The Jun Aristocrats were one of the hidden hegemonies of the Western Continent, a force whose influence stretched far beyond what any common man could ever hope to comprehend.
Their power, shrouded in secrecy, was like a spider’s web—delicate yet unbreakable, reaching into the farthest corners of society and the martial world.
Like any great aristocratic clan, the Jun were not immune to the endless cycle of schemes and power struggles. In fact, it was the lifeblood of the clan.
Generations of family members plotted against one another, their ambitions fed by a history of betrayal, manipulation, and cutthroat tactics.
The Jun Clan had become a crucible, where only the strong, the cunning, and the ruthless could thrive.
What had unfolded in the grand hall earlier—the confrontation between Jun Chang and Jun Qigang—was just the tip of the iceberg.
Beneath the surface, deeper currents of conflict and intrigue churned.
Every smile masked a knife, every gesture of friendliness was an invitation to treachery. The hall, once a symbol of unity and strength, had long since become a battleground.
But not every corner of the clan’s vast sphere was consumed by these endless schemes.
Far from the heart of the clan’s power center, on a small, secluded island surrounded by a dense forest of towering trees, stood a magnificent mansion.
The estate, nestled deep within the tranquil embrace of nature, seemed a world away from the chaos and intrigue that dominated the main family’s territory.
In the quiet courtyard, Jun Chang stood motionless, his gaze fixed on his son with a mix of profound love and deep helplessness.
He had fought fiercely for his son in the grand hall and stood his ground against the ruthless Jun Qigang, but he knew too well that today’s victory was only temporary.
He could protect his son today, but what about tomorrow?
Next week?
Next month?
His enemies were relentless, their hunger for power insatiable, and they wouldn’t stop.
Jun Chang clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. Anger and sorrow marred his once-stoic face, emotions he had kept buried now threatening to overwhelm him. As powerful as he was, even his strength had limits.
He couldn’t be everywhere, couldn’t shield his son from every blow, every sneer, every shadow that loomed over him.
He let out a heavy sigh, the sound of a man burdened by the weight of his powerlessness. The anger in his chest roiled, but so did the grief—grief for the son he could not fully protect, grief for the life his child would never know.
Jun Chang turned to his son, his gaze lingered on his son’s face, which remained blissfully unaware of the storm that brewed around him.
"Son," Jun Chang whispered, his voice cracking under the weight of his sorrow.
"Father is sorry for being useless." The words tasted bitter in his mouth, a confession he never imagined he would have to make.
He had always been a man of action, of strength, of resolve, but now, faced with the one thing he could not control, he felt small. Powerless.
His son didn’t respond, didn’t even look up. He was lost in his own world, and Jun Chang knew that world was one he could never truly enter.
"But as long as I live," Jun Chang continued, his voice firmer now, the sorrow tempered with a steely resolve, "I will try my best to find you a cure."
The determination in his words was unshakable. He could not protect his son from every danger, could not fight off every enemy—but he could promise this.
"Father will find a way," he whispered, more to himself than to the boy. "I swear it."
With that final thought, Jun Chang turned and departed the courtyard, his steps now filled with a newfound resolution.
As he approached the courtyard gates, his gaze landed on two figures standing before him—his most trusted retainers, the ones he had left in charge of his son’s safety.
Their eyes widened in fear as he stopped before them, his presence like a towering storm.
"If anything happens to him..." Jun Chang’s voice trailed off ominously, leaving the rest unsaid. But his cold, piercing gaze finished the sentence for him.
The unspoken threat lingered in the air like the sharp edge of a blade. His son was his reverse scale, the one thing no one could touch without invoking his full wrath.
The retainers understood this truth all too well.
With a sharp nod, Jun Chang turned away and strode off with large, purposeful steps, each one echoing his resolve. He disappeared from their sight, but the weight of his words remained.
Unbeknownst to him, his son who had been unresponsive turned and looked at his departing father with a smile full of love and determination.
As for the two retainers stood frozen for a moment, shivers running down their spines. Wiping away the beads of sweat that had formed on their brows, the two exchanged a nervous glance.
No words were needed between them; they both understood the gravity of the situation. Silently, they entered the courtyard, each hiding their thoughts deep within their hearts.
When the two retainers thought the tension had passed and their ordeal was over, they were startled by an unexpected voice—a voice they had never heard speak coherently before.
"What are your names?" Jun Wu asked, his tone calm but laced with an underlying authority that immediately sent a chill down their spines.
The retainers froze in place, their eyes wide with shock. The boy before them—the one they had always known to be mentally disabled, lost in his own world—was speaking.
Not only that, but his voice carried a sharpness that cut through the air like a blade. Gone was the vacant, confused expression they were accustomed to.
In its place was a gaze so piercing, so filled with clarity, that they found themselves unable to respond for several moments.
Jun Wu’s transformation was nothing short of extraordinary. Moments ago, his soul had been weak, unable to grasp the complexities of the world around him.
But now, everything has changed.
Deep within him, his soul had recovered, becoming more powerful than that of any ordinary human.
The fog that had once clouded his mind had lifted, and for the first time, he saw the world for what it truly was.
As he watched his father depart, filled with sorrow and helplessness, Jun Wu felt a surge of emotions he had never been able to process before.
He had seen how his father had spoken to him—broken, filled with guilt—and how he had shielded him from the vipers in the grand hall. But no longer would his father bear that burden alone.
The helpless boy his enemies had once scorned was no more. The moment his soul had fused with the ancient power within him, everything had changed.
No longer mentally retarded, no longer naive, Jun Wu now understood the depth of the struggles his father faced.
The cruelty, the schemes, the endless plotting—he saw it all with sharp, newfound clarity. And now, he would make every last one of his enemies pay for coming for him.
The retainers, still reeling from the shock, finally snapped out of their stupor. They glanced at one another, silently seeking reassurance.
This was not the boy they had known for years. Something had changed. The fierce intelligence in Jun Wu’s eyes unsettled them deeply as if they were suddenly in the presence of someone far beyond their understanding.
"M-My name is Zhang Wei," one of the retainers stammered, bowing deeply. His heart raced, the weight of Jun Wu’s gaze making him feel as though he was being scrutinized down to his very soul.
"And I’m Mao Yun," the other retainer quickly added, also bowing. They could feel the atmosphere shift and a silent tension filled the courtyard.
They had no idea how to respond to this sudden transformation, nor could they fathom the consequences it would bring.
Jun Wu nodded slightly, acknowledging their answers but paying little mind to their reactions.
His focus was elsewhere—on the future.
Since he arrived at the courtyard, he had been planning his future and how to make use of the vast ocean of knowledge seated in his soul.
Consuming the ancient being soul had granted him a vast knowledge that was far advanced than what this world could comprehend. While also, the horror that would appear in the future.
From the memory of the ancient being, he realized the old man was a reincarnate, coming to the past to undo the future of this world. Unfortunately, he chooses the wrong body.
He caught sight of the devastation they would be thrown into, the destruction of many powerful clans, including the Jun clan which baffled him.
The current peaceful world was the peace before the storm and the incoming storm, the world was far from prepared.
Throwing all the heavy thoughts to the side, he knew the first thing to do was to understand his clan.
"I want all the information about the clan." He commanded, looking into the distance. "Make it discrete"
"As for me regaining my sense..." He turned to look at his two retainers, "You know what would happen if I find out..."