Yang Hong!
Your eyes narrowed sharply, a realization clicking into place—so it really was him.
You were no stranger to that name. In fact, you knew it like the back of your hand.
To the entire people of the Qianyuan Empire, the name Yang Hong was a household name.
Qianyuan God of War!Soul of the Imperial Army!Undefeated War Hero!
These were the titles bestowed upon Yang Hong throughout the Qianyuan Empire.
In the eyes of countless people, he was nothing short of a living legend.
Born a commoner, he'd joined the army and quickly made a name for himself. In just a few short years, he'd risen to the very peak, becoming the undisputed leader of the Qianyuan military.
He'd once single-handedly faced off against eighteen Heavenly Being Realm bizarre aliens on imperial soil, slaughtering them all with his fists and sword, forging his reputation as an invincible warrior.
Leading the elite troops of Qianyuan, he'd defended the empire with his life, striking fear into the hearts of foreign invaders until they dared not set foot on Qianyuan soil again.
Several decades ago, that had been Yang Hong's era. With his unparalleled talent, he'd overshadowed the proud young geniuses of the noble clans, making them bow their heads in defeat.
He'd promoted talented individuals throughout the Qianyuan Empire without regard for their background, defying the unspoken rules of the noble families and giving commoners a chance to rise.
His military discipline had been ironclad. Anyone who crossed him—even the scions of powerful clans—met a swift and brutal end.
When one Heavenly Being clan had dared to retaliate after he'd executed their young master, claiming their interests had been harmed, Yang Hong had marched to their doorstep and wiped out their entire clan, leaving no survivors.
Their Heavenly Being ancestor's head had been severed and hung from the imperial battle flag for all the world to see.
Afterward, the Qianyuan Human Sovereign had done nothing more than issue a mild reprimand and sentence him to drink three cups of wine as punishment...
Because back then, Yang Hong had been the sharpest sword in the Qianyuan Empire's arsenal.
The noble clans had seethed with resentment but dared not voice their anger, fearing him like a tiger. The common people, on the other hand, had revered him as a god, dreaming of one day becoming just like him.
In that era, Yang Hong had been hailed as the most powerful man in the empire second only to the Human Sovereign himself.
But several decades ago, this living legend had suddenly vanished without a trace, as if he'd never existed at all—as if he'd died.
In the years that followed, those who'd admired the Qianyuan God of War had erected statues in his honor, praying for his protection.
You'd even seen a statue of Yang Hong once before, back at the Sun Clan manor in the imperial capital...
But who could have imagined that the Qianyuan God of War had been hiding all this time in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains...
And that he was your uncle?!
「No wonder Big Brother Sun Shou said someone in the south would protect me. No wonder Liu Yue said I'd survive if I headed south.」
「Who could've guessed that a living imperial legend was hiding in the southern lands.」
「And that he's my blood-related uncle.」
A bright glint of shock flickered in Sun Qian's eyes. His gaze locked onto the southern horizon, his fists tightening involuntarily.
If what Yang Hong had said in the Villain Simulator was true...
Then his birth mother must have been Yang Hong's younger sister.
By process of elimination, the Qianyuan royal blood flowing through his veins must have come from his father's side.
And at that moment, all the clues pointed to his mysterious birth father—the man he'd never met—as the root of all his troubles.
「The most sinful, evil, and maddening bloodline in the empire... the Qianyuan God of War who suddenly vanished... me, hunted relentlessly by every faction under the sun...」
「Let me make a bold guess. My mysterious birth father, a member of the Qianyuan royal family, married Yang Hong's sister, gaining control of the military's power in the process. Then he launched a rebellion, nearly tearing the Qianyuan Empire apart...」
「But in the end, he failed.」
Sun Qian activated Supreme Mode in an instant, his mind racing as he analyzed the clues.
But several questions still lingered. Why didn't he know his parents' names?
If such a earth-shattering event had really happened back then, it would have been recorded in the annals of history.
So why was there no trace of it anywhere?
It was as if an invisible hand had erased that entire chapter of history from existence.
Then again, it made sense. A scandal of that magnitude would never be made public. Only the elders who'd lived through that era would know the truth.
「If that's the case, then my deadbeat father must have perished in the rebellion, taking my unknown mother with him...」
「Back then, the Sun Clan was part of my father's faction. They hid me away as a baby and raised me as their own. But recently, my true identity was exposed, drawing these pursuers to me...」
「So I'm not the Human Sovereign's son... but his grandson?」
「Is this the so-called truth?」
Sun Qian's brows furrowed deeply. Something felt off.
If that was really the case, how was Yang Hong still alive?
According to what Ghost Doctor Venerable had said earlier, the Qianyuan Empire had nearly been destroyed back then, which meant the rebellion had been a cataclysmic battle.
It was likely that even the Qianyuan Human Sovereign had come close to losing his life.
This was high treason—a crime punishable by death a thousand times over!
The Qianyuan Human Sovereign was not a merciful man.
If his father had led his uncle into rebellion, and his father had died for it, how had Uncle Yang Hong escaped with his life?
Would the Qianyuan Human Sovereign, who'd even killed his own son, hesitate to kill Yang Hong?
And how had the Sun Clan managed to protect him for so long under such immense pressure?
If the Qianyuan Human Sovereign had truly wanted him dead, he—this so-called "grandson"—would have never lived to see his eighteenth birthday.
Why go through all the trouble of plotting and sending assassins after him?
The Human Sovereign could have simply dispatched dozens of Heavenly Beings... or even come himself.
When a Land True Immortal made a move, who could possibly stand in his way?!
More importantly, what had given Liu Yue and the power backing her the courage to risk angering the Qianyuan Human Sovereign—a Land True Immortal—just to seek an audience with him?
And why had Liu Yue said that Yang Hong could protect him, that he would survive?
「Something's not right. There's definitely more to this than meets the eye.」
「What really happened back then?!」
Sun Qian had just lifted the veil of one mystery, only to find himself plunged into an even deeper fog of confusion.
You stared off into space, your mind reeling with shock and doubt, completely dumbfounded by this unexpected turn of events. It was as if the truth of what had happened all those years ago was an unsolvable riddle.
You turned your gaze to the middle-aged man before you—your uncle—wanting to ask about your parents. 「Uncle... can you tell me about Father and Mother?」
「A child shouldn't concern himself with such matters. They're not things you're ready to get involved in. Now that you're here with Uncle, I'll keep you safe for the rest of your life.」 Yang Hong's eyes drooped slightly, avoiding your question. It was clear he had no intention of talking about it.
Before you could open your mouth to press further, he issued a dismissal.
「You may leave now. If you need anything while you're here, just tell Uncle Dog. He'll see to it that you get it.」
「All you need to do right now is live. Living is more important than anything else.」
「It's a promise I made to her.」