"Cough...cough..."

Father Zhou Yuancheng coughed violently, and the medicated soup in his mouth was spat out.

Zhou Xiao anxiously put down the medicine bowl and patted his father's back. His father's "Fire Poison" erupted once again. His forehead was burning hot, his face flushed, and though he tried his best to hold back from expressing the pain, the torment of Fire Poison burning inside his body forced him to grip and tear the straw mat beneath him bit by bit.

"Father!"

Zhou Xiao grabbed his father's hand, a heart-wrenching agony etched on his face. If possible, he wished he could shoulder his father’s illness; he even desired to stab to death that elder named Zhou Tianyi!

A murderous look flashed across Zhou Xiao's eyes.

Zhou Xiao was a poor hunter from Xiaowa City, a decrepit border town under the jurisdiction of the great Qin Kingdom. Beyond the town was an endless wilderness.

Just as the saying goes, the wilderness symbolized poverty. Xiaowa City was far from prosperous; its inhabitants primarily eked out a living through hunting and mining.

Zhou Tianyi, though, was a powerful patriarch from one of the largest towns in the vicinity... Leizhou City's prestigious Zhou clan.

The Fire Poison that had tormented his father for years had been inflicted by Elder Zhou Tianyi’s "Flaming Palm".

It happened three years ago when his father rushed to the headquarters of the Zhou clan in Leizhou City to get the heir token for Zhou Xiao. Only with this token could Zhou Xiao, as a son born outside of the clan, become eligible to participate in the grand examination of the Zhou clan in Leizhou City after coming of age. This would then give him a chance to learn advanced martial arts within the Zhou Clan.

Everything went smoothly, and they obtained the heir token without much hassle. After finishing the task, Zhou Yuancheng left cheerfully, but unexpectedly crossed paths with Elder Zhou Tianyi who was also riding towards him.

At that time, Zhou Tianyi was in a state of rage.

He just received the news that his grandson had been attacked by an unknown monster during his external training. Though his grandson survived, he lost all his martial arts capabilities. Looking to vent his anger, Zhou Tianyi saw a low-level outsider from another clan, joyfully strutting across him.

The outsider's joy irritated Zhou Tianyi, and he could not control the wrath building within him.

"My grandson, blessed with extraordinary talents, yet destined to live a life crippled and woeful, while you, a foreign wastrel, have the audacity to enjoy life."

Zhou Tianyi arrogantly dismounts from his horse, without uttering a single word, hardens his face and instantly performs a fierce flaming palm strike straight to the chest of the foreigner.

That blow is overly ruthless.

Zhou Yuancheng, my father, didn't even have the chance to defend himself, was struck causing him to vomit blood, and got flung a few meters away.

Since then, Father Zhou has been left with the residual fire poison in his body, suffering the burning of the fire poison every noon.

Just because his own grandson became disabled, he couldn't bear to see others happy, and randomly directed his anger at others, forcing them to endure life-long suffering with his grandson. How utterly tyrannical and overbearing.

When Zhou Xiao saw his father stumble back, vomiting blood, and heard about what transpired, he was close to going mad.

He wished to immediately rush to Leizhou city to confront that old man Zhou Tianyi.

But Zhou Xiao knew with his current feeble strength, he wasn't even enough for the elder to flick away with a finger. Revenge? Could he avenge his father by irrationally charging over?

Zhou Xiao also knew, even if he burst into the Zhou clan to file a complaint, the clan would not penalize an elder over a trivial foreigner.

This world, only the strong are respected, without strength, you cannot seek justice for your father.

Strength, huh?

Zhou Xiao gritted his teeth fiercely.

"I am still young, I still have the opportunity to strive relentlessly. When I become powerful in the future, Zhou Tianyi, I will ensure you pay in blood."

Zhou Xiao pulled out an announcement from his robe, which he had taken from the city wall when he bought the medicine. Made out of some unidentified beast hide, it is primitively elegant. A large chunk of text detailing that three years have passed, the Zhou clan in Leizhou city is once again conducting the triennial examination of the foreign disciples. The Zhou clan hopes that offspring from all branches will actively sign up, and the top seven elite talents will be admitted into the Zhou clan.

The Zhou family that hails from Leizhou City is undoubtedly enormous. With a population in the tens of thousands and hundreds of years of martial arts heritage, becoming a disciple of the Zhou family lineage is tantamount to being offered a golden opportunity to transform oneself from obscurity to prominence.

Zhou Xiao once again safely stows away the list, with his fists clenched so tightly that his veins are on the verge of popping.

Zhou Xiao's circumstances for cultivation are dire, to say the least. Only by being admitted to the Zhou family does he stand a chance of encountering stronger martial arts and progressing to defeat old man Zhou Tianyi.

Besides, Zhou Xiao also needs to enter the Zhou family to find an elixir that can cure the 'fire poison.'

Over the years, Zhou Xiao has sought the consultation of countless pharmacists to treat his father's illness. The pharmacists have stated that ordinary spiritual herbs can only suppress the 'fire poison'. There exists a unique herb in the world, Cold Pond Spiritual Mushroom, which holds the cold attribute and is potent enough to eradicate the 'fire poison.'

This Cold Pond Spiritual Mushroom, a rare herbage, as per rumors, is stored in small quantity in the treasure vault of Zhou family in Leizhou City, spanning dozens of cities.

Those outside of the Zhou family simply can't get their hands on it. Zhou Xiao needs to be admitted to the Zhou family to have a chance to procure that vital elixir.

As the 'fire poison' gradually subsides, the father stops struggling and falls into a deep, weary sleep.

Zhou Xiao neatly tidies up the medicine bowl and steps out of the room.

Located here is a dilapidated compound. A couple of ageing limestone houses stand alone, but an ancient tree in the western corner of the courtyard spreads luxuriantly, blanketing half of the courtyard.

Zhou Xiao squints his eyes and looks at the sun through the thick foliage.

This year's Zhou family examination invites hundreds of participants from the neighboring cities. It presents the only opportunity for those brothers who are drifting outside to enter the Zhou family. However, only the top seven strongest individuals will be chosen, and anyone would realize that the competition will be fiercely cutthroat at the time of assessment.

But what of it?

Isn’t there still three months left to prepare?

For these three months, I will immerse myself in diligent study and hard practice. I'm adamant about making it into the top seven of the family examination!

The murderous intent in Zhou Xiao's eyes intensifies.