Breakthrough, chapter update! Wishing all the brothers and sisters a happy holiday! Lord Jun, having successfully broken through, was quite excited. After speaking animatedly for quite some time, he finally noticed his grandson covering his nose, mumbling incoherently, looking deeply uncomfortable and pent-up, his eyes darting over the old man constantly. The elder raised an eyebrow suspiciously. Did I get some dust on me? Why is he staring at his own grandfather like that?

Subconsciously glancing down at himself, he realized it wasn't just a bit of dust; he was absolutely caked in grime. His loose, flowing robes were entirely plastered to his body. The original pale-white robe was now covered in a thick layer of some unrecognizable muck, its original color completely obscured. Furthermore, he felt wrinkled and uncomfortable all over.

The old man had a military background in his younger days and wouldn't usually care about such things. But now, holding the title of Duke of Tianxiang, coupled with years of pampered living and recent cultivation focused on tranquility, he had developed a slight case of mysophobia, especially when dealing with younger generations. Humiliated, the elder gasped, and with a sound like "swoosh," his shadow vanished, leaving behind only the words: "I'm going to wash up. I'll be right back."

Jun Moxie let out a wry chuckle.

This situation was entirely normal. The old man had successfully shattered the ceiling of the Heaven Profound Peak, breaking through several levels at once. While his cultivation had vastly improved, the combination of the newly formed, massive Profound Barrier and the impact of powerful external medicinal aids had essentially resulted in a thorough cleansing of his marrow and veins. All the impurities accumulated over decades had been purged, and countless old injuries were essentially eradicated in this single burst! Had such filth not been expelled, the Young Master would actually have suspected a potential flaw in his grandfather's breakthrough.

After this event, Jun Moxie was certain. Given Jun Zhantian's current physical condition, living to be two hundred years old or even longer was absolutely no problem! Moreover, his innate defensive capabilities had been immensely enhanced. If he were to cultivate using his current body with the divine martial arts techniques from Moxie’s memory, he could even stand a chance against a Supreme expert.

Jun Moxie finally set aside a great weight from his heart!

A genuine smile spread across Jun Moxie's face. He felt deeply gratified and immensely pleased.

In this world where might makes right, this was the only way to ensure his family's safety.

Joy!

What is a person living in this world striving for?

They say that if a person doesn't look out for themselves, heaven and earth will destroy them, but in the end, everyone lives for someone else. For those who care about them, for those they care about, for their kin! His past self was utterly alone. Claiming to live for himself was merely a helpless excuse, because he desperately wanted to live for others, yet there wasn't a single person who existed for him. He could only survive based on a faint conviction held deep in his heart.

Who was worthy of my Evil Lord's sacrifice? For whom should she be sacrificed?

Whether it was redistributing wealth to aid the poor, punishing the wicked, or fighting for his nation and his people—it was all supported by a singular, sustaining belief. Though his past self was an assassin, he fought for justice, for the justice he believed in.

Killing or cruelty notwithstanding, the core of his tenacious spirit had never wavered.

To walk the uneven path of imbalance, to manage all the injustices in the world!

Yet, the more he acted upon this, the further he strayed from the so-called "Righteous Path!"

Jun Moxie, the Evil Lord, was profoundly lonely. That powerlessness born from seeing everyone and everything as corrupt was something ordinary people could never grasp!

But in this life, he unexpectedly found true, tangible family. The moment Jun Moxie accepted his new identity, the moment he truly embraced this household—

The moment Jun Zhantian, in a fit of rage for his sake, had painted the capital in blood—Jun Moxie felt utterly enveloped by that potent familial bond!

From that point on, the heart of the Evil Lord Moxie was no longer solitary. Because he finally had a spiritual anchor.

Family—these were the people Jun Moxie cherished most in this life, and the very foundation upon which his life's conviction rested!

If there were any possibility, Jun Moxie would exhaust every means to ensure his relatives lived healthy, long, safe, and joyful lives. He absolutely would not permit anyone to shatter this beautiful reality!

A rootless drifter, once granted the solace of a family, could never have their depth of care fathomed! He would sooner sacrifice everything, even defy the entire world, just to defend them to the bitter end!

Because the feeling of being rootless...

Was too agonizing!

So bitter it could make life unbearable! But having something to cherish was so warm, so heartwarming, that he would guard it even at the cost of his own life, caring for them wholeheartedly, protecting them with every fiber of his being!

From Jun Wuyi's legs being restored, the rise of the Heaven Devouring Soul, Lord Jun's advancement, and Guan Qinghan's transformation—these were all things Jun Moxie had done step-by-step for his current home.

And he was determined to continue doing so!

Until the shame brought upon this family was utterly cleansed. Until this family stood supreme above the world, looking down so that no one in the Nine Heavens dared to meet their gaze directly!

Only when the Jun Family truly commanded the cosmos, admired by all sentient beings—that would be Jun Moxie's ultimate objective!

