Su Chen was pursued relentlessly. After four full days and nights of desperate evasion and misdirection, he finally crossed into the territory controlled by the Marquis of Pacifying the Seas' residence.

  "Grandfather! Save me—it's Feng Chen!"

  Su Chen shouted toward the distant estate with all the strength left in his lungs. In an instant, several terrifying gazes swept out from within the marquis residence. Every one belonged to a Spirit Soul realm powerhouse.

  Su Chen's heart jolted. The depth of the Marquis of Pacifying the Seas' hidden strength was truly frightening.

  At that moment, an earth-shaking roar thundered across the sky.

  "How dare you lay a hand on Chen'er! This old man will scour heaven and earth, turn the entire Heavenly Wind Kingdom upside down—I will make every last one of you villains pay in blood!"

  A colossal Spirit Soul manifestation appeared, its single raised hand blotting out the heavens. The three pursuers who had been closing in saw the sight and their faces drained of all color.

  It was over.

  The old Marquis of Pacifying the Seas had come himself.

  In almost the same breath, their eyes turned resolute. They ignited the vital energy within their bodies and chose self-destruction without hesitation. They would rather die than allow the marquis to trace even the faintest clue back to their origins.

  But fate was cruel. Two of them detonated at the exact same instant. The shockwave from their mutual explosions swept over the third man. He died as well—but not cleanly.

  The Marquis of Pacifying the Seas reached into the fading aftermath and retrieved a shattered jade token. His expression darkened to an extreme.

  By then, Su Chen, seeing his grandfather arrive, could hold on no longer. His vital energy was completely spent. He lost consciousness mid-flight and tumbled from the sky. Fortunately, the old marquis reacted swiftly and caught him in his arms.

  "Chen'er, no matter who dares to harm you, this grandfather swears he will demand justice on your behalf!"

  The marquis' gaze was ice-cold. If he had arrived even a moment later, this grandson on whom he had pinned all his hopes might have died right before his eyes.

  …

  Half a month passed before Su Chen finally awoke from his coma. Memories of the life-and-death chase flooded back. For a moment, he had even wondered whether his secret of reincarnation had somehow been exposed, drawing such a ferocious assassination attempt.

  Fifteen Spirit Sea realm experts… In his previous life, even when surrounded by an entire army, he had never faced so many at once.

  "It seems I've been too high-profile in this life. I've made too many forces wary—afraid that I might grow into a monster even more terrifying than the kingdom's Grand Ancestor."

  That was the only explanation Su Chen could think of. He still had no idea which powers wanted him dead. But none of that mattered now. The ones who had hunted him were all dead or crippled.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Suddenly, a possibility dawned on him, and a trace of delight crept into his expression. He had been wondering how best to draw the Marquis of Pacifying the Seas into his revenge. Wasn't this the perfect opportunity?

  "Chen'er is awake!"

  A concerned voice came from outside the door. It was the Marquis of Pacifying the Seas. To ensure no one tried to harm Su Chen while he lay unconscious inside the residence, the old man had stood guard at his bedside the entire time.

  Su Chen looked at the tall yet aged figure and tried to rise to bow, but the marquis quickly stopped him.

  Left with no choice, Su Chen spoke. "Thank you, Grandfather, for saving my life. If you hadn't arrived in time, your unworthy grandson would already be dead."

  At those words, a flash of fury and relief passed through the old man's eyes.

  "Chen'er, rest easy. As long as this old man is here, no one will ever harm you within the Marquis of Pacifying the Seas' residence! I have already begun investigating the forces behind those assassins. No matter who they are, they will pay dearly for what they've done!"

  Su Chen asked quietly, "Grandfather, have you found any leads yet?"

  The marquis' face darkened. He shook his head.

  "No matter how deeply I dig, every trail is being erased by some invisible hand. However… on the body of one of them, I found a secret agent jade token belonging to the Azure Wave Kingdom."

  Damn it!

  Su Chen cursed inwardly: Damn it—again, the Azure Wave Kingdom!

  He was not surprised to find Azure Wave Kingdom experts among his pursuers. After all, the two kingdoms had been bitter enemies for generations. But the ones who wanted him dead were definitely not limited to Azure Wave.

  Su Chen steadied his breathing and spoke. "Grandfather, have you considered the possibility that someone deliberately planted clues pointing toward the Azure Wave Kingdom?"

  The Marquis of Pacifying the Seas' eyes flickered. "Go on."

  Su Chen continued evenly. "Grandfather, if I am allowed to grow to my full potential, whose position would be most threatened?"

  The old marquis fixed him with a piercing stare. Su Chen met it without flinching.

  After a long silence, the marquis finally spoke. "You should understand how serious this matter is. For our marquis residence, even idle speculation could bring catastrophic disaster."

  Su Chen replied calmly, "Your grandson understands perfectly. But Grandfather Feng Ding died protecting me—he was also my family. I cannot swallow this grievance."

  The marquis did not rebuke him. He only said quietly, "Do you have any evidence?"

  Su Chen shook his head. "None at all. But within the kingdom, who else possesses the power to orchestrate something on this scale? Grandfather, you already have your suspicions, don't you? Please, Grandfather, seek justice for me! Grandfather Feng Ding cannot have died for nothing!"

  The corners of the marquis' mouth suddenly curved into a wide grin. "This is exactly how a descendant of the Marquis of Pacifying the Seas should be! Rest assured, Chen'er—Feng Ding's death will not go unanswered. This old man will see justice done! As for those useless fools outside—if they weren't carrying my blood, I would have executed them long ago. A pack of spineless good-for-nothings!"

  Open fondness shone in the old man's eyes. This grandson truly lived up to his highest expectations—not only blessed with peerless talent, but sharp-minded, perceptive, and decisive.

  Su Chen was momentarily stunned by how quickly his grandfather's demeanor had shifted. It seemed the old man had suspected the one in the depths of the palace from the very beginning. Everything just now had been… a test?

  The Marquis of Pacifying the Seas gave a mysterious smile. "Are you wondering why this old man has known the true culprit all along yet never gone to demand an accounting?"

  Su Chen nodded. He knew very well how deeply this grandfather doted on him.

  The marquis sneered coldly. "Even if I stormed the inner palace and confronted the main branch, at most a few insignificant pawns would die. My grandson nearly lost his life. How could the price be so trivial? I want that person to pay in rivers of blood. I want him to understand whether he can bear the consequences of touching my grandson."

  Su Chen looked at the domineering aura radiating from his grandfather and asked curiously, "Then how does Grandfather plan to proceed?"

  The marquis' gaze turned distant. "Naturally, by making blood flow like rivers. And to make blood flow like rivers… one needs war. This old man intends to force the Heavenly Wind Kingdom and the Azure Wave Kingdom into open conflict. And then…"

  He turned to Su Chen with a smile.

  "Grandson, which legion do you like? Whichever one you choose, this old man will gift it to you."

  Su Chen's pupils contracted sharply.