"Xu Hao, you must hold on! Wait until I lure the demon wolves away, then you must come and save me."
Zhu Kai, by the cave entrance, was on the verge of tears.
"You're too irresponsible, kid. Just turning your back and leaving me to fend for myself. Are we even brothers?"
"It's me who's the real brother, coming to save you at a time like this. If there's a next life, you'll have to compensate me."
"And those people from the Academy, they're truly bastards. None of them are looking out for you, and I'll haunt them even in death."
Zhu Kai cried and cursed incessantly.
His few words gave Lin Xiao Tian a general understanding of the situation.
It seemed that the people from the Academy, upon learning of Lin Xiao Tian's predicament, had no intention of rescuing him, and Zhu Kai had no choice but to come himself.
Zhu Kai and Lin Xiao Tian's relationship was one of shared fortune and misfortune. If Lin Xiao Tian got into trouble, Zhu Kai's standing in the team would plummet, and he would be the first to be assigned dangerous tasks.
However, Lin Xiao Tian was deeply touched that Zhu Kai had come to save him.
After all, it was better to live a difficult life than to die honorably. Coming to save Lin Xiao Tian meant facing the demon wolves. Zhu Kai, a cultivator at the third or fourth level of Qi Condensation, was bound to die against them.
Furthermore, the Academy had also confiscated their magical artifacts and weapons. Zhu Kai's action was tantamount to a suicide mission.
To be a brother to this extent was truly rare.
Lin Xiao Tian sighed.
Although he had always been cautious, he was not entirely without trust. Zhu Kai, standing before him, was someone he could trust.
After a moment of thought, Lin Xiao Tian had an idea. In the next instant, he moved, appearing before Zhu Kai with his clone.
"Kid, this is the person you're looking for, right?"
Lin Xiao Tian's main body used a secret technique to conceal himself, so Zhu Kai couldn't see his face clearly at the moment. However, his attention was focused on the clone, as it bore Lin Xiao Tian's appearance.
"Xu Hao, that's great! Thank you, senior, for your help." Zhu Kai cupped his hands respectfully, his eyes filled with emotion.
Although he desperately wanted to check on Lin Xiao Tian's condition, Zhu Kai knew that the person before him possessed extraordinary strength and ultimately restrained himself.
Lin Xiao Tian hummed and presented the clone to Zhu Kai.
"Xu Hao, Xu Hao..." Zhu Kai shook the clone a few times, but Lin Xiao Tian didn't let it wake up.
"Don't worry, he's just fainted. He'll be fine soon."
"Oh... that's good, that's good..." Zhu Kai breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, senior. I'll take my brother and leave now. I won't disturb you further."
As Zhu Kai finished speaking, he prepared to leave, but Lin Xiao Tian stopped him.
"Wait."
Hearing Lin Xiao Tian's words, Zhu Kai's back tensed.
To have emerged unscathed from a demon wolf's lair, this person's strength must be extraordinary. If such a person decided to do something to him, he would have no means of resistance.
In this world, the strong often bullied the weak without reason. Zhu Kai's eagerness to leave was also due to his fear of this.
"Kid, I see you have a peculiar bone structure. You're a good candidate for cultivation. It's a shame you're using the wrong methods. If you used my cultivation methods, you'd achieve twice the results with half the effort." Lin Xiao Tian deliberately sighed.
Lin Xiao Tian intended to guide Zhu Kai, as Zhu Kai had shown him true loyalty.
However, Zhu Kai was not swayed by this. He was quite sharp.
"Thank you for your kind offer, senior. But I'll just live my life as it is. I don't have so many ambitions."
As Zhu Kai finished speaking, he tried to leave, but Lin Xiao Tian's voice came again.
"I saw everything that just happened. Your companions abandoning you when you were in danger was indeed wrong, but you also did something wrong."
"What was wrong?" Zhu Kai asked.
"You are too weak."
"Haha, senior, you teach me a lesson." Zhu Kai was indifferent. He didn't have many expectations for his own strength.
Lin Xiao Tian, however, smiled slightly.
"Today, you were lucky to have met me. But what about next time? Will you still have such good luck?"
"I will be more careful in the future, senior."
