Chapter 1

As the sun set and the evening glow spread across the sky, in a magnificent imperial city, countless luxurious carriages gathered at the city gates.

This morning, the ruler of the Great Chu Dynasty ordered that, to honor the great achievements of the Champion Marquis, one member from each of the major noble families must accompany the Crown Prince to welcome him.

However, before the Champion Marquis arrived, everyone's attention was drawn to a dark green carriage entirely made of warm jade.

"Damn! This scoundrel disappeared for three years. Wasn't he rumored to have died a violent death? How did he reappear?"

"Damn, it's impossible. Could the man, who was obsessed with pleasure and luxury, have survived for three years without showing up?"

"A small piece of dark jade can support a family of four. He actually made an entire carriage out of dark jade! He's still as wasteful as ever!"

"The son of the Demon Suppression King, from a martial family, never practiced cultivation. Is this waste coming back to disgrace us further?"

"..."

Many young nobles watched the carriage, whispering and gossiping. Many couldn't help but curse, as this man, known as a scourge of the imperial city, had not died a violent death. This reminded them of his righteous response when he was cursed in the Yi Hong Courtyard: "There's an ancient saying, 'A scourge can last a thousand years.' Your curses are giving me longevity! Don't be so kind to me, I'll be moved!"

This young man, cursed by many as a scoundrel, a waste, and a bastard, was now lying on a soft mat, his head resting on a young girl's lap, in a lazy and relaxed posture, sipping tea.

Four women, with beautiful and graceful faces, curvaceous figures, and slender waists, knelt quietly in front of Zhou Ze, elegantly preparing and serving tea. It was truly a scene of luxury and indulgence.

Zhou Ze looked at the four women. After three years, they had grown into mature and alluring young women, which made him think about whether he should deceive them into discussing life and ideals tonight, exploring the depths of life.

As the second son of the Demon Suppression King, he was born with a golden spoon in his mouth. The Demon Suppression King, a legend in the Great Chu Dynasty, possessed extraordinary cultivation, rumored to be able to summon storms and seas with a wave of his hand. He suppressed countless demons in the Ten Thousand Mountains, wielding immense power. He had trained countless elite soldiers in battles against demons, forming an army that could strike fear into anyone, including the royal family. No one in the Great Chu Dynasty dared to defy the Demon Suppression King, a mountain that weighed on everyone's heads. Being born as his son meant that heaven had indeed lost its eyes.

Zhou Ze believed that with such a father, he should indulge in luxury and pleasure, striving to become a notorious and despised second son, living a life that would not be in vain. Unfortunately, before he could achieve his life's dream, he suddenly disappeared three years ago...

"Master Zhou Ze! Where have you been for the past three years?" The servant girl whose leg Zhou Ze was resting on was named Bai Zhu. Her bright eyes curiously examined Zhou Ze. They had served the second son in the Demon Suppression King's mansion since childhood, but they didn't know what he had been doing for the past three years.

"I went to cultivate!" Zhou Ze laughed, looking at the four servant girls. After three years, they had grown into beautiful and alluring young women.

"Master! Don't joke around!" Bai Zhu rolled her eyes, thinking that everyone in the imperial city knew he was uneducated. He was good at flirting with virtuous women, but cultivation... Master, you should give up on that!

Seeing the expressions on the four girls' faces, Zhou Ze patted his forehead, thinking he needed to have a serious talk with them about life philosophy, to show them that he was a cultured, idealistic, and knowledgeable young man.

Thinking about this, Zhou Ze's gaze roamed over the four girls' graceful figures, wondering which part he should start with in his life philosophy discussion.

Seeing Zhou Ze's gaze, the four girls blushed, remembering how he used to deceive them into discussing life and ideals when they were young. Bai Zhu couldn't help but give him a playful glare, "Master, how many girls did you deceive into discussing life and ideals during your three years away?"

Deceive girls? Thinking about his experiences over the past three years, in that hellish place, if he could have deceived girls, it would have been a blessing. He hadn't deceived any girls, but he had seen many female skeletons. And yes, he had deceived a group of men. Of course, he couldn't let the four girls know that. If they found out he had lived and slept with a group of men, he might have to prove his normal orientation by dying.

"Even the heavens envy me. Why would I need to deceive girls? I've been surrounded by countless beauties for three years, and my body can barely handle it," Zhou Ze lied, "Sigh, you don't know, I just want to be a quiet and handsome man."

After saying this, Zhou Ze secretly observed the four girls. Seeing their suspicious looks, he felt a bit guilty: He couldn't let them know he had lived with a group of men for three years; it would ruin his charm. Zhou Ze maintained his composure and changed the subject, "Hmm! The carriage is stuffy. Bai Zhu, press the mechanism."

Bai Zhu pressed a button, and the carriage opened on all sides, transforming into a pavilion in a short time.

Zhou Ze and the four girls were now exposed to the view of many young nobles. Their gazes were drawn to the four girls, who were graceful and elegant, kneeling quietly in front of Zhou Ze. The table was covered in mist, and the tea's fragrance filled the air, refreshing everyone's senses. Their movements were gentle and elegant, like a painting, naturally blending into the surroundings, as if the world had been reduced to the fragrant pavilion.

Lying on the soft mat, with beautiful women preparing tea!

Many young nobles couldn't help but mutter, "This bastard may be a bastard, but he's wasted his wealth with style. I'm jealous as hell!"

Looking at the four beauties, they were envious. Finding four women as beautiful as them wasn't hard, but having such grace was another matter. They wondered how Zhou Ze, the bastard, had cultivated such women.

