Chapter 2

The next morning, Su Zhong woke up on time. It wasn't that he didn't want to sleep in, but he would wake up automatically when it was time, something he couldn't control. Even if he wanted to stay in bed and sleep more, his mind was so alert that he couldn't fall back asleep.

Su Zhong didn't mind; over the past three years, he had grown accustomed to it. His daily routine was regular, sleeping when the sky was dark and waking when it was light. All of this was due to the Boundary-Breaking Pearl in his brain, which had brought him to this world.

In his previous life, he was an office worker, working hard every day for what he thought was a better life. But one morning, he woke up to find himself as someone else, in the familiar world of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer." Reflecting on it now, the competitive and envious mindset of his past seemed ridiculous. After death, everything was gone. He hadn't even had the chance to take care of his parents, leaving only endless regret.

He didn't know how he got here, but he knew it was related to the Boundary-Breaking Pearl in his brain. He could clearly feel the existence of the pearl, but he had never seen it. The pearl's origin was mysterious; if he hadn't crossed into this world, he probably wouldn't have known that there was a pearl in his head until his death.

However, this pearl wasn't a physical object; it existed between reality and illusion. He could sense it, but if he split open his head, he would only find a mess of brain matter, nothing else.

According to Lin's story, before he was born, his mother had a dream of a red sun entering her embrace. His mother from his previous life had a similar story, and Su Zhong guessed that the so-called red sun was probably the Boundary-Breaking Pearl.

As the maidservants tidied up, Su Zhong followed them to have breakfast. Then, holding Lin's hand, he was led to the study, where he would begin learning to read.

The characters in the "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" world were naturally Chinese, but due to the passage of time, the characters had changed significantly. He only knew simplified Chinese, so learning to read involved connecting the simplified characters in his mind with the traditional characters in this world.

Su Zhong and Lin Ping, the two brothers, sat behind a table. Lin Ping's small face was tightly tensed, trying to look serious and focused. However, his eyes would occasionally glance at his brother.

Lin looked at her younger son, who was making a competitive face, and then at her older son, who remained calm. She smiled gently.

"Starting today, I will teach you to read. When you are older, your father will find a tutor for you. I don't expect you to achieve fame and glory, but at least you shouldn't be illiterate. Now, I will teach you the 'Three-Character Classic.' Listen to me, and repeat after me. 'At the beginning of life...'" Lin recited, and Su Zhong followed, nodding his head.

Seeing her sons' earnestness, Lin was satisfied.

"You are still young, so we will take it slowly. We will learn three characters a day. Memorize them and recite them. I will check the next day. If you don't study well, I will tell your father. Watch out for your bottoms," Lin said with a smile.

Lin Ping looked indifferent. A beating? Impossible. As long as he acted cute to his father, his father wouldn't bear to hit him. This was his trump card, but he wondered how his brother would react. Turning his head, he saw his brother staring intently at the book.

Lin Ping felt a small sense of pride. He had only read five times and already recognized the three characters, even though he couldn't write them. His brother, on the other hand, seemed to be struggling to memorize them. Clearly, even if his brother could speak, he wasn't as smart as him. Lin Ping held his head high, smirking inwardly.

Lin saw her younger son's chin almost reaching the sky and gently patted him. She then turned to her older son, who was bent over the book, and sighed. "Yang'er, don't worry if you can't remember. It's okay, we'll take it slowly..."

As she spoke, Lin suddenly stopped. She noticed that her older son wasn't looking at the first page. The thickness of the book suggested he had already read almost half of the "Three-Character Classic." Was he just showing off?

"Yang'er, can you understand it?" Lin asked skeptically.

Su Zhong looked up at his adoptive mother. Could he tell her that he had already memorized all the "Three-Character Classic" he had read?

Even Su Zhong was surprised. Although he could read, he hadn't expected his memory to be so extraordinary. He had only read it three times, and everything he had read was already memorized. In his previous life, it took him a long time to memorize a hundred-character ancient text, and he would quickly forget it, needing to review it repeatedly.

But now, after just three readings, the complex characters were etched in his mind, never to be forgotten.

"I can't understand it," Su Zhong shook his head.

Lin sighed in relief. That was normal.

Su Zhong also sighed in relief. If he said he could understand it, he would be considered a prodigy. Being a fool was manageable, but being a prodigy was dangerous; he could be burned at the stake!

Ignoring Lin Ping's smugness and Lin's gentle persuasion, Su Zhong flipped through the "Three-Character Classic" from beginning to end, reading it several times to reinforce his memory. By noon, Su Zhong had completed the process of learning to read.

