Doanh Thuong Hien also known as the Prince Hien (Virtuous Prince) traveled far and wide with his family. Throughout the year, news from the Little Kingdom constantly reached his ears—all of it praise for the new regime. This only deepened the Prince's melancholy until he eventually fell ill. His wife and children remained ignorant of the cause, but the Silver-Bearded General understood perfectly: this was a sickness of the heart, a malaise no medicine could cure.

  One day, Silver-Beard spoke up. "Master, what use is there in this sorrow? Why not prove that what you believe is right? You claim that 'Rule by Virtue' is superior to 'Rule by Law,' yet you only think and speak of it on paper. Put it into practice. Prove your father was wrong, and your brother is wrong as well."

  The Virtuous Prince, lying dejected in bed, felt as though he had been jolted awake from a dream. He sat up abruptly. "Yes. I shall open both of their eyes."

  He stayed up all night drafting a plan to prove his ideals. Afterward, he went to his wife to request the necessary funds. A heated argument ensued, but the Prince eventually secured the gold. He traveled south, where grain was cheap, and commissioned a Flying Wooden Dragon (a dragon-shaped airship) to fly north, where famine raged due to crop failure and war. He took only his eldest son and the Silver-Bearded General, leaving the rest of his family behind until a foothold could be established.

  Following the Prince's orders, Silver-Beard purchased a house with a massive warehouse. Because the region had suffered for so long, property was cheap, nearly abandoned. The Virtuous Prince took charge of the granary, while the General traded his armor for the robes of a steward to manage the logistics.

  That year, the drought was more merciless than any before. Crops failed, and hunger was everywhere. Unable to bear the sight of the starving masses, the Prince slashed the price of grain—eventually giving it away for free. The people of the city knelt and kowtowed, hailing him as a "Living Immortal." Some even set up ancestral tablets to worship him in their homes.

  Silver-Beard advised the Prince to stop the free distribution after a month. However, the Prince refused, shouting so all the people could hear, his voice heavy with compassion: "A human life is worth far more than silver and gold!"

  He did not realize, however, that the more he helped, the more the people grew accustomed to it. They stopped trying to work, choosing instead to camp outside his door, viewing his granary as their own personal larder.

  The grain dwindled. After a year, the warehouse was nearly empty. The Virtuous Prince was forced to stop the handouts, posting a notice that grain would now be sold at the standard market price—even though other merchants had hiked prices fourfold.

  The moment the notice was posted, the crowd tore it to shreds. Hundreds gathered at his gate, their shouting sounding like a disturbed hornet's nest.

  "You have no heart!" "Heartless wretch!" "How dare you cut off our charity!" "Profiteering from our suffering!" "Your true nature as a greedy merchant is revealed!" "What 'good man'? It was all a lie!" "You gave it for free before, now you want money? What kind of 'virtuous' person are you?!" "Open the doors! Feed us!"

  The mob surged forward, grabbing the Prince by his robes and striking him. Their screams were deafening. "You fed my son, and now you cut his rations? Do you want to kill him?!" The Prince was trapped, his voice drowned out by a sea of resentment.

  Eventually, he was dragged inside to recover from the beating. Once his strength returned, he resumed the handouts, refusing to sell. To afford more grain, he sold half of the house he lived in. He believed they would show gratitude; instead, they simply grew more entitled, setting their sights on the remaining half of his home.

  He finally sold the rest of the house, gave away the last of the grain, and climbed into a carriage to leave, his heart heavy. But the citizens blocked his path. They broke into the house searching for hidden food. They leaped onto his carriage, looting his belongings. Those who found nothing spat in the Prince’s face, their eyes filled with contempt.

  The Prince and his son clenched their fists, a tide of fury rising within them. These people didn't see him as a man; they saw him as a fool to be exploited. He left the city in rags, tears of bitter resentment streaming down his face, without a single copper to his name.

  After driving the carriage a great distance from the city, Silver-Beard finally stopped and asked, "What is the plan now, Master?"

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  The Prince ground his teeth, his eyes welling with frustrated tears. "Plan? What 'plan,' you old fool! I was wrong. I was wrong from the very beginning! Are you satisfied now? I am a fool—the greatest fool in the world. Is there a worse word? Say it! Those bastards... those ungrateful wretches!"

  Silver-Beard sighed. "We are only human. Everyone makes mistakes. There is no need for such rage."

  "You loyal old dog, shut up!" the Prince roared. "Who gave you the right to speak?"

  Silver-Beard fell silent and steered the carriage toward a prearranged location. There, Noe was waiting with a caravan of wagons laden with grain, purchased beforehand by the Prince’s father. After hearing the situation from Silver-Beard, Noe understood the problem.

