“Now that you’re mine, how can you decide to die whenever you please?”
Pei Liang said it as though it were the most natural thing in the world. In her view, Jiang Xun still had considerable value to offer.
To be honest, she had not thought much of him in the beginning. In the original novel, he had been nothing more than cannon fodder, destined to die shortly after the Pei family father and son.
Though before his death, he had dealt Han Weiliu a vicious blow, turning him from an avenger into a butcher reviled by all—a key figure in a major turning point of the plot.
Still, he was originally supposed to die at his own sect three years later, after Han Weiliu emerged from seclusion.
From a novel’s perspective, three years could pass in the blink of an eye, so Pei Liang had not expected anything more from him at first.
At most, she had lamented that he had been born into the wrong kind of story. If he had been born into some raunchy erotica, he would undoubtedly have been a male lead who could charm women wherever he went. How could he have ended up so miserable?
Later, in pursuit of her own goals, Pei Liang had exposed his secret to the public. For an ordinary person to fall from being a gentleman of flawless reputation to a lecher condemned by all, surely he would become dejected and defeated, wouldn’t he?
But not Jiang Xun. He had actually leveled himself up. Even with his infamy hanging over him, he continued to thrive. Female martial artists across the jianghu still pined for him, and he had even mastered the art of managing relationships—something Pei Liang herself had failed to grasp.
As a player with a whole sea of romantic interests, aside from being dragged out whenever Pei Liang needed him, he had never once gotten himself into trouble.
Nor had he ever needed to endure the kind of headache-inducing jealous confrontations that made everyone’s skull ache. Pei Liang was practically weeping with envy, and she meant it sincerely.
Perhaps because she had set him up too many times, and because his experiences were too tragic to bear close scrutiny—tragic enough to make anyone who heard them weep—Pei Liang did feel a touch of affection for him now.
Besides, he was a born public-relations genius. He could instinctively grasp many PR tactics from later generations without ever being taught. With a little guidance, he would surely shine in Pei Liang’s enterprise.
Pei Liang was reluctant to let such a rare talent perish so young.
But damn it—no sooner had she finished speaking than someone appeared at the door.
Han Weiliu stared at her with dark, menacing eyes. “You said he is what to you?”
Naturally. Though Jiang Xun’s martial arts were considered first-rate among the younger generation, and his talent surpassed that of his father, Sect Master Jiang, by far—given enough time, he would likely become one of the foremost martial artists in the jianghu within ten years, even surpassing his father’s current level—
At the end of the day, however, he was facing two monsters: Han Weiliu and Pei Liang.
One was the male protagonist, blessed with destiny and possessing the greatest innate talent in the entire world. The other was Pei Liang, who had already lived for decades in another world and had long entered the path through other means.
As a result, someone who should have been dazzlingly gifted was made to seem utterly ordinary.
Even amid such torrential rain, with interference everywhere, Han Weiliu had still detected someone sneaking in.
He could not be bothered to wait for the argument on the other side to reach a conclusion. He hurried to Pei Liang’s room, only to hear that wretched woman say something like that.
Han Weiliu did not spare Jiang Xun so much as a glance. He only stared at Pei Liang, wearing the expression of a wronged lawful wife.
He had completely forgotten that he was still suspended pending reassignment, and that his labor-contract disputes had yet to be settled—for example, having someone cover his shift, sneaking a relative into his workplace during work hours, and even letting that relative try out his duties.
What sort of man was Jiang Xun? When it came to matters between men and women, ten Han Weilius together would not be a match for his wealth of experience.
He understood Pei Liang well. Once the words had left her mouth, there was absolutely no room for taking them back.
Her abilities were simply too formidable; Jiang Xun did not even dare entertain thoughts of resisting her.
At first, Pei Liang’s words had struck him as utterly unbelievable. Yet afterward, other feelings had arisen in his heart—shameful feelings, feelings he ought not to have had.
Han Weiliu’s arrival at this moment, however, seemed to give him a convenient way out.
Jiang Xun loathed Han Weiliu. His feelings toward Pei Liang were complicated, but his opinion of this man was far more straightforward.
The instant he saw him, he wanted to tear him to pieces. Unfortunately, his martial arts were not up to the task—but that did not prevent him from targeting him by other means.
