My Brother is the Villain 03

"You, how could you say that? They are doing this for your own good. Our Dragon Slaying Society has always been..."

"Stop right there, stop. I don't need them doing things for my own good."

"Then why did you hit people?" Zhu Qingqing stubbornly clung to this question.

Fang Zhiyi raised an eyebrow. "They were asking for a beating, lady. Are you blind?"

"L-lady?" Zhu Qingqing put on a hurt expression. "Even if they misunderstood you, you can't just hit them! Besides, why would they single you out for trouble? A single hand cannot clap, you know..."

Smack!

Zhu Qingqing's mind went completely blank. Only the stinging pain on her left cheek brought her back to her senses.

"You, you hit me???"

Fang Zhiyi raised his right hand. "Sorry about that. I just wanted to see if a single hand could clap. On principle, I don't hit women, but for some reason, the moment I hear that phrase, my principles go out the window..."

"You, you are beyond saving! I am never talking to you again!" Zhu Qingqing turned and ran away, completely ignoring the brothers groaning all over the floor. She was furious. How dare this simp actually hit her!

Fang Zhiyi watched her retreating figure and shook his head. "Baffling. But I suppose that slap settles our debts."

Turning his head, he saw the group of guys lying on the ground, staring at him blankly. Fang Zhiyi frowned. "What the hell are you looking at?"

They immediately looked away and went back to clutching their injuries and groaning.

Late that night, the sound of galloping hooves approached from a distance, finally coming to a steady halt before a courtyard wall. The rider looked up, lightly tapped his toes on the saddle, and vaulted over the wall. After identifying the correct room, he tapped on the window.

Fang Zhiyi had been resting with his eyes closed. At the three light taps, he smiled faintly and opened the window.

Outside stood Tang Zhilin, clad in light armor. Looking at his brother, who was still wearing thin, tattered clothes, Tang Zhilin sighed inwardly. This kid was too stubborn, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Zhiyi, I came specifically to find you today. I had no choice before, but now I have been appointed as the Commander of Fancheng! We are brothers, we should share our good fortune!" He had prepared a lot of speeches before coming, but now, looking at Fang Zhiyi, he felt a bit helpless. "Come with me."

He was fully prepared for Fang Zhiyi to reject him again, but he had to try.

Fang Zhiyi hardly even thought about it. "I would go through fire and water for you, brother."

"Do not keep living in a fantasy, staying here... hmm?" Tang Zhilin froze for a moment. He carefully scrutinized the person in front of him. It was definitely Fang Zhiyi. "What did you just say?"

Fang Zhiyi said with a straight face, "I would go through fire and water for you, brother."

"You have thought it through?"

"Thought it through completely. These people are going too far, I really cannot stand it anymore!" Fang Zhiyi frowned, his face full of utter disgust.

"Really?" Tang Zhilin was thrown off balance by his immediate agreement. "Then, shall we go?"

Fang Zhiyi was just about to agree and go enjoy a life of wealth and glory when Little Hei suddenly spoke up.

"Are you turning from good to evil?"

"Bullshit. What is good and what is evil?"

Little Hei said, "No, but Tang Zhilin is a dyed-in-the-wool villain. He kills a lot of people later on."

Fang Zhiyi was a bit shocked. "He is a soldier, and those people are bandits. What is wrong with soldiers killing bandits?"

"Uh... that makes sense!"

"What do you mean, villain? This is my good brother! Think about it, a good brother who helped the original owner escape their sect when he made a mistake, starved together with him, endured humiliation to get a government job, and finally climbed to a high position, yet still thought to pull up his foolish brother. And you are telling me this kind of person is a villain? What a bastardly thing to say!" Fang Zhiyi said passionately. "Not to mention anything else, in the original plot, did he ever kill a single innocent civilian?"

"Well, no..." Little Hei nodded.

"Anyway, I do not care. A bunch of rebels are dragging me into doing illegal things, while my brother wants to take me to live the high life. Do you think I do not know who the real villains are?"

Little Hei threw his hands up. "Fine, whatever makes you happy. But he does not have long to live anyway..."

Fang Zhiyi abruptly stopped what he was doing. "What?"

"The later plot. He is going to be betrayed by his subordinates anyway. This villain has some brains, but not much. He rose to power by being a good fighter and ruthless. His subordinates do not respect him, they just fear him. You have been an official before, think about how long he can survive." Little Hei looked like a smart aleck. "When the time comes, a nepotism hire like you will probably go down with him."

Fang Zhiyi frowned. "Could you share this kind of vital intelligence a bit earlier next time?"

"You did not ask..."

"Damn it, I got happy for nothing. I thought I could really ride the villain's coattails and live a life of luxury..."

Seeing that he had not moved for a while, Tang Zhilin was a bit confused. "Zhiyi, you..."

Fang Zhiyi waved his hand. "No rush. I cannot leave right now."

Tang Zhilin sighed. He knew it would be like this. "In recent years, the world has been in turmoil, and uprisings by displaced refugees cannot be stopped. The Governor-General received a secret report saying there are rebels in Fancheng too. He ordered me to apprehend them... And this Dragon Slaying Society..."

Fang Zhiyi fell deep in thought.

Tang Zhilin gritted his teeth and continued to persuade him, "Stop being so stubborn. Do you not know what kind of people they are? Even if they are not rebels, none of them are good people! Highwaymen, rapists, charlatans. Did you think they took us brothers in out of the goodness of their hearts? They only had their eyes on our martial skills!"

"Hmm..."

Looking at Fang Zhiyi's expression, Tang Zhilin grew anxious. "Do not forget our past. When we were on the mountain, we swore to share our blessings and our burdens. Now that I sit in the Commander's seat, I am the top authority in all of Fancheng! Wealth and glory are within our grasp. Zhiyi, do not be foolish at a time like this!"

Little Hei told Fang Zhiyi all the plot details concerning Tang Zhilin, and Fang Zhiyi finally looked up at the original owner's sworn brother.

Does this not mean he still wants me to do the work?

"You said you are the Commander now, right?"

The sudden question made Tang Zhilin pause for a moment, then he nodded. "That is right. I call the shots in Fancheng now!" He sounded a bit proud.

Fang Zhiyi ignored that and continued asking, "How many troops can you mobilize?"

"What kind of question is that? All five thousand six hundred soldiers in Fancheng must obey my orders!" Tang Zhilin waved his hand grandly.

Fang Zhiyi sighed, but seeing Tang Zhilin's smug expression, he did not burst his bubble. Very soon, this guy would constantly offend people by being too harsh on his subordinates, leading to him being stripped of real power by his five battalion commanders. He would even have to personally take action just to catch a rebel. What a bullshit Commander!

"I have something to discuss with you," Fang Zhiyi suddenly reached out and slung an arm around Tang Zhilin's shoulder. Tang Zhilin was taken aback but did not pull away. "Tell me. Do not worry, whatever I have, I will share half with you!"

Fang Zhiyi was somewhat speechless. "Is the Dragon Slaying Society a rebel group?"