Glancing at the dim, heavy night sky, Dao? Xie Zhonggan let out a long breath, ordering the guards outside to stand down. He instructed them to maintain normal defense posture around the mountain path, then his body swayed, and he vanished from the base of the tower.

Tonight, he still had crucial matters to attend to! The deterrence shown during the day was insufficient; far from enough! To completely suppress this impending turmoil, he needed the heads of at least a few more heavyweight figures!

How dare some pedantic scholars in the Tianxiang Kingdom openly attack the Jun Family now? To be bullied by mere upstarts—how could that possibly inspire awe across the realm? If a top-tier, super-eminent family doesn't retaliate forcefully, how can it maintain its standing? Wouldn't it become a laughingstock!

This was the task Jun Moxie was setting out to accomplish!

They intend to attack me using reputation!?

Heh, let’s see who values honor more!

They call me despicable and shameless; let's see who proves more utterly devoid of conscience!

The heavens were overcast, moonless and starless.

A dark and windy night—perfect for murder and arson!

Although Jun Moxie, the esteemed Young Master Jun, didn't plan on setting fires, if necessary, he certainly wouldn't hesitate over murder. Moreover, what he intended to do might be even more terrifying than arson, perhaps...

The Mei Residence.

Elder Mei Gaojie was sighing heavily. He hadn't anticipated the situation spiraling to this point. Jun Moxie, the notorious good-for-nothing rake, possessed such ironclad means, so ruthless and unrestrained!

To dare commit such an act of blatant disregard for imperial authority in broad daylight—there was only one explanation: either he possessed the strength to challenge all laws and imperial power himself, or there was an immensely powerful backer behind him. Regardless of the case, neither scenario pleased Elder Mei in the slightest!

In Elder Mei's mind, since Jun Moxie had committed such an atrocious act and was facing massive public pressure, he should have been trembling with fear, binding himself and rushing to the capital to beg for mercy, awaiting the Emperor’s judgment—that would have been the normal, reasonable response. Then, the court officials would have been outraged, impeaching him en masse, the military firmly pushing back, and finally, His Majesty would deliver the final verdict. Even if the Jun Family wasn't completely eradicated, their power would certainly be curbed to neutralize their influence in the Tianxiang Empire. As for Jun Moxie, the chief culprit, he was certainly doomed. Even Guan Qinghan, who risked her reputation to save him, though somewhat respected by Elder Mei, could not be spared! Such a scandal, if let slide, would confirm to the world that Jun Moxie was innocent!

"Adulterers and adulteresses, executed together!"

In essence, an empire relying on such an overbearing family—a situation where the subject is strong and the ruler weak—was never a good sign, nor a normal state of affairs.

If this continued for too long, disaster was inevitable.

Now that the Jun Family, and Jun Moxie in particular, were rising so forcefully, this heaven-sent opportunity—this massive scandal—was an unmissable chance to strike!

Mei Gaojie believed he had accurately divined His Majesty's intentions, thus adopting this posture of desperate defiance, swearing to drag the Jun Family down. With His Majesty as his rear guard, it was equivalent to having the entire Tianxiang Empire behind him; the Jun Family, however strong, was not to be feared.

Moreover, the Jun Family was currently on the ascent, their wings not yet fully hardened, making this the perfect time for eradication! The opportunity was fleeting; missing it would lead to eternal regret.

But once the matter truly erupted, why was His Majesty's attitude so ambiguous? Was the reliance he thought unshakable proving to be inadequate? Or were there other reasons...?

And Jun Moxie’s side was indeed proving frighteningly arrogant!

The situation was now beyond salvage.

Since the three scholars publicly insulted their mentor, the very backbone of the literati had been utterly dissolved.

The renowned Wenxing Academy had embroiled itself in such a massive scandal. This kind of deeply negative scandal was even more disgraceful and unbearable than Jun Moxie's supposed scandal of violating his uncle's wife!

It was true: one fears not the quality of their own bad product, but rather the comparison with others. Compared to the Jun Family's disgrace, Elder Mei felt his role as a teacher was a failure for producing such unworthy disciples!

In the span of just one day, the situation had turned completely upside down!

Mei Gaojie was deeply worried. He assumed his old companion, Kong Lingyang, must be furious as well.

"Elder Mei, what a spirit you possess. In this gloom where specters weep across the land, you stand with the pride of a scholar, facing the vast heavens alone. Ha, under such stars and such a night, for whom do you stand exposed to the dew?" A faint, clear voice drifted on the wind, ethereal, seemingly filled with warm laughter, yet as the voice sounded, the surrounding wind seemed to freeze, and the world was instantaneously filled with an indescribable, chilling cold.

Mei Gaojie sighed, showing no surprise, still standing with his hands clasped behind his back before the stone table in the courtyard, a cup brimming with wine held behind him. Without turning his head, as if speaking to the empty air before him, he murmured, "Jun Yi Mo Xie?"