Chapter 28: Sworn Brotherhood

The young man was delighted when Qi Jun agreed, his heart soaring with joy. He excitedly took Qi Jun’s hand and led him before Magistrate Feng, saying, “There’s no time like the present. Tonight, the moon is bright and the breeze gentle—a perfect scene for pledging brotherhood under Heaven!”

Magistrate Feng stroked his beard in satisfaction and nodded his consent. He immediately instructed Axin to prepare the necessary items.

“Please wait, Sir Feng,” Qi Jun interjected, hurriedly clasping his hands in a gesture of respect. “My heart is anxious for Miss Yunfei. I beg you—let her be cured of the poison first!”

Deng Fang was puzzled, glancing at his uncle with confusion after hearing Qi Jun's request.

“Cured of poison?” Magistrate Feng was momentarily taken aback, then burst into hearty laughter. “That young lady is perfectly well. What poison are you speaking of?”

“What? But…” Qi Jun was flabbergasted, staring at Magistrate Feng in bewilderment. “Surely you’re not deceiving me. What about the medicine she was given?”

“It was merely a Calming Pill,” Magistrate Feng chuckled. “I never claimed it was poison. You’re a bit too suspicious.”

With that, Magistrate Feng took a bottle from his robe and tossed it to Qi Jun for inspection. Qi Jun hesitantly opened it and sniffed the contents, unable to determine exactly what the medicine was.

He looked at Deng Fang in confusion. Deng Fang took the bottle, examined it, and then laughed, “Don’t worry! It’s indeed a Calming Pill. My uncle has long suffered from palpitations and breathlessness, so he always carries this medicine with him. I’ve taken it myself; it truly has a soothing and restorative effect.”

Only then did Qi Jun relax, realizing he had once again been outwitted by the old fox Feng Qinian.

Though Feng Qinian had never stated it outright, he had deliberately had Axin administer medicine to Yunfei in front of Qi Jun, creating the misleading impression that it was poison. This was meant to force Qi Jun to admit he had martial skills.

Qi Jun shot an irritated glance at Magistrate Feng, but the latter merely smiled and said, “It’s been ages since this house had such liveliness. Let’s get started. Axin, send someone to call the ladies and young misses!”

The County Magistrate’s residence suddenly bustled with activity, making a striking contrast to the quiet of Anqiang County at night.

Madam Feng Sun, upon being awakened by her maid, realized that for her husband to summon her in the middle of the night, it must be something urgent. She quickly dressed and tidied herself, then led her two concubines from the inner quarters to the front hall.

Magistrate Feng’s daughter, Feng Qing, and his concubine’s son, Feng Bo, also received word from the household staff and arrived one after the other. After respectfully greeting their elders, they took their seats, still puzzled.

On occasions when all members of the household were summoned, it could only mean a major event or announcement. The master remained silent, and the others dared not ask, so they sat quietly, speculating amongst themselves.

“Master, it’s three quarters past midnight—the auspicious hour has come,” Axin reported, approaching respectfully.

The timing had been specially chosen by someone versed in divination, based on the birth dates of Deng Fang and Qi Jun, showing how seriously Magistrate Feng took this matter.

“Very well, let’s begin,” Magistrate Feng nodded.

At his command, the waiting servants carried in an offering table laden with sacrificial animals, setting it in the main hall. Time being short, both offerings and ceremony were kept simple.

Outside, Qi Jun and Deng Fang exchanged a glance, then walked into the hall together and knelt before the offering table.

Axin stepped forward, lighting incense and handing it to the two. Qi Jun and Deng Fang held the incense sticks and bowed.

According to the customs of Great Liang, the first bow was to Heaven and Earth, invoking the spirits above and the nurturing earth below as witnesses, while reciting their vows. The second bow honored their ancestors, with the eldest family members as witnesses. Both Qi Jun and Deng Fang were orphans; thus, they bowed to the highest-ranking elders present—Feng Qinian and Madam Feng.