Among the many young nobles, the Crown Prince stood out the most. Wearing a golden dragon robe, he looked at Zhou Ze with a complex expression, then stepped towards the pavilion, thinking that waiting for the Champion Marquis with beautiful women serving tea was a luxury: "I haven't seen Master Zhou for three years. May I have a cup of tea?"

"Who are you? Get lost!" Zhou Ze glanced at him, thinking that someone wanted to drink tea for free. No way!

His words caused a stir. Everyone stared at Zhou Ze, wondering how he could dare to scold a prince. Was he crazy?

No one thought Zhou Ze didn't know who the Crown Prince was. The dragon robe alone revealed his identity.

"Zhou Ze! You..." The Crown Prince was furious, feeling as if he had been slapped in the face. When had he ever been insulted in the empire?

Zhou Ze didn't bother to look at the Crown Prince, thinking they weren't close. Moreover, the Crown Prince wasn't a beauty, and he didn't have a beautiful fiancée, so there was no need to give him face.

Seeing that Zhou Ze ignored him, the Crown Prince clenched his fists, flames flickering on his knuckles, veins bulging. He was furious, thinking that the Demon Suppression King's family dared to show such contempt for the royal family. Were they planning a rebellion?

"Master!" Bai Zhu tugged at Zhou Ze, worried about the Crown Prince's clenched fists. After all, he was the Crown Prince.

"Bai Zhu, how long until he arrives?" Zhou Ze still ignored the Crown Prince, thinking about the person he was about to meet, feeling particularly uneasy.

"About a quarter of an hour!" Bai Zhu gently placed a backrest behind Zhou Ze, making many young nobles want to snatch her away.

The tea's fragrance continued to spread, and the surroundings were silent. The Crown Prince stared at Zhou Ze, but thinking of the Demon Suppression King, he relaxed his clenched fists.

"Boom... Boom..."

The city gates suddenly trembled, the ground shaking. A powerful aura surged from the gates, overwhelming and oppressive, making many people pale. The thunderous sound threatened to burst their eardrums, as if an army was approaching the city.

"Zhou Mie has returned!" Many young nobles' faces changed. They had come to welcome this person, the Champion Marquis of the Great Chu Dynasty!

Zhou Mie!

A legend: abandoned at birth, found and adopted by the Demon Suppression King, who treated him like a son, teaching him cultivation and military strategy. At ten, Zhou Mie joined the Demon Suppression King in battle, and at fifteen, he led an army to suppress the endless demons in the West, earning the title of Champion Marquis and becoming the most outstanding young man in the Great Chu Dynasty.

He was the most outstanding presence in the imperial city, overshadowing countless others. Anyone in his presence would lose their luster.

This was Zhou Mie, the unique Zhou Mie, a young man hailed as surpassing the Demon Suppression King, leading his own army, and even now, capable of standing against the Demon Suppression King.

Yes, standing against! Zhou Mie, raised by the Demon Suppression King, had parted ways with him, forming his own faction to suppress the Western Demon Mountains for the royal family.

Many people looked at Zhou Ze with strange expressions. The Demon Suppression King was a hero, but his adopted son and biological sons... If the Champion Marquis were the Demon Suppression King's biological son, how powerful would the Demon Suppression King's family be? Unfortunately, Zhou Mie and the Demon Suppression King's two biological sons were like fire and water. Rumors suggested that Zhou Mie had once plotted against the Demon Suppression King's eldest son, costing him an ear. Although unverified, rumors don't spread without reason. Later, Zhou Mie led a group of the Zhou family's elite to join the royal family, seemingly confirming the rumors.

Being stared at by many, Zhou Ze felt happy again: Indeed, I am more eye-catching than Zhou Mie. Being handsome is being handsome; the attention proves everything!

The thunderous sound grew closer, and Bai Zhu couldn't help but tremble.

"My former elder brother is here!" Zhou Ze smiled, watching the dust-raising iron cavalry approach. He stood up, patted Bai Zhu to calm her, and stood at the edge of the carriage, quietly watching the front.

The iron cavalry approached, galloping, with one man and one horse leading, followed by dozens of iron cavalry, charging towards the city gates. Their momentum was unstoppable, making everyone feel a chill.

The iron cavalry was as fast as the wind, heading straight for Zhou Ze's carriage, which was in the middle of the road. The iron cavalry showed no signs of slowing down, causing many people to change color and move out of the way.

Only Zhou Ze stood on the carriage, a beautiful woman by his side, pale but calm, standing still.

This scene made many people's hearts race, thinking that he was too bold, and the iron cavalry would kill him.

The iron cavalry was almost upon them, showing no signs of slowing down. Many thought Zhou Ze would be scared, but he stood there, smiling.

The iron cavalry was less than a meter away from Zhou Ze when the rider pulled the reins, stopping the horse. The horse reared up, neighing loudly, and the dozens of iron cavalry followed suit, creating a breathtaking scene.

Zhou Mie, with a heroic aura, rode majestically, his armor gleaming, subduing the fierce iron cavalry.

Zhou Ze, dressed in fine clothes, with a beautiful woman in his arms, was lazy and indulgent, surrounded by luxury.

One was a young war god who had suppressed countless demons.

The other was a wasteful and indulgent young noble.

Standing opposite each other, the contrast was stark. Who was the hero and who was the clown, it seemed clear, and the difference was evident.

The cultivation realms in this book: Qi Gathering, Innate, Divine Treasury, Heaven Origin, Half-Deity, ...

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