After everyone was reborn, I was strictly disciplined.

"He is him, and I am me."

Lu Chengyuan's voice was hoarse and dry. Although the oppressive aura emanating from him had not completely dissipated, he still tried his best to straighten his back, and even though his shoulders trembled slightly from the exertion, he refused to bend down even a little.

"He and I have never been the same."

His dignity was the pillar that sustained him through the mud; even when trampled underfoot, he would never discard it like Wu Hao did.

"Alright, alright, what's the difference between them? In my eyes, they're all penniless good-for-nothings."

Xie Xingran waved her hand, her face full of impatience, clearly not wanting to get entangled with Lu Chengyuan any longer.

He turned to Wu Hao and instructed, "Hurry up and pack your things, you're coming with me later."

"Yes, yes, young master! Just a moment, I'll be right there!"

Overjoyed, Wu Hao scrambled to his feet and rushed to the pile of old junk in the corner. He rummaged through it, stuffing a few patched clothes and a small piece of cheap spirit stone into his cloth bag. He moved so fast that he was afraid Xie Xingran would change her mind and abandon him.

At the same time, the oppressive aura pressing down on Lu Chengyuan suddenly dissipated.

Losing his support, he collapsed to the ground instantly. His muscles ached terribly from the tension, and cold sweat streamed down his face like broken beads, soaking through his thin clothes. He looked as if he had just been pulled out of the water, panting heavily.

But his gaze remained fixed on Xie Xingran like a quenched blade, filled with resentment and anger.

Xie Xingran hummed an off-key tune, in a rather cheerful mood, clearly not taking Lu Chengyuan's hostility seriously.

He kicked Lu Chengyuan's knee, his tone nonchalant: "You should hurry up and pack your things too. My time is very precious, I don't have time to waste here with you."

"I...I'm not going..."

Lu Chengyuan spoke with difficulty, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, his attitude remaining resolute despite being completely exhausted.

Are you sure?

Xie Xingran suddenly turned her head, raised an eyebrow, and a hint of playful ruthlessness flashed in her eyes. Her tone was light, but with a hint of threat, "Don't force me to teach you a lesson."

Lu Chengyuan had no strength left to argue. He simply closed his eyes slowly, turned his head sharply, and expressed his determination with a silent and stubborn posture.

"Fine, since you're so ungrateful."

Xie Xingran's smile faded, her tone turned cold, and she turned to the guard beside her, ordering, "Smash this place. We won't need it anymore anyway."

"yes!"

The guards responded in unison, their tone respectful. They raised their hands and drew the spirit swords at their waists, and several sharp streams of spiritual energy instantly swept out, rampaging through the small room.

"Clang! Crack!"

The sounds of shattering echoed throughout the room.

The old wooden bed was overturned by spiritual power, and the bed board broke into several pieces; the paint-chipped wooden table was instantly shattered into pieces, and bowls and chopsticks were scattered all over the floor, making a jarring collision sound; the wardrobe against the wall collapsed with a crash, and the old clothes inside were buried under the sawdust.

In just a short while, the already simple hut became a mess, in a state of disarray.

One of the guards' spiritual energy reached a wooden box in the corner, instantly splitting it open. The spirit stones and pills inside tumbled out, gleaming faintly amidst the scattered wood chips.

Among these items, a jade pendant lay quietly, standing out conspicuously.

"Um?"

Xie Xingran's gaze was instantly drawn to the jade pendant, a glint of light flashed in his eyes, and his heart stirred slightly.

Based on his understanding of the Chosen One, this jade pendant, though seemingly simple, exuded an extraordinary aura, indicating it was no ordinary item and might be a hidden, important artifact.

"Bring it here."

Xie Xingran raised her chin and pointed her finger at the jade pendant.

The guard immediately stepped forward, picked up the jade pendant, and respectfully handed it to Xie Xingran.

Xie Xingran weighed the spirit stones and pills in her hand, then waved to the guards, "You can divide these spirit stones and pills among yourselves. Anyway, Lu Chengyuan just said he was going to return these things to me, so it's better to give them to you than waste them."

"Thank you, young master!" the guards said, sounding pleased.

"Stop! Stop it!"

Upon seeing this scene, Lu Chengyuan's already bloodshot eyes instantly filled with bloodshot veins, like a wild beast out of control.

He watched helplessly as the guard picked up the jade pendant and handed it to Xie Xingran. A wave of extreme panic and anger instantly swept over him.

Ignoring the pain all over his body, he suddenly got up from the ground and rushed towards Xie Xingran like a madman, trying to snatch back the jade pendant, but was quickly pressed down by the guards next to him and slammed to the ground.

"Give it back! Give the jade pendant back to me!"

Lu Chengyuan struggled desperately, his roars filled with despair and resentment. Tears mixed with cold sweat streamed down his face, soaking his cheeks. "Those are mine! They were given to me by my mother!"

That jade pendant was given to him and his sister by their mother. He and his sister each held one, and each pendant was engraved with their birth date. It was the most treasured item he had ever owned since childhood.

Even after being driven out of the Lu family and forced to wander, he always kept it close to his body and never let it leave his side.

This is not just a jade pendant, but also a symbol of his mother's love for him, a bond between him and his sister, and the most precious thing he has in this world.

Xie Xingran paid no attention to Lu Chengyuan's roar. He held up the simple jade pendant, walked to the window, and examined it carefully in the sunlight.

The jade pendant is lustrous and has a faint glassy luster. Its surface is carved with intricate and mysterious patterns, with faint golden light flowing between the patterns. It is warm to the touch, and spiritual energy slowly seeps into the fingertips. It is indeed a rare spiritual object.

"whee."

Xie Xingran smiled with satisfaction, her eyebrows curving upwards, her eyes filled with the excitement of having snatched Lu Chengyuan's things.

He walked up to Lu Chengyuan with the jade pendant in his hand, waved it gently in front of him, and said in a mocking yet cruel tone, "Now, it's mine."

After saying that, he stopped looking at Lu Chengyuan's devastated appearance and casually tossed the jade pendant into the storage bracelet on his wrist. The bracelet was a storage artifact that could hold a lot of things.

Then, he turned and walked out of the dilapidated hut, calmly instructing, "Let's go. Take that Lu Chengyuan with you, don't let him escape."

"Yes, young master."

The guards stepped forward in response, grabbed Lu Chengyuan who was slumped on the ground, and, ignoring his struggles and screams, roughly hoisted him onto their shoulders as if he were a lifeless object.

Wu Hao, carrying his own small bag, jogged to catch up. He turned back for one last look at the dormitory where he had lived for five or six years, his face full of excited and joyful smiles.

He couldn't help but murmur to himself, "Father, Mother, I've finally made it through!"