Jun Xie finally woke-up from his long sleep.

His right hand slapped the ground, and tried to jump-up even before his eyes were completely open. The instincts of an excellent assassin told him to leave the place this moment itself.

The first thought that came to his mind after waking-up was that this was a dangerous place – life and death were a hair’s breadth away in a place like this.

He began to rise with the support of his arm. Suddenly, he realized that his arm was too weak to support his body’s weight. Bang! He fell back.

He seemed to be extremely shocked. A million thoughts started to race through his mind. Where was he? What was going on? How did he end-up being here?

He realized that he lay next to a soft bed. He observed his surroundings, and found that he was in a magnificently decorated room. However, the room was empty except for a set of square tables and a bed. The bed that he lay next-to was so huge that it could easily accommodate seven to eight people.

[What happened? How did I get here? Wasn’t I supposed to be in the middle of an intense gunfight? Or is this a part of my afterlife?] A surge of thoughts filled Jun Xie’s mind as he tried to recall the last memories of his past life.

*** ***

Jun Xie was a killer by profession; he was an outstanding gold-ranking assassin. He had made his debut five years ago. He could penetrate into any place. He was an ace killer with a hundred per-cent success rate. None of his predecessors had been able to accomplish such a feat.

He was ranked number one in the ranking list of assassins. Jun Xie or the ‘Evil Monarch’ had also risen to the first spot of the underworld’s top-ranked experts. Therefore, it was natural that the bounty offered for his head was the highest. In fact, the bounty offered for his head had been the highest for the last three years.

However, no one was willing to go near him since he was the top-ranked assassin; let alone killing him.

Many first-rate assassins had daringly accepted the job of putting the ‘Evil Monarch’ to sleep in the past; they had obviously hoped to get the huge bounty. But, the only reward that they received was death. The ‘Evil Monarch’ couldn’t be touched; let alone be hurt or assassinated.

A wealthy person from Country ‘Y’ had once offered an exorbitant reward of $100 Million for the head of the ‘Evil Monarch’. Two assassins had accepted the job. They were as infamous as the ‘Evil Monarch’, and were among the top-ranked assassins. They were found dead three days later.

No one had dared to take-up the job since then; even though the reward was increased several times.

It was a suicide mission. And, the money was of no good use for a dead person. So, the name ‘Evil Monarch’ had become a taboo in the underworld’s bounty list.

The name ‘Evil Monarch’ had become a symbol of fear for the people of underworld in every country. Many people knew about his existence, but no one knew how he looked.

Jun Xie’s character was true to his name. If one word had to be used to describe him… it was ‘Evil’; if two words were used, it was ‘Bloody Evil’; and if three words… it was ‘God-damned Evil’.

Jun Xie had no friends; he always worked alone. He was extremely fussy while accepting his missions; not only towards his clients… but also towards his targets.

He would never kill a harmless person such as a defenseless beggar; no matter how much money was paid as the reward. However, he would voluntarily step-up to assassinate a harmful person. After that, he would go on to find the concerned person’s enemies, and request them for his remuneration. And, no one could say ‘no’ to him. These hapless people had no history of hiring him. In fact, some of them had never even heard of him.

It was said that he had intended to kill a human trafficker once. But, he had been unable to find anyone to make the payment for the task. So, he had requested a little girl who was abducted by the human trafficker for a dime as his payment. A dime! He had a principle – he never did business without any rewards. And, there could be no exceptions to this rule.

Even his master and division members – who understood him well – were often left speechless owing to his character and way of conduct.

Another story was that… he had once removed toilet papers from the toilet… just before his master went to use it. So, his master had asked his aide to bring a toilet paper when he realized that it was missing. The then young Jun Xie had managed to extort $500 thousand as labor fees from his own master. He had called all of his division’s sisters to the toilet’s entrance. He had even invited several beauties to join-in. So, the master had to ultimately give in.

Jun Xie believed that his biggest weakness was that he was an extremely loving person. This statement often made people puke since his identity had been established as that of a top-ranked assassin.

However, his claim wasn’t completely baseless.

He detested the poor being oppressed by the rich in his home country; especially the officials using their powers against the common people. Besides, he detested seeing his own people getting oppressed in foreign countries. This ‘patriotic’ behavior of his had stirred quite a number of frightful disasters.

