Chapter 27: Brothers

The wanderer’s home was once the Li Garden; now, it is the Xiaoyun Manor.
When the name belongs to another, can it truly still be the wanderer's home?
Of course it can, for the Xiaoyun Manor holds those for whom the wanderer still yearns. And the only people who can hold a wanderer’s heart are women.

Inside the Xiaoyun Manor, a woman watched a man.
The woman’s complexion was pale and her frame delicate, yet she possessed a unique charm. Her eyes were bright, though tinged with a subtle, sorrowful indifference.
"Xiaoyun has been taken by them," she said to the man opposite her.
The man was a handsome, middle-aged figure dressed in rich, fine silks. This was her husband, Long Xiaoyun. And she was Lin Shiyin.
"I know," Long Xiaoyun replied.
He knew, of course. His son had been abducted, yet he was utterly helpless.
The ones who had taken his son were the Money Gang—a terrifying force. And what was even more terrifying was that the leader of the gang was his own sworn brother!
"They took Lin Xian'er, claiming she was wanton and the Plum Blossom Bandit, and you did not stop them," Lin Shiyin said. "Now, they have taken your son, claiming he is suspected of murder. And you still could not stop them."
Their conversation did not sound like that of husband and wife, but rather like two strangers.
Long Xiaoyun’s expression shifted. He clenched his fists, then loosened them. "It is not that I lack the ability," he said, "but that I am unable!"
To obstruct the Money Gang was to become their enemy. And there was no good end for those who crossed the Money Gang.
"So... you just let them take Xiaoyun!" Lin Shiyin’s face was etched with grief, and tears could not help but fall.
Lin Xian'er was her sworn sister; Long Xiaoyun was her only child.
Seeing the tears on Lin Shiyin’s face, Long Xiaoyun moved to wipe them away, but his hand stopped mid-air. He loved Lin Shiyin, but Lin Shiyin did not love him. He knew this well.
Was it right or wrong to marry a woman who did not love him? For ten years, he had tried his best to please her, but in the end... what had he gained?

He sighed. The problem now was not that; it was the Money Gang, and it was Li Xunhuan—his sworn brother.
Since returning from beyond the frontier, his dear brother had not come here. He feared Li Xunhuan’s return, yet he also feared that he would not come at all.
If Li Xunhuan returned, would he take back Lin Shiyin? Would he take back the Xiaoyun Manor and turn him into a laughingstock? All he possessed—the estate, the woman—was merely alms left behind by others, things they no longer wanted.
But it was even more terrifying if Li Xunhuan did not come, but instead built the Money Gang and swept across the entire martial arts world. With his actions, Li Xunhuan would prove that the Li Garden and Lin Shiyin were things he disdained.
Doubt, suspicion, helplessness, and unease acted like a heavy lock, binding them both. They could only wait, unable to do anything else.

"If there is no other way, I will go and beg him!"
The silence was broken by Long Xiaoyun’s sudden declaration. To beg one’s brother for the sake of one’s son—a man must have his own sense of responsibility.
Lin Shiyin wiped her tears. "Did you not say his temperament had changed drastically?"
They were not deaf; they had naturally heard rumors of what Li Xunhuan had done over the past six months. Nothing matched the Li Xunhuan they remembered.
Long Xiaoyun forced a smile to his lips to comfort her. "We are, after all, sworn brothers."
The word "brother" was his final anchor. In the end, he could only rely on his brother.
"I shall depart tomorrow! You should rest early," Long Xiaoyun added. "I must go and prepare."
He rose and left, departing from the Cold Fragrance Pavilion where Lin Shiyin resided. Back in his own quarters, Long Xiaoyun looked at the cold, empty room, sighed, and ordered his servants to pack for his journey.

The next day, Long Xiaoyun intended to leave, only to find he could not.
The person he intended to beg had come to him.
And he had not come alone.
The Xiaoyun Manor was surrounded, sealed tight. At his gates stood a sandalwood carriage drawn by eight white horses. The horses were as white as jade, without a single stray hair. In the martial arts world, not only legendary weapons attract attention; fine steeds are just as highly prized. The value of these eight white horses alone was nearly equal to half of the Xiaoyun Manor.
As for the carriage, it was simple and elegant, appearing quite ordinary. Only in an inconspicuous spot on the carriage was a single character: "Li."
The man driving the carriage was none other than the "Indestructible Demon God" Tie Chuanjia, a name that struck fear across the world.

Before and behind the carriage stood ten members of the Money Gang in gold-trimmed attire. Beyond them were eighteen beauties scattering fresh flowers, twenty-eight musicians playing instruments, and thirty-eight attendants carrying various chests.
The procession was magnificent and overwhelming. Standing at the entrance of the Xiaoyun Manor, Long Xiaoyun was left dumbstruck. In his memory, Li Xunhuan was never a man to show off.
The carriage curtains opened, and Li Xunhuan stepped out slowly. He looked at the Li Garden, which was no longer what it once was, and could not help but sigh.
Too many memories were contained within these walls—of his childhood, and of his adulthood with her.
"Big Brother, long time no see!" He gave a wicked smile to the dazed Long Xiaoyun at the gate.
Hearing Li Xunhuan call him "Big Brother," Long Xiaoyun felt a wave of relief. No matter what, Li Xunhuan still acknowledged him as his brother.
With a complex look, he gazed at Li Xunhuan, who was dressed in fine robes and appeared spirited, as if he had grown many years younger. "Xunhuan, long time no see."
No one noticed that Shi Fei had also stepped down from the carriage. He stood not far from Li Xunhuan, acting like a transparent man in the martial arts world, drawing no attention to himself.
Li Xunhuan looked up at the plaque on the gate and said to Long Xiaoyun, "Big Brother, I recall it used to be called Li Garden, did it not?"
Long Xiaoyun felt immensely awkward. The world knew this estate was the dowry Li Xunhuan had given to Lin Shiyin. Li Xunhuan was touching a sore spot.
"Xunhuan, you know..." Long Xiaoyun began, but before he could finish, Li Xunhuan interrupted: "Big Brother, you should not have changed the plaque. This is my home!"
Li Xunhuan spoke the words "Big Brother," but his tone was far from friendly.
Long Xiaoyun thought of the abducted Lin Xian'er and the captured Long Xiaoyun, and a surge of anger rose in his heart. "Xunhuan, have you forgotten? This was Shiyin’s dowry!"
"Even if it was her dowry, it should have been the Lin Garden!"
Hearing this, Li Xunhuan felt a deep sense of melancholy, yet he felt compelled to say, "I grew up here from a young age. Shiyin is my cousin, and you are my Big Brother."
"I respect you greatly and treat you as my elder brother!"
"But... this plaque is where you are in the wrong. How could you hang your own plaque in my home?"
He waved his hand, and immediately several men stepped forward with a new plaque, intending to tear down the words "Xiaoyun Manor" and replace them with "Li Garden."
Long Xiaoyun started to speak, but saw Tie Chuanjia step forward, staring him down.
He watched as his "Xiaoyun Manor" was taken down, yet he was utterly helpless.
His heart sank; he knew that Li Xunhuan had not come with good intentions.