“Haa… haa… haa…”

  Shivansh was sleeping soundly, completing his rest.

  Morning had already arrived. The orange sun rose from between the mountains, its rays falling directly on Shivansh’s face, waking him up.

  “Eh… it’s morning already? Didn’t even realize how fast the time passed…”

  Shivansh rubbed his eyes and spoke. He looked around, but the others were nowhere to be seen.

  Then he looked down at the ground. Compared to yesterday, the snow had melted significantly. The ground beneath and the grass growing on it were now visible.

  Maybe now they would finally be able to find the path back to the Society?

  But just then, Shivansh heard some voices from a short distance away...

  “Hey… hide this. Who knows when Senior Brother might wake up?”

  “There’s no telling with his temper. I think we should hide it somewhere.”

  “Yeah… you’re right. Who knows what Senior Brother might do again. He’s hot-tempered, sure, but no one should be this cold hearted…”

  ‘?!’

  Shivansh raised an eyebrow.

  The three of them were talking about him behind his back. They didn’t know that Shivansh was already awake.

  If they had known, they would never have dared to say such things.

  Crack! Crack!

  Shivansh cracked his knuckles and got up, heading toward the source of their voices.

  “They need to be taught a lesson. It’s been a long time since I beat some sense into them. Today, they’re done for.”

  Step! Step!

  But as Shivansh reached them, he realized they were staring at something.

  ‘?!’

  Wondering what they were looking at, Shivansh quietly came up behind them to take a look. What he saw made his eyes widen in shock.

  ‘How did he get here?!’

  On the ground lay the same boy to whom Shivansh had given food and water the previous night—the boy he had chased away.

  The child was sleeping there, wrapped in a blanket.

  Seeing the boy again, Shivansh couldn’t understand why or how he had returned.

  ‘?!’

  The three boys standing in front turned around, and saw that Shivansh was right behind them.

  “S-Senior… Brother…?”

  “You’re awake…?”

  Hearing their voices, the sleeping boy woke up.

  Yawn!

  He stretched lazily and stood up. As soon as his eyes opened, he saw Shivansh and the three other boys standing in front of him.

  When he had run away the previous night, he had gotten lost. In the darkness, he had unknowingly run in circles and ended up back here. Exhausted, he had fallen asleep.

  The moment his gaze landed on Shivansh and the others, he froze.

  ‘These people… again? But how…?’

  He thought.

  He had believed he ran far away last night; he had no idea he had circled around the camp itself.

  His eyes went back to Shivansh, who himself looked stunned to see him. Shivansh didn’t know what to say. The boy hurriedly spoke,

  “B-Brother… thank you for the food last night…”

  ‘?!’

  “Food?”

  “Brother? Who is he calling brother?”

  The three boys in front heard this and turned to look at Shivansh behind them, then at the boy, then back at Shivansh again. An awkward silence fell over the place.

  “Kid, what are you talking about?!”

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Shivansh broke the silence.

  The boy panicked and stammered,

  “I-I… I’m just saying… what happened last night…”

  Hearing this, Shivansh’s anger started to rise.

  Meanwhile, his junior disciples were completely confused.

  They couldn’t understand what the boy was talking about. They knew Shivansh was a hot-tempered person.

  And he had beaten that boy yesterday for stealing food; so why would he give him food himself?

  Yet the way the boy spoke to Shivansh didn’t sound like a lie at all.

  - Did… Senior Brother really give him food?

  - Impossible! Senior Brother has never been that kind…

  - Or maybe… he just pretends to be like this in front of us? Maybe he’s actually kind-hearted inside?

  The three junior disciples communicated among themselves using voice transmission.

  On the other hand, Shivansh kept staring at the boy.

  After a moment of silence, he turned his face away and started walking off.

  His juniors watched him until his voice reached them...

  “Come on. We still have to return to the Society.”

  ‘?!’

  “Oh! Right…”

  “I completely forgot.”

  Hearing that, the three remembered they still needed to head back.

  They glanced once more at the boy, then turned away and followed Shivansh.

  After packing their belongings, they began to leave. The small boy, still wrapped in the blanket, watched them go. Slowly, he started following behind them.

  The boy followed them for a while. Then, suddenly, Shivansh stopped and shouted,

  “Ahh! Why are you following us?!”

  He turned around and asked the child who was trailing behind them.

  The boy shrank back, clutching his thin body nervously.

  “I-I… I was just…”

  He didn’t know what to say. Then his eyes fell on the blanket wrapped around him, and he spoke again,

  “I… I came to return this. You gave it to me last night, so…”

  ‘?!’

  Shock appeared once again in the eyes of Shivansh’s junior disciples.

  They hadn’t noticed earlier, but now that they looked closely, they could tell, the blanket really was one of theirs.

  - Senior Brother really helped him?

