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The Nie Mansion stood as a quietly amidst the bustling heart of Glory City, its stone walls draped in flowering vines that swayed gently in the evening breeze, veiling the awe-inspiring power of the Ten Thousand Beast Array slumbering beneath the estate.
The courtyard glowed with the soft light of paper lanterns, their warm flickers casting intricate shadows across the smooth cobblestone paths.
Nie Li led Duan Jian through the arched wooden gates.
Maids dressed in simple gray tunics paused their tasks, sweeping the stone paths and tending to the fragrant jasmine blooms and bowed toward him.
"Welcome back, Young Master," one maid murmured.
Nie Li nodded lightly, his focus quickly shifting back to Duan Jian, who trailed half a step behind him with quiet curiosity.
His strange dark wings were folded tightly against his scarred back, his imposing aura drawing glances from the maids as they slowly resumed their work.
Without pause, Nie Li guided him through the mansion's halls, past grand tapestries depicting ancient battles, until they descended a wide stone staircase into the underground training and research facility.
Ancient scrolls spilled across wide workbenches, their edges curled and yellowed with age, inscribed with intricate patterns.
Racks lined the heavy stone walls, holding an arsenal of weapons fine swords, heavy spears, and curved daggers, each etched with glowing runes.
A massive wooden table dominated the center of the hall, strewn with architectural blueprints, cultivation manuals, and texts written in languages long forgotten by the modern world.
Glass jars filled with rare alchemical reagents glowing herbs, preserved beast cores, and vials of colorful elixirs cluttered the shelves and corners, while a large, high-backed wooden chair sat like a throne amidst the organized chaos.
Nie Li turned toward Duan Jian, "What did you think of the people outside?"
Duan Jian met his gaze, his eyes were thoughtful, "They were… respectful. Far more than I expected. They seemed kind, It felt… strange, but good."
Nie Li nodded, a faint chuckle escaping his lips as he leaned back against the edge of the heavy table, folding his arms over his chest.
"Good instincts," Nie Li said, "They are loyal, every single one handpicked for their character. The Nie Mansion holds a unique place in Glory City, Duan Jian. From the outside, we appear small and unremarkable, but our roots run deep. That's a story for another day, though."
He paused, his smile widening with a hint of playful mischief. "Do you have any guess as to why they showed you so much respect?"
Duan Jian frowned, his dark wings twitching slightly as he considered the question. "Because I am your servant?" he said cautiously, then his voice edged with quiet confidence. "And… because I am strong?"
Nie Li laughed softly, shaking his head with amusement. "Strong? There is no doubt you are a force of nature, Duan Jian. But a servant?"
Nie Li's voice softened, "That is not how they see you. I told them you are my brother."
Duan Jian's eyes widened, shock rippling through his entire being like a stone dropped into calm water.
Dropping heavily to both knees, his breath caught, his voice trembling, "My Lord, I—I dare not!" he stammered, as his forehead pressed toward the stone floor.
Nie Li's expression softened further, kindness filling his gaze as he stepped forward.
"Stand up, Duan Jian," he commanded, "If you don't want to be my brother, that is entirely your choice but my mind is made up, it has been for a long while now. You carry a heavy burden, one that few people could ever truly grasp: the burning vengeance for your parents' deaths, and the agony of their loss."
"But listen to me: that burden cannot become a chain around your neck. It cannot limit you, and it cannot trap you within the cruel mold that fate designed for you."
Nie Li reached down, placing a hand upon Duan Jian's shoulder.
"I want you to embrace it—all of it. The pain, the loss, the things that were stolen from you, and the strength you hunger for. I would never tell you to abandon your revenge. If I were standing in your shoes, I would be burning with that exact same fury. Hell, I might not even possess the mercy you showed, being willing to spare the innocent bloodlines of that clan. If it were me, I would have torn them apart, root and stem."
His grip tightened, his words ringing with deep empathy. "But for the sake of your cultivation, for the sake of your future, for who you are as an avenger and a true kin of dragons, you have to rise high above them. Burn your enemies in the flames of the abyss, and then soar higher than anyone has ever dreamed. I know with certainty that you carry that destiny within you."
