Peking Opera Cat: I Became A Zi's Brother

Mo Yun's hand holding the gun did not waver, the tip of the gun still hovering a short distance from Wu Qing's heart, and the cold air condensed by Bing Yun's power made the surrounding frost fog even thicker.

He caught a glimpse of a silver-gray figure darting through the woods, and when he saw the Imperial Clan Commander's token on the person's chest, a mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips, his voice as cold as ice:

"Heh, what? The people from the Supervisory Clan arrived so quickly, are they here to die too?"

The iron-faced sword landed steadily three zhang away from the two cats, the judge's pen held horizontally at his side, the golden energy flowing through the pen leaving faint traces of light in the cold mist.

Behind him were two guards, both dressed in matching outfits and holding short blades. They stood guard to his side, holding their breath and keeping their eyes fixed on Mo Yun, not daring to relax for a moment.

Iron Face didn't step forward immediately. First, his gaze swept over the ruthless man lying on the ground, barely breathing. The bloodstains on his dark robes were glaring, and the rise and fall of his chest was so weak that it seemed like it would stop at any moment. Even so, the arrogance in his eyes had not been extinguished. He was staring intently at Mo Yun's back, and it was unclear whether he was forcing himself to stay upright or holding his breath.

Withdrawing his gaze, the iron-faced man fixed his attention back on Mo Yun, his tone devoid of much emotion, yet carrying the unique authority of the Grand Supervisor:

"Hmph, I know I can't beat you."

Mo Yun chuckled softly, as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world. The tip of her spear trembled slightly, and the icicles scraped against the air, making a soft, crackling sound.

"At least they have some self-awareness."

"But there's no other way,"

His stern expression shifted abruptly, and he slightly raised his judge's pen, the golden energy condensing into a faint glow at its tip.

"Lord An has given orders, so I must come and 'rescue' my 'brother'."

He deliberately emphasized the word "brother," and the estrangement and helplessness in the quotation marks were like sparks wrapped in ice, something he didn't want to admit, yet had to face.

Ruthless, lying on the ground, coughed violently upon hearing this, the blood splattering onto the frozen ground. He turned his head and glared fiercely at Iron Face:

"Who asked you to...meddle in other people's business..." The voice was terribly hoarse, but still carried its usual sharp edge.

Iron Face ignored him, staring intently at the tip of Mo Yun's spear, fearing that the other party might attack at any moment.

The two guards behind him also quietly gripped their short blades, their inner energy circulating silently around them, ready to provide support at any moment.

Mo Yun's gaze swept between Wu Qing and Tie Mian, the mockery in her eyes deepening, her tone tinged with amusement:

"save him?"

He paused deliberately, then pressed the tip of the gun down even further, leaving it just a hair's breadth from Wuqing's collar.

"You? You think you can stop me?"

The moment the words fell, the icy aura around Mo Yun suddenly surged, and the thin mist that had been spreading through the forest instantly condensed into tiny ice needles, which floated densely in mid-air and were faintly approaching the direction of Tie Mian and the two guards.

A chill swept over us, and even the withered grass on the ground was frozen and brittle, crumbling at the slightest touch.

The two guards instinctively took half a step forward, shielding Iron Face slightly behind them, but Iron Face gestured for them to step back with his eyes—their obstruction would be futile against an opponent of Mo Yun's strength, and would only increase casualties.

Iron Face seemed oblivious to the chilling aura emanating from him. A faint smile slowly crept onto his stern face, a smile tinged with a stubborn desperation and a resigned acceptance of doing something futile.

"Whether we can win or not, I don't know."

He suddenly swung his weapon, and golden energy spread out, forming a thin barrier in front of him. The approaching ice needles collided with the barrier, making crisp clanging sounds, and shattered and fell to the ground.

"Anyway, I'm definitely bringing this 'brother' with me today."

"Oh?"

Mo Yun raised an eyebrow, the icy energy gathering at the tip of his spear growing increasingly intense, almost solidifying into a tangible ice blade.

"Are all the cats of the Duzong sect this stubborn? Or do you think that with your meager spiritual power, you can take someone away from my gun?"

Iron Face took a deep breath, took a small step forward, and stood directly in front of Ruthless, his back ramrod straight, like a withered pine tree standing unyielding in the cold wind:

"Whether they are stubborn or overconfident, I will act with an iron fist, obeying orders and fulfilling my responsibilities."

His gaze swept over the ruthless figure on the ground, his tone cold and hard.

“He’s my cat. As long as I’m still standing, there’s no reason for me to watch him die here.”

Ruthless looked at Iron Face's back. The figure wasn't particularly tall, but it exuded a resolute determination that was impossible to ignore.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something sarcastic, but only a metallic taste rose in his throat. He could only grit his teeth and swallow the words back. However, something seemed to be subtly changing in his deep eyes. They were no longer full of arrogance and resentment, but had gained a hint of complexity that was hard to detect.

