Sigh..
In the quietness of the carriage, a soft sigh could be heard. It was seemingly filled with pain and heartache, but mostly helplessness.
"It has been two days already, why have you still not woken up?" Wei Sang gazed at Wang Zheng's unconscious body with self-blame and guilt in his eyes, he quietly crouched down and started to remove the bandages from Wang Zheng's body.
Wang Zheng lay quietly seemingly in deep sleep, from head to toe his body was fully wrapped in bandages, only leaving enough gap for some ventilation. Even though the only injury he suffered was on his head and maybe some bruises on his abdomen, Wei Sang didn't dare take chances. It just goes to show his deep brotherly love and care for his younger brother.
"Ahh, I don't understand. His wounds have already healed from using that medicinal paste, then why? Why is he still not waking up!?..... Damn it!!" Wei Sang clenched his fists in frustration, his struggles were clear to see.
'Only if I had gotten up a bit sooner, then brother wouldn't have had to suffer like this.' The thought tormented him endlessly, each time it surfaced, it felt like a sharp blade slicing through Wei Sang's heart, leaving him breathless and in agony.
As the disappointed faces of his late parents appeared in his heart it only worsened his mental and emotional state, making it even harder for him to cope.
Nonetheless, this pain was still bearable for him. But the sick feeling of frustration and helplessness that engulfed him was intolerable, it made him realize just how pathetic and insignificant he was. It felt awful every single time.
'Damn it, what should I do?? Should I take him to a doctor... but I've already spent all our funds on those healing pastes. And finding a doctor in this land is like finding a bucket of water in a scorching desert. My only hope now is to reach the Astal Flame Sect as quickly as possible. There must be doctors there, but... it's another five-day journey to get there. Brother, you must hold on until then!' Wei Sang quietly prayed in his heart as he diligently fed Wang Zheng some kind of medicinal soup he had picked up.
As Wei Sang gazed at his brother's face his mind wandered, the sweet and bitter memories of their past locked deep down in his heart unfurled itself.
The Wei brothers were brought up and raised in a small mortal village consisting of only several dozen households. Their parents have all been good-natured farmers living simple lives.
Despite their humble origins, this pair of brothers housed grand ambitions and dreams. They dreamed of the day when they could become immortals, freed from sadness and worries, dressed with luxurious golden robes and satiated with wondrous meals, a life of freedom while soaring through heaven and earth.
More than anything else, they yearned for the unrivaled power that came with it, to exact revenge on a particular individual.
Who was this mysterious individual??
Who else could incite such a fervent desire within them, if not for the one who had robbed them of their beloved parents.
At the tender age of eight, Wei Sang and Wei Wushang experienced a tragedy that changed their lives forever, their parents were brutally killed by an immortal cultivator over some insignificant issue.
While Wei Sang was not present at the scene, Wei Wushang had personally experienced it. He was spared only by the grace of circumstance - the murderer, Immortal Chen Dai, happened to be celebrating his daughter's birthday that fateful day and spared Wei Wushang from his wrath.
Wei Sang took one last look at his brother before squatting back up, he turned towards the other warm body in the carriage, it was a brown-skinned middle-aged man with a thick beard who was firmly tied down with the help of a rope.
"Uncle Ye... let's depart now." Wei Sang spoke, he carefully untied Uncle Ye and then motioned him to follow him closely. This Uncle Ye looked at him with hidden bitterness but did as he was told without showing any cues of resistance on the outside.
He even showed a flattering smile on the surface to please Wei Sang.
Wei Sang noticed this but he could only smile bitterly. This Uncle Ye was the person in charge of taking them to the Astral Flame sect, he was a reasonable man.
But when he had seen the bodies of the other youths of his village who were almost beaten to death by Wei Sang, his disposition towards the Wei brothers changed, but after being 'educated' by Wei Sang, Uncle Ye stopped opposing him.
Besides, what benefit would he gain from showing resentment?
As for Wei Sang, the poor boy had no other choice but to resort to some forceful methods to protect his younger brother, he had to make this Uncle Ye fall in line. Wei Sang didn't like what he was doing right now. Nonetheless, to protect his little brother Wei Sang hardened his heart and went with it anyway.
Both Wei Sang and Uncle Ye stepped out of the carriage and quickly headed toward the driver's seat resuming their journey right away.
The carriage once again fell into silence, nevertheless sobbing and growling sounds could be heard occasionally within the carriage.
These pitiful sounds originated from those savage youths who had previously assaulted Wang Zheng like barbarians, they were now lying in one dark corner of the carriage with their hands tied behind their backs, all while enduring the pain of their fractured bones.
Without a doubt, the culprit behind their misery was Wei Sang. He hadn't thrown them off the carriage just yet, he chose to keep them for the time being to let Wang Zheng personally punish them.
But it would be a lie to say he hadn't delivered some 'Justice' himself, not only did he break their legs. He also hadn't spared them so much as a grain of rice, only supplying them with enough water to keep them barely alive.
