“Run!”
“Is anyone hurt? Is it toxic?!”
“I—I… I don’t think so.”
“I’m fine too.”
“Huh, seems like everyone’s okay.”
A gust of wind swept through, quickly dispersing the black smoke.
The tribal villagers stood in place, unharmed, looking around in confusion.
Ji Mian: “……”
Ji Cheng: “…………”
QAQ.
H-he was a support-type ability user, not a combat-type! Of course, he had no actual battle strength!
Shou Ling burst into laughter. “Hahahaha!”
After laughing, he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. “I don’t even need to make a move to deal with you.”
With a wave of his hand, the door of a hut in the middle of the tribe slammed open with a bang, and a flash of red light flickered.
Three half-human-height robots, clad in steel armor, stepped out.
Ji Cheng’s eyes widened in shock—he recognized them instantly.
Combat robots.
“What the hell! Aren’t you guys supposed to be a primitive tribe? Why do you have these?!”
Shou Ling grinned. “Times have changed, kid. Who still uses primitive weapons these days?”
The combat robots’ eyes glowed red as they charged forward.
Ji Cheng shrieked, “BROTHER! BROTHER!!”
The ear-piercing scream was unbearable.
Ji Mian’s face darkened, his cold blue eyes flashing dangerously.
With a swift motion, he raised his blade—one clean slash, and a robot’s head hit the ground.
Shou Ling: “Huh??”
The entire tribe stared in shock.
In just moments, the three combat robots had been dismantled—torn apart by that pale, indifferent young man.
His weapon?
Nothing but a sharp, blade-like shard.
Electronic parts scattered across the ground, sparks crackling from the wreckage. Ji Mian’s expression remained blank as he stepped over the sparking remains of the robots.
The tribe gasped in horror.
Ji Mian slowly turned his head, his icy blue eyes locking onto Shou Ling with sharp, unwavering intensity.
Shou Ling: “……”
R : Run ….Shou Ling, Run !
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