Outside the Wen Mansion, Phoenix City, Celestial Martial Country.
"What's going on? Why does my head hurt so much?" A rustling sound reached the Longevity Immortal Monarch's ears as he slowly opened his eyes.
"Qingye, are you all right?" a middle-aged woman asked, rushing over to him.
"Qingye?" the Longevity Immortal Monarch murmured in confusion.
The Longevity Immortal Monarch was one of the Thirty-Six Immortal Monarchs of the Celestial Realm. He wasn't the most powerful of them, but he was the longest-living immortal.
Born in a primordial era, the Longevity Immortal Monarch lived through to the middle of high antiquity, dedicating himself to the study of the Longevity Secret Technique. Even the Nine Refining Pill Immortal held him in high regard. Moreover, his Unrivaled Swordsmanship, capable of shattering all techniques with a single stroke, held the entire Immortal Realm in awe for tens of thousands of years. It wasn't until countless new geniuses emerged that he gradually retreated into seclusion, fading from the sight of his fellow immortals. Still, none of them ever dared to underestimate him.
The Longevity Immortal Monarch's power was legendary, his might shaking the ages, but even he could not escape the end of his lifespan.
In his final moments, the Longevity Immortal Monarch used a Secret Technique he had spent years researching to bind his Divine Soul to a ring. He then cast it down into the Lower Realm. Unexpectedly, that very ring was found by the youth before him, Wen Qingye, leading to his own rebirth.
An immense flood of memories collided and merged with the boy's own, fusing into one.
This body's owner was named Wen Qingye, the eldest son of Wen Xu, Patriarch of the Wen Family—one of the four great families of Phoenix City in the Celestial Martial Country. His aptitude for cultivation was mediocre, and he was known for his weak, withdrawn personality, rarely interacting with outsiders.
Just recently, Wen Xu's second son, Wen Tongyu—Wen Qingye's younger brother by only a few days—broke through to the Seventh Level of Refining Essence at Purple Sun Prefecture, the top-ranked of Celestial Martial Country's three great academies. The news shocked the entire nation, and he was immediately accepted as a Direct Disciple by one of the prefecture's Elders.
When the Zhang Family, Phoenix City's most powerful clan, heard the news, they grew concerned. The Wen Family had already produced one genius in Wen Shibei, and now they had another in Wen Tongyu. How could the other families not worry?
The Zhang Family's Patriarch immediately came to propose a marriage alliance, with one condition: the son from the Wen Family would have to marry into the Zhang Family, becoming a live-in son-in-law.
At the same time, the Wen Family was facing a crisis of its own, having suffered massive losses after their shops were caught selling counterfeit medicine. They were in desperate need of aid.
Naturally, the son-in-law the Zhang Family wanted was one of the geniuses, Wen Tongyu or Wen Shibei. With enough time, either of them was destined to soar to great heights, bringing immense benefits and status to the Zhang Family.
But how could the Wen Family send one of its prized geniuses to another family? After some discussion, the clan elders decided to send Wen Qingye instead. After all, his aptitude was ordinary, he was still stuck at the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer Heaven, and despite being the Patriarch's eldest son, he was of little use to the family.
This entire scheme was the brainchild of Wen Tongyu's mother, a woman of the Yao Clan. As Wen Xu's second wife, she had always despised Wen Qingye, simply because he had been born seven days before her own son, thus snatching away the title of legitimate eldest son.
When Wen Qingye's aptitude later proved to be ordinary while Wen Tongyu displayed extraordinary talent, Wen Xu was overjoyed and naturally showered affection on that branch of the family. As a result, Wen Qingye and his mother, from the Liu Clan, had endured years of scorn and ridicule from the Yao Clan.
And so, the Wen Family had gathered at the gate to see Wen Qingye off. Of course, their intentions were not so kind. With Wen Qingye gone, Wen Tongyu's status as the heir to the patriarch position would be undisputed. They were only there to curry favor with the family's future leader.
Just a moment ago, as Wen Qingye was about to board the carriage, the horses were suddenly startled. He fell, striking his head on the ground. His blood flowed onto the ring on his finger, and in that instant, the Longevity Immortal Monarch awakened.
"Mother, I'm fine," Wen Qingye said, shaking his head.