Mo Yun observed all of this, her smile fading slightly, replaced by a hint of cold impatience:

"Obey orders? Fulfill responsibilities? In the face of absolute power, these things are nothing but self-deceiving jokes."

He suddenly raised his hand, the tip of his spear pointing directly at Iron Face's chest. The icy energy transformed into a sharp icy beam, shooting towards him with a whooshing sound.

"Since you insist on seeking death, then I will help you!"

Iron Face was prepared. The judge's pen flashed in front of him, and chaos formed a rotating barrier that barely blocked the icy light.

With a loud clang, the ice light shattered, and the barrier of golden energy rippled. Iron Face was forced back two steps, and the frozen ground beneath his feet cracked with several fine lines. He groaned, clearly having suffered some internal injuries.

The guards behind him wanted to step forward to help, but he stopped them again with a look—if they stayed, at least they would have a chance to drag Wuqing away if he made a mistake.

"Is that all you've got? You dare to be so insolent in front of me?"

Mo Yun sneered, lightly tapped her feet, and moved closer like a ghost. The tip of her spear kept thrusting out, and streaks of icy light attacked Tie Mian one after another, each strike carrying deadly killing intent.

Iron Face could only defend passively, his weapons wielded in a dense, impenetrable manner. Chaos and ice energy collided constantly, producing a series of ear-piercing sounds. Ice shards and golden light scattered everywhere, leaving a mess in the forest.

His movements became increasingly sluggish, fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, which quickly froze into frost in the cold air, and his breathing became increasingly heavy.

He knew very well that he was no match for Mo Yun. Every parry he made consumed a lot of his energy. If this continued, he would surely be defeated in less than ten moves.

But he couldn't retreat. Behind him was the heavily wounded Wuqing, the person Lord An had personally ordered to be brought back. If he retreated, he would not only be disobeying orders, but also pushing Wuqing to his death.

"Ha ha……"

Iron Mask suddenly chuckled softly, a laugh tinged with a hint of embarrassment, yet also revealing a tenacious spirit that refused to give up.

"Come again!"

He suddenly activated the last of his inner energy, and the purple light on his weapon pen suddenly surged, actually charging towards the tip of Mo Yun's spear.

A hint of surprise flashed in Mo Yun's eyes, which then turned into an even deeper coldness:

"act recklessly!"

The gun and pen collided again, this time with far greater force than before. The golden and icy energies exploded at the point of contact, and the powerful impact shook the surrounding withered trees until they were about to collapse.

Iron Face was struck as if by a heavy blow, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, which splattered onto his robes on his chest, dark and glaring like the merciless bloodstains.

He staggered back a few steps, almost falling to the ground, but still gripped the judge's pen tightly, barely managing to stand still, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Mo Yun was also jolted back half a step, the tip of his spear trembling slightly. He looked at Tie Mian, who was clearly seriously injured but still refused to fall, and a hint of inquiry appeared in his eyes:

"You know perfectly well that even if you risk your life, you can't save him, so why are you still so persistent? Just because of that ridiculous 'brother'?"

Iron Face wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his imposing face showing no sign of backing down. He looked at Mo Yun and said, word by word:

"Persistence? Perhaps. But some things, even knowing you're going to lose, you still have to do."

He paused, his gaze returning to Wuqing, his tone complex.

"Besides, he's my cat, he's my... 'brother'."

That word "brother" still carried the distance implied in the quotation marks, but it carried a heavier weight than before—it was the bond between fellow members of the Imperial Guard, the bottom line that even if they didn't get along, they couldn't stand by and watch someone die.

Ruthless lay on the ground, looking at Iron Face's blood-soaked appearance, and hearing his "brother" in quotation marks, his eyes inexplicably welled up with tears, but he forced them back.

He gritted his teeth, mustered all his strength, and moved closer to the iron face, shouting in a hoarse voice:

"Iron Face...you idiot...don't worry about me...let's go..."

Iron Face didn't turn around, but stared intently at Mo Yun, his tone firm:

"I said, if we're going to bring them, we'll bring them all together."

Mo Yun frowned slightly as she looked at the strange atmosphere between the two, her impatience growing stronger.

He stood there, gun in hand, his icy aura surging around him once more, clearly indicating he didn't want to waste any more time with them.

"Since you're so determined to die together, then I'll grant your wish. This time, no one can save you."

The cold fog grew thicker and thicker, and the temperature in the forest was frighteningly low. Ice blades formed from condensed icy energy gleamed with a deadly cold light in mid-air.

Iron Face took a deep breath and raised his weapon again. Even though he was seriously injured and knew he was no match for Iron Face, his eyes remained firm and showed no fear.

The two guards behind him were also prepared for a desperate fight, and the energy on their short blades had been condensed to the extreme.