Chapter 30: Brotherhood (Part 2)
The people around them, hearing Han Ming’s words, began to understand. Their respect for Han Ming grew even deeper. *This is what a true man should be like!* They cheered loudly, their voices filled with excitement.
Han Ming turned to Li Chengfeng and said, “In this world, how many things are truly worth caring about, worth risking our lives for? Money and status? They mean nothing. You can’t take them with you when you die. Only bonds of friendship and kinship are truly precious. They can’t be bought with any amount of gold. If we have family and friends but fail to cherish them, even if we become wealthy and powerful, even if we stand on the streets throwing money at passersby, we’ll never earn a sincere glance or a warm greeting from a loved one.”
The crowd erupted in applause, praising Han Ming’s words. They, too, understood this truth. They lived and died by the sword, risking their lives day in and day out. Why? For their families—to give their parents, wives, and children a better life. In this harsh, materialistic society, people had been chasing fame and fortune for so long that they had become numb. Only those who faced life and death together truly understood the value of genuine bonds.
Li Chengfeng, deeply moved, gripped Han Ming’s hand tightly. “Brother, you speak so well! I knew I wasn’t wrong about you!”
Han Ming smiled, cupping his hands in gratitude to the crowd. He then led Li Chengfeng back to their table and told him everything about Wei’er.
Li Chengfeng listened in silence for a long time. At first, he had thought Wei’er was just a girl Han Ming was close to. He hadn’t expected her story to be so tragic, yet so inspiring. He was moved by her dreams and her bravery in standing up for Han Ming and his friends when they were in danger. Even without Han Ming’s connection, he would have wanted to befriend such a remarkable girl.
*Bang!* Li Chengfeng slammed his fist on the stone table, cracking its surface. “Have you found any leads on that mage? Do you need my help? My father is the city lord of Wildlands. If I put out the word, we might be able to track him down.”
Han Ming shook his head slightly. “All we know is his first name—Kaelvin. We don’t even know his surname. Wildlands has millions, maybe even tens of millions of people. Finding one person is like searching for a needle in a haystack. Besides, we’re not even sure if he’s from Wildlands. But don’t worry. Since he’s a mage, he won’t be able to hide forever. We don’t need to search aimlessly. We just need to check the Mage Guild. They’ll have records.”
Li Chengfeng nodded in agreement. Han Ming’s plan made sense. It was far more practical than wandering around blindly.
Han Ming had no appetite for food and only sipped some wine. He then asked Li Chengfeng, “Big brother, you mentioned earlier that you came to see me for two reasons. The first was to swear brotherhood. What’s the second?”
Li Chengfeng suddenly remembered the other reason for his visit. He leaned in and said mysteriously, “In two weeks, the Imperial Military Academy and the Mage Academy will be coming to Wildlands to recruit students. I plan to apply to the Military Academy. Are you interested in joining too?”
Han Ming’s eyes lit up. *Perfect!* He had been worried about his lack of magical knowledge and unsure where to learn more. He hadn’t expected there to be a Mage Academy in this country. This was fantastic news.
Han Ming nodded eagerly. “Of course! I’m definitely interested!”
Li Chengfeng grinned. “Brother, your combat skills are so impressive that even I feel inferior. If you apply to the Military Academy, the instructors will be thrilled. Plus, I noticed you don’t use battle aura. If you could learn to harness it, your combat power would be terrifying. I doubt anyone in Wildlands, except maybe Baldur, could beat you.”
Han Ming smiled mysteriously and whispered, “I’ll definitely apply, but not to the Military Academy. I’m going for the Mage Academy.”
“What?!” Li Chengfeng jumped to his feet, drawing curious glances from the crowd. He quickly sat back down, staring at Han Ming in shock. “What do you mean?”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Han Ming gave him a reproachful look and whispered, “Actually, I’m a water mage. That’s why I’m applying to the Mage Academy. It’s not that I don’t use battle aura—I *can’t* use it. Do you understand? Right now, I’m not even a proper mage. I haven’t even reached the first rank.”
Li Chengfeng was both thrilled and dismayed. On one hand, he was excited to have a mage as a brother—even if it was just a water mage, it was still a mage! In his eyes, mages were awe-inspiring figures capable of controlling the elements. On the other hand, he felt utterly defeated. *How could a mage, someone who’s supposed to be physically weak, be stronger than me in combat?* Han Ming had held his own against Baldur, the commander of Wildlands’ garrison, and even injured him. It was unbelievable.
