Volume One, Chapter One: Awakening Memories

“Su Yuan, all your suffering is the doing of your elder brother. Now that you have become paralyzed, you and your daughter might as well wait to die!”
“Your elder brother will take the crown prince’s throne for you! Ha ha…”
Vicious words and wild laughter echoed mercilessly in Su Yuan’s ears.

“Su Ming, Lu Lihua, I will kill you both.”
Su Yuan opened his eyes, shouting angrily as he sat up.

Since being stripped of his royal status and beaten into paralysis, confined to bed, Su Yuan had been tormented relentlessly, waking constantly from nightmares.

He had once been the Second Prince of the Great Chu, his mother the Empress, and his maternal grandfather the Duke of the Northern Frontier, commanding 200,000 troops. His wife was the eldest princess of Great Qing.

Though he had hidden his talents, to outsiders he was just an average prodigy—still, the undisputed heir to the crown prince’s position.

His elder brother, the Crown Prince Su Ming, conspired with their mother’s consort, Lady Lu, to strip him of everything.

His mother was poisoned to death; his maternal grandfather’s family was wiped out, leaving only a lonely survivor; his wife was forcibly taken back to Great Qing.

He was demoted to commoner, forced into the slums, and finally beaten into paralysis! Each time he recalled this, his heart filled with boundless hatred.

Now, to his astonishment, he found himself sitting up.

Since his paralysis, sitting up had been nothing but a distant dream.

A surge of joy filled him as he hastened to activate the Eight Dragon-Grasping Techniques.

He discovered that all the blocked meridians in his body had been cleared.

Half a year of arduous training had not only restored him but also increased his strength.

Speaking of the Eight Dragon-Grasping Techniques, Su Yuan harbored another identity—a transmigrator.

In his previous life, he had been the leader of a special operations unit on Blue Star. The Eight Dragon-Grasping Technique was mandatory training for every member.

During one mission, he was betrayed and killed, only to be reborn in Great Chu.

But his memories had been sealed away.

After losing everything, the emotional upheaval triggered the awakening of his past memories, granting him the Eight Dragon-Grasping Technique, a profound method of rejuvenation through the I Ching.

“Father… it’s time to eat…”

Suddenly, a gentle child’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

Su Yuan turned his gaze and saw a small, frail figure at the doorway, struggling to carry a steaming, battered bowl.

It was his daughter, Su Xingmeng, only four and a half years old.

The little girl wore a tattered hemp garment; her lips were purple and cracked. Her small hands, clutching the bowl, were covered with frostbite. Her tiny frame trembled slightly in the cold winter breeze drifting indoors.

Her face was rough but still bore delicate features; her large eyes were bright and lively.

The instant he saw her, a wave of bitterness and heartache surged within Su Yuan. Tears streamed down his fierce eyes.

Since his paralysis half a year ago, his daughter had been his sole caretaker. Without her, he would have long perished.

A prince reduced to nothing, living in the royal city yet worse off than a commoner.

Those aware of his identity avoided him like a venomous snake.

“Father, what’s wrong… please don’t scare Mengmeng…”

Seeing Su Yuan weep, Su Xingmeng dropped the broken bowl, which shattered instantly. She rushed anxiously to his side.

Her tiny hands nervously gripped his clothes, tears streaming unceasingly from her bright eyes, filled with fear and helplessness.

Su Yuan clasped her cold, frostbitten hands, his heart aching sharply.

He gently stroked her head and spoke softly,
“Mengmeng, Father is fine… you’ve suffered so much…”

During his bedridden months, his daughter had scavenged scraps of garbage and rotten vegetables to stave off hunger, keeping them both alive.

The little girl had endured countless sneers and abuses.

Sometimes she returned with bruises on her face and dried blood at the corners of her mouth.

Now, in the bitter midwinter, she still wore thin clothes.

She never once complained of hardship or fatigue. Every time she came home, she greeted him with a smile and devoted herself to caring for him.

The phrase she said most often to Su Yuan was,
“Father, you must get better soon. We will find Mother. Now, Mengmeng has only you. Please don’t leave Mengmeng behind. Mengmeng can take care of you.”

