Chapter 1: The Morso Empire

Having been in this strange place for half a year, Zhang Wen had fully adapted to life here—or more accurately, was living quite well.

He hadn’t always been called by this name, but what did it matter now? When he awoke half a year ago, he was already here—within the Morsuo Empire, a massive interstellar empire with over a hundred colony planets. He was currently on Cassares, a Tier-1 planet, which overall was a pretty decent place. Originally, the man named Zhang Wen had been a street thug, but after taking over this body, he naturally wanted to change that. He certainly didn’t want to spend his life as a gangster.

Yet reality often fell far short of expectations. The technology in this world was highly advanced, but vastly different from Earth. Though they possessed incredible interstellar navigation capabilities, their main fighting force wasn’t mechanical. Here, humans themselves were the dominant force. Equipped with the proper weapons, a human’s combat power could even surpass that of a warship. Obviously, training a warrior was far cheaper than building a warship.

The empire operated under a hybrid system combining a class hierarchy with parliamentary elements. Nobles had privileges, but unlike ancient Earth nobility, they couldn’t act with complete impunity. There were still certain constraints in place.

Undoubtedly, becoming a warrior was the best shortcut for a commoner to ascend to nobility—similar to attending university back on Earth. Here, the three most important departments in any academy were Physical Arts, Psychic Arts, and Technology.

The Physical Arts department produced warriors, the core of the military. The Psychic Arts students would become the operators of warships—though their individual combat power was lower, they were the ones who drove the ships, since warships required psychic energy to function.

Those who couldn’t handle either of those fields ended up in the Technology department. For a scientist, becoming a noble was extremely difficult—reaching a comfortable, wealthy life was already considered the pinnacle.

As for entertainment-related professions, they were even worse. During these six months, Zhang Wen had endured a great deal to survive in this unfamiliar world—dealing with strangeness, loneliness, and especially immense mental pressure. But he hadn’t gone mad, and had managed to survive, strong and resilient.

This was truly thanks to his diligent study of the Spring Water Manual. This wasn’t some family martial arts secret or even something native to this world. It was something he had bought for a hundred yuan back on Earth—moved by pity for an old man and his love for martial arts and fantasy novels, he had donated all his pocket money. Later, when he grew up and realized he had been scammed, he had still read it carefully, though it had seemed utterly useless at the time.

But since arriving here, the Spring Water Manual had actually started working. At least, it improved his stamina. There was a slight side effect, though—his sexual desires became unusually intense from time to time. But what else could he do besides endure?

It was also a matter of luck. Two months ago, Governor Termiso had been assassinated during a speech—rumored to be the work of a Republican Alliance assassin. Zhang Wen had acted impulsively. Standing near the front, in the chaos, whether from a rush of adrenaline or not, he had taken a sword meant for the governor. That single strike nearly cost him his life.

Surviving a great calamity often brings fortune. Sure enough, he was now a proud teacher at Almexius Academy!

Well, to be precise, with his qualifications, he couldn’t even be considered a student, let alone a teacher. But who could say anything? After all, he was the governor’s savior.

Zhang Wen knew the governor didn’t really value him much. But still, since he was technically a savior, the governor didn’t want to be seen as ungrateful. Thus, he had been given a nominal position. His former thug background had also been concealed—after all, the governor wouldn’t want such a thing spreading among his social circle.

Zhang Wen understood his own situation. Being where he was now was already a decent outcome. In this survival-of-the-fittest world, the rest would have to be earned through his own efforts. He didn’t dare ask the governor for anything unreasonable—it would only bring disaster. Regardless, this life-risking act had lifted him out of the gutter.

This idle position came with generous benefits, including a decent teacher’s apartment. It was clear the school valued him, given his status as the governor’s savior.

Zhang Wen’s job was simple—he was in charge of discipline. As for teaching actual classes? That was a joke. He himself understood nothing. Fortunately, the governor hadn’t expected much from him anyway, given his former thug background. Managing discipline didn’t require any particular knowledge or strength.

