Chapter 121: This Was Taught to Me by Nezha

“We agree to follow you, but we hope that one day you will take us to avenge our grievances. Also, if we ever feel you lack the ability to command us, we will leave. Do you agree to this?” The younger brother spoke their terms. The elder brother stood silently behind him, offering no objection, only turning his head away, avoiding Zhang Xuan’s gaze.

“Alright, I agree. But since you’ve made demands, I’ll make one of my own in return—tit for tat,” Zhang Xuan replied.

The elder brother, initially ready to protest, was tugged gently by his younger sibling. “Speak, as long as it’s not too much, we agree.”

“Before you ever think I’m incapable of leading you, you must never betray me. And if you do feel I lack the ability, then you may leave—but at least tell me beforehand. I don’t want to be abandoned without knowing it,” Zhang Xuan said firmly. He had nearly added a request that if they left, they’d do him a favor first, but how could he doubt his own leadership? Despite lacking any “special powers,” wasn’t the advantage of his transmigration the new ideas and methods in his mind? Otherwise, all that knowledge would be wasted. At least he could bluff his way through, making them think he was truly formidable.

The younger brother pondered for a moment. “We agree. From now on, we will follow you. For now, we entrust our fate to you.”

Zhang Xuan felt uneasy the more he heard this. “Entrust your fate to me? Don’t be ridiculous! Never hand over your fate to anyone, least of all me. Your fate is yours to bear. Don’t think about dragging me—or anyone else—down with you. If you find fate unjust, then fight it to the end. Your life is not controlled by heaven, nor by me. Remember that? That’s the lesson Nezha taught me, and I pass it on to you. Only after the battle will you know if you can truly defy the heavens. Come on, consider yourselves lucky today—I’ll take you out for roast chicken. I’ve been holding this chicken for ages; if I don’t cook it soon, it’ll spoil.” Saying this, Zhang Xuan thought back to the direction they came from and how long he’d been holding the chicken. He felt guilty toward Brother Hu, who had been tending the fire all this time.

The younger brother watched Zhang Xuan’s retreating figure, mulling over his words. Though he didn’t know who Nezha was, anyone who spoke like that couldn’t be ordinary. Perhaps he’d never have the chance to break free from this man. After a moment’s thought, he shook his head, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, determined not to dwell on such strange matters anymore. He then greeted his equally dazed elder brother and followed Zhang Xuan.

After some wandering, Zhang Xuan finally found Yang Hu. But by then, Yang Zaixing, Yuwen Chengdu, and Zhao Yun had already gathered, some sparring, others doing aerobics. Noticing Zhang Xuan and his companions, Zhao Yun called out, “Brother Xuan, you’re back! What about the wild game? Hey, why are there two more with you?” Hearing Zhao Yun’s voice, the others stopped and looked toward Zhang Xuan.

Zhang Xuan realized there was no chance to eat alone. Brother Hu wouldn’t reveal such a secret, and he blamed the kidnapper who had detained him so long. Why had the kidnapper insisted on following him to the camp? What a waste of time. Running toward the camp, the kidnapper must be joking—he was already so miserable, and now he had to take the blame? This burden was far too heavy.

As Zhang Xuan approached, Yang Zaixing eyed the lone chicken in his hand and teased, “Just one chicken? You were gone so long. Not much of a haul, or are you not the type to eat alone?” He then glanced at the two newcomers with slight disappointment. “Where did you ‘kidnap’ these two from? Or did they trick you into bringing them here? Clever move, trying to deceive us. Brothers, get ready.”

“Hold on, hold on, big brother,” Zhang Xuan interrupted, “I think you’ve been a bit too cheeky lately. Looks like you need a lesson, but I can’t take you on. So go ahead, keep being mischievous. And stop filling your head with nonsense—even though spring’s coming, you’re not quite there yet! And I’m not the type to abandon you all and eat alone. I just happened upon this chicken while following the sound, so I caught it to make a meal. Although I didn’t find the source of the sound we’re after, I did bring back two people. Have you found anything? Oh, and I haven’t even asked their names yet...” Zhang Xuan was nearly out of breath from talking. After walking so far with these two brothers, it suddenly occurred to him that he hadn’t asked their names yet.

Yang Zaixing’s group was truly defeated by Zhang Xuan’s innocence. These two had followed him all this way, yet he still didn’t know their names.