The expression on Jiang Xun’s face suddenly changed. It became melancholy and full of dependence. Drenched to the bone by the rain and looking thoroughly wan, he cut an especially pitiful figure.
After all, a true beauty could display a different kind of charm in any circumstance.
Jiang Xun looked at Pei Liang with humble, dependent eyes, his voice carrying a faint note of sorrow. “Master, from now on, I belong to you.”
How many women could withstand the feeling of a handsome man clinging to them as though they were his only hope of salvation?
Even Pei Liang, who had no such romantic intentions toward Jiang Xun, could not help feeling a shiver run through her.
Oh my. Was this the full extent of his skill? No wonder woman after woman had fallen for him. Before, he had not even known what sort of act he preferred. But judging from this, he had probably figured it out.
Jiang Xun truly was a terrifying man.
Sure enough, the moment Han Weiliu heard this, he nearly exploded with rage.
With a cold laugh, he pointed at Jiang Xun and asked Pei Liang, “Is this why you put me in such a difficult position? So I’d know when to back off and make room for him?”
Pei Liang hurriedly said, “No, not at all!”
Heaven knew, she had only stirred things up a little because it was entertaining—and to lay the groundwork for a harmonious atmosphere when there were multiple partners in the future.
But hearing her feeble denial, Han Weiliu only grew more suspicious.
Looking carefully at Jiang Xun’s present circumstances—
His family, too, had been destroyed. Most of his close relatives were dead. Once the jade-faced young master whom all the prominent families envied, he had fallen overnight into a slave selling himself.
Miserable and helpless, alone in the world, with nothing left but a beautiful face.
Damn it, hadn’t he been just like that once? Could it be that this bitch actually had a taste for that sort?
Han Weiliu glared at Pei Liang. “Do you just like rescuing fallen men? Now that you think I’m too powerful in martial arts, too successful in my career, and too capable to need you, you’d rather dote on someone whose family has fallen apart and who’s selling himself to bury his father—is that it?”
Pei Liang nearly burst out laughing at his choice of words. Did this guy even know what “fallen” meant?
But she understood that if she dared laugh at a time like this, she would be asking for a beating.
Just as Pei Liang was about to answer, Jiang Xun spoke first. “Since Young Master Han understands, what more is there to say?”
Then, looking pitiful once more, he added, “Young Master Han is now one of the greatest martial artists alive, and the successor to the Burning Heaven Sect. How illustrious and glorious you are.”
“You have everything, while I have nothing left but her.”
Han Weiliu replied with murderous intent, “You’ll have no life left soon, either.”
As he spoke, he was about to draw his sword and stab this wretched maid—no, this wretched bastard—to death.
But Jiang Xun was faster. In an instant, he ducked behind Pei Liang, completely shedding his usual pretense of standing tall and proud. He was making no secret of living off a woman—and positively taking pride in it, to the fullest extent.
The key point was, he had not even managed to do so yet.
Jiang Xun’s voice carried a tremor of fear. “Mistress, save me!”
Pei Liang had the surreal feeling that she had somehow picked up the wrong script. It was as if she had bought home a beautiful young man selling himself to bury his father, only for the young man to be beaten to death by the legal wife and beg her for protection.
But Han Weiliu’s sword was already nearly upon them, and to prevent actual bloodshed—
Pei Liang hurriedly stopped him. “Stop fighting, stop fighting. You two have both wiped out each other’s entire families—what is there that you can’t sit down and discuss calmly? Hey, hey! Put the sword away. Let’s coexist peacefully.”
Han Weiliu tossed his sword straight onto the ground and said bitterly, “You really do feel sorry for him?”
“Are you already impatient to keep him as your male concubine? What promises are you going to make for him this time? You and I are the ones who destroyed his family. Are you going to kill me just to coax him into serving you?”
Pei Liang wanted to cover this idiot’s mouth, but it was already too late.
She would bet anything that the one speaking right now was Situ Zhuo. Han Weiliu would never be this unguarded with his words.
Sure enough, the moment those words came out, how could Jiang Xun, with his exquisitely perceptive mind, fail to understand?
He stared at Pei Liang in disbelief, finally grasping the crux of the matter.
So the relationship between these two was not, as outsiders believed, a rekindling of old romance. At its core, it was nothing more than a transaction.
