Zhou Hong pretended to leave the family, hiding in a dark corner when no one was around.
He waited until nightfall before quietly returning to the family.
At this moment, a family banquet was being held at Zhou Hong's family home, seemingly to welcome his second brother home.
Zhou Hong did not disturb their feast until late into the night when the banquet concluded.
His second brother returned to his room, reeking of alcohol, unaware that Zhou Hong was waiting for him.
"Creak!" The room door opened.
"Second brother, you're back," Zhou Hong's voice echoed from the corner of the room.
"Who?" Zhou Hong's second brother was startled, having not sensed anyone's presence at all.
"Third brother, why are you here? Didn't you go to Taigu Academy during the day?" Zhou Hong's second brother asked, his face a mask of shock upon seeing Zhou Hong.
"Second brother, I'll call you second brother one last time," Zhou Hong said, his expression stern.
"Heh heh, third brother, what do you mean by that?" Zhou Hong's second brother chuckled, showing no sign of panic.
"Who exactly are you?" Zhou Hong bellowed.
"I am your second brother."
"Hmph, still trying to deny it? Do I, your younger brother, not know what kind of person my second brother is? You are not my second brother."
"Hahaha, third brother, don't do anything foolish. I have a good impression of you, which is why I gave you a magic artifact as soon as we met. You should be able to tell that I cherish this family greatly."
Zhou Hong's heart ached. From those words, he could tell that his second brother was truly gone, his soul replaced.
"Why did you possess my second brother's body?" Zhou Hong roared.
Zhou Hong's second brother's face twitched, but he then smiled faintly and asked, "Kid, how did you figure it out?"
"You admit it then?" Zhou Hong clenched his fists tightly. Until the very last moment, he had refused to believe his second brother had been possessed.
"Since you've already asked, what is there for me to deny? That's right, I possessed your second brother's body because it perfectly matches my Nascent Soul requirements."
"Who exactly are you?"
"Kid, it doesn't hurt to tell you. My name is Yang Changbai, a cultivator from the Tianhe Continent. I cultivated to the Tribulation stage, but Heaven did not aid me, and I failed my tribulation. Fortunately, my Nascent Soul escaped my body and found a suitable vessel, allowing me to live again. I am very fond of your second brother's current body; it matches my original body exceptionally well. I am confident that I can cultivate back to the Tribulation stage in less than a hundred years."
"You're dreaming," Zhou Hong roared.
"Heh heh, kid, I originally intended to fully integrate into this identity. As long as I existed, your humble Zhou family would undoubtedly become the rulers of this Zi Xiao Continent. I never expected you to see through me. In that case, you are simply unfortunate." A killing intent flashed in Yang Changbai's eyes. Since Zhou Hong knew, he could not possibly let him live.
"You want to kill me?"
"What? Do you have any reason to live?" Yang Changbai sneered.
"Hahaha, if I didn't have some tricks up my sleeve, why would I dare to confront you? Answer me honestly, what happened to my second brother's soul?" Zhou Hong asked with great tension, hoping his second brother's soul still existed, however unlikely.
"Ignorant. Do you still think your second brother's soul could possibly remain in his body? As a cultivator at the Tribulation stage, I could erase the original soul of this body with a single thought."
"Aargh!" Zhou Hong roared, his eyes red. His second brother was dead. All his closest relatives in this family were dead.
"Don't be sad. I'll send you to reunite with your second brother shortly," Yang Changbai said with a faint smile.
At that moment, the Dark Golden Crow instantly took control of Zhou Hong's body.
"Zhou Hong, stop wasting time and kill him," the Dark Golden Crow urged.
"But this body is my second brother's," Zhou Hong's heart was filled with pain. Even though the soul was no longer his second brother's, the body still was.
"Ah, I suddenly have an idea," the Dark Golden Crow said, having thought of something.
"What idea? Can it bring my second brother back to life?"
"Of course not. Since you're reluctant to part with your second brother's body, don't destroy it. Keep it as a memento."
"But if the soul within my second brother's body is already destroyed, won't the body soon rot? Do you not intend to kill this Yang Changbai?"
"Of course not. My idea is to refine your second brother's body into a puppet artifact."
"A puppet artifact?"
"Yes. After refining it, you should no longer see him as a person, but as a human-shaped artifact. You can then continuously upgrade this artifact, allowing you to see your second brother forever, except... without his soul and consciousness."
"This...!" Zhou Hong was deeply conflicted. How could he bring himself to harm his second brother's body?
"Then, we can either kill him directly and give him a grand burial, the choice is yours. In any case, your second brother cannot be resurrected."
Just then, Yang Changbai spoke, "Kid, you can die now."
As Yang Changbai was about to make his move, Zhou Hong let out a disdainful snort. More accurately, it was the Dark Golden Crow that snorted disdainfully.
"Slap!" The Dark Golden Crow delivered a slap, sending Yang Changbai flying out.
"Ah." Yang Changbai, who had been flung into the courtyard, was instantly shocked, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"How could this be?"
"Yang Changbai, you possessed my second brother's body and killed his soul. Today, I will make you pay with your life," Zhou Hong said furiously.
"How can you be so powerful? You're only at the late stage of Fusion." Yang Changbai shook his head in disbelief. He was absolutely certain that Zhou Hong was genuinely only at the late stage of Fusion, with no hidden cultivation.
"So what? Die for me."
"Wait, I advise you not to act rashly. Otherwise, I will choose to self-destruct my Nascent Soul. You should know that I have already cultivated to the late stage of Nascent Soul using your second brother's body. If I self-destruct my Nascent Soul, I can flatten an area of tens of kilometers. At that time, everyone in your entire Zhou family will be annihilated." Yang Changbai threatened immediately.
"Then go ahead and explode," Zhou Hong snorted dismissively.
The Dark Golden Crow struck instantly, grabbing Yang Changbai by the head.
"Explode for me," Yang Changbai shouted.
However, with his head held by Zhou Hong, he was unable to detonate himself no matter how hard he tried.
"How is this possible? Why can't I self-destruct?" Yang Changbai was dumbfounded.
Self-destructing one's Nascent Soul was a way to threaten enemies and save oneself. Usually, even a cultivator of a higher level would be injured by the blast, making them hesitant to act. But now, he couldn't explode, as if being forcefully suppressed.