"Is mere carefulness enough? Haven't you been careful enough today?"
Zhu Kai scratched his head again. He had no answer for Lin Xiao Tian.
"I... I will try not to be a burden to my friends in the future."
"Can you do that just by trying?" Lin Xiao Tian asked again.
"I'll do my best..."
Lin Xiao Tian understood Zhu Kai well. Zhu Kai simply didn't know how to retort.
"You should be well aware of the rules of this world: the strong prey on the weak. As long as you are weak, you are always at risk of being oppressed. The reason you've been fine until now is not because the strong couldn't touch you, but because they didn't want to."
"As I said, you have talent, but you're wasting it."
"If you intend to remain this way forever, being a dead weight beside your friends, then go ahead. I won't force you. There are plenty of people who want to follow me; I don't need you."
"However..."
"If you still have even a shred of spirit, I'm willing to make an exception for you."
"You don't need to answer immediately. I'll give you time. When you come to the Black Forest again, I'll expect your answer."
Lin Xiao Tian finished speaking, turned into a wisp of smoke, and vanished, leaving Zhu Kai standing stunned.
Zhu Kai looked around. When he realized Lin Xiao Tian was gone, he actually breathed a sigh of relief.
"That was close, so close. Thank goodness he's gone."
With that, Zhu Kai picked up Lin Xiao Tian's clone and left.
Not long after, Zhu Kai reunited with Lin Xiao Tian, Zhu Yu, and the others.
Seeing Zhu Kai actually bring Lin Xiao Tian back, everyone was astonished.
They knew Zhu Kai was heading towards the demon wolf's lair. With his cultivation level, he wouldn't even have a chance to get close to the cave, let alone bring Lin Xiao Tian out.
But seeing Lin Xiao Tian alive and unharmed, everyone had to accept the fact.
"How did you bring Xu Hao out?" Zhu Yu stepped forward and asked.
"When I got there, Xu Hao had already come out, but he was unconscious. So I just took him out with me," Zhu Kai replied with a naive expression.
Although the others didn't quite believe him, seeing Zhu Kai's harmless appearance, they believed him for the most part.
A short while later, Lin Xiao Tian woke up, and the group continued their journey into the Black Forest.
Lin Xiao Tian and Zhu Kai walked at the rear. Zhu Kai recounted what had happened in the cave to Lin Xiao Tian, including the matter of the mysterious senior wanting to take him as a disciple.
"Xu Hao, do you think this is possible? I may be a bit handsome, a bit smart, but I don't have many other merits. Why would that senior take an interest in me? What does he want?" Zhu Kai's face showed bitterness.
Although he had run away quickly before, he couldn't remain indifferent to such an offer from a mysterious powerhouse.
"What does he want? What do you think he wants? Does he want you because you don't bathe? Because you have bad breath?" Lin Xiao Tian replied.
"Are you kidding me? I bathe once a week!"
"But that's during the summer."
"Ouch! What are you doing!"
"Hahaha, actually, you have many merits. I think you should agree!"
"Aren't you afraid he'll sell me off?"
"But think about it, what do you have to lose? He's right. In this world we live in, living to old age in peace is a luxury. Why not try this opportunity? What else do you have to lose? Your engagement is already gone." Lin Xiao Tian spread his hands.
"Xu Hao, you really know how to touch a sore spot."
"I'm just stating the facts," Lin Xiao Tian patted his shoulder. "As a brother, I'm looking out for your best interests. If you can become stronger, it will benefit both of us. I'm even looking forward to relying on your strength!"
Zhu Kai fell silent, lost in thought. Lin Xiao Tian's words had struck a chord deep within him.
He himself had always felt insignificant. After losing his engagement, he had no hope for his future life. As Lin Xiao Tian said, he truly had nothing to lose, and his weakness would indeed be a burden to his friends.
After a long pause, Zhu Kai suddenly patted Lin Xiao Tian's shoulder.
"Brother, I've decided."
"I will become his disciple!"
"Don't worry, if I become successful, I'll protect you from now on."
"But."
"If your brother is ambushed by that old scoundrel, don't forget to burn me more paper money on festivals. I like money."
As Zhu Kai spoke, he actually wiped away a tear.