Chapter 406

One-eyed Hou Dun hoisted a giant saber even larger than himself, while one-eared Hou Chun shouldered a massive axe. The brothers readied themselves for a desperate, do-or-die battle. That was right: the men of the Snow Empire excelled at using blades. After all, the northern reaches were bitterly cold, and every young man learned to chop firewood from childhood. Although for experts of Hou Dun and Hou Chun's caliber, the frigid weather no longer posed any practical hindrance, the skills ingrained in them from youth were never forgotten. Over time, they grew accustomed to wielding axes and broadswords—a true custom and part of the Snow Empire's culture. Indeed, Hou Dun and Hou Chun were worthy of being brothers. The older brother, Hou Dun, had once lost an eye to some flying arrow, while the younger brother, Hou Chun, had an ear shorn off by some unknown blade. This showed that both Hou Dun and Hou Chun were seasoned veterans of countless battles. Not only were the brothers robust and towering in stature, but their weapons were also massive.