Before dismissing him, An Hongyu offered An Sun to stay for a day before departing off due to his long travels to come there. After speaking with his father, An Sun swiftly strode out of the tent with light steps.
Outside the tent, the stiff and cold expression on his handsome face remained. Two young male members of the An Clan, cousins of both An Sun and An Ruo, stood a few feet away.
Watching the young man exit the tent to see his usual stoic expression, both felt a sense of disappointment and bitterness. Not a ripple of emotion was revealed on his face.
The two young men glared at An Sun, their eyes filled with intense hatred. When An Sun's frosty eyes turned to them, they flinched – a cold sweat spreading down their backs.
His cold empty eyes made their previous glares falter and they unconsciously took a step back. The oppressive aura his stare exuded was so intense that it made them feel as if their chests were going to collapse!
Without uttering a word, An Sun withdrew his dead eyes from their figures and continued to walk onward, back to his tent.
Once the threatening young man was out of sight, both found themselves releasing the big breath they held in. The man had merely stared at them, but they were already so overwhelmed by his intense aura.
"Is it just me, or had he always been that intimidating?"
"Tsk, it's probably because the runt has been out in the battlefield lately. Arrogant bastard. Once Uncle removes him from his position, he'll be back to his old, useless self!"
"Mm, you're right."
Although both said this, internally they knew An Sun's strength surpassed their skills both mentally and physically. It pissed not just them off, but the majority of the young clan members. Especially those who had been trained since birth.
To be exceeded by a mere runt, a bastard of the clan...It was infuriating.
As soon as he reached his tent, An Sun's calm and focused expression ceased. His face turned cold as if it had been immersed with a layer of frost, the air surrounding him suddenly became thin.
"Damn it." The icy aura within his eyes was growing more and more intense.
He slumped down tiredly in a nearby seat. Taking the mask off his face, a conflicting look shadowed his striking features.
Killing Duyi Zhong…was something he could not do.
Unlike Governor Tao, Duyi Zhong was a man he considered his ally. Once considered an ally, he dared not think of turning his back on them. But such thoughts were not considered in the An Clan.
A chilled and empty laugh left his perfectly shaped lips. How could he have forgotten these were the ways of a Tuhan?
It was all about control, power and kill - no matter if they surrendered or were innocent. If they got in the way of what they wanted, they'd dispose of any obstacle.
These were reasons as to why his brother despised him so much.
A strange glint flashed in the young man's face, his eyes were particularly dark. An Sun sighed and poured himself a cup of wine from the jug in front of him and downed it in one go.
…
With hardly any sleep that night, An Sun awoke the following day and left his tent to prepare for his return to the camp.
"If father doesn't have any further requests, I'll be departing off now." An Sun's head lowered slightly and his hands cupped into fists.
An Hongyu's pressuring eyes dimmed, "Mm, don't forget my orders from last night. Upon your return, I want to see Duyi Zhong's head on my floor. As a reward, you can keep their treasures and keep some for you and your men."
An Sun clenched his fists and lowered his head even further.
"Yes."
"Mm, good. You may go now."
An Sun left the tent with an inscrutable expression, but upon a closer look, one could see that the depths of his eyes darkened. Walking toward his horse, An Sun was stopped by a familiar voice.
"It's a shame to see you going back so soon, little brother."
An Sun's eyes turned a shade gloomier to their voice. Sweeping his gaze to the side, his eyes were greeted with An Ruo's dark black eyes - eyes so different from his own.
"I hope things go well for you upon your return. I'm certain you'll complete father's orders effortlessly." An Ruo said, his eyes narrowing up.
An Sun's gray eyes contained traces of indifference, his expression explicating he held no intention to respond. Toward his silence, An Ruo's smile grew more contemptuous.
"Stubborn as always I see." He chuckled. "Don't be too upset, father only meant to help hasten your plans for you."
"In that case, thank him for me." An Sun mounted onto his horse.
An Ruo continued to smile. "Of course. Travel safe, little brother."
An Sun paid no need to his words and ushered his horse forward, leaving the An campgrounds. An Ruo watched his figure grow smaller in the distance, the smile on his face vanishing from sight and his face twisted, revealing a sinister expression.