Damn it! Let’s smash the darkness together!
Chapter 222 - 31: Heroes arise among us in a turbulent world, once entering Jianghu time flies by (Not splitting the - , won’t you offer monthly votes?)

Chapter 222: Chapter 31: Heroes arise among us in a turbulent world, once entering Jianghu time flies by (Not splitting the Chapter, won’t you offer monthly votes?)

At this moment, the 18-year-old Xu Shu (Zuo Chang’an) sat in a luxurious guest carriage pulled by eight tall horses, reflecting on his experiences over the past eighteen years, he couldn’t help but sigh deeply.

His mother, Luoning, had begun clandestinely spreading the concept that every person under heaven could become a sage, planting seeds of faith among the common people, as early as fourteen years ago, after officially assuming the position of Minister of the Ministry of Justice.

Thus, once she ascended to the position of Grandmaster, with her solid foundation and momentous influence, it took merely three years to induce earth-shattering changes throughout Tang Country.

Although there were still many dissenting voices, those were merely the cries of those whose interests were harmed. The true common folks, who reaped the benefits, who would oppose them?

He who won the hearts of the people owned the world.

Even Xu Shu himself could only marvel at the sheer scale of a true leading lady.

Truly, it was heavenly defiance indeed!

Could this really be the work of a mere mortal?

Of course, to Xu Shu, this was actually of no significance.

The real issue was that,

in this world, he had lived in Chang’an City for eighteen years and had faced smooth sailing throughout.

Moreover, with such a powerful mother, not to mention danger, he hadn’t even encountered any significant challenges.

After all, Luoning was human, even if a remarkable one. She might have been a strict educator, but she had also provided more than enough care and love towards Xu Shu, her only relative by blood in the world.

Yet Xu Shu was not quite satisfied.

Life had been too comfortable. His days were spent either studying the classics or practicing riding and martial arts under the meticulous care of his aunties, maintaining his vitality!

At this rate, living an unremarkable life, he guessed that his legendary rewards would be of the lowest tier.

Although the legend had only begun as a means to avoid assassination by an earl, with little expectation at the start,

if there was a chance to pursue better rewards, Xu Shu still desired to seek them, after all, he possessed a Purple Fate Chart. Just one "Heavenly Defiance" entry would guarantee him an epic reward—a yet-to-be-determined path to a "Mark Altar."

This was a crucial item Xu Shu needed to acquire an epic mark.

How could he not be anxious?

Fortunately, after reaching adulthood, Xu Shu’s tranquil life saw a slight change.

Watching the image of the carriage traveling through the frost-kissed, red-leafed forest, thinking of his destination, Xu Shu felt a surge of fighting spirit. He smacked the plump white leg of the beauty next to him with force, reddening the area at the base of her leg, eliciting a gasp.

"Y-Young Master, please be gentle~"

[Now, in the 18th year of Qingli, you’ve grown to 18 and are leaving the capital for the first time.]

[Seeing you indulging in daily decadence, lacking ambition, your mother knew you had no desire to enter the court as an official. When she asked you what you wanted, you said freedom. After considering it overnight, she decided to respect your choice.]

[The next day, the Grandmaster issued an edict, and you were driven out of Chang’an, though not deprived of your household registration. You were only sent out to engage in proper matters.]

[In the world today, the seasons are kind, the literate are rich, and the martial are powerful; every person is as a dragon, and the influence of Jianghu has proliferated immensely.]

[Solar lords, dual saints of north and south, three Taoist sects, four Buddhist temples, Five Mountains Sword Sect, six hills, seven lakes, the Eight Desolate Disciples, the Nine Lands Heroes!]

[As the Grandmaster, your mother seems to be rather tolerant towards the folk of Jianghu. Sect Leaders of top-tier sects even have a significant voice within the court, with deep-rooted influence.]

[In this world, a dazzling Jianghu has flourished to the extreme!]

[And your journey is precisely to study the arts under one of the current premier Martial Arts Sects, the sect found by your mother for you—the one closest to Chang’an City from the Five Mountains Sword Sect—Hua Mountain Sect.]

["She herself cast aside the cumbersome classics to institute reforms, yet insisted on forcing those very texts upon me. I truly can’t comprehend women. Thankfully, she’s finally given up. With my departure, I’m entering a new world."]

[You sit inside the luxurious chariot, feeling elated. As the vehicle approaches the foot of Hua Mountain at Fengwan Forest, you are struck by the sight of the mountains bathed in red, and you suddenly call out: "Stop the chariot!"]

["Young Master, what’s wrong?" The ones accompanying you are, of course, the three young ladies (subordinate aunts) who have taught you since childhood, about 30 years of age, yet untouched by men, each a rare beauty, still charming. Moreover, under your mother’s meticulous tutelage, although women, they are progressive thinkers—daring to dream, to act, and remain utterly loyal to you.]

[You say, "Let me test you, there’s a poem, fill in the blanks for me. Distant mountains, cold, narrow paths damp, amidst white clouds, someone dwells, stop the chariot amongst XXX, the maple woods at eve more red than February flowers."]

["Master, how naughty, it’s ’stop the chariot for one loves the maple woods at eve’." All from distinguished families, each the daughter of a scholar, well-educated and learned, so they all answered correctly.]

["Well answered, deserving of a reward."]

[You pull the three daughters of the scholar into your embrace, and atop this luxurious chariot, you consummate the relationship, moving towards a grand harmony of life.]

[At eighteen, under the shade of Hua Mountain at Fengwan Forest, you experienced your coming of age. You were born as the ’Three Yangs begin to thrive,’ and now, as an investor, you’ve learned the ’One Yang through Three Lines’ stock-selecting formula. If you were reincarnated three thousand years later, you’d be the Wolf of Wall Street. That’s the spirit!]

[If you dared such a thing in the real world, the Tai Chu Scroll would proclaim you the strongest but in the legend, the Tai Chu Scroll can only say that you’re far from enough.]

[After all, your mother cuckolded your lowly stepfather first, but he too lacked integrity, yearning for worldly beauty from the start. After marriage, he indulged in debauchery, in turn, cuckolding your mother. As her sole offspring, it’s only right that you avenge her on Zuo Bojun, who shares no blood with you. As for the daughters of the three scholars, they hold no relation to Zuo Bojun either, they are practically your fostered brides.]