“When I was little, Big Brother and Second Brother treated me the best. Whenever there was something good, they always saved it for me. That day, Big Brother got into a fight with those bastards because of me—it was my fault that Big Brother got hurt!” Henry Harper’s pupils dilated in pain, blaming Frank Harper’s death on himself. Only William Harper understood that Frank Harper’s death wasn’t because of Henry Harper, but rather that he was a casualty of factional strife!

A sudden pang shot through William Harper’s heart. He was confused—was it because of Henry Harper that he felt this pain? In William Harper’s eyes, Henry Harper was just someone unrelated to him. Brotherhood was a distant concept for William Harper; it must have been those damned memories acting up.

Henry Harper’s pupils shifted from black to red, then to a deep crimson, like a terrifying demon baring its fangs and claws. But in just a moment, his eyes cleared again.

When he had just met Henry Harper’s gaze, William Harper felt like prey being targeted, frozen in fear. Luckily, the feeling vanished as quickly as it came. William Harper gasped in shock, his back drenched in cold sweat. If his guess was right, Henry Harper had already developed a heart demon.

For a martial artist, developing a heart demon was extremely dangerous. The demon would slowly devour the martial artist’s true self, turning them into a walking corpse. If a super martial artist was controlled by a heart demon, they would become a great fiend. If Henry Harper was controlled by his heart demon, at most he would just go mad.

Henry Harper, only fourteen years old, had suffered such a huge blow, his true self suppressed by fear and hatred—no wonder a heart demon had formed.

But why did Henry Harper’s gaze make him feel such fear? Henry Harper was only at the innate stage!

“Second Brother, what’s wrong?” Henry Harper was completely unaware of what had just happened.

“It’s nothing. I’ve made a decision. Starting tonight, I’m going to teach you a new cultivation technique,” said William Harper. He had decided to teach Henry Harper the War God Technique. With William Harper’s current strength, he couldn’t even guarantee his own safety, and the only trustworthy person around him was Henry Harper. Letting Henry Harper cultivate the War God Technique might come in handy at a critical moment.

“Really?” Henry Harper was overjoyed, but then frowned and asked, “Where did Second Brother get this cultivation technique?”

As a martial arts family, the Hao clan had collected many cultivation techniques, but most of the high-level ones were held by the inner disciples. The outer disciples only practiced some low-level techniques. Disciples like William Harper and Henry Harper, ninth-generation outer disciples, didn’t even have a chance to access any techniques, only practicing basic Qi refining methods.

“You don’t need to worry about that,” William Harper replied. He wasn’t sure how much brotherly affection Henry Harper truly felt, or how much he could use it. He would decide later whether to teach him the higher levels of the War God Technique.

Thinking of William Harper’s previous advancement, Henry Harper grew excited with anticipation.

The Dragon Realm and this world were interconnected. The War God Technique, a high-level method that could be cultivated to the God King stage, was developed by William Harper through countless battles and experience. He had memorized every key point of the technique by heart and could practice it with his eyes closed. With his guidance, Henry Harper’s cultivation would surely progress twice as fast with half the effort. Moreover, the War God Technique was originally an enhancement of countless low-level methods, so it didn’t require much innate talent from the practitioner—Henry Harper could definitely cultivate it.

William Harper’s actions had nothing to do with brotherhood; he simply wanted to train a bodyguard. As for the heart demon in Henry Harper’s heart, it had nothing to do with William Harper.

To survive in this world where strength is everything, one must learn to be cold. Any emotional ties could lead to death.

Yifeng Restaurant was one of the largest taverns in Xilian City, located on the busiest street in town. The street was paved with bluestone, bustling with traffic and fluttering banners.

July was a turbulent month for Xilian City. The crowds were larger than ever, with envoys from various countries arriving to pay tribute, people from all walks of life gathering, and even forces hostile to the Hao clan sending spies to monitor their movements. Nearly all the outer eight branches had mobilized, putting the entire city under surveillance.

As outer disciples, William Harper and Henry Harper had to be ready for reassignment at any time.

A disciple of the Yi branch, eighth generation, had been killed, his body found at the mass grave by the West Street temple gate. This news made the outer eight branches tense, and they were preparing to launch a citywide search for the murderer.

“Gentlemen, please proceed to the second floor.”

William Harper and Henry Harper entered the restaurant. The two elegant and distinctive youths instantly drew everyone’s attention in Yifeng Restaurant. When people saw the ornaments at their waists, they realized they were from the Hao clan—no wonder.

“Little brats, you’re finally here.” A giant man, as sturdy as an iron tower, walked over from the corridor, his voice booming like thunder. Leonard Harper’s deep voice made the whole Yifeng Restaurant tremble. The waiters shrank back, not daring to look at this beast-like man.

William Harper recalled the information in his mind: Leonard Harper, one of the eighth-generation disciples, early stage of the Zhongfu realm, and one of the enemies who killed Henry Harper and William Harper’s brother.

Leonard Harper stood two meters tall, his body covered in bulging muscles, his head bald except for golden hair around the edges, looking just like a golden Buddha statue from a temple. The people in the restaurant couldn’t help but marvel at the sight of such a fierce man.

Leonard Harper’s eyes, like copper bells, swept menacingly over everyone in the restaurant. Instantly, the place fell silent, no one daring to look up.