In the Great Wilderness, within the territory of the Shi Country, stood the War King Manor. Situated in the capital of the Shi Country, the manor radiated majesty from every corner, its prominent status and far-reaching reputation clear for all to see.
Yet today, the War King and his wife—beloved by the Emperor and revered by the masses—were trembling with rage, their hair practically standing on end due to their good-for-nothing son.
"Haotian, you have disappointed your mother deeply!"
"How could a prestigious house like the War King Manor produce a piece of trash like you? You have utterly disgraced our name!"
The moment Qin Haotian opened his eyes, he felt profound confusion. He did not understand what was happening; he only felt as though he were being scolded.
As he gradually regained his senses, he was shocked to discover that he was standing in a resplendent and solemn hall. The interior was awash with shimmering light, exquisitely decorated with jade and pearls. Every object, while ornate, was not gaudy; each piece was a priceless treasure, a feast for the eyes.
In this magnificent environment, however, he was kneeling on both knees, looking for all the world like a prisoner facing an interrogation.
*What is going on?* Before his confusion could be resolved, a rush of unfamiliar memories flooded into his mind, and he suddenly understood: he had transmigrated.
The Qin Haotian of his previous life had been an ordinary person on Earth. He had lived a life of working from eight to six, saving money to buy an apartment, only to die young after consuming seafood contaminated by long-term nuclear wastewater.
*Damn those islanders!*
While indignant, he also felt inexplicably excited. According to the original owner's memories, he had arrived in a fantasy world where martial arts reigned supreme and the strong stood above all.
The man he had replaced not only shared his name but also possessed an extraordinary status. His father was the illustrious and high-achieving War King of the Shi Country, a man who had led armies to repel invasions repeatedly, creating a legendary record of continuous victories without a single defeat. Because of this, he had earned the high regard of the Shi Country’s imperial family, was granted an exceptional hereditary title, and was deeply beloved by the common people.
His mother, Lin Suxi, was a Holy Land saintess. Possessing a noble and pure bloodline, she was a supreme expert with profound cultivation and immense strength, ranked among the top hundred in the world. Furthermore, there was his younger sister, Qin Qingyue, who was two years his junior. Though just in the bloom of youth, she was already a prodigy within the Desolate Region. Because of her exceptional aptitude and talent, she was widely praised and sought after, like a rising star.
Such a family background was something others could only envy for lifetimes. But as the memories merged completely, Qin Haotian realized he had been overthinking.
A harsh, angry shout interrupted his thoughts.
"Qin Haotian, why are you playing deaf and dumb?"
"Did you not hear what this King just said?"
He looked up and saw a middle-aged couple sitting side-by-side, both dressed in luxurious garments. The woman wore a phoenix-winged gold crown, exquisitely crafted and studded with precious jewels. She wore a robe of patterned brocade, her bearing graceful and noble. Even though she was over forty and showed the slight traces of age, her beauty remained undiminished.
The man beside her had thick brows and large eyes, his face square and resolute. He wore a black python robe embroidered with gold thread and sat upright in a grand chair, his demeanor solemn and dignified, radiating an awe-inspiring authority that made one dare not look him in the eye. This man was none other than the War King whose name resounded throughout the Great Wilderness—Qin Langtian!
Behind them stood a sixteen-year-old girl with a beautiful face. As she looked down at her brother kneeling in the hall, she displayed a swan-like arrogance, her eyes making no effort to hide her contempt and disgust.
Father Qin Langtian, mother Lin Suxi, and sister Qin Qingyue—Qin Haotian quickly identified the three people before him and began to understand the reason for the situation.
In the original owner's memories, he had grown up in a desolate mountain village. He had no parents, was often mocked and humiliated, and only the elderly village chief had been kind to him, occasionally giving him clothes and food as he slowly raised him.
Unfortunately, the good times did not last. A beast tide once erupted, causing heavy casualties in the village. At that critical moment, the village chief had risked his life to save young Qin Haotian, only to lose his own life in the process.
From then on, young Qin Haotian was left truly alone and helpless. The villagers began to view him as a cursed star, believing that it was he who had attracted the beast tide and brought such ruin upon them. In their rage, they drove young Qin Haotian out, and thus began his life as a wanderer.Leaving the village, young Qin Haotian had no choice but to wander everywhere, begging along the streets and living a life where he never knew where his next meal was coming from.
