Logan Grant didn’t say a word. He drew his sword, flicked his wrist, and with a flash of cold light, the huge sandalwood coffin in the hall was instantly reduced to wood shavings.

  “Someone, clean this up, take it out and burn it—get rid of the bad luck!” With his beloved son returned, Marquis Grant was in an exceptionally good mood.

  But Ethan Grant just smiled at his father. “Father, don’t you have anything you want to ask me?”

  “Hahaha.” Logan Grant laughed heartily and patted Ethan Grant on the shoulder. “You’re my son. No matter what you do, your old man will always have your back!”

  Ethan Grant was speechless for a moment. This dad really has no principles at all.

  To be honest, the former Ethan Grant wasn’t exactly the worst kind of wastrel, but he wasn’t far off. If he had really died this time, his epitaph could be summed up in one sentence—this man did everything in life except anything proper.

  Minor trouble every three days, major trouble every five.

  Because of this, Marquis Grant had long since lost count of how many times he’d had to clean up his messes.

  Of course, to be fair, the kid did have a few redeeming qualities—at least he valued loyalty and had a bit of responsibility. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to gather such a group of wastrel followers around him, all taking him as their leader.

  In short, finding virtues in the former Ethan Grant was like searching for a needle in a haystack. But finding his faults? You’d fill a whole basket in no time.

  For the children of nobility, a few minor flaws here and there weren’t a big deal. But this kid’s biggest problem was that he was especially lazy when it came to cultivation!

  “Sigh, what a guy who doesn’t know how to cherish what he has.” After merging with his predecessor’s memories, Ethan Grant had to admit that this Ethan Grant really was hopeless.

  With such a good father and decent talent, he was basically born with a silver spoon in his mouth in the Eastern Kingdom.

  Yet among his peers, he’d already sunk to the very bottom.

  Originally, as nobles, they weren’t supposed to reside in the capital permanently. They were supposed to live in their own territories.

  The reason all the nobles had gathered in the capital was to participate in the once-every-twenty-years Hidden Dragon Examination.

  There were 108 nobles in the Eastern Kingdom, but these positions weren’t permanent. The Hidden Dragon Examination, held every twenty years, was a test for the heirs of the nobles.

  Only by passing the examination could a noble’s heir inherit the noble’s token and continue to rule their territory.

  If they failed, they had to hand over the noble’s token, be stripped of their fief, lose their title, and become a retired noble family.

  Once that happened, it was likely the family would fall apart. Their power would be divided, their talent would leave—these were inevitable.

  After all, losing the noble’s token meant no more rewards, no more sources of income. Living off old glory, no retired noble family could support a large number of strong followers.

  Moreover, the kingdom would never allow a retired noble family to grow stronger than the current nobles.

  The Hidden Dragon Examination lasted a long time—a full three years.

  At the end of the three years, if the test was passed, a succession ceremony would be held in the capital. This meant that for the next twenty years, the noble’s token and control of the territory would be retained.

  Twenty years later, the younger generation would have to participate in the next Hidden Dragon Examination.

  The purpose of the Hidden Dragon Examination was to ensure that the nobles would always have new talent, and not become stagnant.

  If you’re not up to the task, you have to give up the noble’s token.

  That’s the law of survival in this world.

  Simple, direct, brutal, and rough!

Chapter 0006: The Worries of the Steward William Grant

  In such a fiercely competitive environment, the Marquis Grant household was in a difficult position.

  Now, there was only half a year left before the Hidden Dragon Examination ended. The former Ethan Grant’s performance had been a complete disaster. He still owed a huge pile of unfinished assessments.

  Even if the sacrificial ceremony hadn’t happened, Ethan Grant would still have been a prime candidate for demotion, with only a thirty or forty percent chance of passing at best.

  However, the current Ethan Grant was not discouraged at all. On the contrary, he was extremely excited.

  “The strong are respected—looks like this law of survival is the same everywhere, from the heavens above to the mortal world below. In my previous life, I couldn’t cultivate and never got to experience this. In this life, with my youth and potential, there’s no way I’m going to miss out!”

  In his previous life, he was the son of the Heavenly Emperor, with a lofty status. Almost no one dared offend him. Moreover, with his Yin constitution, he was unable to cultivate. Even if he wanted to hide his identity and compete with others, it was impossible.

  In this life, he could finally cultivate to his heart’s content and fully enjoy the thrill of striving for the peak of martial arts. This was the stage he truly loved.

  “I promised Lucas Bennett to enter the palace and diagnose the princess in three days. I have to make good use of these three days. And now, my identity is that of a noble heir participating in the Hidden Dragon Examination. There’s only half a year left before the final assessment. As the heir of Marquis Grant, even if the noble title isn’t much, I should at least help my lovable old man save some face, right? I can’t let him lose the noble’s token!”

  After sorting out his thoughts, Ethan Grant realized that time was tight.

  It had to be said, that beating in the Sacrificial Hall was truly vicious. Not to mention the former Ethan Grant, even a martial artist twice as strong would have struggled to survive it.