Watching Zhong Xuan Zun, Zhong Xuan Sheng gnashed his teeth in silent fury.
Across from him, Zhong Xuan Zun wore a smile that stretched wide, a clear picture of triumph.

On the day the two brothers were set to enter Jixia Academy…

Old Master Zhong Xuan had summoned them to the Marquis Mansion, with the explicit intention of settling the matter of succession. It was here, in their grandfather’s study, that the final confrontation unfolded, each brother employing their unique strategies.

But before the venerable old master could even speak, Zhong Xuan Zun seized the initiative. He declared his desire to establish his own household, proclaiming that his ambitions lay elsewhere. He spoke of his long-held admiration for his “little fatty” brother, and of his intention to entrust the family business to him. He had, in essence, flawlessly imitated Zhong Xuan Sheng’s own distasteful mannerisms, a feat that suggested countless hours of secret practice.

Zhong Xuan Sheng was instantly consumed by thunderous rage.

How could he possibly accept Zhong Xuan Zun’s concession?

His performance during the Fa Xia war had been witnessed by all.

Who, between them, was more capable of navigating complex situations, of leading the family to greater glory?

They were leaders of vastly different styles. In intricate matters, he excelled at unraveling threads, proceeding step-by-step, employing a series of dazzling maneuvers to meticulously deduce the optimal path to victory. Zhong Xuan Zun, on the other hand, always aimed directly at the heart of the problem, pursuing the simplest, most direct approach, often overlooking, or perhaps simply not caring about, minor details along the way.

It was difficult to declare one style definitively superior to the other, but who could rally more people to their banner? The answer was self-evident.

Although Zhong Xuan Zun had been enfeoffed as Champion Marquis, a life of boundless prestige, in the struggle for family headship, he was at a distinct disadvantage. For the family as a whole, the unspoken question was: was it better to have an additional Champion Marquis, or to have the Champion Marquis seamlessly integrated into the Bo Wang Marquis lineage?

The old master, having dedicated his life to the family’s prosperity, naturally held a subtle bias.

Even if all these factors were disregarded, even if the decision rested solely on the opinions of the family elders, Zhong Xuan Sheng was confident he could secure the unwavering support of the vast majority. His extensive networking and intricate web of alliances, painstakingly built over time, could tie knots in Zhong Xuan Zun’s mind that even he would struggle to untangle. He had no need to concede!

Standing before his grandfather, he spoke with impassioned fervor, spittle flying, unleashing the full force of his eloquence to utterly dismantle Zhong Xuan Zun’s standing.

But Zhong Xuan Zun, with a casual roll of his sleeves, promptly administered a thorough beating. He declared that the position of Marquis was not to be contested, and that from that day forward, their only rivalry would be over their seniority as brothers.

Having delivered the beating, he forcibly dragged Zhong Xuan Sheng to the academy, citing the urgency of his studies, effectively preventing him from even communicating with Jiang Wang.

Not one to suffer a loss without consequence, Zhong Xuan Sheng entered the academy and cultivated diligently. He addressed Zhong Xuan Zun as “Elder Brother” with unwavering respect, never slackening in his demeanor, never giving Zhong Xuan Zun an excuse for further action.

Truthfully, he had never lacked diligence in his cultivation. Even with the hereditary title of Bo Wang Marquis virtually in his grasp, his progress on the official path was second to none.

His time at Jixia Academy was a rare and precious opportunity for cultivation, a chance to escape the myriad external distractions that typically consumed his days.

Uncle Zhong Xuan Chu Liang’s “Life-Cutting Knife” was renowned throughout the realm.

He, too, practiced with the blade, studying the art of the knife, and thus found himself drawn to the Horizontal Knife Garden.

With his sharp intellect, he immediately sensed that something was amiss upon seeing Zhong Xuan Zun. But before he could react, Zhong Xuan Zun was already on the stage, calling out to him, “Come up,” leaving him no time to even process the situation.

Now, Zhong Xuan Zun had forcefully dragged him onto the stage with a divine ability and shoved a knife into his hand.

Was there no heavenly principle left? No royal law?!

