Placid Brother with no Core

Sun Yin almost bit her lower lip in frustration. Someone managed to hack into her protective arrays and steal the Cinder Army away from her grip. Perhaps it was the reason why she woke up. She slept along with her Cinder Army, and now that they were awakened, she awakened with them.

She drained the contempt written all over her face. She knew what her Cinder Army was capable of, and she must get them back. No one was allowed to take them away from her; they were her children. No mother would let anyone fish her children while she was asleep.

However, the matter plagued her mind more than she thought it would. Aside from getting angry, she also felt confused. Why would someone try to regain control of her Cinder Army? The place seemed to be at peace. She heard of neither the threat of wars waged nor the suffocating oppression of one sect to another. There were no talks about powerful Demonic Beasts roaming the world as well.

Instead of vanishing her own children blindly, Sun Yin chose to investigate. When she got to find the mastermind, then that would be when she would attack relentlessly. The Bride of Corpses would always choose to zero in her targets instead of wiping out the entire sect. For now, she should get as much information from the wounded cultivator.

"When did they come?" Sun Yin looked up to see the arch denoting the territory of the Huayuan Lin Sect. She was now inside their home. They entered the temple through the main gates, their speed making everything a blur.

"Just hours earlier. Our brothers thought they were just rogue zombies... until they started lashing through the guards with ease." The man took a hard turn and arrived at the crowded infirmary.

The doctors and cultivators with medical practice ran around to tend to the wounded. The floorboards creaked once too many every time three or more people moved at the same time. Many brothers were lying down: some of them were already dead yet unmoved. There were also some who kept on screaming in pain, feeling the loss of their limbs. Most fatal injuries were slashes from the hardened claws of the Cinder Army.

Sun Yin frowned at the dead man next to her. She took a good look at the wound, making sure it came from the children. After a thought crossed her mind, she turned to see the brother who got her there. She lost the man next to her and sooner found him looking for a space. He waved at her, and she had to deliver the dying man to the bed.

A practitioner came to their help and took the wounded Shen off of their hands. Even though his brother would not leave him, he had to.

"I must deliver vital news to Master Lin. Thank you for your help, Big Sister!" He clasped his hands in gratitude before running off and vanishing around the corner.

Sun Yin only pouted and looked around the chaotic infirmary. Her children could easily be patched up and fixed through Yuanyan's [Healing Song]. She never saw how gruesome it was to fight against her back in those days.

Her gaze traveled from one side to the other. She spotted a man sitting on the side, chugging a jar of fine wine with a grumpy face. He appeared to be a drunkard by the way he was dressed. His robes were sloppy like how he tied his hair behind him. However, there was this fierceness in his eyes. His face was already red from drinking, but he was conscious. He seemed to know what was going on, but he moved no muscle.

Sun Yin decided to take a seat next to him. "Big Brother, why are you not helping them?"

"Who are you?" He turned to her, unfazed by her beauty. Perhaps he had seen her carry a big man with minimal effort. He would have erased the word 'delicate' from her description. "You're not from here, are you?"

"No. I was merely passing by when Brother Shen fell on top of me." She covered her mouth with her sleeve as if a fragile princess missing her fan. "Big Brother, if you won't help them, will you help me instead?"

"I'm not like them. I can't help even if I want to." He took a chug from the wine. He splashed some a bit, but neither of them minded. His eyes slid to the corner and saw her remain by his side. When she did not flinch from the splash, she just told him she was no noble.

He brought the jug down, making sure it was empty. He got up from the floor and walked away. "Let's talk somewhere else."

Sun Yin laid a last look at the infirmary before following the man back to the entrance of the Lin temple. They came across some more cultivators, but they gave the drunkard weird gazes. Weird for Sun Yin, at that. Their eyes were filled with scorn. They were cultivators of 'clean' energy, and yet their hearts surged with resentment.

There was a huge tree near the entrance. It seemed to mark the front side of the training ground next to it. Since the Cinder Army was attacking, even their junior brothers and sisters were forced to fight. The training grounds were empty, and so it was a good place to talk.

