Chapter 1

Xu Mo's head throbbed sharply, as if it might split open at any moment. Countless scenes played out in his mind like a movie, and he wanted to wake up, but his eyelids refused to open.

Is this sleep paralysis?

A thought crossed Xu Mo's mind, and his consciousness continued to struggle. Finally, his left hand twitched, feeling cold and sticky. His right arm, which was pinned under something heavy, had already gone numb.

"Phew..." Xu Mo finally opened his eyes, gasping for breath, feeling extremely exhausted.

As if sensing something, Xu Mo suddenly raised his left hand and looked at it. His palm was stained red, a sight that made his eyes widen in shock and his heart race.

His right arm still couldn't move, and he turned his head to look at it. A small body was curled up there, its tattered clothes stained with blood. The young face was marked with both blood and tears. It was a girl, about five years old, who was still sobbing in her sleep.

Xu Mo carefully turned to his side, bending his arm and supporting himself with his elbow. He sat up, letting the girl lean against his chest.

As he sat up, his heart constricted with a sharp, tearing pain.

In the small room, two cold bodies lay on the ground, their skin already turning a dark purple. Blood had stained the floor, and it was clear they had been dead for some time.

A memory surfaced in Xu Mo's mind, accompanied by a sharp pain, intense sorrow, and a heart-wrenching ache. He could no longer distinguish who he was.

Looking down at the sobbing girl in his arms, his heart ached even more.

Xu Mo vaguely realized what had happened to him. He looked down at the ground, where broken furniture was scattered. He found a piece of broken glass, moved his body slightly, and picked it up with his left hand to look at himself. He saw a slightly pale face, that of a fifteen-year-old boy.

The girl's eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes, calling out, "Brother."

Seemingly remembering something, the girl burst into tears, struggling to turn in Xu Mo's arms. But Xu Mo forcibly held her head down, his right hand tightly around her neck, applying just enough pressure to keep her from moving.

"Don't look."

Xu Mo said softly, his heart aching, his breath heavy with pain.

How could a five-year-old girl witness her parents and brother being beaten to death?

"Brother, I'm scared..." The girl's body trembled as she cried, her small hands tightly gripping Xu Mo. His heart ached with her sobs, and he held her tighter.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here." Xu Mo tried to make his voice as gentle as possible.

"Brother, are Mom and Dad just sleeping? Why are they bleeding? Brother, can you wake them up?" the girl cried.

"Mo'er, Mom and Dad are just tired. Let them rest for a while, okay?" Xu Mo looked down at the girl and said softly, forcing a smile.

"Okay." The girl, though still crying, nodded obediently.

Xu Mo picked up the girl and looked around. The small room was only about twenty square meters, with the living room and kitchen combined. Dust covered everything, and there was only one small bedroom.

Xu Mo carefully walked into the bedroom and laid the girl on the bed. She looked at him, seemingly afraid.

"Mo'er, go to sleep. I'll be right here with you." Xu Mo said softly to the girl, who nodded but still held onto his hand.

"Go to sleep. You'll feel better when you wake up." Xu Mo gently stroked the girl's hair, smoothing it down and helping her close her eyes.

The girl was obedient and didn't resist. Xu Mo stayed by her side for a while, then gently pulled his hand away and covered her with a blanket.

The room was in disarray, with clothes piled up. Xu Mo found two old blankets and walked out of the bedroom to cover the bodies. He searched his memory for how to handle this situation, but the original owner had no such experience. He was not yet fifteen and lacked life experience.

He only vaguely knew that the dead could be buried or cremated.

"Money!"

Xu Mo glanced at the messy room, which had clearly been ransacked. Anything of value seemed to have been taken. This world seemed even more cruel than the original owner's memories.

Thump, thump, thump...

A sound came from the door, which was pushed open. A middle-aged man walked in, glanced at the bodies covered in white cloth, and then at Xu Mo. His eyelids twitched, and he asked, "Were they from the munitions factory?"

"Probably." Xu Mo nodded. In his memory, his parents were ordinary workers at a munitions factory, but one day they suddenly ran home, afraid to go back. They even went to the law enforcement team, as if they had encountered something.

According to Xu Mo's memory, his parents never told him what had happened, but he overheard them discussing that the munitions factory was hiding some secrets. They were afraid and wanted to report it, but ended up being beaten to death, leaving only the five-year-old Xu Mo alive.

