"It's my first time... be gentle..."

The woman beneath him blushed crimson, her voice barely a whisper.

Colin Cox held a cute teddy bear in his hands, his mind drifting back to that night three months ago.

That was when his wife, Iris Fox, had conceived his child.

A daughter.

Every spare moment, Colin would catch himself grinning like a fool, picturing what she might look like. He'd almost forgotten who he used to be.

Once, he had been the Dragon Lord, standing at the pinnacle of martial arts. In his final battle, his beloved had died in his arms.

He'd barely survived himself—gravely wounded, his power shattered.

Broken in spirit, Colin had cast everything aside. He sealed his own strength with the Dragon Seal and vanished to the coastal city of Seacliff.

Here, he'd met Iris. Married her. And now, a daughter on the way...

When Colin returned home clutching the teddy bear, excitement bubbling in his chest, something felt wrong.

His in-laws and brother-in-law sat on the sofa, their faces dark as storm clouds.

Strange. With his secret guidance, Iris's career had skyrocketed. She was now a businesswoman worth hundreds of millions.

Today was their wedding anniversary. Colin had even prepared a special gift—a partnership contract with Longtide Group.

Why the long faces?

"I'll go start dinner," he offered, hoping to avoid whatever tension hung in the air.

"Colin." Maxwell Fox's voice stopped him cold. "Come here. We need to talk."

His father-in-law, once a shabby, down-on-his-luck man, now sat draped in gold and silver like some wealthy patriarch.

"What is it, Dad?" Colin approached.

"Look at this."

Maxwell slid a document across the table.

Colin's eyes fell on the cover page. Five words, bold and unmistakable: DIVORCE AGREEMENT.

"Dad, what is this supposed to mean?" The smile drained from Colin's face.

Maxwell took a drag from his cigarette. "Exactly what it looks like. Iris is different now—a CEO worth eight or nine hundred million. The Fox family is one of the most respected names in Seacliff. But you..."

He exhaled smoke. "Apart from decent handwriting, you've got nothing going for you. Staying in this family, staying in this marriage—it's an embarrassment. People laugh at Iris behind her back."

Colin's expression went cold. The joy he'd carried home evaporated like morning frost.

So this is what I get, he thought bitterly. I gave everything to this family, and they hand me divorce papers.

They had no idea. Everything Iris owned, everything the Fox family had become—it was all because of him.

But Colin was no ordinary man. He steadied himself quickly. "Is this your idea, or Iris's?"

"Does it matter?" Maxwell tapped ash from his cigarette, staring Colin down. "Just sign the papers. I expect you to be sensible about this. We've lived under the same roof for three years—let's end things amicably."

"If this is only your idea," Colin said without hesitation, "I won't sign."

Who gave them the right to decide his happiness?

SLAM!

Kate Galloway, who had been seething in silence, finally snapped. She slammed her palm on the table.

"Colin!" She fixed him with a venomous glare. "We were going to let you leave with some dignity, considering you've waited on this family hand and foot. But I see now—you're completely shameless!"

She rose to her feet, jabbing a finger at his face. "You worthless deadweight! You've become a millstone around Iris's neck!"

"Do you know who she deals with now? Business titans. Millionaires. At the very least, executives running major corporations."

"And you? You're nothing but a pest nobody wants around. The Fox family has risen to the top. There's no place for you here anymore—pack your bags and get out!"

Colin drew a slow breath. His eyes filled with sorrow.

Gerard Fox shot to his feet. "You've been living off my sister for three years, eating her food, spending her money. You're nothing but a dog she kept around—and you actually thought you were family?"

"Sign the damn papers and get lost. Or else."

"I'll ask one more time," Colin said quietly. "Is this what Iris wants?"

"You bastard!"

Kate shoved him hard. "Are you brain-dead? How many times do we have to tell you?"

"Mom, step aside." Gerard snatched up a baseball bat leaning against the wall. "If he won't sign today, I'll break his legs myself!"

He charged at Colin, raising the heavy alloy bat high overhead—

"Stop."

The cold voice cut through the room.

Iris Fox emerged from the hallway. Her figure was stunning, her features flawless, her skin pale as jade.

Beside her walked a sharply dressed young man—handsome, confident, impeccably groomed.

Henry Harrington. Heir to the Harrington Group.

