Chapter 263: Brothers
Chapter 263: Brothers (End)
The moment she heard his words, Candice's eye flashed with a suffocating, icy light. Yet she still spoke as gently as possible: "Foolish child...you're naturally Mama's son..."
"When I learned I wasn't human, I immediately formed this hypothesis", Feng Bu Jue said. "Looking back now...the words on the back of that photograph—'A Se and Andelu, my children, my love'—would have the same effect whether I saw them or Ā Sè saw them, wouldn't they?"
Feng Bu Jue stared into Candice's single eye and said solemnly, "Actually, you coveted not just his power, but mine as well. Neither Ā Sè nor I are human, nor are we your children. The only difference is...I was simpler, easier to control." He sneered, "You're truly terrifying. The depth of your character leaves me no choice but to admire you..."
Fragments of memories flashed before Feng Bu Jue's eyes, each clue on his mental web becoming crystal clear, guiding him toward the core truth.
Standing up, he continued, "Ā Sè called me 'my foolish younger brother' twice. The first time was when we were very young, probably under ten years old. Back then, he had already realized his uniqueness—he knew he was adopted. Yet I still treated him like a real older brother, trusting, admiring, and respecting him. That's why he said those words. It was his inner recognition of our brotherhood, of this familial affection."
He paused, then added, "And just now, Ā Sè said those words for the second time. Followed by, 'You think you're so clever, and this...is the price.'" He smiled faintly, "At first, I thought it was a victor's mockery. But as I reflected, I realized his tone also carried compassion and helplessness. So why did he call me foolish this second time?"
At this point, Feng Bu Jue changed his tone, continuing from a player's perspective: "Ā Sè is brilliant. Anything I can deduce, he had no reason not to foresee—it was only a matter of time.
After the Transmutation Failure, Ā Sè learned that Āndélǔ 'was not human.' Naturally, he would have begun a series of reasoning from there...
My information was limited, yet I still formed that hypothesis. But Ā Sè knows you far better than I do. He quickly figured it out—Āndélǔ wasn't your child either."
Feng Bu Jue sighed, "Perhaps out of pity, or maybe guilt, Ā Sè decided not to tell his younger brother the truth. He knew Āndélǔ couldn't bear it.
Under your manipulation, Āndélǔ became convinced his older brother had deceived him, believing Ā Sè was a cruel demon. If Ā Sè then told him the real truth—that you, the so-called mother, were the one using him, and that Āndélǔ was merely another containment vessel you'd raised..."
Feng Bu Jue pointed at his own face, "For someone already deceived and used, ending up in such a state, that truth would be too cruel." Shaking his head, he continued, "Ā Sè is a man of clear love and hate. Only toward Āndélǔ did he always hold back. Knowing his younger brother had betrayed him at your urging, he still hesitated to act—even when the transmutation was complete and irreversible, he ultimately couldn't bring himself to kill him.
By this point, Ā Sè had done everything a brother could. He told me the cure before leaving. And he planned thoroughly—he sent me here to ask you about Āndélǔ's 'real father.' Hmph...this was actually Ā Sè's way of giving you an escape. This way, you could conveniently reveal what Āndélǔ truly was, without exposing that you and he weren't blood-related."
"You...you're not Āndélǔ! Who are you really?" Candice stared at Feng Bu Jue in shock.
"I'm the one here to free you", Feng Bu Jue replied.
As he spoke, he crouched again, pressing his hands to the ground and activating the transmutation circle he'd drawn earlier.
Suddenly, blood-red light erupted, energy surging from the transmutation circle's surface.
Seconds later, the glow faded. Feng Bu Jue still stood, and from an observer's perspective, Āndélǔ had returned to his normal human appearance, the corpse-like putridity around him gone.
Nearby, at the center of the transmutation circle, Candice had also regained her human female form. But her body immediately began to rot, suffering the agonizing process of putrefaction...
[Your summoning proficiency has been unlocked. Login space has task updates.]
"Ahhh! What's happening! What is this!" Candice screamed in agony, writhing on the ground.