A wave of sadness washed over the woman from the Liu Clan. Fighting back tears, she choked out, "Qingye, my son, I can't bear to see you go. But your father has made his decision, and there's nothing I can do. You must take good care of yourself at the Zhang Family, do you understand?"
Wen Qingye's cousin, Wen Jie, chuckled. "First Aunt, don't you worry. Brother Qingye is off to marry Zhang Hui of the Zhang Family, a genius whose talent is said to be no less than Tongyu's. Even if he is marrying into their family, his future is sure to be bright."
"That's right. It's not like Qingye is any use to our Wen Family. Being able to marry the beautiful daughter of the Zhang Clan Leader is a blessing he must have earned over many past lives. You shouldn't worry, Sister-in-law," chimed in Wen Qingye's third aunt.
The woman from the Liu Clan glared at the surrounding family members and snapped, "All of you, shut your mouths! My son hasn't even left yet! No matter what, Qingye is the legitimate eldest son of the Patriarch's main line. It's not your place to gossip like this!"
Although she was the Patriarch's official wife, she seemed to command no respect.
"He's about to marry into their family. Soon he won't even be a member of the Wen Family. Some 'legitimate eldest son' he is."
"Exactly. The Patriarch's intentions are clear. Keeping Wen Qingye around is useless, so it's better to just give him away."
"Brother Qingye, if you get bullied at the Zhang Family, you'll just have to endure it. You won't be the legitimate eldest son over there. After all, you're the one marrying in."
"Hahaha!"
"Hahaha!"
His aunts, uncles' wives, and cousins—all of them laughed without a shred of pity.
The woman from the Liu Clan pointed a trembling finger at the crowd. "You... all of you..."
She then grabbed Wen Qingye's hand and whispered, "Qingye, don't listen to their nonsense. It's all just rubbish."
The Longevity Immortal Monarch—no, Wen Qingye—shook his head. "Don't worry, Mother. I'm not taking it to heart."
Watching his mother stand there all alone, taking on the crowd's ridicule as she defended him, Wen Qingye felt a string tug in his heart. He was genuinely moved.
Just then, an old man stepped forward. He scanned the crowd, and his brow furrowed when he saw Wen Qingye. "Why haven't you left? You are going to the Zhang Family to complete this marriage alliance in Tongyu's place. You should consider it an honor to be doing this for the Wen Family. Now hurry up and be on your way."
His mother opened her mouth as if to protest, but ultimately said nothing. Holding back her tears, she said slowly, "Qingye, get in the carriage. It will be dark soon."
Wen Qingye recognized the old man. It was Wen Gui, the Third Elder of the Wen Family, and one of the main proponents of this arrangement.
Wen Qingye glanced at the surrounding crowd. He slowly brushed the dust from his clothes and then spoke, his words deliberate and clear, "Do not forget what you have said today. I hope you won't live to regret it."
He then turned to his mother. "Mother, now that I'll be gone, you must take good care of yourself here in the Wen Mansion. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."
With that, Wen Qingye turned and climbed into the carriage.
"Regret? Why would we regret it?"
"Wen Qingye is no longer one of us. We have nothing to regret."
"Sigh, that knock on the head must have made him delirious."
The Wen family members burst into laughter, scoffing at his words and paying them no mind.
Tears welled in his mother's eyes as she watched the carriage slowly disappear from sight.
Wen Gui watched the carriage vanish, then breathed a sigh of relief. 'Now that the marriage alliance with the Zhang Family is settled, we'll have their assistance. Our Wen Family can finally overcome this crisis.'
Sitting in the carriage, Wen Qingye found himself filled with the original body's memories and emotions. He felt an instinctive reluctance to leave his mother, and at the same time, a deep-seated hatred for his father, Wen Xu. This hatred extended to Wen Tongyu, the Yao Clan, and all the others in the Wen Family.
A faint smile touched Wen Qingye's lips. He tilted his head back and thought to himself, 'So you all see me as a pawn to be discarded? Fine. I will make every single one of you regret throwing away this "useless" pawn.'
From this moment on, he was both the Longevity Immortal Monarch and Wen Qingye.
His ethereal, wispy voice echoed within the carriage, fading away with the clip-clop of hooves as they left the Wen Mansion far behind.