Su Zhong couldn't help but marvel at the power of the Boundary-Breaking Pearl. It had brought him to this world and enhanced his brain. This extraordinary memory was definitely due to the Boundary-Breaking Pearl. He couldn't understand the principle, so he stopped thinking about it. The Boundary-Breaking Pearl was beyond his current comprehension.

...

Training Ground

Su Zhong sat on the steps, watching the guards practice.

"Old Zheng, the chief guard said the young master can speak and is no longer dull. Why does he still look the same?" Shi, the guard, wiped the sweat from his forehead and chatted with Zheng, the guard, beside him.

"Old Shi, don't talk nonsense. If the chief guard says it, it must be true. He has no reason to lie to us. Besides, it's not our business," Zheng said seriously. He knew that such matters shouldn't be joked about, and it was the chief guard's family affair.

"I know that," Shi said bluntly. "But why does the young master watch us practice every day? Does he like martial arts?"

"Maybe he does," Zheng thought. "The young master has always liked to watch from the training ground. What else could it be if not a love for martial arts?"

"Should we teach the young master martial arts?" Shi asked excitedly, curious if the quiet young master was really not dull.

Zheng gave him a sidelong glance until he blushed.

"Old Zheng, what's that look for? Aren't you curious if the young master is really better?" Shi asked, his neck stiff.

Zheng, who had worked with him for years, knew his nature and wasn't angry.

"Of course I'm curious, but teaching martial arts is not our job. Our skills are nothing compared to the chief guard's family sword technique, the Exorcist Sword Technique, which is famous in the martial world. Do you think we need to teach the young master martial arts?"

"Hehe, that's true. The Exorcist Sword Technique is top-notch," Shi patted his head, laughing without embarrassment.

The two had been on the road for many years and had developed loud voices. They weren't deliberately lowering their voices, so Su Zhong heard their conversation, which made his face twitch.

Every time he heard the name "Exorcist Sword Technique," he felt a chill. Hearing them praise Lin Zhenan's martial arts, he felt uncomfortable. Thinking about how Lin Zhenan couldn't even defeat Yu Canghai's disciple in "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer," he felt embarrassed.

Shi was right; he watched the guards practice every day because he wanted to learn martial arts. After learning about the Lin family's fate, he had a strong desire for power.

He wanted to tell Lin Zhenan directly that someone was after the Exorcist Sword Technique, but if he did, he would be considered a prodigy. He could suggest that Lin Zhenan improve the guards' skills, but with Lin Zhenan's merchant nature, he wouldn't listen.

The idea of "Fukui Escort Agency, where fortune comes first and power second, and harmony brings wealth" made Su Zhong furious.

In the martial world, strength was the ultimate truth. Su Zhong didn't expect Lin Zhenan to change. Moreover, he didn't dare to change. If he made too many changes to the Fukui Escort Agency, he might avoid Yu Canghai's threat, but there would be others like Wang Canghai or Li Canghai. It was better to face known dangers than unknown ones. This was why he had remained silent for three years and hadn't changed anything about the Lin family.

Only by gaining great power himself could he prepare for the future and prevent the Lin family's destruction.

Shi and Zheng could see that Su Zhong liked martial arts, but they couldn't imagine that the guards' skills were already imprinted in his mind.

Su Zhong's memory was extraordinary. Over the past three years, he had learned all the guards' and footmen's skills. With the Boundary-Breaking Pearl enhancing his brain, his comprehension was very high. He had mentally practiced the guards' skills countless times, but his young age and incomplete development prevented him from practicing them.

He had even memorized the Exorcist Sword Technique, though he hadn't had time to analyze it.

Su Zhong sat calmly under the corridor, feeling particularly anxious. He needed time. According to the original plot, the Fukui Escort Agency's destruction happened when Lin Ping was about fifteen or sixteen years old.

If he wanted to practice martial arts, he would have to wait until he was six. This meant he had ten years to surpass experts like Yu Canghai, who had practiced for a lifetime. The pressure was immense.

Therefore, he continuously analyzed known martial arts techniques, hoping to practice the most correct techniques from the start. He wanted to achieve the highest level of martial arts in the shortest time, maximizing efficiency. But he encountered a problem.

The footmen's basic skills were simple; he just needed to analyze them a few times. However, the guards' skills were different. The changes in strength and movement were complex, and without personal experience, he couldn't be sure of his analysis.

He needed a test subject. Su Zhong narrowed his eyes, thinking.

His eyes scanned the training ground, and when he noticed a quiet, sturdy young man in the corner, his eyes lit up. You!

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