"Alas, though we share a roof, you deliberately moved to the farthest south wing to avoid me. Sigh... move back here tomorrow!" Jun Zhantian said with deep regret after looking at Jun Xie once more. No matter how dissolute or disappointing he was, he was still his grandson, and the only blood heir of the Jun family...

Though external affairs were now peaceful, the several princes were slowly growing into men, a time when internal currents were surging. As the foremost figure in the military, he was like a towering tree; everyone wanted to cling to him or wait for him to lean on them. To strike at his only bloodline was an exquisite scheme for framing and slander! If Jun Xie did not move back, such incidents would likely happen endlessly in the future.

"I'm quite content where I am; there's no need to move back!" Jun Xie flatly refused. Imagine, he was just about to witness what the assassins of this world were like. Moving back would mean forfeiting that opportunity! When the old master mentioned this matter, Jun Xie felt a subtle surge of excitement within.

Assassins... that was a distant memory, yet it was also the most intimate one...

"You! ... You scoundrel!" Old Master Jun was choked with anger, raising a large palm to strike, but it halted just before impact. He let out a long sigh, his gaze complex. "You... go on, then."

Was this the first time the boy had ever refused him?! He actually dared to refuse me today?! And rejected me so cleanly?

Jun Xie bowed in deference, then straightened up and turned to leave.

"Oh, one more thing. From now on, you are absolutely forbidden from pestering Princess Lingmeng. There is no room for negotiation on this matter; it is settled!" Old Master Jun's voice carried an ineffable weariness, tinged with a deep sense of disheartened resignation!

For the past few years, although the Jun family appeared overwhelmingly powerful, almost second only to the Emperor, they suffered from a fatal flaw: a lack of successors! The only heir of the third generation was this dissolute boy, Jun Moxie! Old Master Jun might appear to be only in his forties, but his spirit was aged; keenly aware of the world, he knew that should he pass away one day, the Jun family would likely be wiped from existence in a very short time. Given Jun Moxie's current state, this outcome seemed almost certain, perhaps even the only foreseeable finale.

Thus, Jun Zhantian had swallowed his pride and requested the Emperor that Jun Moxie marry Princess Lingmeng, the Emperor's most beloved daughter. If this succeeded, even after his death, Jun Xie would be sheltered by his residual authority and bear the title of a royal son-in-law, a relative of the Emperor. As long as he didn't act too outrageously, he could likely secure the continuation of the Jun family line.

Being a (Consort to the Imperial Daughter) sounded glorious, but it was actually one of the most awkward positions in court. Any family with significant power dreaded the Emperor suddenly decreeing a marriage that made their son marry a princess: a daughter-in-law to whom the parents-in-law had to kowtow? Furthermore, unless specially permitted by the princess, the consort was strictly forbidden from taking concubines. If the princess happened to have a capricious or intensely jealous temperament, life for the entire household could become extremely difficult. However, for a good-for-nothing like Jun Moxie, it was a tremendous safeguard; at least for the sake of the Jun lineage, it was the best possible arrangement!

Therefore, Jun Zhantian's proposal for this marriage was truly born of desperation.

His Majesty the Emperor naturally understood the intentions of his old comrade and elder brother. He was initially moved by the request, but after carefully examining Jun Moxie's past deeds, coupled with Princess Lingmeng's staunch refusal, he deliberated for a long time before finally declining.

"Brother Jun, it is not that I am unwilling to grant you face, but I too am a father. Lingmeng is my most cherished daughter. How could I possibly entrust my daughter to... alas!" The Emperor's unfinished sentence, spoken with lowered posture, almost choked the breath out of Jun Zhantian.

A father? Considering his daughter? If this had been ten years ago, during the Jun family's zenith, even if Moxie were ten times more profligate, if I had proposed marriage, wouldn't you have been overjoyed? The fickleness of human affection is like drinking water! This was the resentment brewing in Old Master Jun's heart.

"Oh, I understand," Jun Xie said faintly, stopping at the doorway. His tone held neither surprise nor joy, as flat as a bowl of plain boiled water, before he stepped out.

Since the Old Master had revealed this intention, Jun Moxie had constantly acted as Princess Lingmeng's suitor, relentlessly pestering her to the point of annoyance. But the Old Master was somewhat surprised and taken aback by his grandson's indifferent demeanor now. Jun Tian would not have been surprised by an outburst of anger, hysteria, or even vulgar cursing... but this level of calm was completely unexpected.

"He took a fall, but why has his temperament changed so?" The Old Master stroked his beard, gazing deeply at Jun Xie's retreating back as he walked out.

After a long pause, Jun Zhantian clapped his hands decisively. "Assign several more elite guards to protect the Young Master day and night; there must not be any further mishaps! If any blind fool dares cause trouble again, execute them on the spot! Without any need for hesitation!" Such matters can only be tolerated once; how could I allow my Jun Zhantian's grandson to be harmed? A cold glint flashed in the Old Master's eyes.

The grand hall was empty, and the Old Master seemed to be speaking to the air, but then a faint, ethereal voice responded from an unknown location: "Yes!"

Jun Xie walked out into the morning sun. The gentle light illuminated his slightly pale features as he ambled toward his small courtyard. Servants bowed in fear and haste along the way, but Jun Xie paid them no mind, immersed entirely in his own thoughts.

No one knew that within the heart of the Third Young Master Jun, lines of words were currently echoing:

"What is an assassin? Literally, a hand that kills! A black hand that murders! You must remember this word—'black'!"

"Assassins are always illusory, born from the ethereal, vanishing into nothingness!"

"How does one become a successful assassin? If an assassin remains unknown, his hands stained with blood, until the very day he dies, then he is a successful assassin!"

"Then, how does one become a qualified, supreme assassin?"

"A qualified assassin can conceal himself under any circumstance! Among scholars, he is a man of letters; with painters, an artist; with ruffians, a villain; with noble ladies, a nobleman, a gentleman; with lechers, a lecher! With heroes, he is a model!"

"In the desert, he is a lizard; upon the vast plains, the Wolf King! Returning to the mountains, the fierce Tiger, King of Beasts! Drifting upon the ocean, the divine Dragon stirring the waves!"

"Only then is he a qualified, successful assassin!"

"One who only knows how to kill is, at best, a butcher!"

"Killing solely for the sake of the objective, even with constant success, only qualifies one as an excellent mercenary!"

"Killing! Is itself an art! As an assassin, one must never, ever profane the elegance of this art!" ...........

This was a conversation Jun Xie had with his master in his previous life. Thinking of it, a smile touched Jun Xie’s lips, and he murmured: "... To add one point, being born into this current family, I am just a dissolute second-generation heir coasting on past glory!"

Suddenly, a sharp voice cut in: "Wrong! You are not a second-generation heir! I am the second-generation heir, and you, are the third-generation heir!"