He looked at Han Weiliu, then suddenly burst into laughter. For some reason, he felt incomparably exhilarated.
If Han Weiliu could do it, then Jiang Xun could only do it better.
After that brief laugh, he resumed the desolate, helpless air of someone whose family and home had been destroyed.
In a melancholy voice, he said, “Now that the Jiang family has been wiped out, I, Jiang Xun, am no longer the descendant of a distinguished house. Even my own person is no longer under my control. Naturally, I can offer no hopes or assurances to my future wife. I know I am unworthy of Sect Leader Pei; dissolving our engagement is only a matter of time.”
“Young Master Han was originally her betrothed. With me no longer standing in the way, the two of you may naturally renew your former bond openly and properly, without inviting the gossip of idle busybodies.”
“I neither wish nor dare to contend with Young Master Han. I ask only that he leave Jiang Xun a place. Even a corner will do. If Mistress thinks of me from time to time and spares me a glance, I will be content.”
Han Weiliu said darkly, “There happens to be an empty corner in the graveyard behind the Pei residence. I think that would suit your request perfectly.”
“Young Master Jiang, do not say that I am driving you to extinction. What if I send you in there? On every festival and holiday, when the dead are honored alongside their ancestors, naturally someone will spare you a glance.”
“Well? Surely that should satisfy you.”
Jiang Xun looked at him as though he were a demon. When he turned back to Pei Liang, his eyes were so misty that tears nearly spilled over.
If this really were some bastard of a man who favored his concubine and neglected his wife, then seeing his little darling so pitifully vulnerable, he would probably already be berating the lawful wife for being viciously jealous.
Jiang Xun’s performance was truly perfection itself. His voice carried the sanctimonious, infuriating tone of someone urging others to be magnanimous, yet every word out of his mouth was enough to make one’s blood boil.
He said softly, “Young Master Han is still bothered by this. But no matter how peerless your martial arts may be, you cannot go about threatening to kill every man who approaches her.”
“My master’s beauty is unmatched beneath heaven, unique in all the world. It is only natural that people would admire her. Even if you were to get rid of me, Young Master Han, there would still be others.”
“For instance, the Four Great Constables of the Six Doors have seemingly expressed their admiration for her in public. And Bailixiang, who recently returned to the Central Plains—the Thief Saint is so proud and lofty by nature, yet even he openly made no attempt to hide his appreciation.”
“Young Master Han is occupied with countless affairs every day. Can you truly guard against them all?” Jiang Xun smiled faintly. “Would it not be better to keep me? I may not be as capable as you, Young Master Han. My heart can only revolve around her. Still, that makes me well suited to helping you fend off those outside with improper intentions.”
“You should understand, Young Master Han, that with my lowly status, I could never surpass you, no matter what. But those others are different.”
Never in his life had Han Weiliu heard such shameless words. He had thought that, when he and his alternate personality had fought to take responsibility for matters, the things the other had said represented the very pinnacle of brazenness. Now it seemed his experience had simply been too limited.
“You—” Han Weiliu was about to speak.
But Jiang Xun continued, “Young Master Han, you must believe me. I am not here to destroy what you two have. I am here to join you. I am merely her slave—a cat or dog she may discard at will. Why should Young Master Han lower himself to argue with me?”
“Please, do not quarrel with her over someone of such base status as me.”
After all that, it had somehow become Han Weiliu’s fault instead.
Not only was Han Weiliu so furious he was nearly ready to explode, but even Pei Liang was awestruck by Jiang Xun’s verbal tactics.
Though her expression did not change in the slightest, inwardly she could not stop herself from shedding tears. If every pretty boy she kept had been this sensible, why would she have ended up in such situations time and again?
Yet both Han Weiliu and Jiang Xun had most of their attention fixed on her. How could they possibly fail to sense the satisfaction she was feeling inside?
Jiang Xun became smug, a faintly unhealthy delight rising in his heart.
But Han Weiliu had learned so many shameless tricks from Pei Liang that he was no longer the man he once was.
It was not as though his mind turned any slower than Jiang Xun’s. He had merely been caught off guard.
After taking several deep breaths, Han Weiliu smiled.
He sat down leisurely, then gave Jiang Xun a thorough once-over with the critical gaze of a principal wife inspecting a concubine. “Do not assume that she accepts every sort of fare placed before her.”