In Termiso’s eyes, this debt of gratitude had been repaid. He didn’t want any further dealings with Zhang Wen—not out of coldness, but because that’s how the imperial system worked. In his view, it was natural for someone to risk their life for him. Overall, this kid had been reasonable, not making excessive demands. Termiso was happy to maintain a reputation for gratitude—after all, that would encourage others to fight for him.

Since becoming a discipline teacher at Almexius Academy, Zhang Wen’s life had undergone a complete transformation. Perhaps Termiso didn’t see it as significant, but this provided Zhang Wen with a foundation to eventually enter the upper echelons of society.

Now, Zhang Wen no longer had to wake up early every day to work odd jobs or endure others’ disdain. After all, teachers were highly respected. Although he wasn’t as prestigious as the Psychic Arts or Physical Arts instructors, he still held real authority. He controlled discipline, and thus indirectly influenced students’ fates. Of course, nobles couldn’t be easily offended, but in reality, noble-born students rarely dared to provoke teachers either. The basic respect for teachers was still deeply rooted in the empire.

Almexius Academy was strongest in Psychic Arts, annually supplying top-tier warship operators to the military. Even its weaker students could easily land well-paying jobs, since nearly all daily necessities relied on psychic energy. Graduates from Almexius were always in high demand.

Physical Arts was considered one of the weaker departments at the academy, making Almexius more of a “liberal arts” focused institution. This meant there were far more female students. In the Psychic Arts department, females made up about seventy percent, while in Physical Arts, males accounted for nearly eighty percent.

Zhang Wen was quite happy here. It had taken him two months to fully adapt to the environment. The first step to surviving in a new place was to completely understand the surroundings.

Zhang Wen quickly learned that though Almexius Academy couldn’t yet rival the “mega-academies” like the Imperial Military Academy or the Royal Elite Academy located on the capital planet, among the tens of thousands of academies across the empire, it was still among the top-tier institutions.

Moreover, what Zhang Wen considered his greatest fortune was that Almexius was far from the imperial administrative center and closer to the neighboring Shasha Federation. Compared to students in the capital, these students were much easier to deal with. In the capital, fanatically loyal imperialist students often formed groups to duel over trivial matters. Discipline teachers who tried to intervene were frequently injured in the chaos.

Having worked at Almexius for over two months, the most common issues Zhang Wen dealt with were things like “a male student harassing girls” or “a dorm group sneaking out to drink and party”—petty nonsense.

Perhaps for some teachers, the lack of challenge in the work would be frustrating, but Zhang Wen was quite satisfied. After all, the leisurely job gave him more time he could control. Through these six months, Zhang Wen had clearly understood that surviving in this Spartan-like empire without sufficient strength was simply impossible.

However, Zhang Wen soon saw hope. Back on the streets, he had no way of accessing martial arts in this world. Relying solely on the Spring Water Manual had only improved his physical fitness, not actual combat ability. But now, with a teacher’s identity, he could finally read freely.

Zhang Wen had never been a diligent student, but he had made up his mind—living in this hellish place without power was impossible. Even though he had saved the governor’s life, that protection wouldn’t last forever. Once the governor was gone, he could be discarded at any moment. One must rely on oneself.

Therefore, Zhang Wen forced himself to spend time in the library. With a teacher’s ID, he could go anywhere. Everyone knew his background and mostly viewed him as a joke. People like him, with no foundation, jumping straight into advanced materials—well, even in eight lifetimes, they wouldn’t succeed. If becoming a master were that easy, everyone would self-teach.

Initially, Zhang Wen had little confidence either, but he couldn’t afford to miss any opportunity. However, after reading, he discovered the strangest thing—others required some sort of ritual to break through barriers, but he didn’t need any of that.

The essence of Physical Arts cultivation was cultivating “Energy.” The higher the energy level, the greater the combat power. When energy reached a certain level, one could learn aerial techniques and fly—this was also one of the motivations driving Zhang Wen.

