William wiped away his tears, revealing a handsome smile as if he hadn't said anything just moments ago, his face beaming with joy.
"I was supposed to be the son-in-law of the Jones family in Cloudview County, blessed with immense wealth and power, where even murder could be handled by others. But I had to come back; I couldn't see my great-grandfather for the last time, but at least I need to know who the murderer is."
The cold winter wind grew even more fierce.
Snow began to fall from the sky, and stone chips knocked from the statue of the Boar Monarch Pete floated down with the snowflakes, adding to the gloom of the icy day.
George felt a hint of warmth as he took a deep breath, gritting his teeth as he looked at his brother, "What are you doing?! Is that how great-grandfather's eyes looked? The tuft of hair on top of his head is completely covering his eyes, you..."
"Ah? Got it, stop yelling, stop yelling!"
William's face showed hurt, but as he turned back to his carving, he smiled happily, enduring another lecture from his brother.
Until the moon hid itself away.
The statue of the Boar Monarch Pete, completed with the combined efforts of the brothers, looked lifelike, just as it had in days past, lying on the ground watching children play deep in the Silver Iron Woods.
George sat by the guqin table, the ancient strings of the guqin lightly vibrating, the melodious sound echoing from the Silver Iron Woods, reaching all of Blackwood, falling into everyone's ears.
William stood quietly behind his brother.
The moon was gone, but William knew that soon, like his brother's guqin music, the daylight would illuminate all of Blackwood.
...
[Due to the death of the Boar Monarch Pete, George was heartbroken. With his brother William returning home, although he couldn't understand his brother's actions, he felt a human connection, and was slightly moved.]
[He suddenly realized the impermanence of life, and the constancy of human nature. Years of guqin skills broke through to a great achievement, gaining a hint of the essence of the guqin, acquiring the trait—Heart Sound as Guqin]
[The heart's intent and the guqin's sound merged, using the guqin music to enhance attack power by 10%]
Ethan watched the scene.
The two brothers under the moonlight, so serene, formed the most beautiful picture in the world, listening to the guqin music that appeared in the game, Ethan also quieted down a lot.
This guqin music, melodious, as if celestial music echoed throughout Blackwood.
In the residence of Blackwood.
Everyone gathered in the ancestral hall, under Ethan's cards, the plaque of the Boar Monarch Pete had been placed.
Julian held his wife Mary, who by now had no more tears, because—
Outside the Forebearer's ancestral hall, there was a line of text, left by the passing of the Forebearer's Cards through the sky, a display of psychic power!
[The sad ones should be the enemies]
Right, why be sad?
"Intelligence says, the Boar Monarch Pete charged back, killing anyone who stood in his way."
Lucas, with his sword sheath on his back, came forward, seeing his brother and sister-in-law so grief-stricken for the first time, he too was filled with rage. S~eaʀᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Seeing the body of the Boar Monarch Pete, he remembered the first time he met the Boar Monarch Pete, the initial confusion, and eventually, the respect he had for him, "Younger brother, sister-in-law, we don't have time to grieve for the Boar Monarch Pete's death."
"When facing Monk Jacob back then, the Boar Monarch Pete didn't back down a step, and when our family faced difficulties, he thought of leading all the beasts of the Silver Iron Woods. Now it's our turn, carrying the will of the Boar Monarch Pete to charge forward, we should make the unknown enemies feel the pain of Blackwood now."
In the distance, under George's guqin music.
Julian and his wife looked at their elder brother, seeing the psychic power left by the Forebearer, they nodded slightly.
Lucas knew he had said enough, he quietly retreated into the darkness, the sword in his sheath humming, he was like a sword hidden in the darkness, ready to strike at the enemies of Blackwood.
The couple huddled together, warming each other in the cold, dark night.
In Mary's hand appeared a bead striped in yellow and black, shimmering with light. Her expression was sorrowful, but recalling her brother's words, she gradually calmed down. "Julian."
"Mm." Julian, who spent his days forging and was rough with all things, now held his wife delicately, as if cradling a doll that might break at any moment, his tenderness fully displayed. It was the only way he could accompany his wife.
Mary said, "I grew up following Boar Monarch Pete around since I was little. The first time I met people, I felt like an outsider, afraid to blend in with humans. It was Boar Monarch Pete who told me that it should be them I feared, not myself. 'Boar Monarch Pete's daughter should fear nothing; I will always have your back.'"
"From now on, he can't protect me anymore. Without Boar Monarch Pete, will you end up like Steven from the village, beating your wife?"
"I will." Julian grinned, but under the candlelight in the ancestral hall, it somehow seemed warm. "If you don't eat well, drink well, and stay by my side forever, I'll have to beat you. It hurts me more than it hurts you, so to make it easier, I might as well beat myself to death."
After so many years of marriage, this was still the first time Mary heard such cheesy words from her husband. If it had been earlier, she would have suspected him of infidelity. But now, Mary pressed tightly into Julian's embrace. "Then I have nothing to fear. Boar Monarch Pete died, and everything Forebearer and my brother said was right. Boar Monarch Pete always charged forward and died a hero."
"I shouldn't be sad, nor should I fear the days without Boar Monarch Pete. If I were to die, Boar Monarch Pete would have the beasts of the Silver Iron Forest avenge me."
"Now..." Mary took a deep breath and slowly popped the bead into her mouth—it was the blood pill of the Boar Monarch Pete. Her eyes flickered red, "It's my turn to fight fiercely for Boar Monarch Pete. I will carry on his will and avenge him. I will protect our children just like he did."
In an instant, Mary's psychic powers surged!
Julian still held his wife tightly, his gaze lost on the spiritual tablet of the Boar Monarch Pete. "Father-in-law, rest in peace. I won't let anyone bully Mary or our children. I will bring back the heads of our enemies and make a blood oath to you."
[Your daughter-in-law Mary has swallowed the second Demon King's blood pill. The blood pill of the former ruler of the Silver Iron Forest is merging with the new one.]
[Trait gained: Will of the Boar Monarch Pete]
[She will inherit part of the Boar Monarch Pete's power.]
[Trait gained: Lord of the Silver Iron Forest]
[With the blood pills of two generations of Demon Kings merging, her bloodline is transforming, and her presence will suppress all creatures of the Silver Iron Forest!]
Seeing the couple, Ethan finally felt at ease.
His greatest fear was that Mary would despair, for there was no greater sorrow than hers, yet Mary proved herself a heroine of Blackwood.
Outside the ancestral hall.
The second generation of Blackwoods stood before the Primordial Blood Tree. Since their birth, Ethan had never seen them so quiet. They too saw the psychic powers Ethan left behind and heard George's music.
Behind them, their numerous descendants.
Each one had grown up on the back of the Boar Monarch Pete, and not one of them hadn't broken a limb in play—perhaps that's why their grief was profound.
"The Divine Tree."
In the deep night, they stood under the shadow of the Blood Tree, the distant candlelight casting each of them in a blood-red glow.
The eldest, Thomas, looked resolute, a far cry from his former self, who might have been likened to a dumb, clumsy black bear.
But at this moment.
Like all the children who grew up on the back of the Boar Monarch Pete, he was like a lion awakened from a deep slumber, fierce and wild!
"You said, next year the land will be dyed red, please tell us."
"Where should we go from here, and whose blood should stain the earth?"
At these words.
As the crimson leaves of the Primordial Blood Tree trembled, it opened its calm yet bloody eyes.