However, the clients still craved for his services since he had exceptional skills in fist-fighting and sword-fighting. Moreover, he possessed superior marksmanship, eyesight, and immeasurable martial arts prowess. All this had contributed to his hundred per-cent success rate. His achievements were truly unprecedented.

He was the only person amongst the peak-level assassins who had an unblemished record. He was indeed the ultimate assassin in the realm of assassins.

Jun Xie had another weakness – he was a typical hot-headed youth.

His last mission had been another ‘volunteer’ job. He had heard that the secret organization of Country ‘M’ had quietly unearthed an invaluable treasure from the Kunlun Mountains of Country ‘Z’. Then, they had smuggled this treasure to their own country before Country Z came to know about it. Being a hot- headed youth… Jun Xie had exploded into a fury.

How could a national treasure be allowed to fall into the hands of foreign country in these peaceful times?

Jun Xie had singlehandedly managed to massacre his way towards the treasure by employing sneak tricks, traps, and excellent combat skills. He had proudly faced nearly one-hundred secret service agents of Country M. He had killed seventy secret agents before laying his hands on the treasure. The courage of the secret service agents had been shattered to pieces by then. Jun Xie was even confident that he could waltz out of the area without incurring any harm.

But then, something unexpected had happened.

A supernatural incident had occurred as soon as he had touched a palm-sized heretical-looking pagoda in the treasure – his entire body had become paralyzed. He couldn’t even blink; let alone move his body. He hadn’t noticed the blood that had gushed out from one of his wounds into the small, delicate, and exquisite pagoda.

Jun Xie’s last memory comprised of looking at about fifty ‘mini grenades’ flying towards him and around twenty firearms shooting towards him. He couldn’t do anything about it even though he was capable of wiping out all his enemies in one fell swoop with his strength and skills.

This feeling was truly infuriating.

[I had never imagined that I would fall today… in such an absurd manner. But, I’ve lived a good life. I’ve killed at least a thousand corrupt officials, local tyrants, and bullies. My life was worth something. I have no regrets.]

[Others would smile as they enter the Heavens… I smile as I enter the depths of Hell.]

[I’ve killed countless people. But, they were scum; they deserved it. It was fair. So, why should I be fearful? I don’t care even if this act drags me down to Hell.]

[Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Exterminate the dirty scum! End the life of every criminal! I don’t care even if the world condemns me as a murderer.]

[Is there anyone else in this world who has lived as I did? What a delightfully unrestrained life I’ve lived.]

Jun Xie let out a loud laughter as these thoughts crossed his mind, “Hahahaha…”

*** ***

“Young Master, you… are you all right?” a timid voice was heard from beside him. The voice sounded as if someone was about to cry. Then, a cold hand was placed on his forehead.

[Young Master? This isn’t a dream… This isn’t hell either!] Jun Xie woke-up, and opened his eyes. Suddenly, he was hit by a wave of unfamiliar memories. He felt as if he was struck by lightning.

Was he inside someone else’s body? Had he already been reincarnated? But, how could he remember his past life so clearly? [Can it be that I didn’t drink Old Lady Meng’s soup (1)… or did I end-up in someone else’s body?]

[Did I move to some other body… or is this a rebirth?]

Jun Xie lay motionless, and continue to stare coldly. However, he couldn’t understand what had happened.

Suddenly, he laughed out loud, “Son of a bi*ch! Good deeds do fetch a good reward. I had never hoped for such a good thing to happen to me; I had never expected to survive like this. It seems that my great deeds in the past life had accumulated immeasurable amounts of merits. Wahahahaha…”

The ten-year-old girl beside him had been stroking her hand over his forehead. She trembled in fear as she heard him shout. She then ran to hide in a corner. She stared at the ‘Young Master’ with confusion and fear in her eyes. Her face was pale; like a frightened quail.

Jun Xie let out another scream; but it was a wretched one. It sounded like a girl’s scream. [Can it be that a ‘part’ of me is gone? Nooooo!] Jun Xie hurriedly grabbed his crotch even though there was a little girl in front of him.

He heaved a sigh of relief as he realized that no part of him was missing. [The Heaven didn’t mistreat me. I can still have children.]

[That really scared me. I thought that I’ve moved into a girl’s body.] Jun Xie wiped away the cold sweat.

Then, he began to inspect his new body.

Stagnant Meridians, atrophied muscles, joint stiffness….

