Chapter 1 North Continent

North Continent.

Falling Silver City Fortress, this was the third fortress on the western side of the main wing of the North Continent Fortress.

It was actually a very large fortress. Although its geographical location was not as important as Gu Fort, it was still a large city standing at the front line... It was just that in the past year, Falling Silver City Fortress had begun to "operate beyond capacity."

The reason was simple.

The adjacent "Crescent Moon City," due to that super-large Disaster Zone, had evacuated all residents from the fortress, and Falling Silver City naturally took on the task of "diversion."

The legion soldiers in this fortress began to be responsible for transporting supplies over long distances, as well as maintaining the transfer of personnel between the two fortresses.

Crescent Moon City was left as an empty shell. Because the task of maintaining the Disaster Zone was too arduous, Falling Silver City was responsible for providing food and military supplies during the year the Fourth Legion was stationed there.

The rear compartments of military heavy trucks were piled high with supplies, and a group of people were moving cargo, a thin man mixed in among them.

He held a large box of steel in both hands, wobbled as he stood up, not even having time to load it onto the truck.

"Hey Zhao... You damn hurry up!"

Someone suddenly shouted at him from behind.

Urging him.

He hurried his pace.

But from somewhere, a vicious kick came, sending him sprawling forward.

Zhao Qi fell heavily into the mud.

He was a little dizzy, looking back, his eyes filled with stars, the figures blurred, unable to see who had kicked him at all.

Even if he could see clearly... it would be useless.

The man's lost and helpless appearance as he looked back was seen by everyone, and laughter came from the crowd.

A deep reprimanding voice rang out from the rear of the crowd.

"What are you all standing around for! Hurry up and get to work!"

The moment this voice sounded, the fortress soldiers who had been watching the spectacle began to move cargo again. Zhao Qi also quickly got up, put the steel scattered on the ground back into the wooden box and picked it up, but in his panicked advance, someone else stuck out a foot and tripped him.

He fell heavily again, this time not so lucky, his chin heavily hitting the edge of the truck's iron sheet... and he passed out.

When he woke up again, it was not in a warm hospital ward.

But on the side of the road.

Blood flowed down his chest, the biting cold wind piercing to the bone, the wound frozen numb instead.

Zhao Qi's mouth kept chattering.

The truck had already driven away.

This was not the first time. In this place, no one cared about him at all... No one would believe that a wealthy young master would be sent to such a place to suffer, and this guy who only knew how to talk big, full of hot air, tried to use his prominent background to get special treatment when he first arrived at the Falling Silver City Engineering Corps.

Unfortunately, the rules of survival in the North Continent did not work that way.

Once you arrived, you had to do your job well in your position.

If you couldn't help, get out!

The comrades in the legion were unwilling to associate with him at all. Who would want to partner with a useless piece of trash? Who could entrust their back to such a character? Even if the Engineering Corps was only responsible for ordinary maintenance and inspection work, no one was willing to work with Zhao Qi... and Zhao Qi, who repeatedly emphasized his prominent background, ultimately earned the contempt and fists of the North Continent soldiers.

If it weren't for "Wild Dog's" order, he would have been expelled from the city long ago.

The Engineering Corps simply didn't want to accept this useless pile of mud... and the captain in charge of this squad also acquiesced to the "bullying behavior" within the team, because of Zhao Qi's existence, his squad was always ranked last. If this guy was willing to leave on his own, then it would be good for everyone.

"Hiss..."

Zhao Qi held his chin, trembling as he found a remote corner and sat against the wall.

He rummaged around, unable to find a cigarette...

Just then.

A figure blocked the strands of cold wind that were blowing in. He didn't look down on the man squatting in the corner from a high position like the others, but silently offered a cigar.

A cigar?

Zhao Qi didn't dare to take it at all.

In this place, cigars were a luxury.

He looked up blankly, looking at the figure blocking the wind and snow, wanting to see the other party's face clearly, only to see that the person was wearing a thin cloak, and the face was difficult to distinguish in the backlight.

He looked back at the cigar and found that it was produced in the East Continent...

Zhao Qi's first reaction was to lower his head, hug his knees, and say in a trembling voice, "You've mistaken me for someone else."

He didn't believe that in this place, there were still kind people willing to give him charity.

The only explanation was... he had been recognized.

Zhao Qi would rather fall in the mud a thousand times and be scratched by iron sheets a hundred times.

Than be recognized by an old acquaintance once.

The man smiled and asked, "Excuse me... who are you?"

