Chapter 1 The King of the Southern Continent

• The fiery red Dragon Soul flag soared freely and gallantly in the air. Beneath the almighty flag stood a tall, well-built young man with strongly marked eyebrows that exuded confidence. He stood upright and proudly gave the flag a military salute. The shiny badge hanging from his immaculately maintained clothing could hardly be missed.
• Austin Brigham finally obtained his certificate of service from the Dragon Soul troops today. It had been his dream all this while to be part of Dragon Soul, Harrington's most powerful secret defense organization. Despite the fact that few people were aware of its existence, the organization was vital in maintaining Harrington's national security. Hence, Dragon Soul wielded substantial power and military might.
• The men who were selected into Dragon Soul had to be the cream of the crop. As such, not many were qualified to enter the organization. Austin had no idea how many people were members of Dragon Soul, but he was aware that each one has unique skills. That was why Dragon Soul was viewed as the country's secret weapon against any forces.
• Austin's lifelong mission was to be part of Dragon Soul. His ten years of hard work had paid off, and he was now a proud member of the organization. He felt as though he had reached the pinnacle of his life.
• The journey had not been a walk in the park. When Austin first joined the military, he was an insignificant soldier. After countless blood, sweat, and tears, he was now a God of War. He had finally reached the stage where many were envious of his achievements and glory. Yet, Austin chose to exit the military for a woman!
• When questioned by his superiors about his abrupt departure, Austin cast a far-off glance in the direction of his homeland. He muttered melancholy with a gloomy look, "I fought for my country for the past ten years. I fought hard for the southern continent. However, I have done nothing for my family, especially… for my wife."
• Austin had only gone home once in his ten years on the battlefield. It was four years ago when he learned his father, Richard Brigham, was on the verge of death. He immediately requested permission from his superiors to return home for a visit, but was only permitted to be absent for a few days.
• Austin stayed by Richard's bedside day and night. The old man, who knew his time was up, requested for his son to marry Deborah Wright. In order to fulfill his father's dying wish, Austin had no choice but to agreed.
• On the day that the newly-wedded couple handed their marriage certification to Richard, Austin received news to return to the military. Hence, he hurriedly left and made his way back to the southern continent. Austin and Deborah were thus a married couple in name. However, when Austin arrived in the military, he learned that his father had passed away. He regretted not accompanying his father on his final journey.
• Four years went by in the blink of an eye. Austin felt guilty for not looking after his family and wife all these years. Now that the southern continent was peaceful, it was time for him to return to his family. He knew that there was no way he could make amends to his father. Though he had not expected his wife to forgive him for his four-year absence, he felt it was only fair to explain himself and seek their forgiveness.
• Two days later, Austin carried his backpack and walked out of Fairville airport. He took a moment to gaze up at the clear blue sky and inhaled a deep breath. Although he was relieved to come home, he was worried about the approaching reunion.
• Despite his impressive achievements, Austin had wanted to keep a low profile. As a result, he had not requested that anybody pick him up from the airport. He was not startled by his wife's absence as they did not know anything about each other other than their names. After hastily registering for their marriage, Austin had to return to the Southern continent the very next day. It was impossible for any woman to feel disgruntled at the careless treatment. In fact, he was mentally prepared to learn that Deborah had disowned him.
• The first thing that Austin planned to do when returning to Fairville was to visit the Brigham family's ancestral house and pay his respects to Richard. He hired a cab as soon as he stepped out of the airport and made his way to his destination.
• Upon arrival, Austin saw a slender, gorgeous woman dressed in a white dress anxiously walking back and forth. It was Deborah, his wife! Knowing Austin would be returning home today, she assumed he would first pay his respects to his father. As a result, she had planned to wait for him at the Brigham family's ancestral home.
• Prior to their reunion, Deborah had rehearsed in her thoughts the nasty things she would say and the slaps she would deliver to the heartless guy. Her frenzied appearance and pacing were not due to her love for Austin, but rather to release her pent-up displeasure with him.
• Judging by Deborah's heated and irritated expression, Austin could tell that she was there to demand for an explanation. Though they had only met once, the man remembered her looks. She was still as beautiful and charming as ever.
• Austin stood in front of her and smiled politely before saying, "It's been a long time, Deborah Wright."
• Deborah was taken aback by the man's sudden appearance. She thought to herself, he has grown more mature from four years ago. Only his gaze had not changed much…
• Deborah was captivated by the mesmerizing gaze and had forgotten about her rage. She was unsure if she should proceed to kick up a fuss and slapped him across the face. She hated herself for being so weak and her eyes started to tear.
• Austin was aware of Deborah's difficulties and preferred that she express her frustrations at him. The stillness and calm made him feel even more guilty. He said apologetically, "I'm sorry. This is all my fault."
• Deborah's eyes welled up with tears. Just as Austin was about to reach out and soothe her, she lifted her leg and landed a strong kick on his knee. She yelled in-between sobs, "That's right, how can you treat me like this? How did you go four years without leaving a trace? I thought that you were dead!"
• The woman no longer cared about her appearance. A fresh swell of rage rose in her as she thought of how she had lived like a widow for the past four years. Austin could only endure Deborah's rage in silence as he knew that he was responsible for her unhappiness. He was willing to sacrifice his life to atone for his mistakes.
• Many Brigham family members soon gathered at the ancestral house, knowing that Austin would pay his respects to Richard. They were curious about how Austin had turned out and wanted to catch a glimpse of the man who had disappeared for ten years. Upon hearing Deborah's thunderous screams, they hurriedly went to the ancestral house to watch the commotion.
• The Brigham family members could not help but snicker when they saw that Austin was dressed in plain-looking clothes. Some started to make derogatory comments.
• "Austin, what happened to you? Do you have to beg for a living?"
• "If I recall correctly, you wore this outfit when you came back four years ago."
• “Hahaha! Are you serious? You must be a thrifty man to wear the same outfit for four years."
• "Isn't it inappropriate for him to pay his respects at the Brigham family's ancestral house?"
• Several Brigham family members were taking turns to make fun of Austin's unassuming appearance. Just then, a thirty-year-old mediocre-looking man stood beside Deborah. He leaned toward the woman and said mockingly, "Don't be upset, Deborah. Look at how pathetic he is. Since he has nothing to offer you, hurry up and divorce him! You can lead a better life with anyone else."
• The annoying man was the Brigham's family eldest grandson, Mitchel Brigham. His father was Daniel Brigham. Given his brazen attitude toward Deborah, it was evident that Mitchel had no respect for Austin.
• Mitchel thought to himself, let me see if Richard's son is really such a worthless scumbag!