Li Chengfeng still couldn’t quite believe it, but when he saw Han Ming use his hand to draw wine from a cup and form a small water ball above his palm, he had no choice but to accept the harsh reality.
Seeing Li Chengfeng’s dejected expression, Han Ming couldn’t help but chuckle. He comforted him, “Although I might be a bit stronger than you right now, that’s about it. My inability to cultivate battle aura is a fatal flaw. My potential is limited. But you’re different. You can keep improving. You could become a War Madness expert, a War Soul, even a War King or War God! You might even awaken special abilities. Even now, you’re already a fourth-rank grand warrior. At your age, that’s considered top-tier even across the entire nation. My achievements in magic, on the other hand, are far behind. I’m not even a first-rank mage.”
Li Chengfeng knew Han Ming was trying to comfort him, but it was true—his talent was rare. And Han Ming really couldn’t cultivate battle aura, which was crucial for a warrior. But Han Ming was his brother, and no matter how great Han Ming’s future achievements might be, Li Chengfeng would only feel genuine happiness for him. *A warrior and a mage as brothers—what a powerful duo!* The thought alone made Li Chengfeng feel proud. In no time, he was back to his cheerful self.
After finishing their drinks, the two decided to take a stroll through the city. Han Ming wasn’t particularly interested—what was there for two grown men to do?—but Li Chengfeng’s enthusiasm was infectious. With two weeks left before the academy recruitment, they had nothing else to do. Exploring the local culture and customs sounded like a good idea. Han Ming wasn’t worried about getting into the Mage Academy. Mages were so rare that anyone with even a hint of magical talent was usually accepted. Unlike the Military Academy, which had rigorous selection processes, the Mage Academy was more accessible. After all, how many people in a large city had the potential to become mages? Warriors, on the other hand, were a dime a dozen.
As they walked and chatted, they arrived at a massive building with the words “Holy Temple” inscribed above its entrance.
Han Ming asked curiously, “What’s this Holy Temple?”
Li Chengfeng looked at Han Ming in surprise. “You don’t know about the Holy Temple? Just like mages have their Mage Guild, warriors have the Holy Temple. Almost all warriors are registered here. Depending on their rank, they pay different fees. Warriors can take on missions issued by the temple to earn rewards, or they can activate their battle aura here for free. Unlike the Mercenary Guild, though, the missions here are all legal. The rewards aren’t as high, but the Mercenary Guild often deals with underground, illegal tasks that pay much more.”
Han Ming nodded in understanding. He then asked, “Who oversees the Holy Temple?”
Li Chengfeng replied, “The Holy Temple is under the empire’s jurisdiction. All Holy Temples within the Monte Empire are managed by the state. The headquarters is in Fera City, the empire’s capital. Every country has its own Holy Temple, and each is governed by its respective nation. The Mage Guild, however, is different. No single country controls it. All Mage Guilds belong to the headquarters, the famous Floating City.”
Through Han Ming’s persistent questioning, he learned that the Floating City was the central hub for all Mage Guilds worldwide and the highest institution for mages. It was called the Floating City because it was a massive city suspended in the sky, held aloft by the magic of countless high-level mages. Its influence was beyond imagination. The Floating City wasn’t located in this region. According to Li Chengfeng, the Monte Empire was just a border nation on the Northern Alliance Continent. Across the oceans were countless other continents, and the Northern Alliance Continent itself was just a fringe part of the world. No one knew exactly how many continents existed. The Floating City was likely at the world’s center, though its exact location was unknown to Li Chengfeng.
Just as they were about to leave, Li Chengfeng suddenly grabbed Han Ming’s arm. He had an idea: why not have Han Ming try activating a battle aura mark at the Holy Temple?
Han Ming was puzzled. “I’m not a warrior, and I don’t have battle aura. How can I activate a battle aura mark?”
Li Chengfeng explained, “The battle aura mark is just a general term. While most warriors who reach a certain level have battle aura, it’s not a prerequisite for activating the mark. As long as your strength reaches the level of a first-rank warrior, you can activate it. There are many powerful individuals who’ve never cultivated battle aura but still activated their marks, directly reaching the first-rank warrior level. They then received basic battle aura techniques and started cultivating. Even though you can’t cultivate battle aura, maybe you can still activate the mark. Why not give it a try?”
Unable to resist Li Chengfeng’s pleading, Han Ming agreed. He was also a little curious. *Could I really activate a battle aura mark? If so, what rank would I be?*