The Buried Beauty

Her figure was tall, her face possessed an ice-cold allure. Amethyst-hued hair, tinged with a dark, almost sanguine red, cascaded around her, framing a face ghastly pale, devoid of life's flush from her prolonged burial. Her purple gown, though caked with soil, still hinted at its former elegance, now mottled with dried blood and fresh wounds. Pushing aside her tangled tresses, Du Chen realized with a jolt that the woman was...

"Helen! How in the Nine Hells is she in this accursed place?" Du Chen was struck dumb with disbelief. If Helen was buried alive here, where were Ted and Sulan?

Given it was Helen, there was no question of leaving her. With the Water Veil Shield currently beyond reach, Du Chen swiftly expanded the Lotus Pedestal to a functional size, its Holy Light radiating from its core to assist him as he personally administered healing, employing the very techniques he had mastered back in the academy.

The lock on the chain naturally posed no challenge to Du Chen. He effortlessly snapped the chains, casting them aside as he meticulously examined her. "Helen has suffered three fractured ribs, and there's a blade wound on her chest, half an inch deep. Judging by the incision, it was inflicted by a vicious, serrated blade... Her feet are bare, and there are indelible scorch marks on her soles. How peculiar; what deranged fiend would burn an enemy's foot soles? Eldest Brother, look, the back of Helen's gown is bleeding profusely, suggesting she was savagely scourged... Eldest Brother, why are you closing your eyes?"

Steve not only kept his eyes tightly shut but also covered them with both hands. He snickered, a roguish glint in his hidden eyes. "Oh my, little brother, you're examining her with such… dedication. Eldest Brother simply can't bear to watch such a meticulous examination! You even inspected her… assets. Heh heh, Xue Ji, it seems you won't be my only sister-in-law!" He bellowed towards Xue Ji, who lay unconscious on the Lotus Pedestal.

Du Chen's eyes nearly rolled out of their sockets. Thankfully, Xue Ji remained unconscious. "Brother, I'm performing a life-saving procedure!"

Steve paid him no mind, turning his back instead and ticking off on his fingers. "We Divine Scions are permitted three principal wives. Xue Ji is one, Helen is another… little brother, who do you intend for the third? Eldest Brother can scout out candidates for you!" He thumped his chest, a self-important grin plastered on his face, as if on the verge of declaring, "Your Eldest Brother is the reigning Matchmaker Extraordinaire!"

Noticing Du Chen's darkening expression, Steve wiped the lecherous grin from his face and declared, his tone grim, "Saint Tru's Dark Execution!"

"What!?"

"It is Saint Tru's Dark Execution, a Fiendkind punishment reserved for traitors and captives. Much like the Dark Sacred Punishment, it stands as one of the most notorious tortures from the Fallen Gods era!" Steve gestured towards Helen, explaining, "First, the victim is bound entirely in iron chains. Then, they are compelled to traverse a Ground of Blazing Thorns, while simultaneously flogged mercilessly with a Softbone Beasthide Whip! Finally, a cross-shaped incision is carved over the heart with a serrated blade, bleeding them dry before they are interred deep beneath the earth. This symbolizes the pouring of one's vital essence into the earth, a plea for absolution from the Great Earth Mother… This, little brother, is Saint Tru's Dark Execution, which the Fiendkind are so fond of employing!"

Du Chen's hair bristled with horror, yet a profound question gnawed at him: why had Helen fallen into the clutches of the Fiendkind, and endured such abhorrent cruelty?

Steve deliberated, "The tortures during the Fallen Gods era were arcane and monstrously diverse. Each grave transgression demanded a specific, horrific retribution. Any individual subjected to Saint Tru's Dark Execution is unequivocally either a traitor or a captive. Given that humanity and the Fiendkind have merely begun skirmishing, and the concept of captives is still nascent, then Helen must be… a traitor to the Fiendkind!"

Unfortunately, the Amia Silver Needle beside him had already melted away within the Fiery Core, making him unable to verify Helen's true bloodline. Yet, Du Chen held implicit faith in his Eldest Brother's discerning eye!

