Overlord of the Wilderness

Zhaang Ye faced the sun, standing still with his Purple Copper Thick-Backed Saber in hand.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH! Zhaang Ye unleashed three slashes in a single instant.

Of these three slashes, the first was incomparably fierce. As he struck, the wind from the blade billowed out like a furious wave crashing against the shore. The second slash was the exact opposite, as gentle as a spring drizzle, silent and without a whisper of wind. The third slash was different yet again. It was launched in utter silence, but the force it released was incredibly powerful, embodying a perfect blend of hard and soft.

Every person’s techniques have their own characteristics—some are simple, some are subtle, some are fierce, some are delicate, and some are clumsy and heavy. For Zhaang Ye to be able to express three different realms with three slashes, it was clear that his understanding of the Saber Dao had reached a new level.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK— A knock came from outside. Zhaang Ye sheathed his Purple Copper Thick-Backed Saber and said, ”Come in.”

The door was pushed open, and a woman in her thirties walked in. It was none other than Zhaang Ye’s long-unseen mother—Liuu Suqing.

Seeing his mother, Zhaang Ye felt a little strange. ’This mother of his wouldn’t even visit him once a year. Why would she come looking for him just a few days after he’d returned to the Zhaang Mansion?’

While Zhaang Ye quickly tried to guess the reason for his mother’s visit, his face remained respectful. He bowed and said, ”Greetings, Mother.”

Before his memories awakened, Zhaang Ye had never felt much affection for the woman who had given birth to him. After the awakening, he had matured and become far more independent. He still showed sufficient respect for the mother he might not see more than once every year or two, but that sliver of familial affection had unknowingly drifted away. Though his bow was reverent, a hint of distance now tinged his deference.

”Mm.” Liuu Suqing sensitively detected her son’s distance, but she didn’t seem to care much. After her brief acknowledgment, she stared at Zhaang Ye and said, ”You came back four days ago. Why didn’t you come to see me?”

Zhaang Ye replied respectfully, ”Without Mother’s summons, I dared not disturb you.”

Liuu Suqing was momentarily at a loss for words at his answer. In the past, she had never wanted to see this disappointing son of hers, because every time he sought her out, it was because he had been bullied and needed her to solve his problems. After Zhaang Ye had caused her trouble multiple times, she had simply made the five-year-old boy move into a small courtyard by himself and stipulated that he was not allowed to visit her without her permission.

Clearing her throat lightly, Liuu Suqing changed the subject. ”I heard that you advanced to the Martial Arts Third Layer by a stroke of luck, after eating some kind of mutated medicinal herb?”

Zhaang Ye knew in his heart that these rumors must have been spread by Zhaang Fang and the others, but he didn’t deny them. It was the perfect explanation for how someone with his poor aptitude could advance in such a short time. Zhaang Ye said, ”Yes. I accidentally ate a forty-year-old Jade Red Grass, completed my Body Tempering, and advanced to the Martial Arts Third Layer.”

”A forty-year-old Jade Red Grass!” Hearing Zhaang Ye’s answer, a look of deep regret appeared on Liuu Suqing’s face, and her heart ached. This Jade Red Grass was a mutated medicinal herb; a single ten-year-old stalk was worth over ten thousand taels of Gold. The value of a forty-year-old stalk would be at least ten times greater. In other words, with that one bite, Zhaang Ye had devoured more than a hundred thousand taels of Gold!

To put it in perspective, the entire Three Rivers Zhaang Family’s annual income was only one to two million taels of Gold. With that one bite, Zhaang Ye had consumed a month’s worth of the family’s earnings!

Liuu Suqing looked at Zhaang Ye and asked, ”That Jade Red Grass, do you have any more?”

Zhaang Ye shook his head. ”No, I ate it all.”

Liuu Suqing stared at Zhaang Ye for a moment, then said in a gentle tone, ”Don’t you lie to me. If you have any more, take it out. Mother will compensate you for it.”

Zhaang Ye said, ”I really don’t have any more.”

Seeing his own mother suspecting him made Zhaang Ye’s heart sink. ’For a mother and son to have so little trust, so little affection between them... it truly was a sad state of affairs.’