[What kind of a person is this? The body is too fragile. It’s such a crappy one!]

Jun Xie secretly whispered, [Doesn’t matter! I would only take three to seven years to be back at the top as long as the meridians haven’t been destroyed…]

Suddenly, Jun Xie realized something – he was in a completely different world!

The place didn’t seem like the Earth he was familiar with. He seemed to be alone in this world. He neither knew nor understood the rules and regulations of this new world.

This feeling made even a cold-blooded assassin like Jun Xie feel frustration.

He observed his clothes and the furniture. He realized that they were completely different from his times’. The joy of being alive began to subside as this realization dawned upon him. Instead, he started to feel confused.

[It seems that I’ve indeed been granted a second chance.]

Jun Xie should’ve been happy with this prospect. However, he was filled with a feeling of extreme loss and pain. He had never felt like this before. His nose started to turn sour, his eyes started to turn watery, and his heart became suffocated. His mouth started to become self-deprecating as he began to cry for the first time.

[It’s not easy to give-up on my homeland and planet. I believed in my last moments… that I could let it go. But now, I’ve realized that I can’t let go; I really can’t!]

[I thought that I didn’t care for anything in this world. But now… I know that I care about a lot of things. In fact, I can’t even count them.]

[Moreover, I don’t belong to this foreign land. I can’t have a sense of belonging to this place.]

[My soul will always be an outsider…]

Jun Xie inclined his head to one side. A tear escaped his eye once he was sure that no one could see him.

This was the first tear of a man from two worlds.

Never belittle a man who cries; everyone has to endure sadness at some point in one’s life.

*** ***

Jun Xie stared into the bronze mirror, and saw a young and childish-looking face. His face was slim with thin lips, and long eyebrows slanting upwards towards his temples. A set of fine eyes added a sharp feeling to his face. He laughed and mumbled, “The kid’s got some good looks. He’s rather handsome. But, he looks like a ‘flower’ boy… and his voice sounds like a sissy’s.”

His new body was drastically different from his last body. He recalled that his previous body was full of killing vigor. His looks hadn’t been of the popular type back then. His eyes had been a bit small and thin, and his nose had been a point lower. Overall, he had average looks. But still, he had looked like a standard male. He had always looked down upon flower-boys even though he knew that there were some real men amongst them. He had never thought that he would end-up transmigrating into a flower boy’s body; and that too a handsome one’s!

Jun Xie noticed that there was a tattoo of a pagoda on his left wrist. He stroked it, and asked in a gentle tone, “Are you the one who brought me over, mate?” There was a trace of pride on his face, [I managed to complete the mission. I kept this item safe… and I didn’t allow it to fall into the hands of those foreigners… even though I transmigrated.]

The pagoda-shaped pattern was none other than the exquisite pagoda that Jun Xie had traded his life for! He was sure that it was the same pagoda even though it had transformed into a small tattoo on his hand. He couldn’t explain how he knew this. But, his heart told him that it was so. It was a real and mysterious feeling.

The familiar pagoda pattern brought him a sense of comfort even though he was in a foreign land. However, he was still in a state of confusion as to what had exactly happened. He couldn’t ascertain what kind of a feeling it was. But, he tried to remain calm and collected. His face didn’t show any tension that went through his mind. This was one of the skills he had acquired as an ace assassin.

He was still in a quiet and indifferent mood.

He was still stroking the small pagoda pattern on his hand. Suddenly, the pattern started to emit a burst of foggy yellow light. Then, it disappeared. Jun Xie started to feel lightheaded, and sensed as if something had entered his mind.

“Strange!” Jun Xie shook his head. He was amazed. The pagoda had initially appeared as a small palm-sized tower. Then, it had transformed into a tattoo on his hand. And after that, it had disappeared. Could it be that it was actually a legendary treasure?

Suddenly, a voice resounded, “Young Master, the Old Master is asking for you.” Jun Xie was about to investigate what he had felt earlier in his mind when his chain of thoughts was broken by a voice.

“For me? Why?” Jun Xie raised his eyebrows and asked. [What qualifications does this old geezer have to command me to go meet him? Does he think that I’m his grandson or something?] However, he swallowed these words since he realized that the old master may be his grandfather… or at least his present body’s grandfather.

The little girl looked at him with a terrified expression on her face, “I don’t know why he’s calling you.” The young girl lowered her head, and blinked in panic. One of her legs was positioned before the other. Her body was slightly tilted. 

