Heaven has chosen me to walk this life, so I must seize every moment!

In this chaotic era of contending schools, in this era of a hundred factions vying for supremacy!!

With the Destiny of Po Jun, one must lead thousands upon thousands, wielding the blade and riding the horse...

With the Destiny of Zi Wei, one must bless all living beings, ruling over the rise and fall of the land...

With the Destiny of Fu Bi, one must govern the world, standing above all but one!

But with the Destiny of the Demon Star, I must confound fate, throw the nine provinces into chaos, and raid the world!

As long as the sage lives, the great thief will never cease!!!!!!

Who am I,

Who is me??

There was once a beast that would rather die in battle than turn back, whose body turned to dust on the vast wilderness after a desperate fight,

Now, I have returned, bringing with me my arrogance, and my... stubbornness!

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Main Text

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Prologue

Seventh Year of Dawei Jingyuan

During the Heaven-worship ceremony, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau suddenly caught fire. The blaze was extremely fierce. From Prince Wu Brian Carter, Director of the Astronomical Bureau Eric Bennett, down to the 1,307 guards and officials, not a single one survived.

After the fire was extinguished, six characters were found on the Sky Observing Platform where the ceremony was held: they were deeply carved into the stone with a sharp instrument, the marks extremely deep. Upon examination, they were identified as the handwriting of Prince Wu Brian Carter, each character written in blood and pain:

The Demon Star appears, the world falls into chaos!

The following year, the Demon Star appeared in mid-autumn, emerging in the west for over twenty days, passing through the constellations of Wuche, Dongjing, Xuanyuan, Houfei, and Taiwei, its fiery tip pointing at the Emperor's Seat.

Ten days later, Emperor Wei died suddenly. The world split into four, endless war and chaos, white bones filled the fields.

The territory of Dawei was eventually divided among five states: Northern Qi, Southern Zheng, Western Rong, Eastern Xia, and Central Tang. The five states adhered to the principle of allying with distant states and attacking nearby ones, checking and balancing each other, each with their own concerns, forming a situation where the states stood side by side and the world was somewhat stabilized.

As the saying goes, troubled times produce heroes.

During this era of upheaval, many hidden schools emerged: Confucianism, Legalism, Mohism, Daoism, Yin-Yang, Logicians, Miscellaneous, Agrarians, Novelists, Strategists, and so on.

The various schools established academies, competing for talent, recruiting new blood, seeking to serve the state, become generals or ministers, and expand their influence. This period is known in history as the Hundred Schools of Thought.

The Hundred Schools of Thought seemed to bring cultural prosperity, but in reality, the struggles behind the scenes were brutally ruthless, merely cloaked in the guise of civilization. Behind the scenes, each school strove to eliminate the others, with only one goal: to abolish all others and achieve sole supremacy!

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Volume of Beginnings: Under the Moon

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Chapter One: The Hundred Schools Contend

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, many years have passed since the appearance of the Demon Star.

The five states still exist, and the various schools are more prosperous than ever.

At this time, in the city of Hecang, people were in a state of panic. The streets, paved with blue bricks, were in chaos, with people running everywhere carrying their belongings. Even the waiters and patrons in the taverns would frequently cast fearful glances toward the city gates.

This was an important city on the border between Southern Zheng and Central Tang. Rumors of war had been circulating for three years, but even after all this time, no fighting had broken out. Still, every time there was talk of war, people would rather believe it than not, gripped by fear.

The saying "soldiers pass like a sieve, bandits pass like a comb" was no joke. Of course, this was largely due to the terrifying memories left by the chaotic times. "For a thousand miles, no rooster crows; white bones fill the fields" was not just a legend, but a fact witnessed by many elders.

"Hey, hey, hey, Second Miller, is it because I ate noodles at your place yesterday and didn’t pay, or did your luck at mahjong explode and you’re giving up your old trade?" The speaker was an ordinary-looking young man, standing across the street.

This youth didn’t look very robust; after walking a few steps, his chest would rise and fall. His appearance was at best delicate, but his eyes were exceptionally dark and lively, giving off a cunning and intelligent vibe.

The Second Miller he called out to was bare-chested, with a white towel draped over his shoulder, tending a small street stall. He looked like an honest, simple man. He was busy tidying up his utensils, and as he poured water into the blazing stove, the cold water sizzled on the red-hot coals. Looking up and seeing the youth, he immediately gave a wry smile:

"So it’s Young Allen. Where did you get that idea? Don’t tease me so early in the morning. My whole family depends on this stall to eat—when would I ever give it up?"

The Young Allen Jason Allen immediately replied:

"If it’s not like I said, then why are you packing up to go home just after dawn? Don’t you usually sell noodles here until sunset?"

Second Miller sighed and said:

"Young master, look at the times we’re in. The streets are full of rumors about war. How can I focus on this stall? I’d better go home early, pack up, and seek refuge with relatives in the countryside. When the chaos comes, soldiers only recognize gold, silver, and copper, not status or wealth. Rivers of blood are no exaggeration."

Hearing this, Jason Allen immediately scoffed:

"War? Who’s spreading such nonsense? Three years ago, there were rumors that Central Tang would attack, but look—three years later, it’s still peaceful."

Second Miller frowned and said: