When Han Yanyao left, she told Jun Wu'yi that if he could reach the realm of Supreme Profound (), there might be hope for things between them. At that time, although Jun Wu'yi was considered a prodigious talent, his cultivation level was merely at the mid-stage of Golden Profound ()! The distance to the Supreme Profound realm was truly too vast—it could scarcely be overstated; it was a chasm between heaven and earth.

In the two years that followed, the Jun family of Tianxiang Kingdom suffered successive, crushing defeats. Jun Wu'yi’s two elder brothers, Jun Wuhui and Jun Wumeng, both died mysteriously in battle. During one of his own campaigns, even when victory was already secured, Jun Wu'yi was ambushed, leading to a disastrous loss that left him crippled for life, right up until this moment…

As for Mu Xuetong, he was one of the few people who had accompanied Han Yanyao out that time, and in Snowwind Silver City, he was the only person who took a strong liking to Jun Wu'yi! The two had addressed each other as brothers back then.

After his body was crippled, Jun Wu'yi was utterly dispirited, knowing that a life together with his beloved was now impossible. Time flew like an arrow; ten years flashed by, and only in the deepest part of the midnight dream could they briefly meet again. Yet, unexpectedly, today, he had finally received word from Han Yanyao!

At this instant, Jun Wu'yi’s heart was undergoing a cataclysmic upheaval!

Jun Moxie listened silently, uttering not a word. He knew that what Jun Wu'yi was saying now was not truly for his benefit. Rather, it was because the burden had been bottled up for far too long in his heart. Now that he had suddenly received news from his beloved, the surge of emotion demanded an intense expression. What he needed at this moment was nothing more than an outlet for his feelings—any listener would suffice, regardless of whether that listener could understand or truly absorb it.

Even if there had been nothing more than a stone placed before Jun Wu'yi, he could have recited these exact words to that stone.

After all, he had been suppressed for far too long over these ten years!

The night was cool as water, the white mist thin as smoke, and the long-sealed past spilled from Jun Wu'yi’s lips as lightly as a whisper, yet it pressed down like a colossal mountain. Time slowly slipped away as he spoke…

“The Jun family has finally lost its former glory. When Big Brother and Second Brother were bizarrely killed in battle, I immediately suspected that the Xiao family of Snowwind Silver City was secretly at work. So, I launched an investigation. But my martial arts were too weak then, and the actions of Snowwind Silver City are always incredibly secretive. I could never find anything concrete. Eventually, it was my turn. During a battle against the enemy, the Yu Tang Empire, when we already held an overwhelming advantage—just one more push and we would have won gloriously!—but precisely then, several peak experts whose Profound Qi cultivation was terrifyingly advanced suddenly appeared in the Yu Tang ranks. Leading a cavalry charge, they instantly threw my battle formation into chaos!”

“Then several masters, all at the peak level of Heavenly Profound (), charged directly into the central army! I distinctly recall Chen Ermazi screaming hoarsely, ‘Third General! Go! Go!’ Then I saw his crimson blood spray out against the azure hue of Profound Qi, and then there were Qiao Meng, Duan Qilang, the Stutterer… one by one, they stood before me, fighting to the death for me. As they died, they looked at me, just looked at me, with only two words in their eyes: Go! Qiao Meng grabbed one man as he died but was beaten until every bone in his body cracked and shattered. The little one kept shouting for me to run while vomiting blood…”

“In that moment, it was as if I were trapped in a nightmare! Their blood spattered my face, wet, metallic, and slightly thick—the blood of my brothers.”

Jun Wu'yi lowered his head in pain, brow furrowed. When he spoke the two sentences Chen Ermazi had roared, Jun Wu'yi’s voice had risen like a shout, then sank low like a murmur. When he reached the final sentence, he couldn't help but vigorously wipe at his face with his hand, as if trying to scrub away the memory of the blood his comrades had sprayed while covering his escape.

“But I was insane then. These men—they were all my sworn brothers, those who grew up with me! We had drunk together countless times, sung together, hunted together, campaigned together, killed enemies together, celebrated victories together. In just a few short breaths, before my eyes, they were all mercilessly slaughtered, wiped out! Right in front of me! They were my brothers! My sworn brothers!! Gone. Not a single one left!!” Jun Wu'yi suddenly roared like a beast, throwing his head back, tightly shutting his eyes. Two massive tears slowly welled at the corners of his eyes.

“For me! For the disaster I caused!!”

“I want to fight to the death! I want to kill them! Kill them all! Kill!!” Jun Wu'yi shrieked, but then sank back into weakness. “But my martial arts were too weak, so damn weak! Any one of them could seize me easily, and then… and then they forced some kind of medicine into my body, subsequently dispelling the Profound Qi in my Dantian, and then they sealed the meridians in my lower body! I didn't scream. I just stared at them relentlessly, not blinking once. Although they were all masked, if even one of them appeared before me again, I would recognize him instantly!”

“It was then I knew: they were from Snowwind Silver City! Everyone who emerged from that accursed place carried a chill about them—it was the smell of demons! I will never forget the sound of their triumphant laughter as they tortured me, hehehe…” Jun Wu'yi’s eyes turned bloodshot.