These children were starving beyond compare, when did they have to suffer like this? Back in the village, they had plenty to eat and even spare some. The Wei brothers were the ones who were having a problem, but the situation changed rather quickly. Now these children were filled with regrets.
Time continued to tick away, one second at a time. Soon, a minute passed then an hour.
But at this instant a change occurred, Wang Zheng's eyebrows twitched.
Wake up...
Wake up!
JUST WAKE UP, GODDAMNIT!!!
"Gasp!!"
A pair of pitch-black eyes opened as Wang Zheng's body exhaled deeply, his body lurched into a sit-up position. His breathing was long and powerful as if every breath of air was precious beyond belief.
"Huff, it's finally over..." Wang Zheng stared at his hands before his eyes quickly inspected the enclosure. Looking at the pile of bodies laying in the corner, a cold and callous smirk crept to his lips.
"Before that..." Wang Zheng carefully inspected his body, checking for any injuries. But to his surprise, they weren't any and his physical constitution had even improved a tad bit.
'Wei Sang, it must be his doing. Though it isn't surprising considering big brother's personality. He must have ransacked everything from those snort-nosed brats. Hehe, he even kept them alive for more suffering, a considerate big brother indeed.' Wang Zheng snickered internally, but his eyes suddenly grew colder as he thought of something.
'Wait, did I just refer to him as my big brother..?' Wang Zheng frowned deeply, his eyes narrowed as he felt a headache coming.
'Did inheriting Wei Wushang's memories affect me? But what if I am Wei Wushang and it was Wang Zheng's memories and life experiences that influenced my personality?' Wang Zheng immediately fell into a dilemma, his mind went into a downward spiral. It felt like a neverending loop of confusion, the deeper he went the more baffled he grew.
The memory transfer had not only given Wang Zheng a complete understanding of his current position, but it also granted him the right amount of emotions, thoughts, and beliefs that belonged to the original Wei Wushang.
If the memory transaction was only a process where Wang Zheng had to sit back and watch Wei Wushang's life play out like a movie, it probably wouldn't have affected him much with his firm personality. But because Wei Wushang's memories were directly etched on his soul, it gave Wang Zheng the feeling that he was not only Wang Zheng but also Wei Wushang at the same time.
But fortunately for Wang Zheng, his original self was a strong-willed individual with extreme ideologies and beliefs, which allowed him to take in most of Wei Wushang's memories without provoking monumental changes to his personality.
But it would be a lie to say that the current Wang Zheng was the same Wang Zheng of the past, they were sure to be some changes, both minor and some not-so-minor. But as to what these transitions and changes were no one knew, only time could tell.
'Who am I?'
'Am I Wang Zheng? Or Wei Wushang..?'
"Ahh, how frustrating!" Wang Zheng growled in a low voice, he abruptly stood up and paced around with hands behind his back.
He walked from left to right and then from right to left, then repeat. He walked and walked until his legs grew tired, only then did he sit down.
He sat with his legs crossed like he was getting ready to cultivate, but his hands were locked with each other as they tightly held up against his chest, he intently stared at the group of youths crammed up the corner.
But he quickly lost interest in them. This spiritual journey of finding self continued for a long time before Wang Zheng suddenly snapped out of his trance.
"Ha! It's all meaningless, isn't it? Who gives a damn if I'm Wei Wushang or Wang Zheng? I may have been Wei Wushang and Wang Zheng in the past, but that's all irrelevant now." He paused for a moment, catching his breath. "Wang Zheng, Wei Wushang, they're just labels, meaningless distinctions in the grand scheme of things. What matters is that I'm still standing, still breathing, still striving to attain what I desire."
Wei Wushang's eyes shined brilliantly, "Free from the shackles of the past, I am the new Wei Wushang. I shall not be defined by the labels of Wei Wushang or Wang Zheng, but by the path I have carved for myself. A path filled with blood, sweat, and tears, where I'll face all the obstacles this world has to offer. I'll create mountains of corpses and rivers of blood if I must. To attain Eternal Freedom, I'll sacrifice everything, even if it means sacrificing myself, I will do so willingly, for only then will I be able to leave this world with no regrets. Yes, I am the new Wei Wushang, the one who is free. Hahaha..." Wei Wushang raised his head and placed both of his hands on his waist and started laughing loudly like a maniac.
"Haa-!" Wei Wushang's laughter came to an end as he noticed that the carriage he was on had suddenly halted.
"Tsk, I think I just gave myself another headache." Wei Wushang snorted, shaking his head ruefully as he turned his attention toward the door.
Thud, thud, thud, thud...
Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps grew louder and louder until the door was thrown open with a violent slam.
The brightness of the sunlight pricked Wei Wushang's eyes, causing him to squint. With the bright sunlight as his background, a dark shadow attached to a robust teenager appeared before him.
He had thick eyebrows, a tall and straight nose, and short purple hair. Although his face was somewhat young and tender, his body was sturdy and well-muscled, looking extremely manly. It was Wei Wushang's elder brother, Wei Sang!