The third bow was mutual, with Qi Jun being a year older than Deng Fang. Thus, Deng Fang bowed to Qi Jun as elder brother, and Qi Jun acknowledged Deng Fang as sworn younger brother.

When the ceremony was complete, the servants cleared the offering table, and Qi Jun and Deng Fang each took a teacup to serve tea to their relatives. Magistrate Feng and Madam Feng received the tea with smiles, followed by Axin guiding them to serve the concubines and their peers. Thus, the ceremony was finished, and the two were officially sworn brothers.

Magistrate Feng and Madam Feng smiled throughout, and the two concubines returned the gesture with laughter after drinking the tea. Only Feng Qing and Feng Bo, the younger generation, responded differently, both deep in thought.

Feng Qing was the legitimate daughter of the Feng family, born to Magistrate Feng and Madam Feng, and held the highest status among the younger members. Though she was clever and resourceful, the male-dominated culture of Great Liang meant her father seldom paid her much heed. In contrast, Feng Bo, born to the second wife, was the family’s only son.

Magistrate Feng knew Feng Bo was unruly and lazy, neither fond of reading nor inclined to martial arts. Being a concubine’s son, he was even less favored. Feng Bo, however, understood that despite his illegitimate birth, he was the sole heir to the Feng family’s legacy. Though he knew his father disliked him, he endured and tried his best to please him.

Deng Fang’s arrival had stirred a strong sense of crisis within him. Over the years, Magistrate Feng had grown increasingly fond of Deng Fang, eventually contemplating adopting him as a son and passing on the family business.

This intent became apparent in the care and affection he lavished on Deng Fang, though he did not realize that such favoritism had made Deng Fang the object of Feng Bo’s resentment.

Feng Qing, meanwhile, knew the family business had nothing to do with her as a woman, and she understood she would inevitably become a pawn for her father’s political ambitions. Thus, she paid little heed to Feng Bo’s anxieties. Instead, because she had been familiar with Deng Fang since childhood, she felt neither resistance nor hostility toward her cousin.

What she and Feng Bo shared at that moment was curiosity about the stranger who had been sworn as Deng Fang’s elder brother—a young scholar their father had never mentioned before, yet who was now, through their father’s arrangement, bound to Deng Fang as sworn kin. His importance in their father's eyes was clear.

What sort of person was he, to be so highly regarded by their father? Brother and sister pondered this question silently. They wished to approach Qi Jun and ask him themselves, but as the ceremony ended and the night grew late, Magistrate Feng instructed everyone to retire, and they had no choice but to leave with the others.

Knowing that Yunfei was safe, Qi Jun felt at ease. He guessed she must already be sound asleep and didn’t wish to disturb her, so he specially asked Axin not to summon her for the ceremony.

Deng Fang, still elated, pulled Qi Jun into his own room and ordered the servants to prepare a bed for Qi Jun there.

Neither of them could sleep. Qi Jun told Deng Fang of his own background and, drawing from his knowledge, explained the use and practice of weapons, even touching upon military tactics and deployment.

Deng Fang was obsessed with martial arts and strategy. He had once considered himself among the best fighters in Anqiang. Now, after losing two matches to Qi Jun and listening to his brilliant discourse, Deng Fang admired his new elder brother even more, his eyes filled with boundless respect and approval.

Qi Jun, in turn, gained a clearer understanding of the Feng family and the situation in Anqiang County and its surroundings through Deng Fang’s insights. Their meeting felt long overdue, and they talked until the rooster crowed before finally, reluctantly, going to sleep.

Meeting Deng Fang not only gave Qi Jun, for the first time, a deep sense of fulfillment and excitement, but through this connection, he also gained a foothold in Anqiang County with the help of Magistrate Feng. More importantly, he saw hope for his revenge.

Already, a preliminary plan for rooting out the bandits and avenging himself was forming in his mind.