“But… then, oh, there was no then. From that moment on, I became like this—never able to stand again. Hatred filled my belly, buried deep; I dared not speak of it. Snowwind Silver City is too overwhelmingly powerful. If Father were to find out, he would surely engage them recklessly, regardless of the cost. But the Jun family… even a hundred Jun families wouldn't be a match for Snowwind Silver City! If we stubbornly sought immediate revenge, we would only be sending more brothers to their deaths, and in the end, the Jun family itself would be annihilated.”

“My own brother died because of my affairs, yet I am still alive and well. My brothers died for me, completely wiped out, not a single one left, and I am still alive, living in humiliation; living under this choking constraint.” Jun Wu'yi laughed bitterly, tears streaming down his face. “Until later… my two nephews also died because of my business, and yet I still haven't died! Moxie, do you think your Third Uncle is truly useless? A pathetic coward? A complete and utter failure?”

Jun Wu'yi laughed through gritted teeth, his chest heaving violently. This mountain of vengeance, this sea of hate, finally found a breach in the great dike at this moment, pouring forth in a raging torrent.

Jun Moxie had been listening quietly the entire time, his expression calm and steady. Only when Jun Wu'yi asked his question did he ponder for a moment before speaking slowly: “In a situation like that, wanting to die is incredibly easy; but staying alive, that demands too much. Only by dying is one being a coward. To survive such a blow means one is a true warrior!”

“Death ends it all; but living means bearing too much. To stay alive, and not go mad—Third Uncle, you are remarkable.”

Jun Wu'yi offered a wry smile. “Who says I don't want to die? I… I long to die! But I cannot die, I absolutely cannot die! Moxie, your grandfather has already lost two of his three sons! If I were to die as well, your grandfather… he would truly collapse! Then, the Jun family would truly be finished.”

Jun Moxie fell silent.

These matters had been locked within Jun Wu'yi’s heart for too long. Today, first seeing an old acquaintance—one enemy and one friend—had dredged up his past memories. Then, receiving a token from his former lover had agitated his spirit even further. Coupled with the fact that his body had only just recovered, making his emotions volatile, he had unconsciously confessed so much, setting off a chain reaction that could not be stopped.

“Over the years, whenever I close my eyes, my two brothers question me: Wu'yi, why don't you avenge us? Whenever I close my eyes, my brothers, covered in blood, call out to me: Third General, avenge us! Avenge us! Avenge us!” Jun Wu'yi clenched his fists, his face contorted in agony, his whole body tense like a drawn bowstring, fine trickles of blood seeping from his palms!

“Even in my dreams, I can feel the blood of my brothers still hot, still fresh, flowing before my eyes again and again…” Jun Wu'yi hunched over, covering his face with both hands, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

Jun Moxie took a deep, deep breath and looked up at the night sky. Suddenly, he felt the blood throughout his body surge rapidly, and the killing intent that had lain dormant for so long erupted like a geyser!

He gave a cold laugh: Snowwind Silver City? The Xiao family? Very good, very good indeed. Do you believe having some power allows you to act as you please? Heh heh, for now, I will make you my target. On my path toward the peaks of this world, I won't mind stepping on you along the way!

Since I am now Jun Moxie, I must bear the disgrace and glory of the Jun family! The Xiao family of Snowwind Silver City? Hmph hmph, I need only a few years to ensure not a single rat bearing the Xiao name remains!

In the distant shadows, Jun Zhantian stood somberly, looking at his only third son and his only grandson. Old Master Jun’s heart was filled with a thousand complex emotions.

Third son, do I truly remain ignorant of the suffering in your heart? The Xiao family of Snowwind Silver City—have I not yearned for revenge too? Do you think that by not speaking of these things, you can truly keep them from me? For all these years, the blood-soaked feud has been in my heart every single day! But behind us stand the Jun family, and tens of thousands of followers! If the Jun family were to act rashly out of mere impulse, the end of the family line would be secondary; the political enemies at court would uproot the entire faction, leading to rivers of blood…

After standing quietly for a while, Old Master Jun vanished silently into the night wind.

Only the uncle and nephew remained, one sitting, one standing in the night breeze, listening to the wind moan, as if weeping and lamenting…

The bleakness of late autumn swept over Tianxiang City overnight.

Autumn began to wane!

In the autumn wind, Tianxiang City, outwardly calm, was churning with hidden waves. At least several hundred messenger birds beat their wings, soaring into the night sky, tracing beautiful arcs.

Many high-level Profound practitioners abruptly ended their years of secluded cultivation. One by one, they emerged from their hidden retreats, then traversed the streets and alleys of the Tianxiang Imperial Capital, eagerly straining to hear any snippet of gossip, watching for any abnormal movement. They were like the most dedicated constables, keeping a sharp eye on the city’s dark underbelly.

And across the entire continent, within just a few days, many who received the news were thrown into a fever pitch of excitement, wishing they could fly to Tianxiang City instantly.

(Ugh, I’ve been buried in writing these past few days and lost track of the calendar. A few days ago, I nonsensically created an April 31st, and today I also got the double monthly ticket period wrong—I’m dizzy. However, the weather these past few days has been bewildering. The day before yesterday, I was still wearing padded trousers; the day before that, I switched to long johns; yesterday it hailed, and today I’m walking around bare-chested in just shorts… The ancients said: seas change into fields in the blink of an eye. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter in three days. It really is like that… (To be continued))