The voice sounded unfamiliar.

Zhao Qi lowered his head... He hugged his knees, looking at the dirty face reflected in the muddy ground, and suddenly realized something, and smiled self-deprecatingly.

Yes.

In his current state, how could any old acquaintance recognize him?

If his father hadn't died.

If he stood in front of his father... he probably wouldn't be recognized either, right?

"Smoke it. Good stuff, I only have two left, one for you, one for me."

The man said lightly.

Zhao Qi trembled as he slowly took the cigar. Taking advantage of the time it took to light it, he saw the face of the giver in front of him. It was a young "adventurer." The reason for using "adventurer" to describe him was because the young man's face was full of wind and frost, a tattered cloak, a worn-out bag, looking like he had been trekking for a long time.

And those who could reach this place were not ordinary people.

This was a very powerful transcendent.

"I saw what happened earlier." The young man's expression was complicated, and he said softly, "No matter how you provoked them, that kind of behavior was still a bit too much..."

Zhao Qi shook his head.

Obviously.

Those guys didn't care about him... This young man was the one who moved him here.

"You are... from the East Continent?"

Zhao Qi's voice was hoarse.

The young man became interested and smiled, "How can you tell?"

Zhao Qi flicked the cigar and said in a low voice with a smile, "Ocean Sea's unique double pyramid, 180mm ring gauge... This is a very good cigar."

Most importantly, this cigar was only sold in limited quantities in the East Continent.

This young man was likely from the East Continent, and... very rich.

"You are also from the East Continent?"

The young man smiled slightly. He suddenly understood why this guy was keeping his head down, afraid of being seen by him... Being able to recognize this cigar, this guy probably had a past that he didn't want people to discover.

"No..."

Zhao Qi was silent for a while, and smiled, "It's just a coincidence, I've done some research..."

The young man didn't press for his identity.

He and Zhao Qi squatted against the wall, enjoying the last two cigars together. After a moment, he spoke again.

"Excuse me... I'm curious, what are you going to do next?"

"..."

Zhao Qi fell into genuine silence.

His eyes dimmed.

This kind of thing had happened more than once. If based on past experience, he would find a place to sleep. These injuries, these injuries were nothing. He couldn't count the number of bruises large and small anymore.

Sleep... just sleep and it would be fine...

As for tomorrow's life?

Tomorrow's life would be a repeat of today.

These days had been repeating for a long time, a long time.

He really wanted to lie to this chance acquaintance, this "young man," and say that he would find those who bullied him and beat them back one by one... But the words came to his lips, and he couldn't say a word.

If it was a year ago.

He might have sharply criticized the South Bay cigar that the other party had handed him, and then told this young master from his hometown who had come from afar that while having money, one needed to improve their taste.

But now, he wouldn't do that.

"What else can I do?"

Zhao Qi smiled softly, "Just... like this..."

An expected answer.

The young man squatted in the corner, finished the last puff of his cigar, and squinted in the smoke and snow dust.

He had seen the scene just now very clearly, being trampled on at will, and silently enduring it... How could such a person have a thunderous rage?

It was just at a certain moment when he saw that scene.

He felt a twinge of compassion...

And... he did think that this guy looked a little familiar.

"If you don't want to stay here, you can leave." He put out the cigar and said softly, "There's no need to force yourself."

Zhao Qi lowered his head and said nothing.

How could he not know this?

Those guys wanted him to get out of Falling Silver City, preferably out of the North Continent... Of course, that's what he thought too!

But... he just couldn't do it.

He always thought of that old guy Zhao Xilai, lying on the bed in the ward, his last look at him.

He always thought of every punch that Gu Shen had smashed into his face.

When he was beaten, when he fell, when he woke up... Clearly, every moment he was telling himself to give up, but in the end he gritted his teeth and persevered until now.

"Don't want to leave?"

The young man smiled softly.

He lowered his voice and said in a deep voice, "Since you're from the East Continent... now that you've come to the North Continent, you should at least make something of yourself. Don't let these guys look down on you."

Zhao Qi was stunned.

He was just about to say something, but when he looked up again, the young man had already left.

...

...

Gong Zi left Falling Silver City and walked in the snow in the wilderness.

He recalled the pitiful ghost who had been squatting in the corner just now, that weathered face covered in stubble, and the more he thought about it, the more familiar it seemed... He felt like he had seen that face somewhere.

"That guy... wouldn't be surnamed Zhao, would he?"

Gong Zi stopped and looked back.

The snow was too heavy, and he couldn't see anything clearly.

