Huangguo was a medium-sized nation, yet thanks to its crucial geographical location, it had developed immensely and was even considered a hub for trade with all regions of the continent. To Huangguo's north lay the Northernmost White Emperor Empire, an extremely cold region of the world, covered in snow year-round. To its east bordered the Endless Sea, a boundless expanse impossible to fully explore, and the domain of all kinds of demonic beasts. The Void Desert lay to its south, and the Great Dragon Nation – the center of the continent – bordered its southwest and northwest.
Huangguo comprised many different powers, but at the top were the Four Directions Pavilions, secretly established in the four cardinal directions: the Southern Rain Pavilion, the Northern Wind Pavilion, and the Eastern and Western Pavilions. These were the four most powerful forces, boasting a legacy spanning a thousand years and incredibly stable. Besides the Four Pavilions, there were, of course, several century-old families, among which the Han Family must be mentioned – considered the largest family in Huangguo, their strength only surpassed by the Four Pavilions.
Han Family – Imperial City.
"Second Young Master, the Family Head is calling for you."
……..
"Second Young Master…."
……..
"Second Young Ma—"
"Alright, I heard you, I heard you!"
A childish voice, tinged with annoyance, rang out from Han Second Young Master's room. Not long after, the door opened, revealing the young master's scrunched-up face. The youth was around nine or ten years old, with fair, rosy skin and a plump face; one glance was enough to tell he was a pampered young master who had lived a life of luxury since childhood. His physique was much chubbier than his peers; to put it bluntly, he was only slightly less round than a ball of meat. This was Han Feng, the Han Family's Second Young Master.
Han Feng's brows were furrowed, his eyes bleary, likely still annoyed at having his sleep disturbed. After donning a noble green robe, Han Second Young Master clutched his chubby belly and shuffled his small feet towards the Han Family Head's residence. Although he had been lazy since childhood, loving food and play more than cultivation, his good disposition and lack of discrimination between rich and poor meant no one held any prejudice against this young master. Coupled with his physique, everyone affectionately called him Little Fatty. He himself was extremely fond of this name.
"Father. Second Mother. I'm here."
As soon as he reached the Han Family Head's door, Han Feng happily shouted out, hurriedly waddling over, clutching his belly, with a bright, cheerful smile on his face; the incident of his sleep being disturbed had been completely forgotten. Although he had only walked a short distance, he was already panting heavily, his face flushed red as if he had overcome countless hardships to get there.
Han Feilong – Han Feng's father and the Han Family Head – could only shake his head and smile wryly at the sight. He didn't know what to make of his youngest son. Han Feilong was around thirty or forty years old, dressed in black robes, with a firm, rugged face and sharp eyes. He was the Han Family's only fifth-level Great Martial Master.
"My adorable Little Fatty, come here to Second Mother."
Han Feng giggled and ran to hold Wang Ling's hand. Her voice – Han Feilong's concubine – was incredibly warm and overflowing with affection. Han Feng's birth mother had passed away after giving birth to him. Four years later, his father met Wang Ling during an outing and grew fond of her, but only took her as a concubine. Wang Ling was only around twenty-five or thirty years old, exceptionally beautiful, and radiated a noble grace like a celestial maiden descended to the mortal realm. Although she was his stepmother, she loved and doted on Han Feng very much. As a result, his affection for her was very strong, arguably second only to his father and his eldest brother, Han Lin.
After exchanging pleasantries, Han Feilong got down to business:
"Feng'er, how is your foundational cultivation progress coming along?"
Hearing his father's question, Han Feng's face fell, and he could only scratch his head and reply:
"Uh… hehe, the fifth level."
“Fifth level! You fat rascal, all you do all day is eat and play. One year to advance just one level in a basic cultivation technique, are you trying to infuriate me to death?”
Han Fei Long roared, though his voice held little actual anger. He knew his son’s cultivation level at a glance. It was simply because he loved the boy too much, and cultivation couldn’t be forced, so he could only clear his throat and offer a lecture.
Scolded by his father, Han Feng could only lower his head and admit his fault, not daring to utter a word. Wang Ling smiled, gently pinching his chubby cheek, and said:
“Feng’er has tried his best, my dear. You shouldn’t scold him.”
“Hehe, only Second Mother understands me best.” Han Feng, as if waiting for these words, swayed his body and chimed in.
Han Fei Long could only concede defeat to this back-and-forth. Then, he sighed and said:
“It’s not that I’m being hard on you. But at the beginning of next month, you’ll turn ten, the age to join a sect. With your cultivation level like this, how can I be at ease sending you to the distant White Emperor Nation? You must understand, our family primarily cultivates ice-cold power, and the Extreme North is the best place for cultivation.”
“Perhaps we should just forget it. The Four Pavilions in the Imperial Nation, though not as pure in ice-cold cultivation as the Extreme North, is still not a bad place. I think we should let Feng’er stay in the Imperial Nation. I wouldn’t be at ease if he went far away.” Wang Ling looked at Han Feng, then spoke with worry.
Han Fei Long furrowed his brow:
“Of course I understand, but… *Sigh*, in the end, it’s up to you. Feng’er, what do you want?”
