The ancient walls of the Snow Kingdom stood there like they always had—quiet, unmoving, almost like they didn’t care about anything happening below. Snow kept falling without end. White on white, as if the world had been wiped clean and rewritten in one long winter stroke.Cold wind swept across the stone like it had a mind of its own. Sharp too. The kind that slips through armor and makes you regret standing still too long.At the very top of the wall, Kaelen Viremont stood alone.A black robe hung on his frame, lightly shifting with the wind. Snowflakes landed on his shoulders… and just melted away before they could even stay. There was something around him—an invisible pressure, an aura—that simply refused to let the cold touch him properly.From up there, everything beyond the kingdom looked endless.Far away, a massive river cut through the frozen land like a silver scar. It stretched across the continent, shining faintly under the dull sky, moving as if winter meant nothing to i

Kaelen Viremont, now fully disguised in purple robes as Yu Haoxuan, didn’t waste any time.This identity was basically his shortcut into the heart of the Lihuo Empire.And honestly… it was the cleanest route he had.In sects, things are simple—talent speaks loudest. Strength, potential, effort. That kind of system.But the Lihuo Empire? Completely different story.Here, identity came first. Always.Bloodline. Status. Family background. Those things decided everything.Without the right identity, even a genius would be stuck outside the real power circle forever.That’s why Yu Haoxuan’s identity was perfect.Son of the Purple Flame Marquis. A noble through and through.With this, Kaelen could slip past most restrictions like they didn’t even exist and walk straight into the empire’s inner structure.No hesitation, no delay.He followed the trail of Black Impermanence all the way back to the border city.And soon, he arrived outside a heavily guarded inn.The place felt… tense.Too tens

“Tonight… I want to talk to you about something.”Kaelen Viremont’s calm voice broke the quiet inside the room.Shuang’er froze the moment she heard it.Her whole body stiffened a little, almost instinctively.And honestly… her mind went somewhere she didn’t expect.The old young master.Yu Haoxuan.The useless noble who used to waste his days on pleasure, drinking, fooling around, and doing whatever he wanted.A strange fear crept into her chest.Wait… don’t tell me it’s that kind of “talk”?Her face turned slightly red, but it wasn’t warmth—it was panic mixed with awkwardness. She quickly lowered her head, not daring to look at him.Ever since she was sold into the Purple Flame Marquis Manor as a child, she understood one simple truth.She didn’t really belong to herself anymore.Her fate… was tied to Yu Haoxuan.One way or another.Her voice came out small, shaky.“Young master… I… I’m not ready yet…”Barely audible. Like she was bracing for something she couldn’t avoid.But nothin

A heavy silence spread across the battlefield.Not the calm kind of silence either. This was the kind that comes after everything has already been destroyed.Wind rolled over the snow-covered ground, dragging with it a faint, metallic smell of blood. The Purple Flame Sword in Kaelen Viremont’s hand slowly dripped red onto the snow… drop by drop, like time itself was being marked out.No one blinked.No one spoke.Honestly, no one even dared to breathe too loudly.The guards were frozen where they stood, still trying to process what they’d just witnessed. The Black Wind Stronghold? Gone. Their leader? Dead in a single strike. And the young noble at the center of it all was just standing there like he had finished a normal chore.Like… nothing special had happened.Yuchi Zhenjin finally stepped forward.Slowly. Carefully.His earlier confidence as a captain was gone now, replaced by something much more restrained—almost respectful.“Young Marquis,” he said, voice low, “leave the rest of

The eldest daughter of the Zi Family.Zi Qianqian.Taken away… and brought here just to “serve in bed.”Kaelen Viremont stared at the unconscious woman lying on his bed and felt his expression twitch a little.Just a little. But still.A long silence followed.And for the first time, something clicked in his mind.So this was it.This was why everyone in Imperial Dragon City reacted like that the moment they saw Yu Haoxuan’s face.Old people. Kids. Even street vendors.They all ran.No hesitation. No second glance. Just pure instinct, like they’d seen something dangerous walking straight toward them.“…What kind of reputation did this guy leave behind?”Kaelen muttered under his breath.Then he exhaled and turned away from the bed.“Shuang’er.”The maid who was already halfway sneaking out stopped immediately.“Yes, Young Master?”Kaelen walked toward the door, calm as ever.“Wake her up. Send her back. Tell her she’s free to leave.”Shuang’er blinked, confused.“Send her away?”He di