Xie Jinghan

The clamor of the hall rang in Xie Jinghan's ears, yet he paid it no heed, sitting alone in a corner in silent thought.

He had once been an ordinary man in modern society, constantly rushing about for a living, mediocre and unremarkable, exhausting himself day after day just to make ends meet.

An accident had sent his soul into another world. Reborn into the Xie Household, he became the most inconspicuous illegitimate son of the second branch.

An illegitimate son was one born of a concubine. His standing was far beneath that of the legitimate line, and within great Aristocratic Clans, such a position had always been awkward and overlooked.

The Xie Household maintained a strict hierarchy, and the circumstances of its descendants differed as vastly as heaven and earth.

Among this generation of Xie descendants, his eldest legitimate brother, Xie Jinlin, was a year older than him. Exceptionally gifted, his reputation had spread throughout Heaven-Bearing Prefecture, and he was the legitimate heir the Xie Household spared no effort to cultivate. His third brother, Xie Jingming, was still young, lively and endearing, and deeply favored by the clan elders. His youngest sister, Xie Zhiwei, was only six years old, sweet and innocent, the darling cherished by everyone in the residence.

He alone was born illegitimate. Caught among his peers, he had neither the favor of his elders nor the attention of his clansmen. Year after year, he remained silent and unnoticed, forgotten beyond the sight of everyone in the Xie residence.

It was not until he turned fourteen that his wisdom from his former life fully awakened and he recalled everything from that life. Somewhere in the unseen, he was granted a heavenly gift and unlocked his personal Martial Arts Proficiency Panel. All martial techniques and true martial intent in the world could accumulate proficiency and improve day by day.

Once a technique reached completion, he could break through to the next realm—without bottlenecks, barriers, or any shackles on cultivation.

When he first obtained the panel, he knew full well that his status as an illegitimate son was low and awkward. Thus, he had concealed his edge for years, speaking and acting with caution, never revealing the slightest abnormality.

Fortunately, the Xie Household was indeed a renowned and noble family. Though it favored the legitimate line, its household customs were fairly generous, and it had never deliberately mistreated its illegitimate descendants.

This allowed him to lie low in peace for three years and focus on accumulating cultivation.

His consciousness quietly sank into the Martial Arts Proficiency Panel in his mind. As he looked at the fixed data displayed there, a faint smile rose at the corner of his lips.

[Name: Xie Jinghan]

[Martial Cultivation: First Rank Postnatal Realm]

[Sword Dao Realm: Sword Intent Realm]

[Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills:]

[Xie Household Basic Breathing Method: 1,000/1,000 (Complete)]

[Postnatal Breathing Method: 9,422/10,000 (Comprehending)]

[Sword-Drawing Technique: 1,000,000/1,000,000 (Complete)]

[Draw Sword Art Intent: 10,086/2,000,000 (Comprehending)]

The Xie Household Basic Breathing Method was an introductory cultivation method widely taught within the clan, available for all descendants of the residence to practice. As for this Sword-Drawing Technique, he had asked his mother to specially obtain him an opportunity to enter the Scripture Repository, allowing him to choose a sword technique from the lower-level collection.

This Sword-Drawing Technique was simple to learn. From beginning to end, it contained only a single move: drawing the sword and sheathing it. It was the plainest and most basic sword art, yet also a classic technique that was easy to learn but difficult to master. Ordinary martial artists could spend years in bitter training and still fail to touch its essence. Thus, no one in the Xie Household valued it, and ordinary descendants disdained wasting time delving deeply into it.

Xie Jinghan knew that his innate talent and aptitude were ordinary. When he first practiced the Xie Household Basic Breathing Method, he could only accumulate one or two points of proficiency a day, making progress painfully slow. Other advanced martial arts were even more obscure and difficult, with thresholds too high to be recorded in the panel, making it impossible for him to exploit its advantages.

Only this Sword-Drawing Technique was different. It required no innate talent or aptitude. Each time he drew his sword and sheathed it, so long as he completed the sword form seriously and properly, he would steadily gain one point of proficiency. Its threshold was as simple as could be, making it exceptionally suitable for him. Moreover, the manual recorded that once it was cultivated to ultimate completion, a single sword strike could tear through the air and become a heaven-shaking killing blow.

That was why he was especially fond of this simplest of sword arts. Besides, he had no distractions at present and did not chase vanity or glory. All he sought was to lie low in peace and quietly build his foundation.

Day after day, year after year.

For three years through cold and heat, he endured the tedium and loneliness, drawing his sword, sheathing it, drawing it again, sheathing it again—practicing thousands of times every day without interruption.

After a million rounds of ultimate refinement, the Sword-Drawing Technique that had lain neglected for so many years was finally cultivated by him to ultimate completion. At the instant the sword art reached completion, his shackles broke, and the panel unlocked the method to cultivate the Sword Intent Realm. He followed the momentum to comprehend sword intent and quietly entered the Sword Intent Realm a month ago.