Could he not even engage in a proper battle of wits, sit down and strategize for a few rounds?

Zhong Xuan Sheng cursed inwardly, but on his face, he maintained a mild, harmless smile. “Good Elder Brother,” he said, “why have you come to class today?”

“Very good,” Zhong Xuan Zun replied, “I didn’t expect you to have the courage to draw a knife on me.”

Zhong Xuan Sheng’s smile stiffened. “Ah, well, I was actually here for the Dao Learning class today. I seem to have taken a wrong turn.”

“Since you’re so eager,” Zhong Xuan Zun said, “I’ll give you a little guidance.”

This damned Champion Marquis clearly intended to resort to brute force. Zhong Xuan Sheng’s anger flared. “Zhong Xuan Zun! This is a place of learning! Have you no sense of reason?!”

“Yes,” Zhong Xuan Zun replied, “for this period, I am your knife technique instructor. Now, let us begin our practical combat drill.”

“Wait!”

A punch landed squarely on his face.

Zhong Xuan Sheng fell backward, blood gushing from his nose.

“Not good at all,” Zhong Xuan Zun shook his head, addressing the students below the stage. “As you can see, this knife stance is absolutely unacceptable… Come, let us do it again.”

As he spoke, he casually reached out and, using his Zhong Xuan power, pulled Zhong Xuan Sheng back to his feet.

Meanwhile, on the sword performing stage, the practical drill was in full swing.

Wang Yiwu had been sent flying for the fifth time.

To think, he was the esteemed closed-door disciple of the Military God, possessing five completed Mansions, a stable Outer Building, and on the cusp of establishing his Fourth Building, striving for perfect extremity.

His Soldier Lord divine ability had shone brightly on the Qi Xia battlefield, a single punch leading a thousand troops, shattering countless enemy armies. In a battlefield environment, it was nearly impossible to find an opponent who could withstand his divine presence.

Driven by a stubborn refusal to admit defeat, he had come to Jixia Academy, specifically to the sword performing stage to refine his sword technique.

His master had personally shattered the ‘No-Self Sword Path,’ a path he did not seek to follow. However, drawing inspiration from the peak flying sword technique of the era and incorporating his own insights and battlefield experiences, he had forged a unique sword style – fierce, decisive, and utterly without retreat.

In terms of pure killing power, he had truly reached the limits of his current cultivation.

But today’s Jiang Wang, even while suppressing his Golden Body Jade Marrow and restricting his spiritual sense, relying solely on Outer Building level power, was terrifyingly formidable.

Cultivation was a journey, each step revealing new vistas. After reaching the Divine Presence, one looked back upon even the most perfect sword techniques and found many shortcomings.

At this time, Wang Yiwu had not yet reached the extreme of the Outer Building realm. He still had a long way to go to reach the heights once attained by Dou Zhao, Wang Changji, and Zhong Xuan Zun.

Compared to Jiang Wang, who had reached the Divine Presence and was now looking back to fill the gaps in his foundational techniques, there was simply no comparison.

To say he was not using his cultivation to bully others was disingenuous. How could the vision of a Divine Presence cultivator be limited?

The result was that each terrifying burst of power from Wang Yiwu was met with another ignominious fall.

Yet, he never cried out in pain, never admitted defeat, never retreated. He maintained his cold, unyielding posture, falling and rising, rising and swinging his sword, attacking with his full might.

And Jiang Wang… fully returned the favor.

As he beat him, he explained the disassembly routines of the sword movements to the students.

As he explained, not only he, but all the students below the stage learned Wang Yiwu’s sword technique with remarkable clarity. Life at Jixia Academy was leisurely.

There were no worldly matters to disturb them.

Every day was simply spent learning, cultivating, drinking, chatting… and when someone proved irksome, they would be taught a lesson under the guise of a sword performing drill.

What? You didn’t come to my class, so I have no right to teach you?

You came yesterday, but not today? What is the meaning of this?

Do you look down upon the Great Qi Wu An Marquis, with his food fief of three thousand households?

Jiang someone’s class was a class one could only join, never abandon!

