Chapter 2

Anyway, since I'm almost dead, why should I care about anything else? Tang Chun didn't want to be killed again right after he had just come back to life; that would be too much of a raw deal. As for what would happen in the future, he would think about it later. After all, as long as he was still alive, there would be a chance.

*Pah*... The other side of Tang Chun's face swelled up again. This time, it was Luo Qingchen who personally slapped him, then stood up and said, "Let's make a bet. If you can't get the rank of a Fifth-Rank General within three years, the Tang family will be exterminated."

"What if I succeed?" Tang Chun asked.

"Your Highness will wait for you for three years," Luo Qingchen said through gritted teeth, then glanced at her subordinates and said, "Process his enlistment order immediately. Send him to the Wicked Mountain battlefield in a few hours. The battle there is intense. Tell the general there not to let Tang Chun rest. As soon as he arrives at Wicked Mountain, he should be assigned to the front lines. *Giggle* I'm giving him a chance to earn merit, so he must seize the time. No delays, no delays."

What a vicious woman, Tang Chun cursed inwardly. Wicked Mountain bordered the Great Yuan Kingdom. The Great Yu Kingdom and the Great Yuan Kingdom had been at war over Wicked Mountain for several months, with tens of thousands of casualties.

Throwing him into the front lines with his injuries was no different from sending him to his death. Now, even the entire Tang family was implicated.

"Princess, Tang Xin requests that you immediately execute this unworthy son. I am willing to lead troops to Wicked Mountain to die in battle to atone for the Tang family's sins," Tang Xin shouted from outside.

"Yes, Princess, don't listen to Tang Chun. He's trying to drag our entire family down with him. Please execute him with the harshest punishment," Tang Hong's voice echoed.

Tang Hong and Tang Chun were half-brothers, with Tang Hong being the eldest son of the second wife, Song Fang. They had never gotten along. According to the hereditary system of the Great Yu Dynasty, the title of Marquis of Nandu would be inherited by Tang Chun, not Tang Hong.

Moreover, 90% of the Tang family's assets would go to Tang Chun's lineage, and he was also the next head of the Tang family. Unless Tang Chun died or was punished, things would be different.

Thinking about this, Tang Chun was startled and began to understand. He suspected that this mess was likely orchestrated by his half-brother, Tang Hong, who had long coveted the Tang family's title and assets.

Tang Xin's request for execution wasn't because he truly wanted Tang Chun dead, but to avoid implicating the entire Tang family. Tang Hong's intentions were entirely different.

"Princess, please spare my son Tang Chun's life and let him die in battle to atone for his sins. Please don't punish the other members of the Tang family," his mother, Mei Lan, cried out in a heart-wrenching voice.

"A woman's opinion, take her back," *Pah*—a sharp sound, and Mei Lan was slapped unconscious by Tang Xin.

"Princess, if you change your mind, call me 'husband.' Otherwise, you'll be breaking your word," Tang Chun shouted.

*Pah*—another slap.

"This is settled. A bet for three years. Tang Chun, I look forward to seeing how you'll become a Fifth-Rank General. Let's go," Luo Qingchen's footsteps faded away. Soon, the sharp cries of birds were heard, indicating they were heading to the capital.

The Great Yu Imperial Palace had a special breed of large birds called flying eagles, which were as big as elephants with wings spanning over ten meters. They could carry two to three people and fly at incredible speeds.

Otherwise, with the vast territory of the Great Yu Dynasty and no modern communication methods, it would take ages for an imperial decree to reach its destination. By then, the situation would have changed.

"Damn you, unworthy son!" The Tang family was furious, wanting to rush in and beat Tang Chun to death. He had implicated the entire family.

Everyone in the Tang family knew that with Tang Chun's skills, it was impossible for him to reach the 8th level and become a Fifth-Rank General within three years. It was a pipe dream.

So, the Tang family believed that Tang Chun was evil, dragging the entire family into this mess just to live a few more days. The crowd was enraged.

"Scatter, we're taking him away," the remaining guard, Zhao Qian, barked at the door. Tang Xin had no choice but to lead the family away.

"Come on, boy," Zhao Qian picked up Tang Chun like a chick and headed for a red horse nearby.

The flying eagles were rare and difficult to raise, reserved only for important matters or high-ranking nobles. Tang Chun, of course, didn't have that privilege. He was tied to the horse and galloped away like a sack of potatoes.

"Father, Mother, I am unfilial. I can no longer serve you. Take care... take care..." Tang Chun's voice was hoarse as it echoed in the distance.

"Chun'er... Chun'er..." Tang Xin's voice was also hoarse, and Mei Lan was already a mess of tears.

"Scum, you've ruined us all, and you still have the nerve to cry," Tang Hong spat, and *Pah*—he was slapped by Tang Xin.