"Big Brother.." Wei Wushang was calm as he looked at his brother, but his eyes held untold emotions.
"Wushang..." Wei Sang called out in a low voice as his body slightly trembled, he took large strides towards Wei Wushang.
Within a couple of breaths, he stood right before Wei Wushang and looked him in the eye.
The brothers quietly gazed at each other, time seemed to have slowdown at this instant.
Wei Sang didn't say a word as he slowly raised his right hand as if he was about to slap Wei Wushang.
Wei Wushang's eyes widened, but surprisingly he didn't retaliate. Instead, he simply closed his eyes and accepted it.
One second...
Two seconds..
Three seconds passed but the awaited pain never came.
"Huh?" Wei Wushang slowly opened his eyes, but Wei Sang was nowhere to be seen. Just as he was about to call out for him, Wei Wushang's eyes darted downwards.
There, he saw his brother slumped on the ground, his hands covering his face as tears flowed out from his eyes unceasingly like a river.
"You are alive, thank God you are alive...sob..sob..."
"I... was so scared, scared that you would die, I.. I thought I was going to be all alone. I was so afraid... why did you have to scare me like that! damn you, damn you!"
"Why didn't you try to wake me up? why?? This would never have happened if you had just woken me up. What would have I done if you had died?!"
".....Whom would I call family?"
Wei Sang's voice broke as he scolded and shouted until all he could do was weep uncontrollably.
The air was filled with an uncomfortable silence as Wei Wushang stood there, unsure of how to react to his brother's sudden outburst of emotions.
Then, after a long time. Wei Wushang who had been silent as a sculpture the entire time slowly kneeled down.
"Hmm?" Wei Sang suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, he slightly raised his head and saw Wei Wushang staring right at him, dead in the eye.
Wei Wushang felt his heart itch as a very strange feeling crept up his heart, tears unwillingly rolled down his eyes as he spoke with much difficulty, "I am sorry brother, please forgive me. I will not do it again, I promise!"
Wei Sang slowly lowered his hands from his face, his tears leaving tracks down his cheeks. "I... I forgive you, but you better keep your word.." he whispered hoarsely, his voice shaking with raw emotion.
Wei Wushang let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, a small smile appearing on his face. "Thank you, brother." he said. But then, his expression turned sour, "But come on, the waterworks have to stop at some point, right? Honesty, you look uglier than a pig when you cry."
Wei Sang's eyes bulged, he simply stared at his brother. And then, without a word, he raised his hand and delivered a sharp slap to Wei Wushang's cheek.
Slap.
For a moment, the two brothers stared at each other, Wei Wushang rubbing his stinging cheek. And then, suddenly, they both burst out laughing, the tension in the room finally broken.
••••••••
"Ah, so that's what happened. I understand, just for interrupting their rest they showed such aggression, truly savages, I thought too highly of these scums." Wei Sang shook his head lightly before shooting a disdainful look at the band of youths piled up in the corner.
"Morons indeed." Wei Wushang said with a smirk on his face, but internally he was a bit perplexed.
'This entire situation feels incredibly bizarre. Everyone in the village, including the children, was well aware of Wei Sang's extraordinary strength. Yet they brazenly attacked me in his very presence, not even a retard would do something like that.'
'I refuse to believe any sane person would do that, even if they were a bit impulsive they shouldn't have gone to such an extent. Even in the past, there isn't anything that particularly stands out that would make these brats hold such a strong grudge against me either.'
Wei Wushang felt the situation was a bit peculiar, it didn't feel natural to him. However, he couldn't quite put his hands around it as something felt missing.
'Sigh, whatever I can't think of anything.' Wei Wushang stroked his chin as he silently contemplated the situation, but he quickly put this thought in the back of his mind.
"Hmm, brother how long before we reach the Astral Flame sect?" Wei Wushang questioned.
Wei Sang responded: "We still need five days to reach the sect. Fortunately, the sect examination is a week from now, we have more than enough time."
"A week.... huh, what about rations? And what about Uncle Ye does he know about this mess." Wei Wushang asked nonchalantly.
Wei Sang sighed before answering, "Rations are not a problem we have plenty left for the three of us. About Uncle Ye... sigh, forget it."
Wei Wushang nodded while secretly studying Wei Sang's expression, it was not hard for him to guess what had transpired but it was always better to get an actual confirmation.
"Brother, can you get me the map from Uncle Ye?" Wei Wushang said politely.
"Fine, but you need to rest. Even though you look fine, there is always a likelihood of things going south." Wei Sang said before getting up and slowly walking out of the carriage.
Wei Wushang calmly watched him exit, but he raised his eyebrows when he saw his elder brother suddenly halting.
Wei Sang slightly turned his back as he lightly glanced at a certain corner of the carriage and said in a deep voice, "How do you intend to deal with them?"
Wei Wushang followed his brother's line of sight and looked at a dark corner, a wide grin flourished on his face.
"Oh… that, hehe."