In a room filled with all sorts of luxurious items.

Su Chen stared at his own fair, tender hands, unsure whether to be happy or sad.

In this life, he had awakened his memories at the age of nine. A full eight years earlier than his previous life!

He thought for a moment. In this life, his surname seemed to be... Feng?

Feng Chen?

The name didn't have the best connotations.

Suddenly, Su Chen seemed to realize something, and his pupils contracted sharply.

Wasn't the royal surname of the Tianfeng Kingdom Feng?

Damn it, to think I was reborn into the royal bloodline of the Tianfeng Kingdom.

What rotten luck!

Su Chen had wanted to settle scores with the Tianfeng Kingdom in this life, what with all their damn, outrageous schemes.

"Wait... The Tianfeng Kingdom hasn't fallen yet?" Su Chen was stunned. The Canglan army should have been unstoppable.

He had to find out what had really happened back then.

Su Chen immediately walked out of the room and was met by a smiling youth.

"Ninth Brother, where are you off to?"

Su Chen retrieved information about the youth from his memories. His name was Feng Zi'an, a son of his unreliable marquis father and Su Chen's older, third-ranked, half-brother.

"I'm heading to the Library Pavilion to find a Martial Technique to practice."

Su Chen answered casually.

"If Ninth Brother needs a Martial Technique, you can just have a servant fetch one. Why go yourself?"

Feng Zi'an looked a little puzzled, then produced a pile of miscellaneous picture books with a sly grin. "Ninth Brother, these are treasures I've collected for years. What's so great about practicing Martial Techniques? How can it compare to the beauty of exploring the true meaning of life?"

Su Chen glanced at them and thought to himself, 'I'm just a nine-year-old kid, and you're showing me this vulgar stuff?'

Nevertheless, Su Chen obediently said, "Thank you, Third Brother. I'll accept these gifts."

With that, Su Chen quickly took the vulgar items.

An imperceptible glint of delight flashed in Feng Zi'an's eyes. He smiled and said, "If Ninth Brother likes them, then I'll find more of these 'true meaning of life' picture books for you."

Su Chen nodded with a smile. The two of them, one older and one younger, seemed to get along harmoniously.

The moment Feng Zi'an left, the smile on Su Chen's face instantly turned cold.

"Damn it," he cursed. "No wonder this body is only at the third level of Spirit Awakening."

He had started cultivating at five; by now, he should have reached at least the sixth or seventh level of Spirit Awakening.

The struggle for the heir's position was terrifying indeed!

Still, Su Chen went to the Library Pavilion.

The Library Pavilion contained not only the cultivation manuals and secret techniques of the Marquis's estate but also records of events from all over the land.

A white-haired old man looked rather surprised to see Su Chen arrive alone.

"Has the Ninth Young Master finally seen the light?"

He remembered that the Ninth Young Master had never been fond of places like the Library Pavilion. What a waste of the Ninth Young Master's talent.

Su Chen, on the other hand, was slightly astonished. The old man in the Library Pavilion had actually reached the Spirit Sea Realm. In his previous life, he had gone through countless hardships just to reach this level, and now, a mere Elder of the Library Pavilion was already at such a realm.

But considering the importance of the Library Pavilion, Su Chen found it understandable.

After searching for three consecutive days, Su Chen was completely baffled. Could his past self have been so insignificant that the Marquis's Library Pavilion held not a single record of him?

"Does the Ninth Young Master require my assistance?"

Seeing the dejected Su Chen, who had found nothing for several days in a row, the old man of the Library Pavilion proactively offered his help.

Su Chen hesitated. He didn't want others to know he was looking for records of Jiang Chen, which could cause unnecessary trouble.

But now, the inability to find news of his past life left a heavy weight on his heart.

In the end, Su Chen stated his purpose. The reason he gave was that he had accidentally heard of Jiang Chen's deeds and was curious, especially since both of their names contained the character 'Chen.'

Hearing this, the old man laughed dismissively. "Ninth Young Master, that Jiang Chen at best shares a single character in his name with you. How could he possibly compare to you?"

Su Chen was not interested in the flattery. He only wanted to know what had happened after his death in his previous life.

The old man continued, "That Jiang Chen disregarded military orders, which led to the loss of the border pass and allowed the Canglan army to drive deep into our territory. If not for Marshal Yu's decisive action to seize the opportunity and annihilate the main force of the Canglan army, I'm afraid our Tianfeng Kingdom would have been in grave danger."

"It's a pity about that favored daughter of the Tianlan Sect, Nangong Meng. She charged into the army, nearly ruining Marshal Yu's great plan, and ultimately died alongside that Jiang Chen, besieged by the Canglan army..."

The old man was still rambling on.

Su Chen suddenly felt a chill run through his entire body. He could barely hear the old man's words, his mind filled with a constant, droning buzz.

He disregarded military orders? Yu Zhengde annihilated the enemy and became a hero? Nangong Meng was dead? How could she be dead? Hadn't the reinforcements arrived?

Su Chen suddenly felt as if his heart was being squeezed and viciously kneaded by a pair of invisible hands. The agony was unbearable, and his head felt like it was about to split open.

"Ninth Young Master? Are you alright?"

The old man noticed the beads of sweat covering the Ninth Young Master's face and quickly called out, snapping Su Chen back to his senses.

"So that's what happened."

A dark, chilling smile appeared on Su Chen's face, looking utterly terrifying.

The old man found it strange, but then he recalled the estate's general opinion of the Ninth Young Master and let it go. The boy had always been an odd one, neglecting his excellent cultivation talent to study all sorts of strange things.

"What about Jiang Chen's family? What was their final fate?"

Su Chen asked in a steady voice.

At this, the old man spoke with hatred, "That Jiang Chen nearly caused the downfall of my Feng Clan's rule. How could His Majesty possibly spare them?"

"Rest assured, Ninth Young Master, they all received the punishment they deserved. No one who dares to shake the rule of my Feng Clan will ever meet a good end."

"Then I thank the Elder for clearing my doubts." Su Chen's tone was calm as he quickly left the Library Pavilion.

Back in his room, Su Chen said nothing, staring at his reflection in the mirror.

His eyes filled with a deep loathing.

But on his face was a bitter, tragic smile.

"A lifetime of cautious service is worth less than a few words spoken in the royal court."

"Yu Zhengde... You are truly ruthless. The reinforcements were a lie from the start. It was all a trap you laid!"

Yu Zhengde. In his past life, Su Chen had met him once with Lin Qingfeng. Lin Qingfeng's assessment of him... Ruthless, unscrupulous, and blinded by greed!

He had considered many possibilities. He had even considered that it was all a trap, that there were never any reinforcements.

Su Chen didn't care about any of that!

But Yu Zhengde had not only used him and an entire city as bait, he had also stolen all of his military achievements, painting him as a villain who disregarded orders and a sinner who nearly brought about the downfall of the Tianfeng Kingdom.

And Yu Zhengde, by 'turning the tide,' had become a hero, gaining who knows how many benefits in the process.

In the end, a lifetime of deeds was worth less than a few strokes of a brush in the history books.

"The Feng Clan... Yu Zhengde..."

A quick look at "paw𝑟ead.com" will leave you more fulfilled.

The reflection in the mirror was like a reawakened demon.