Liuu Suqing eyed Zhaang Ye suspiciously for another moment before continuing, ”If there’s no more, then so be it. But if you ever come across such herbs again, you’d best bring them back for me to take a look. By the way, Zhaang Ye, I came here today to tell you something.”

Zhaang Ye said, ”Please speak, Mother.”

Liuu Suqing said, ”As you know, in three days, our Zhaang Family will hold its grand competition. This competition not only determines who has the chance to advance to the main family, but it also relates to the struggle for the Patriarch position. Although your father has the strength of a Martial Arts Fifth Layer Late Stage cultivator, he has never fully recovered from the severe injuries he sustained seven years ago. Under these circumstances, our branch, the Three Rivers Zhaang Family, must choose a successor to the Patriarch in advance. We must cultivate this person with the full strength of the clan so they can lead our Zhaang Family to greater power.”

At this point, Liuu Suqing fixed her gaze on Zhaang Ye and said, ”The Patriarch’s successor must meet two conditions. First, they must be between the ages of thirteen and sixteen, as this is the age range with the most potential for cultivation. Second, their aptitude and temperament must be superior to their peers. Right now, there are only two strong contenders for the position: one is Zhaang Fang, and the other is your older brother, Zhaang Shu. However, others still have a chance. Zhaang Qing, Zhaang Yun, and Zhaang Shui, who all just turned sixteen this year, have all reached the Martial Arts Third Layer. Although they are on the older side, they are also contenders for the Patriarch position. Zhaang Ye, you must defeat them all and help your older brother. You must ensure your older brother becomes the Patriarch’s successor.”

Zhaang Ye pondered for a moment before saying, ”I can help with that.”

”It’s not about ’helping’!” Liuu Suqing stared at Zhaang Ye and said sharply, ”You are to become the blade in Zhaang Shu’s hand and cut down every single competitor for the Patriarch position! Not only must you help Zhaang Shu become the successor and assist in his growth, but in the days to come, you must also help him take the Patriarch’s seat—and secure it!”

Zhaang Ye’s expression changed slightly. ’If he did as his mother wished, he would have to live his entire life in Zhaang Shu’s shadow. Forget about pursuing the peak of the Martial Dao; he would barely have any freedom. There was no way Zhaang Ye could ever accept such a life.’

Zhaang Ye met Liuu Suqing’s gaze and said slowly, ”I’m sorry, Mother. I cannot fulfill this request. My ambition is to pursue the peak of the Martial Dao. I can’t tie myself down to a small place like this.”

”Pursue the peak of the Martial Dao?” Liuu Suqing shook her head with a hint of disdain. ”Zhaang Ye, your current Cultivation was only achieved thanks to that Jade Red Grass. Relying on medicine may raise your Cultivation quickly, but it leaves behind endless future troubles. You reached the Martial Arts Third Layer with an unstable foundation. Advancing any further will be as difficult as ascending to the heavens! By my estimation, the highest you’ll ever reach in this lifetime is the Martial Arts Fourth Layer! You want to strive for the peak of the Martial Dao? That’s just a dream! You should wake up!”

Zhaang Ye shook his head. ”I know that striving for the peak of the Martial Dao is difficult, but my determination to pursue it will not change. And I will never stay in Three Rivers Town for my entire life.”

”You—” Liuu Suqing was furious. She pointed at Zhaang Ye and shouted, ”What? Your wings have grown stiff? You won’t even listen to your own mother anymore?!”

Zhaang Ye replied respectfully, ”It is not that I won’t listen to you, Mother, but that I truly cannot do what you ask. My ambitions do not lie in family struggles, and I do not wish to waste my energy on such pointless conflicts. Therefore, I cannot do this.”

”You—” Enraged, Liuu Suqing swung her hand in a slap.

SLAP!

Zhaang Ye did not dodge or evade, taking the full force of the slap. Blood slowly trickled from the corner of his mouth. His expression did not change, and his attitude remained respectful, but his gaze turned cold. He looked at Liuu Suqing as if she were a stranger.

”You’ll be the death of me! I have no such disobedient son!” Liuu Suqing stomped her foot and stormed out of the small courtyard in a fury.