“On the twenty-ninth day of the ninth month, in the twenty-seventh year of Tiansheng, clear skies. My wounds healed, I went out and by chance obtained the inheritance of the Eternal Evil Emperor and Gongshu. Thus, the foundation of martial arts begins—”

　　This seemed to be predicting what he would experience in a few days. But the Eternal Evil Emperor? Who was that? In ancient times, there were several figures who bore the title of Evil Emperor, all of them powerhouses of the Heaven Rank, but who was this Eternal Evil Emperor?

　　And this Gongshu—could it be that master craftsman Gongshu Ban, who was the equal of the Mohist school and known as the greatest artisan under heaven several centuries ago?

　　The foundation of martial arts begins here—was this true or false?

　　If only these two lines, they would merely have surprised him. But another line, carved several yards away at the base of the stele, made Charles furrow his brow deeply.

　　“On the fifteenth day of the fourth month, in the third year of Yuanyou, rain! The Left Chancellor Li Si falsely accused me of treason. The Emperor believed him and gathered eighty-one Heaven Rank powerhouses to ambush me in the imperial palace, summoning me there. He also ordered the Minister of Justice to lead fifty-three thousand Left Imperial Guards and six thousand Mohist automatons to raid and execute the Prince An’s residence. On that day, the entire Foster clan of Prince An—one thousand seven hundred and forty-five people—were all slaughtered. Anxi Bo Richard fought bravely and died; his wife, unwilling to suffer humiliation, hanged herself! I borrowed the power of the Spirit-Refining Vessel to escape the palace alone. Upon hearing the terrible news, I was overwhelmed with grief and rage. If not for Uncle Xin’s help, my cultivation would have been utterly destroyed.”

　　Charles was secretly angry. He did not believe the words on this stone stele, yet when he looked at the characters carved there, he still found them unbearably harsh to the eye.

　　This Prince An should refer to himself—his own title was Duke of An, but just now that ‘Charles’ called himself Prince An, which meant that his ‘future’ self had been promoted to prince? If he truly could achieve such fortune, it would indeed be quite good.

　　But what happened next? His whole family wiped out? Grandfather died in battle? Beloved wife hanged herself? What was this? Was someone cursing him?

　　With a cold snort in his heart, Charles forcefully suppressed the frustration in his chest and continued to look around, searching for a way out. This ten-zhang-square space could be seen at a glance; not only were there no doors or windows, but also no mechanisms for entry or exit. Just as he was searching in vain, at a complete loss, the girl in the corner silently tossed over a bamboo slip.

　　Charles was at first puzzled, but after looking at the bamboo slip, he realized it was the last words of that ‘Charles’. This person must have worried he wouldn’t be able to finish speaking, so he recorded some words in advance on the bamboo slip. The contents were much the same as what the Prince An ‘Charles’ had said before. What Charles focused on was the latter part, which not only recorded the method for entering and exiting this Sun and Moon Spirit-Refining Vessel, but also how to use the Two Forms Seven Wonders True Fire, the Nameless Cauldron, and the Overlord Spear. However, there was no explanation of the girl’s origins—only that she could assist him in learning the Gongshu school’s artifact-crafting techniques, and that her martial strength was extraordinary, comparable to a high-level Heaven Rank, and that he should treat her well.

　　To leave this Spirit-Refining Vessel, was it really this simple? Charles was half in doubt, but still gave the back of his head a hard slap and focused his mind. In the next instant, he felt the world spin, and when he came to, Charles found his consciousness had already returned to his own room. Then he saw his grandfather, Anxi Bo Richard, sitting on the steps outside the door, wailing, tears and snot streaming down his face as he cried, “My son was a hero all his life, commanding six thousand Mohist automatons and sweeping across the world, his name shaking the Seven States, invincible wherever he went! But how did he end up with a scoundrel like you? How will I have the face to meet your father after I die?”

　　Charles was dazed for a moment at his return, but after regaining his senses, he let out a cold laugh: “Old man, you really have the nerve to say that? Even if I, Charles, turned over a new leaf, would you have the face to meet my father and mother? Who are you putting on this show of crying for? And just now, whose leg were you threatening to break, who were you planning to whip?”

　　Richard’s wailing stopped abruptly, his brows twisted in anger as he stared at Charles. Yet the other’s gaze did not yield in the slightest, filled with rebellion, resentment, and dissatisfaction, with not a trace of familial affection or guilt. Richard’s face turned blue and white by turns, and after looking at Charles for a long time, he finally sighed, “I know you’ve suffered, Chong’er, but why must you give up on yourself?”

　　“Heh, things are already like this—if I can’t live as I please, then what’s the point of being alive? If you want to wail, go somewhere else, and cry even louder if you like. Let everyone see, so they’ll gossip about how I, Charles, am unfilial, and say I deserved to lose the title of Duke of An.”

　　Charles sneered, then wearily brushed his sleeve, not wanting to speak to his grandfather any longer. His head was injured, and he had been weak since waking up today. After experiencing the Spirit-Refining Vessel and the bizarre encounter with that ‘Prince An’ Charles, he felt even more exhausted, now dizzy and lightheaded.

　　“Chong’er, why do you torment yourself so? Even if you want revenge, there’s no need to provoke the Empress Dowager.”

　　Richard’s expression grew even more helpless and sorrowful. He wanted to say more, but seeing that Charles had already closed his eyes to rest, clearly unwilling to respond, he could only sigh deeply and, his figure hunched, leave the Cuiyi Garden, his back looking incomparably lonely and desolate.

Chapter Three: Mechanical Puppets

　　After Richard left, Charles opened his eyes again, still filled with a mix of resentment and ferocity.

　　“Your Lordship, actually, the Marquis cares about you very much. During the days you were unconscious, I saw the Marquis stay by your side without leaving, caring for you day and night without closing his eyes.”