Xie Xiaobao, Wen Lian Mu, they came and were beaten.

Of course, there were those as iron-headed as Wang Yiwu, who came to every sword technique class without fail, not missing a single one, even if Wen Lian Mu tried to drag them away.

Even if Jiang Wang didn’t want to “guide” him, he actively sought instruction…

And every time Wang Yiwu sported a black eye, Zhong Xuan Sheng invariably had one on the other side. Every time Zhong Xuan Sheng was pale-faced, Wang Yiwu looked equally wretched…

The Wu An Marquis’s sword technique class and the Champion Marquis’s knife technique class became the two most lively and popular classes within Jixia Academy, attracting countless students who flocked to witness the spectacle. They never backed down. The invincible ‘No-Self’ Wang Yiwu, and Zhong Xuan Sheng, who played hide-and-seek with Zhong Xuan Zun every day, displaying a complex array of tactics whenever caught on stage, became the objects of many people’s bets.

Who would display genius? Who would seize the spotlight? Who could… endure the longest?

Regardless of Wang Yiwu and Zhong Xuan Sheng’s moods, everyone else was thoroughly entertained, a welcome diversion from the rigors of cultivation.

And in this atmosphere of lively camaraderie, Jiang Wang’s twenty-first birthday quietly passed.

There was no special celebration on that day, just a simple meal with a few friends in the Mingxin Shed, filled with laughter and idle chatter.

It was enough.

They had entered Jixia Academy on the twenty-fifth day of the first month. When they left, it was already the end of spring.

Three full months – for each person who had come to the academy to advance their skills, it was a rare and precious experience that would last a lifetime.

No one had slacked off.

Everyone had used this time to the fullest, filling their deficiencies.

Whether it was the newlywed Bao Zhongqing, the disheartened Xie Baoshu, or the often black-and-blue Zhong Xuan Sheng and Wang Yiwu… all of them had studied from dawn until dusk, and cultivated from dusk until dawn.

And now, with their period of cultivation complete, they were successively dispersing, a rare confluence of fate.

Having seen off Lin Xian, Lin Jie, and the others, Jiang Wang and Zhong Xuan Sheng stood at the academy gate, a mixture of emotions swirling within them.

Jiang Wang felt a pang of reluctance to leave.

Zhong Xuan Sheng was like an arrow shot towards home.

Of course, it wasn’t just to escape the beatings. The night before leaving the academy, he had meticulously prepared, even asking Li Longchuan to help reduce the swelling on his face.

Li Longchuan, with his Candle Tiny divine ability, was the most skilled in the art of medicine among their group.

Outside the academy, an extraordinarily luxurious carriage was waiting.

Bao Zhongqing happened to emerge from the academy at that moment, a smile gracing his face. He said to Jiang Wang and Zhong Xuan Sheng, “Shall I give you two a ride?”

Zhong Xuan Sheng knew Jiang Wang disliked such formalities, so he stepped forward with a smile. “Brother Bao, don’t keep your beloved wife waiting. Our people will be here shortly.”

The Bao family young master’s wedding banquet three months prior had been a grand affair, inviting nobles from across Linzi. Although Jiang Wang and Zhong Xuan Sheng hadn’t attended, they had sent generous gifts.

Bao Zhongqing looked happy and expectant. “Then I shall take my leave first.”

Zhong Xuan Sheng’s face was wreathed in smiles, his demeanor remarkably intimate. He could be incredibly intimate with anyone. “As the saying goes, a short separation is better than a reunion after a long time. Go quickly, go quickly. Come back and tell me, what does a short separation combined with being newlywed feel like!”

Bao Zhongqing laughed heartily, then boarded the carriage, which rolled away, gradually receding into the distance.

Zhong Xuan Sheng’s smile remained, but his mouth uttered: “That Bao Scarface is already audacious enough. You should keep your distance from him.”

Earlier, on the Qi Xia battlefield, he had commented on Bao Zhongqing to Jiang Wang, saying that this person had “sufficient cunning, but insufficient audacity.” People’s changes were sometimes truly unpredictable.