Nie Li's voice grew quieter, "You cannot lock yourself forever in the past, Duan Jian. Look beyond it, into the future. And when you are ready, I want you to accept my offer. Not as a subordinate or a servant, but as my brother. My family. An part of this life, this faction, and this new world I am building. It is not just your combat potential that I want, it is your heart. You are a man who loves deeply and fights fiercely, and there is no one else in this world I would rather call my brother than you."
Stepping back a pace, Nie Li extended his open hand, his eyes shining with hope.
"Do you accept me as your brother, bound by a blood oath?"
Duan Jian's breath hitched in his throat, as tears spilled from his eyes, dripping down his cheeks as an avalanche of long-buried memories rushed over his mind, his mother's gentle smile, his father's strong and protective hands, and all the precious warmth that had been brutally ripped away by the cruelty of the Silver Winged Family.
He looked up at Nie Li through blurred vision, his chest heaving with choked gratitude.
A wave of refined soul force pulsed gently from Nie Li's outstretched palm, harmonizing directly with the beat of Duan Jian's own soul sea.
In that single, breathtaking moment, Duan Jian saw it clearly before him: a real family, a home, and a brotherhood he thought had been lost to him forever.
"Master…" he whispered, his voice breaking.
Nie Li smiled, "Honor them, Duan Jian. I swear upon your parents' souls, this is what they would want for you. My family is your family now. My parents are your parents. We even have a lively little sister at home who would hate nothing more than seeing her big brother weeping in the dark."
He gave Duan Jian's shoulder an affectionate clap, his tone lightening. "Your name is Duan Jian, and it will always remain Duan Jian. You are their son, forever and always but you deserve to take this step forward, for yourself, and for them."
Wiping the tears from his face with a trembling hand, Duan Jian's chest rose and fell in deep, steady breaths as he rose to his feet.
An resolve hardened his features. Meeting Nie Li's clear blue eyes, he hesitated for only a fraction of a heartbeat before speaking,"Brother."
The word hung in the air, carrying the unbreakable weight of a sacred vow.
Nie Li's grin widened, his eyes sparkling with pride. "That's more like it."
Reaching into his interspatial ring, Nie Li retrieved the Abyss Demon Flaming Sword. The sleek, dark blade hummed with power, its dark metal wreathed in ribbons of faint, flickering fire.
"Here," Nie Li offered, presenting the heavy hilt with a nod. "A gift for my brother."
Duan Jian reached out, his calloused fingers curling around the grip as he gave the blade a sweep through the air, a brilliant burst of crimson flames ignited along the edge, casting a warm, dancing glow across the stone walls of the workshop.
"It… it feels great," Duan Jian murmured, a smile breaking through his hardened demeanor.
Nie Li chuckled, nodding in approval. "It suits you perfectly. Keep it by your side, and wield it well."
He clapped Duan Jian firmly on the back, and he turned toward the stone steps. "Alright, enough with the tears. We have a meeting waiting for us at the City Lord's Mansion. Let's move."
Ascending the stairs, they emerged from the facility back into the quiet, lantern-lit corridors of the estate.
When several family guards and attendants stepped forward to form an escort, Nie Li raised a hand, waving them off.
"Just the two of us," he said, leaving no room for debate. "Duan Jian and I will handle this meeting."
Stepping beyond the gates, the cool evening air washed over them. The soaring stone spires and timber roofs of Glory City stood silhouetted against a sky while the distant murmur of daily life drifted.
As they walked toward the upper administrative district, their figures caught the attention of two women standing near the entrance of the Inscription Department of the newly established Glory Academy.
Xue Yin, the esteemed elder dispatched from the City Lord's Mansion to oversee the inscription curriculum, leaned casually against an engraved stone pillar.
Standing right beside her was Ye Ziyun, her beloved niece, with her cascading tresses of purple hair.
Xue Yin tilted her head, and said admiringly, "That is Young Master Nie Li, isn't it?"
