"Bang!"
The piercing gunshot echoed through the air.
The bullet grazed Third Brother Yan Yong's handsome face, leaving a thin trail of blood.
If he had reacted a moment slower, he would have died. Second Brother Yan Fa sincerely wanted him dead.
As is well known, the ancient Yuan family has many excellent traditions.
The most important one is that when a Yuan family member encounters a deadly viper trying to attack them in the desert, and another smiling Yuan family member, they must kill the other Yuan family member first.
The quicker, the better, without hesitation.
Yan Fa executed this rule perfectly. He wanted to fire another shot, but Yan Yong nimbly twisted his body, merging with the darkness.
Striding into the house, Yan Fa wanted to put down the supplies he had purchased, but couldn't find a spot that wasn't stained with blood.
Keep in mind that the vacuum cleaner in the Yuan residence was broken. Yan Fa personally swept the floor clean with a broom, inch by inch. In his life, he had never inhaled so much dust.
However, for the sake of providing a decent living environment for his sister when she returned, he endured it.
But Yan Yong ruined his hard work!
Thinking of this, Yan Fa's murderous intent grew stronger. He stepped back outside, placing the paper bag by the relatively clean doorway.
With a flourish, he spread his arms theatrically, accusingly raging, "Couldn't you at least have called me before coming home? And you made such a mess of the house!"
Yan Yong knew they had both gone insane. Yan Fa would utter witty lines while blowing his brains out with bullets.
Yan Yong sneered, "You've been out of touch for so long, and you hid the fact that our sister has returned!"
Upon hearing this, a flicker of light appeared in Yan Fa's gloomy eyes as he searched for the slender little figure.
Yuan Luoyi, who had been hiding behind a pillar, cautiously peeked out, her large eyes gazing at the other person.
Second Brother looked a bit thinner than before, his hair disheveled, windswept and travel-worn, as if he had just finished a bumpy and terrible journey.
However, when he looked at Yuan Luoyi, his eyes sparkled. With one hand behind his back, he bowed slightly, "My dear sister, welcome back. I've been waiting for you. Your magic is truly spectacular. Thank you for helping me regain clarity."
Yan Fa noticed the blood stains on Yuan Luoyi's clothes.
Without a doubt, Yan Yong had killed someone in front of their sister.
Surveying the surroundings, the only survivors were an ailing old soldier and a trembling young woman. Everyone else had been torn to shreds, their bodies scattered.
The entire house was a horrific hell on earth.
Yan Fa sighed worriedly.
Ah, poor sister, having to face the madly murderous Yan Yong must have terrified her.
It was precisely because of Yan Yong's cruel nature and his constant desire to take their sister away that Yan Fa didn't inform him of her return.
Regaining what was lost would trigger Yan Yong's intense obsession. He had completely lost control, and this obsession would inflict irreversible harm on their sister.
He would undoubtedly kidnap her to a remote place, never letting her leave again.
It seemed that, just like before, the two brothers would have to fight for custody of their sister once more.
"Click!"
Yan Fa ejected the magazine and reloaded.
The room was quite dim, making it difficult to see clearly. And Yan Yong was a formidable opponent. Six bullets might not be enough to kill him, and they could end up in close combat, which would be extremely bloody and unsuitable for a child to witness.
So, Yan Fa softly said to Yuan Luoyi, "The brothers need to sort out a problem."
"My dear sister, you can go back to your room first. If you're hungry, there are some crunchy noodles and breadsticks in the paper bag by the door. They're a bit hard on the teeth but taste decent."
"Don't worry, everything will be settled soon..."
Before he could finish, Yan Yong had already charged out from the darkness, like a loosed arrow, trampling through the bloody puddles as he rushed toward Yan Fa.
No one could take his sister away from him. He wouldn't let the tragedy repeat itself.
With bone-chilling murderous intent, his sharp blade swung toward Yan Fa's neck.
"Bang!"
Yan Fa fired a shot, hitting Yan Yong's side leg. He stumbled but didn't fall. Such an injury couldn't stop him, for he had long since become numb to pain.
In an instant, Yan Yong was in front of Yan Fa.
In close-quarter combat in the darkness, a handgun lost its advantage. Yan Fa drew out a dagger, and the two clashed like beasts, each intent on quickly killing the other, with no mercy in their attacks.
Blood splattered onto their white shirts as their wounds multiplied.
Yuan Luoyi wanted to run over and stop the two, who were now covered in scales of wounds, yet still fighting to the death. They couldn't feel the pain, but Yuan Luoyi could.
The gym teacher sensed Yuan Luoyi's intention and shouted, "Stay calm! Don't go! They've lost all reason! It's easy to get caught in the crossfire!"
Yuan Luoyi halted her steps.
Yes, that's right.
What was she thinking?
One must remain calm, especially in times of crisis.
No problem, she would definitely find a way through this.
Second Brother Yan Fa seemed a bit more lucid. The main issue was Third Brother Yan Yong, who was like a relentless killing machine, swinging his blade tirelessly, even as his wounds kept bleeding, not caring if he exhausted his life.
In this close-quarters battle, Yan Yong would win, but he would also burn through his remaining life.
Think carefully, how to make Third Brother stop!
Distant memories were awakened.
For a moment, Yuan Luoyi felt herself transported back to that summer filled with blue blossoms. She could smell the fresh grass, feel the moist air, surrounded by the ebb and flow of insect calls.
She saw her three-year-old self, tiny hands gripping the wooden railing, legs kicking wildly as she struggled to climb onto the windowsill.
After finishing his story, Third Brother had left, and she was going to be locked in the room alone again. So, it was time to escape.
This height was quite dangerous for her, but she wasn't afraid. She was going to jump down...
Breaking free from the memory, Yuan Luoyi knew what she had to do.
Suppressing her discomfort, Yuan Luoyi quickly made her way through the gory massacre Yan Yong had created and ran upstairs, climbing onto the railing just like she had as a child.
Looking down, the two were still locked in their deadly struggle.
After a forceful clash, Yan Fa's back slammed against the cold wall, leaving him wide open. Yan Yong naturally wouldn't miss such an opportunity and lunged forward, his icy blade descending...
"Third Brother!"
Yuan Luoyi shouted with all her might. Her voice pierced through the layers of darkness in this tempest of blood and gale, ringing out clear and crisp, like a spell that could dispel curses and rust.
The blade stopped an inch from Yuan Fa's neck as Yuan Yong looked towards his sister.
That place was so high, so dangerous, causing Yuan Yong to tense up instantly.
In this scene, the 11-year-old Yuan Luoyi standing on the railing and the 3-year-old Yuan Luoyi standing on the windowsill seemed to overlap across time and space.
She said, "Quick, catch me!"
She leaped into the air, like a butterfly breaking free from its cocoon, or a brilliant shooting star swiftly falling.
Seconds later, instead of smashing into the ground in a broken mess, she landed safely in Yuan Yong's arms, just like when she was three.
Yuan Yong, having run frantically, gasped for breath, still shaken.
He was covered in blood, some belonging to others, some his own.
Yuan Luoyi reached out and embraced him, resting her head on his shoulder, whispering, "Congratulations, invincible holy knight. This time you protected the princess, so you can stop now. Please don't get hurt anymore."
