At the foot of the mountain outside Yongtang City stood two solitary graves.
One of them was still fresh with newly turned earth.
Bai Yan knelt before the graves, slowly pouring out clear wine as an offering.
His mother had passed away over a decade ago. His father had gone to suppress bandits at Heifeng Stronghold three days prior and returned as only half a bloodied, mangled corpse.
"Rest in peace, Father," Bai Yan's voice was soft, carried away by the mountain wind. "Your son will soon avenge you. The Embroidered Uniform Guard is pressing me hard. Tomorrow... I must report for duty."
"You never wanted me to join the Guard," he paused, fingers tracing the cold surface of the wine pot. "You said my nature was too soft, that I'd be bullied. But rest assured, your son now... has the power to protect himself. As long as I can uncover the truth and avenge you, I will brave any danger, even if it's a dragon's pool or a tiger's den."
"Besides..."
His gaze shifted to the distant grass—where the corner of black cloth and a masked outline were faintly visible.
"At this point, it's no longer my choice to make."
Bai Yan had never told anyone he was a transmigrator. It had been two years since he broke the Prenatal Amnesia and regained the memories of his past life.
His father, Bai Lizheng, was a Company Commander in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Under his protection, Bai Yan's life, while not luxurious, was stable and comfortable. He had never truly witnessed the bloody storms of the martial world. He had only heard stories from his father or tavern rumors—tales of the Great Demon Dynasty's flourishing martial arts, of swordsmen who could cleave mountains and palm strikes that could sever rivers. But to him, they always seemed like distant legends.
Until three days ago, when legend became reality.
A masked assassin infiltrated his home under cover of night. The man's eyes gleamed with bloodlust, his blade work was vicious and precise, each strike aimed to kill. Bai Yan was driven into a desperate corner, his situation perilous.
At the brink of life and death, an icy voice abruptly echoed in his mind:
[Host detected in extreme peril, binding conditions met...]
['Max-Level Martial Arts System' activated.]
[Newbie Mission issued: Eliminate the intruder.]
[Mission Reward: One random max-level martial art.]
The instinct to survive overwhelmed everything. Fighting with a near-suicidal, all-or-nothing desperation, Bai Yan finally managed to turn the tables and kill the assassin.
The mission completion prompt immediately followed:
[Congratulations, Host. Acquired max-level martial art: 'Dragon-Elephant Prajna Technique' (Thirteenth Layer).]
A torrent of power, like a rushing river, instantly flooded his limbs and bones. His strength, originally barely Third-Rate, soared directly into the realm of a Grandmaster.
He thought the turmoil had subsided, but the assassinations did not stop. Today, while visiting the grave, he was attacked again.
"Father," Bai Yan said quietly, looking at the tombstone. "I've checked both groups. They're not from orthodox sects, nor do they seem like old enemies of yours... Their moves are pure killing techniques, their bodies clean of any identifying marks. They resemble death squads, specialized in dirty work."
He raised his eyes, a layer of frost gathering in their depths.
"I suspect... they're connected to the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
Membership in the Guard followed a strict rule: a son inherited his father's position upon death. There was no opting out. To outsiders, they were the Emperor's personal guard, imposing and glorious. Only those within knew it was a livelihood lived on the edge of a blade, where one's life could be forfeit at any moment.
In this world, a human life... could sometimes be lighter than straw.
Bai Yan's martial aptitude was mediocre. Despite years of training, his progress had always been sluggish. It was only through his father, Bai Lizheng, force-feeding him expensive medicines and driving him relentlessly with a cane that he was barely pushed over the threshold into the Third-Rate martial realm.
The martial path of this world was divided into eight major realms. Starting from Third-Rate, then Second-Rate, First-Rate, Innate Realm, Grandmaster, Great Grandmaster, and finally the legendary realms of 'Heavenly Connection' and 'Shattering the Void'—the latter two had not been seen for centuries. A Great Grandmaster could safeguard an entire region and was a rare sight. The prominent figures commonly seen in the martial world were mostly at the Innate or Grandmaster levels.
Third-Rate was merely the foundation, the lowest disciples of major sects. Within the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they were the pawns sent to the front lines, the most expendable sacrifices.
This was precisely why Bai Lizheng had never wanted his son to join the Guard. Being bullied was one thing; the constant risk of losing his life was the true fear.
With Bai Yan's mediocre, middling skills, he shouldn't have attracted a death sentence. The root of the trouble lay in his identity: he was the son of Company Commander Bai Lizheng. According to the Guard's ironclad rule of inheritance, he was to succeed his father's position.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard was already a perilous, hand-to-mouth profession where everyone sought to climb higher. Bai Yan's seemingly "unearned" promotion to Company Commander undoubtedly blocked someone's path.
Preoccupied with funeral arrangements these past few days, he had not yet reported to the Guard headquarters. With the position not yet officially filled, there was room for manipulation—with the man dead, the seat was naturally "vacant."
"Father, by your spirit in heaven, please help your son uncover the mastermind behind this."
The words had barely left his lips when the icy system prompt exploded in his mind once more:
[Ding! Host has triggered the mission: An Eye for an Eye!]
[If others do not offend me, I will not offend them. If others offend me, I will root them out completely!]
[Mission Objective: Find the mastermind and execute them personally!]
[Mission Reward: Max-level martial art—'Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms']
Bai Yan's pupils contracted sharply. The last trace of hesitation in his eyes was replaced by a cold gleam.
The system was right. To eliminate weeds, one must pull out the roots.
He kowtowed three times heavily before the grave mound.
"Father, your son is leaving. Once your great vengeance is achieved, I will return and tell you everything."
When he rose to his feet, all confusion and hesitation had completely vanished, leaving behind nothing but icy resolve.