He muttered softly and continued to head towards his final destination... He had been training in the North Continent for a whole year, and this year of cultivation had brought him a lot of gains.

Besides that.

His biggest purpose in going north was to go to Advance City and find Duke Danyang.

To dissolve the engagement of the Gong family.

This matter had to be kept secret from the Gong family.

So along the way, he twisted and turned, just to shake off the "Dao protectors" who were secretly following him... Traveling between remote fortresses in the North Continent, trekking, drinking snow and wearing frost, hunting wild beasts. Although these days were difficult, they gave him a stimulation and freshness that the stable life in Snow Forbidden City could not compare to.

No one knew what would happen on tomorrow's journey.

In this year of focused cultivation.

Gong Zi discarded his identity as the young master of the Gong family.

He told himself that this year, he was just a "transcendent" pursuing his true self, and the only thing he had to do was cultivate... Now that his cultivation was complete, it was time to reach Advance City.

Gong Zi did not use the family's sealed items, nor did he use the family's money. In a small snow mountain town in the North Continent, he found a private pawnshop, then had a pleasant conversation with a very interesting uncle, drank a lot, and conducted a "absolutely safe" goods transaction that was popular in the North Continent.

Gong Zi exchanged the rare animal skins he obtained from hunting for the North Continent's "vulgar items" of unknown origin.

Using these "vulgar items" would not allow the family to trace the source.

It could be said that... Since last month, Gong Zi had completely disappeared from the family's sight and gained so-called "freedom."

And the last journey to Advance City was also very smooth.

Three days later, Gong Zi arrived at Advance City.

This most prosperous core city of the North Continent, under the management of Her Majesty the Queen, this giant city showed unparalleled discipline. This was an ancient human cultural city with a long history like Changye.

Six hundred years ago.

The North Continent established a giant wall.

And those who led the legions to resist the collapse of order outside the giant wall gathered here. Six hundred years of changes, one wave after another of strategists weaved the grand future of the North Continent in Advance City and realized one dream after another.

This was the "City of Progress" for humanity.

Airships hung in the sky, floating boards covered the sun, and the controllable source energy fusion led by [Deep Sea] brought endless energy to Advance City... This city was like a rising new sun, even though it was consuming trillions of energy every moment, it still didn't have to worry about running out.

Because compared to the thermal effect feedback brought by source energy fusion, the consumption of this city was insignificant.

Gong Zi stayed in Advance City.

He first washed up and took a bath. If he wanted to see "Duke Danyang," then he definitely couldn't meet him in such a sloppy and terrible image... Otherwise, he would be directly turned away.

And Gong Zi, who had put on decent clothes again, did not follow the rules of the North Continent and contact Duke Danyang in advance.

The family had lost track of him in the North Continent.

They should be searching for his whereabouts now...

Contacting Duke Danyang might make the family realize what he wanted to do.

Gong Zi decided to pay a visit.

He was going to go directly to the manor where Duke Danyang was.

...

...

"What nonsense are you spouting?!"

Inside the manor.

Following an angry shout, the sound of a porcelain cup breaking immediately followed.

Hot tea splashed all over the ground. Duke Danyang accidentally knocked over his favorite teacup. He didn't have time to pick it up, but just looked at his daughter who was kneeling in front of him at this moment with a sullen expression.

His expression was half anger.

The other half was helplessness.

"Father..."

Duke Danyang's daughter, Lin Sheng, knelt on the ground, refusing to get up no matter what, and said softly, "If you don't agree, I'll just keep kneeling here."

This scene attracted the attention of many servants in the manor.

Outside the hall, it was crowded with people for a while.

Someone had already begun to discuss... Why did the young lady have to kneel here?

Duke Danyang's wife, He Shi, passed away early, and he never remarried after that. He only had one daughter under his knees.

He usually treated the young lady very well.

Almost obediently.

What exactly happened to make the young lady kneel for so long?

"Get up first... Let's talk somewhere else."

Seeing more and more people, Duke Danyang squatted down subconsciously and went to help her up himself, but found that he couldn't help her up.

In his daughter's eyes was a stubborn look.

"Okay... If you want to kneel here, then kneel here!"

He almost said these words through gritted teeth.

And when Duke Danyang was about to leave with a flick of his sleeves, he suddenly softened.

He told the onlookers to disperse.

Then he closed the door of the hall.

In order to ensure that the next conversation would not be heard by outsiders, he removed his finger ring and threw it into the air. The ring radiated a ripple of spiritual energy, sealing the entire hall tightly.