He and Iris moved with an easy intimacy as they stepped out of the bedroom together.

Colin's body went rigid. He stared at his wife in disbelief.

Her eyes flickered away from his, guilt flashing across her face for just an instant.

That told him everything.

But he clung to one last shred of hope, his voice trembling: "Iris... is this real?"

She looked at him—at the color draining from his face—and felt a twist of pain in her chest. But she nodded anyway.

"Yes, Colin. Let's get divorced."

"What my parents said just now..." His voice cracked. "Is that how you really feel? You think I'm not good enough for you anymore?"

She gave a small nod. "We're living in different worlds now. It just... doesn't work anymore."

Colin inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, his heart splitting open.

An eternity seemed to pass.

Slowly, he walked to the corner and picked up the teddy bear.

"Fine. I'll sign. But only after our daughter is born." That was his bottom line.

Iris shook her head. Like an executioner delivering the final blow, she carved his heart out with her next words.

"Our daughter... is gone."

"What?"

Colin's eyes flew wide. The veins on his forehead bulged. His breathing stopped.

"I... I had an abortion."

The words hit him like lightning.

Colin stood frozen, his world collapsing around him.

The teddy bear slipped from his fingers and fell limp to the floor.

"This... this isn't real. I even bought our daughter a teddy bear—look how cute it is. She's going to love it."

Colin stared at Iris, his eyes fixed on her.

"Our daughter is still... she's still here, right? You were lying just now, weren't you, Iris..."

"Enough!"

Iris closed her eyes. A single tear slid slowly from the corner of her eye, but her voice was cold as frost. "It's true. Our daughter is gone. I'm sorry, Colin..."

"Ah..."

Colin collapsed to the floor. His eyes burned red, his body shaking, convulsing like a man caught in a seizure.

His fingernails dug deep into his palms, blood welling up between his fingers.

His poor daughter had never even entered this world before leaving it.

And watching Colin writhe in agony, Maxwell, Kate, and Gerard wore nothing but cold smirks. Not a shred of sympathy—only undisguised contempt.

"Why?" Colin's voice tore from his throat like a wounded animal.

"Let me tell you why."

Kate walked over and stood above him, looking down.

"Iris is at the peak of her career right now. If she'd stayed pregnant, everything she's built would've been ruined."

"So the child had to go. We couldn't let it become a stumbling block—like you."

"Oh, and just so you know?" Kate's smile twisted into something demonic. "I'm the one who took her to get it done."

Minutes passed. Slowly, Colin rose to his feet. The trembling had stopped. His face was calm now.

But his eyes had turned to ice.

He walked forward and signed the divorce papers without hesitation.

His handwriting was beautiful—almost mocking the ugliness of what it represented.

Then he picked up the teddy bear from the floor and cradled it against his chest, as if it were everything he had left.

Seeing how lost he looked, something flickered in Iris's expression. "Colin, I can compensate you. Anything in this house—take whatever you want. And money..."

She pulled out a checkbook. "Write down any amount."

Kate's face soured immediately. "Iris, what are you saying? Everything in this house is valuable! We worked hard for all of it—this worthless man doesn't get to take a single thing!"

"He's been freeloading off us for three years. We've done more than enough. He doesn't get a cent!"

"Mom, don't talk like that. Colin—"

Iris frowned.

"I don't want anything," Colin said quietly. "Not money, not possessions. Just the clothes in that closet."

He walked toward the bedroom. The closet was stuffed with tiny, beautiful outfits—every single one sewn by his own hands, stitch by stitch, for his daughter.

He gathered them all, wrapped them in a bedsheet, stuffed the teddy bear inside, and slung the bundle over his back.

"That jade pendant is mine. Give it back."

Colin's gaze fell on the Serpent-Ember Jade hanging around Iris's neck.

Without a word, she unclasped it and handed it over.

Colin pulled out a document—the contract with Longtide Group. "Today is our wedding anniversary. I had a gift for you. But it doesn't matter anymore."

He dropped the contract on the floor and walked toward the door, hollow-eyed.

"Hey Mom," Gerard snickered, "doesn't his pathetic back look just like a stray dog?"

"Now that you mention it..." Kate's laughter was vicious. "It really does."

But at the doorway, Colin suddenly turned. His gaze swept across each member of the Fox family, one by one.

Finally, it settled on Iris.

