Chapter 1

The Great Xia Dynasty.

Jiangling Prefecture, Anping County.

Suburbs, wilderness.

Luo Hong gradually woke up, drowsily opening his eyes. The damp, salty smell of the earth mixed with a pungent odor of decaying flesh hit him.

Instinctively, he tried to take a deep breath, but felt a burning sensation in his throat and nose.

His nose was wet and had a bloody smell.

He wiped it, and his hand came away red, which made Luo Hong a bit panicked. He propped himself up and fumbled around, trying to find the clean handkerchief that was always on the table.

However, his hand found nothing, and as he scanned his surroundings, Luo Hong felt as if his neck had been filled with cement, completely stiff.

Where the hell am I?

What about my cozy, spacious 25-square-meter bachelor apartment?

How did it turn into a desolate wilderness?

But he couldn't afford to be shocked, so he rolled up his sleeves to wipe the nosebleed.

His whole body ached, as if he had been drained.

A cold moon hung high in the sky, its light like a gossamer veil, hazy and indistinct.

By the faint moonlight, Luo Hong saw the corpses scattered around, emitting a putrid stench...

In an instant, Luo Hong felt a chill run through his body and mind.

The nosebleed that had just stopped almost started again.

Suddenly, his head throbbed, and memories surged into his mind like a turbulent current.

After a long while.

Luo Hong finally reacted, his face pale.

He had been transported to another world.

The opening scene was a mass grave, and... he had a nosebleed.

A sense of unease spread through him, and fear grew.

Luo Hong struggled to get up, intending to crawl out of the pile of corpses.

But just as he stood up, it felt as if a hand had grabbed his ankle, and he fell to the ground. Supporting himself with his hands, he felt the sharp pain of being scraped by the gravel on the ground.

Looking back, he saw that a package had tripped him.

Luo Hong almost cried. What a terrible start!

His mentality was about to explode!

Is this how it is to be transported now?

Luo Hong glanced at the package that had tripped him and saw the corner of a small booklet peeking out. The material of the booklet was unknown, but under the moonlight, it... was faintly glowing.

A... golden finger?!

Luo Hong's heart raced.

Then, ignoring the fear brought by the mass grave, he grabbed the package, which represented the last dignity of a transported person, and fled from the place, rolling and crawling.

...

After running for several miles, the eastern sky began to turn white.

When Luo Hong's legs were almost cramping, he vaguely saw the outline of Anping County.

After another rush, he finally arrived at the city gate, famished and cold, under the morning light.

Luo Hong panted, his eyes red.

This start was too difficult.

Based on the memories that had been forcibly inserted into his mind, Luo Hong also figured out his identity.

The original owner of this body was also named Luo Hong, the son of a landlord in Anping County. He had money, but nothing else.

His father, a mysterious landlord, had disappeared, leaving him a large fortune and a five-year-old little sister.

As for how he ended up in the mass grave, Luo Hong's memory was a bit fuzzy, but he remembered the general outline.

Luo Hong, along with three guards, left Anping County to collect rent from a remote village. They were ambushed by bandits, and the righteous predecessor, leading the guards, stepped forward. Before the rent was even collected, he was killed.

A truly pitiful and foolish son of a landlord.

Being a righteous hero isn't that easy.

Before entering the city, Luo Hong was stopped.

The guards at the city gate carefully examined him and recognized the disheveled Luo Hong. After all, the son of the largest landlord in Anping County was somewhat famous.

Luo Hong recounted his experience, and the guards listened as if it were a joke. Seeing his pitiful state, they could guess the truth.

In these chaotic times, no place was peaceful.

Such incidents were not uncommon.

They didn't mock him further, merely checking his belongings before letting him pass.

Luo Hong entered the city, stepping on the solid bluestone pavement, feeling much more at ease.

Anping County wasn't large. In the early morning, the air was still cool, and the streets were lined with vendors setting up their stalls.

Luo Hong, disheveled and pitiful, clutched the bloodstained package.

The booklet in the package glowed in the dark, and Luo Hong thought it might be the golden finger that came with his transportation.

This was the last dignity of a transported person!

The air was filled with the sweet aroma of tofu pudding, making his stomach growl loudly.

After feeling safe, the intense hunger hit him like a tidal wave.

There was a tofu pudding stall in the distance.

Luo Hong licked his dry, cracked lips, his eyes red and gleaming, and moved his almost cramping legs toward the stall.

