Dead Dragon's Combat Manual

Chapter 22: Can People Really Change?

Years ago, in the Fang Clan's territory of the Blazing Sun City, a ragged youth stumbled onto the doorstep of the Fang Clan's Grand Elder. A sword wound ran down the youth's back as a sigil made from Metal Qi that empowered his body enough to move dispersed. The youth lay helplessly in front of the residence as his eyes were filled with despair.

The memories of his family's slaughter and the silhouette of the ungrateful scum who poisoned them was still fresh in his mind as the innocence and naivety that came with young age slowly disappeared from his eyes, leaving behind a husk of his former self.

"Little brother, what's wrong?" A boy of similar age walked towards him while eating a desert off a stick. The food of the Azure Sky Continent was similar to the interventions of the Heavenly Sect known the Stone Mountain Turtle Sect.

Unlike the Arctic Ocean Dragon Sect that focused more on recruiting female talents, the Stone Mountain Turtle Sect in the North was more diverse in every conceivable way possible. The former earned their way of living through helping Dao Seeking Martial Artists reach the realm of Heaven Combatants before allowing those who were willing to give up their Colourless Bloods for more tangible and long lasting benefits while the latter made their living through refining Spiritual Medicines.

Other than that though, the Alchemists of the Stone Mountain Turtle Sect also cooked and recorded recipes as a way to relax and get away from the tedious nature of refining pills. The delicacies of the Azure Sky Continent's northern region quickly became one of the most well known attractions that made even those who weren't Alchemists to want to travel to become part of their Sect.

The desert stick the ordinary-looking boy held was called a Gem Candy, a warm but sweet delicacy that was hard for average people to afford. The ragged youth instantly knew the well-dressed youth wasn't of simple origins.

But the fact that the well-dressed youth had Gem Candy wasn't what annoyed him the most. What was most infuriating was that despite the ragged youth definitely looking older, the well-dressed youth still referred to him as 'Little Brother'. There was even a hint of shame on the well-dressed youth's face as he seemed unwilling to use any other form honourifics to refer to him.

"Seems like you're not quite the talkative type, are you? My name is Fang Yun, you can refer to me as Big Brother if you like." Even after the ragged youth ignored him, he still wasn't discouraged as he decided to introduce himself while sitting down next to him. To the talkative youth, the ragged youth was a strange one to lay down next his grandfather's residence.

"Just leave me alone." The ragged youth said tiredly as his eyes seemed to lost in despair. He felt like his existence was so insignificant when thinking about how he couldn't protect anyone...

When his father sacrificed himself to write a sigil on his back, all he could do was run and hope that he would one day return to seek justice for his murdered siblings and parents. But it was only after calming down did he start to feel that revenge wouldn't be able to bring back his loving family and that he would never see them again...

Fang Yun sighed as he looked at the ragged youth with innocent eyes. He didn't know what happened to the ragged youth, but he felt the 'Little Brother' in front of him was quite pitiful. Usually, when he go off calling others his 'Little Brother', the other person would at least try to defend themselves and give him some attention. However, the ragged youth seemed too sad to even bother arguing.

"Little Brother, I don't know what you've gone through but I can at least guarantee that nothing bad will happen to you from now on." Fang Yun tried to cheer him up before taking quickly one of the soft 'gems' of his candy stick and shoving it in the ragged youth's mouth.