Translator: Novel_Saga  Editor: Novel_Saga

The sixteen-years-old Jun Mo Xie was the only descendant in the younger generation of the Jun Family of the Tian Xiang Kingdom. He was an idle and indolent person. He was a useless freeloader, a scum of society, and a super-level debauchee. He was a typical parasitic worm who had no value or reason to be kept alive.

These features described the new identity that Jun Xie had taken-up after he had transmigrated into a new body.

[I’m Jun Xie. I was often referred to as the ‘Evil Monarch’… while you were given the name Jun Mo Xie; aren’t you ashamed? No wonder your body was taken over by me. There’s no injustice in this.]

Jun Xie let out a deep sigh as he recalled the memories of Young Master Jun and his actions in the past. He would’ve ‘voluntarily’ killed such a person in his past life if he had come across any. He could’ve transmigrated into any body. So, why did it had to be this scum? Jun Xie recalled a phrase from Buddha’s teachings. This phrase talked about the laws of cause and effect –‘If a person kills too many pigs… then that person shall be reincarnated as a pig in his next life’. It seemed that these words were indeed true. Jun Xie thought about all the scums that he had killed — it indeed made-up for a considerable sum.

This debauchee’s father was Jun Wu Hui. He was a great general, but he had fell in a battle ten years ago. His mother had passed away in depression soon after that. He had two brothers – Jun Mo You and Jun Mo Chou; they had met a heroic end in a war three years ago. His grandfather – Jun Zhan Tian — was still alive. He was a highly decorated Grand Duke, and an extremely powerful military figure of the Kingdom.

He also had an uncle – Jun Wu Yi. He had become paralyzed from waist-down owing to his injuries incurred in a war ten years ago.

Jun Mo Xie belonged to a great Family which was once filled with exceptional heroes. However, it was now in a sorry state. The final successor of the Family – Jun Mo Xie — had ended-up losing his body to Jun Xie. Thankfully, Jun Xie had managed to maintain his identity as a member of the Jun family. So, Jun Xie’s child would become a successor of the Jun family’s bloodline. It seemed to be Heaven’s grace towards the Jun family.

[Since this is Heaven’s will… I’ll consider that we’re both of the ‘Jun’ descent… and face the situation for you.] Jun Xie grinned and shrugged, [To be honest… I don’t want to. To have this kind of a crappy body and shitty reputation… I can only imagine the level of suffering I’ll have to face because of your body.]

The original Jun Mo Xie’s lingering spirit shouted with anger, “You cheap bastard! Do you think I want all this?!”

Jun Xie opened the door, and stepped out in the sunlight. He sighed as he faced the brilliant rays of the sun, [I’m not the same anymore, but at least the Sun is. Jun Mo Xie isn’t Jun Xie!]

[But, my heart remains that of a ‘Jun’… It doesn’t matter if I’m in another world.]

“Young Master…” the two maids who stood before the door bowed and greeted him.

Jun Xie nodded to them. Then, he started to observe his surroundings. He shook his head as he saw four maids engaged in something nearby.

Jun Xie knew that the young masters would be waited upon by attractive young beauties. However, he was surrounded by aunties. The eleven year old girl – a Lolita — was the only exception to this case. Jun Xie remembered that these maids had been arranged by his grandfather. And, these maids had one thing in common – they were excessively healthy and robust. Their muscular legs could even put a tree to shame.

“What are they doing?” Jun Xie raised his head and pointed his chin towards several maids in the distance.

An older maid lowered her head and replied, “They’re helping the Young Master feed the birds and dogs… as well as those fighting beasts.”

“Oh!” Jun Xie strolled over to the area. [This is an exotic sight to behold!] Seven to eight cages were placed above the jardinières in an orderly manner. Each of these cages contained different colored birds which hopped around in a lively manner. A few large dogs lay on the ground with their tongues jutting out. The sound of crickets could be heard from several bamboos at a distance. It seemed from their sound that they were some rare breed with high-grade fighting skills.

In addition, there was a cage containing two colorful hissing snakes. The original Young Master seemed to have a diverse range of hobbies.

Jun Xie frowned in disgust, and ordered, “Find someone to sell-off all these… as soon as possible. Throw away the ones which can’t be sold… or just kill them for their meat. This is a human residential area… not a zoo. Placing them here would make people sick.”