So, Helen was Fiendkind. But the ancient adage 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' held true. She and Ted had collaborated with him on numerous occasions; perhaps they could forge a powerful alliance against their shared nemesis—the Supreme Council of the Fiendkind!

With this thought, Du Chen looked up at Steve.

Steve grinned mischievously. "Don't look at me; if you want to save her, then hesitate no longer! Oh dear, what if my little brother ends up marrying a Fiendkind wife?" He feigned deep contemplation, stroking an imaginary beard.

Du Chen had long given up trying to contend with his Eldest Brother's incorrigible nature! At this moment, the enlarged Lotus Pedestal emitted a soothing radiance, healing Helen while simultaneously aiding Xue Ji. Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing the scene before her: Du Chen still donned Alex's persona, masked from the world. Having spent a considerable time with Steve within the Precious Lotus Scripture, though their interactions had been limited, she understood they posed no threat. Yet, one of these siblings wore clothing so tattered it barely covered his modesty, while the other was frankly clad only in his undergarments. This sight made Xue Ji instantly avert her gaze, a blush rising. "Mr. Alex, this is..." she managed to stammer.

Before Du Chen could even open his mouth, Steve interjected with an exuberant shout, "Sister-in-law, you're awake!"

A crimson flush instantly bloomed across Xue Ji's cheeks. "Gentlemen, you seem to have gravely mistaken something."

"No misunderstanding at all!" Steve declared with a dismissive wave and an impish grin. "Just last year, around this very season, I was discussing with Sherine… our family's..." He caught himself, remembering Du Chen's mask. "...Our Alex needs to get married! Who would make a suitable match? Why, Xue Ji herself mentioned she has a younger sister who has yet to find a husband!"

Xue Ji's face deepened to an alarming shade of crimson, but she was no fool. "You jest, sir. Sixth Sister knows our Master's strictures well; I am forbidden to marry!"

Du Chen frantically shot Steve warning glances, but the lecherous rogue remained utterly oblivious, blithely retorting, "Rules? Sister-in-law, you must be joking! Of Water's Embrace Lake's nine disciples, from Shirley all the way to your Eighth Sister, Roland's wife, Xue Ning! Which one didn't have a lover!?"

Xue Ji froze, her mind reeling. *I've never once divulged the names of my eight sisters to outsiders, and Mr. Alex was only aware of Sixth Sister Xue Ji. How does this person even know of Eldest Sister Shirley, who married Saint Bovin a millennium ago and became the revered matriarch who established the nation of Lanning!?*

Saint Bovin was a son-in-law to Water's Embrace Lake. Much like Roland, Master Margaret harbored a profound hatred for him, for he had slain his wife, her disciple. Yet, because his son reigned as a sovereign, Master had shown a measure of leniency, sparing Saint Bovin's lineage from complete annihilation… This, this was Water's Embrace Lake's most guarded secret!

Saint Bovin's animosity towards Water's Embrace Lake was no less profound than Roland's!

Stunned speechless, Xue Ji demanded, "How did you come to know such matters, venerable sir?"

"Sherine told me, of course!" Steve replied with a knowing smirk.

"You are...?"

"You may simply address me as Glynn! I am Alex's Eldest Brother, and a dear friend of Sherine!" As he spoke, he gave a theatrical wink.

"So it is Mr. Glynn!" Xue Ji naively nodded, not doubting Steve's clearly fabricated moniker in the slightest. He was the Eldest Brother of her benefactor, and a dear friend of Sister Sherine—what reason was there to doubt? Steve suddenly adopted a look of grave sincerity. "On a serious note, just a few days ago, my Alex extolled your virtues, saying you were not only strikingly beautiful but also possessed a benevolent heart, and that any man fortunate enough to wed you would find boundless happiness!"

Xue Ji flushed with embarrassment, wishing she could melt into the Lotus Pedestal itself, her voice barely a whisper. "Mr. Glynn must be joking!"

"Do I appear to be a man given to idle fabrication?" Steve fixed her with a righteous, stern gaze. Just as he was about to continue his outrageous claims, Du Chen, with a grim expression, nudged the Lotus Pedestal further away. "Eldest Brother, her external injuries are tended to. The internal matters, I leave to your capable hands!"