"Remember this," he said, each word deliberate. "You will regret this."

"I, Colin Cox, will get justice for my daughter."

The ice in his eyes, the weight of his presence—Iris felt an involuntary shiver run through her.

"Ha! This little bastard thinks we'll regret it?" Kate howled with laughter. "I'm too busy celebrating to regret anything!"

Gerard picked up the papers from the floor. "A contract with Longtide Group?"

Longtide Group?

Both Iris and Henry's expressions shifted.

Longtide Group was one of Southland's top conglomerates, with massive ongoing projects in Seacliff—investments totaling tens of billions.

Every company in Seacliff was fighting tooth and nail to partner with them.

And securing a connection to Longtide was precisely why Iris had wanted this divorce.

"It's fake."

Henry, the wealthy young heir, barely glanced at it before scoffing. "Iris, your useless husband had quite the imagination—forging contracts now?"

Iris's brow furrowed. This was the gift Colin had prepared?

A fake contract to impress her?

She'd felt a twinge of guilt about forcing the divorce. Now it seemed she'd made the right call.

"Iris, now that you're single, things will be much easier." Henry adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, every inch the privileged heir. "I'll pull some strings and get you into the Southland Council."

The Southland Council!

Kate and Maxwell's eyes lit up.

The Southland Council was an exclusive private organization, chaired by none other than the famous Marjorie Floyd herself.

Longtide Group belonged to the Floyd family, and their billion-dollar Seacliff projects were all under Marjorie's direct oversight.

Every member of the Council was either filthy rich or extremely powerful. Membership was a status symbol.

The catch? Only single women could join—which was exactly why Iris had divorced Colin.

"Mr. Harrington, you're too kind," Maxwell gushed, his wife nodding eagerly beside him. "With your connections as heir to the Harrington Group, Iris's career is sure to soar."

"Seriously," Gerard chimed in, "you're ten thousand times better than that loser Colin. If my sister had married you from the start, she'd be the richest woman in Seacliff by now."

"You flatter me."

Henry's words were modest, but his expression said otherwise. His gaze drifted to a piece of calligraphy hanging in the corner of the living room, and he walked over.

"Beautiful work," he murmured.

"What does it even say? 'Spring pool,' something something?" Gerard squinted. "Looks pretentious. Throw it out—it's bad luck."

"It says Spring Pool's Gentle Charm."

Henry's eyes grew brighter the longer he looked. The brushwork was exquisite.

Then he noticed the signature. His face changed. "This is... this is a piece by Master Solitude!"

"Master who?" Maxwell asked.

"Master Solitude is a reclusive calligraphy grandmaster living right here in Seacliff..."

Seeing their blank faces, Henry cut to the point: "His work sells for a hundred thousand dollars per character."

"What?!"

Kate's jaw dropped.

Maxwell, mid-sip of his tea, froze.

Even Iris looked stunned. "Henry, you can't be serious."

"I'm completely serious. My father is vice-chairman of the Seacliff Calligraphy Association, and I'm a member myself. Master Solitude's work goes for a hundred thousand a character—when you can even find it. Just last week, some tycoon from Capital City paid two million for an authentic piece. Two characters. That's a million per character."

Henry took a deep breath, visibly shaken. "How does your family have an original Master Solitude?"

A long silence followed.

Finally, Iris spoke, her voice distant and dazed.

"Colin... Colin wrote it."

Written by Colin?

Henry stared in disbelief. The legendary Master Ashen was actually Colin Cox?

"That loser's calligraphy is worth this much? Henry, are you sure you're not mistaken?" Kate Galloway asked.

"There's no mistake. The brushwork, the presence, the visual impact—this is undoubtedly Master Ashen's authentic work. And look, there's even his signature seal on the back."

Henry was equally puzzled. Colin was so young—how could he possibly be Master Ashen?

"Are you certain Colin wrote this?" He turned to Iris.

Iris was about to nod, but then she remembered how Colin had just tricked her with a fake contract. This calligraphy could be fraudulent too.

"I'm not sure. Colin claimed he wrote it, but who knows if that's true."

"Well, there you have it. Colin always did have excellent penmanship." Maxwell rose from his seat.

Kate couldn't sit still either. Having thrown Colin out so abruptly, she suddenly felt a twinge of regret.

