BPIFC -Volume 1 – Chapter 45 Sworn Brotherhood

“The power of the Seed, huh…” The white-haired man smiled faintly, then turned to Peng Hezai, who was seated nearby.

“Your lord was right. This person’s background runs too deep. He’s not someone you can afford to provoke.”

Peng Hezai sighed softly.

“You think I still have such thoughts? I have to watch my words and actions now. I can no longer act recklessly. Still, I’m curious. What exactly is the background of this boy named Che Qianzi? Why does he possess the power of the Seed? Guangren, don’t tell me you know something?”

“I know that Gao Liang from the Bureau had been paying attention to him for the past ten years.”

As he spoke, the white-haired man named Guangren lifted a kung fu teapot and personally poured three cups of tea. After drinking one in a single gulp, he continued,

“Three months ago, he appeared at the Bureau and managed to offend everyone he could except Sun Desheng. Even Wu Mian put Che Qianzi into a coma for three months, and despite that, Director Sun continued protecting him.”

“So Sun Desheng already knew his background…” Peng Hezai nodded and picked up one of the cups.

“Even before the Ghost Market incident, he knew. This is Sun Desheng of the Bureau we’re talking about. To protect someone so closely—other than Shen La, this is the second person.”

Huoshan stepped forward, picked up the third cup, and drank it.

“The Seed power within him is far too weak. So weak that even I couldn’t distinguish it. If his split personality hadn’t appeared later, I would never have sensed the Seed’s power.”

Without avoiding Peng Hezai’s presence, Huoshan briefly recounted everything that had happened inside the tomb chamber.

When he finished, Peng Hezai’s eyes lit up.

“So he split off one soul and two spirits. That means there’s a second Book of Life and Death for him in the Underworld…”

He looked at Guangren.

“Interested in learning Che Qianzi’s true origin? We could—”

“Not interested in the slightest.”

Guangren interrupted him and calmly brewed another pot of tea.

With a slight smile, he said, “Left Judge, you’ve seen it yourself. The former Grand Sorcerer Guangren died long ago. Now there is only the wandering cultivator Guangren. I’ve enjoyed several years of peace. I have no desire to enter another chaotic struggle.”

Peng Hezai smiled and glanced at Huoshan.

“If you don’t want to enter the fray, why did you send Huoshan to orchestrate this scheme? A tall tree catches the wind first, Guangren. You and I are the same.”

“We are not.”

Before he could finish, Guangren rudely cut him off.

Then he turned over the teacup Peng Hezai had just used and said, “I could never betray my master.”

At those words, Peng Hezai’s face turned pale and then livid.

Taking a deep breath, the Underworld’s second most powerful figure stood up.

“I’ll come again for tea another day.”

Before he finished speaking, he had vanished from before the master and disciple.

Watching the spot where Peng Hezai had been sitting, Huoshan asked, “He still hasn’t given up… But Master, why offend him? After all, he’s destined to inherit the position of Lord of the Underworld.”

As Guangren rinsed the tea set, he replied, “If I don’t offend him today, tomorrow he’ll drag me into his rebellion. Better to make him give up now and settle it once and for all.”

Huoshan was surprised.

“Even after the Lord of the Underworld taught him a lesson, he still intends to rebel?”

After a moment of silence, Guangren asked,

“Do you know why the Lord of the Underworld never punishes him?”

Huoshan already knew the answer.

“Because Peng Hezai is the most suitable successor in the entire Underworld. To the Lord, the stability of the Underworld after his death matters more than his own life.”

Guangren gave his disciple a peculiar look.

“And what if someone more suitable than Peng Hezai suddenly appeared? Do you think the Lord would still tolerate him? The Left Judge understands this principle better than I do. Just because such a person hasn’t appeared yet doesn’t mean one never will.”

After speaking about Peng Hezai, Guangren changed the subject.

Smiling slightly, he murmured to himself, “I too am curious… Just what is the origin of this little fellow named Che Qianzi? Why does he possess the power of the Seed?”

When Che Qianzi regained consciousness, he found himself in the familiar ICU room—on the very same bed as last time.

His mind was blank.

After a long while, he remembered that inside the tomb chamber he had almost been killed by the demonic Daoist Cui Yuandao.

As for what happened afterward and how he ended up back in the hospital, he could not remember at all.

The moment the hospital learned he was awake, they notified Sun Desheng.

More than an hour later, Shen La arrived supporting a thoroughly drunk Fatty Sun.

“Brother… my own dear brother…”

Fatty Sun’s round face had turned dark purple from drinking.

Holding Che Qianzi’s hand, he wailed, “You’ve suffered so much… It hurts my heart…

Let me suffer in your place…

Seeing you like this hurts me worse than death…

My dear brother…

Waaah…”

Then, right there in the ICU, Sun Desheng threw up.

In an instant, the room was filled with the sour smell of vomit, and Shen La hurriedly called in an orderly to clean the mess.

Though Che Qianzi couldn’t get out of bed, he could still speak.

Looking at Shen La’s helpless smile, he said, “How many bottles did he drink to get like this? Why don’t you find him a bed too and save him while you’re at it? At this rate, he’ll die before I do.”

Shen La smiled bitterly.

“He finally treated himself to a meal today and didn’t want to waste anything, so he finished three bottles of Moutai. Dasheng, that’s enough. Old Huang said he’ll come pay the bill later.”

At the mention of someone paying, the former Director of the Bureau instantly quieted down.

Seeing Sun Desheng settle down, Che Qianzi asked, “So how did I get back here? Who saved me? It wasn’t that pretty-boy surnamed Wu, was it? If it was him, then send me back. I don’t owe him any favors.”

“You’re overthinking things, little brother.”

Shen La had already prepared his explanation.

“You’re not important enough to trouble Director Wu. I rescued you.”

He explained that he had received a report from investigators of the Second Department that Sun Desheng’s group might be in danger underground. Since he happened to be nearby, he immediately took a helicopter to the scene and reached the tomb chamber just in time to kill Cui Yuandao and save everyone.

Though Che Qianzi felt something didn’t quite add up, his injuries left him unable to think clearly.

Looking at the drunken Fatty Sun still making trouble, he sighed.

“Take the fat man outside. If he keeps this up, I’ll recover even slower.”

Just then, Sun Desheng suddenly jumped up from the floor.

His drunken eyes half-open, he grabbed both Che Qianzi and Shen La by the hands.

“Sworn brothers! We absolutely have to become sworn brothers today!”

“I, Sun Desheng, am a few days older than you two, so I’ll be the eldest brother…”

“La Zi, you’re second…”

“And you… my dear brother… you’re third…”

“We may not have been born in the same year, month, and day…”

“What comes next…”

“Oh right!”

“But we seek to die on the same year, month, and day!”

“Your big brother will kowtow first…”

With that, Sun Desheng collapsed back onto the floor and immediately fell asleep.

Looking at the lovable drunk, Che Qianzi yawned and said to Shen La, “Is the fat man even forty yet? I’m not even seventeen. If I die on the same day as you two, aren’t you guys taking advantage of me?”

Unexpectedly, Shen La gave him a strange look and replied, “Little brother, you don’t understand. The question is… who exactly is taking advantage of whom?”