Volume One: Henry Norton's Illegitimate Son

An illegitimate son in the Henry Norton residence, sinister and ruthless, causing endless worry.

Chapter One: Ninth Level of Qi Refining

"You and I are both mere mortals, born into this world, toiling day after day, never a moment's rest—!"

In the Great Qi Dynasty, in a small courtyard within the Henry Norton residence, a familiar yet peculiar song drifted through the air.

The singer was a youth of thirteen or fourteen, dressed in fine clothes. Though his face still bore a hint of childishness, his eyes sparkled with a mischievous and clever light, occasionally flashing with a glint of intelligence.

He hummed as he sang, holding a scroll in his hand, swaying his head in a carefree, happy manner.

He truly was happy. As a young man of the new era, the idea of transmigration was certainly something to long for. Moreover, in his previous life, he had been on the run for certain reasons, and suddenly, he had transmigrated just like that. Even more, the identity he transmigrated into was quite extraordinary. Most importantly, this world was completely different from his previous one—a world where martial artists reigned supreme.

Martial artists held the highest status, somewhat similar to the martial arts worlds of ancient China, but clearly, the martial artists here were far stronger than those in most wuxia worlds, resembling more a world of fantasy.

However, there was no magic here, no immortal cultivation—only martial artists, only the path of martial arts.

This was what Gavin Norton had learned from the memories of the person he had transmigrated into. Rather than transmigration, it was more like a fusion of memories. The only difference was that Gavin Norton's consciousness and memories now dominated this body, while the original owner had left behind only fragments of his own memories.

From those memory fragments, Gavin Norton learned that the world he had entered was called the Great Qi Dynasty.

An ancient dynasty with a six-hundred-year history, and the history of the Henry Norton residence was just as long. He was the son of the current Henry Norton, Brian Norton. Of course, this did not mean he was a young prince—Brian Norton had more than twenty sons and over twenty daughters, and he was simply the most inconspicuous among them.

He was an illegitimate son—the illegitimate son of Henry Norton!

Entering a noble household is as deep as the sea. From the memories of the late Gavin Norton, being an illegitimate son in this royal residence was no easy task.

Of Brian Norton's more than twenty sons, only a few truly received his attention. As for this illegitimate son born of a maid, he was not even on his radar. Moreover, the way Gavin Norton usually conducted himself made it impossible for him to gain any favor.

"This guy is a total idiot and a fool!"

In this world where martial strength was everything, Gavin Norton actually chose to become a bookworm. Even though he was an illegitimate son of the royal residence, he still had the right and opportunity to learn many advanced martial arts techniques. Yet, he refused them all. The only thing he knew was a basic Qi refining technique—the Evergreen Art.

Oh, come on!!!

The Evergreen Art was the most basic Qi refining method, used in this world for strengthening the body—a bottom-tier technique you could buy at a street bookstore for ten copper coins. And this guy practiced only that. As for why he didn't train in martial arts, his reasoning was even more baffling—he thought fighting and killing were too barbaric. He believed this world was one of reason, and that one could persuade others with logic. The result? He was killed. Although now alive, the memories belonged to someone else.

"No matter what, I am now Gavin Norton. Two souls in one body—if one suffers, both suffer; if one prospers, both prosper!" After finishing ""Song of the Mortal"", Gavin Norton stretched helplessly, glanced at the scroll in his hand, and couldn't help but smile. "But, to be fair, this bookworm really had some skills. With his foundation, he might actually pass this year's child scholar exam. If he earns a title, life in the Henry Norton residence will be much easier."

In the Great Qi Dynasty, and indeed the whole world, martial strength was supreme. But this did not mean that scholars had low status. In fact, during the reign of a powerful dynasty, the status of scholars was nearly equal to that of martial artists—sometimes, they were even more respected.

As a grand empire with a six-hundred-year history, the status of scholars in the Great Qi Dynasty was extremely high, enjoying all kinds of privileges. Of course, the prerequisite was that you had to pass the imperial exams—at the very least, become a xiucai (licentiate).

"Xiucai? This world actually has imperial examinations too? How bizarre!!"

Indeed, this world had imperial examinations. In fact, it was very similar to ancient China in language, culture, and customs. The only real difference seemed to be in martial prowess—this world possessed extremely high martial strength, which gave martial artists a unique status. Moreover, martial arts were not suppressed here, and most martial artists also studied literature. Many people were accomplished in both civil and martial arts. Even some scholars with official titles were well-versed in martial arts, even mastering them and possessing great power.