Chapter 886

Chapter 886: New World (Part Two)

Wang Chen was momentarily stunned.

He lay half-reclined on the ground, a thick layer of dry hay beneath him. As he looked up, his eyes met the face of the man beside him.

The man appeared to be in his thirties or forties, with a robust build and a resolute demeanor. His armor, however, was riddled with gashes from blades and swords, and a fresh wound marred his face, the torn flesh looking gruesome.

It was evident that this man had endured a fierce battle and was gravely injured.

What struck Wang Chen was the overwhelming sense of familiarity he felt toward the man, as though his name was on the tip of his tongue.

Yet, try as he might, he couldn’t recall it, and the effort only made his head ache.

“Young Master.”

The man offered a bitter smile and said, “Please forgive this humble servant for his inadequacy. I can only accompany you this far.”

His breathing grew fainter. “From here on, you must walk this path alone. May the supreme Martial God watch over you…”

Before he could finish, the man’s head slumped forward.

Silence followed.

“No!”

Wang Chen instinctively bolted upright, reaching out to steady the man.

But the moment his hand touched him, the man collapsed softly.

It was then that Wang Chen noticed the short blade embedded in the man’s back, the deep crimson blood having already soaked through his armor.

Wang Chen froze.

A wave of profound grief and rage instantly engulfed him, threatening to shatter his very soul!

At the same time, a flood of memories surged into Wang Chen’s mind.

They were chaotic yet strikingly vivid.

It took him a full half-hour to sort through the memories of this body.

The person he now inhabited was named Ling Zhiyuan, a fifteen-year-old boy, the legitimate eldest son of the Ling family in Anyang City, Jingnan County, and the only son of the family head, Ling Hongyun.

Three nights ago, while Ling Hongyun was taking Ling Zhiyuan out of the city to pay respects to their ancestors, they were suddenly ambushed by a group of masked martial artists.

Outnumbered and facing heavy crossbows and deadly weapons, Ling Hongyun and his guards were overwhelmed, suffering devastating losses.

In the end, the severely wounded Ling Hongyun consumed Blood-burning Powder, unleashing his final reserves of potential to hold off the strongest enemy, allowing his loyal subordinate Dai Peng and Ling Zhiyuan to break through the encirclement.

Dai Peng had fled with Ling Zhiyuan, narrowly evading capture multiple times through desperate fighting, eventually managing to escape into the deep mountains and shake off their relentless pursuers.

During the chaos, Ling Hongyun had also been struck by an arrow and had remained unconscious ever since.

Now, this Ling family Young Master was no longer Ling Zhiyuan—he had become Wang Chen!

Wang Chen instinctively touched his left shoulder, the spot where the arrow had pierced him.

The arrow had already been removed, and Healing Ointment had been applied and bandaged. Though the wound still ached faintly, it was no longer a serious concern.

Wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes, he knelt and kowtowed three times before Dai Peng.

This loyal servant of the Ling family truly lived up to the words “Loyal Heart and Righteous Courage.” Not only had he saved Ling Zhiyuan from peril, but even while grievously wounded, he had managed to tend to his injuries and bind his wounds.

They even built a bonfire and spread hay!

However, Dai Peng did not know that due to Ling Zhiyuan’s wound becoming infected or possibly because the arrowhead was poisoned, this Young Master of the Ling family had already lost his spirit on the escape route.

Only a residual spirit remained within his body!

Now, Wang Chen had taken over Ling Zhiyuan’s shell, bearing the consequences of his life.

For both emotional and logical reasons, he had to perform a deep bow to Dai Peng.

“Rest assured,”

Wang Chen silently vowed in his heart, “I will uncover the truth for you, avenging your father and mentor!”

Dai Peng was not just a loyal servant of the Ling family but also Ling Zhiyuan’s protector and mentor.

Their relationship was already very deep!

Once he made this vow, the grief, anger, and despair that had accumulated in his heart immediately dissipated, as if something had departed from his body while another essence infused into him.

At that moment, Wang Chen felt there was no barrier between him and this world!

Without a doubt, this was the reward Ling Zhiyuan had given him.

And Wang Chen had to fulfill his vow; otherwise, the consequences he owed would bring severe backlash.

But…

The start of this new world wasn’t great!

Anyang City was the county capital of Jingnan County in the Da Liang Kingdom, a place that had been prosperous and thriving since ancient times, with a population of over a million.

The Ling family was one of the prominent families in Anyang City, and the family head, Ling Hongyun, was a martial general-level Strongest. Ling Zhiyuan, as his only son, had been pampered since childhood, truly born with a silver spoon.

But the assassination three days ago changed everything. Ling Hongyun had last said to him,

“Never return to Anyang City!”

Logically, with such a major incident, the best response should have been to immediately flee back to Anyang City to seek the family’s protection and use their power to uncover the truth.

However, it seemed Ling Hongyun understood something; that was why he had given such orders.

Dai Peng had followed Ling Hongyun’s command to escape in the opposite direction of Anyang City.

Were the assailants family enemies of the Ling family, or…

Unfortunately, Ling Zhiyuan had been so well-protected, living a life of luxury and ease for over a decade, completely oblivious to the world’s dangers and unaware of the family’s internal and external situations.

Thus, Wang Chen couldn’t find answers in his memories.

Regardless, he couldn’t return to Anyang City for now.

Cangqing was a world where martial prowess was held in high esteem, with martial artists categorized into seven tiers: martial novice, martial artist, martial master, martial general, martial sect master, martial honor, and Martial Saint.

Above the seven tiers was the supreme Martial God, the shared belief of millions of martial artists!

Ling Hongyun, as a fourth-tier martial general, was already extraordinarily powerful, but he was still attacked and killed.

Currently, Ling Zhiyuan was merely a first-tier martial novice!

It wasn’t that Ling Zhiyuan lacked talent—he actually had significant potential in martial arts—but he was unwilling to train his body and preferred focusing on literary arts and classical studies, aspiring to be a great scholar.

It was only under Ling Hongyun’s coercion that he barely stepped into the threshold of martial arts!

Ling Hongyun did not insist on his training because he doted too much on his only son.

Ling Zhiyuan resembled his mother, who had passed away shortly after giving birth to him. Ling Hongyun and his wife shared a deep bond, and he had not remarried after her death.

A fourth-tier martial general, as long as he did not recklessly evoke his life Potential, would generally live for over a hundred years. Ling Hongyun was still under forty, at the prime of his life, believing he could support his beloved son for a lifetime and unwilling to see him suffer, which led him to allow Ling Zhiyuan to abandon martial training for more scholarly pursuits.

Although Cangqing esteemed martial arts, the status of scholars was not low, and they were far from being powerless.

Of course, from the current perspective, it was clear that Ling Hongyun had made a wrong choice.

Ling Zhiyuan had merely been struck by an arrow, and it wasn’t even a critical wound, yet he lost his life.

If he had trained diligently to the level of a martial artist or even a martial master, how could he not withstand such a blow?

Wang Chen shook his head and then summoned the interface.