Seven Cubs, Seven Fathers, Zero Days Off

Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Between the Brothers, Things Had Already Become Unrecognizable

Just then, the subordinate returned from Si Muye’s side and heard Shen Yue’s foul-mouthed cursing from a distance.

He steadied himself.

”Great Emperor Master, who is Miss A Yue cursing? It sounds so foul.”

Listening in, he added, eager for gossip:

”Who could be so despicable as to steal a child? If I find out who it is, I’ll kill him for Miss A Yue myself.”

Looking down at Shen Yue tightly clutching their Little Young Lord, another thought suddenly occurred to him.

’Who were they trying to steal? Surely they weren’t trying to take our Little Young Lord?! That bastard! I’ll go after him right now!’

The air around Huang Ziyue instantly dropped to a freezing point.

He shot him a glance so cold it could have frozen him to death on the spot.

The subordinate froze mid-stride, shuddered, and snapped his mouth shut in terror.

Clever as he was, he immediately put two and two together. ’Could it be...’

’The child-snatching thief... is our very own Great Emperor Master...?!’

’The Great Emperor Master was trying to take the Little Young Lord away behind Miss A Yue’s back?’

’This... this... This is truly... unbelievably despicable...’

’He deserves to be cursed out!!’

’The woman went through hell and back to have this child all by herself. And the Great Emperor Master? Not only does he get to be a father for free, he even tries to steal the child behind her back.’

’Is that something a decent person would do?’

The subordinate was roasting him in his head, but he didn’t dare let it show. He could only bow his head and endure the scolding alongside Huang Ziyue.

But Shen Yue’s anger wasn’t spent even after her tirade.

She snatched a cobblestone from the ground and hurled it toward the spot where the man she’d seen had been standing.

”THWACK!”

The stone seemed to hit something in empty space, followed by a muffled grunt, and then it dropped straight to the ground.

Only then did Shen Yue feel satisfied.

She turned and left with Sanbao, shooting one last vicious glare in that direction as she went.

It was as if she could see Huang Ziyue, as if she wanted to tear him apart with her gaze.

Huang Ziyue: ”...”

A lump was visibly swelling on his forehead.

His face was as black as thunder.

The subordinate stood nearby, not daring to speak or make a single sound.

He had genuinely felt the force of that incoming stone. ’A normal person probably would have been knocked out on the spot...’

’But the Great Emperor Master just took the hit squarely.’

’He can sure take a hit.’

’It was my fault for being too slow to catch it.’

He secretly glanced at the big, swelling lump, not daring to breathe too loudly.

He was afraid the Great Emperor Master would vent his anger on him.

At the same time, recalling the viciousness of Shen Yue’s glare, he silently said a prayer for his Great Emperor Master.

’The Great Emperor Master’s life is going to be difficult from now on. It looks like Miss A Yue is going to hold a serious grudge!’

The lump on Huang Ziyue’s forehead throbbed with a burning pain, and his face burned just as hotly from her glare.

’He didn’t know how the woman had detected his position. Not only was her throw incredibly accurate, but that glare had also struck him right in the face.’

’He was utterly defenseless.’

’For a moment, he regretted his decision to snatch the little cub.’

’He felt like his life had been marked by an embarrassing stain, and the whole thing was simply not worth the trouble.’

’Besides, what did that woman say just now about seeing his back?’

’He was clearly hidden in the shadows. How could a weak female with no spiritual power possibly have seen him?’

Just then, he suddenly recalled the task he’d given his subordinate and asked:

”What happened with Si Muye?”

The subordinate immediately perked up and rattled off the entire sequence of events.

「Over with Si Muye.」

Fighting one against ten, he had unleashed an astonishing burst of spiritual power, completely subduing the warriors from the Ancient Bear Family.

But when Helian saw that the situation was dire, he prepared to flee.

But before he could,

Si Muye instantly blocked his path.

”Brother, don’t you think you owe me an explanation?”

Helian’s eyes narrowed. He saw that Si Muye was holding the poisoned dagger he had just dropped on the ground, its tip aimed straight at his throat.

Only he knew just how sharp that blade was and how potent its poison.