A mere four-year-old girl, with her fragile frame, carried the weight of their small family.

Her obedience and understanding moved Su Yuan to tears.

Such a young child, who should have lived without worries, forced to endure the cruelty of life.

Seeing that Su Yuan was truly alright, her expression softened. She smiled sweetly.

“Father, Mengmeng is fine. As long as you’re well, Mengmeng is willing to endure any hardship.”

Her gaze fell on the shattered bowl and the spilled vegetable mush on the floor, her face crumpling in regret.

“Father, the vegetable mush spilled… there’s no breakfast now…”

Looking at the unrecognizable mess on the ground, Su Yuan felt a fresh pang of pain.

He had witnessed his daughter’s suffering all this time but could only watch helplessly from his sickbed.

He hated that he was barely clinging to life, yet dared not die.

He feared that if he died, his daughter would lose all hope and the will to survive.

Thus, he pushed himself to master the Eight Dragon-Grasping Techniques.

His efforts bore fruit—he had recovered!

“It’s alright. Father will take you to find something to eat now…” Su Yuan stroked her head, rose from the bed, and lifted the little girl into his arms.

“You’re better…” The child’s face lit up with joy.

In her anxiousness, she hadn’t noticed that he had been sitting up just moments ago.

Her eyes were red from crying, and the pent-up grievances of these past days exploded as she clung to his neck, sobbing softly.

This little girl had endured far too much suffering.

She was scolded as a beggar when scavenging for scraps, and some cruel souls even struck her.

Once cherished as the young princess, she had never known such hardship. Yet, for her father’s survival, she bore the insults and blows silently.

He was her only family.

Without him, she did not know how she could live.

“Mengmeng, don’t cry. Father is here now. You won’t have to scavenge or endure abuse anymore!” Su Yuan comforted, patting her back tenderly, his heart breaking anew.

Only four years old, yet how had she endured so much?

The little girl clung tightly to Su Yuan, as if afraid that letting go would make him vanish.

Father and daughter stepped towards the door, a cold wind blowing in, causing them both to shiver. It was midwinter, the chill deepening, yet they still wore thin clothes.

They once had some belongings and clothes, but their landlord took everything as rent.

Even their worn quilt was nearly seized.

Paralyzed and unable to resist, Su Yuan was powerless.

They could not survive the winter in such scant attire.

Su Yuan was grateful to have regained his past memories and the Eight Dragon-Grasping Techniques.

Otherwise, they would have silently perished this winter.

But survival was no easy feat.

Their greatest threat was not only the cold and hunger but also Consort Lu and the Crown Prince’s faction!

They had yet to kill Su Yuan and his daughter, deeming them harmless for now and unwilling to act.

But now that Su Yuan had recovered, Su Ming and his mother would never let them live in peace.

With his current strength, escaping the capital would not be difficult. They could survive anywhere in the world.

Yet Su Yuan could not bear to leave so easily—the vengeance for his mother and maternal grandfather’s family, the suffering he and his wife endured—

How could any of it be left unresolved?

Not to mention, his wife, forcibly taken back to Great Qing, was still waiting for rescue.

His only chance was to reclaim his status as a prince. Only then could he seek revenge and have the power to bring his wife back.

Su Yuan held his daughter close as they left their courtyard and the slums behind. It was near dawn, and the streets were sparsely populated.

After almost half an hour, they arrived at the Zhuque Street Plaza outside the palace.

The plaza was draped with enormous curtains, guarded by imperial soldiers.

Today was the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, the twenty-third year of the Qianjing reign of Great Chu.

The annual civil and martial arts contest between Great Chu and Great Qing was to be held here.

Though the two nations had coexisted peacefully for over twenty years, beneath the surface they remained rivals.

This cultural and martial competition was a prestigious event deciding their honor, and Great Chu placed great importance on it.

Hence, talents from among the common folk were openly recruited to participate.

Whether peasants or street vendors, anyone wishing to join could register here. After assessment, the best would be selected to compete.

Su Yuan saw this contest as his opportunity to restore his princely status.