“Young Master Jiang knows his own circumstances well enough. Your romantic reputation has spread far and wide; your name is known throughout the land. A thousand men have rested upon those jade-like arms of yours. If you wished to carry on your amorous escapades, that would be your own affair. But now that you have fallen on hard times, do you think you can win her pity with this damaged body of yours? Are you not being rather presumptuous?”
Jiang Xun’s brow creased slightly. Rather than answer Han Weiliu, he turned to Pei Liang. “I know that I am stained and unclean. Some of it came from the excesses of my youth, from failing to restrain myself. But some of it was also for your convenience.”
“I have concealed nothing about this ruined body of mine from you. It is not as though you bought me first, only to discover afterward that you had been deceived.”
“If Master knew all this from the beginning and still bought this lowly slave, then surely you would not despise me for it… would you?”
At that moment, Jiang Xun looked at Pei Liang. The corners of his eyes were reddened and glistening with moisture; his whole person seemed melancholy and fragile. Yet his colorful romantic history lent him an innate air of raw sensuality.
He gave one the urge to break him, to ravage him.
Once again, Pei Liang lamented that the man had been born in the wrong era. Even if he had been born in the modern age, he would surely have become a legend on the host-club circuit—the industry’s living myth, reigning as top salesman year after year.
But honestly, Pei Liang had never looked down on Jiang Xun because of any of that.
Matters of love and lust were consensual. You couldn’t gorge yourself on the gossip and call it thrilling, then turn around and despise the people involved, could you?
So, beneath Jiang Xun’s eager, hopeful gaze, Pei Liang shook her head. “Not at all.”
Delight blossomed across Jiang Xun’s face.
Han Weiliu shot Pei Liang a glare, resentful that she had chosen this moment to be so broad-minded. But there was nothing he could do about it. After all, her refusal to blindly follow popular opinion and her lack of prejudice were precisely what had drawn him to her.
Han Weiliu continued, “Since she has made her stance clear, I have nothing further to say.”
“Still, Young Master Jiang has long been accustomed to a life of romantic indulgence. I hear you cannot go a day without love. If you follow her, all your thoughts and affections must be devoted to her alone. Can Young Master Jiang truly endure such loneliness?”
Jiang Xun sighed. “Young Master Han, you jest. Given my current status as a lowborn slave, I naturally know my place.”
“I am now like duckweed adrift without roots. Only by fastening myself to my mistress can I avoid losing my way in this world. And leaving aside such lofty words—now that I am her slave, every inch of my flesh belongs to her. How could a possession dare harbor desires of its own?”
“From this day onward, I live only to please her. Should anyone else so much as touch me, I would not hesitate to carve away my own flesh to prove my fidelity.”
Han Weiliu: “...”
No. This would not do. Absolutely not. If this shameless man kept talking, that wretched woman might really be moved.
Han Weiliu realized that he had made a mistake from the very beginning. He should never have tried to make this man retreat in the face of difficulty. At this point, what was Jiang Xun unwilling to sacrifice?
Han Weiliu rose to his feet and walked over to Pei Liang. “Young Master Jiang has shown such sincerity. What do you intend to do?”
Pei Liang had genuinely thought he was being magnanimous enough to let her choose.
Sure enough, before she could speak, Han Weiliu added, “But in light of your rule that you only take one at a time, choosing one means giving up the other.”
“Don’t be hasty. Choose carefully. Don’t simply chase novelty. Whether it is looks, physique, or ability, you—”
Before he could finish, Jiang Xun gave a soft laugh. “Young Master Han, you jest. It is true that you are tall and strikingly handsome, but to claim that you surpass me, Jiang Xun, without question—perhaps you are a little too confident.”
Jiang Xun’s reputation for beauty had preceded Han Weiliu’s by many years. By the time Jiang Xun had fully grown into his peerless looks, Han Weiliu had still been an immature boy.
So their younger years were beside the point.
Still, it was true enough. Han Weiliu might possess the greatest martial talent in this world, but in looks and physique alone, the two were merely different in style and evenly matched.
Neither could possibly overwhelm the other with any absolute advantage.
