Heavenly Dao Nemesis

You're dead

“Liam! Liam! You’re in trouble! You’re so damn dead!”

The chubby boy continued rushing toward them, shouting as if the entire sect was about to collapse.

“Slow down, Brother Lang!” Olivia cried out, her eyes widening with alarm. “Slow down!”

Unfortunately, her warning came a little too late.

Brother Lang tried to stop, but his feet tangled beneath him. With a startled yelp, he pitched forward and landed flat on his face.

Thud!

Olivia pressed her lips together, seemingly caught between concern and the urge to laugh. She hurried toward the fallen boy and crouched beside him. “Brother Lang, are you all right?”

“You're dead,” came a muffled voice from the ground. “You're definitely dead.”

“Stop talking nonsense!” Olivia sighed and grabbed him by the arm. “Come on. Let me help you up.”

She pulled with all her strength, but the chubby boy barely moved. If anything, she seemed more likely to fall on top of him than lift him from the ground.

Liam watched their struggle for a few seconds before finally stepping forward.

“Let me help.”

Between them, they managed to haul Brother Lang upright. The boy wobbled for a moment before steadying himself, panting.

Liam immediately noticed that his hand was soaked with sweat. He grimaced, wiped his palm against his clothes, and dusted his hands together.

“Now, can someone explain what is going on? You’ve been shouting that I’m in trouble since you arrived. What happened?”

Brother Lang looked at him with wide, anxious eyes.

“The excavation!” he blurted out. “The Mount Sinai excavation is where they’re going to kill you!”

Olivia’s face drained of colour. “What do you mean, Brother Lang?”

“They want him dead!” Lang repeated, his voice rising. “They’ve already planned everything!”

“Who?” Olivia demanded. “Who wants to kill my brother?”

Brother Lang pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve and began wiping his sweaty face. He dabbed his forehead, rubbed his cheeks, and even wiped the back of his neck before finally taking a breath.

“I overheard them talking,” he explained. “They’ve already decided what they’re going to do. Once the excavation begins, they’ll make sure Liam never comes back!”

Olivia’s eyes filled with tears.

“No! No, that can’t be true!” She grabbed Liam’s sleeve, shaking her head frantically. “Brother, what are we going to do? What if something happens to you? We can’t—”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.”

Liam raised a hand, interrupting her growing panic. “Why are you both behaving like I’m already dead? I’m standing right here, aren’t I?”

Olivia looked at him through her tears, but her expression remained miserable.

Liam sighed.

“And you,” he said, turning to the chubby boy. “Who are you?”

Brother Lang stopped wiping his face and he pointed at himself. “Who am I?”

Liam looked him up and down. “A boy who nearly broke his face running into my courtyard?”

Olivia made a strange choking sound. She quickly covered her mouth, pretending to cough.

Brother Lang’s face turned red. “I’m your best friend, you idiot!”

Liam's expression froze.

My best friend?

Before he could respond, a sudden wave of memories surged through his mind.

A chubby boy laughing beside him. A pair of boys sitting beneath a tree, sharing stolen snacks. Two miserable outer disciples complaining about their lives and cursing the heavens for giving them neither talent nor a decent future.

And, in nearly every memory, the same round face appeared.

So, this is Brother Lang.

The original Liam had apparently possessed only one friend in the entire Azure Cloud Sect.

And what an interesting friend he had chosen.

Brother Lang was the son of a count, which meant that despite his inability to cultivate, he could still enjoy a reasonably comfortable life. His family had money, servants, and enough influence to ensure that he would never starve.

His greatest enemies appeared to be physical exercise and any activity that required him to move faster than a leisurely stroll.

Unfortunately, the original Liam had not been so fortunate.

With a supposedly broken spiritual root, he had become nothing more than an outer disciple whom everyone could bully. He had neither a powerful family nor the talent to change his circumstances.

In that regard, the two boys had something in common.

They were both considered useless.

However, while Brother Lang could return to his comfortable family estate whenever he pleased, Liam had nowhere else to go.

What a pair, Liam thought.

He studied the boy in front of him, wondering how such a person had managed to become the original owner's only friend.

Brother Lang, seemingly unaware that Liam had just remembered their entire history, suddenly reached into his clothes and produced a roasted chicken leg.

He took a large bite.

Liam and Olivia stared at him in disbelief.

Brother Lang chewed, swallowed, and then looked at Liam with the same worried expression as before.

“So, what are you going to do?”

Liam glanced at the chicken leg. “Are you seriously eating right now?”

“What else am I supposed to do? Worry on an empty stomach?” Brother Lang took another bite. “Besides, this might be the last time I see you alive. I should at least eat something while I still can.”

Liam's mouth twitched.

This fellow really is something else.

Brother Lang leaned closer, lowering his voice as if he were about to reveal a world-shattering secret.

“I heard you provoked those people four days ago. You know who I'm talking about, right? Brother Chen and his companions! Do you have any idea how dangerous they are? They're not going to let this go!”

He shook his head mournfully. “Ah, Liam. How are you going to survive this?”

Liam's patience finally ran out. “Get off me.”

He pushed the chubby boy away.

Brother Lang staggered backward, nearly dropping his precious chicken leg. He quickly recovered, then glared at Liam like he had committed an unforgivable crime.

“What was that for?”

“Because you're annoying.”

“I'm trying to save your life!”

“Then try doing it without breathing down my neck.”

Brother Lang opened his mouth, preparing another speech, but Liam ignored him. He walked over to a nearby wooden bench and sat down, wincing slightly as the movement tugged at his still-healing ribs.

His body was far from recovered. Even the short walk from his room had left him feeling the strain, and he had no intention of wasting what little strength he possessed on a conversation with an overdramatic glutton.

He turned toward Olivia, who was still standing nearby with tears on her cheeks.

“Stop crying.”

“But, Brother—”

“I'm not dead yet, am I?”

Olivia sniffled.

Liam rubbed his forehead. “Honestly, the two of you are behaving like I'm dead already. I haven't even gone to the excavation yet, and you've already decided that I'm not coming back.”

He leaned against the bench, his expression growing calm.

“Now, tell me exactly what happened. From the beginning. And this time, I want the truth, not a funeral speech.”