Firebrand - Chapter 72: Who Watches the Watch

“Come not between the Dragon and his Wrath.” — William Shakespeare The year was 2140, and Earth was nothing but a distant memory. Humanity now drifted through the galaxies aboard colossal ARKs, massive skyships that served as the last bastions of civilization. Yet, these ARKs were more than just floating cities; they were humanity’s last containers, preserving what remained of their species. A century before Earth’s final collapse, humanity discovered a gateway to a realm known as Eternia — a fantastical world straight out of myth and legend. Reaching this realm required more than just advanced technology; it demanded a complete departure from the physical body and entry into a mysterious process known as the Dream Weave. In the present day, Cloud lived aboard ARK NO. 427, where he had been training from a young age to step into the Dream Weave. He was a standout among his peers, excelling in every tasks that came his way. Everything seemed to be on track for him — until the pivotal day of the Class Selection process.

Two years ago, Lin Chou Sui’s firefighter father sacrificed himself in a fire.

The last conversation between father and daughter ended in a big fight.

Lin Chou Sui woke up crying countless times in her dreams, wishing that if her dad could be reborn, she would obediently listen and never talk back.

Little did she expect that her dad would actually be reborn!

His soul possessed the body of Xiao Yan, the academic god of their high school.

…

Xiao Yan excelled in both character and academics. His total scores never dipped below 700. All the girls at their high school knew: getting into Tsinghua or Peking University was easy, getting close to Xiao Yan was difficult.

But Lin Chou Sui noticed that recently, the way Xiao Yan looked at her was very strange. His aloofness contained deep affection; his affection…was full of fatherly love?

So Lin Chou Sui’s daily life became:

Before exams, Xiao Yan would give her his notes to copy.

During her period, Xiao Yan would brew her red date tea and cook porridge.

Bad boys who blocked her path and harassed her would get kicked flying by Xiao Yan.

Lin Chou Sui was very touched. Other than her dad, no one had treated her this well.

…

On a hot afternoon, Xiao Yan sat with Lin Chou Sui on the stairwell to do homework, his gaze tender beyond words.

A light breeze blew by. The youth was about to lean in to kiss her.

Suddenly, a cold, icy male voice sounded in his mind:

“Young Xiao, may I ask what you intend to do with my daughter?”

Xiao Yan: ……

Xiao Yan crawled out from the mud. Beneath his cold and aloof appearance was a sinister and vindictive nature.

To climb from the lowliest dust to the summit out of reach, the path was filled with thorns. For this purpose he would stop at nothing, sparing no cost.

However, all the darkness and gloom in his life ended with that one strange encounter…

From then on, the skies cleared and his dead end led to new life.

A sinister genius boy meets a muddled Failure girl

When Gao Ge is awake, he finds that he has returned to the earth before aura reappeared. The world will usher in an era of practitioners soon. Various schools of cultivation and families of ancient martial arts will spring up. As a man who is living a second life, Gao Ge will never let go of the chance to grasp the resources, cultivation methods and treasure places first.

In this era, there are many geniuses and I, Gao Ge, shall be the king of them.

He always told me that he dreamed of me at night.