Kunlun, the ancestor of all mountains.

Atop Duantai Peak, the wind howled, cutting cold.

Between two cliffs, a sliver of sky split like a sword mark. Mist churned below, thick as a river.

“Hey everyone, this is Liam, your adventure king.”

Liam walked along the cliff edge, phone in hand, live streaming.

“I’m right here at 3,700 meters altitude, bringing the edge of the world to your screen.”

“Huh? Someone’s over there. Probably another climber—rare up here. Let’s go say hi.”

About fifty meters ahead, a man in long white robes stood on a boulder.

His long hair floated in the wind. The flutter of his robe made him look like something out of a myth.

“Yo, brother, you climbing too?” Liam grinned as he approached. “Wearing that in this weather? You not cold? I’ve got an extra jacket.”

The man gave him a calm look, then shook his head slightly. “Not cold.”

“Whew.” Liam laughed, letting out a breath. “You local? Folks around here say this peak was split by a god or something.”

“A god?”

The man breathed in lightly.

Since ancient times, those who reached the level of earthly immortality were extremely rare.

The path of cultivation had nine stages—Qi Refinement, Foundation Building, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Fused Body, Spirit Form, Void Return, Great Completion, and finally, the Tribulation.

Only those who passed Tribulation could become immortals.

He’d been born in the late 19th century, obsessed with martial arts.

By the age of twenty, he was a warlord, founder of the Heavenly King Hall. Even the last emperor had honored him with the title “King of the South.”

Back then, even the regent bowed low in his presence.

But his dream was to seek immortality. A twist of fate brought him deep into the Kunlun range, joining Tiansing Sect.

Back then, countless sects filled the Kunlun range. He left the mundane world behind and focused on cultivation.

Yet... in the era of warlords and chaos, Heaven and Earth’s spiritual energy dried up. The world’s sects discovered the Immortal Gate and migrated to the cultivation realm.

Only he was left behind by his master at the sect. The entire legacy of Tiansing Sect boiled down to him.

Every thirty years or so, he’d leave for the cities, observing the world’s changes.

Five years ago, he made his final mortal journey. Upon returning to Kunlun, he entered seclusion. When he broke through to Nascent Soul Stage, he suddenly sensed he had a descendant.

That ripple in his soul shattered his spirit—his cultivation realm fell back to the peak of Golden Core.

Unbelievable.

Someone had borne a child for him?

The man frowned, shooting Liam a calm glance.

“There are no gods in this world.”

Then, he stepped forward—and walked on air.

The wind tore around him as Liam gasped, voice cracking with shock.

“Holy—what the hell?! How is that even possible?!”

...

In Taicang City, at the Dongsheng Restaurant on Jianhe Road.

On the second floor, in a private room, a beauty with a perfect oval face stared at Liam’s livestream on her phone.

“Whoa. That’s insane. He’s flying? Liam’s streams are next level…”

The table in front of her was packed with dishes, all mouthwatering.Beside her sat a baby stroller. Inside, a little girl, around two or three years old, was clumsily scooping rice into her mouth with a spoon.

“Mmm… Mama Sophie, want meat…”

The little princess looked like a porcelain doll, with chubby cheeks and soft hair tied into tiny puffs. She blinked her big innocent eyes, begging for food.

“You little glutton,” Sophie White chuckled softly.

“This dish is ‘Immortal Fortune Duck’. It’s a royal feast dish, you know.”

She tasted a bite, letting the rich duck flavor spread in her mouth.

“Not bad at all,” she muttered, then picked off thin shreds of meat and placed them into the little one’s bowl.

“Mmm-hmm.”

With a hum, Luna buried her face into the bowl and started eating seriously.

While mother and daughter ate, two men sat in the private room next door—Mr. Lewis, the restaurant manager, and the supervisor.

“Manager Lewis,” the supervisor lowered his voice. “Our guest today is Sophie White, a famous food streamer on Kuaiyu. She’s got 1.8 million followers on her microblog. She's currently tasting. Once her assistant arrives, we’ll start videoing.”

Lewis, dressed neatly in a suit, gave a curt nod. “I know. Real name Sophie White, lives in Modu City. Gerard specifically asked for her.”

“What? The boss is after her?” The supervisor was stunned. “She’s got a kid. Can he really get her?”

“So what if she’s got a kid?” Lewis snorted. “You're in Tancang now, Gerard’s turf. If she slips away, that’s a slap to Gerard’s face. Got it?”

“Understood. I’ll go make arrangements.”

The supervisor nodded and left.

In Sophie’s private room, two more dishes arrived. The waitress placed them on the edge of the table with a polite smile.

“Please enjoy.”

Sophie nodded in thanks.

As the waitress walked off, one of the dishes suddenly slid off the table.

Crash!

The plate shattered. Food scattered across the floor.

“Waaah!”

Startled, Luna burst into soft sobs in her stroller, lips quivering.

“Shh… don’t cry, Luna. It’s okay.”

Sophie set down her chopsticks and gently rocked the stroller, cooing softly.

She called toward the door, “Waitress, one of the dishes slipped and fell.”

After about ten seconds, the supervisor—the balding one—stepped in.

“Ouch!”

“What a mess!”

Seeing the broken plate, his face darkened. Fists clenched, he groaned, “Miss Sophie, how could you be so careless?”

Sophie frowned. “What do you mean?”

The supervisor raised his voice. “Do you have any idea what you just broke? That was a blue-and-white porcelain plate from the Yongle era—only twelve of those in the whole country! Worth over a million! And I generously used it to host you... and you broke it?”

Sophie’s expression turned cold.