Everyone naturally possessed energy, but to cultivate Physical Arts, one had to awaken and explode it outward before further development. Zhang Wen clearly skipped this process. Yet, when he first practiced the Physical Arts’ micro-circulation technique, he generated energy. Unlike the usual blue, his was a rare silver color. It was said that unusual colors indicated exceptional talent, even special abilities.

Zhang Wen was secretly proud of this discovery. However, he also knew his foundation was still weak, so he had to stay low. He usually trained in secret, spending most of his time in the library reading theory and Physical Arts circulation techniques.

The Physical Arts’ micro-circulation technique differed from the Spring Water Manual, yet felt somewhat similar. To put it simply, Physical Arts circulated energy on the body’s surface, somewhat like absorbing elements. People here called it “energy existing in the universe,” perhaps some element unknown on Earth. The Spring Water Manual, on the other hand, circulated internally through meridians. Zhang Wen theorized that his method absorbed this energy into his body. Whether it was beneficial or not, he wasn’t sure, and there was no one to guide him.

But one thing was certain—his energy was silver because the Spring Water Manual produced that color. Naturally, Zhang Wen was determined to pursue both paths. They weren’t necessarily complementary, but having an extra skill always increased his chances of survival.

Recently, while practicing the Spring Water Manual, Zhang Wen felt something off. Although the energy within him still flowed as usual, he felt a lack of smoothness he hadn’t experienced before.

“Could the Spring Water Manual finally be clashing with the Physical Arts I’ve been cultivating?” After several practices, Zhang Wen grew increasingly puzzled.

His understanding of both this world’s martial arts and the Spring Water Manual from Earth was far from deep. After much deliberation, he realized that guessing aimlessly wouldn’t help. He only had one life—if he misdiagnosed the issue and ended up with internal injuries from the Spring Water Manual, he wouldn’t even have a place to cry.

With a faint hope, Zhang Wen decided to go to the library. Perhaps some ancient imperial expert had also tried drawing external energy into the body for cultivation? Even if their method differed from the Spring Water Manual, it could still serve as a reference.

Like most universities on Earth, Almexius Academy’s library was an elegant, serene building. It stood beside an artificial lake on the eastern side of the campus, an ideal place for reading.

Usually, one could always see many students reading by the shelves or practicing psychic arts in the small hall on one side of the library. However, today was Almexius Academy’s annual festival, so everyone had gone to the southern campus square.

Zhang Wen had long heard that Almexius’ annual festival featured various martial arts competitions, debates, and even the yearly “Miss Almexius” beauty pageant. The beauty contest was open to all ages—students and teachers alike could participate!

In a university widely recognized as having the most and highest-quality beauties in the empire, this was the only chance each year to see all the beautiful female teachers and students gathered in one place—a true visual feast. Even Lord Mayor Ararat of the city where Almexius was located wouldn’t miss this annual event.

Of course, Zhang Wen wasn’t uninterested in admiring beauties, but compared to the issue with the Spring Water Manual, he knew what mattered more. Beauties could be seen anytime, but life was only one.

However, when Zhang Wen arrived at the library’s entrance, he was both amused and frustrated to find the librarian had locked the doors and vanished without a trace.

According to school regulations, librarians weren’t supposed to leave their posts during duty hours. As a discipline teacher of the Ethics Committee, Zhang Wen had caught a rule-breaker red-handed. But during the festival, who would seriously enforce rules and spoil the fun?

Moreover, because Zhang Wen often stayed in the library late at night, the librarian named Lot Garon had given him a key. With the key in hand, Zhang Wen didn’t bother chasing after Lot Garon.

Opening the library door, Zhang Wen easily entered the innermost room on the second floor. Throughout the library, this room had always been the least visited and most secluded. It housed rare and seldom-read books. Zhang Wen himself rarely came here. However, he suspected the information he needed about “external energy internal cultivation” would likely fall into the “rare books” category, so he came here specifically.

