Morning,

Alex woke up feeling refreshed and healthy; he looked at the woman sleeping beside him, "Her name was Evelyn, right? Why was she protecting me when she was the one responsible for everything?"

He shook his head as for the current him, the previous body owner's problems doesn't mean anything. But he felt an urge to find the main reason behind this and take revenge. He got up and looked up the sky feeling nostalgic as he always had his mother accompany him on the terrace.

The universe system thought for a while when it noticed a hint of maturity in his eyes and said. "Alex, I advise you to control your emotions for a week. Because the transmigration doesn't come without a cost. Thankfully you had me. Otherwise, you might have become crazy for a month or even a year. Even with me converting those memory pulses into simple information, they have little side effects and might result in a split personality." she advised.

Alex acknowledged her advice with a yawn and asked her whether she could find a lake or a pond inside the forest to wipe the stinky sweat off his body.

"Concentrate your Spirit towards the moisture content in the air then you could locate them easily!" she advises.

Alex closed his eyes and tried her method. Within a couple of seconds, he could sense miniature bubble like moisture in the air flowing with the wind. Since they were in the forest, the source of finding a water source was way too easy.

"Follow the place where the moisture content is in excess. And don't worry about the demonic beasts, most of them take rest during the sunrise," she gave instruction as he walked.

Alex nodded and followed the path without fear. Within 5 minutes of walking, he found a clear water pond.

As he had the mentality of seven years old, he got naked without feeling shy and dived into the small pond. After a couple of minute cleaning himself, he washed his clothes and hung them on his shoulders.

"Fuuuu...That feels good! Now let's return to Ex-Aunt, she might be awake!" he thought out loud and walked while being naked.

"Universe System, do you know any method for drying off the water from my body? I don't find any memories from my previous body owner, regarding this" he asked.

"Your body is just at the peak of Purification stage. To be precise, 9th star of the Purification stage, so you cannot do that for now!" she replied.

Not feeling disappointed, he walked back.

As he came near their temporary camp, he found her staring at him with a dagger in her hands.

Otherside, Evelyn was surprised at his appearance,

Her face blushed at the scene, but she quickly turned her head facing opposite direction. Alex smiled knowing his mistake and went behind the tree to get dressed.

After dressing himself, he walked towards her.

When he was dressing, Evelyn's mind was in chaos. She didn't know how would she face him, her guilt was prickling her heart with a knife. She did what a degenerate scum would do; whom she looked down and hated. At first, she was surprised to see his innocent gaze looking at her without any hatred and then she quickly knelt on the floor and said, "Alex Redforest, I'm sorry... I have wronged you for my selfish reasons! I know I cannot ask for forgiveness, but I promise that I will accept any Punishment you find right! Even if it has to me being a slave for my entire life!"

With this, Alex could guess that she wasn't the main preparator behind this plan.

"Evelyn! Please stand!..... Could you explain why you betrayed me?" Alex asked with an indifferent expression on his face.

**********************

Redforest city is one of the bordering cities of Gromor Kingdom. The family Redforest founded and ruled over the city for centuries.

The current City Lord has 12 concubines including his newly wedded concubine, Evelyn. He has a total of nine sons and seven daughters. Alex Redforest was the son of the 9th concubine who ran away after giving birth to him. Due to this reason, the standings in his family was very low. From the start, he was denied cultivation resources and training manuals by the City Lord's 1st wife who hated his mother.

Even after denying his resources, Alex still kept up with his training to the 9th star of purification and got qualified for Star Essence Bonding Ceremony.

[Cultivation stages

1) Purification stage (star 1 to 9)

2) Star Essence Layer (star 1 to 3)

3) Star Qi Conversion (star 1 to 3)

4) Core Formation (star 1 to 9)

5) Planetary Fusion ( low, medium, high and peak)]

Noticing his extraordinary talent the City Lord's wife feard that he might take over her son's chance to become the next City Lord. So she secretly plotted his demise with the hands of Evelyn. The City Lord was a cultivating manic and always runs away for adventures, so the city was mainly ruled by her. Other than the City Lord no one would go against her.

The Star Essence Bonding Ceremony was like a festival for the whole city. And the City Lord would always return during this time of the year. Every youth under the Age of 16 were allowed to access the Altar to perform the Star Essence Bonding. Star Essence Bonding is a stage for Peak Purification stage cultivators to connect with Heavily bodies on the space. Only by performing the connection with the heavily bodies outside the planet can allow a person to breakthrough to next stage, 1star of Star Essence Layer.

The Altar in the City Lords mansion allows a better chance to sense distance star thus increasing their chance to connect with Larger stars. The bigger the star, the better the essence one can gather. So people who have broken through to the 9th star of purification will wait for this day to access the Altar.

*********

Evelyn was the daughter of a noble from the neighboring Kingdom Astegia. During the war one year ago, the Gromor Kingdom won the battle and took over 1/3 of the land belonging to the Astegia Kingdom. The territory of Evelyn's father comes under the portion won by the Gromor Kingdom. Evelyn's father denied the pleas of his family to escape to another territory as he was deeply attached to the territory. Leaving only Evelyn and her father, everyone escaped. Evelyn put a deaf ear when her father asked her to escape with the others.

When the Gromor kingdom's troops came to formally acquire the Fief, Evelyn's father got arrested as a war criminal, and she was sent as a gift to Alex's father for his contributions on the war. Being under the rule of a nice King, Evelyn's father underestimated the methods of Gromor's King.

