Starting as the heir of a marquis's mansion, I gained access to a summoning system.

The second young master has left.

In the Marquis of Weeping Blood's mansion, this matter did not cause much of a stir.

The second son, of mediocre talent and quiet nature, had little presence in the household to begin with. Even after he left, the servants continued to sweep and clean, the clansmen continued to cultivate, and the elders continued their seclusion.

The only change is that the kitchen delivers one less meal per day.

The lights in the Princess's courtyard stayed on for an extra hour.

Han Bo entered the study on the morning of the day Dongfang Weiwo left.

Dongfang Wudi stood with his hands behind his back by the window, gazing absently at the green pine tree in the courtyard. The setting sun cast a long shadow of his, its outline sharp as a knife on the bluestone ground.

"My lord," Han Bo bowed slightly, "the second young master has already left the city. He's on the west gate of the official road, alone, without any attendants."

Dongfang Wudi didn't turn around. He only hummed in response.

Han Bo hesitated for a moment: "Should I arrange for someone to protect him secretly? The second young master is still young, and his cultivation is only at the Body Refinement Realm. What if he encounters any danger outside—"

"Need not."

The voice was flat, like a stagnant pool.

Dongfang Wudi turned around, his gaze falling on Han Bo. A faint smile curved his lips, as if he were recalling something.

"Old Han, do you know when Wei Me started to change?"

Han Bo didn't reply, but waited quietly.

"Ten years old."

Extend one finger.

"He changed suddenly when he was ten. Before that, he was dull, slow, and taciturn. Everyone thought he was mediocre, including me. But starting from when he was ten—"

"He would get up before dawn every day to practice boxing and wouldn't rest until late at night. He borrowed and read one book after another from the library, including geographical records, official documents, and official archives. Over five years, he read no fewer than three hundred books."

As Dongfang Wudi spoke, a barely perceptible smile appeared in his tone.

"He did these things very discreetly. He never borrowed too many books at once, and he never practiced in crowded places. He deliberately maintained that 'mediocre' appearance, not wanting anyone to notice him. But he was still a child after all."

"No matter how a child tries to disguise it, what's in their eyes can't be hidden."

He raised his hand and pointed to his eyes.

"The ambition in his eyes was even more intense than Ling Yun's back then. He wanted to forge his own path. He didn't want to rely on the Dongfang family's name, his mother's status as the eldest princess, or my Grandmaster prestige. He just wanted to rely on himself."

Han Bo remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"That's why he chose the Zhenfu Division. He started from the lowest level of the branch office and climbed up step by step."

"right."

Dongfang Wudi turned around and looked out the window again.

"He wants to make his way in the world, so I'll give him that chance. A member of the Dongfang family can't just stay cooped up in the mansion as a second young master forever."

Han Bo continued, "My lord, what I'm worried about isn't ordinary danger. The second young master has your jade pendant on him; no one below the Grandmaster level can harm him. What I'm worried about is... those demonic cult members."

His voice deepened.

"Although the Heavenly Demon Sect and the White Lotus Sect have been suppressed by the imperial court for years, their influence in the shadows is still considerable. If they knew that the second young master of the Blood-Weeping Marquis's mansion had gone out to train alone, they might very well have some wicked ideas."

Dongfang Wudi did not answer immediately.

The sky outside the window darkened. The last rays of the setting sun sank below the horizon, and twilight descended. The study was unlit, and his face was hidden in shadow, his expression unreadable.

After a long silence, he finally spoke.

"Without the Grandmaster's intervention, no one can do anything to him."

Plain and unassuming. As if stating an undeniable fact.

Then he turned his head slightly, revealing half of his face from the shadows. At that moment, a chilling light flashed in his eyes.

"As for Grandmasters—"

"Anyone who dares to touch my son, I will exterminate their entire clan."

There was no outward release of pressure, no burst of aura.

It's just a simple sentence.

When this grandmaster, who stood at the pinnacle of martial arts in Dongzhou, spoke of it so casually, it was as if he were simply discussing what to eat for dinner.

Han Bo bowed deeply.

"Understood."

He didn't ask any more questions, turned around and left the study.

Silence returned to the study.

Dongfang Wudi stood alone by the window, gazing at the shadowy pines and cypresses in the night.

There has been no movement for a long time.

Thousands of miles away.

Dongfang Weiwo rode a yellow horse he bought from the West Market of the Imperial City, traveling along the official road for four whole days.

Over four days, he passed through three prefectural cities, seven county towns, and countless villages and fortresses. The scenery along the official road gradually changed from bustling to desolate, and the number of travelers dwindled. Most of the caravans that had come from the capital turned south at the fork in the road on the third day—heading towards the prefectures south of the Yangtze River. There were not many people heading west to begin with.

By the fourth day, he was almost the only one left on the entire official road, riding his horse.

The early winter wind blew from the west, carrying the chill from the depths of the vast mountains. It felt like a knife against my face.

As Dongfang Weiwo rode on his horse, feeling the chill in the wind, he felt increasingly at ease.

The farther away from the imperial city, the farther away from his father's perception range. No matter how strong a Grandmaster's spiritual perception is, it's impossible to cover a thousand miles. At this distance, he can finally act freely.

On the morning of the fifth day, he left the official road and rode his horse into a deserted mountain forest.

The mountains and forests nestled between two hills. The terrain was secluded, and the trees were dense. There was no human habitation for dozens of miles around. In early winter, most of the leaves had fallen, and the bare branches pointed towards the gray sky. A thick layer of fallen leaves covered the ground, making a soft rustling sound as horses' hooves trod upon them.

He dismounted and tied the yellow horse to a thick pine tree. He found a flat bluestone and sat down cross-legged.

Consciousness sank into the mind. The system's light screen appeared before the eyes.

[Summoning System of All Realms]

[Host: Dongfang Weiwo]

Age: 15

[Cultivation Level: Peak Body Refinement Realm]

[Energy Points: 100]

[Summoning Card: Iron Grade x1]

The black card with its dim, gleaming light had been lying quietly in my inventory for five years.

He stared at it. He took a deep breath.

Five years. From the day he acquired the system at the age of ten, he knew he held a trump card powerful enough to change his destiny. But for five years, he hadn't used it even once. Not because he didn't want to, but because he dared not. In the Marquis of Weeping Blood's mansion, in the imperial city, within the perception range of a Grandmaster—any unusual fluctuation could expose everything.

But now, thousands of miles away, in desolate mountains and wilderness, there is no one around.

it's time.

"System, use a Black Iron-grade summoning card."

[Ding—Black Iron-grade Summoning Card has been used.]

[Summoning...]

A beam of light, visible only to him, exploded before him.

A dark, black beam of light shot up from the ground and into the sky.

Within the pillar of light, countless mysterious runes flowed and surged, as if a door to an unknown world was slowly opening.