"I must say, Ā Sè was also a fool", Feng Bu Jue's expression now seemed more like a cold-blooded demon's. "He left thinking he'd taken all the sins with him. But what then? Āndélǔ healed his wounds and helped you regain your human form. Would you two then live peacefully as mother and son? After everything, would you truly let go of the child who always saw you as his mother?"
Feng Bu Jue stepped back, keeping distance from the struggling Candice: "I think not...If you had any conscience, you should have abandoned your plans when those two children were still young.
Back then, youth Ā Sè wouldn't have acted against you. He would have accepted you as a mother, just as he accepted Āndélǔ.
He acted because you never gave up, because the threat was imminent...
After over a decade, even if you'd raised two dogs, even if your purpose was to eventually slaughter them for meat, even if the owner wasn't a woman, wouldn't you have let go by now?"
"What do you know! They're monsters! They deserved to die! My husband, my child...they were killed by monsters like them!" Candice roared with her last strength, "What's wrong with making these two little monsters pay! You want me to spare them? Hahahaha...Every day, every minute! When I smiled at them, hugged them, tucked them into bed, I wanted to flay their skins alive! Those monsters owed me! Isn't it right for me to demand repayment!"
"I see...Driven by personal hatred, you blamed their entire race, then captured two innocent children to enact a self-deceiving revenge." Feng Bu Jue summarized, "Putting aside your twisted logic, objectively speaking, your actions might not be wrong...From humanity's perspective, the two brothers were indeed threats to this world. However, from the same human perspective..."
Candice was nearing death, her internal organs already rotting. Her eyes bulged as she watched Feng Bu Jue pull something from his pocket—a small wooden comb, carved with the letters A.A.
"Back then...three people with no blood relation formed that family...Were those laughter, tears, and happiness all false? When you wrote those words on that photograph, did you truly feel no nostalgia for those days..." He paused, "Monsters don't lack humanity and emotion. In my eyes, humans can be crueler than monsters. It's this twisted world that created true monsters like you."
Feng Bu Jue lifted the comb to his eyes: "This is just common wood...It was the bond between brothers that saved Āndélǔ from suffering." He looked down at Candice, "But in this world, what can save you?"
[Hidden task completed]
[Automatic teleportation after watching ending]
An open field of grass, a dark mansion looming.
A figure emerged from the mansion's door—golden-haired, covered in grime, his eyes hollow and lost.
At that moment, the dark clouds above scattered. Āndélǔ saw, on the secret path before the mansion, a short figure standing not far ahead.
"Bro...ther." Āndélǔ instinctively called out, unsure what else to say.
"I wasn't quite sure, so I decided to stay nearby and watch before leaving", Ā Sè remained calm. "What happened?"
"I...I killed her. I killed...Mama..." Āndélǔ spoke, tears streaming from his eyes. He wiped his face with his sleeve, "She...she wasn't my real..."
"Enough, I know." Ā Sè interrupted, scanning his younger brother, "Are your wounds healed?"
"Yes..." Āndélǔ replied, "But I still don't know what kind of monster I am..."
"Monster?" Ā Sè repeated, then scoffed, "Hmph...Since you're healed, does it really matter what you are?" He snapped his fingers.
Instantly, flames roared skyward. The mansion behind Āndélǔ erupted like a matchhead, engulfed in a massive fireball.
"It's over..." Ā Sè exhaled, "What you must do is keep the beautiful memories, and burn the rest away." He gazed at the sky, "Whether you're a demon or a monster, tomorrow's sun will rise as usual. Live as a monster without shame." He paused, "Now, I have no reason to become human and live a so-called peaceful life. I'll leave this small place and explore the outside world. Will you come with me, brother?"
"I..." Āndélǔ hesitated a moment, then smiled, "Hmph...Two bloodstained monster brothers wreaking havoc across the Satin continent? Sounds good, doesn't it?"
"Sounds great, doesn't it?" Ā Sè grinned.
"Yes...Brother." Āndélǔ, for once, showed a determined gaze.
Under the moonlight, the wind rose.
Two figures walked side by side down the rural secret path. Behind them, the towering flames consumed their dark past.
The road ahead led to an unknown future.
(End of Chapter)
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