Chapter 1: The Servant of the Duke's Mansion

Qianguo.
Jinzhou Prefecture.
The Fishery Yard of the Duke of Lu’s Mansion.

On the gray brick wall hung several weathered fishing nets, and in the corner squatted a few young men dressed as servants. They watched the scene ahead with ill-concealed glee, exchanging meaningful glances.

"Shen Yan, you little bastard, you really have some nerve!"

A middle-aged man in a steward's uniform was furiously roaring at a young man standing before him in the courtyard.

"The Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish is the innate spiritual creature required for the young lady’s martial training. How dare you steal and eat it? You must be tired of living."

As he spoke, he raised the whip in his hand and lashed it madly at the young man before him.

"If it weren't for the fish’s potent medicinal properties knocking you out, you might have gotten away with it and fooled us all."

The steward grew more enraged as he spoke, suddenly kicking Shen Yan hard in the side.

"Steward Liu, the Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish is the only spiritual medicine that can cure my cold poison. How could I not eat it?"

Shen Yan’s eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Steward Liu, a murderous intent shining in his gaze.

He was the son of a fisherman from Jinzhou Bay. As a child, he had suddenly collapsed while playing by the sea. When he woke, there was a black mole on his chest, and from then on he suffered from the chill poison. His parents had exhausted all their possessions seeking doctors and remedies to cure him, but nothing could heal the strange affliction that had befallen him.

Later, an elderly physician sighed that perhaps only the Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish from Jinzhou Bay could cure Shen Yan’s cold poison.

The doctor's words plunged his parents into utter despair.

The Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish!

It was a rare treasure unique to Jinzhou Bay, coveted by everyone in Qianguo. Every fisherman living by the bay, even children as young as three, knew of its value. This spiritual fish only appeared once every three or four years. It was said that before Jinzhou Bay came under Qianguo’s rule, every time such a fish surfaced, bloodshed and chaos would follow.

When Qianguo finally conquered Jinzhou Bay, the very first decree issued by its founding emperor concerned the Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish:

"Whoever presents the Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish shall be rewarded with a thousand gold coins and ennobled!"

The fish was precious not only because it could cure all manner of rare and strange diseases, but also because it could strengthen the body and prolong life. If consumed by a martial artist, it would reinforce their foundation and rapidly advance their cultivation.

Even Yang Yun, the eldest daughter of the Duke’s household, longed for such a treasure. This spiritual creature, which could strengthen her foundation and increase her potential, was so rare that even after years, or even a decade, she might not have the chance to taste one.

Shen Yan, born to a fisherman’s family, worked at the Duke’s mansion catching fish and supplying the kitchen with seafood. Just yesterday, he had gone out to sea and by chance caught a Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish. Overjoyed at his fortune, he knew its value and did not bring it back to the Yang household. Instead, he snuck ashore, sliced half the fish, and made himself a pot of fish soup.

He thought himself clever and thorough, but he had not anticipated the extraordinary effects of the fish. After eating, he didn’t even have time to clean up before collapsing into unconsciousness.

When the kitchen servants noticed the missing seafood, they came to the Fishery Yard. After searching, they found Shen Yan comatose and the remaining half of the Crimson Gold Silver-Eyed Fish. Steward Liu was furious.

To catch such a rare fish and not consider the needs of the household, but to secretly eat it—was this not rebellion? Especially since the one who caught the fish was his own subordinate.

If Shen Yan had obediently handed the fish over, Steward Liu would have been credited with great merit. He might have been promoted from an outer steward to an inner house retainer, becoming a trusted servant of the Duke. But all his hopes had been dashed by Shen Yan’s actions. Now, not only had he lost his chance at advancement, but he was also implicated in the matter.

After reporting it, the household’s nobles rebuked him for incompetence. If not for his brother’s position as an inner steward, he would have been demoted to a mere servant. As things stood, any hope of advancement was gone, and he might even be punished further.

Faced with such a reversal of fortune, how could he not hate Shen Yan?

"You little bastard, you still dare to talk back? See if I don’t beat you to death today!"

With that, Steward Liu swung his whip at Shen Yan, mercilessly flogging his body.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The whip left thick, bloody welts on Shen Yan’s back, yet he gritted his teeth and refused to utter a sound.

"The seventeenth time—this is the seventeenth time since I entered this house that Steward Liu has laid hands on me!"

He etched into his heart every instance of Steward Liu’s abuse, vowing that when his fortunes turned, he would repay it a hundredfold.

"Steward Liu, if you keep beating him, the boy will die. The nobles will soon come to investigate. If you kill him now, won’t you have to bear the blame?"

"Jiang Qing is right. You know how stubborn Shen Yan is—when he sets his mind, he’s as mule-headed as an ox. If you beat him to death, the household’s wrath will fall on all of us. Why bring trouble on yourself?"

Seeing Liu’s near-madness as he thrashed Shen Yan, even the bystanders who had come to watch grew uneasy. They couldn’t let Shen Yan die—otherwise, the household might vent its anger on them as well.

"Hmph! Were it not for the Duke’s mercy, this little bastard would have starved long ago. He wouldn’t even have the chance to serve as a servant. He shows no gratitude for the house’s charity, and instead commits a crime of the highest order. The nobles will not let him off lightly!"

Shen Yan, who had been kneeling motionless on the ground, as unfeeling as stone, now stared with bottomless hatred in his eyes.

As a fisherman’s son afflicted by a deadly disease, his family had lived in poverty and he had suffered daily from the chill poison. Yet his parents had been loving, and he had never blamed fate. On the contrary, he had been cheerful and optimistic.

But everything changed when Duke Yang Ze was ordered by the king to guard Jinzhou Prefecture. Upon his arrival, Yang Ze conscripted the populace to build his mansion. In just half a year, half the people of Jinzhou had died or been injured; Shen Yan’s parents among them.

Once the mansion was complete, the Yang family went further, seizing all the children of Jinzhou to be trained as household slaves.

From then on, Shen Yan changed from a cheerful fisherman’s boy to a servant despised and bullied by all in the Yang household.

The hatred of having his parents murdered and himself enslaved—in Liu’s mouth, this became a blessing?

If not for his will, tempered to steel, he would have leapt at Steward Liu and fought him to the death. Even so, his rage nearly burst from his chest, and his murderous intent toward Liu was palpable.

"You dog, just you wait. Even if I die, I’ll drag you down to hell with me!"