"Where... a"m I?"Hu Yu slowly opened his heavy eyes, only to find himself in a room that felt strangely familiar, though he had never seen it before.The walls were adorned with symbols made from the word "double happiness," and red satin ribbons were hung everywhere.In the room, there was a bed, a table, and a vanity.From outside, the sounds of gongs and drums, along with the noise of people, suggested this was a newlywed's room."What happened? Didn't I die?"Hu Yu tried to stand, but a sharp pain in his head sent him crashing back onto the chair.He clutched his head, and the memories of what had happened earlier flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern.It was dusk, and gongs filled the air.Inside the ancient ruins, he had slain the Demon Clan's Holy King in a furious battle and retrieved the lost treasure of the human race. He had been crowned king and married his beloved, Tang Leqin, creating a legendary love story that would be sung for generations.But who could have predicted that joy would turn to sorrow? On the day of his wedding, his sworn brothers, those who had fought alongside him, secretly allied with rebels to betray him."Yu-ge…" Amid the chaos, his new wife trembled, her neck pierced by a traitor's blade.Once invincible, Hu Yu was now powerless, consumed by fury, yet helpless."Hand over the Avarice Tower, and for the sake of our years of friendship, I may spare her life."The traitor's cold indifference was as unfaltering as when he had dealt with Hu Yu's enemies.Tang Leqin was Hu Yu's only weakness."Yu-ge, goodbye."Just as Hu Yu was about to surrender the Avarice Tower, Tang Leqin gave a sorrowful smile, moved slightly, and passed away in his arms."Haha, you may have killed me, but you'll never get the Avarice Tower!"Fueled by grief and anger, Hu Yu poured every last ounce of strength into a strike, directing it at the nine-layered Avarice Tower. In an instant, blinding light engulfed the world."You died in my hands after all."The traitor, You Kuang, slightly lowered his head, his gaze flickering with pain as he carried Tang Leqin's lifeless body and tore through space to escape.Hu Yu knelt on the ground, his long hair flowing in the wind. He gave a self-mocking smile. "Leqin, if there is a next life, would you still marry this heartless man?"The intense pain gradually faded, and Hu Yu regained his senses. As he surveyed the room, he realized that, while this was indeed a bridal chamber, it was not the one he had shared with Tang Leqin."Leqin!"Hu Yu hesitated for a moment before calling out her name, but there was no response."What happened?"He attempted to use his spiritual sense to investigate, but to his surprise, he couldn't feel its presence at all.He tried to channel his true qi, but when he examined his dantian, once brimming with power, it was now a dry, empty pool. His cultivation was almost entirely gone. Yet, strangely, a nine-layered ancient tower was floating above the pool."Isn't this the Avarice Tower I found in the ruins?"The Avarice Tower, a human treasure, one of the reasons why someone had betrayed him.Hu Yu looked around again, the familiar feeling growing stronger. Suddenly, it clicked—he seemed to remember something. Stepping outside the room, he was greeted by a beautifully decorated courtyard with orange lanterns and weeping willows.A sense of déjà vu washed over him."This… This looks like the place where I was adopted as a child. It should have been burned to the ground long ago."A distant memory awakened.Linjiang City was home to three prominent families—the Lin, Liu, and Li families, with the Liu family at the forefront.Hu Yu was the only son of the famous Li family patriarch. With such a prestigious background, he should have lived a life of luxury. But fate played a cruel joke on him—his dantian inexplicably failed, and he could no longer cultivate. Despite the efforts of half the family, they could find no cure.For an ordinary person, being unable to cultivate might not matter much, but for someone of Hu Yu's noble status, it was a devastating handicap."The future head of the Li family is a useless cripple!"Whether intentional or not, such mocking words spread everywhere. He fell into despair, wasting his days in nothingness.By contrast, Lin Cui, the Lin family's eldest daughter, at only sixteen, reached the terrifying peak of postnatal cultivation and became a topic of praise, starkly contrasting Hu Yu's decline.Around the time Hu Yu was nearing adulthood, the Demon Clan invaded without warning. A great war loomed, and the Li family's guardians perished in the conflict. The Li family's power waned, and the ambitious Liu family sought to suppress them, nearly stripping them of their place among the three families.At this time, the Lin family, once content to watch from the sidelines, suddenly received a marriage proposal from the Liu family, with Lin Cui as the bride.As the old saying goes, "When the rabbit dies, the fox grieves." The Lin family patriarch had an epiphany. After careful consideration, he decided to form an alliance with the Li family—not through a simple marriage, but by requiring the Li