Drifting through the mortal world, traveling far and wide, his temperament gradually changed amid endless hardships and suffering. Hanging around the streets every day and mixing with beggars and thugs, it was inevitable that he would pick up some bad habits in such a place. Three years ago, when he was fifteen years old, he stole a set of bright, luxurious clothes, disguised himself as a young master of a noble house, and went to a restaurant to dine and dash. Because he had no money to pay the bill, he was beaten to within an inch of his life and left on the street to beg for a living.
Qin Langtian and his wife happened to pass by, and the instinct of blood ties made them notice Qin Haotian, after which they recognized each other.
As for why they had abandoned Qin Haotian outside for more than ten years and never once gone to check on him, the explanation given by the couple from the War King Manor was this:
At the time he was born, they happened to be at war with outsiders, surrounded by powerful enemies on all sides, and both husband and wife had to rush to the frontiers to fend off the enemy. Due to the urgent situation, they had no time to care for him, and fearing that the young and frail Qin Haotian would be harmed, they had no choice but to send him away to be fostered in a remote, desolate village as a last resort.
At first, Qin Haotian truly believed in his parents' hidden difficulties. But when he returned to the manor and saw his younger sister Qin Qingyue, who lived a life of pampered luxury, dressed in silks and adorned with gold, Qin Haotian froze on the spot.
What did an urgent military situation mean? What did having no time to care for him mean? And what did it mean that it was a last resort? If all that was true, why was this sister, who was two years younger than him, able to stay by their parents' side and live a life of extravagant luxury? Furthermore, under their meticulous care, she had blossomed into a dazzling, heaven-defying proud daughter of the heavens with limitless potential.
How was all of this to be explained?
Yet he had been abandoned to a desolate village, left unchecked and ignored for all these years, never once even asked about—was this what they called protection?
Thinking of these things, Qin Haotian could not help but bitterly mock himself; it turned out that he was nothing more than an utterly dispensable person to begin with.
Although he had been reunited with his family, he had not felt the slightest bit of parental care. Feeling depressed inside, he began to frequent pleasure quarters, brothels, and pavilions just as he used to, drowning his sorrows in alcohol to get through the days. Aside from venting his frustrations, Qin Haotian also hoped that by acting this way, he might attract his parents' attention.
However, when Qin Langtian learned of such behavior, it naturally filled him with disgust.
And just today, Qin Haotian had gone on a drinking binge at a pleasure house, failed to pay the bill, and was beaten up by people who dragged him back to the manor to collect the debt. Afterward, frightened by his parents' fierce scoldings, he felt utterly hopeless and disillusioned with life.
Overwhelmed by anger and despair, he choked with grief on the spot, ending his pitiful and tragic life.
Immediately afterward, the present Qin Haotian transmigrated over and witnessed the scene unfolding before him.
"Humph, you unfilial son!"
"Every day you linger in brothels, indulging in pleasure, neglecting your cultivation, and lacking all drive! Compared to your sister, you are simply as different as the clouds and the mud!"
"You have completely exhausted this king's face, you unfilial son!"
At that moment, Qin Langtian could finally no longer suppress the fury in his heart. With a loud *bang*, he slammed his hand down on the table and roared angrily at Qin Haotian.
Hearing this, a nameless fire surged up within Qin Haotian's heart.
What right do you have to scold me? We are all your biological flesh and blood, yet we were treated so differently!
One is like a phoenix soaring up to the branches.
The other is like a humble ant in the dirt.
And now you still want to step on one to elevate the other?
You never raised me, so what qualifications do you have to lecture me? Qin Haotian was just about to open his mouth in retort when a cold, mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Detected that the host's anger has reached its maximum. The Drunken Sword Immortal System is now activated!]
[This system has charted two cultivation paths for you. Given time, both can elevate your cultivation to the absolute peak and allow you to conquer the firmament!]
[Option One: The Affectionate Sword Dao, representing seeking the Dao through emotion. Taking the protection of parents, family, and all living beings in the world as your own responsibility, with no regrets even through nine deaths!]
[Option Two: The Ruthless Sword Dao, cutting off worldly ties, unburdened and carefree. From then on, being decisive in killing and slaughter, upholding the Dao through slaughter, and traversing the world alone with sword in hand!]
When he raised his head to meet Qin Langtian's cold and indifferent gaze, Lin Suxi's disappointed and helpless expression, and the undisguised disdain in his sister Qin Qingyue's eyes, Qin Haotian hardened his heart and made his decision instantly!
Protect my family?
Protect my ass! Has this family ever treated me like one of theirs?
Do they deserve my protection? With no emotions in the heart, drawing the sword comes naturally! I choose the Ruthless Dao!