Jiang Xun in particular—though he had flirted his way across the entire martial world—never came across as greasy or sleazy. His peach-blossom eyes were always crystal clear, and whenever he looked at someone, it felt as though they were the only person in his world.
He truly was the rare sort of scoundrel who managed to be shameless in a clean, refreshing way. One in ten thousand, perhaps.
“As for the capital—” Jiang Xun said. When it came to this, none of his earlier humility or weakness remained.
Just those four words, without him needing to finish the sentence, were enough to reveal his confidence.
With Jiang Xun’s experience and skills, if this was the contest in question, then he could safely say that no one in the martial world could rival him.
Even now, there were plenty of men suffering from certain embarrassing deficiencies who desperately sought information about Jiang Xun’s daily diet and health regimen. They had investigated everything, from what he ate at every meal as a child to the nourishing tonics he took in everyday life.
Whenever they confirmed that Jiang Xun regularly consumed something, that item would inevitably sell out within days.
Why?
Because they wanted Jiang Xun’s inexhaustible energy and his ability to charm his way through the entire martial world.
Jiang Xun was brimming with confidence, inwardly disdainful of Han Weiliu. As expected, everything this fellow had today depended on Pei Liang’s support.
He was actually foolish enough to force her into making a choice by proposing a comparison in which he had no advantage.
But the next moment, Jiang Xun could no longer smile.
He watched Han Weiliu lift a hand and sweep it across his own face. His appearance changed.
And the face he became was one Jiang Xun knew better than any other—the face he saw in the mirror every day.
Jiang Xun was shocked. For a moment, he could not even speak.
Han Weiliu gave a soft laugh and said to him, “Han’s advantage is still quite obvious.”
“If this dead woman wants to sample your merely willow-like charms, she needn’t come looking for you. Now can you get lost?”
When Jiang Xun was driven out, he nearly began to question his entire existence. He stood foolishly in the rain for a long while.
Then he came to a profound realization: the competition for the position of pretty boy at Pei Liang’s side was far fiercer than he had imagined.
Still, considering what she could offer others, any effort made to please her would be worthwhile.
Yet he could not help cursing Han Weiliu for being shameless. He had actually resorted to such a cheating tactic.
In the end, Jiang Xun simply moved into Moon-Slaying Manor.
The people assigned to night watch at Moon-Slaying Manor that evening were dumbfounded.
When they first saw him, they thought he had come seeking revenge. They immediately drew their weapons and went on guard.
But he claimed to have just come from the sect leader’s room. He said that his indenture contract was in her hands, that he had been absent without leave for some time, and that if he did not return soon, he would be punished as a runaway slave.
Naturally, he could not defy the law.
Everyone’s teeth ached at the absurdity of it. Since when did people of the martial world care about the law while fleeing for their lives?
But after the head steward confirmed that he was telling the truth, Jiang Xun was allowed to remain at Moon-Slaying Manor in the strangest possible fashion.
And once he stayed, he remained for sixteen years.
Damn it—he could not be driven away no matter what they did.
*
Sixteen years later, the staff housing district at the foot of the Pei family’s mountain had developed into a thriving city. The whole of Great Qi had entered the Industrial Revolution, and the people’s standard of living had improved by more than a few degrees.
Jiang Nian had just turned sixteen that month. On his birthday, his mother finally told him where his biological father was and gave him a token.
It was a rabbit jade pendant of decent, if unremarkable, quality. She told him to take it to the Pei family at Moon-Slaying Manor, find his father, and acknowledge him as his kin.
Jiang Nian came from a wealthy family and had always been rather innocent at heart. He had believed all his life that his father was dead, so learning now that the man was still alive filled him with no small measure of joy.
Of course, he had heard of the Mooncleaver Sect—though these days it was known as the Mooncleaver Company. It was one of Great Qi’s most renowned pillars of national strength.
The ever-emerging innovations of the present day, the various high-yield grain strains, the advanced equipment and weapons used by soldiers defending the borders, and inventions destined to benefit generations to come—all of them came from the Mooncleaver Company.
Take the railway that had opened just two years ago. Though quite a few old scholars railed against it, Jiang Nian felt that it greatly reduced travel time, made journeys safer, and improved the efficiency of transporting goods beyond all comparison. What could be more beneficial to the nation and its people?