The eyes of all the maids – including the Lolita – bulged out in surprise, “What?” They raised their heads, and stared at their Young Master. They thought, [Has the Young Master gone mad? These are your precious treasures… that were brought at an incredibly exorbitant price. You want to sell it off today. You would probably buy it back tomorrow!]

“But, don’t sell off the snakes. I shall use them for soup when I return,” Jun Xie ordered, and walked ahead without looking back.

Everyone was left speechless.

He continued to walk through a garden, several pavilions, and a drill field. He then went around a very big pond, and walked for another few minutes through a road amidst two rows of trees to reach the Old Master’s residence. He discovered that his residence was located on the south, while Grandpa Jun’s residence was located on the north. The distance between the two residences would measure around three kilometers.

The present size of his familial clan seemed to be quite big. This should be the capital of the Kingdom if the memory of his present body had served him correct. There were only a handful of families who had a residence with an area of several tens of square meters in the capital; excluding the Imperial Palace.

Grandpa Jun was seated behind his desk. His hair was shiny black even though he was well over sixty. He could be easily mistaken for someone in his forties. His majestic countenance was filled with helplessness as he watched his grandson lazily enter the room in a feeble manner. He almost lost his temper.

Jun Zhan Tian was born poor. He had fought throughout the world, and had become a general in his youth. His name brought terror to the military forces of every kingdom. He possessed superior military tactics, and was endowed with a profound steadiness in character. He could maintain a calm exterior regardless of being joyous or furious. He was one of the few people in the Tian Xiang Kingdom who had the cultivation level of Sky Xuan Rank.

He had proved his capabilities by rising from poverty to become a general in his youth. How many people could replicate this feat? How long did it take to become a general? He had managed to achieve this in his youth.

Jun Zhan Tian had fought his way up from a lowly pauper to become a highly decorated Grand Duke. It took him forty years to achieve this feat. It’s said that the flow of time creates heroes. But, the number of such heroes were ‘far and few in between’ based on the history of the continent. However, he felt helpless as he gazed at his grandson – his one and only successor; his development had been nothing short of a let-down.

Grandpa Jun couldn’t figure out how his family’s lineage could give birth to this worthless scum. This person knew neither ‘literary’ nor ‘martial’ arts. He would grow giddy as soon as he picked-up a book, and would disappear faster than a magic rabbit as soon as he heard the word ‘practice’. The grandsons from other families were perfect. They had made a name for themselves at a young age. Their cultivation of Xuan Qi was on the right track since they were at the fifth level or above. However, his grandson’s cultivation of Xuan Qi was at a miserable third level. Moreover, he had forced five teachers to quit.

He was a disappointing figure. In addition, he had taught himself to eat, drink, gamble, and visit prostitutes. Jun Mo Xie had become a well-known genius in these fields. Grandpa Jun was a hero of his time. Yet, he had ended-up with a grandson like Jun Mo Xie.

Grandpa Jun sighed weakly as he recalled his other two grandchildren… if only they were still alive. Then, would he have pampered this one-and-only surviving bloodline until this point? He let out a self-deprecating laugh.

He hadn’t cried when his son Wu Hui had died in the battle. Instead, he had boasted that his son was a brave hero. He had again held back his tears when his two grandchildren Mo You and Mo Chou too had died in the battlefield; as they were valiant heroes. He had cried for the first time when Wu Yi was crippled for life. However, he still had hope. He still had a grandson who could continue the Jun family’s bloodline. Unfortunately, the grandson had turned out to be a worthless bastard — a smear on the wall that couldn’t be developed in any manner.

[What can I do about it?] he thought.

Jun Zhan Tian hid his emotions, and asked the Young Master in a dismissive manner, “I heard that you fell off the bed last night… and fainted? Is that true?!”

“Huh?” Jun Xie raised his head. His heart was partially doubtful, but he had finally started to understand the situation. He could answer any question through the memories left in his mind; except for this one. In fact, this question had been constantly lingering in his mind. He hadn’t found anything out of the ordinary with this body since the time he had woken-up. So, how did he ended-up being transmigrated into this body? Now, he could vaguely guess… this bastard had fallen off his bed in his sleep, and had ended-up being killed by the fall!

This person was truly a champion among debauchees; he was worth idolizing. To think that one could die from falling off the bed…

An expert such as this one must be treated with respect! And, Jun Xie’s heart was filled with sincere admiration for the unparalleled genius whose body he had acquired!

