C1 Lin Xuan Woke up

"Lin Xuan, go dump out the footbath water now!"

Caught in a daze while mopping, Lin Xuan was abruptly summoned by his mother-in-law.

He turned to Lee Moxiang, fear etched on his face. "Mom, what's going on?"

"Smack!"

His question was cut short by a sharp slap across his cheek.

"When I call you, you drag your feet? Is that it?"

Cradling his face, Lin Xuan's voice was barely above a whisper, filled with hurt. "I... I was just mopping..."

"Mopping my foot! You're such a fool, always eating, nothing but a burden!"

"And don't just stand there—go pour out that footbath water! Move it!"

As Lin Xuan reached for the basin, Lee Moxiang delivered a swift kick. "You're worthless."

The basin clattered to the floor, spilling dirty water everywhere.

Enraged, Lee Moxiang grabbed a broom and started beating Lin Xuan with it.

"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

"You defy me when I ask you to work? You'll learn not to defy me!"

"Ah, please, no more... stop hitting me..."

Lin Xuan, hands over his head, cowered on the ground, trembling with fear.

Lee Moxiang's fury only grew with each blow, culminating in a spit landing on his head.

"Pah! What curse have I brought upon myself to be stuck with such a useless fool in my house?"

Lin Xuan, the tall man that he was, remained silent, crouching like a scolded child, shivering.

This was far from the first time he had endured his formidable mother-in-law's wrath.

And the more Lin Xuan shrank away, the more relentless Lee Moxiang became in her thrashing.

Sobbing pitifully, Lin Xuan broke down in tears.

Pei Qiuyu, just home from work and still in her work shoes, was jolted by the sound of Lin Xuan's cries.

"What's happened now?" Pei Qiuyu's brows knitted in concern.

"Wuwuwu, Mom, I won't do it again, I promise, wuwu~"

Rushing inside, Pei Qiuyu found Lin Xuan, reduced to a tearful mess.

Pei Qiuyu softly stroked Lin Xuan's head and inquired, "Did that hurt?"

Lin Xuan was about to nod when he quickly shook his head in alarm.

Pei Qiuyu turned to Lee Moxiang with anger in her voice, "Mom, why do you keep hitting him?"

Hands on her hips, Lee Moxiang retorted sharply, "If I don't discipline him, should I just keep him around?"

"He's nothing but a nuisance, always underfoot. If I could beat some sense into him, maybe we'd finally have some peace!"

Pei Qiuyu shot back, "Mom, if it weren't for Lin Xuan, I would've been killed by that car. It's because he saved me that he's like this. How can you still raise your hand to him?"

Lee Moxiang stood her ground, "For three years, we've clothed him, fed him, and paid for his medical bills. He even ran one of my companies into the ground."

"And look at him, still as foolish as ever!"

"Who knows, maybe he was already a fool before he saved you. And now, he's just a burden on our family!"

Pei Qiuyu took a deep breath and pleaded, "Mom, how can you be so heartless?"

"I'm working tirelessly to ease our financial burden. All I'm asking is that you treat Lin Xuan with kindness, for the sake of our family's karma."

Lee Moxiang let out a sigh, "You're treating him like he's your husband. For three years, it's been nothing but a title. You're beautiful, and countless wealthy suitors are vying for your attention."

"And yet, you've squandered three precious years on this fool. Is he really worth it?"

"I'm capable of making my own choices. Just promise me this: no more hitting him."

Just then, Pei Qiuyu's phone rang with a business call. She quickly pulled out fifty yuan from her purse and handed it to Lin Xuan, "There, there, Lin Xuan, no tears."

"Use this money to buy yourself some snacks. We'll just ignore Mom, okay?"

As tears brimmed in Lin Xuan's eyes, he accepted the money and cast a look at Lee Moxiang.

"Don't mind her," Pei Qiuyu said softly, caressing Lin Xuan's head. "You love cuttlefish balls, right? Go on, treat yourself."

"I need to head back to the office now."

After finishing her statement, Pei Qiuyu stood up straight and addressed Lee Moxiang, "I have a business meeting with D Group tonight. The contract negotiations are going to be tough, so I might come back late."

"You better not hit him again."