family to send a son-in-law.Desperate for any help, the Li family had no choice but to comply.And Hu Yu, being a cripple and the son of the patriarch, became the most suitable candidate for this marriage.Looking back, it was laughable. Those who seemed so powerful in his childhood now seemed hardly stronger than ants."Was this an illusion from that person?" Hu Yu muttered, a flicker of hope rising in his heart as he slowly walked further into the courtyard.Step, step, step. At that moment, a middle-aged man, slightly plump, walked toward him, his expression gloomy.But Hu Yu froze completely."Father!"Under the pale moonlight, this middle-aged man looked strikingly like his father, Li Zhen, who had died over a thousand years ago—down to the mole at the corner of his eye.Could this be another illusion?Though Hu Yu thought this, his body seemed to act on its own, and he stumbled into his father's arms.A thousand years of regret, longing, and guilt surged within him, overwhelming his defenses, and he could no longer hold back."Silly child," Li Zhen forced out a weak smile, gently patting Hu Yu's back."Sorry, this is the decision those old fools made, and I can't do anything for you. Oh, by the way, did you use the Qingxian powder?"Hearing this, Hu Yu grew confused.Qingxian powder—it had been given to him by the family's elder, under the pretense of compensating him for the loss of his dignity. At the time, he had been so grateful, only to find out later that it was a deadly poison.He had barely survived, thanks to the Lin family's enormous efforts, though he had been left with a lingering illness that hindered his cultivation.At the time, Hu Yu had wondered why the Lin family, who looked down on him, had gone out of their way to save him.He only understood much later.Had he died, the marriage between the two families would have been broken, and the Liu family would have had an excuse to marry Lin Cui, putting the Lin family in jeopardy.The person behind this was already long dead, and Hu Yu had never told anyone. If what was happening now was indeed an illusion, then that seemed far-fetched.A sudden, wild thought crossed Hu Yu's mind. Taking a deep breath, he spoke the words he had said back then."The medicine was indeed used, and the effects were quite remarkable.""Yu'er, I'm useless. All I can do is get you this much."

Li Zhen gently embraced Hu Yu, his heart aching for his son.The reaction was identical to that time.Though it was hard to believe, could this mean I've been reborn?Did the Avarice Tower bring me back?A smile crept across Hu Yu's face, but he cautiously asked a few questions only he would know. Li Zhen answered each one without missing a word.This was really his father! Hu Yu's heart soared, and it took a while for him to calm down. His eyes were filled with determination as he said, "Father, there's no need to blame yourself. The elders were forced into a corner too."His tone was slightly cold as he spoke.He remembered that before his rebirth, his father had been beheaded by the family elder as a "gift" to Liu Family's masters, in an attempt to negotiate peace. Yet, the next day, the Liu family had still destroyed the Li family.Li Zhen was stunned. He felt that something was different about his son, who seemed to have grown more confident."My son has grown up."He smiled with approval, but his expression darkened as he continued, "But this is still the Lin family's territory. I shouldn't stay too long."Hu Yu smiled faintly. "Don't worry, Father. I have my own opportunities. Being adopted by the Lin family isn't a bad thing."Li Zhen forced a bitter smile before leaving.Having come to terms with his rebirth, Hu Yu looked out the window at the vast night sky and clenched his fist. "This time, I won't leave any regrets."Hu Yu then pulled out a small porcelain bottle from his pocket, his smile turning colder.As he silently planned his next move, someone pushed open the door and entered."Master, where is she?"The visitor was a sharp-eared butler, scowling as though the whole world owed him money."Miss asked me to inform you that she won't be coming back tonight."The butler added bitterly, "And just so you know, she'll have business every night from now on. You should know your place by now and stop having delusions.""The Lin family doesn't support useless people. Since you can't cultivate, you'll come with me to chop firewood in the woodshed. From now on, you'll live there.""And one last thing: you're not allowed to leave the mansion without permission. Got it?"The butler spoke as if explaining the house rules to a new servant, showing no respect.Hu Yu vaguely remembered that this butler had always picked on him after his adoption, bullying him at every turn. The first thing Hu Yu had planned to do once he regained his strength was to kill him.But after a thousand years, facing this man again, Hu Yu felt no anger at all. In fact, he even felt like laughing, laughing at his own past weakness."What are you still standing there for?"The butler lifted his chin arrogantly.Hu Yu parted his lips and calmly said, "Since I'm in a good mood, you'd better get lost."