"I still find it hard to wrap my mind around it, he is so young, yet he has already achieved more than most venerable clan elders could accomplish in three lifetimes."
Ye Ziyun's gaze followed the departing silhouettes of Nie Li and the dark-winged warrior at his side.
"Yes…" she murmured softly, her voice filled with awe. "Nie Li really is… something extraordinary."
Xue Yin's eyes twinkled with playful mischief. Nudging her niece lightly with her elbow, she let out an airy laugh. "Weren't the two of you in the same class at the Holy Orchid Institute? Weren't you close friends back then?"
Ye Ziyun's porcelain cheeks instantly flushed a delicate pink. She waved her hands dismissively in sweet fluster. "We were classmates, certainly but we barely spoke a dozen words to each other back then. I always knew he was remarkably talented with inscriptions, but I had no idea he was so... anyways Aunt, do you remember that complex Silver Rank inscription scroll we analyzed a few months ago? He casually broke down the entire derivation for me in a matter of minutes."
Xue Yin nodded slowly. "He is an absolute marvel. When I first accepted the appointment to teach at this academy, he handed me a thick stack of foundational texts that he had authored himself. At the time, I scoffed inwardly. I honestly believed he was being patronizing. After all, I had spent decades immersing myself in inscriptions, and I assumed my mastery was solid but then I actually opened them and began reading."
She shook her head with a self-deprecating chuckle. "Compared to him, I was nothing more than an ignorant beginner playing with ink. In just a few short months under his guidance, my comprehension has leaped forward by leaps and bounds. I am currently inscribing high-tier arrays that I wouldn't have dared attempt in the past."
Ye Ziyun's eyes sparkled, "He is truly reshaping our entire world, isn't he?"
Xue Yin grinned, her tone turning impish as she winked. "You know, Ziyun… a young man of his caliber would make an incomparable partner. Just imagine—Nie Li as your boyfriend!"
Ye Ziyun's entire face turned bright crimson, her hands flying up in a flurry of flustered protest. "Auntie, please, stop!" she gasped, her tone a chaotic mix of embarrassment and nervous laughter. "I already know that he and Ning'er share an extraordinary bond. I only recently reconnected with Ning'er, and she is truly an amazing person. Besides, why would someone like him ever look twice at me? Everyone in the city praises me as a genius, but when standing next to him? I am… completely ordinary."
"Do not sell yourself short, silly girl," Xue Yin chided gently, placing a comforting hand on her niece's shoulder, "Look at how rapidly your strength has surged ever since you switched to that new cultivation technique. In just a matter of days, you successfully broke through into the Silver Rank! And remember, it was Nie Li's merit system that made that manual available in the first place."
Xue Yin gestured toward the bustling central square nearby, where the academy's public merit exchange pavilion stood.
Disciples and elders from various noble houses crowded around the counters, eagerly submitting work reports, alchemical ingredients, and ancestral manuals in exchange for merit points managed by the Guardian Spirit construct Nie Li had integrated.
The analytical construct evaluated every artifact, blueprint, and text against a database, dispensing customized cultivation arts and high-grade resources with precision.
The Snow Wind Family had contributed a wealth of clan heirlooms into the exchange, directly securing the supreme ice-attribute technique that had unlocked Ye Ziyun's stagnant potential.
Ye Ziyun let out a sigh, her voice tinged with lingering self-doubt. "Even with the full weight of the Snow Wind Family supporting me, pouring countless resources into my daily training… how could I ever hope to catch up to Ning'er? Or to someone like him?"
Xue Yin smiled warmly, giving her niece's shoulder an affectionate squeeze. "You will find your own pace, Ziyun. Your light is already beginning to shine just keep moving forward, one step at a time."
Further down the wide avenue, Nie Li and Duan Jian unaware of the conversation unfolding behind them, kept walking.
The grand compound of the City Lord's Mansion loomed ahead at the end of the road.
Its towering stone gates were flanked by massive statues of snarling blizzard beasts, standing as a timeless monument to Glory City's enduring survival.
Duan Jian marched with his head held high, the Abyss Demon Flaming Sword resting securely across his broad back.