Lee Moxiang, frowning, dismissed her with a wave of her hand, "Just go. He irritates me just by being here."

"It would have been better if he had just died in that accident."

Pei Qiuyu shook her head, offered Lin Xuan a few comforting words, and then left once more.

Shortly after Pei Qiuyu's departure, Lee Moxiang demanded of Lin Xuan, "Hand over the money."

"No, my wife gave this to me."

Lin Xuan clutched the fifty yuan from Pei Qiuyu protectively against his chest as if it were a precious gem.

"Hey, you fool! How dare you disobey me!"

Lee Moxiang was about to grab the money from Lin Xuan when he started to run for the door.

"Freeze!" she bellowed from behind him.

Lin Xuan ignored her. He was willing to endure a beating, but he would never surrender something given to him by his wife. As he reached the door, Lee Moxiang caught up, and they began to scuffle.

Seeing that he wouldn't release his grip, she kicked him furiously.

"You're worthless!"

Lin Xuan stumbled, missed his footing, and tumbled down the stairs. He rolled several times before his head struck the wall with a thud.

Lee Moxiang gasped in shock. The fool had taken a nasty fall and smacked his head against the wall. Could he be dead?

She started down the stairs but then paused, her steps slowing.

"Hmph, better off dead. Alive, you'll just end up ruining this home eventually."

She had reached her limit. If the police were to come, she could claim the idiot fell by himself.

Who would advocate for a fool?

With that thought, Lee Moxiang quickly turned back, shut the door, and worked on establishing her alibi.

Meanwhile, Lin Xuan lay bleeding, the gash on his head seeping blood down his forehead, staining the "Xuan" character etched into his chest.

In a flash, the 'Xuan' character blazed a brilliant red, shimmering with a crystalline glow.

"Thump!"

"Thump!"

A colossal force hammered Lin Xuan's heart from within his chest.

As he drifted in and out of consciousness, a torrent of information flooded his mind.

His breathing was measured and deliberate, the hallmark of the "Mystic Gate's" distinctive technique.

Lin Xuan's eyes fluttered open.

He was awake.

"I am the master of the Sky Dragon Palace, the world's foremost shadowy syndicate—Lin Tianlong."

The 'Xuan' insignia, a legacy of his lineage, was etched upon his chest.

At that moment, anyone who glimpsed Lin Xuan's face would be astounded.

His eyes now sparkled with a golden radiance, a stark contrast to his former vacant stare.

But the glow was fleeting. His blood surged and his bones popped, signaling a transformation.

Lin Xuan rolled over and sat up, taking a deep breath. "Who would have thought that I, Lin Tianlong, would have a day of awakening?"

All his memories had returned.

Three years prior, Lin Tianlong had led the Sky Dragon Palace to obliterate Europe's most formidable drug ring.

For his efforts, the global community honored him with the rank of Nine-star General.

Later, upon discovering that the drug lord was in hiding in A City, Lin Tianlong embarked on a solo mission to eliminate him.

Exhausted from the confrontation, he was crossing the street when he saw a truck careening towards Pei Qiuyu due to a blown tire.

Without hesitation, he dashed to her rescue, only to be struck and sent flying by the truck himself.

Subsequently, he spent three years living with Pei Qiuyu's family, perceived as nothing more than a simpleton.

Now, he had risen once more.

He would go on living as Lin Xuan.

Despite the harsh treatment from his mother-in-law over the years, she had not cast him aside.

Pei Qiuyu, on the other hand, had shown him nothing but the utmost care and attention.

He remembered all of it.

"My dear wife, for the rest of our days, I, Lin Xuan, will stand guard by your side!"

"No one will harm you! I vow to make you the happiest woman in the world!"

Lin Xuan swiftly pulled out his phone and dialed the number he hadn't reached in three years.

The moment the call connected, the person on the other end burst out with immense excitement, "Hall Master, is it you? Is it really you?"

Lin Xuan responded with a steady voice, "Yes, it's me. I'm doing well."

"I'm in A City right now...!"

"Yes, Hall Master! I'm on my way!" The person on the line was so thrilled they were nearly in tears.

Lin Xuan recalled Pei Qiuyu mentioning she was heading to D Group for business talks before she left.

"Alright, meet me at D Group."