At the same time, he shot Steve a pointed glance, an unspoken message passing between them: *You've already spun a web of deceit in front of Xue Ji. When Helen awakens and recognizes you, Steve, the ruse will surely unravel. Manage this impending crisis before you embroil us in further fabrication!*

As the Lotus Pedestal moved away, Du Chen and Xue Ji sighed in mutual relief. Du Chen said with an embarrassed cough, "Uh, my Eldest Brother… you witnessed his peculiar state within the Precious Lotus Scripture just recently. He's only recently recovered from a severe affliction, leaving him somewhat… unhinged and prone to flights of fancy. Do not heed his nonsensical ramblings!"

Xue Ji nodded, offered no comment, yet a sense of injustice rankled within her. *Mr. Alex is a man of impeccable character, how can he have such an untrustworthy, garrulous Eldest Brother!? The adage rings true: 'a single grain feeds a hundred, and even brothers born of the same flesh can be worlds apart!'*

A soft "Tsk, tsk" of admiration suddenly came from behind. Turning, they saw Steve grinning with a mischievous glint. His thoughts were simple: *Du Chen is my brother, and this scamp possesses a face that enchants every woman, yet he's inexplicably reticent in their presence. What if he fails to secure a deserving wife in the future? It falls upon me, his Eldest Brother, to lend a guiding hand!*

As he mused on the various types of wives he might procure for Du Chen in the coming years, Steve suddenly noticed Helen's eyelashes tremble. He swiftly composed himself, concocting a plausible excuse for Helen's inevitable inquiry.

Helen slowly opened her eyes. Across her bloodless countenance, the distinct expressions and temperament of a sentient being began to emerge.

Steve froze!

This is not right at all! He possessed an eidetic memory for women, especially beautiful ones, after a single glance. Following his breathtaking encounter with Helen at Antwerp Port, he had committed this singular beauty to memory. That Helen had exuded a frigid pride, though tinged with an excess of suspicion, but she was utterly unlike the woman currently before him…

Although this woman's visage and innate scent were identical to Helen's, yet her aura was a chasm apart. Fierce, malevolent, she resembled a viper that had clawed its way from the abyss of despair, starved ravenous and indiscriminately eager to consume any life before her!

Even a master of the brutal art of Flaying like Steve felt a sudden tremor of apprehension in his heart. *She's not Helen. Absolutely not!*

With this realization, Steve scrutinized her. Her innate scent was, of course, identical. But while this woman's appearance matched Helen's perfectly, upon closer scrutiny, subtle differences emerged. She was a fraction younger than Helen, but this minute distinction was easily masked by the myriad wounds adorning her face, which was precisely why Steve, a connoisseur of feminine beauty, had failed to perceive it earlier.

"Third Sister, come here!"

Du Chen frowned as he walked over. Could it be that Eldest Brother was still struggling with Helen? Catching a glimpse of the "Helen's" chilling aura, a sudden clarity dawned upon Du Chen.

"Was it you who saved me!?" the woman demanded, her voice ice-cold.

Steve coughed awkwardly, then offered a charming smile. "Beautiful lady, it was I who could not stomach the sight of such exquisite beauty languishing in the earth's embrace..."

"Hmph, understood!"

The woman turned abruptly and strode away, displaying not a shred of gratitude towards her two saviors! Du Chen was absolutely certain: *It's not Helen. Absolutely not! While that girl Helen certainly had her own peculiar quirks, both she and her father were individuals who knew gratitude, certainly not as cold-blooded and ruthless as this callous woman.*

Steve moved to intercept the woman, a coaxing smile on his face. "Beautiful lady, you see, we saved your life. While it is merely a gentleman's duty, and we seek no recompense, to not even grace us with your name, is that not a tad… inhospitable?" He finished with a theatrical sigh. "Even a pseudonym would suffice!"

The woman regarded Steve and Du Chen with a chilling gaze, then snorted dismissively. "The War God Clan does not sully the honor of their ancestors with fabricated names. Call me… Brockman!"

Both brothers froze, dumbfounded!

*What a name!*