C3 Lu Family

Scaling the cliff took Lu Shaoyou a grueling three days, and it turned out to be a sheer drop just outside the town. As he reached the top, Lu Shaoyou felt a surge in his strength, as though he was brimming with an endless supply of energy—without it, he doubted he could have made the climb.

The Lu Family Mansion was a sprawling complex with numerous courtyards, reminiscent of the Garden of Suzhou from Lu Shaoyou's past life, according to his recollections.

Arriving at the mansion's imposing entrance, Lu Shaoyou knocked, his stomach growling audibly with hunger. The doors creaked open, revealing two servants donning felt hats and clad in gray. Their eyes widened in surprise at the sight of him.

"Use the back entrance. The Madam has instructed that you are not to use the front," they said, barely concealing their astonishment. Dismissing Lu Shaoyou with a glance, they promptly shut the doors.

"Fools! Do you still see me as the old Lu Shaoyou? Mark my words, I will have my revenge," Lu Shaoyou spat in disdain at the mansion's front steps before heading toward the back door.

His memories told him that the former Lu Shaoyou had never entered through the mansion's main entrance. Despite being a young master, his mother was once a maid in the household, making his status pitifully low. After his birth, his mother endured even greater torment from his father's wife, while his father remained silent, leaving his mother to face the humiliation alone.

"Young Master Lu, you're back at last. You've been gone for five days, and the Second Madame has been terribly worried. Please, head inside," an elderly servant at the back door greeted Lu Shaoyou with a mix of concern and sympathy.

"Understood, Uncle Nan," Lu Shaoyou acknowledged, recognizing the old servant from his memories. Uncle Nan, apart from his mother, was the only one who had shown him kindness, often looking after him in his youth.

"Could I be mistaken?" Uncle Nan mused, a glint of sharpness piercing through the haze of his gray eyes as he watched Lu Shaoyou's retreating figure. Then, as quickly as it appeared, the brightness faded, and his eyes clouded over once more. He closed the door gently behind him.

Lu Shaoyou navigated through several lengthy corridors to reach a modest courtyard where the servants resided. The Lu family was among the town's elite, boasting a staff of two to three hundred servants, with a total of no fewer than seven hundred direct and collateral family members—a formidable clan by any measure.

Approaching a somewhat rundown courtyard, Lu Shaoyou paused briefly before pushing the door open.

"Shaoyou, where have you been? I've been so worried," a woman's voice filled with concern reached his ears. Inside, a woman in her mid-thirties, dressed in a pale green silk gown, stood with a refined and pretty face, marked by long, slender eyebrows. Her eyes, red and swollen from tears, betrayed her distress.

Upon seeing Lu Shaoyou, she rushed over, her eyes welling up again as she took in his tattered appearance.

"Mother, I'm alright," Lu Shaoyou reassured her, his heart skipping a beat. Her son was gone, and he could not bear to reveal the harsh truth. From now on, he would take the place of her son.

"Shaoyou, where have you been these past few days? Why didn't you let me know before you left?" The woman examined Lu Shaoyou from head to toe, and only after confirming he was unharmed did she let out a sigh of relief. Grasping his arms, she pressed for an answer.

"I had some urgent matters to attend to. I'm sorry for worrying you," Lu Shaoyou responded. He certainly couldn't reveal that her son had been beaten to death and discarded off a cliff.

"You must be hungry. I've saved some food for you." The compassionate beautiful madam quickly fetched several steamed buns and a bowl of meat dish. Lu Shaoyou could tell the food was good, albeit leftovers.

"It's fresh. Uncle Nan sneaked these dishes out of the kitchen for you. Please eat, it's your favorite," she said, her eyes warm with affection and tinged with regret. In a soft voice, she added, "I blame myself for your hardships. Had I known, I might have spared you from being born into this."

"Mother, none of this is your fault. From now on, I won't let you suffer anymore," Lu Shaoyou assured her, his eyes misting over. In his past life, he had been an orphan, devoid of maternal love. Maybe his journey through time was a divine compensation. He silently vowed to himself that she would be his mother henceforth, and he would never let her endure hardship again.

"Good boy, go ahead and eat. Once you're done, take off your clothes, and I'll mend them for you," the beautiful madam said with a joyful smile.

Indeed, Lu Shaoyou felt famished. He devoured the steamed buns voraciously and then retreated to his room.

"It's time to make plans for myself," he mused, gazing around the shabby room. His previous life held little promise. Now that he had a second chance, he refused to settle for mediocrity.

This was his second shot at life. If he didn't make his mark, it would all be for naught. Powerless in his past life, he now aspired to possess countless beauties and command the world. Lu Shaoyou could feel his blood surging with fervor.

"You may have lived sixteen years of mediocrity, but your blood boils with ambition. Rest assured, I will fulfill your dreams," Lu Shaoyou whispered to himself.

Sitting before a tarnished copper mirror, he studied his reflection. He should have been in his early twenties, yet here he was, barely sixteen. Not a bad turn of events.

"You've lived a plain life, but you've got good looks," Lu Shaoyou observed, allowing himself a small smile. His stature was lean, his features chiseled, his eyes sparkled like stars.

"Not bad at all," he said, his smile carrying a lazy confidence and an undercurrent of ambition.

"Now, it's time to truly understand this world," Lu Shaoyou thought as he lay in bed, meticulously cataloging every piece of information about this new realm.

He found himself in a land vastly different from his previous world, known as the Spirit Martial Continent. It was a place of infinite possibilities, home to both Martial Artists and Spiritual Cultivators.

Martial Artists possessed immense strength, rumored to have the power to move mountains and part seas at advanced levels. Their ranks were many, including Martial Disciple, Martial Warrior, Martial Master, Martial Psyche, Martial General, Martial Marshal, Martial King, Martial Sovereign, and Martial Monarch.

Spiritual Cultivators were enigmatic and immensely powerful, wielding abilities beyond imagination. Their ranks included Spirit Disciples, Spirit Warriors, Spirit Masters, Spirit Souls, Spirit Generals, Spirit Marshals, Spirit Kings, Spirit Venerables, and Spirit Monarchs.

On the Spirit Martial Continent, those at the Martial Marshal and Spirit Marshal level were considered supreme powerhouses. Rumor had it that the Lu family's former patriarch was a Martial General.

Besides Martial Artists and Spiritual Cultivators, the continent was home to fearsome Demonic Beasts and Spirit Beasts. These creatures were formidable, and humans dared not to provoke them. Only the most formidable Martial Artists and Spiritual Cultivators would dare to confront these beasts. As such, Martial Artists and Spiritual Cultivators held exalted status on the Spirit Martial Continent.

"It looks like I need to become a Spiritual Cultivator or a Martial Artist. But why can't I become one?" Lu Shaoyou pondered, recalling that since childhood, it had been discovered that his meridians were defective.

Becoming a Martial Artist or Spiritual Cultivator would elevate his and his mother's status above their current standing.

"I have to find a way to become a Spiritual Cultivator or a Martial Artist. It's my only option," Lu Shaoyou resolved. In this world, to carve out a place for himself, these were the only paths available.

"I almost forgot about you," Lu Shaoyou said as he stripped off his tattered clothes to wash for his mother. He noticed the pale yellow snake coiled around his arm.