```
The weather was splendid.
The gentle warmth of the spring sun made people break into a slight sweat, feeling totally at ease, and the clear sea reflected a pure sapphire blue in the sunlight, filling one with the urge to strip and dive in for a few laps. Even the fishy salt breeze was so gentle it seemed like a lover’s soft palm, lightly caressing one’s cheeks...
Yang Ge, hugging his Cold Moon Blade, was lying on his back on the hillside soaking up the sun, a stalk of some nameless wild grass in his mouth, almost dozing off in comfort.
"Hey."
Yang Tiansheng moved over to him and gave him a shove, "How can you still sleep at a time like this!"
Yang Ge turned over, his back to him, and closed his eyes to resume his nap.
Unsatisfied, Yang Tiansheng pounced forward, grabbed his neck with both hands, and started shaking vigorously, "Bastard, die for me!"
Yang Ge cooperatively stuck out his tongue and rolled his eyes...
"Someone’s coming!"
A nearby voice whispered.
Just a second ago, still horsing around, the brothers swiftly turned over and climbed to the top of the slope, peering out to sea where a cluster of grey-black specks had appeared on the horizon.
Yang Ge let out a breath softly and whispered to Yang Tiansheng, "Have you instructed your men properly?"
Yang Tiansheng nodded, "I’ve personally delivered instructions to each of the helmsmen and stewards."
Yang Ge, "What about yourself?"
Yang Tiansheng, "Huh?"
Yang Ge turned to look at him, "If they can’t get hot-headed, you can’t afford to get hot-headed even more. If you, as the incense master, lose your cool, won’t they all follow you and recklessly charge forward?"
Yang Tiansheng laughed, "I get it, stop nagging like a spinster, fussing like a chick!"
Yang Ge cast his gaze toward the steadily approaching dark specks, continuing, "If a tough opponent shows up, don’t try to be the hero. I’ll take care of Wang Lin as soon as possible..."
"What’s this now?"
Yang Tiansheng glanced at him sideways, "You think I can’t handle it? Who hasn’t taken out one or two True Essence experts?"
Yang Ge laughed, "It’s a bad deal. You’d have to fight for your life to kill a True Essence expert, while for me, it might only take two or three blows, not worth risking your life for."
Yang Tiansheng thought about it and asked defiantly, "Are you saying that if you were to deal with me now, it would also only take two or three blows?"
Yang Ge glanced at him, "Don’t you have a clue about that yourself?"
Yang Tiansheng smacked his lips and sighed reluctantly, "Back in Lu Ting, I could easily pin you down... I really don’t know how you train your martial arts, why does the slight progress we strive so hard for come as easily as eating and drinking to you?"
Yang Ge, "It’s a genius thing, you wouldn’t understand!"
Yang Tiansheng, still not over it, turned around and grabbed his neck again, "Bastard, die for me!"
Not to be outdone, Yang Ge turned as well and grabbed his neck, "Getting cocky, die for me!"
"Let go."
"You let go first."
"You first."
"Let’s let go together."
"Then let’s not let go at all."
"Die for me!"
"Die together..."
Wei Xin couldn’t stand it anymore and said helplessly, "Incense Master, Second Master, can you stop messing around? Everyone’s watching!"
Are you two even eight years old combined?
The brothers looked around and saw pairs of curious eyes and faces flushed red trying to hold back laughter.
"Hmph!"
"Hmph!"
At the same time, the brothers let go and turned their heads away.
"Pfft!"
A Ming Sect disciple couldn’t hold back and laughed out loud.
Yang Tiansheng glared over with a dark face, "What are you laughing at?"
The disciple, a clever lad, returned with a salute and said seriously, "Reporting to the Incense Master, I just thought of my old cow at home giving birth, and couldn’t help but feel overjoyed."
Yang Tiansheng’s expression lightened slightly and was about to speak when he heard another snicker.
He looked over with annoyed bewilderment and demanded, "And what are you laughing at?"
The man, quick-witted, pointed at the disciple who had just spoken and replied, "Reporting to the Incense Master, I’m happy for him, his old cow having a calf."
With that, suppressed chuckles erupted all around the hillside.
Yang Tiansheng, trying to maintain a straight face and wanting to say something. But before he could, he too burst into laughter, while scolding, "You bunch of rascals, what’s the use laughing now? Laugh in front of me after the fight, and I’ll salute you for your guts... Don’t be envious of his family adding a new member, fight well, and after it’s over, I’ll give each of you a calf to take home!"
That set off an even louder round of hearty laughter, which spread merrily down the hill. The men at the bottom didn’t know why the laughter had erupted above, but they joined in the chuckling.
The tense atmosphere before the battle dissipated with the joyous laughter, melting away bit by bit.
Only then did many realize that the hilt of their swords was soaked with sweat...
After their playfight, the brothers refocused on the tiny black specks in the sky, which seemed hardly to have moved at all.
"You better fight well. When it’s done, I’ll teach you a move!"
Yang Ge patted Yang Tiansheng on the shoulder, "I only have three or four friends like you, so don’t go and get yourself killed. Uncle Yang is counting on you to carry on the family line!"
"What could you teach?"
Yang Tiansheng looked askance at him disdainfully, "Teach me swordplay?"
Yang Ge laughed and said teasingly, "You don’t want to learn swordplay, but how about the path to becoming a Grandmaster? Interested in learning that?"
Yang Tiansheng, "Stop bullshitting me, can’t you come up with a more reliable reason... A Grandmaster? Are you qualified?"
Yang Ge, "What if I say I’ll become a Grandmaster within three years, would you believe it?"
Read lat𝙚st chapters at fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓ Only.
Yang Tiansheng, "Do you think I’m foolish?"
Yang Ge looked him over seriously and shook his head, "I don’t think you are brainless!"
Yang Tiansheng, taken aback by his serious demeanor, said incredulously, "Are you for real?"
```