Chapter 37

"Brother Dugu, today I’ve really benefited from your presence..." Even Li Shier felt a bit embarrassed.

"Precisely because of this, you should stay even more!" Dugu Fu insisted, "The weight-reducing backpack can increase endurance. You owe me so much, Brother Li, you must live no matter what. You have to use every means to stay alive. Otherwise, I’ll be the one who loses out..."

Li Shier looked at Dugu Fu and was momentarily speechless. After a while, he sighed, "Meeting you today, Brother Dugu, feels like it was destined by heaven. I was at my wit's end in battle, and you just happened to lend me a hand. My left leg was crippled, which should have greatly reduced my combat ability, but I just happened to learn your 46 Heaven-Turning Kicks. And now..."

Suddenly, he smashed open a jar of player medicine wine, picked up a knife, and slashed his wrist, letting the blood flow generously into the jar.

"Brother Li, what are you doing?" Dugu Fu was surprised.

With a "thud," Li Shier knelt facing north, "Heaven above, earth below, I, Li Shier, met Brother Dugu Fu today as if it were fate. I wish to form a brotherhood with him, sharing both good fortune and adversity! I don’t ask for us to be born on the same day, but I do ask to die before him! If I break this vow, may I be struck by lightning and die a miserable death!"

"…………" Uh, this... seems a bit over the top?

"What? Do you think I, Li Shier, am not worthy?" Seeing Dugu Fu hesitate, Li Shier glared.

"No, of course not." Dugu Fu quickly waved his hands. This is a good thing, it shows I have potential. At this rate, I might even become a timely rain like Song Jiang or a tearful hero like Liu Bei. "Brother Li, it’s just that your vow is... too, too... How about you change it..."

"Change what? A vow made before heaven and earth, can it be changed? Do you think this is a market where you can haggle? It’s fine if you don’t want to kneel. Anyway, I’ve already decided you’re my brother!"

This is like a forced sale! Dugu Fu was speechless but also a bit moved, "I’ll kneel! I’ll kneel!"

He then followed Li Shier’s example, cutting his wrist, letting the blood drip into the jar, and kneeling northward, reciting the vow in the same format: "Sharing good fortune and adversity, not asking to be born on the same day, but hoping to die in the same month."

And thus, the two became sworn brothers.

It was a bit old-fashioned and rustic...

After making the vow and drinking the blood wine, Dugu Fu looked at Li Shier, who had now become his elder brother, and was at a loss for words. This might be his first true friend in this life and the previous one.

Seeing his reaction, Li Shier secretly shook his head: This brother of mine is extremely smart, both in action and martial arts, and has a strong sense of justice, but... he’s a bit reclusive.

Smashing the empty wine jar and patting Dugu Fu’s shoulder hard, he said, "Good, good, good! From now on, we are brothers! These few bows make the 46 Heaven-Turning Kicks well-deserved. Brother, it’s getting late, and I need to be on my way. Farewell."

"Brother Li..." Dugu Fu started, but seeing Li Shier glare, he quickly corrected himself, "Brother, are you leaving already? Where are you going? I can catch up and maybe help..."

This is a common tactic used by NPCs, called "open and hidden arrows." People split into two groups, one open and one hidden. The open group deals with player pursuit, while the hidden group handles logistics and support, acting as the boss and his wife.

This is not about brotherly loyalty, purely to ensure victory!

Li Shier patted Dugu Fu, moved, "Brother, don’t take it the wrong way, but your strength... cough, it’s best you don’t get involved. I have three things to ask of you. First," he pointed to the boss and his wife who had been standing by, "there are still many Immortal scum around. Please, Brother, escort them down the mountain to a safe place."

Looking at the boss and his wife, Dugu Fu nodded, "That’s the least I can do. What about the other two?"

"The other two are actually one thing." Li Shier reached into his chest and pulled out a letter, "Go to Ping Island Dock in Lingling County and give this letter to the warehouse owner. This was my mission, but I was delayed, and I don’t know if it’s still in time. Also, tell the owner about what happened here, and he’ll know what to do."

Dugu Fu understood that he was being asked to find reinforcements and nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, the boss, who was on lookout, turned back, "It looks like some experts are coming from below!"

==========

While the two brothers were discussing their plan on the cliff, the players were also discussing their strategy.

"Strange, Li Shier was clearly injured, but he’s suddenly full of energy. Could he be a player in disguise?"

"Not just that, his strength has increased, didn’t you notice? Even with a missing leg, he’s stronger than before."

"I say, we can’t keep going like this. We’ve gained nothing and keep getting killed. It’s a disgrace to our reputation."

"+1!"

"Agreed!"

"But the situation is against us. The enemy is so strong, and we’re short on manpower. What can we do?"

As they spoke, a haughty voice suddenly rang out, "Damn, what a bunch of useless trash! So many people can’t take down a few NPCs, and you’re still bragging about it! With your kind, you call yourselves the Chosen? If I were your father, I would have shot you against the wall long ago to save you from embarrassing yourselves."

The players, their faces red with anger, turned to see a group of people approaching from behind. Each was dressed in fine clothes and riding fine horses, truly embodying the saying, "A man is judged by his clothes, a horse by its saddle, and a dog by its bell." They approached at a leisurely pace, exuding a formidable presence.

However, this wasn’t the main focus of the players. Everyone’s attention was immediately drawn to the center of the group. Everyone was on horseback, but the person in the center was in a car, a car.

In the world of the Republic of China’s martial arts masters, cars were extremely rare, a luxury item. Most players, despite their wealth, still traveled by horse. A car wasn’t something you could just buy with money, and this alone set this person apart.

But what really caught everyone’s attention was the content of the car.

It was an old car, somewhat resembling a tractor, with a coffin-like engine on the front two wheels and a horse carriage-like double seat on the back two wheels. The sides were fitted with glass windows, making it transparent. In the horse carriage, the front seat was occupied by the driver, and the back seat... was a mountain of flesh, a naked man who seemed to take up all the space.

But he wasn’t alone. A girl with long, disheveled hair was pitifully squeezed against the glass, her clothes disheveled, her face tear-streaked, her nose red, and struggling desperately.

As she struggled, her slender shoulders, delicate collarbones, and fair, delicate body, along with her small, flattened breasts, occasionally flashed before everyone’s eyes, until a fat hand covered them.

The page turns, and the AD begins.

The page turns, and the AD ends.