Furthermore, his attainment of sword intent drove his martial cultivation forward at a rapid pace. Combined with the Xie Household Basic Breathing Method, which had transformed into the Postnatal Breathing Method after reaching completion, the dual boost caused his cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds. He gained nearly a hundred cultivation points steadily each day, and in just a few more days, he would firmly step into the perfected Postnatal Realm.

A trace of satisfaction passed through Xie Jinghan's heart.

Not long after, a young servant in a short green cloth tunic hurried over. He was Lai Fu, an attendant of the courtyard who had always been steady and clever.

Lai Fu bowed with his head lowered and reported softly, "Second Young Master, the Old Master has instructed you to go to the main hall to receive guests. You are to entertain the young talents who have come to attend the banquet on behalf of the Household. Do not neglect the guests."

Xie Jinghan raised an eyebrow slightly. Receiving guests was originally the duty of his eldest legitimate brother, Xie Jinlin. Why had it fallen to him today?

As if seeing through his confusion, Lai Fu bowed again and added in a low voice, "The eldest young master has not returned yet, and no one in the residence is available to attend to them. That is why the Old Master specifically instructed you to go."

Xie Jinghan understood and did not dwell on it. He had secluded himself in his small courtyard for three years, ignoring outside affairs. Now that his sword intent had only just taken form, he could take advantage of today's birthday banquet to witness the bearing of his talented peers and gauge the martial attainments of the younger generation of this era.

Having made up his mind, he gave a slight nod and rose calmly. "Lead the way."

Lai Fu bowed in acknowledgment and hurried ahead to guide him. The two passed through the endless stream of guests and headed straight for the refined seating area beside the main hall.

The Xie Household's birthday banquet followed strict arrangements. Senior scholars and elders of Aristocratic Clans sat in the center, while the visiting young talents were arranged in side seats on both sides. The groups did not intermingle, their ranks orderly and their seats clearly distinguished, displaying the grandeur of great families.

By then, the seats on both sides were already filled. They were all legitimate sons of renowned Aristocratic Clans from various regions and outstanding disciples of sects. Their robes were luxurious, their postures upright, and the cold gleam of longswords at their waists subtly restrained. Each possessed the vigorous spirit and proud bearing of youthful geniuses. Some sat together discussing the Dao and exchanging martial insights; some chatted and laughed as they formed connections; others competed quietly, secretly contending with one another.

Laughter filled the hall, and the atmosphere was warm and harmonious, presenting a lively and flourishing scene.

When they saw Xie Jinghan approaching slowly with a servant, quite a few people at the tables turned their gazes toward him, their eyes carrying traces of appraisal and disdain.

This Second Young Master of the Xie Household had always been obscure among the younger generation of Heaven-Bearing Prefecture. He was aloof by nature, remained indoors all year, and did not associate with his peers. To outsiders, he was merely an inconspicuous illegitimate son with mediocre talent. Compared to the exceptionally gifted and dazzling eldest young master, Xie Jinlin, he was as far apart as clouds and mud.

Facing those probing, contemptuous, and indifferent gazes, Xie Jinghan's expression remained calm, without the slightest hint of timidity.

Having navigated the workplace in his previous life, dealing with superiors, investors, and clients, he had developed an instinct for reading people and handling matters tactfully. This left him composed and at ease, without a shred of the nervous inferiority expected of an illegitimate son from an Aristocratic Clan.

He stepped forward slowly, a perfectly measured gentle smile resting on his lips. Standing tall and observing every courtesy, he cupped his hands toward the crowd in greeting. His voice was clear and steady, neither too loud nor too soft, falling distinctly upon everyone's ears. "I am Xie Jinghan. My elder brother is occupied with urgent matters and was unable to receive guests in time, so today I will entertain all of you distinguished talents in his stead. Should there be any lapse in etiquette or shortcomings in my hospitality, I ask for your understanding."

His tone was gentle and humble, while his manner was calm and proper, advancing and retreating with perfect measure. In an instant, it diluted the crowd's preconceived impression of him as mediocre and taciturn.

Seeing this, the people at the tables raised their hands in return. The perfunctory smiles on their faces became a little more sincere. Descendants of Aristocratic Clans valued bearing and etiquette above all else. Xie Jinghan's steady temperament and appropriate manner of speech already surpassed many peers who were arrogant and spoiled by their talent.

"Second Young Master Xie is too polite. A birthday banquet is a busy occasion, and small oversights are only natural. Why take them to heart?"

A young man dressed in a dark brocade robe was the first to speak. He was Liu Chengyu, the legitimate son of the Liu Household of Huai'an Prefecture, Central State. With cultivation at the fourth rank of the Postnatal Realm, he was quite renowned among his peers.

His gaze fell openly upon Xie Jinghan. His tone was mild, yet his words carried a hidden test. "I have long heard that the Xie clan's martial arts are flourishing. The eldest young master's cultivation is outstanding among his peers. May I ask what cultivation Second Young Master Xie has reached now?"