8.

In an instant, the world before him seemed to go dark, and just like the previous time, he lost consciousness. But unlike before, this time Yang Ze had a long dream. In this dream, he was a tiger cub that was born in the mountains.

Growing up, he learned to hunt. In the beginning, the hunt would often result in failures. It was only after a dozen of tries, that he learned to use his potential to its fullest. Sometimes he would camouflage himself in the surrounding atmosphere. Sometimes he would chase his prey, and sometimes, he would even go head-to-head with other predators.

With the passage of time, he slowly learned to use his claws, teeth, and entire body to hunt. With each passing day, he grew more and more proficient in hunting. It didn't matter if the prey was a deer or a wolf. Nothing escaped his hunt.

Slowly the dream was getting blurred. In the body of Yang Ze, there were drastic changes that were taking place within a span of a few breaths. His Qi which was gentle before was now filled with a kind of domineering aura. The changes were not only limited to his qi, but to his body as well. The muscles of his body were slowly compressing. If he was somewhat burly before, then now he looked like a frail scholar.

...

"Haah."

"Haaaa."

In the yard, Yang Ze was practising the Black Tiger Blade Technique. With every move he made, there was the figure of an illusionary tiger that manifested behind him. If any of the Yang family members were present here, their eyes would have popped out of their sockets.

In the entire Yang family, the number of people who were able to practise the Black Tiger Blade Technique to this level was less than five. For a sixteen-year-old to be performing this kind of technique, it defied all logic and reasoning.

Yang Ze didn't stop till it was morning. Even though he was practising throughout the night, there wasn't any fatigue on his face.

"The great accomplishment is truly extraordinary. No wonder there aren't many people who are able to step into this realm. One needs to become the tiger themselves to be able to perform this technique."

The more he practised the technique the more he realized just how extraordinary it was. Every progress was a huge improvement in his combat capabilities. By the time Yang Ze took a bath, old Xie was already standing outside.

"Second Young master, the carriage is ready."

"Oh!"

He was so engrossed in the practice that he had almost forgotten about the matter of transferring out of the family. With a yawn, he stepped out of his room and nodded to the old man before asking him, "How many of us are there?"

As the second young master of the family, it was natural for a group of experts to travel with him. While he was thinking about how to manage them, the old voice of Old Xie brought him back.

"It's just the two of us."

"HUH?"

It seemed like he was thinking too much. His position in the family wasn't anything impressive now. Even though he was the second young master in name, his privileges were already gone.

Even though he was a bit unhappy at heart, he didn't show it on his face. There was no use getting angry over something so insignificant. After giving him a nod, he picked up a small cloth bag from the inside that included his clothes and some daily necessities.

By the time he arrived at the gate of the manor, old Xie was already sitting in a grey carriage. Looking at Yang Ze who was walking slowly, his eyes flickered for a moment before returning to normal. The more he observed the second young master, the more he realized that he had really matured. Earlier he used to be a hot-headed and grim boy who used to hate everyone and always had a grim face. But now... Compared to before, not only was his complexion much better, but he also had a constant smile on his face as if nothing in the world could make him change it.

Yang Ze went straight into the carriage without saying a word to anyone. Even though he was leaving the family for a long time, perhaps forever; there wasn't a trace of sorrow or regret on his face. For him who came from another world, there wasn't any emotional attachment to the family. The previous body owner might have wanted to make his father proud and to make the Yang family stronger than any other family, but the current him wasn't very interested in those things.

"HOOO."

With a loud shout, old Xie whipped the brown horse and slowly moved the carriage away from the main manor.

Regardless to say, his departure wasn't very grand. There wasn't even a single dog present there to bid him farewell much less a servant or another member of the Yang family. Yang Ze too wasn't surprised by it all. On the contrary, he would have been uneasy if someone actually came to bid him farewell.

The carriage slowly moved towards the end of the Tairong street. One end of this road leads to the inner circle while the other to the outside.

The Yuyang which was divided into two circles contained in it people from all walks of life. The outer circle was where the homeless, poor and middle-class families lived; The inner circle was where the most prominent wealthy and powerful people lived.

Even though it had been more than a month since his arrival, it was his first time walking out into the city. This was the first time Yang Ze experienced life without technology and comfort. In the scattered memories he received, there were scenes like this, but in the end, things like this were felt best personally.

Slowly their carriage arrived at the end of the street. In front of him, there was a grey stone wall that was over fifty meters long. This was the wall that divided the inner circle from the outer circle.

Throughout the year, four main families of Yuyang City send their guards here to take care of the entrance and the exit. The Yang family being one of those was the reason the guards let them pass without any questions.

Yang Ze felt the carriage shake for a while before returning to normal. Moving away from the curtains, he was looking at the scenery in front of him.

Unlike the inner circle, the outer circle was chaotic. Every few steps, there were vendors selling all kinds of stuff. With loud noises, along with the flavourful fragrance of the food in the air, the entire scene looked like a still out of an old painting.

It was at this moment, that Yang Ze finally felt alive. Even though there were many people in the Yang manor, it was always lifeless. Everyone there was always busy with something. And if they were not busy with work, then they were busy mocking him and making fun of him. Stepping out of that damned place finally felt like a breath of fresh air. His long cherished wish of walking out and seeing the world for himself was finally accomplished. Today he finally saw this world...

Yang Ze's eyes extended from inside the carriage to the outer world. Looking at the hawkers and shops on both sides of the street there was a slight smile on his face.

Some people were entering the shops while some were coming out of it. Some were riding horses, while others were walking slowly on foot. It looked familiar to ancient cities, perhaps even better.

"Second young master, how are you feeling?" While Yang Ze was looking around, Old Xie's voice came from the front.

"Good. It looks much more peaceful here." Sweeping his eyes across a pancake stall, Yang Ze replied in a casual tone.

"Hahaha. Of course, it will be peaceful, after all this entire market is under the jurisdiction of the Xu family. There aren't many brave souls who would dare to make any trouble here."

Yang Ze's eyes flashed for a moment after hearing the name of the Xu family. No wonder this place was peaceful and well-maintained. It was actually under the Xu family.

Out of the four families in Yuyang City, the Xu family was the strongest. There were countless properties under them, not to mention powerful cultivators and martial artists. Someone once jokingly said that the Xu family was as strong as the other three families combined. Even though this statement was exaggerated, it was enough to show the power Xu family held in this city.

Yang Ze kept looking at the scenery outside for a long time before closing the curtains and then closing his eyes.

Even though the scenery was bustling and full of life, it was still monotonous compared to the scenery of his previous life. Other than the same kind of shop repeating every ten steps, there wasn't anything else to see.

Perhaps being aware of his current mood, old Xie didn't speak another word. Since this was his last time in this city as the second young master, he wanted to give him a proper goodbye. So, for now... he left him alone with the dwindling prestige of the young master of the Yang family.

The carriage which only held two people, one young and one old, slowly made its way outside the city. The only thing that it left in its trail was the long shadow that was as bleak and lonely as it could have been.