Chapter 142: I Am Truly Real

The youth possessed a robust, muscular build, with thick brows that gave him a heroic air. The only slight flaw was his somewhat baby-faced appearance, which made one instinctively want to reach out and pinch his cheeks.

The elder of the Eagle Clan, having knocked back Zhou Yi and his two companions with a single swipe of his claw, turned his head to look in the youth’s direction. Upon seeing his face, the elder furrowed his brows imperceptibly and asked, "Where did a little brat like you crawl out from?"

In response, the youth offered a defiant smile and ignored the elder’s question, instead turning his attention to Zhou Yi and the others.

While everyone stood in stunned hesitation, the youth began to walk toward the group, showing complete disregard for the Eagle Clan elder.

"Are you looking for death, little brat?" Seeing this, the elder’s face cycled between red and white. His sudden attack today was not actually about Ye Tianya’s past massacre of the Eagle Clan; rather, among the experts slaughtered by the Heavenly King Alliance a few months ago, several had been prodigies of his own clan.

As the leader of the Eagle Clan contingent, the elder had abandoned his men and fled alone when the Heavenly King Alliance forces arrived in full strength that day. No one knew of this, or rather, those who had known were already dead. However, with the total annihilation of the Eagle Clan’s prodigies, he knew that if he returned alone, the furious elders would surely execute him.

That was the reason for today’s events. The elder had calculated well: he would capture and kill a few isolated members of the Heavenly King Alliance, inflict some minor wounds upon himself, and return home to plead his case, thereby escaping death. He had not expected that while trying to kill a youth connected to the Alliance, he would draw so many others into the fray. As the situation spiraled, a flicker of regret began to stir in his heart.

Yet, since things had reached this point, the elder hardened his resolve. He decided to see it through, planning to strike down these few with the force of a thunderbolt before fleeing. He figured that no matter how many experts the Heavenly King Alliance had, they would not be able to touch him.

Just as the elder prepared to strike again, the youth finally spoke: "Excuse me, has my big brother arrived here? My brother is Ye Feng, and I am his younger brother!"

As soon as these words left his lips, everyone froze. Even the elder, who had already channeled his spiritual energy and was on the verge of attacking, stood rooted to the spot, unable to utter a sound for a long while.

Although Ye Feng had been missing for nearly a year, his legend remained widespread across the entire continent. His feat of defeating two Spirit Emperor experts alone at the age of fifteen had earned him the title of the uncrowned king of the younger generation in the Eastern Continent.

In that moment, a single thought crossed everyone’s mind: one must absolutely never cross this baby-faced youth. It was said that the "monster" Ye Feng was notoriously protective of his own—everyone knew what had happened after the Sacred Land dared to abduct his lover...

"What? You’re the boss’s brother? Why have I never heard of this?" Zhou Yi stared with wide eyes, completely incredulous. As one of the core members of the Heavenly King Alliance’s first generation, Zhou Yi usually held a sense of superiority; even if the Eagle Clan chieftain himself arrived, he would not feel a shred of cowardice.

But now, Zhou Yi was afraid. In this situation, for this chubby youth to step out and claim family ties, he might truly be the boss’s brother. If his hunch was correct, he certainly couldn't protect the boy in the current crisis.

"To think that I, Zhou Yi, might end up with the infamy of being blamed by my brothers before I die..." Zhou Yi sighed helplessly in his heart.

The next moment, his eyes darted around, and a clever plan formed. "Hey, hey, hey... you chubby kid, what are you claiming random relatives for? The boss is brilliant and mighty; how could he have a brother like you? Get lost, don't hinder me from doing important business!"

However, Zhou Yi had underestimated the intelligence of the Ye family’s direct bloodline. From the series of expressions on Zhou Yi’s face, Ye Long immediately discerned his true intentions.

With a faint smile, Ye Long walked over to Zhou Yi and handed him a few spiritual fruits, saying, "I appreciate the gesture, but the men of the Ye family are no cowards. These fruits have healing properties—eat them! Leave the rest to me. You all should hurry to the city and find Big Brother Xiao Chong; he knows me."

As Ye Long produced the spiritual fruits, Zhou Yi’s anxiety only deepened. At this point, he was fully convinced that this baby-faced youth was indeed the boss’s brother, as Ye Feng had given him such a fruit once before in the ruins.

"If you want to go, go yourself, but I’m warning you: Big Brother Xiao Chong’s temper isn't great! If you go around claiming false relatives, be careful of getting beaten until you can't even find north!" While his mouth continued to deny the connection, Zhou Yi’s eyes signaled frantically for Ye Long to leave.

Zhou Yi’s actions warmed Ye Long’s heart. He hadn't felt such brotherly affection in a long time. "The last time I felt this way was probably when my big brother left home. Truly nostalgic..."

Without waiting for Zhou Yi to say more, Ye Long forced the fruits into their hands. He then turned to the Eagle Clan elder and said, "The Ye Tianya you speak of is my father. If you have any grievances, bring them to me!"

Hearing this, the elder’s face shifted, and he cursed internally: *Dammit! Back then, Ye Tianya massacred his way onto Eagle Island over a single tiny herb. If I hurt this kid, won't I be hunted to the ends of the earth with nowhere to run? This isn't fair—I just wanted to kill someone random to report back!*

Despite his inner turmoil, the elder was a crafty man. After a brief pause, he immediately retorted, "You yellow-haired brat, do you think I’ll believe you just because you say you’re from the Ye family? Who knows what wild child you are? Perhaps you’re looking for death and can't do it yourself, so you want to use my hand to get it over with. I’m not stupid; I won't fall for your trap!"

*Uh...*

Ye Long was stunned, completely bewildered. What was going on? Was it a trend now to disbelieve people claiming family ties? Even the enemy refused to believe him...

"Old man, I really am Ye Tianya’s son. If you have a problem, bring it to me. If you don't believe me, kill me and go find out for yourself if Ye Tianya has a son named Ye Long." Though Ye Long was tall and broad, his youth meant he couldn't grasp the elder’s devious schemes. He waved his hands repeatedly, trying to prove his identity.

"Go away, go away... I don't have the time to chatter with you. Don't delay my important business!" The elder waved his hand ‘impatiently.’

This situation left everyone else stunned. They looked at the elder with strange expressions. Someone remarked, "You old geezer, you claimed you wanted revenge, and now that the enemy’s son is right in front of you, you insist he isn't. You’re dragging along a group of unrelated people—I’d say your brain is broken..."