Chapter 135: Seeking Misfortune

Chapter 135: Seeking Misfortune

Bran found himself in a bit of trouble now, a significant one. He wasn’t quite sure how to teach Ancient Tree. If he told Ancient Tree not to hurt others, he worried this wooden-headed fellow might get taken advantage of; if he taught him to always repay a grudge, he feared it might lead to an uncontrollable disaster in the end.

Bran had thought about finding a few playmates for Ancient Tree to get him familiar with how people interacted. But listening to the whooshing sound of the great hammer overhead and looking at the flickering torchlight before him, he could only sigh.

For now, he set some rather unreliable rules for Ancient Tree. For example, the Stranger Rules:

(1) What if someone hits you?

Hit him back. Hit him until he stops breathing!

(2) What if someone insults you?

Hit him. Hit him until he shuts up.

(3) What if someone has ill intentions toward you?

Hit him. Hit him until he no longer has ill intentions.

…

Other rules like Family Rules and Guest Rules were being continuously refined by Bran.

As the rules became more detailed, Bran realized that following them would only lead to two possible outcomes: either beat others to death, or be beaten to death by others.

To avoid being beaten to death when going out, Bran started spending more and more time each day sparring with Ancient Tree. Ancient Tree still couldn’t understand Bran’s deeper concerns, but he became increasingly satisfied with Bran’s performance. He only wished these days would last forever. So, to express his good mood, Ancient Tree swung his great hammer with even more force.

…

After their first successful example of confronting fear, the White-robed Ones became somewhat crazy. Their minds grew a bit abnormal, starting to be suspicious and doubtful. Everyone wanted to find their innermost weaknesses, guessing, questioning, and disproving. None of the White-robed Ones now believed they were fearless; they were surely afraid of something. Even the White-robe whose body still glowed with embers believed he had more fears waiting to be discovered.

They had to find them, and only then could they face them.

When a group of wizards with extraordinary abilities fought against their own fears, all sorts of bizarre and reckless stunts seeking misfortune emerged. If someone dared to jump into fire, naturally someone else would dare to jump into water. After being fished out just before freezing, he reached a very correct conclusion. He wasn’t afraid of water; he was afraid of the cold…

For Northland City, this winter was destined to be a lively and joyful season. Bran felt he wasn’t building a City of Wizards, but rather an asylum. For the patients, he couldn’t set his expectations too high; as long as no lives were lost, it was fine.

The collective mental abnormality of the White-robed Sorcerers provided the residents of Northland City with a new form of entertainment. To secure a good spot, many people voluntarily started helping the White-robed Ones with their work. They could even happily shovel a spadeful of dirt when a White-robe requested to be buried alive.

Even some residents who had already moved out of the city came running back upon hearing the news. Just to find some fun during this boring, cold winter.

Pachu was already planning to remind his companions to mind their demeanor. But faced with so many free laborers, he hesitated. It was a case of being held back by a single coin; they were truly short-handed. And this wasn’t intentional hiring; it was mutual help among neighbors. Surely it didn’t violate the purity of the initiation ritual, Pachu deceived himself into thinking, thus dismissing the thought of a reminder.

…

Many hands made light work. Although people gathered at the White Robes’ Settlement with a mindset of seeking fun, the joyful atmosphere didn’t dampen their work enthusiasm. On the contrary, work efficiency remained quite high.

The White-robed Ones also figured it out. Every now and then, they came up with some new stunts, showcasing their abilities to keep everyone feeling fresh and interested.

Among the White Robes, the wind controller made a difficult decision today. He had already discovered his fear, but had been unable to summon the resolve to face it. He had to force himself into a situation with no way back. He announced to everyone that he would be the one to perform today.

He tried hard to control his trembling legs and carefully climbed up the erected scaffolding. He wanted to reach the highest point and then leap down. The wind would protect him, just as it always had. But he was always afraid, what if?

Yes, what if?

People watched this White-robe, shivering and trembling, inching his way upward, making the viewers feel anxious. At first, people watched with amusement, but gradually, it turned into worry.

Yes, worry.

…

Bran was not what you would call a good person, but he was quite lenient with the residents of his Territory. He neither bullied men and women nor used trickery or force to seize things. The former was because he wasn’t old enough; male hormones hadn’t started flooding his system yet. The latter was because these people were his personal assets; if he wanted to increase their value and maintain it, he couldn’t be too harsh.

But in people’s eyes, Bran was like a Demon God. The impression Bran gave was always one of coldness and bloodlust. His methods of handling situations, on several occasions, involved nothing but killing, always killing. Especially during the Sandstone City incident, even his own Caravan was affected.

The residents here held both affection and fear for him. He was both the guarantee of their safety and a threat to it. Everyone worried about being hurt by the unintended aftereffects of his actions.

Consequently, they also held deep vigilance toward the newly arrived White Robes. There weren’t many secrets in Northland City, except for the Great Wizard Bran — that was everyone’s taboo. People had already learned from Earl and others that they were a group of powerful wizards. Although they couldn’t compare to the Great Wizard, they were not on the same level as the few native wizards in the city either.

After initial observation, people found that these White Robes lived rather miserably, even bordering on destitution. After that, they actually felt a sense of superiority. The living conditions of the White-robed Ones were actually worse than ours!

After this comparison, their vigilance towards the White Robes faded away. They didn’t consider why the White Robes could enter and leave the City Manor at will, or meet Bran directly. They simply found a sense of identification through comparing daily lives. They developed the thought that perhaps they should help them.

People even began to pity them, thinking Bran was too harsh on these White Robes. Though they knew this was a test.

After spending some time together, people discovered that the White Robes were no different from themselves or the native wizards in Northland City. They had the same petty bad habits, the same small schemes.

It wasn’t until the White Robes collectively ‘got sick’ that they demonstrated something truly different from ordinary people. But this difference was quite welcome and entertaining. Winter swimming, being buried alive, all sorts of stunts seeking misfortune… but they just wouldn’t die…

They finally saw the joys, angers, sorrows, and pleasures of the wizards. They saw how this group struggled and strived for their pursuit. Along with the joy came bitterness. They gradually understood what these wizards had given up for their pursuit.

…

The scaffolding wasn’t very high, about ten meters. But everyone could see how difficult this climb was for the White-robe making his way up.

People watched him finally reach the top. They watched him slowly turn around, afraid he might accidentally fall, seemingly forgetting that his whole purpose was to jump.

“The wind will protect me,” the White-robe said softly, and then let go.

…

The cheers coming from the White Robes’ Settlement caused Bran to lose focus again. But he had learned his lesson. The moment his mind wandered, he already retreated into the distance.

He lowered the blade in his hand and looked over. A person, wrapped in wind, was floating high in the sky. Below were the Remnant People of Northland City, cheering and shouting for him.