Grandpa Jun started at him, and pounded at the table, “What huh… huh?” He couldn’t help but shout as he saw Jun Xie’s slothful figure, “You worthless thing! You don’t even realize that someone was trying to assassinate you. If it wasn’t for the protection I arranged for you… you would’ve been having an audience with the King of Hell at this moment! Look at you… can’t you tell me anything at all?”

It seemed that this kid was assassinated. Jun Xie secretly curled his mouth, [Your so-called protection was only so-so. Your beloved grandson has already left this world while being under your ‘protection’.]

Grandpa Jun was surprised to see his reaction. His idiot of a Grandson had a cowardly nature. So, how could he remain so quiet? He would’ve made a huge fuss in the past upon hearing news about someone trying to assassinate him. But now, he just stood there looking slightly pale. Moreover, he seemed unbothered, and his body seemed to emanate a faint aura of coldness.

Grandpa Jun couldn’t believe that a chilling aura was being emanated out of his disappointing grandson’s body, [Am I seeing things now

That’s enough!” Jun Zhan Tian exclaimed, “We’re one family, but you chose to live in the southern mansion… Ah! You’ll move back here tomorrow.” He felt an aching pain as he stared at Jun Xie. Jun Mo Xie was his grandson regardless of the fact that he was a debauched wretch, and a disappointing figure. Moreover, he was the last successor of the Jun family.

The current state of foreign affairs was stable and peaceful in the kingdom. However, several princes had grown of age. This had led to an inevitable internal strife. Jun Zhan Tian was akin to a towering tree since he was the top military powerhouse. So, everyone wished to include him in their network of allies. The attempt to assassinate his grandson – the last heir to the Jun family – was possibly one of their strategies to stir an internal disaster. Jun Zhan Tian feared more attempts could be made on Jun Mo Xie’s life if he didn’t move back with him.

Jun Xie flatly declined, “I’m very comfortable there. So, there’s no need for me to move.” [Are you joking? This is a rare chance to experience the techniques of this world’s fellow assassins. This will all go away from me if I move here…] Jun Xie’s heart palpitated with excitement as he heard Grandpa Jun discuss the matter.

Assassinations. A subject that seemed far away… but was still the most intimate part of his memories!

“You… wretch!” Grandpa Jun’s anger erupted. He raised his hand to slap Jun Xie, but stopped. His face revealed a complicated look as he said, “You… just go then…”

[Wasn’t it the first time that he refused me? How did he dare to refuse me? It was a complete and utter rejection.]

Jun Xie bent his body ceremoniously, and took Grandpa Jun’s leave. He then turned around to walk away.

“Oh… one more thing. You aren’t allowed to pester Princess Ling Meng from today onwards. There shall be no negotiations regarding this matter. Period!” Grandpa Jun spoke-up with an air of dejection and coldness.

*** ***

The Jun family seemingly possessed the strength to grasp even the Heavens… as though they were the only sovereigns in the Kingdom. However, the Jun family suffered from a fatal flaw – lack of a capable successor. The only living heir to the family – Jun Mo Xie – was a young debauchee. Jun Zhan Tian – a man seemingly in his forties… with a mind and body resistant towards the ravages of time – knew that the Jun family would likely to be erased from the world if he didn’t do anything about the matter. This was the most inevitable outcome when Jun Mo Xie’s activities were kept in view.

Jun Zhan Tian had once tried to take the matter into his own hands. He had hardened himself to shamelessly ask the Emperor for His Majesty’s most beloved daughter – Princess Ling Meng’s hand in marriage for Jun Mo Xie. Jun Mo Xie would have a safe harbor to rely on if he was to succeed; even after Jun Zhan Tian’s death. In fact, he would have an identity of royalty as the husband of the Princess. So, the Jun bloodline would be preserved… unless Jun Mo Xie made any outrageous mess.

Prince Consort – the position seemed grand and magnificent. However, it was the most embarrassing of all the government positions in reality. The biggest fear for any powerful minister was to receive an Imperial order bestowing their son with a marriage with the Princess. Who would want to bring a daughter-in-law the elders of their family would have to bow to? Moreover, there were rules that needed to be observed. A Prince Consort was prohibited from taking any concubines. The family would never see good days if the Princess happened to possess a perverse personality or a heart filled with jealousy. However, this seemed to be the best insurance plan for a debauchee like Jun Mo Xie. In this way, the Jun family would at least be kept alive over the generations.

