Unrivaled Soldier in the City

Chapter 724: Chapter 725: Once Brothers

"Who exactly are you? You clearly know the three of us very well, yet your aura is completely foreign to me. Who in the world are you?" Hai Wubian frowned, questioning the man in black before him.

"Unfamiliar? I suppose so. After all, I’m not the man I once was." The man in black spoke, his tone tinged with an indescribable sorrow.

Hearing this, Hai Wubian, Tian Wujing, and Di Wuya exchanged puzzled looks. They couldn’t understand the note of sorrow in the man’s words.

"Stop being mysterious," Hai Wubian said, his frown deepening. "Take off your black robe and let us see who you really are."

"Do you truly wish to know who I am?" the man in black asked with a laugh, his words laced with mockery.

"Yes," Hai Wubian affirmed.

"Since you’re so eager, then I’ll let you see. But I wonder, what will you think when you finally do?" the man said, his voice filled with a complex mix of emotions. Hai Wubian, Tian Wujing, and Di Wuya frowned in unison. The man’s words struck them as simultaneously familiar and foreign.

At that moment, the man in black unfastened his robe, lifting his head to look directly at the three of them.

The moment he revealed his true face, the bodies of Hai Wubian, Tian Wujing, and Di Wuya trembled violently, their gazes filled with utter disbelief.

Di Wuya was so shocked he blurted out, "Fourth Brother, you’re still alive!"

The Wumi Building had originally possessed four Protector Elders: Hai Wubian, Tian Wujing, Di Wuya, and Shan Wufeng. These four men were the great Protector Elders of the Wumi Building, representing the pinnacle of its martial power. Back when the Demon Sect first went to war with the Righteous Path, the four Protector Elders naturally joined the fight. However, in the end, Shan Wufeng perished in battle, and his death became a lingering pain in the hearts of the other three. In truth, Shan Wufeng could have survived. The Demon Sect had offered to trade him for one of their own important figures. However, that Demon Sect captive was crucial to the Righteous Path, so they refused the exchange. As a result, Shan Wufeng was killed, and his body was even taken away. Yet, Hai Wubian, Tian Wujing, and Di Wuya could never have imagined that Shan Wufeng, the man they thought had died, was actually alive.

"Who is ’Fourth Brother’? My name is Ghosteye now, and I want nothing to do with you. The moment you stood by and watched me die, it was fated that we would no longer be brothers," Ghosteye said, refusing to acknowledge the name Shan Wufeng. He had long since discarded it.

"Fourth Brother, how can you say that?! Don’t you realize how important that Demon Sect captive was to us? He was the head of their intelligence network! It was because of him that we were finally able to eradicate the Demon Sect! What are a few sacrifices in the name of victory? If I had been in your place, I would have chosen death as well!" Hai Wubian’s voice was filled with anger, but even more so with heartache.

"Haha, is that right? The sacrifice just had to be me, is that it?" Ghosteye sneered, his tone dripping with scorn. "Hai Wubian, spare me your high-and-mighty words. If you had been in my place back then, who knows what you would have done!"

"Fourth Brother, how dare you speak to Second Brother like that!" Di Wuya interjected, his voice full of anger.

"Di Wuya, save your breath. And don’t you dare point your finger at me. I’m not that ’Fourth Brother’ anymore, and you have no right to lecture me!" Looking at Di Wuya, Ghosteye’s emotions became volatile, his words laced with potent killing intent.

"You!" Di Wuya’s face flushed crimson. He pointed a trembling finger at Ghosteye, his whole body shaking with rage.

"Enough, Third Brother. Say no more," Tian Wujing said, stopping Di Wuya from continuing.

"Still the same old peacemaker, Tian Wujing. It must have been so difficult for you all these years," Ghosteye said disdainfully.

"Fourth Brother, I understand you harbored resentment back then. But what I don’t understand is why you would join the Demon Sect when you once hated them so fiercely. Is this the same Shan Wufeng who once swore to slaughter every Demon Sect member he saw? Fourth Brother, what happened? What turned you into this? And you were clearly killed. How were you resurrected? What is going on?" Tian Wujing asked, addressing Ghosteye. Among the four, he was the eldest, their Big Brother.

At Tian Wujing’s words, Ghosteye’s expression wavered. For a moment, he seemed to recall his former self—the man he once was, dedicated to punishing the wicked and eliminating evil. But in an instant, his expression turned cold and hard once more.

"Are you curious? Do you know why I ’died’ back then? It was simple: I wasn’t strong enough. If my power had been sufficient, I would never have been captured. And if I hadn’t been captured, I wouldn’t have died!

"So why did I become this? Because the old me died. Of course, it was merely a feigned death, and the Sect Hierarch revived me. He didn’t just bring me back to life; he granted me immense power, power that allowed me to surpass all of you!

"Look! Look at how powerful I am now! Do you see it? This is my strength! Now, even if the three of you attacked me together, you couldn’t kill me!" Ghosteye roared with laughter, a crazed look in his eyes.

Hearing this, Hai Wubian, Tian Wujing, and Di Wuya frowned. It seemed their former Fourth Brother had fallen completely to the demonic path.

"Fourth Brother, it’s not too late to repent. As your Big Brother, I may not have much power, but I guarantee the Tower Master won’t hold this against you! Fourth Brother, come back. You are Shan Wufeng. You are our brother!" Tian Wujing said, unwilling to give up. They had been brothers for decades. To see one of them fall to the Demon Sect now, Tian Wujing’s heart ached.

Seeing Tian Wujing’s grief-stricken face, Ghosteye’s body stiffened before he sneered, "Tian Wujing, enough of your nonsense! My name is Ghosteye, not ’Fourth Brother’! Spare me your false sympathy. You came here to kill me, didn’t you? Then come on!"

"Fourth Brother, what did the Demon Sect give you besides power? What else do you have? Other than strength, aren’t you lonely? Do you have friends there? Do you have brothers? Are you happy?!" Tian Wujing pleaded, making one last attempt to persuade his former brother.

Hearing Tian Wujing’s words, Ghosteye’s body jolted again. How could he not understand what Tian Wujing was saying? But he no longer had a way back. He had already chosen to die again.