In any case, young people like Jiang Nian had enjoyed the conveniences brought by Mooncleaver Company products ever since they were born. They also adapted readily to new things, and so he held the company in high regard.
Because the very first railway had been funded jointly by the Mooncleaver Company and the imperial court, and because Mooncleaver City was now one of the empire’s most prosperous capitals, the rail line naturally ran through it.
Jiang Nian’s family had been fortunate. The city where they lived also lay along the railway route, and was even a major transfer hub. As a result, the market value of their house had increased severalfold.
That day, Jiang Nian bought a train ticket and boarded the rumbling, black-smoke-belching locomotive. Carrying a packed meal his mother had prepared with her own hands, he spent several days on the journey before arriving in Mooncleaver City.
The moment he stepped off the train, Jiang Nian was stunned by the city’s splendor. No wonder people said, “If you never visit Mooncleaver City in your life, you may as well have never lived at all.”
Everything here was astonishingly novel. Jiang Nian’s hometown was considered a major city too, but things rare and scarcely seen there were utterly commonplace here.
The streetlamps, for instance. There was one every few yards down the middle of the road. Towering buildings lined the streets, yet each possessed its own elegant and distinctive character.
Delicacies and goods from every corner of the world gathered here, and all kinds of people filled the streets.
There were pale-skinned people with red hair, blond-haired people with blue or green eyes, and even people whose skin was as black as night. Jiang Nian had once visited the capital. Seeing the southern and northern tribes there, dressed in their different styles of clothing, had already broadened his horizons. Who could have imagined that compared with Mooncleaver City, it was nothing at all?
Of course, they could no longer be called the Southern Barbarians and Northern Barbarians. Many years ago, both sides had joined Great Qi—voluntarily.
Those peoples who had remained unconquered despite a thousand years of war had wept and begged to be admitted into Great Qi, painstakingly listing all the times throughout history when they had been conquered by the Central Plains.
They argued with complete sincerity that they had “since ancient times” been territory of the Central Plains. How, then, could the emperor of Great Qi refuse to take responsibility for them?
Even today, people still loved to talk about the incident. It was both outrageous and irresistibly amusing.
Nor were the southern and northern tribes the only ones. The neighboring small states were all eager to make a move. For a time, it was said that the emperor spent nearly all his days arguing with these countries that were randomly trying to claim kinship with him.
Goryeo was the most shameless of all. Their king came in person, and the instant he arrived, he burst into tears before the imperial court.
“Your Majesty, the founding ancestor of my kingdom was the illegitimate son of a collateral branch of your Li family’s XXth generation! By blood, I am a pure-blooded citizen of Great Qi; by seniority, you are my father. Your Majesty, I am your long-lost biological son!”
No exaggeration—the Goryeo people either had no education to speak of, or something had gone horribly wrong in translation. In any case, not a word of it made sense, yet he clung to it stubbornly and refused to let go.
No matter how people explained that the genealogy was unclear, that he couldn’t prove it, or that even if it were true, they would have been beyond the fifth degree of kinship eight hundred years ago and it no longer counted, the fellow simply wouldn’t listen.
He insisted, over and over, “I am your son,” like some shameless freeloader who showed up after someone struck it rich overnight, claiming to be a long-lost relative in hopes of getting a cut.
The new monarch had only been on the throne for a few years at the time. He was barely in his twenties, yet some fifty- or sixty-year-old man with a face like wrinkled orange peel was clutching at his trouser leg and calling him “Father.” The scene was so magnificent that, supposedly, many ministers still dared not recall it to this day.
In short, Great Qi was now flourishing. Anyone with even a little foresight could see that this boom differed from anything in history before it. It marked a tremendous leap forward for civilization as a whole, and everyone wanted to seize the opportunities offered by Great Qi.
As the heart of all this development, Zhan Yue Corporation naturally drew together visionary people and far-sighted merchants from across the world.
Jiang Nian wandered along in fascination, marveling at everything he saw. These days, Zhan Yue City was no longer guarded solely by disciples of the Zhan Yue Sect.
On the streets were uniforms from all the major martial sects, enrollment advertisements, and branch training academies.
There were even so-called martial arts employment agencies.
They assigned jobs based on the distinctive qualities of your sect’s martial arts.