*Evelyn's POV*

It's been half a year since I came to this City. But I only saw the City Lord once as he was always away in adventure and yet to return since. And I don't know how's my father doing in the dungeon. The only reason I accepted him as my husband was for my father. If I can seduce him then saving my father will be easy, but I have yet to see him. Luckily, I heard the Star Essence Bonding ceremony is coming soon; the city lord must be on his way. It's my only chance.

*Knock* *Knock*

"What is it?" I asked the maid.

"Lady Evelyn, the 1st Mistress, requires your presence!" said the maid with a bow.

"Tell her I will be there in a minute!" I replied.

Why is she calling for me? The only person I hate in the whole mansion is her. She is such a cruel person, and I want to avoid at her all cost. But still, I cannot afford to offend her for now.

I thought as I went to her courtyard.

Wow! This place really looks beautiful. It seems like the 1st wife spends most of the city funds on her courtyard. As I walked the surrounding maids bowed towards me, but I can see they have no respect from their eyes.

I walked straight to her room and knocked on her door.

"Come in" she replied.

Wow! This bitch really lives like a queen! I was mesmerized for a second but quickly turned my attention towards her.

She had an evil smile on her face looking at me. Others might don't think it that way, but I knew that was a wicked smile and she's plotting something.

"Evelyn! Come, sit!" She asked me to sit opposite to her. I was nervous, but I still didn't show that outside.

There was a letter on the table, she looked a little sad and passed on the letter to me.

"Evelyn, this letter came today from the capital. It's from your father!" she said.

Since half a year this was the first time I received news about my father. I snatched the letter from her hands and opened it. My hands were shaking as I checked whether it's my father's handwriting.

Yes, it was.

As I read the letter, tears started to flow from my eyes. In the letter, my father mentioned that he was ill and the doctors think that he won't make it till the fall. He asked me to take care of myself and run away from the current city and live somewhere safe. He mentioned how he missed me and regretted not seeing a grandchild before his death. And he was sorry that I got to this position because of him. I cried and cried.

But the one-word 1st wife said made me look up with hope in my eyes.

"Evelyn, I know what happened to your father is unfortunate! But if you want, I can help you save him!" she said.

"What? Really, you will?" I asked her.

"Yes!.....hmm... But I hope for something in exchange!" she asked with a smile.

I felt something amiss but still for my father I promised her in the name of my family that if she saves my father, then I will agree to do whatever she says.

But the next thing she said dumbfounded me. She wanted me to lie in front of the whole city that I saw Alex ravaging lives many young girls and even tried to make a move on me. I was shocked when she made her request. He was the only person in the entire estate I have respect for. Thinking of betraying him made my heart bleed, but for my father, I had to do it. After I promised, she sent her butler with a 7-star Mountain Bliss Pill. It is a miraculous pill which aids in healing and breakthrough in cultivators. The cost of the pill was nearly a thousand tales of gold. To keep my side of the promise I steeled my heart.

A day before the Star Essence Bonding Ceremony. The 1st Mistress ordered everyone in the mansion to assemble before her as she an important matter to announce. Everyone thought it was regarding the ceremony tomorrow. Everyone came one by one until all of them were present including servants.

I stood at the corner and looked at Alex; he looks so handsome. He is such a hard worker and has a good attitude. I felt guilty knowing the thing I was going to do to him.

With a shout, the first mistress called me. I hung my head low and walked towards her slowly.

Then like a drop of a bomb, she accused Alex and

Then she started acting. She blamed that Alex wasn't a good child and ruined many young girl's life.

Hearing her sentence, the whole crowd was dumbfounded. They knew Alex was a good child, but they didn't dare voice against their Queen. She brought several young women to blame him. And for the last strike, she brought me.

I stood there with my head down, not having the courage to look into his eyes. She now blamed him for making a move on me. The whole crowd gasped in shock including his siblings and the other concubines. They were 100% sure that it was a lie but, they didn't voice it out. She asked me whether it was true in front of the crowd. I nodded making everyone looking at me with disdain. Some even spat out curses to me.

I looked at Alex; he had a lifeless expression on his face. It felt like a thousand needles pierced my heart looking at his expression.

The 1st mistress then said that she wouldn't allow for such trash to live under the same roof as her. So with the authority of acting City Lord, she crippled his dantian and expelled him from the city and never to return again.

She said that she was showing mercy because of their relationship otherwise she would have executed him. But she did what she said otherwise. She secretly sent Assasins to kidnap and kill Alex inside the Dark Demon Forest.

I found out her plan and took off to save his life. When I got there I found Alex unconscious on the hands of the Assasin. But during the fight, I got injured and crippled from saving Alex.

I used my last life-saving artifact left by my father and escaped inside the forest. I swallowed my pain and took the unconscious Alex and walked inside the Dark Demon Forest.

***********************

Alex sighed hearing her side of the story. He felt sorry for her. As a single woman, she even put her life on the life to save her father was worthy of his respect.

"Miss Evelyn please stand up! I don't blame you for this!" he lifted her up and hugged her.

Evelyn was explaining her side of the story. She didn't even know whether he would forgive her or hate her. But when she heard his voice, she felt like a heavy load lifted off from shoulders.

Evelyn cried after hearing his words. She was relieved that he forgave her. But still, she was resolute to repay him with her life.

The Universe System smiled looking at his maturity. She was happy that he was maturing at a faster pace.

The 1st Mistress was sitting on a couch with a happy smile, but she didn't know that this was her last smile ever.