If they'd kept him locked up at home writing calligraphy, with each character worth a hundred thousand dollars, a thousand characters would be... a hundred million!

"No, I'm going after him."

Kate grabbed the calligraphy scroll and shot Gerard a meaningful look.

Gerard immediately jumped up and hurried out the door with his mother, chasing after Colin.

Meanwhile, Maxwell crushed out the cigarette he'd barely started and rushed to Colin's room to search for more of his work.

"Don't just stand there—start looking! Each character is worth a million!" Maxwell was sweating with urgency.

At his words, Henry sprang into action, joining Maxwell in turning the room upside down.

Iris remained where she stood, her expression uncomfortable.

Her entire family had just thrown Colin out, and how long had it been? Now they were frantically searching for his calligraphy. The irony wasn't lost on her.

Meanwhile, Colin walked toward the Old House, his daughter's clothes bundled on his back.

Iris divorcing him—that stung, but he didn't hate her for it.

What he hated was that the Fox family had taken his daughter's life!

That child wasn't just Iris's. She was his daughter too.

What right did they have to make that decision without him?

Three months. His daughter had been three months along. She'd already developed into a tiny life, with a heartbeat, a small body, the first stirrings of awareness...

And just like that, she was gone.

Rage erupted from Colin's chest, blazing skyward.

"The Fox family—every last one of them is a murderer!"

He would settle this score. He would make them regret that foolish decision for the rest of their miserable lives.

He would get justice for his poor daughter.

The truth was, these past three years, Colin had only wanted to live as an ordinary man.

But in the end, he'd made the bitter discovery that he couldn't even protect his own child.

"If that's how it is, then I'll become who I used to be. After three years of silence, I suppose everyone's forgotten the name 'Dragon Lord.'"

Colin gripped the Serpent-Ember Jade at his chest.

The moment he shattered it, the Dragon Seal would break, and he would once again become the Dragon Lord—the man whom all eight regions once revered.

But... he still couldn't bring himself to do it. His cultivation was completely gone, and the injuries inside him hadn't fully healed.

Even if he broke the seal, he wouldn't be able to cultivate.

He could handle ordinary people easily enough, but against a true martial arts master, it could cost him his life.

After a long moment, Colin let out a heavy sigh, and his grip on the jade slowly loosened.

His phone rang. It was Amos Floyd calling—the patriarch of the Southland Floyd family, and an old friend.

That Longtide Group contract had come from the old man himself.

"Colin! Heard you got divorced. Congratulations! I was just about to set off firecrackers to celebrate." The old man's voice dripped with schadenfreude.

"You old bastard." Colin laughed despite himself. The man's information network was terrifyingly efficient.

"Perfect timing, actually. My granddaughter Marjorie happens to be in Seacliff. You should meet her. She's absolutely stunning—'moon-shaming, flower-eclipsing beauty,' they call her. Known as Well Spirit's most beautiful woman, the Queen of Commerce, five-foot-seven..."

Colin cut him off. "Old man, just tell me what you want. I'm not in the mood."

Amos chuckled. "Fine, fine. Here's some good news: I've found a five-hundred-year-old Blood Spirit Reishi. A treasure like that should be exactly what you need."

Colin's eyes lit up.

A five-hundred-year Blood Spirit Reishi would be enough to fully heal his injuries!

"I'll head to Well Spirit right away," Colin said immediately.

"Hold on now. I spent a fortune acquiring this. I half want to eat it myself—you think I'm just going to hand it over?" The old man's voice turned smug.

"What do you want me to do." Colin knew the man never did anything without a motive.

Amos's tone grew serious. "Longtide Group has run into trouble in Seacliff. No one else can handle it. You're the only one I can ask. My granddaughter—beautiful as a flower, I might add—will come find you shortly. Once you've dealt with the problem, I'll give you the Blood Spirit Reishi."

"Deal!"

Colin agreed without hesitation. The Blood Spirit Reishi was too important.

With it, he could fully repair his internal injuries. And once that was done, he could break the Dragon Seal and return to the path of cultivation!

To get justice for his daughter, he needed power. There was no other way.

He pocketed his phone, his gaze hardening with resolve. His pace quickened.

When he reached the entrance of the residential complex, a Rolls-Royce Wraith glided to a stop in front of him.

The door slowly opened, and out extended a long, porcelain-white leg.