To this day, The Carter Dynasty boasts tens of millions of scholars, hundreds of millions of acres of cultivated land, and countless workshops. Even peddlers and porters can wear silk long robes and tread in soft satin shoes—this is truly a land of wealth and a nation of civilization.

　　Govern the country with culture, secure the nation with martial strength!

　　The Carter Dynasty occupies the heart of the Divine Continent, surrounded by the wilds of Man, Mang, Di, Yi, and the overseas Ying wilderness—truly, powerful enemies abound. For over sixteen hundred years since its founding, its military preparations have never ceased, with a standing army of over sixteen million! The might of its military is evident.

　　Through more than a thousand years of war and turmoil, The Carter Dynasty has produced countless noble families, princes, generals, and ministers!

　　William Foster's father, Edward Foster, was granted the title of Charles Foster for his illustrious military achievements.

　　Charles Foster Edward Foster commanded an army of a million, stationed at the southern border of Jingzhou, suppressing the vast barbarian tribes in the wild jungles. For eight years, Charles Foster held the wilds, and his troops slew nearly ten million barbarian aliens—truly, corpses piled into mountains and rivers ran with blood. Among the barbarian tribes, the mere mention of Charles Foster's name would strike terror into their hearts.

　　For eight years in the south, with Charles Foster in command, the barbarian tribes dared not set foot into the heart of the Divine Continent. His formidable reputation was clear for all to see.

　　Edward Foster had two sons. The eldest, John Foster, was exceptionally gifted. At twenty, he reached the “Formation Level,” and in the war against the northern Di tribes alongside the Loyal and Faithful Marquis, he achieved great military merit. He was rightfully known as the foremost scion among the capital’s nobility.

　　With such a distinguished father and elder brother, William Foster hardly needed to strive—his future was already bright.

　　In fact, William Foster chose a path completely opposite to his brother John Foster: the path of scholarship.

　　From a young age, William Foster had no interest in martial arts. With his brother John Foster to inherit their father’s martial legacy, William Foster had little motivation to practice martial arts himself. The family tried to persuade him a few times, but seeing William Foster's resolve, they did not press the matter.

　　Clad in brocade, feasting on delicacies, attended by servants—such a life could have continued for William Foster until the end of his days. Yet disaster struck from the blue.

　　At age twenty-four, William Foster's elder brother John Foster, during a campaign against the northern Di, ventured deep into enemy territory and was eventually surrounded by the Di army. Though he escaped with his life, he was crippled by a Di master—losing a leg and all his martial prowess. After returning to the capital, he became withdrawn and despondent, rarely leaving his quarters. One day, a servant found John Foster had taken his own life in his room.

　　From then on, the fortunes of the The Foster Family plummeted.

　　Three years after his brother’s death, his father, Charles Foster Edward Foster, was found guilty of treason and collusion with the enemy, with irrefutable evidence. The matter alarmed the emperor of The Carter Dynasty, who personally led an expedition into foreign lands to execute him.

　　When the news arrived, William Foster's mother, Mrs. Clark, committed suicide in their residence, remaining loyal to her husband.

　　At the same time, the imperial guards of the capital stormed the The Foster Estate. All three hundred members of the The Foster Estate, without trial by the Ministry of Justice, were executed outside Chongyang Gate that very day.

　　……

　　In just one day, William Foster lost his father and mother, his family was destroyed, and his clan exterminated!

　　All of this swept over him like a raging tide. William Foster could only watch helplessly as it all unfolded before his eyes. Regret, pain, and self-reproach filled his heart. For the first time, William Foster regretted his decision to abandon martial arts for scholarship. But it was already too late.

　　As three hundred and twenty blades flashed in the darkness beneath Chongyang Gate, William Foster finally let out a roar of regret and unwillingness.

　　The blade swept across his neck, and William Foster's head flew high into the air. He saw a pillar of blood spurt from his still-standing neck, and then—endless darkness...

　　When he awoke again, William Foster found himself here.

　　……

　　“Good child, don’t cry. You are a man of the The Foster Family, and men of the The Foster Family do not shed tears.” Mrs. Clark couldn’t help but feel a bit surprised; in her memory, this was the first time her child had cried in front of her.

　　William Foster rested his head on his mother’s shoulder and nodded vigorously. He was like a gambler who had lost everything, only to have all his stakes returned in an instant, granted a second chance at life.

　　“Mother, no matter what price I have to pay this time, I will never let you leave me again.” William Foster solemnly vowed to himself. Not just his mother, but also his brother, his father... William Foster had lost them once, and he would never allow himself to lose them a second time.

　　Everything felt like a dream.

　　Only William Foster knew in his heart that all of this was real—he had been given a second chance at life. Though he did not understand how it had happened, William Foster knew he would never let this chance to change his fate slip away.

　　Feeling the warmth from his mother, William Foster's mood gradually calmed, and only then did he feel a tearing pain throughout his body.

　　Pain, illness, imperial physicians, mother... The events that had occurred in the brief moment after awakening flashed through his mind, gradually merging with the memories in his head.

　　William Foster remembered something.

　　At age fourteen, he had fallen “ill.” To be precise, it was because he had been beaten up by the children of Edward and William. The reason was that Little Edward and Little William had cursed Charles Foster for his lowly origins, calling William Foster—as the child of Charles Foster—a bastard.

　　Unable to endure it, William Foster talked back, and as a result, was beaten by the two of them. This was not the first time, but this time was especially vicious. William Foster was bedridden for three days, and his mother Mrs. Clark even summoned the imperial physician from the capital to treat him.