“Ninth life... So this is my ninth life?”
Carlton North regained his awareness, yet couldn’t open his eyes. His body floated, warm and weightless, surrounded by fluid.
Reincarnated?
Still in the womb?
Once the almighty Emperor, now he was nothing more than an unborn fetus…
His mind reeled as he tried to make sense of it, then shifted focus, wanting to see the world outside.
He saw a courtyard in a noble residence. A young woman knelt in the snow, her lips blue from the cold, shivering, yet her eyes held firm resolve.
She was dressed thinly, frame fragile, her belly slightly rounded—heavily pregnant.
“She’s my mother… in this life?”
Anger surged in Carlton’s chest. It was deep winter, snow falling heavily, ground frozen solid. And yet, a pregnant woman kneeled in the freezing snow as punishment.
In front of her stood a grand hall. Servants and maids passed by, all throwing glances—some strange, some full of disdain. Whispered words followed wherever she was seen.
“Jade North married into the Grant family for eight years without conceiving. Now Matthew’s off fighting at the border, and suddenly she has a child. Wonder whose bastard that is.”
“Shh! Don’t say that. She’s always been kind to us. Doesn’t seem like the type.”
“Kind face, wicked heart. Who knows how filthy she is underneath that gentle act.”
“I heard when she returned from seeking medicine at Holy Mountain, her body was already frail. She’s been kneeling here ten hours, still pregnant. If she collapses, could be two lives lost.”
Jade North ignored them all. Her gaze stayed fixed on the hall ahead, unbending.
Just then, a harsh voice rang from inside the hall—it was Mrs. Kent.
“Jade North, this is my last warning. Within seven days, the child in your womb must be gone!”
“You were born low, always sick. The brat you carry will surely be a rootless waste. Such trash has no place in the Grant household. Do you understand?”
Cold, cruel, and condescending—her words like knives.
Jade’s eyes turned red, voice trembling, but still full of defiance. “My North family followed the Marquis into every battle, loyal to the bone. How much blood was spilt for the Grant name? And now you call me lowborn?”
“My health failed because three years ago, when Matthew was critically wounded, I climbed Holy Mountain to find a cure. That cursed me!”
“Matthew is your son! This child is your blood too! Don’t you feel anything at all?”
For a brief moment, the hall was silent.
Then Mrs. Kent’s voice came colder than ever. “It’s because the Marquis honors merit that a North girl like you got to marry into our house. You don't value that, and now you're clinging to hope? Pathetic.”“It’s only because you went begging for Matthew’s medicine three years ago that I’ve shown you some mercy. Otherwise, you'd have been punished long ago for defying your elders!”
Jade North’s eyes welled up with tears. She let out a bitter laugh. “The North family bled for this house. My father, my brothers—all gave their lives. And me? I risked death climbing the Sacred Mountain just to bring back a cure for my husband, and ended up cursed with the fiend's hex. Even if I’ve done nothing great, haven’t I at least suffered enough?”
“Now all I want is to give birth to this child in peace… and that makes me delusional?”
“If this is how cold and heartless the world is, then what justice remains?”
Mrs. Kent slammed her hand down. “Enough!”
“Our Grant household was forged through blood and war! We protect the northern front of Qingzhou, keep the beasts at bay, and keep the people safe—not with pity, but with power!”
“You’re cursed. The child you carry is bound to be useless. No spirit root, no cultivation, just dead weight. He wouldn’t even make it as cannon fodder on the frontlines. If he’s born, death awaits him!”
“We don’t raise deadwood here. The Grants have no place for someone doomed from the start.”
Her voice was calm but steely—every word cut like a blade, ice-cold and cruel.
Carlton North, listening from within the womb, sneered inwardly. In his past life, he’d ascended to emperor, bathed in blood, quelled the ancient darkness alone. Yet even he wouldn’t have dared utter such arrogant nonsense as “protecting all life.”
And now this minor noble house dared to preach about sacrifice?
But now, he was nothing more than a powerless speck, sealed in flesh and unable to lift a finger.
A tiger, brought low, hounded by jackals.
He started thinking harder about the present. The “Nine Heavens Reincarnation Art” had let him live again, but this was his final turn. If he died in the womb, there’d be no do-over.
His only hope now… was Jade North.
Outside, snow fell heavy. Jade North stood firm, teeth clenched, hand pressed protectively to her belly.
“I never asked for him to be a genius. As long as he’s safe and happy… that’s enough for me.”
Mrs. Kent’s face darkened further. “You stubborn fool. Did I not make myself clear? You might be able to stomach the shame, but the Grant family won’t!”
“Fine. Kneel then. Stay there. Let’s see how long you intend to drag this out.”
With a loud “bang,” the door to the hall slammed shut.
Inside, golden lights flickered. The room was warm, smelling faintly of incense.
Mrs. Kent, silver-haired and stern, sat reading a scroll labeled "Canon of Salvation."
“To save all beings… to show mercy… that is the way of man, the path of heaven…”
Beside her, the eldest daughter-in-law moved quietly, keeping her voice low. Carefully choosing her words, she said, “Matthew’s on the front lines… If something happens to Jade North now, it might distract him on the battlefield…”Mrs. Kent spoke coolly, “Relax. She’s a Second Stage cultivator after all—not that easy to die.”
The eldest daughter-in-law, voice trembling slightly, added, “Jade North has always been diligent and obedient in the household. She’s never caused any trouble. Madam, maybe this once… we could let her off?”
“Hmph, let her off?”
“She walks around like she owns the place, with no respect for her elders. Not whipping her is already generous. I do all this for the good of the Grant family!”
“So long as Jade North remains in this house, I can't bring the Kirin Grandson home.”
“That child determines the future of our entire clan. Losing one Jade North? Worth it!”
Outside the hall.
Jade knelt in the snow, shivering all over.
The icy wind tore through her like blades, cutting with every breath.
Her arms wrapped weakly around her abdomen. She gritted her teeth, whispering, “So what if he’s untalented? So what if he’s ordinary? He’s still my child.”
“Don’t be scared, little one… No matter what, I–I'll bring you into this world alive. This so-called mansion, this glory and wealth—they mean nothing to me…”
Inside her womb, Carlton North’s soul trembled. His heart felt like it had been stabbed through.
Eight lifetimes as an orphan, and only now did he feel the warmth of a mother’s love.
He thought of his past life—how he had just ended the Dark Turmoil, his strength drained—when Victoria Raine had betrayed him.
If not for the Nine Heavens Samsara Technique shielding his soul, he would've been wiped out completely—no chance for this rebirth.
And yet, Victoria claimed to the world he died a hero… then seized his empire, becoming Empress Raine.
Carlton ground his teeth.
“To hell with the Grant family. Just wait till I’m born… I’ll make you crawl and beg for forgiveness. Ripping your pride to shreds!”
He stared at Jade, kneeling in the snow, his resolve growing colder and sharper than the wind.
Just then, the bitter chill swept harder, whipping Jade’s hair around her pale face. Her strength gave out—she collapsed straight onto the snow.
Panic erupted among the servants. “Not good! The young madam fainted! Fetch the physician, now!”
Inside, Mrs. Kent stayed indifferent. “No one touches her. Let her rot.”
“But Madam,” the eldest daughter-in-law started nervously, “If she dies out there, what will we say when the Duke returns from the battlefield?”
Mrs. Kent’s gaze sharpened. “Then throw her into the woodshed. If she dies, consider it her last service to the Grant house.”