Of course, as one of the top academies in the empire, Almexius had a vast collection of obscure books. The entire room contained about a dozen rows of towering bookshelves.

Perhaps due to the festival, the librarian had turned off most of the lights in the room when leaving, leaving only two wall lamps at the front lit. Without windows, the room was dimmer than usual.

“Sigh!” Seeing the situation, Zhang Wen could only sigh.

All the books in this rare book room were arranged alphabetically by title. Zhang Wen had no way of knowing which book might contain the information he needed. Thus, he could only reluctantly go through each shelf one by one.

Just after finishing two rows, Zhang Wen suddenly heard the library’s glass door creak open.

“At a time like this, who else would come to the library besides me?” As he wondered, he heard crisp footsteps approaching. Then, she actually entered this rare book room!

“Oh? This is truly interesting!” Zhang Wen’s curiosity was increasingly piqued.

This room was rarely visited even under normal circumstances. Why would someone deliberately come here when no one else was around? Zhang Wen didn’t think others would have issues similar to his.

Thinking this, Zhang Wen slightly lowered his body, his line of sight just peeking through the gap between the bottom of the top shelf and the second layer of books. What he saw next startled him slightly.

The one entering the rare book room was none other than Linoah, the renowned three-star psychic arts instructor known as the “Pearl of Almexius.”

However, what surprised Zhang Wen even more than Linoah skipping the festival’s Miss Almexius contest to appear in the library was what came next.

Having been at Almexius for over two months, even without actively seeking information, Zhang Wen had heard colleagues casually mention the academy’s most popular beauties. As one of the two teachers who had previously won the Miss Almexius title, Linoah was often mentioned.

Yet, every time Zhang Wen heard colleagues talk about Linoah, it was usually a few people gleefully discussing how this beauty had rejected someone again. Among students and teachers alike, Linoah’s image was always one of untouchable elegance. However, the moment she entered the room, she removed her coat. What she wore beneath shocked Zhang Wen beyond belief.

Linoah had tied her lustrous golden hair into a loose bun, with light makeup accentuating her exquisite beauty. She wore a red long dress resembling the traditional Earth qipao. However, the upper part of the dress, from the collar to the chest, was cut like a seductive evening gown, revealing a deep V-neck.

Linoah naturally had an ample figure. The tight-fitting upper garment pressed her chest, making the deep cleavage between her ample breasts clearly visible. With every breath, her full, tender breasts swayed enticingly, as if ready to burst from the dress at any moment!

The lower half of the dress was similar to a qipao, with a high slit reaching up to her waist. Linoah’s figure was absolutely model-standard, her legs long and perfectly proportioned. With each step, her alluring thighs peeked from beneath the slit, swaying temptingly with the skirt—deliberately stirring desire in any onlooker.

Frankly speaking, such a seductive outfit, worn by a beauty like Linoah, made Zhang Wen feel as if a fire had ignited within him.

But what was even more maddening was that Linoah had no idea there was a pair of eyes secretly watching her in the dark corner of the room. After entering, she half-reclined on a desk, took off her high heels, and began gently massaging her delicate, jade-like feet!

As she massaged, Linoah emitted soft, pleasurable moans. These sounds, combined with her occasional furrowed brows and parted lips with soft sighs, would likely stir even a wooden statue.

Zhang Wen, hiding in the shadows, saw every move Linoah made. Thinking back to how cold and aloof she had always been when he saw her before, the stark contrast made Zhang Wen feel his temples throb. At the same time, he vaguely sensed his own energy stirring again under the intense stimulation!

“Linoah deliberately choosing the festival time to come to the library definitely isn’t for a performance. Whatever her purpose is, she certainly doesn’t want anyone to know. If she discovers me here, that could be troublesome! Even Confucius, such a great sage, said, ‘Only women and servants are hard to deal with!’ There must be some truth to that!”

Zhang Wen thought to himself, as usual starting to control the flow of the Spring Water Manual. He clearly knew that with his current strength and influence—or rather, the complete lack thereof—it was best not to invite trouble.