Though Han Feng was still young, having been born into a prominent clan, he was naturally no fool. He naturally understood that Han Fei Long only wanted what was best for him, but was afraid he wouldn’t amount to anything, which was why he was allowed to freely choose his path of development.
“Wherever Big Brother is, that’s where I’ll go. If Big Brother can do it, I can definitely do it too. Of course, being close to Big Brother also means I can rely on him, hehe.”
Han Fei Long was slightly surprised by these words, then immediately smiled. Han Lin had cultivated diligently since childhood, and two years ago, he had joined the Nine Kill Sect in the White Emperor Nation, becoming an outer disciple. His youngest son, though lazy, truly didn’t disappoint him.
“Good, you are truly my son. Since you’ve decided, go back and cultivate diligently. You’ll set off in a month.”
Han Feng mumbled a few acknowledgments, then left the room, deep in thought as he walked. He naturally knew that joining one of the White Emperor Nation’s Three Sects and Two Strongholds was no easy feat. Countless people tried to join every year, only to return disappointed. What’s more, he was just a small boy whose basic cultivation technique was still nowhere near completion. However, he absolutely didn’t want to disappoint his father. *Sigh*, it’s truly hard to think about. Why did he turn ten so quickly?
Muttering to himself for a while, Han Feng arrived at the main hall. He approached a middle-aged man with a gentle face, who appeared to be over thirty.
“Martial Uncle Han Zhong. I’d like to go out for a bit, and I also have some questions for you.”
This man, whose cultivation had reached the First-level Martial Master realm, was Han Feng’s protector.
“Yes, Second Young Master.”
***
Cultivation realms are divided into: Basic Cultivation – Martial Apprentice – Martial Master – Grand Martial Master – Martial King – Martial Venerable – Martial Saint.
Each realm is further divided into nine levels.
***
Though the Imperial City wasn’t considered large, its thriving trade with many regions made it extraordinarily bustling at all times. Along the streets, market stalls stood shoulder to shoulder, stretching all the way to the city walls, with people coming and going in a constant stream. At this moment, two figures, one tall and slender, the other short and stout, were strolling down the street:
"What? The Second Young Master wants to find the fastest way to increase his cultivation level within a month?"
These two were, of course, Han Chung and Han Feng. In fact, this guardian's family had served the Han family for six generations. From the moment the Second Young Master Han was born, he had protected him day and night, serving as both an elder and a close friend, understanding Han Feng better than anyone. Therefore, Han Chung was extremely surprised because this was the first time the young master had asked about cultivation instead of "is there anything fun to do?". He couldn't help but feel happy that Han Feng had matured.
"What, is there a problem with that?" Seeing Han Chung's utterly surprised face, the little fatty felt annoyed.
"Ah. Of course, it's possible. There are many ways, such as consuming auxiliary pills or using certain treasures to accelerate cultivation speed. However, one shouldn't use them before reaching the Martial Apprentice stage. I think it would be better for you to ask the Old Master about this." Han Chung gave a wry smile.
*If I could ask, I would have already asked myself. Why would I need you to remind me?* Han Feng naturally couldn't be pleased with such an obvious answer. He wanted to rapidly and unexpectedly break through his cultivation within a month so that Han Feilong could be more at ease about him, but he still didn't know how. Well, since he was out anyway, he might as well wander around; perhaps he'd find a way...
Thinking this, the Second Young Master Han whistled a cheerful tune, striding northwards, looking utterly carefree. Perhaps he had already forgotten the purpose of his outing this time...
The northern part of the Imperial City was famous for Meteor Lake, whose surface always shimmered with jade-like light, dazzling like stars in the sky. These were originally round jade pieces "inlaid" on the lake's surface with the help of Colorless Gold Thread – a transparent, fibrous metal. This place was a beautiful scenic spot in the Imperial Kingdom, and also one of the ideal locations for young couples in the city. At this moment, in the bamboo forest beside Meteor Lake, three figures flickered, appearing and disappearing. Running in front was a middle-aged man dressed in a white robe, fresh blood staining his shoulder red. He held a sharp longsword, moving as if gliding on the wind. With his other hand, he tightly clutched the hand of a girl about twelve or thirteen years old, who looked extremely worried. The girl wore a white dress, her large eyes clear as water, her eyebrows delicate and refined. She would surely grow into a breathtaking beauty.
"Uncle Yan, why is that person chasing us? With Uncle Yan's speed, we'll escape soon enough. Then we'll see how my father deals with this madman."
The girl panted as she ran, drenched in sweat, yet she couldn't help but curse angrily. She had originally just wanted to go to Meteor Lake to enjoy the scenery and cool air, but then a powerful black-clad figure appeared out of nowhere, demanding to capture her. Yan Wushuang – her protector – was not the opponent's match. If the other party hadn't merely wanted to capture her alive, her life would have been over long ago.
The middle-aged man surnamed Yan didn't reply. He merely frowned, assessing the opponent's position, while simultaneously pushing his Lingfeng Steps to their maximum, hoping to escape the black-clad figure's pursuit.
"Hahaha. A little lass wants to deal with me. Interesting."
The maniacal laughter echoed, deep and terrifying, like the Grim Reaper demanding a life.