In that case, they were all in great danger. Yue Xing realized that the demonic cultivators hadn’t attacked the Xu siblings’ village by coincidence. They had done so on purpose. This meant that someone in the Blood Lotus Cult already knew about the Xu siblings.

However, the demonic cultivators that Yue Xing killed weren’t disciples of the Blood Lotus Cult. They belonged to some other group. This meant that the person behind this wanted to keep the Xu siblings’ existence a secret. Otherwise, they would’ve acted openly instead of relying on proxies.

Even if that weren’t the case, those demonic cultivators must’ve had some kind of connection to the Blood Lotus Cult. That alone made them a serious threat. Otherwise, the Xu siblings wouldn’t have ended up in the Blood Lotus Cult at all.

It looked like they needed to reach the Myriad Path Sect sooner rather than later. That was the only way to keep the Xu siblings safe. The Myriad Path Sect was one of the few sects in the Myriad Valleys province strong enough to contend with the Blood Lotus Cult.

“Big Brother, what’s wrong?” Xu Shu asked, pulling Yue Xing out of his thoughts. “You don’t look good.”

Yue Xing gave her a reassuring smile, or at least tried to. He didn’t know how well he succeeded.

“Nothing’s wrong,” he said. “I was just thinking about the future.” He gestured to the Xu siblings. “Your future to be exact. How would you like to be cultivators?”

The three siblings stared at him in astonishment.

“Cultivators?” Xu Liang asked. “Us?”

Yue Xing nodded.

“That was why I examined the three of you,” he said. “To see if you had spirit roots, which are necessary to cultivate. And all three of you do, which means all three of you can become cultivators.”

When they realized that Yue Xing wasn’t lying or playing a cruel prank on them, the Xu siblings grew excited.

“I want to become like one of the cultivators in the stories!” Xu Laing said. “Flying through the sky, splitting mountains and seas!”

“I want to become a beautiful fairy, dancing in the moonlight!” Xu Shu said.

While Xu Zhen didn’t say anything, he joined his siblings in celebrating. Yue Xing found their excitement infectious, despite the worries plaguing him.

“Wait,” Xu Laing said, as if he just realized something. “If I become a cultivator, can I avenge our village?”

Everyone’s expressions faltered and the joyful mood fled.

“There’s no need,” Yue Xing said in a soft voice. “I killed the bad men who destroyed your village, remember?”

Xu Liang shook his head.

“Not them,” he said. “I mean the one who sent them.”

Yue Xing frowned.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

Xu Liang looked down at the ground and clenched his fists.

“Someone sent the bad men to our village to find us,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “That’s why they attacked. They were after us.”

Ah, so the Xu siblings already knew that someone was after them. That would explain a lot about their initial reaction to Yue Xing. They must’ve mistaken him for the person behind the attack on their village.

“It’s all our fault,” Xu Liang continued. “If it weren’t for us-”

Yue Xing interrupted him by placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Look at me,” he said.

Xu Liang continued to look at the ground.

“I said look at me,” Yue Xing said in a firmer tone.

This time, Xu Liang obeyed, though with great reluctance. There were tears in the boy’s eyes.

“It’s not your fault,” Yue Xing said, his voice calm and even. “You did nothing wrong.”

“But-” Xu Liang started to say, but Yue Xing cut him off.

“But nothing. It’s not your fault. You did nothing wrong. I will repeat those words as often as I need to. The one at fault is the person who sent those demonic cultivators after you. They’re the one in the wrong. Blame them, not yourself.”

Xu Liang nodded with a fierce expression on his face.

“I’ll find out who they are,” he said, his voice full of anger. “I’ll find them and kill them to avenge our village!”

Yue Xing flicked him on the forehead.

“No, you will not,” he said in a matter of fact tone.

Xu Liang stared at him in disbelief.

“Then what about our village? What about the people who died? What about Auntie and Uncle?”

Yue Xing looked the boy right in the eyes.

“I will find out who was responsible,” he said in a solemn voice, as if swearing an oath. “I will avenge your village, including your aunt and uncle.” He gestured to Xu siblings. “Your job as children is to grow up well and be happy. Leave everything else to me.”

“But why? You have no connection to our village. It’s our responsibility to avenge them, not yours!”

Yue Xing nodded.

“You’re right,” he said. “I don’t have a connection to your village. However, I have a connection to you.” He smiled. “I’m your big brother now, remember? I’ll take care of you, which includes settling your grudges.”

Xu Liang’s lips trembled.

“You mean it?” he asked, on the verge of tears.

“Yes. Trust me. Trust your big brother.”

Xu Liang hugged Yue Xing and broke down crying. He repeated the words “Big Brother” over and over again. The other Xu siblings joined in as well.

In that moment, Yue Xing knew that he would never be able to walk away from the Xu siblings. They had entered his heart and made themselves at home during their short time together. As far as he was concerned, they were his siblings in truth.

And he would do everything in his power to protect them.

***

Li Zhanhao glared at Rising Sun City in the distance and resisted the urge to curse. This was the worst possible scenario for him. Whoever had killed his subordinates and taken the children had brought them to Rising Sun City. As much as he would love to assault it to take them, he couldn’t.

Li Zhanhao was in Foundation Establishment, making him one of the most powerful cultivators in the local area. However, so was the city lord of Rising Sun City. The two of them had clashed a few times, with neither gaining the upper hand. Worst of all, several defensive formations protected Rising Sun City, which made attacking it even less viable.

For a brief moment, Li Zhanhao considered sneaking into the city to try and find the children, before deciding against it. Even if he somehow managed to get into the Rising Sun City, it would be just a matter of time before the city lord discovered his presence. At that point, he would be in a fight for his life.

No. He would have to rely on his subordinates. They were in Qi Refining, so they could blend in with the crowds. While they stank of demonic energy, he had taught them a concealment technique to hide it. As long as they were careful, they’d be able to enter Rising Sun City and search around without issue.

The problem was that the people who joined his Blood Wolf Gang weren’t the most subtle of people. Except for one.

Li Zhanhao looked at the woman standing beside him, the one who brought this matter to his attention in the first place. So far, she had proven herself the most reliable of his subordinates, especially when she found the tracks that led to Rising Sun City.

“You there,” he said, gesturing to her.

“Yes, Boss?” the woman said.

“Take three others and enter the city. Look for the children. When you find them, report back to me.” He pulled some spirit stones out of his storage pouch. “Here. This should be enough for a few nights’ stay.”

The woman nodded and gave him a martial salute. Afterwards, she picked three other subordinates and they all headed towards Rising Sun City.

As Li Zhanhao watched them go, he hoped he had made the right choice. He felt the noose tightening around his neck. If he didn’t find the children, and soon, he was a dead man walking.