Chapter 1

"Grandpa, how are you? Don't scare me!"

In the outskirts of Pingyuan City, at the foot of the Qinglong Mountains, a simple but very tidy thatched house stood. A young man, about sixteen years old, with a handsome but slightly thin face, was kneeling by the bed, his face full of anxiety and sorrow, shouting hoarsely.

On the bed lay an old man with white hair and a gaunt body. The old man, with great difficulty, stretched out his wrinkled hand and gently stroked the young man's delicate but sorrowful face, wiping away the tears from the corners of his eyes. The bruises on his arm were revealed as his sleeve slipped down. The young man, seeing the bruises on his grandfather's arm, felt as if they were on his own heart. He tried hard to hold back the tears welling up in his eyes, but they still overflowed.

The old man, with a very slow and weak voice, said, "Yan, I'm fine. I was already near the end of my life, and I wouldn't have lived more than two years. Everyone has to die eventually. I'm just dying a bit earlier. You don't need to be sad for me."

"There's a secret compartment under the table. Inside is a ring. When I found you sixteen years ago, you were holding it in your little hand. I was afraid you would lose it when you were young, so I never gave it to you. Now that you've grown up, it's time to give it to you," the old man said slowly, with a hint of regret and reluctance. "You'll have to walk the path ahead alone. Be careful and live well. Remember, don't seek revenge for me..."

Before he could finish, the old man closed his eyes, and his slow breathing stopped. The hand that had been touching the young man's face became cold.

"No!"

The young man shouted in grief, his face contorted, his eyes wide and bloodshot, as he lay on the old man's body, tears streaming down his face.

The young man cried for half an hour, until his voice was hoarse. He then got up, tidied the old man's clothes, and covered him with a blanket, as if the old man were just sleeping.

The young man went to the only old round table in the room, reached under it, and found a secret compartment. He opened it and took out the ring inside.

The ring was carved with a dragon, which was depicted in great detail, from the scales to the claws to the whiskers, just like a real dragon. The dragon's head bit its tail, forming a ring, and its eyes glowed with a faint red light, as if they were staring at him no matter which angle he looked from.

The young man tried to put the ring on his finger, but it was too big and didn't fit any of his fingers. He had no choice but to tie it to a string and wear it as a necklace around his neck.

The young man walked out of the house in sorrow, turned around, and knelt at the door, banging his head three times on the ground, his forehead turning red. He stood up and said firmly, "Grandpa, rest in peace here. I will definitely avenge you." He wiped away his tears, lit a torch, and burned the thatched house where he had lived for sixteen years, a place filled with many happy memories.

The setting sun was like blood, dyeing the entire sky red. Everything seemed to be immersed in a sea of blood, and the young man's heart was like the setting sun, bleeding.

The young man walked firmly towards the city of Pingyuan.

He had long forgotten his grandfather's final words. Now, his mind was filled with only one thought: to kill Ma Yong, who had injured his grandfather, and avenge him.

"What's wrong with this kid? His eyes look so scary!"

"Yeah, he usually greets us, but today he seems like a different person," said someone who knew him.

The young man came to the front door of the Ma family and shouted, "Ma Yong, come out!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a young man in fine silk, surrounded by a group of people, came out. This was Ma Yong, the son of the head of one of the three major families in Pingyuan City.

Ma Yong's lips curled into a malicious smile as he mocked the young man, "Who would have thought it's you, the genius of Pingyuan City, Zhang Yan? I couldn't find you before, but now you've come to me? Not hiding anymore?"

As soon as Ma Yong finished speaking, his subordinates started to jeer, mocking Zhang Yan, "Do you still think you're the genius of Pingyuan City?"

"You're just a waste of three years, stuck at the ninth level of Body Cultivation!"

"How can someone like you even think of competing for a woman with our young master? You're just asking for death!"

Zhang Yan ignored their taunts. He had heard too many cold and mocking words over the past three years and had encountered too many cold stares. His resolve was no longer easily shaken by a few words.

Zhang Yan stared at Ma Yong coldly and said angrily, "I've tolerated your trouble before, but I never thought you would dare to hit my grandfather. This is something I absolutely cannot tolerate. Today, I will make you pay with your blood!"

"Haha, I was waiting for you to say that. Do you really think I won't fight you? Today, I'll teach you a lesson," Ma Yong said, puffing out his chest and walking up to Zhang Yan.