The tofu pudding stall was in a secluded spot, with few customers.

"Sir... Sir..."

"What would you like?"

Luo Hong sat on a long bench, just as he put down the bloodstained package, a timid and fearful voice spoke, but the voice was pleasant.

Luo Hong turned his head, disheveled, bloodstained, and reeking...

He looked like a dangerous person.

This intimidating appearance made the other person's question sound fearful.

Luo Hong then saw the person who had spoken, and he was momentarily stunned.

The tofu pudding stall owner was as dirty as he was, with a unique appearance...

The owner was a woman, but her face was smeared with black soot, like a cat, and some yellow mud, making her look unappealing.

"Boss, why don't you wash your face before setting up your stall... You might scare away customers."

Luo Hong couldn't help but comment.

The woman said nothing, lowering her head.

The atmosphere was a bit silent.

"Two bowls of tofu pudding and two pieces of fried dough!"

Luo Hong broke the awkwardness and said.

The woman pursed her lips and turned away.

While the woman was preparing the food, Luo Hong pulled the package to examine his golden finger.

However, as soon as he uncovered a corner, a strong golden light spread out.

"Oops..."

Luo Hong glanced at it, quickly covering it, and looked back at the stall owner, who was clumsily preparing the tofu pudding. He felt relieved.

The light shone for a while and then faded. Luo Hong completely unwrapped the package and found a small booklet.

The surface of the booklet was smooth, and when he touched it, it felt unusually silky.

"Huh..."

"So smooth!"

Luo Hong was surprised.

It felt like...

A girl's skin.

Damn!

This thought made Luo Hong feel a chill, and goosebumps covered his body.

A girl's skin?

He had brought a human skin booklet from the mass grave...

How terrifying is this?

Shaking, he covered the package again, just as the woman, who had made herself look like a cat, brought over the steaming tofu pudding and fried dough.

"Thank... thank you."

Luo Hong suppressed his fear and looked at the woman.

The woman, hearing his thanks, was taken aback, her eyes lifting slightly, revealing large, gem-like eyes that looked at Luo Hong.

That fleeting glance had an unusual charm.

Like a ray of light...

Soon, the woman lowered her head again and silently turned away.

Luo Hong didn't think much about it, his attention drawn to the tofu pudding and fried dough.

Hunger made him start eating ravenously.

Luo Hong couldn't help but shed a tear.

Simple tofu pudding and fried dough seemed to be the only comfort in his dark and terrible start.

His warm stomach gave a satisfied response, and Luo Hong slowly exhaled a warm breath.

Sweat beaded on his forehead.

After eating his fill, he prepared to pay.

However, his hand froze as he remembered that the bandits had taken all his money...

He had been so focused on eating that he had forgotten this.

This was a bit awkward.

"Um..."

"Miss, can I owe you the money?"

Luo Hong, with a stiff face, looked at the woman, who was lowering her head, and asked.

This small business, and they were strangers, so owing money seemed a bit shameless.

The woman was taken aback, and her face changed.

Even through the soot and mud, Luo Hong could see her face turning pale...

She rarely got customers, and this one wanted to owe money for tofu pudding...

Luo Hong felt that even his breathing was awkward.

"I'm the son of a landlord, I have money!"

Luo Hong pointed at himself, speaking seriously.

Without waiting for the woman's reaction, he grabbed the package with the human skin booklet, looking a bit disheveled, and ran away.

Watching Luo Hong's back, the woman finally mustered the courage to call out timidly.

"But... but you can't owe me..."

However, Luo Hong had already disappeared into the morning light.

The woman felt a bit disheartened, silently tidying up the bowls and chopsticks, biting her lip.

Encountering a scoundrel, it's okay, I must be strong!

As for Luo Hong, who had run away, it was his first time eating without paying, and he felt quite embarrassed and ashamed.

He decided to send someone to pay the money later.

After running about two or three miles from the tofu pudding stall, he finally relaxed.

But as soon as he relaxed, he felt the package in his hand tremble. Looking down, he saw the human skin booklet, as if it had legs, sticking to his hand...

Luo Hong, who had been sweating from running, felt as if he had fallen into an ice pit.

The human skin had been made into a booklet, and it could still come to life?!

Suddenly, Luo Hong saw blood-red words appear on the human skin booklet.

"Completed the first villainous act: eating without paying."

"Villain's Handbook activated successfully."

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