"Why... why do you have to do this?"

Duke Danyang came to his daughter's face, "In front of so many people, making such a scene... If it spreads out, how am I supposed to explain myself?"

Lin Sheng said in a hoarse voice, "I don't want to either... It's just that I've told you dozens of times... You never took it to heart..."

"That engagement of yours was set twenty years ago! How can you easily go back on it?"

Duke Danyang said anxiously, "What's so bad about that direct descendant of the Gong family that you want to cancel the engagement with him for no reason? What will the Gong family think of us?"

Lin Sheng lowered her eyes: "I haven't even met him once. I won't marry him."

"You..."

This cold attitude made Duke Danyang's anger reignite, and he raised his palm.

Lin Sheng closed her eyes as if resigned to her fate.

But after waiting for a moment, there was still no movement.

She did not reopen her eyes, but only heard her father's sigh.

"Silly girl... Some things are not calculated like this."

Duke Danyang really couldn't bring himself to be cruel.

He looked at his daughter, his eyes full of heartache.

He only had such a flesh and blood, how could he bear to do it?

"Think about it with your brain..."

"In recent years, the North Continent has been turbulent. How many titles have been revoked and how many manors have been demolished? Why can we still live decently to this day?"

"If it weren't for the silent support of the Changye Gong family over the years, Danyang's hereditary title would have been revoked by His Majesty long ago. Where would you get the clothes you're wearing now, the tea you're drinking, and every meal you eat?"

Duke Danyang said anxiously, "You always have to figure out... Who gave you everything you're enjoying now. This is the blessing that the two families have exchanged for nearly a hundred years of friendship between their ancestors."

"I'd rather not have this blessing..."

Lin Sheng took a deep breath and said, "I've heard about the Light City incident... Since the Meng family's daughter can break off her engagement, then so can I."

Light City?

The Meng family!

Danyang reacted for a moment before realizing what his daughter was talking about... This was a recent event that had been raging, and the entire Five Continents had heard about it.

The Meng family, the largest aristocratic family in Light City, had made a "scandal."

The Meng family's daughter was also clamoring to break off her engagement.

And most importantly, the reason she broke off her engagement was to marry an "unknown" figure from another continent.

Danyang was amused by his daughter.

"The Meng family's old man is known as the 'Iron Hand'. After this incident came out, the 'Iron Hand' was so angry that he fell ill, and the entire Meng family was shrouded in gloom. Do you also want me to become like that?" The duke rolled up his sleeves and stretched out his arm, "Lin Sheng, take a good look... Your father can't compare to that Iron Hand. Your father's arms are made of flesh!"

"If the Gong family's direct descendant were disabled, I could understand if you were determined not to marry, but he won the Changye Newcomer Battle Championship last year. He can be described as a dragon among men. I don't know how many people want to curry favor with him..."

Speaking of this, Danyang immediately reiterated, "Even if he is disabled, as long as he treats you well, you must not let him down. You must take good care of him and give him consideration..."

Before he could finish his remarks.

Lin Sheng said, "I have someone I like."

She simply laid her cards on the table and said very seriously, "I don't care what kind of dragon among men Gong Zi is, how excellent he is, or what kind of relationship the Gong family has with the Danyang title... I have someone I like. I don't want to marry Gong Zi."

Duke Danyang was stunned.

In recent years.

The two families had always corresponded with each other.

He also wanted the younger generation of both sides to meet each other earlier.

But the last time Gong Zi and Lin Sheng had an intersection was ten years ago. At that time, the two were still young. They met each other through a screen. Before long, they played together. In his view, this was also considered "like-mindedness," but at that time, both sides did not know about the engagement, nor did they know how their future fate would be connected.

As time went by, Gong Zi became the young master of the Gong family, and his time became more and more valuable.

If both sides wanted to match them up again, Gong Zi would use "time is tight" as an excuse to decline.

And now...

Time has passed quickly.

Danyang was silent. He realized that the times were indeed changing very quickly. A thin piece of engagement paper could not tie two people who did not love each other together, like in their era.

"Duke!"

A shout came from outside the hall.

A servant came to the hall, not daring to disturb, and said in a low voice, "A guest has come outside the manor... He said his surname is Gong!"

...

...

(ps: This plot is quite important. I didn't want to end the chapter here, but I had to post it before 12 o'clock, so there was no way. There is still content in this chapter. I probably won't be able to finish writing it tonight. I will make it up tomorrow morning.)