"Foolish. I told them not to meddle, but they wouldn't listen. Now they've met this fate." The middle-aged man, Xu Mo's uncle, said. He was Xu Mo's father's younger brother.

Xu Mo looked at him and noticed that his eyes showed no sadness or anger, as if he wasn't really a close relative.

From his memories, he knew his parents were honest, while his uncle was more cunning. The brothers rarely interacted.

"Xu Mo, now that this has happened, we need to take care of your parents' funeral." Uncle Xu sighed. "However, cremation will cost money, and I don't have much savings. I'll borrow some to make it as decent as possible. After that, we'll sell this old house. What do you think?"

Xu Mo looked at him warily. In his memories, his uncle wasn't so considerate.

"Where will Mo'er and I live?" Xu Mo asked.

"I'll apply to be your guardian. You and Mo'er will live with me from now on." Uncle Xu said.

"Uncle's house isn't big. Adding Mo'er and me would be too crowded, especially since Mo'er will grow up. It wouldn't be convenient." Xu Mo replied.

Uncle Xu's eyes flashed with impatience. This Xu Mo was usually timid and obedient. He should be scared out of his wits, yet he was thinking about the future?

"Don't worry about that. I'll figure it out." Uncle Xu said impatiently.

Xu Mo stared at him for a moment and then said, "Thank you for your kindness, Uncle, but I'll take care of Mo'er myself."

"What do you know, kid?" Uncle Xu shouted, glaring at Xu Mo with a menacing look. "You're lucky to be alive. How can you take care of Mo'er? Just follow me obediently. As for Mo'er, she's young and will forget this in a few years. I'll find her a good home. If a powerful person wants to adopt a child, she might have a better life."

He emphasized, "That's settled."

Xu Mo looked at Uncle Xu with a cold heart, though his face remained expressionless. The original owner had a job, though it didn't pay much, it was enough to support himself. Mo'er was young and needed care, so Uncle Xu planned to give her away, or perhaps sell her. The chances of finding a good home were almost zero.

This was an opportunity to seize the house after his brother's death.

Uncle Xu felt uncomfortable under Xu Mo's gaze, thinking that the boy seemed different after the shock. He was surprisingly bold, but he didn't believe he couldn't control a boy under fifteen.

"I don't want to." A young voice came from the doorway. Xu Mo turned to see Mo'er standing there, barefoot, clearly awakened by the commotion. Her big, wet eyes looked at Xu Mo. "I don't want to be given away."

Seeing the tears in her eyes, Xu Mo's heart ached. He walked over and hugged her. "Brother won't give you away."

"This isn't a place for children to speak." Uncle Xu glared at Mo'er.

Mo'er shrank back, looking at Xu Mo.

Anger surged in Xu Mo's heart. He carried Mo'er back to the bedroom and placed her on the bed, stroking her head. "Mo'er, be good. Brother will protect you. Stay in the room, okay?"

"Okay, Mo'er will listen to Brother!" The girl nodded obediently.

"Good girl!" Xu Mo kissed her forehead and left the room, closing the door behind him.

"Uncle, go home. I'll take care of this myself." Xu Mo said, not expecting any help from his uncle.

Uncle Xu glared at Xu Mo with a venomous look, a sinister smile on his face. He walked toward Xu Mo, coldly saying, "Brat, you're being ungrateful. Your parents are dead, understand?"

He kicked Xu Mo, who, already weak, fell to the ground. Uncle Xu continued, "Just cooperate with me. Do you think I want to take you in? Don't worry about Mo'er. She's cute and can fetch a good price. Some rich men in the black market like young girls."

Xu Mo coughed, his tightly clenched hand trembling.

"Hmph." Uncle Xu glanced at Xu Mo coldly and walked toward the bedroom. "Mo'er, Uncle will take you to play."

He pushed open the door.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind. Uncle Xu frowned, a murderous intent in his eyes. He had planned to use Xu Mo for labor to earn some money, but now...

No one would care about what happened here.

Just as he turned, he saw a sharp piece of glass thrust toward him. His pupils dilated in shock. He never expected his timid nephew to act so boldly. He tried to block it, but it was too late. Xu Mo, using all his strength, thrust the glass into Uncle Xu's forehead, piercing through!

PS: I've been writing fantasy for over a decade and wanted to try a sci-fi novel. This is my first book on Qidian. Brothers, please support me!