For instance, the physicians seeing patients at the pharmacies along the street all wore Medicine King Valley uniforms. The Shaolin Sect not only ran children’s boxing classes, but also offered psychological counseling and other services.
The Beggars’ Sect had practically monopolized food delivery and courier services. Of course, their disciples now had to pay special attention to personal hygiene. In just a few short years, the least particular sect in the martial world had become the one most obsessed with cleanliness.
The old beggars still alive would never have dared dream of such a thing back in the day.
Besides that, signs had been erected all over the streets, laying out a code of conduct for martial artists.
For example, apartment buildings facing busy streets were plastered with notices reading: [Using Qinggong to Exit via the Window Is Prohibited.]
Apparently, a hero once ran late for work and jumped down from the eighth floor, crashing into a pedestrian. Fortunately, both were martial artists and suffered only minor injuries. Rules were imposed afterward.
Other places were not so particular, though. Especially, it was said, around the Pei family’s employee housing—every morning at rush hour, huge crowds of people leaped out of windows to get to work.
The spectacle had even become one of Zhan Yue City’s more famous tourist attractions.
Only after he had walked himself tired did Jiang Nian reluctantly stop, then pick out a hotel that looked fairly decent.
On the way, he happened to come across the latest issue of the Zhan Yue Evening News. If ordinary people wanted a lively, entertaining life these days, how could they possibly do without such a thing?
Jiang Nian eagerly bought a copy, rubbing his hands in anticipation. What sort of juicy gossip would today’s paper bring?
He was still thinking about the newspaper when, upon entering the hotel, the warmly welcoming attendant asked, “Sir, are you here to dine, stay the night, or look for your father?”
“Uh—what?” Jiang Nian jerked back in alarm, thinking he had been targeted by some shady character.
He stared at the attendant warily, but being a straightforward person, he simply asked, “H-how did you know I’m looking for my father?”
The attendant sighed, gave him a pitying look, and shouted toward the front desk, “Father-seeker!”
“Wait! What exactly do you people mean by that?” Jiang Nian demanded.
The attendant did not answer him. Instead, the receptionist handed him a business card.
“Hello, sir. To make use of our father-finding service, you’ll need to go to the *Little Tadpole Looking for Daddy* Hotel.”
“This is the hotel’s address. It isn’t far—just five hundred meters to the left once you leave. You’ll receive proper accommodations there.”
Jiang Nian was sent out in a muddle. When he turned back in confusion, the attendant and receptionist at the hotel smiled and bowed in unison.
“We look forward to your next visiiit~~~!”
With no other choice, Jiang Nian headed to the hotel listed on the business card: *Little Tadpole Looking for Daddy*.
The name sounded utterly unreliable—something even a kindergarten might find embarrassingly childish. Yet when Jiang Nian arrived, he was greeted by an exceptionally grand and prosperous building.
Its lobby alone was on an entirely different level from the hotel he had just left. Jiang Nian’s family was fairly well-off, but even he felt a touch intimidated by this place, with its glittering splendor and elegant extravagance.
He was dressed rather plainly at the moment, and he worried that someone might look down on him for it.
To his surprise, however, he received an enthusiastic welcome the moment he stepped inside.
A greeter eagerly took his suitcase and led him all the way to the front desk.
At the sight of him, the receptionist’s smile became even warmer. She took out a form.
“Hello, sir. Please fill out this form first. Once you’ve completed it, one of our staff members will take you upstairs to the room arranged for you.”
Seeing how practiced and seamless their procedure was only made Jiang Nian more uneasy.
Then he looked at the form—and froze.
At the beginning, it asked for his name, age, date of birth, and hometown, which was nothing unusual. Next came his mother’s name, age, and affiliated family or sect—if applicable.
That was barely acceptable. After all, he was still young, and many hotels required guardian information for underage guests.
But what was this about his mother’s pregnancy dates, location, and whether there had been any token of proof?
Jiang Nian pointed at the form. “Th-this—”
The receptionist smiled. “Please don’t take offense, sir. President Jiang was rather romantic in his younger days, and he has countless children scattered outside the family. Now that he is enormously wealthy, anyone proven to be his child can inherit a substantial sum. For years, therefore, there have been countless people attempting to impersonate his offspring.”