Therefore, Jun Zhan Tian had willingly proposed the idea of the marriage of his grandson Jun Mo Xie with Princess Ling Meng without any feeling of agitation or intimidation.

Grandpa Jun was like an elder brother to the Emperor. His Majesty had understood the intention behind his old comrade’s proposal. He was moved by Jun Zhan Tian’s predicament. In fact, he had even considered the matter carefully for a long time. But, he had finally refused the offer owing to Jun Mo Xie’s history, and everything that he had done. And, more specifically… due to Princess Ling Meng’s refusal!

“It’s not that your younger brother isn’t willing to help you, Brother Jun. But, I’m a father. How can I marry my most beloved daughter – Ling Meng to a… Ah!” His Majesty had lowered his head out of respect. This had caused Jun Zhan Tian to lose his breath.

[A father…? Consideration for your daughter…? Wouldn’t you have been filled with joy if I had brought this proposal to you a decade back… when the Jun family was in its most prosperous period?] Grandpa Jun’s heart was filled with resentment.

*** ***

Jun Xie stood at the doorway. He replied lightly, “Oh, I understand”. There was neither shock nor joy in his voice; his tone was like a bowl of plain water. Then, he walked out.

Jun Mo Xie had started to consider himself as the Prince Consort of Princess Ling Meng ever since he had learnt about Grandpa Jun’s proposal. In fact, he had even started to stalk the Princess; he had vexed her to no end. Grandpa Jun was surprised to see that Jun Mo Xie had taken the news of rejection with indifference. He had expected Jun Mo Xie to become angry or hysterical. He wouldn’t have been surprised if Jun Mo Xie had gone cursing out into the streets. However, Jun Mo Xie’s indifferent attitude had left him in shock.

“Has the fall from the bed changed his character?” Grandpa Jun stroked his beard as he stared at the departing figure of his grandson.

Jun Zhan Tian clapped his hands and ordered, “Arrange a few more experts to guard the Young Master at night. I don’t want any more mishaps. Kill any suspicious person on the spot.” [Don’t even think about trying this a second time. You think that you can just waltz in here… and take the life of Jun Zhan Tian’s grandson?] Grandpa Jun’s eyes flashed with coldness.

Grandpa Jun seemed to have given these orders to thin air within the empty room. But then… the voice of a man resounded from somewhere, “Understood!”

Jun Xie walked out into the sunlight, and started to advance towards his courtyard. The warm rays of sun shone on his face. He met several servants along the way. They bowed to him in fear and trepidation. However, Jun Xie didn’t notice any of them since he was lost in his thoughts.

Nobody knew the thoughts that were echoing within Jun Xie’s mind.

[What’s an assassin? As the name suggests… an assassin is the one who assassinates. We’re the hands of darkness. Always remember this word –‘darkness’!]

[An assassin is always an illusionary existence – entering like the wind, and disappearing into nothingness.]

[What makes a successful assassin? If nobody gets to know that a person is an assassin – with his hands soaked in blood – till the day he dies… then he’s a successful assassin.]

[Then, what are the qualifications of a super assassin?]

[The so-called qualification of a successful assassin is to blend into any atmosphere and situation. He’ll transform into a poet when placed within scholars… an artist when placed within painters… a villain among the rogues… a nobleman and a gentleman in the company of the socialites… a sexual predator in the company of sexual offenders… and an exemplary champion when among heroes!]

[He’s a lizard in the desert, and the wolf king in the prairie. He’s the king of beasts – a tiger in the mountains… and the tide-bringer – a dragon when floating above the seas.”

[These are the qualities of a successful assassin…]

[The one who only knows how to kill is… at best… a butcher.]

[But, the one who has a clear goal in mind while killing… in addition to being successful each time… can be regarded as a good assassin.]

[Assassination – it’s an art in itself. As an assassin… one must never profane the elegance of this art.]

This was a conversation that he had had with his master in his past life. His mouth broke into a smile as he thought about it. He murmured, “The current me is nothing more than a worthless freeloading… second generation figurehead waiting for death’s call.”

“Wrong! You aren’t the second generation figurehead… I am. You’re the third generation figurehead,” a cold voice resounded.