Chapter 1

Dizzy and disoriented, the world spinning around him, the scenery before his eyes swayed. He gently closed his eyes, waited for a moment, and then opened them again. All the overlapping images merged back into one.

Everything was still so familiar yet so strange. It had been four years since he came to this world, and familiarity and strangeness had been intertwined throughout. In this process, he gradually adapted to everything here. Except for the big face that was now up close!

"Master! Could you please move your handsome face a bit?" The tone of his voice was full of vitality, making one feel refreshed and pleasant, and naturally generating a sense of goodwill. The owner of the voice was a spirited young man, lying on a rather old wooden bed, wearing white, and covered with a thin cotton quilt. Although his face was pale, his unwavering tone showed that he was not seriously injured.

The handsome face slowly moved away. This was a middle-aged man in his thirties. We won't comment on his appearance, as beauty is in the eye of the beholder! But the sharpness in his eyes and the righteousness he exuded were undeniable! If he were less lecherous, he would be perfect.

The middle-aged man pointed at the young man with his finger, his movements very standard, but the young man knew very well that this lecherous guy had no martial arts skills at all! "You, with your clever mind and nimble hands, why are you so stubborn?" The middle-aged man looked at the young man's pale face with great concern.

The young man, seeing the man's concerned gaze, felt a bit sorry and said nonchalantly, "It's not the first time I've been beaten. Besides martial arts, I outshine those brutes in every way!"

"I believe that! It's just a pity that you were born in the wrong era!" The man heard the young man's words and his eyes showed a hint of pride, but then he sighed and asked, "What did you fight about this time?"

"I ran into a training partner from three years ago."

"That's a good thing! Why did you fight?"

"Good thing? You know the special training of the Jinyiwei! What kind of people come out of that training?" The man paused, then shook his head helplessly, "You are my disciple, they shouldn't dare to do anything to you. Did you start the fight again?"

"They said Master is a disgrace to the Bao Long clan! They said the Emperor might have to protect you someday!" The young man looked at the middle-aged man, his expression stubborn, determined, and deeply convinced. The middle-aged man was moved to tears, hugging the young man and crying, "It's my fault! The Emperor loves martial arts, but we, master and disciple, are like fools in this aspect. How can we go on living like this!"

In a short moment, the young man's shoulder was wet. Seeing the middle-aged man's state, the young man quickly said, "Master! I've always believed you are the best! One day, the Emperor will realize that you are the brightest star in the sky!" After saying this, he subtly pushed the middle-aged man away.

The middle-aged man wiped away his tears and laughed, "I don't know where you get your confidence! In this world, only you and your master's wife believe that." The young man chuckled and was about to say more to encourage him when the door opened, and a graceful young woman entered. She wasn't particularly beautiful, but her first impression was one of gentleness and understanding, a perfect representation of a traditional virtuous wife! Seeing the middle-aged man wiping his tears, she smiled, "What are you two up to? Come, Xiao Xiao, have a bowl of noodles! I added some special ingredients! I guarantee you'll be full of energy tomorrow!"

"Master's wife! Why do you always add special ingredients? Last time, the noodles with Isatis root almost cost me my sense of smell! What did you add this time?" The young man's handsome and delicate face scrunched up, clearly indicating he wouldn't eat it! The middle-aged man, seeing the woman's expression, was alarmed and slapped the back of the young man's head, "Your master's wife's noodles are the best in the capital! How dare you dislike them!" While scolding, he kept winking at the young man, who found it exhausting. Seeing the woman's face turn pale, he swallowed and said, "I'll eat it, what did you add this time?"

"Plenty of ginseng! To nourish you." She then said to the middle-aged man, "Husband! That ghost-like person is here again." The middle-aged man was stunned, "I'll check it out." He left, and the woman placed the noodles, smiled at the young man, and left the room. The young man was left alone, holding the bowl of noodles, feeling melancholic!

...

Gently placing the bowl of noodles aside, he took a pigeon from the pigeon coop on the windowsill, lay on the bed, and gazed at the moon outside, "The moon shines bright before my bed, like frost upon the ground. I raise my head to look at the moon, and bow my head to think of home." He tied a piece of paper with a poem to the pigeon's leg and released it, "Want to compete with me in literary talent? I, representing countless穿越者, look down on you! Humph!"

Unconsciously, releasing the pigeon had become a daily routine, like eating and defecating, something he couldn't stop. He had been in this world for five years. In his original world, he had no online friends, but here he had made a pigeon friend!

The world is truly wondrous! The young man's real name was Zhu Di. In the modern world, he had a very respectable job. He was surrounded by a retinue, driven in luxury cars, and his work was both easy and prestigious. This job was being the driver for a mafia boss... He chose this job because the boss was his college classmate, and he felt his life was ruined by these friends!

That day, he and the boss went to an antique auction. The boss spent thirty million on a wooden scabbard said to be five thousand years old! Yes, you read that right, just the scabbard! The world of the rich is always beyond the understanding of ordinary people.