"Watch your mouth, scum. He is my son and your brother. You have no right to insult him," Tang Xin roared at his son.

"Sir, Tang Chun has brought disaster to the entire Tang family. Mei Lan is also a sinner and should be expelled. Otherwise, if Princess Three finds out, our family will continue to suffer. We need to show her that we are taking action," Song Fang urged.

"This..." Tang Xin hesitated.

Tang Chun was almost falling apart from the rough ride, and his injuries were causing him excruciating pain.

"Brother, can you at least bandage me up a bit?" Tang Chun asked.

"Ha, do you think you can ride comfortably? Spit! You're a condemned criminal. What right do you have to make such a request? Behave yourself, or my whip won't spare you," Zhao Qian sneered, and with a flick of the whip, the horse ran even faster.

Tang Chun knew Zhao Qian was deliberately tormenting him, perhaps on the princess's orders to kill him on the way. The Great Yu Dynasty, though with a population of several billion, was vast and sparsely populated.

The forest coverage was over 90%, and dense primeval forests were everywhere. Wild beasts roamed, birds flew, and venomous insects were rampant. Even the official roads were narrow, dusty paths. The dust and dirt almost choked Tang Chun to death.

Suddenly, Tang Chun's mind jolted, and he remembered. In his previous life, he was a skilled member of the Dragon Group in Huaxia.

In terms of strength, he had reached the same level as this guard. By chance, he had obtained a secret book from the Wudang Sect's scripture hall called *The Nine Heavens Vast World Technique*.

When he opened it, Tang Chun was overjoyed. *The Nine Heavens Vast World Technique* was not a martial arts manual but a guide for cultivators to achieve immortality.

Tang Chun thought he had found a treasure, but his good friend, the Wudang Sect's leader, Tianchen Daozhang, glanced at the book dismissively and said, "Do you think you've found a great treasure?"

"It's indeed a good thing. Strange, why doesn't your Wudang Sect cultivate it? Cultivators are much stronger than martial artists," Tang Chun said, puzzled. The Daozhang seemed to regard the book as worthless.

"The book is good, but is it useful? Look at our current Earth. It's polluted, and the air quality is unbearable. There's no trace of elemental energy in the world.

To cultivate, you need elemental energy, but there's none. Should we use factory emissions or car exhaust? If that worked, it would be a great contribution to the country. We wouldn't need wastewater treatment plants; we'd just send a group of cultivators to absorb it. So, Tang, this book, though valuable a thousand years ago, is now just a useless relic. Try cultivating it and see if you can reach the first level of Qi Condensation. If you succeed, come back and teach me, and I'll give you the position of leader," Tianchen Daozhang said sarcastically.

Tang Chun, of course, didn't believe it. He tried cultivating it, but after a few years, he felt no trace of spiritual energy. He realized it was indeed a relic, beautiful but useless for Earthlings.

However, in the dusty air, Tang Chun sensed a strong presence of elemental energy in the land of the Great Yu Dynasty.

He tried it out, and the energy flowed in like a tide. The rough ride on the horse seemed to push him to the brink of reaching the first level of Qi Condensation.

Perhaps what he couldn't achieve on Earth could be accomplished here, which was why he dared to make the three-year bet.

Of course, he needed to delay his arrival at the Wicked Mountain camp. He had to use the long journey from Langzhou to Wicked Mountain to cultivate at least to the first level.

"Brother, if you keep riding like this, I'll be shaken to death. Then, you won't be able to report to the princess," Tang Chun said sternly.

"Ha, if you die, it's your fault. You're a condemned criminal, and you think you're a prince? Spit!" Zhao Qian was angry, feeling that this difficult task was all because of Tang Chun.

"You're wrong," Tang Chun coldly said.

"Oh, I'm wrong? I want to hear your explanation. Otherwise, you'll get ten lashes from my whip," Zhao Qian stopped the horse, threw Tang Chun to the ground, and glared at him.

Regarding the old book *The Art of Politics*, I want to address it since many readers have been asking why it was stopped, and some have even accused me of leaving it unfinished.

Actually, the four years of hard work were more painful for me than for you. I've hardly ever missed an update in four years, so how could I leave it unfinished?

The reason is a special issue with the "big direction," which has temporarily led to its suspension. I will continue updating it once it's released.

However, some of the content from *The Art of Politics* will be revealed in the new book *The Path of Martial Respect*. So, please support my new book.

Some readers don't understand what "big direction" means, thinking I did it on purpose. This is my frustration.

I hope you will collect and support the new book, and help promote *The Path of Martial Respect*. I thank you in advance.

It's quite depressing that the second chapter of the new book hasn't produced a single patron yet.

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