Ancient? Noble?

Zhang Xiao surveyed everyone in the common room. Though they said nothing, the members of those pure-blood families all wore expressions of agreement to varying degrees.

Davis might have exhausted himself crying. He shifted a little and pleaded in a low voice:

"Can I go back to my dormitory? Please, don't hit me anymore. I really didn't talk to Zhang."

"Shut up! You don't get to speak here! Or would you rather be my target for spell practice?"

Malfoy drew his wand and threatened him.

"A target? What a good idea!" a girl's voice cut in. Zhang Xiao knew her: Daphne Greengrass, a fanatical supporter of blood purity.

Daphne walked over, drew her wand, and aimed it at Davis, who was huddled in the corner. Ignoring his pleas, she ordered Crabbe and Goyle to drag him out.

"Make him stand up straight. How am I supposed to see what the spells do with him cowering in a corner?"

"Gentlemen, ladies, I beg you, I beg you, don't hit me. Please don't hit me anymore! It really hurts."

Someone laughed loudly and cast Petrificus Totalus on him.

What a stroke of genius. Now poor Mr. Davis could no longer collapse onto the floor.

All around him, pure-bloods clapped and cheered. Some whistled, while others loudly offered Daphne suggestions, recommending that she practice Diffindo and Episkey. Diffindo could not sever a human body, but it could leave plenty of wounds-perfect for practicing Episkey afterward.

Look at that. What an ingenious idea.

"Stop..."

Zhang Xiao's voice was drowned out by their laughter. His whole body trembled slightly.

"I said..."

His hand reached for the wand at his waist. As though sensing its master's anger, the Thunderstruck Wood Wand began vibrating rapidly, giving off a buzzing hum as pale blue Lightning Arcs spurted ceaselessly from its tip.

Zhang Xiao raised his wand as though lifting a World-Cleaving Giant Axe, poised to cleave something apart, then brought it down hard.

A thunderous boom exploded through the common room. Daphne screamed as a dazzling blue Lightning Arc struck her and sent her flying.

Zhang Xiao had not actually uttered a spell. His wand and magic had simply obeyed his will.

"I told you to stop!"

Everyone jumped at the thunderous blast. They stood rooted to the spot, mouths hanging open, staring at Zhang Xiao's stormy face.

The wand in his hand gave off shrill cries like a thousand birds. Brilliant blue Lightning Arcs flickered constantly at its tip, while the current lifted his mid-length black hair into the air, defying gravity.

The younger students backed away in fear from the visibly furious Zhang Xiao. Most of the older students, however, stared at him in bewilderment, apparently wondering why he was angry.

Gemma, the female prefect, spoke with a dark expression:

"Zhang, why did you attack Daphne? Give me an explanation."

An explanation? This needed a fucking explanation? This wasn't just bullying anymore. It was torture, deliberate cruelty!

If I weren't worried about being outnumbered, I'd have gone over and beaten you lot already. First rule of being reborn: make sure you're safe before doing a good deed!

Zhang Xiao took a deep breath, struggling to suppress his anger.

"I don't like watching a fellow student being tortured for no reason."

"A fellow student?" Gemma froze for a moment. Suddenly, grating laughter rose from the crowd around them. "A fellow student? Hahahaha!"

Gemma pointed at Davis. "You mean this lowly Mudblood? Be grateful. Ever since that stubborn old fool Dumbledore took charge, we haven't even dared use the Cruciatus Curse to teach him a lesson.

"If the Dark Lord were still around, he'd have been dead long ago!"

Zhang Xiao lost all hope in them. These lunatics did not even see other people as human! Wasn't Dumbledore going to do anything? He refused to believe Dumbledore knew nothing about what went on in Slytherin.

But he soon understood. Dumbledore alone could change nothing. As long as those scum who controlled the narrative and clung to the belief that pure-bloods were noble by birth still existed, Dumbledore could change nothing.

He could not even get people to believe that Voldemort had returned.

Only magic could defeat magic!

Zhang Xiao put away his wand and asked Gemma calmly:

"So, that night, you were choosing a 'leader' for the first-years, weren't you? I'm guessing there are rules saying every Slytherin in that year has to follow their 'leader,' too."

"That's right. It's a Slytherin tradition. Every new school year, we choose a leader for the first-years. They move up with their year until they become a prefect in fifth year.

"It's a rule Hogwarts tacitly accepts, and a mark of respect for the great Salazar Slytherin!"

Gemma waved for the others to be quiet. Though Greengrass's screams were making many of the Slytherins restless, she still patiently answered Zhang Xiao's questions.

"Fine, then. I refuse to accept Draco Malfoy as the leader of the first-years. His pitiful, feeble family isn't worthy."

An angry flush spread across Malfoy's pale face. He was so furious that even his voice began to tremble.

"How dare you insult the Malfoy family! I... I'm telling my father!"

How did you straighten a tree that had already begun to grow crooked?

It was actually quite simple: strike hard at what he took the most pride in. Humiliate him until he had nowhere to hide, shatter his worldview, and instill the right ideas in its place.

Like right now... what I need to do is crush their worthless pride within the rules of the game they accept!

"Malfoy, how far back does your family go?" Zhang Xiao took out his Heaven and Earth Bag and reached inside, feeling around.

Holding back his anger, Malfoy said proudly:

"The ancient Malfoy family dates back to the eleventh century. We had a close friendship with William the Conqueror and were granted the title of baron. We're also one of the noble twenty-eight pure-blood-"

Thud! Zhang Xiao hauled an enormous, thick book out of the Heaven and Earth Bag with some effort and slammed it onto the floor.

"This is a copy of my family genealogy. The Zhangs of Dragon-Tiger Mountain, an unbroken lineage of over three thousand two hundred years. What was it you just said?

"Ancient? Noble?" (Note 1)

Note 1: In Chinese history, the lineage at Dragon-Tiger Mountain spans sixty-three generations, or roughly eighteen hundred years. For the purposes of this story's setting, it spans over three thousand two hundred years.

More details about the Eastern setting will be revealed gradually later on.