C1 The Reincarnation of the Martial God.

"You come to the brothel without a dime to your name, sleep with a girl, and nearly die in the act—today's just not our day at the Red Flame Brothel!"

With a thud, Du Shaomu, who had just come to, found himself unceremoniously dumped onto the teeming streets outside the Red Flame Brothel.

His head was still foggy, but a newfound glimmer of awareness shone from the depths of his once lifeless eyes, as unfathomable as the abyss.

Truth be told, Du Shaomu was no longer the man he once was.

He vaguely recalled how last night, his wife Su Yuetong's cousin had coaxed him into drinking a few too many, and now, to his surprise, he had woken up in the infamous Alley of Fireworks, with no recollection of the events in between.

"This is the work of poison!"

Drawing upon his past life's expertise, Du Shaomu quickly ascertained that the body's original owner hadn't simply lost his memory—he had been poisoned.

"Isn't that the Su Family's son-in-law, the one who just got married? Barely a month into his marriage, and he's already off to the Alley of Fireworks for a good time, nearly dying in the process. Could it be that the Su Family's young miss refused him her bed?"

"Heh, I bet the Su Family's young miss never even let that loser touch her."

The Alley of Fireworks was always abuzz, and a crowd quickly gathered, many recognizing Du Shaomu and sneering, though not without a hint of envy.

When word got out that Du Shaomu had married Su Yuetong, the eldest daughter of the Su Family, it sent shockwaves not just through North Cloud City, but the entire Dreamy Cloud Ninth City. Many a young hopeful was left in despair, envying his extraordinary stroke of luck.

The Su Family's wealth was legendary, and Su Yuetong's beauty was unmatched. Du Shaomu, a mere son of a servant with a condition that rendered him incapable of cultivation—a cripple in the eyes of many—had somehow won Su Yuetong's favor and married into the Su Family.

Many looked on with green-eyed jealousy at this underdog's meteoric rise to riches and romance.

Du Shaomu paid no mind to the whispers and stares. Something about this whole situation didn't sit right with him.

He rose to his feet, brushing off the dust, and set out to return to the Su Family, piecing together the fragmented memories along the way.

In his previous life, he had ascended to the realms of Martial God and Divine Dan Master before the age of twenty-five, hailed as a once-in-an-eternity prodigy.

Yet, in an attempt to break through to the Martial Emperor realm, he had failed to survive the heavenly tribulation and was reduced to ashes. By some stroke of luck, his soul had transmigrated, finding a new home in the body of this recently deceased young man.

Ironically, this young man also bore the name Du Shaomu, but was afflicted with a condition that left him unable to cultivate, effectively a cripple. He and his mother, a servant in the Su Family, had only each other. Thankfully, their mutual love and devotion made for a warm and contented life.

A month ago, he had become part of the Su Family through marriage. To outsiders, it seemed he had soared to the heights, transformed into a phoenix by the grace of his wife's status.

In reality, his beautiful wife was nothing more than a title. Throughout this month, Du Shaomu hadn't even once touched Su Yuetong's hand. Within the Su Family, he faced constant ridicule and had to tread lightly.

Before he knew it, the imposing Su Family estate loomed before him.

The Su Family's wealth was unmatched in North Cloud City, and they were a prominent family of cultivators. Even the guards at their gates were skilled in martial arts.

"You worthless fool, you're still alive and dare to show your face? You've got some nerve!"

The sight of Du Shaomu returning set the Su Family guards ablaze with fury as they charged toward him.

"Huh, this good-for-nothing is still breathing."

A short distance from the gate, other Su Family members, alerted by the commotion, quickly gathered around, their eyes filled with scorn and anger on behalf of their young lady.

"Why shouldn't I be here?" Du Shaomu challenged, a glint of defiance in his gaze.

"Are you playing dumb, you waste of space? Just yesterday, our young lady officially became the Patriarch, and you had the gall to visit a brothel last night. The brothel's messengers claimed you nearly died in the embrace of a courtesan. I'm surprised you're still among the living. But it doesn't matter. This morning, the Su Family elders and the new Patriarch decided your fate. You've been cast out. Your life or death is no longer our concern. Whether you're breathing or not, you're forbidden from setting foot in the Su Family home ever again!"

One guard spoke with icy detachment, his eyes betraying a flicker of surprise. The word from Yi Hong Lou was that this trash had perished in a woman's arms, yet here he was, very much alive.