“Take a proper look at that table. That dish was set down on a slick spot. I didn’t touch a thing. The plate slipped on its own. That’s on your restaurant, not me.”

“Slick spot?”

The supervisor glanced at the table and sneered. “You’re really going to play the blame game? That oil was clearly your doing. I didn’t expect this from you, Miss Streamer. Break something and try to shove the blame onto us? That’s low.”

“You—!”Sophie White was too angry to speak.

“What? Don’t play dumb. You broke that plate—today, you're paying for it.” The supervisor sneered.

“You say it's worth a million, so it is? Who even uses antique plates in a restaurant? This is a scam!” Sophie shot back, breathing hard.

The supervisor folded his arms, smirking. “Go find an appraiser if you want. I got all day.”

“My child’s here. I’m not going to argue with you.” Sophie’s face turned cold. “Didn’t think your restaurant would stoop so low. Guess we’re done working together.”

She grabbed her bag and turned to push the stroller.

“Leaving so soon?”

With a wave from the bald supervisor, over a dozen staff members swarmed into the room.

A setup.

A trap.

Sophie’s eyes widened. She knew now—this was planned.

“My assistant’s on the way. What are you trying to do?” Her voice rose, trying to sound tough. “You think I’m easy prey?”

“Oh? Is that so?” The supervisor laughed. “Even if you get out of this room, you won’t leave Taicang. This restaurant? It’s owned by Gerard Lawrence.”

Gerard Lawrence?

Sophie’s heart sank.

The rich brat from the Lawrence family in Taicang. He’d sent her tens of thousands in tips when she was live-streaming, then tried to talk her into being his kept woman.

She’d turned him down three times, refunded the money, and blocked him.

She never thought she'd stumble into their trap today.

“Sophie White, we’re past talking money here. That plate? It’s worth whatever we say it is. You’re just a small-time streamer. What can you afford?”

The supervisor spat his words like poison. “Do yourself a favor. Join us for drinks with Mr. Lawrence tonight, and this all goes away.”

“Not! Possible!” Sophie growled through clenched teeth.

“Anything’s possible.”

Mr. Lewis stepped through the door in a sharp suit. He walked up to Sophie—

Smack!

A harsh slap across her face.

“Still acting all high and mighty?” Lewis hissed. “You should be grateful Mr. Lawrence even noticed you, you filthy tramp. Think you can defy him in *his* city? In Taicang? You’ve got a death wish.”

Sophie collapsed to the floor from the hit. She scrambled to push the stroller behind her.

Luna’s wailing grew louder.

Sophie’s chest ached like it was being torn open. Through tears, she shouted, “Do you people have *no* law at all?”

“Law?” Lewis laughed. “He *is* the law here. Shut the door! Let’s see where she runs now.”

Creak—

The door shut.

Silent. Sealed.

In that moment, something inside Sophie shattered.

Was this how the world worked?

Power meant trampling others at will?

This wasn't right. Not at all.“Sophie White, let me tell you—drink with Mr. Lawrence tonight, and maybe you've still got a future. Refuse, and your life's over.” Mr. Lewis sneered, a scornful look on his face. “Come on, for women like you... it's not a big deal.”

Bang!

Before he could even finish, the private room door exploded inward, blasted apart by some unseen force.

Splinters flew.

A figure stepped through the wreckage, white robes clean as fresh snow, long black hair flowing. He looked like a noble lord from a legend.

Stunned silence.

Mr. Lewis, the supervisor, the servers—none of them dared speak.

Who was he?

How did that door just break?

No one moved. The air froze.

Only Sophie White stood there, staring in shock at the man now standing in front of her.

It was him.

Oswald Grant.

Time seemed to stop.

From the stroller came a soft, trembling whimper. Little Luna’s eyes, brimming with tears, met Oswald’s.

He walked forward. Step by step.

Stopping before the stroller, he looked down.

That child...

His child.

His daughter.

His blood.

Something stirred deep in his chest.

Luna's voice was tender, milky, far too soft for a child’s cry. She didn’t scream. She looked up at him, her voice breaking, almost inaudible.

“Don't... bully Mama… please... Luna’s good, Luna won't cry…”

Oswald’s pupils shrank.

A surge of pain clutched his heart.

What kind of life had made his daughter so afraid? So quiet?

She was just a toddler.

Why did her eyes hold that kind of fear?

“Luna’s not bad… don’t hurt Mama… please…”

Every word hit Oswald like a dagger.

“Who the hell are you?” Mr. Lewis growled, stepping forward.

Slap!

He didn’t finish. A sharp crack split the air.

None of them saw Oswald move.

But Mr. Lewis was suddenly airborne, slammed into the wall.

His eyes rolled, several teeth flew from his mouth, blood gushing from half his face.

“Aaaargh!”

Mr. Lewis screamed.

“You—how dare you hit Mr. Lewis! Do you know who he works for? Mr. Lawrence!” the supervisor shouted, backing away.

The other staff froze, not daring a step closer.

People fear the madman more than the thug.

And the man in white?

He looked like death itself.

Oswald glanced at Sophie, gave her a slight nod.

She bit her lip, stood up, and pushed Luna out of the room with shaking hands.

Before she got far—

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Dull thuds echoed behind her.

Muffled screams.

She didn’t look back.

Then—silence.

Footsteps followed.

Oswald stood at the doorway, face cold, voice like iron:

“Three days. Lawrence family turns over Gerard Lawrence… or I wipe out your bloodline.”

Inside, Mr. Lewis gasped, trembling.

“Who… who the hell are you?”

Oswald replied slowly, word by word:

“Heavenly King’s Hall. Oswald Grant.”