Chapter 2: Violating the Ancestral Code Makes You Stronger
When Shen Hao woke up, he found himself in a room with a rich, ancient elegance.
After absorbing the memories, he was dumbfounded—this world was a mess.
He had originally been a journalist who got killed after exposing an illegal black coal mine.
Now, he had somehow become Ji Hao, the Fourth Prince of the Great Zhou Empire—an unloved and ignored prince.
Li Yuan, Ying Zheng, Zhao Kuangyi, Genghis Khan, Zhu Yuanzhang… all these ruthless figures from different eras were competing on the same stage. Damn, this world is crazy.
Just yesterday, the Emperor of Great Zhou had died suddenly. The entire court was in turmoil, and every prince's residence was flooded with visiting ministers—except his. He had been completely abandoned, forgotten like cold leftovers.
But on second thought, considering how dangerous it was to be the Emperor, Shen Hao figured that lying low as a carefree prince, eating and waiting to die, might not be such a bad deal after all.
[Ding-dong!
Congratulations, Host has awakened. "Violate the Ancestral Code to Grow Stronger" System activated.
Violating ancestral codes grants you rewards—the more you violate, the greater the reward.]
Shen Hao didn't know whether he was just slow-witted or just extremely adaptable, but he quickly calmed down.
"So... where's the newbie gift pack?" he asked out loud.
[Newbie Reward: The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon
*Ps: Cannot cultivate for now—requires the True Dragon Body and True Dragon Qi to activate.]
Shen Hao stared blankly. Then what the hell did you tell me all that for?
[Start violating ancestral codes to earn more rewards.]
Shen Hao was speechless. I just got here! I don't know a damn thing—not even what the ancestral codes are!
At that moment, there was a knock at the door.
Shen Hao blinked in surprise. Someone here at night? Thinking it was probably just a maid, he casually said, "Come in."
Creak—
The door opened, and instead of a maid, a middle-aged man walked in. His aura was calm and refined, brimming with scholarly grace.
Seeing Shen Hao, the man bowed respectfully and said, "Minister Pei Ju greets the Fourth Prince."
Pei Ju?
Immediately, the memory of this man surfaced in Shen Hao's mind.
A loyal official of the Great Zhou Emperor, Pei Ju had masterminded the campaign to weaken the feudal lords. That move enraged the regional kings and ultimately led to the Emperor's untimely death.
Still, this man held an important position—Minister of Personnel and a high-ranking court official. Why would someone like him skip over the Crown Prince and come to visit me?
"Minister Pei, what brings you here so late?" Shen Hao asked.
Pei Ju shut the door behind him, then dropped to one knee and declared, "Greetings, Your Majesty."
Shen Hao jumped. I'm still just a nobody—if anyone hears this, I'm dead meat!
"Minister Pei, I didn't quite catch that. Please stand," Shen Hao said hastily.
But Pei Ju shook his head. "The Emperor has died suddenly. Among the four princes, only Your Highness is suited for the throne. The others may be powerful, but the regional lords would never allow them to ascend. Only Your Highness fits the will of Heaven."
Shen Hao had no desire to be emperor. That job was basically a death sentence.
I don't even have a single loyal eunuch. Isn't this just asking to be killed?
"Minister Pei, I think you overestimate me."
Seeing Shen Hao remain unmoved, Pei Ju slowly stood up.
He studied Shen Hao carefully, his gaze growing more astonished by the second.
Shen Hao felt a bit uncomfortable under the scrutiny. "What are you looking at, Minister Pei?"
Pei Ju suddenly laughed heartily. "The world says the Fourth Prince is timid and incompetent. But now I see that's far from the truth. You remain calm even when faced with the throne—this level of composure and cunning is far beyond those immature brats. You, Your Highness, are the true hope for restoring the empire."
He then changed tone, adding, "I, Pei Ju, am willing to aid Your Highness in ascending the throne."
Shen Hao replied, "It's not that I look down on you, but the empire is already split into nine factions. The Great Zhou royal family has long lost its influence. Investing in me might not bring you any return."
Pei Ju said respectfully, "I, Pei Ju, never misjudge people. Although Your Highness appears harmless, you possess the aura of an emperor. To show my sincerity, I shall reveal everything."
Seeing Pei Ju talk to himself so seriously, Shen Hao had no choice but to nod. "Alright, go ahead."
Pei Ju took a deep breath and handed him a token.
The token was forged from black iron, engraved with the character 'Sacred' (圣).
"I, Pei Ju, was once named Shi Zhixuan."
Shen Hao's brain exploded. He blurted out in shock, "Evil King Shi Zhixuan?!"
Shi Zhixuan froze, looking at Shen Hao with even more surprise.
"Your Highness, you continue to surprise me. Even secret legends of the martial world are known to you? Impressive. Indeed, I am Shi Zhixuan, Master of both the Floral Sect and the Way of Mending Heaven."
It took Shen Hao a while to recover. His entire worldview had just collapsed. Even Shi Zhixuan is part of this world? This place just keeps getting weirder...
Shi Zhixuan solemnly declared, "In this life, the one I hate most is the Ci Hang Jing Zhai. Should Your Majesty ascend the throne, I ask that you help me unite the Sacred Order and destroy Ci Hang Jing Zhai."
Shen Hao asked, puzzled, "Then why choose me?"
...