As soon as Zhang Yan saw Ma Yong, he couldn't suppress his inner rage. He clenched his fists and, without a word, threw a punch straight at Ma Yong's throat. Zhang Yan's movements were clean and precise, with no unnecessary moves, aiming directly at Ma Yong's vital points.

Ma Yong was caught off guard by Zhang Yan's sudden attack. As the punch was about to hit him, he quickly raised his hands to protect himself. His strength was also at the ninth level of Body Cultivation, but he had only broken through to this level last month, so he was far weaker compared to Zhang Yan.

Zhang Yan had been at the ninth level of Body Cultivation for three years and had long reached the peak of this level. Additionally, he had gained a lot of practical combat experience from hunting wild animals to earn money, making his combat skills much stronger than Ma Yong's.

When their fists collided, Ma Yong was immediately pushed back two steps. As soon as he regained his footing, Zhang Yan's next attack was already coming. Zhang Yan, with a fierce look in his eyes, shouted, "Give me your life!"

Zhang Yan's palm aimed directly at Ma Yong's head. With Zhang Yan's cultivation, if this hit, Ma Yong's head would be shattered.

Just at that moment, a figure suddenly appeared from the crowd of the Ma family, instantly standing in front of Ma Yong and striking Zhang Yan's chest with a palm. Zhang Yan felt a powerful force, spat out a mouthful of blood, and was thrown back.

Zhang Yan, unable to believe his eyes, stared at the person who had struck him. The person who could send him flying with one palm must be a Xiantian expert.

"It's just a sparring match. Why are you trying to kill him? Do you want to kill my nephew in front of my family's door?" the person asked, his face full of anger.

Zhang Yan, despite his injuries, stood up and said with a look of determination, "I didn't expect you to send help during a sparring match. How despicable."

"What happened? Why does this kid want to kill you?" Ma Zhong asked, puzzled.

Ma Yong quickly explained, "One of my subordinates accidentally beat this kid's grandfather, and the old man couldn't take it. He died in the afternoon after being beaten in the morning. This kid is here to seek revenge."

"Oh?" Ma Zhong said coldly, "We must cut the grass and remove the roots. Since that's the case, we can't let this kid leave alive." He waved his hand, signaling everyone to attack and kill Zhang Yan.

Zhang Yan, seeing this, knew he was in grave danger. He deeply regretted his rash actions and hated himself for his low strength, which prevented him from avenging his grandfather and cost him his own life.

Just as Zhang Yan was in despair, a figure appeared in front of him. This person was about the same age as Zhang Yan but much fatter, a true big fat guy.

The fat guy shouted, "Wait!"

The crowd of the Ma family, who were about to attack, stopped when they saw him. Ma Yong threatened, "What? When did it become your family's business to meddle in our affairs?"

Zhang Yan, puzzled, asked, "Fat guy, why are you here? This is my grudge with Ma Yong. Don't get involved."

The person was Zhang Yan's only good friend, the eldest son of the Sun family, one of the three major families in Pingyuan City, Sun Zhihui. Because he was fat, Zhang Yan always called him "fat guy."

"Why am I here? If I hadn't come, you would have been beaten to death," the fat guy said worriedly.

He looked at Ma Zhong and said with a smile, "Uncle Zhong, this person is my friend. Can you let him go for the sake of our Sun family?"

"If you let him go, our Sun family is willing to give you the Sun Family Restaurant in the south of the city. What do you think?"

Ma Zhong was very pleased. Zhang Yan, a waste, posed no real threat to the Ma family, but a restaurant could bring in a lot of income for the Ma family.

Ma Zhong laughed and said, "Since you've spoken, I'll give you this face today. Take this waste and go."

The fat guy quickly helped the heavily injured Zhang Yan leave the Ma family. Zhang Yan spat out a few more mouthfuls of blood and glared at Ma Yong with hatred before reluctantly following the fat guy away.

No one noticed that the blood from Zhang Yan's mouth dripped onto the ring around his neck, and the ring absorbed all the blood. The originally blood-red dragon eyes on the ring flashed and emitted a faint light, but no one noticed this strange scene under the cover of blood.

Ma Yong, noticing Zhang Yan's look as he left, said worriedly, "We just let him go?"

"Let him go?" Ma Zhong snorted, "In this city, no one who offends the Ma family can leave alive. Have someone wait outside the city. Once this kid is found, kill him immediately! I said I would let him go, but I didn't say I wouldn't kill him later."