  - I can’t believe my eyes and ears!

  - Does that mean he only pretends to be cruel, but is actually kind-hearted inside?

  Shivansh, on the other hand, grew irritated.

  He could tell exactly what his juniors were thinking about him, and he didn’t want them to see him that way.

  He quickly walked up to the child, snatched the blanket from him, and said,

  “Now go. Leave this place, and don’t ever come back!”

  Shivansh then returned to his three junior brothers and continued walking ahead.

  Meanwhile, his juniors were lost in thought; was Shivansh truly as hot-tempered and stone-hearted as he showed on the surface, or was he actually kind and compassionate inside?

  On the other side, the small boy watched them walk away… then once again started following them.

  After walking again for a while, Shivansh shouted just like before and asked him,

  “Why the fuck are you following us?!”

  The child spoke a little fearfully,

  “Well… I was just… I don't know...where to go… I belong nowhere in this world…”

  Hearing this, Shivansh’s anger flared up even more.

  Then he did something that, deep down, he did not want to do. From within his clothes, he pulled out a dagger and...

  Swish!

  Threw it toward the boy.

  ‘!!!’

  The boy saw the dagger coming at him, flying straight toward his eyes at terrifying speed.

  It was so fast that he didn’t even have time to dodge.

  Drop! Drop!

  Tears began to flow from his eyes. He felt as if he was about to die.

  However...

  Slash!

  “AHHH!”

  Instead of striking his body, the dagger pierced his leg.

  He collapsed to the ground. Intense pain shot through his leg, blood flowing freely.

  His body had already been weak, but after being struck by the dagger, the pain and weakness became unbearable.

  Shivansh lowered his head and started walking away.

  “Let’s go now…”

  He said to his junior brothers and waited for them to move ahead.

  After a short while, they followed behind Shivansh. Occasionally, they glanced back at the child with pity, but none of them went to help him.

  “Senior Brother… don’t you think you went a bit too far this time?”

  One of them said. Shivansh ignored him and said nothing.

  Then another spoke,

  “Yes, Senior Brother… I also think you went too far this time. We know you’re hot-tempered and stone-hearted, but this much… to this small kid?”

  Shivansh somehow ignored him too, but what the third one said, he could not ignore.

  “He’s the around age of your late younger brother...”

  Bang!

  Before he could say anything more, Shivansh’s fist struck his face, sending him crashing to the ground.

  Thud!

  “Ah! Senior Brother, please—don’t do this…”

  “P-please control your anger…”

  The other two spoke, but they did not dare to come close to Shivansh.

  Shivansh looked at the one he had knocked down. The corners of his eyes looked as if years might come anytime from them.

  Shivansh had a younger brother—a little brother whom he loved dearly.

  But unfortunately, he had died at a very young age. No one knew the reason.

  One day, he was suddenly found dead when he had come to the Crimson Heaven Society to meet his brother.

  From that day onward, Shivansh began to turn cold-hearted too, he was already hot-tempered. And after that incident, cold-hearted too.

  He could never forget that day.

  “Senior Brother, forgive me for saying this… but I only said what felt right at the time. If your younger brother were alive today, he would be around that child’s age—there’s no doubt about it. Still, I apologize if my words hurt you.”

  “…”

  “However… I don’t think you shouldn't hide what’s in your heart. I’ve been with you for a long time. I know very well how deeply you loved your brother. And if your action that, that boy said are really true... If you see your brother in that child, then go! Bring him with us! You could even make him your assistant right now if you want. What difference does it make what others think? If you want to do what your heart desires, then just do it!”

  Said the boy whom Shivansh had punched.

  Shivansh only stared at him.

  For a long time, he said nothing. Years of pain could be felt in his eyes. After some time, he let out a long sigh, turned around, and said,

  “Haa! Forget about this matter… Just think of it as if nothing happened between us. That child; forget all of this, and just focus on returning to the Society. Do you all understand?”

  Everyone heard him and nodded in agreement.

  “Tch! I'm telling you... You’ll regret this in the future…”

  The boy muttered softly as he stood up and got back on his feet. Shivansh said nothing to him.

  They continued moving forward, but then...

  Howlllll!!!!

  ‘!!!’

  The cry of an animal echoed through the air.

  A wolf maybe?

  Many wolves lived in these mountains. The sound came from behind Shivansh’s group—right where they had left that child.

  Shivansh suddenly stopped.

  Seeing him stop, the others stopped as well. They were about to ask why he had stopped, when...

  Bam!

  Shivansh suddenly sprinted back, shouting as he ran,

  “I’ll be back shortly! Wait for me!”

  ‘?!’

  At the same time, Shivansh’s junior brothers witnessed something they had never seen before...

  Tears.

  They streamed down his cheeks all the way to his neck.

  Their Senior Brother… Shivansh was actually crying?