"A worthless man, spared by our young miss, yet he squanders her kindness, seeking pleasure elsewhere, tarnishing the Su Family name!"

"To think he'd stoop so low, driven by such base desires."

"Heaven lacks justice, allowing this scoundrel to live instead of letting him perish in the arms of such women."

"A servant's son marrying into our Su Family, tasting the unattainable, and then squandering our wealth in brothels? The audacity!"

The air was thick with disdain, contempt, anger, and sympathy for Su Yuetong.

"This is a setup!"

It all clicked for Du Shaomu. This was a meticulously orchestrated conspiracy.

The Su Family had a rule: for a woman to become the family head, she must find a man to marry into the family.

Su Yuetong had just ascended to that position yesterday, and he had been poisoned and framed at Yi Hong Lou, his reputation tarnished as a philanderer who met his end in debauchery. Su Yuetong had then, with seeming righteousness, divorced him.

"Su Yuetong, you are the epitome of a woman's venom!"

A chill ran through Du Shaomu's eyes. His soul might have journeyed through time and space, but the betrayal cut deep. A cold fury settled in his heart.

It was likely all Su Yuetong's doing. The green bamboo snake's mouth hides a lethal tongue, and the sting in a hornet's tail is sharp, but neither compares to the poison in a woman's heart.

"You have the nerve to show your face at the Su Family after being tossed out like trash? Hoping to scrounge more benefits, are you? Get out of my sight!"

"Looks like this piece of trash has the gall to cling to our Su Family. Seems he won't learn his lesson without a good thrashing!"

A guard barked coldly, ready to move in for the assault.

Even when Du Shaomu was in favor as the Su Family's son-in-law, they never took this 'trash' seriously. Now that he's been discarded and ousted from the Su Family, even less so.

"Do you have a death wish?!"

Du Shaomu's gaze turned icy. In his past life, he was revered as a god of both martial arts and alchemy, an untouchable divine presence. A fierce chill flashed in his eyes.

Now, even without a shred of vitality, the intensity of Du Shaomu's former life's gaze caused the guards to shudder, their very souls quaking, nearly bringing them to their knees.

The Su Family members around him were taken aback. This 'trash' had always been meek before them, always walking with his head bowed. Yet today, he dared to raise his voice, his shout sending an inexplicable shiver through them.

"How dare you, you worthless cur!"

The guards and Su Family members snapped out of their shock, boiling with rage.

"The Su Family has gone too far!"

Du Shaomu declared, his eyes fierce and unyielding.

"Young Master, it's terrible news!"

At that moment, an urgent voice broke through. A teenager, about fifteen or sixteen, rushed to Du Shaomu's side.

The boy was noticeably shorter than Du Shaomu, his frame slight and seemingly undernourished, but his eyes were bright and full of life. His face bore the marks of a recent beating, bruised and swollen. He glanced around at the Su Family members and guards with a hint of fear.

"Xiaohou, what happened?"

Du Shaomu remembered the boy, Xiaohou, an orphan who survived by scavenging trash. His mother had found him five years ago, starving and skeletal, and had taken him in for a meal. Since then, Xiaohou had stuck around, calling her 'Madam' and referring to Du Shaomu as 'Young Master.'

"Young Master, the Su Family has come to force Madam out of North Cloud City. She's been hurt."

Du Xiaohou's voice quivered slightly as he spoke, intimidated by the Su Family's menacing guards.

"The Su Family!"

Anger flared within Du Shaomu. He glanced back at the Su Family's gate, his eyes glinting with a cold resolve. "Tell Su Yuetong I'll settle our accounts later. If anything happens to my mother, I swear I'll make the Su Family pay in blood, leaving none alive!"

"Xiaohou, we're leaving."

No sooner had Du Shaomu spoken than he was already striding away.

"The Young Master seems different..."

Du Xiaohou stood there, bewildered. The Young Master's recent words and the commanding aura that now surrounded him were a stark contrast to the submissive figure he once knew.

"Young Master, wait for me!"

Snapping out of his daze, Du Xiaohou quickly followed after him.

"Could this really be the same person who was once so subservient?"

The Su Family's guards and kinfolk collectively shivered, snapping back to reality. The words that had just spilled from Du Shaomu, coupled with the icy aura and steely gaze he projected, had chilled them to the bone, sending a wave of goosebumps across their skin as if their very blood had turned to ice.