Chapter 573 - THE BOY GENIUS

The Yuan clan was thriving when Yuan Haoran was born. However, the family structure was not stable. The fights in the family were intense, with each member of the family attempting to get the upper hand in the internal conflicts. 

Moreover, despite the economic success of the clan, they did not have a lot of access to the rare material. 

On Martial Island, lacking the rare material meant being vulnerable to disease and early death. Also, without martial power, families were in danger of extinction because the rules of the jungle were acceptable on the island. 

As long as someone had enough power, they could kill and steal resources. 

The Guardians were only concerned about external threats instead of internal ones. They would only interfere with the internal conflicts on special occasions, particularly when they believed that the fights would affect the entire island. 

As a result, the Yuan family was always under internal and external threats. They had to spend a lot of money to protect themselves and remain stable. 

When Yuan Haoran was born, the entire clan was disappointed. Even though he was just one of the many children of the clan leader, everyone thought he would be exceptional. After all, his mother was a renowned martial artist. 

Most of them brushed him aside as soon as they noticed his white hair and pale eyes. Even his mother and father did not care for him. The only thing they did was ensure he had the most basic needs. Otherwise, they neglected him. 

However, by the age of four, they realised his potential. Not only did he have exceptional martial talent, but he was also incredibly smart. His level of genius was almost unrivalled. Only two other people could compare to him. 

The first was the Guardian from the Iekami clan, Taiki Iekami. The man was lauded as one of the greats on the island since his birth. The other was a young girl from the Jiang clan, Jiang Yinuo. Among the living residents of Martial Island, the three were the only true geniuses in both physical and mental capabilities. 

Unfortunately, Yuan Haoran did not get the exceptional treatment that he should have received as a rare genius. People still looked down on him even when he performed well. However, he was a determined young boy who was eager to learn. 

After a while, his name was spoken with awe. He became the legendary 'other people's child'. 

When he was just seven years old, everyone was convinced that he would become the head of the clan before he turned twenty. People from other clans flattered him and tried to get on his good side, even asking for his guidance on business matters. 

Naturally, some people were jealous. 

The other tens of children and the multiple wives of the clan leader were envious and wanted to deal with the threat of the boy genius. Not to mention numerous relatives always wanted to oust the leader and take over the Yuan clan.

Ironically, the most jealous person was the clan leader, Yuan Haoran's father. 

He always wanted a good descendant to take over, but in Martial Island terms, he was still quite young. Even if he was not in the best condition, he had a steady supply of the rare material as the family head, despite the low quantity assigned to his clan. 

Therefore, as a middle-aged man, he believed that he would be able to rule for at least seventy more years.

But with Yuan Haoran showing his terrifying talent, he would probably take over the clan before he was twenty years old. The thought of losing his power so quickly weighed heavily on his heart. So, he decided to plot against his young son. 

At the time, Jiang Yinuo was also a target of evil plots. 

But unlike Yuan Haoran, Jiang Yinuo received the best resources from childhood. Her talent was nurtured with care because no one considered she would be a threat to the clan leadership. After all, she was just a girl. 

After one of the Triennial Championships, both Haoran and Yinuo found themselves in a dire situation. 

For Yuan Haoran, he was plotted against by his father, even though his father, later on, pushed the blame to one of his uncles. He took the opportunity to eliminate the next strongest branch of the Yuan clan by claiming they harmed his son. 

It was at this time that Yuan Haoran discovered the underlying secrets of Martial Island. 

When he was captured by unknown men, he was thrown into a ship with other children and some of the external competitors of the Triennial Championships. He was shocked when they arrived at the small secondary island belonging to Martial Island. 

Yuan Haoran, along with these people, were left in a campsite and told that they would become miners. That, in itself, was not frightening. However, when they met the other people in the camp, they realised that the situation was bad. 

The old miners had strange deformities and illnesses. Moreover, all the supervisors on the island wore protective suits. Haoran recognised that these suits were meant to prevent radiation exposure. Additionally, they always wore beeping radiation detection watches. 

A few days later, he met Jiang Yinuo. 

He was injured because he refused to mine the rare material, despite the threats of the supervisors. Those people used an electrical cattle prod to try and make him compliant and left him outside the camp without food. 

He was ready to die. 

When he thought it was the end for him, a little girl appeared beside him with a piece of bread and unabashedly checked his wounds. She chided him while treating him and reminded him that it was better to plan carefully before trying to take revenge. 

Yuan Haoran did not want to bow to his oppressors and accept the situation. However, after his encounter with Jiang Yinuo, he decided to protect her. And he swore that he would let her breath free air once again. 

From that moment, he was not stupidly stubborn. He plotted with care until an opportunity arose for him to steal one of the emergency ships used by the supervisors. He escaped from the island with Yinuo and some subordinates he gathered. 

Unfortunately, after spending a few years on a radioactive island, they could never be the same. Even their use of the rare material could not do enough.. Their organs were already compromised, and there was no cure for them.