"Young man, leave your name, and if you have anyone at home, the three of us brothers will take care of them. You can go in peace," Green-hair said coldly.
"I'm Kent, and I have no last words to leave behind," Kent waved his hand, looking as if he had resigned to his fate.
The Mouse then said, "Alright, this is our first time killing someone, but we guarantee you'll go painlessly. Kid, choose your way of death—do you want to be shot, or have your throat slit? Of course, no matter how you die, we'll take your body and bury you, marking your grave with a monument. We hope you won't hold a grudge against us when you become a ghost, but we had no choice."
Kent's expression flickered, and his mind shifted again. He realized these three were men of principle, and killing him wouldn't be a good end. Besides, he had never killed anyone, and they weren't people he wanted to kill. So, he said, "I won't hold a grudge against you, but are you sure you want to go through with it?"
"Of course! Do you think we're joking with you?" Green-hair growled.
"Oh, it's not that, it's just that I'm very worried about one thing," Kent raised an eyebrow with a smile.
"What's that?" The Mouse asked sharply.
"I'm worried that you two can't kill me," Kent replied, then summoned Garfield and Wukong. "Come on, let me see what you've got."
"Young man, we'll make sure you get what you want."
One of the two enemies aimed a gun and opened fire, while the other threw knives. However, they heard a series of loud bangs as the bullets and flying knives hit Wukong's body, only to rebound like they'd struck a massive iron plate, sparking without causing any damage.
"So that's your backup. No wonder you're so confident," Green-hair said, realizing the situation. "But we have our own beasts too." He summoned a giant green orb. "Fool, go!"
The orb opened to reveal a hedgehog covered in green spikes, a Silver Tier 42-level beast.
The Mouse also summoned his beast, which was a mutated rat—its tail was abnormally long, its ears large, and four scythe-like fangs protruded from its mouth. Kent scanned it and found it was also a Silver Tier 42-level beast.
"Second Brother, tear that kid apart!" Green-hair ordered.
Kent's face twitched slightly. "What are these names? 'Fool', 'Second Brother'—is this meant to be funny?"
The green-spiked hedgehog and the monstrous rat charged at Kent.
However, halfway through, they stopped in their tracks as a much higher-level beast blocked their way. It was a 40+ level Cat King, a natural enemy of rats. The rat immediately began to tremble and even took a step back.
Meanwhile, the green hedgehog, originally charging bravely, turned into a defensive ball upon seeing a massive monkey swing down a huge hand. The spikes on its back shattered under the impact, and the hedgehog was sent flying into a pile of gold, unable to move.
Seeing this, Green-hair and the Mouse's expressions changed. They finally realized that this young man before them was far stronger than they had imagined.
"Brother Long, this kid's too strong! Wukong and Garfield are both Golden Tier beasts, and their levels are high. Even if you intervene, we probably can't handle him," Green-hair shouted to a third man.
Brother Long, who had been watching, now seemed stunned. Kent's beasts were Golden Tier and highly leveled. Even if he intervened, he wasn't sure he could defeat him.
"Mouse, Green-hair, do you believe it now? This Kent is clearly a prodigy. He's likely the disciple of a Magistrate, so we'd better give up," Brother Long hesitated.
"Give up? Brother Long, there's no turning back now. We've already crossed the line. Do you think this kid will let us go? It's impossible. We might as well fight for our lives; there's still a tiny chance we could survive," the Mouse said sharply.
Green-hair also urged, "Brother Long, this is our last chance. I believe in you."
Kent smiled faintly and watched as Brother Long made his decision.
Brother Long's face darkened. He gritted his teeth and said, "Alright. If we're brothers, we should live and die together. Let's give it everything we've got."
He quickly moved to the front, stood before Kent, and then suddenly dropped to his knees, banging his head onto the gold pile.
"Kent, yes, Kent, please show mercy and spare my brothers. If you let us go, I'll promise you anything. I'll even trade my life if needed, and won't blink an eye." His voice was filled with resolve and sorrow.
"Brother Long, what are you doing?" Green-hair cried out.
"Brother Long, I'm sorry. I never wanted to bring you to this point," the Mouse said, tears welling up.
Kent was moved. Although the situation was rather absurd, he couldn't help but feel touched. This scene of brotherhood wasn't like anything he had seen in the movies.
"A man's knees should only bend to gold, not to anyone else. Brother Long, even though you're kneeling, it's for your brothers, and I don't find it shameful," Brother Long lifted his head, eyes filled with resolution. "Kent, whether we live or die, please give us a quick decision. If Fire Dragon returns, my brothers won't have time to retreat, and you won't be able to escape in time."
Kent, deeply moved, thought to himself: is this true brotherly loyalty? It wasn't quite what he'd seen in films, but it seemed real.
After a moment of contemplation, Kent spoke, "Alright. Since Brother Long is so loyal, I can't go too far. I'll make a difficult request. If you agree, I'll consider this matter settled."
"Please, Kent, tell us. We'll do anything," Brother Long said with unwavering resolve.
Kent's lips curled into a smile. "How about you three become my little brothers?"
"What?" The Mouse was shocked.
"Impossible!" Green-hair shouted.
"What are you shouting about?" Brother Long remained calm and relieved. He let out a breath and said, "Kent, there's no problem with that. But I've always lived by one rule."
"What rule?" Kent asked with curiosity.
"The older brother should have meat to eat, and the younger brothers should at least get a sip of soup. Do you agree, Kent?" Brother Long's eyes gleamed with faith.
Kent was even more moved. He nearly choked on his emotions. "That's right. The old saying is true. I agree, but you three must swear an oath. After all, brothers should be ready to fight for each other. Only after you swear will I truly trust you."
Brother Long's face lit up, and he quickly waved his hands. "Mouse, Green-hair, come here. Kneel and greet your big brother!"
The Mouse and Green-hair were still in disbelief, stunned by the sudden changes. This felt like a surreal dream. But seeing Brother Long's resolute gaze and steadfast expression, they had no choice but to comply. They knelt in front of Kent and swore:
"By Heaven above and Earth below, we, Brother Long (the Mouse, Green-hair), now swear to recognize Kent as our big brother. From this day forward, we shall share both blessings and misfortune. We will not part, betray, or doubt him. If our big brother gets a piece of meat, we will share the soup. If we break this vow, may we be neither men nor women, neither human nor ghost, neither clean nor filthy, neither born nor dead, neither hurt nor healed…"
"Alright, that's enough. You can get up now," Kent interrupted them, thinking to himself that they were more skilled in using idioms than he was. He felt a little ashamed.
Once the three stood up, Kent released the green-spiked hedgehog and ordered, "We don't have time for more talking. I'll give you two minutes. Hurry and collect some treasures. We'll leave in two minutes."