On the way home, they were ambushed by twenty gunmen. The scabbard was on the passenger seat, and he had to dodge bullets, so he lay on the passenger seat. Unfortunately, the bullets were too powerful, and they were almost instantly riddled with holes. In the moment of death, the scabbard suddenly shattered, releasing a blinding light that enveloped his soul and brought him to this world!

...

When Zhu Di opened his eyes again, he found everything had changed. The air was incredibly fresh, unlike the smog-filled cities he was used to. This was a world similar to ancient times. From the hairstyles of the passersby, it was definitely not the Qing Dynasty, where half-shaved heads were fashionable! From the women's dresses, it was not the Tang Dynasty, where half-exposed chests were fashionable. Looking at himself, he was in a disheveled, sharp-featured beggar's outfit, a promising career in begging. He wondered if there was a Beggar Gang in this world; he would have to pay his respects when he arrived.

The hunger in his stomach, like a tidal wave, confirmed that the original owner of this body had died of starvation.

Searching his body, the only valuable thing was a bull horn slung across his waist. The horn was about half a meter long and as thick as an arm, black and smooth, with eighty-one intricate carvings. The carvings were very detailed, clearly crafted with great care. He didn't understand the content, but it seemed similar to the eighth set of radio calisthenics. Whatever it was, it must have been very important to the original owner, who had clung to it even in death. In his current situation, even if it were priceless, it was meaningless. Zhu Di just wanted to find a place to pawn it.

Before he could move, two stern-looking men appeared in front of him. "Do you want to eat?"

"Yes!"

"Follow me."

Zhu Di was taken away. He thought some senior must have seen his unique bone structure and wanted to take him as a disciple to entrust him with the mission of world peace. Isn't that how穿越者get special powers? Unfortunately, the harsh reality was hard to accept. Don't misunderstand, these two were not human traffickers; they were genuine government officials.

The memory ended here, not because there was nothing more, but because his stomach started to hurt, "I knew Master's wife's noodles weren't that easy to eat!"

...

The sun had just risen, and the young man got up. His master had not returned all night, which was common. But he never understood why his master's wife was not worried. The capital had good security, so there was no need to worry about bandits, but what about the dreaded third parties from his original world? Was his master so safe-looking? Sweat!

The young man hastily ate a bun, got dressed, and went out. It was already the hour of the Tiger, and the streets on both sides of the main road were already occupied by various vendors. The sounds of hawking, playing (children wake up earlier than roosters, sweat!), and arguing filled the air. You didn't hear wrong, it was the sound of arguing. The neighbor, Aunt Cai, always haggled over prices when buying vegetables, and it inevitably led to arguments. The young man was used to it. What was surprising was that in the end, she always got the vegetables at a lower price. Aunt Cai had a special talent, and you couldn't help but admire her!

Aunt Cai, though talkative, was a kind-hearted person. She always took others' wisdom as her own glory and conversation topic. She also had a hobby of matchmaking. The young man running towards her, named Jiang Asheng, was a typical city dweller, plain-looking and honest, earning a living by running errands and delivering messages. His wife, Zeng Jing, sold cloth and had a certain charm. Aunt Cai had once introduced her to the young man, but he had politely declined, citing incompatibility. They eventually got together through Aunt Cai's introduction and had a wedding two years ago. The neighbors all said that Jiang Asheng must have done good deeds in his past life to marry such a beautiful and virtuous wife.

"Xiao Lingzi, so early to deliver medicine for your master! I have to deliver a letter, we'll talk another day." "Brother Asheng, take it easy, be careful." "Xiao Lingzi, you work hard. Next time I see your master, I'll have a word with him! Always making you do this and that!" "It's fine, I'm used to it! He's very busy!" The young man skillfully greeted the neighbors. Now, the young man was no longer called Zhu Di; he had changed his name to Ling Xiao, and the neighbors called him Xiao Lingzi. As for why he changed his name, it was a bit depressing.

This world was vast, at least several times larger than Earth, and the country he was in was called the Great Ming! It was incredibly similar to the Ming Dynasty in Earth's history. He was surnamed Zhu and was a beggar by origin. His master said this was taboo, so he took the surname Ling and the single name "Xiao."

This world was complex. At first, Ling Xiao thought he had traveled to the Ming Dynasty, but after hearing some people and stories, he was thoroughly confused.

As he walked further, the pedestrians on the road gradually became sparse. Ling Xiao's master was a "gynecological saint," and the neighbors always thought he was delivering medicine for his master. Some had questioned where all the medicine came from, but Ling Xiao never explained and was not afraid of being followed, because further ahead was not a place for ordinary people to enter.

This was a fifteen-meter-high vermilion gate, with a stone lion on each side, one male and one female, symbolizing the unification of the world and the continuation of offspring. Such a high-spec gate was naturally not for Ling Xiao to enter. He walked to the side gate. Two rows of well-dressed and imposing guards stood at the gate. When they saw Ling Xiao, they opened the gate and let him in, but the disdain in their eyes and actions made him smile bitterly. "I don't know how long I have to wait. This life of being despised is really hard to endure!"

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