Ryan Ouyang struggled inwardly. "Fine! I can agree to your terms—but you have to accept mine. If you help me resolve this crisis, then once I've healed, we'll have a duel. If you beat me fair and square, I'll willingly become your little brother. If not, I'd rather die than submit!"
Seeing Ryan Ouyang lay out his terms, Evan Chu knew he'd achieved his goal. He laughed, "Deal! I accept. But you have to come with me—my brothers are still waiting for me!"
With that, Evan Chu pulled Frostbane from his storage ring and let it fly from his hand, trailing a streak of light as it shot toward the monster attacking the others.
Ryan Ouyang was surprised to see Evan pull out a sword—he hadn't expected this guy to have a storage ring. And the sword itself felt oddly familiar, though he couldn't quite place where he'd seen it before.
There was something strange about Evan's attack, too—he released his sword almost like tossing a hidden weapon.
Just as Ryan was puzzling over Evan's unusual technique, what happened next made his jaw drop wide enough to fit an egg.
The monster collapsed without a sound, its massive head rolling a short distance away as blood gushed out, staining the ground bright red.
Frostbane flew straight back into Evan Chu's hand. "Handled it for you—the beast's dead. Remember your promise. Once you've dealt with things here, come find me. I'll be waiting a kilometer ahead!"
With that, Evan Chu activated Shifting Position and vanished in a few blinks. He wanted to shock Ryan Ouyang—to make this proud guy realize there was someone even stronger, someone worth calling big brother.
After Evan Chu slew the monster, the remaining students finally breathed a sigh of relief. Many collapsed to the ground, and one of them blurted, "Who was that guy? How is he so strong? He killed the monster with a single sword—and his speed when he left was insane! I couldn't even see him clearly."
"Am I dreaming? Was that a god come down from heaven to save us?"
"Enough chatter! Get the strategist's body out of the monster's stomach. Don't forget why we're here!" Ryan Ouyang quickly recovered from his shock and barked out orders.
Meanwhile, Evan Chu was in high spirits. Getting someone with the White Tiger Bloodline to be his little brother was something he'd never even dreamed of. Soon, he arrived at the spot where Gabe Goldstone and the others were waiting for him.
Seeing Evan Chu grinning from ear to ear, the group was puzzled. "Boss, did you just tame another monster beast as your little brother?" Gus Bullard asked.
"A monster beast as a little brother? Go try it yourself! But you're not far off—everyone will see soon enough."
Evan Chu's words left everyone confused. "Linfeng, stop keeping us in suspense and just tell us already! You have no idea how worried we've been about you while you were gone," Lily Tang chimed in, clearly curious about Evan's latest adventure.
"Yeah, seriously, Boss—just tell us! We're dying over here!" Gus Bullard added.
Evan Chu smiled. "I killed a monster beast out there and saved dozens of people. One of them should be familiar—he's one of the top figures in our ordinary class."
When I killed the beast, I made him promise me one thing: if I helped them slay it, he'd become my little brother. But he has to recover first and then duel me—only if I win does it count. I think he should be arriving soon!"
"Boss, who is this guy anyway? Just spit it out already—leaving us hanging is the worst!" Sterling Yates pressed.
Evan Chu laughed. "See for yourselves—someone's coming from over there, isn't he?" he said, pointing ahead.
Sure enough, everyone looked in the direction Evan indicated and saw a figure approaching—not very fast, but everyone was curious to see who this person was.
As the figure drew closer, everyone gasped. "That's Ryan Ouyang—the number one expert in the ordinary class! No way, is he really going to be Boss's little brother?" one student cried out in disbelief.
"Ryan Ouyang's strong, but is he tougher than Boss's mount? Don't forget, Boss is a total monster—his strength is way beyond what any of us can imagine," Sterling Yates said, speaking from experience. He remembered how a single move from Evan had left him completely helpless, and if he were up against Ryan Ouyang, it would take dozens of exchanges to decide a winner.
"I remember Boss and Ryan Ouyang faced off on the Life-and-Death Platform not long ago, and it was the Vice-Dean who stepped in. Now he's going to be Boss's little brother? How is that possible?" another follower asked.
Evan Chu understood their doubts—after all, Ryan Ouyang might not agree to be his little brother. He had been in disguise, and once Ryan learned his true identity, things could change.
But to recruit someone with the potential of the White Tiger Bloodline, Evan was willing to pay a price—whether it was Starstones, pills, or whatever it took.
From a distance, Ryan Ouyang also saw Evan Chu and his group. There were a few faces he recognized—like Byron Bai and Blake Murong.
Evan Chu walked up and saw Ryan Ouyang's pale face. "I can tell you're a man of your word. Is everything settled?" he asked.
Ryan Ouyang glanced at Evan, then at the group, and replied, "That's my principle. The matter is settled—but I'll only agree to your terms once I've recovered. I hope you won't go back on your word either. Don't think that just because you have numbers here, you can stop me if I decide to leave."
Sterling Yates burst out laughing. "Ryan, don't get all worked up—your talk means nothing in front of our Boss. Even healed up, you wouldn't last a single move against him. I'm not putting you down; it's just the truth, and I'm living proof!"
"Sterling, what are you saying? Did you lose a duel and become his little brother too?" Ryan Ouyang caught the implication immediately.
"That's right—I couldn't even take a single move, and it was just an ordinary one. You might be a bit stronger than me, but not by much. Think it over—I'm sure you know what kind of person I am. Now I'm happy to call him Boss—got it?"
"Enough, Sterling. If I'm going to submit, it'll be of my own free will—not because of threats or tricks," Evan Chu said, shooting Sterling a look. "Ryan, I know you're not convinced. I'll give you three days to recover, then we'll duel. Loser becomes the little brother."
"Let's hope you keep your word!" Ryan Ouyang replied, proud and unyielding.