He had paid a hefty price for that dagger from an S Class Artifact Refining Master, as well as the deadly poison from an S Class Pharmacist.

The poison had no antidote.

Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his imposing demeanor weakened.

”Third Brother, what would you have me explain?”

Si Muye said, ”That battle all those years ago. Were you the one pulling strings behind the scenes? Were you the one who tipped off the Sand Sea Insect Clan, leaking my battle plan and the news of my injuries?”

When Helian heard this, his pupils contracted, and his face grew terrifyingly grim.

He never thought this would be the explanation Si Muye wanted!

He had gotten straight to the point with a vengeance!

’No one else in the world could possibly know that he had colluded with the enemy. How did Si Muye find out, and why did his suspicions fall on him?’

’Could it be that someone else knew what he did?’

One had to understand that the Ancient Bear Family was the K Empire’s most valiant and loyal warrior family. If anyone were to find out that it was he, Helian, who had informed the Sand Sea Insect Clan and leaked confidential information, he would be scorned by the entire K Empire and the whole of the Beast World.

Colluding with the enemy and betraying his country, causing the tragic deaths of so many warriors—for that, he would be eternally nailed to a pillar of shame, exiled from the K Empire, and could even face judgment by the royal family and be hanged on the spot.

He held his breath, quickly schooling his features before forcing a hollow laugh.

”Third Brother, you can say I was willing to kill you to become the family head, but how can you suspect me of colluding with the enemy and betraying our country? Do you realize that your suspicion alone could bring a devastating blow to the entire Ancient Bear Family?”

Si Muye frowned, scrutinizing his brother’s expression for any flaw in his performance.

Helian continued in a grave tone:

”Like you, I have enjoyed the honor of the Ancient Bear Family for centuries. The blood of the Ancient Bear runs in my veins. Even if I covet the position of family head, how could I do something like that? Third Brother, I watched you grow up. You’ve spent the most time with me. Do you really not know the kind of person I am?”

Si Muye grew less certain as he listened, and he let out a sneer.

”If this were the past, I would of course know your character and your ways. But now, you’re no longer the man you used to be!”

”Third Brother, even if I’ve changed, don’t you know that I will always be loyal to the K Empire? That I am always fighting for our family’s glory? How could I do something that would harm our family and betray the empire? Have you forgotten the oath you took for your Great Knight assessment? It was I, your big brother, who wrote that oath for you. Isn’t that enough to prove my love for the empire?”

At his words, Si Muye recalled the grand, passionate oath he had sworn when he became a Great Knight.

But now, he felt he had brought shame upon that oath and that title.

He had long held suspicions about that battle. One of his men had even risked death to report this very news to him back then, but he hadn’t believed it at the time.

It wasn’t until his entire unit was attacked and he was captured by the Insect Clan that he finally realized his subordinate had been telling the truth.

Someone really had leaked the battle plan.

And at the time, he had only told his battle plan to Helian in advance.

No third person knew.

All these years, he had been unwilling to believe Helian would betray him and the K Empire.

But it wasn’t until Helian had nearly plunged that dagger into his chest a moment ago that he finally understood: in the end, he had just been too naive.

The relationship between them as brothers had long since become warped beyond recognition.

It was time for him to wake up.

It was as if Si Muye had grown up in an instant.

Watching Helian try to confuse him by playing the victim, Si Muye’s face hardened, devoid of emotion. He said in a cold voice:

”I will investigate this matter to the fullest and bring the truth to the ten thousand warriors who died that day. As for us, any brotherly affection died the moment you drew your blade against me. I will take you back to the Ancient Bear Family and hand you over to the family head myself. The entire clan will know what you have done today, and you will receive the punishment you deserve!”

Although infighting was constant within the Ancient Bear Family, open, bloody conflict between siblings was rare. For Helian to bring men to ambush him in private was a major taboo, and he had to be punished for it!

Hearing this, Helian’s eyes narrowed.

’Si Muye wants to take me back to the Royal City??’

’And hand me over for judgment by the whole clan?’

He instantly dropped his emotional act, his voice now laced with a hint of mockery.

”Oh, Third Brother. While I too would love for you to return to the Royal City, are you truly willing to leave that female you’ve been living with?”