Wild cultivation begins with wielding the Taiyin talisman.

"How could that be?" Ning Che took two steps forward, stopped in front of him, and said seriously, "Why would I laugh at you? I genuinely admire you."

"Why do you admire me!" Mancang suddenly looked up, his eyes reddening, his tone rising sharply and his speech speed increasing: "You admire me for not daring to take a single step forward when I saw hyenas charging up in the valley."

Do you admire me for fighting the monsters so hard while I, as the older brother, just cowered in the formation, unable to even shield you? Or do you admire me for watching them lose their legs, helpless and only causing trouble?

Tell me, what do you admire about me?

As he was speaking, he suddenly slammed the spear to the ground. The iron spear struck a stone, making a piercing sound.

The boy squatted down, grabbed his hair with both hands, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably, and a sob that had been suppressed for a long time spilled out of his throat: "Back then, back then at the Earth God Temple, it was me who led the four of you to kowtow and become sworn brothers, to establish the order of seniority, and to say that I would be the eldest brother of the Five Heroes of Stone Pillar."

I said I'd protect you all as you roam the world, uphold justice, and make everyone look up to us. But look at us now! You've become a capable expert, the village chief has high hopes for you, the shaman affirms your abilities, and the headhunter wants you as his right-hand man. And me? I'm just a useless piece of trash, unable to even protect my own brothers. I don't deserve to be this big brother…”

Ning Che remained silent, his mind relentlessly flooded with memories. He felt a moment of disorientation, raised his hand to his temple, and silently waited for Man Cang to release all his pent-up grievances and self-blame.

The night wind swirled withered leaves across the slope, and Mancang's voice gradually faded, leaving only suppressed gasps. Ning Che then crouched down to meet his gaze, tapping the spear shaft at his feet with his fingertips, his voice softer:

"That year, my father disappeared in the wilderness, and my mother went mad. In winter, the snow blocked the mountains, and we didn't have a single grain of food at home. I went three days without anything to cook. Who stole half a sack of grain from their own family in the middle of the night and stuffed it on our windowsill? Even after being hung from a tree and beaten for half a day, they gritted their teeth and endured it, refusing to utter a single word?"

Mancang's body trembled violently. She raised her head and looked at him with teary eyes.

"It's you, Brother Mancang." Ning Che looked into his eyes and said sincerely, "I did kill the hyena demon and the bear demon, but that was just the most impressive part of those two things."

"Look, before I killed the hyena demon, someone had to hold off the hyena pack's charge from the outside, and you were there; after I killed it, I was exhausted and wouldn't have survived without backup, and you were the first to rush over to protect me. Without you, without all of you, how could I have killed the demon?"

"It's me?" Mancang's voice trembled as he asked incredulously.

"Of course it's you. Without you, we might not have been able to hold our ground when dealing with the hyenas; and without you, there would be no Stone Pillar Five."

Ning Che stood up, took the gleaming machete from his waist, and shoved it into Man Cang's hand: "This self-deprecation is not like our most responsible eldest brother."

Mancang reached out and took it. The old cloth wrapped around the hilt still carried his body heat, and the patterns were inlaid with dried bloodstains from the battle in the valley. The weight of the blade made Mancang's hand, which was calloused from years of holding a hoe, feel heavier.

His chest felt like it was being pressed down by something, and he could only let out a muffled "hmm".

"The beast tide is coming soon." Ning Che's gaze shifted to the wasteland, the forest, and the hillside in front of him: "If someone wants to charge forward, someone has to guard their back. If someone wants to conserve their strength, someone has to bear the extra cost beforehand."

He turned back, his gaze settling on Mancang's face, his tone becoming serious: "Brother Mancang, can I trust you and entrust my back to you?"

Mancang gripped the knife tightly, the cold iron blade pressed against his palm, yet it felt as if a ball of fire shot up his knuckles, burning all the way to his heart. He nodded vigorously, tears welling up in his eyes, finally unable to hold back any longer, rolling down his dark cheeks and falling into the yellow earth at his feet.

Seeing this, Ning Che smiled again: "If you agree, then you agree. Why are you crying? Come on, let's bump fists."

Mancang hesitated for a moment: "Your hand..."

Ning Che casually raised his hand, which was wrapped in burlap: "It's okay, I can still move it. Just don't hit me too hard."

Man Cang vigorously wiped his face, mixing his tears and dust evenly, and grinned, revealing a smile tinged with mud and tears. Then, he said "Good," clenched his fist, and gently bumped it with Ning Che's.

Ning Che could feel that Man Cang's hands were still trembling slightly.

They stood side by side at the foot of the hillside, their fists pressed together, like two boundary stones nailed to the village entrance, firmly rooted in this land about to be hit by a storm.

After an unknown amount of time, a long, drawn-out wolf howl erupted from the mountain, shattering the long, silent night.

Mancang suddenly realized what was happening and withdrew his hand.

Ning Che looked up with some concern, and Man Cang followed suit. Although they didn't see any wolves, they couldn't help but worry, saying, "Should we report this to the headhunter?"

"There was only one wolf howl, and no response was heard. It was probably a lone wolf."

Ning Che paused for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Lone Wolf wouldn't dare come here alone. Besides, the village's defenses are handled by designated personnel. If we overstep our bounds, it will only waste everyone's energy and affect the defense. If you're worried, go and remind the person in charge here."

Mancang nodded in approval and said, "You've thought of everything very thoroughly. I'll go right now."

"Now that you've finished reminding me, you should go back and rest." Ning Che withdrew his gaze, feeling sleepiness creeping into his eyes again. He gently rubbed his temples and said, "Tomorrow, there are still things to do. Only when we're well-rested can we protect what we need to protect."

"Alright!" Mancang carefully sheathed his spear and machete, straightened his back, and patted his chest, assuring them, "Don't worry! Even if the beast tide comes, I will definitely hold your retreat. Even if it means death, I will absolutely not let them invade the village!"

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Ning Che chuckled, turned, and walked down the slope. "We, the Five Heroes of Stone Pillar, will live together. We will roam the world together, uphold justice together, and earn the sincere respect of everyone who hears our names."

"Yes, that's right, you're right!" Mancang looked up at the sky and declared, just as they had sworn at the local temple, "May all the gods and immortals, may the long-lived spirits of the heavens bear witness, that the four of us will roam the world together, uphold justice together, and earn the admiration of everyone!"

Ning Che also looked up and saw the bright moon hanging over the Cangshan Mountains, and the Milky Way stretching across the vast wilderness. Everything in the distance was so splendid.