  He approached the Prince. "Virtuous Prince, let us make a wager. This time, I will lead, and you will act as my manager. You do exactly as I say. If I win, I only ask for a word of thanks. If I lose, I will go and convince your father and brother of your way."

  The Prince knew Noe was the mentor of Doanh Thuong Quan (the current King) and a friend of his father. He loathed Noe, but returning home empty-handed meant facing his wife's endless nagging. With his son’s support, he agreed.

  They returned to the city. To avoid being recognized, the Prince wore a mask at all times, dressing as a swordsman bodyguard. Silver-Beard donned his general’s armor and carried a massive greatsword. Standing beside Noe, the two of them were a terrifying sight.

  Noe bought back the Prince's old house and began selling grain. He also distributed free food—but only sporadically. There was no pattern; he might give food for three days, then stop for a week on a whim. He sold grain at the same high prices as other merchants. For those too poor to pay, Noe demanded they build houses and repair roads in exchange for food.

  In a short time, he took over the entire street. The houses became grand and spacious, and the people thanked Noe. He fed them well and did not skim from their rations like others did. Next, he bought land to dig irrigation trenches and clear sewers. He showed the Prince what it meant to be "stern yet loving"—that Virtue and Law must walk hand in hand.

  This success only deepened the Prince’s despair. He could not accept that his original ideology was flawed, so he often hid in his room. His eldest son, Doanh Thuong Chi, however, was fascinated by Noe’s methods. He often took his father’s place, wearing the mask and standing by Noe’s side as a loyal guard to learn the art of governance.

  Eventually, the people had sold all their houses and fields to Noe, as he offered better prices than the competitors. They stood before his granary and pleaded, "We have sold everything. Please, buy us as well. We will be your servants." Noe agreed and bought them all.

  Some time later, Noe announced, "The drought is ending. From now on, you shall be tenant farmers."

  At this, the Virtuous Prince finally removed his mask. The people were terrified, fearing his revenge, but he spoke: "I let everything go. From this day forth, you must be loyal to me."

  Noe added, "My master is a kind man. He will lease your land back to you, but you must pay your dues on time—five-tenths of your harvest."

  "After ten years, if you pay on time, my master will allow you to buy back your land and your freedom. The tax will then drop from five parts to three, and eventually one. But if you disobey and withhold taxes, you will be punished."

  Upon hearing this, the people wept. Usually, once someone sold themselves into debt-slavery, there was no escape; their children would be born slaves. The land belonged to the master, who could take everything and leave them only scraps. A 50% share was enough for them to eat and save. They thanked the Prince profusely. Within three years, Noe had consolidated 50% of the small city’s land, handed management back to the Prince, and departed.

  Weary of it all, the Prince left the business to his son and returned to the Phi Moc Long (Wooden Dragon Flying Boat) to meet his second wife. During his absence, she had only heard rumors of his failure and that he was working for a man named Noe. Disappointed and opportunistic, she betrayed him, and upon his return, she even attempted to have him killed.

  Silver-Beard arrived too late to prevent the attack. When he finally rescued the Prince, the man was gasping for breath, near death. His mask was stuck fast to his face, and he drifted in and out of consciousness, muttering, "Why? Why betray me? All of you... I treated everyone so well, so why do I only receive betrayal and exploitation? Why... why?"

  In that moment between life and death, the Virtuous Prince heard a voice filled with empathy. It was a Draconian (Dragon-Kin Alien).

  The Draconians shared a common origin with the Dragon Race of the Mu continent, but they had evolved differently. While the Mu Dragons focused on magic and physical size, the Draconians focused on technology, armor, weaponry, and the power of the spirit. Because Doanh Thuong Nhan had once formed a blood pact with a Golden Dragon, his son, the Virtuous Prince, carried that blood—though it was weak. To the Mu Dragons, he was merely a "Dragon Slave."

  But the Draconians sensed their kin. They ordered their followers to secretly swap the Prince’s mask for a specialized one. Sensing his immense pain—the pain of a man betrayed by all—and his fading mental resistance, they spoke directly to his mind via telepathy.

  "O Slave, I am your God. I feel your pain. Do you wish for vengeance? We shall help you."

  With his last spark of survival, the Prince replied, "Yes... I want revenge. Revenge on everyone."

  Immediately, a beam of energy shot down from the heavens, striking his mask. The energy expanded, encasing the Prince's body in a glowing cocoon like an egg. When he finally emerged days later, he was a different man. Gone was the sentimental prince of the past. In his place stood a being of violence, his eyes brimming with an overflowing, murderous intent.