“This hotel was established specifically to house young people who have come looking for President Jiang and suspect they may be his children. Naturally, all lodging and expenses are free. Some people even try to pose as his children simply to enjoy free accommodation. But once someone is proven to have deliberately impersonated one...” She drew out the last word with a meaningful smile.
Naturally, the hotel was not running a charity.
Before coming here, Jiang Nian had looked into his biological father to some extent. After all, the man was a prominent figure in the present day.
Apparently, before the court abolished the system of human trafficking, his biological father had belonged to the Pei family as a criminal slave, having been born into a family of criminals.
As for what had happened before he became a criminal slave, his mother refused to explain in detail. She had also told him not to ask too many questions for now, and to acknowledge his father first.
Thus, Jiang Nian only knew that Ms. Pei Liang, the head of the Pei family, had not held his father’s lowly status against him and had boldly put him to work.
Before long, Jiang Xun had shone in a field suited to his talents, and Ms. Pei Liang had never been stingy toward those who made significant contributions.
Years later, when the imperial court abolished slave status, the tabloids claimed that his biological father had actually wept and howled in refusal, unwilling to leave Ms. Pei—the confidante to whom he owed both a second chance at life and the recognition of his talents.
Jiang Nian thought those tabloids were full of nonsense. Who in their right mind would choose to remain a slave when they could be a free person?
Later, his biological father took control of part of Zhanyue Corporation’s shares and independently managed several key subsidiary companies. He became a powerful major shareholder within Zhanyue Corporation.
Zhanyue Corporation was now wealthy enough to rival a nation. One could only imagine how staggering his biological father’s fortune must be.
With that, it was hardly surprising that this hotel had developed such a complete set of procedures and management practices.
Still, Jiang Nian couldn’t help feeling awkward. His father... just how many sins had he committed in his youth?
Seeing his expression, the receptionist and the attendant assumed he was worried about his lineage.
They reassured him, “Please rest assured, sir. We have met President Jiang before, and his breathtaking looks and dignified bearing left a deep impression on us.”
“You resemble President Jiang by at least eighty percent. You merely look somewhat younger. While there are always people in this world who happen to look alike, someone with President Jiang’s level of beauty—if you resemble him this closely without being related by blood, the odds would be exceedingly slim.”
“Don’t worry. Even if it turns out that you’ve mistaken your identity, with a face like yours, President Pei will gladly cover the bill.”
Jiang Nian twitched inwardly. Was this President Pei referring to Ms. Pei Liang? Did she really offer the kind of treatment where one could eat and drink for free just by having a pretty face?
That couldn’t be right, could it? Ms. Pei Liang was such a great and visionary figure, a woman of immense achievements and far-reaching contributions.
How could she possibly be so shallow?
Muttering to himself, Jiang Nian filled out the form and handed over the jade rabbit token.
The moment the two of them saw the jade rabbit, they knew the matter was settled.
They became even more attentive as they led Jiang Nian upstairs. “You haven’t eaten yet, have you, sir? I’ll accompany you while you put down your luggage. It happens to be mealtime, so I’ll take you to familiarize yourself with the dining hall first.”
“Every floor has staff on duty around the clock. If you have any requests, simply call for them. As long as it is within reasonable limits, you may ask for anything—from food and clothing to accommodation and transportation.”
Jiang Nian nodded dazedly the whole way. Well... the whole process did feel a little overly official and standardized.
But with so many people trying to impersonate someone else, such procedures were understandable. And once the process was over, the arrangements were so considerate that they eased some of the anxiety in his heart as he came searching for family.
Sure enough, his room was a luxurious suite with floor-to-ceiling windows and an unobstructed view of the river. Soft carpeting covered the floor, and fruit and snacks had been set out inside.
Jiang Nian’s eyes widened in wonder, but he did not want to keep the attendant waiting. He set down his luggage and left without taking a closer look.
Just as the two stepped into the corridor, they saw a beautiful young woman in a pale yellow long robe approaching them.
She looked about Jiang Nian’s age. Her eyes were bright, her cheeks rosy, and she wore a warm smile that made people instantly like her.
Jiang Nian had always liked girls of that type, and for a moment, he could not take his eyes off her.
Then someone beside him suddenly tugged at him. Jiang Nian turned around to find the attendant looking at him with an expression that was difficult to describe—
“Don’t fall for her. There’s a good chance she could be your sister.”