Just like the time he had evaluated Xie Xiaobao, saying that he had not yet grown up.

And now, Xie Xiaobao… well. Still not.

Jiang Wang smiled. “I always keep my distance from him.”

“And that Yan Chan Yi, you can associate with him, and feel free to accept any benefits he offers. But don’t let him fool you into saying anything about the Buddhist sect before the Son of Heaven.”

“I’m not stupid. Benefits I don’t want, trouble I won’t touch.”

“Are you and Qin Lan involved in anything?”

“What could we be involved in?”

“If you truly wanted to be involved in something, I could help you figure something out.”

“Are you so beaten by Zhong Xuan Zun that your brain is damaged? Don’t bother!”

“Heh heh heh heh.”

The two of them chatted idly like this for a while, waiting.

“Why hasn’t Fourteen come to pick me up yet?” Zhong Xuan Sheng’s layers of fat wrinkled in exasperation.

“What time did you tell her you were leaving the academy?”

“Actually, I didn’t tell her a specific time.” Zhong Xuan Sheng’s smile was sly. “But Fourteen always takes care of herself. I never need to tell her anything.”

Jiang Wang looked at him speechlessly and decided to walk on his own.

Calculating the time, the Wu An Marquis Mansion in Gaoyang Ward should be completed by now. All the servants and staff were also arranged. There was truly no need to cram into a carriage with this fatty, watching him try to show off every day.

But at that moment, a luxurious, understated carriage drove up.

Sitting in the driver’s seat was the Bo Wang Marquis Mansion’s head steward.

“Young Master Jiang, Young Master Sheng.” The man meticulously performed a bow, then said, “This old servant has followed the Marquis’s order to welcome you both. To celebrate your return from your studies, the mansion has already prepared a banquet.”

Towards this elder who had served the Zhong Xuan family diligently for a lifetime, Zhong Xuan Sheng dared not be disrespectful.

He first motioned for Jiang Wang to board the carriage, then said with a smile, “Though we only stayed at the academy for a short time, why set up a special banquet?”

The old steward first smiled back. “Three months is already a long time. The Marquis has missed Young Master Sheng dearly.”

He then lowered the carriage curtain, grasped the reins steadily, and drove back towards the mansion.

Zhong Xuan Sheng slumped down, then said, “Right, tell someone to go to Yaoguang Ward and tell them not to come welcome me. I’ll see grandfather and then go back.”

Yaoguang Ward was where the Son of Heaven had granted Jiang Wang his residence. Zhong Xuan Sheng had become accustomed to staying there, so he instructed the message to be delivered there as well.

“Young Master Sheng, rest assured, someone has already gone to inform them,” the old steward replied.

He drove the carriage with exceptional steadiness; there was no sense of jolting inside.

“This is the treatment for the future Great Qi Bo Wang Marquis, isn’t it?” Inside the carriage, Zhong Xuan Sheng reached out and patted Jiang Wang, laughing heartily with pride.

Originally, Zhong Xuan Zun might not have received this treatment upon leaving Jixia Academy.

Ah, well, he wasn’t getting it this time either.

Earlier, he had seen Zhong Xuan Zun riding off with Wang Yiwu and Wen Lian Mu on horseback, but he didn’t know what they were up to.

Jiang Wang nodded as if stating a fact. “Yes, indeed. Looking at the entire Great Qi, how many Marquises can there be? To think that inside this carriage, there sits only one.”

The future Marquis was ultimately not as formidable as the current Marquis.

Zhong Xuan Sheng closed his mouth indignantly.

Just wait until the hereditary perpetual Bo Wang Marquis title was officially in his hands. With his operational ability, he would certainly advance by leaps and bounds on the official path, catching up to Jiang Wang and surpassing Zhong Xuan Zun was not impossible.

He always claimed to Jiang Wang that he was a man who planned for the world, disdaining brute force as crude. But deep down, he had to admit, he missed the days in the Taixu Illusion Realm when he had earned merit alongside Jiang Wang.

Those beautiful times were gone forever.

Just wait, you rough men and barbarians.

Not a single one of you will escape!

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