A single brick can manifest gods and buddhas; half a scripture can subdue saintly lords. He traverses worlds and becomes Edward Howard.

Empires, gods and demons, powerful clans vying for supremacy, stirring up storms and clouds.

Looking up at the stars and questioning the moon—who is the supreme being in this world?

An otaku from Earth, clutching a forbidden object, opens his eyes in an instant! Thus, the legend begins...

Chapter 1: Forbidden Object

The moment he opened his eyes, William Howard thought he had been resuscitated.

His whole body ached, and he was clutching something in his hand. Antique wooden bed, railings, round table, stools and chairs, vases, ancient books, inkstone, calligraphy brush—quarreling voices faintly came from outside. This was definitely not a hospital, nor his own tiny apartment...

He raised his hand. Those hands looked somewhat unfamiliar, and in that instant, he understood—this body was not his own.

He also saw clearly what he had been feeling in his hand since waking up: a brick.

William Howard guessed that this body must have been beaten up. Seeing the brick in his hand, a thought suddenly popped into his head: do people in this world also use bricks in fights? The original owner must have been quite the fierce type.

Just as he thought of the original owner, a splitting headache struck him. The aftereffects of soul transmigration appeared, and the original owner's memories flooded into his mind like force-feeding a duck. On top of that, his soul and this body were not well-matched, leaving his limbs weak. He fell back onto the bed, drenched in cold sweat in an instant.

Some memories gradually became clear in his mind.

"Edward Howard?" he muttered subconsciously, then gave a bitter smile: Is this what they call fate? And his earlier praise of the original owner's "fierceness" now seemed like a joke.

The original Edward Howard's identity was actually quite remarkable—he was born into the The Howard Family, one of the top families of the Great Xia Dynasty.

In Wudu City, gossipers often grouped the The Howard Family with the The Clark Family, The Bennett Family, and The Carter Family, calling them the "Four Great Pillars" of the Great Xia Dynasty. Although the Great Xia authorities would never officially acknowledge this, it was widely known among the people. Everyone knew these four were the true top clans, second only to the royal family.

As for the other noble families in the "Nobility District," their strength was far inferior, and they dared not compete with the Four Pillars.

The The Howard Family patriarch, Samuel Howard, was the greatest general of the Great Xia Dynasty, holding the title of Grand Protector General. Forty years ago, Samuel Howard, who came from humble beginnings, was just a minor officer in the logistics corps, commanding three hundred supply soldiers, transporting provisions for the elite Great Xia troops locked in fierce battle with the Di Rong cavalry along the "Qing Gorge Corridor" between Great Xia and Di Rong.

In the final battle at the Mo'er River, the Great Xia's wedge-shield formation was about to collapse under the Di Rong cavalry's assault, when Samuel Howard appeared out of nowhere, leading his three hundred supply soldiers straight into the Di Rong central camp. Samuel Howard killed the Di Rong's fiercest warrior, Jin Guici, in three moves, then, from thirty zhang away, unleashed a blade aura that severed the Di Rong commander's banner.

The Di Rong's morale plummeted. The Great Xia troops seized the opportunity to counterattack, achieving a great victory—thirty thousand enemy heads taken, countless prisoners, and twelve thousand warhorses captured. It was the greatest victory against the northern Di Rong in twenty years!

Afterward, this record was repeatedly broken by its very creator, Samuel Howard.

Rising from humble origins, Samuel Howard relied on iron-hard military merit to climb step by step to the pinnacle of power, commanding respect throughout Great Xia!

The three hundred supply soldiers of old had become today's most elite force—the "Wulie Vanguard" of Great Xia.

Now, Samuel Howard was truly the number one figure in the Great Xia military! In all of Wudu, no one dared cross him. Even the heads of the other three Pillar Clans would retreat at his approach.

But the original Edward Howard was not well-liked within the The Howard Family.

If William Howard, who in his previous life was penniless and had to struggle on his own, were to sum it up, the original owner was truly good-for-nothing.

With such a privileged background, he neither cherished nor made use of it. By the age of twelve, he was already well-versed in eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling. By fifteen, in just three years, he had ruined his health. He was especially foolish, yet insisted he was the smartest person in the world!

If you’re going to be a scoundrel, at least act the part. Even if you cause trouble, stand on Taiwu Avenue in Wudu, pound your chest, and shout, "I’m just this arrogant!"

At least that would show some backbone.

But the original owner? He was fiercer than anyone when causing trouble, but as soon as someone came looking for him, he’d immediately chicken out, unable to do anything except one thing: hide at home.

Over the years, because of Edward Howard, the mighty Hong Mansion—one of the Four Great Pillars—had been besieged and cursed at the gates countless times. People did fear the old master’s power, but when they stood at the gate and shouted, everyone could hear, and it was always the Hong Mansion that was in the wrong. Could Samuel Howard really abuse his power every time?

The Four Great Pillars—what a disgrace!

At first, the old master would personally handle these matters and then give Edward Howard a severe beating. Later, he was so furious he pretended he didn’t have this grandson. Then it was up to Edward Howard and Charles Howard's father, Richard Howard, to step in. After that incident, Richard Howard disappeared under sensitive circumstances, and in the entire The Howard Family, only the eldest brother Charles Howard still protected this younger brother.