The drunkard ducked to uncover a hole in the tree. He pulled out a jug of wine and hid the hole again. He leaned at the bark next to the hole and drank more of his alcohol. Sun Yin only waited for him to finish his chugging. She had her hands behind her like an expectant host.

"You said you need my help? What for?" He began talking again after wiping the wine that dripped from his lips.

"I want to know which exits they were taking to leave the city." Sun Yin smiled. "Fighting will be heavy there so I want to avoid it."

"I thought you'd join the fight. You're like them, right?" He took another chug.

Sun Yin frowned at the man. She could not feel any core from inside of the man. He did say he was not like them, but why did he stay with them? Why did he live in a place filled with mockery especially designed for him? They let him loiter, but their gazes were enough to drive an ordinary man crazy.

She only hummed, tilting her head to the side. "Big Brother, why are you here? This is a sect's temple. Why do you live here?"

"Why do you care?" The man huffed as he finished his jug. Seeing that she was starting to become nosy and annoying, he opted to lead her out of the city. "Come on now, we're leaving Huayuan."

"You're coming with me?" Sun Yin covered her mouth as she giggled. "Oh, my, what should I do? I had never traveled alone with a man before. You might do something to the delicate me …"

The man snorted with his shoulders jerking. He just stopped himself from ridiculing her. "Delicate, you say? You just carried a man like he's a piece of pillow."

"Lu Bang!"

A call came from the main hall of the temple. A man guised in a spotless white robe with red gradients stood before a group of ten. His demeanor was kind yet superior, and his men looked scary and ready to tear limbs with their bare hands. The same man had a golden sash belt, in contrast to the ten men's blue. Sun Yin took a closer look by squinting her eyes a bit; the man was the master of the Huayuan Lin Sect.

"Lin Kun," the drunkard, whose name was Lu Bang, answered. His voice was as monotonous as it ever was, ignoring the rank of the man who called out to him. He was wearing the dark red sash, meaning he was just a regular member.

"The Cinder Army is about to reach the last array formation to the north of the city. I need you to help Lin Dong's group in evacuating the people. They're in the central plaza by now." Lin Kun turned to his troops and directed them with an order unheard by Sun Yin. He watched them leave before walking closer to them. "You can manage crowd control, yes?"

Lu Bang sighed and scratched his head. He turned to Sun Yin. "Do you mind coming with me to the plaza? We're evacuating citizens after all."

Sun Yin only nodded in response. Lu Bang turned to the man before him. "Lin Kun, there's no point in being a hero. It's the Cinder Army we're fighting. The Bride of Corpses will never attack a city. If she does, then this must be some kind of diversion. She could be hunting you or someone else." He leaned closer to whisper: "Be vigilant."

"Ah, still hung up on that, aren't we?" Lin Kun reached out to pat Lu Bang's shoulder. "Worry not, Brother. Our father—if not all of our ancestors—watches over us. We will not perish in the hands of evil—"

Lu Bang grabbed the man's hand and gripped it tightly. "You might not believe the books, but believe me, Lin Kun. You didn't meet the Bride of Corpses in battle; I did. Trust me when I say this is a trap."

Lin Kun furrowed his brows and stared at the intense glare Lu Bang was giving him. He tugged on his hand, but his brother would not let go. He could only give in and sigh. "I will take precaution. Now, head to the central plaza to assist Lin Dong."

The drunkard had no choice but obey the master of the sect. He turned to the woman and jerked his head as if asking her to move with him. Sun Yin followed the man, only to halted by Lin Kun with a word.

"Ah, my lady!" He waited for Sun Yin to look at him. "My lady, what is your name? I haven't seen you around."

"Bring me a head from the Cinder Army. Then you'll learn a thing or two about me... and my body." She winked at the man before prancing towards Lu Bang. She turned to the distant man while walking away. She yelled while waving her hand. "See you soon, Master Lin!"

Lin Kun blushed at the whisper. "Such a vulgar woman… I shall not let her taint my brother."