Lu Yun narrowed his eyes. The million-strong Dusk Phalanx were his first troops in this world, and Yuchi Hanxing his first confidante outside the Envoys of Samsara and Infernum.

She guarded the Sword Lake to the south of Dusk Province with the Dusk Phalanx, her duty to ensure the continuous integrity of the province’s lifeline. Within the Sword Pavilion by the Sword Lake lay Dusk’s transportation formation, a strategic chokepoint that had to be protected by a strong, loyal army.

Thus, Lu Yun hadn’t summoned Yuchi Hanxing back to the capital city in all this time. She was permanently posted to the lake to guard the transportation formation while making use of the Sword Lake—another sacred training ground similar to the likes of the inheritance tower in Dusk City.

Lu Yun’s older brother had appeared out of nowhere and run off to the Sword Lake to make Yuchi Hanxing his concubine! It was enough to make Lu Yun’s blood boil.

“Ge Long.” He didn’t allow himself to hare off recklessly. Someone who was able to critically injure Lin Yu and Lin Xuan would be no weakling.

He projected himself into hell instead and found Ge Long, who was helping Qing Yu and the nine envoys in developing their deduction method. He wasn’t fully occupied, since he only played an assisting role.

“Milord!” Ge Long jumped off the floating peak when he saw Lu Yun’s projection, standing before him with a fawning smile.

“Do I have an older brother named Lu Feng?” asked Lu Yun.

Lu Yun originated from Earth and had reincarnated into the world of immortals through the power of the Tome of Life and Death. The reincarnation made him one and the same as this world’s Lu Yun, but he hadn’t been blessed with the body’s memories.

Ge Long was once House Ge’s grand steward, which had been the dominant house of Dusk City. He must know House Lu like the back of his hand.

“You do!” Ge Long continued after a bemused pause, “However, he was adopted by the old Dusk governor rather than a biological son. Your Excellency was born when he was eighteen, so the old governor sent him away then. I didn’t know where he was sent off to, though.” The old servant widened his eyes at Lu Yun. “Is the bastard back?”

“He is.”

Ge Long calling Lu Feng a bastard and the reports of what he’d been doing in Dusk Province over the past few weeks told Lu Yun enough about what kind of man his erstwhile brother was. What surprised him was that his ready-made brother had been sent away by his ready-made father when he’d been born.

“You must be careful, milord… Your brother is not to be trifled with.” Ge Long turned serious. “It’s said that the old governor found Lu Feng in an ancient tomb. He was an infant back then, but the strong fragrance he emanated marked him as an unusual child.

“When the old governor sent him away at eighteen years old, his cultivation had already reached peak spirit realm. He was just a step away from ascending to immortality!”

“Mm, I understand.” Lu Yun scattered his projection after a deep breath. It seems my knowledge of my own past is woefully inadequate. I didn’t even know about such a powerful older brother of mine.

Upon further thought, he concluded this was only to be expected. His brother had been away for fifteen years when he’d reincarnated into the world of immortals, and he’d been too busy with the matters at hand to look into his past.

More importantly, he wasn’t interested in that past.

……

Trouble brewed above the Sword Lake. The million-strong Dusk Phalanx had formed up and assembled into the Heavenly Formation of the Black Tortoise. The projection of an enormous Black Tortoise soared into the air, threatening enemies from afar.

The actual Black Tortoise residing within the lake had been eager to make a move as well, but it retreated after the projection had punted it away.

On the other side of the Sword Lake stood an opulently dressed young man holding a gilded fan. He struck a flippant pose opposite Yuchi Hanxing, who spearheaded the great heavenly formation. A flighty expression on his face, he gave her a suggestive onceover.

A frivolous fop through and through!

From the way he dressed to the way he behaved, everything about him screamed vanity and opulence. A group of Lu youths surrounded him like stars would the moon.

“Tsk tsk tsk. Sooo.... an ancient Black Tortoise mated with a contemporary White Tiger and produced a child with a dao constitution. However, the Black Tortoise was a thing of the past. You may have the power and bloodline of that divine beast, but you’re still a white tiger in essence.” Lu Feng flashed a grin. “Don’t worry, little white tiger. This big brother isn’t being serious. Someone with as precious a dao constitution as yours shouldn't be a mere concubine.”

The immortals and cultivators in the area could hear his voice, but strangely enough, they couldn’t understand what he was saying at all. Only Yuchi Hanxing could clearly hear him and understand his words.

A personalized transmission!

Yuchi Hanxing brandished her lance and leveled its sharp tip at Lu Feng, her determination completely unfazed and her weapon as steady as ever.

“If you want a fight, then fight,” she said coldly. “Cut the nonsense.”

Heavenly power gathered about her and she became one with the world. Her formation of heaven and earth was active!

As one of Lu Yun’s few confidantes not written into the Tome of Life and Death, it was only natural that she would be one of the first to obtain a formation.

Bam!

Frothing beneath her feet, the lake erupted as sword intent and corpses broke the surface to circle around the Heavenly Formation of the Black Tortoise. Meanwhile, a coupled mature Spiriteater Demon Frogs quietly emerged from the lake, eyes fixed on Lu Feng in preparation for an ambush.

“Feisty, aren’t you?” Lu Feng smiled. “Become my disciple. You were born with a dao constitution, one of the most powerful in the world. I don’t know who left you here as a contingency, but you shouldn’t be wasted in someplace like this.”

In the ears of others however, they heard only his flippant demand to make Yuchi Hanxing his concubine! Only Yuchi Hanxing could hear what he was actually saying.

“Shameless scum!” An immortal soared out from the Sword Pavilion with a snarl. “General Yuchi is the defender of the Sword Pavilion. She is not to be blasphemed by a fop like you! I’ll teach you good-for-nothing a lesson on behalf of Sir Lu Yun!”

He manifested a giant hand and grabbed at Lu Feng.

“Oh?” Lu Feng turned to the immortal, but didn’t make a move. Instead, the Lu youths escorting him did.

Bam!

One of the youths waved a hand and manifested a similar giant hand, knocking the immortal away.

“Teach Sir Lu Feng a lesson?” sneered the young man. “Not even Lu Yun would have the right to do that if he were here.”

“Is that so?” interjected a steely voice.