(What if I let a zombie chew on your brain? (ˉ?ˉ?))
(This book was only wuxia in its early stages; only later would it reach high martial arts.)
(The protagonist's main body was extremely cautious and only fought crushing battles.)
(Half absurd comedy, half leveling up. Many minor enemies would later turn into comedic characters; only mortal foes would be killed.)
Da Qing 269, Beichuan County, outside Qingcheng, by Green Lake.
At dawn, Yun Shou opened his eyes.
Ding! Congratulations, Host, on growing another year older. Foundation +1%. Current amplification: 14%.
A warm current surged through his body, and the youth immediately felt brimming with energy. Even his body felt much lighter.
This was the cheat he had brought with him when he crossed over. Its effect was "Foundation Amplification"; for now, the effect he could feel was simply making his body somewhat healthier.
Only...
"Good heavens, since you've even given me a cheat, couldn't you have given me a decent family too?"
Yun Shou asked the heavens speechlessly.
The cheat was powerful! That was beyond doubt. For those martial artists who walked the Jianghu and grandmasters renowned throughout the realm, even if they had to squander their entire fortunes, they would want their Foundation strengthened by even 1%!
But Yun Shou was merely a fisherman's son.
His family had been so poor that all they had left was a single boat, and it had been overturned by strong winds when he was twelve.
His parents had capsized along with the boat. Clinging to a broken piece of wood, he had drifted in the water for a day and a half before other passing fishermen rescued him.
After soaking in the water for a day and a half, his vitality had been greatly damaged. Coupled with never having eaten his fill since birth, even with this 14% increase to his Foundation, he was still inferior to children from wealthy families his age!
Two years after his parents' deaths, he had signed a contract of sale with the Qing He Gang, which controlled the water transport business around Green Lake. He sold the next twenty years of his life to them, and with the support of several fishermen, he had managed to survive steadily until today.
Otherwise, he would have starved to death long ago.
"Another day of going out to fish." Yun Shou looked at the sky. Green Lake, said to span eight hundred li in every direction, was practically an ocean. Standing on its shore, he could not see its edge at a glance.
"Those dogshit Qing He Gang bastards, using child labor." He cursed under his breath. Fortunately, the weather was good today, so he presumably would not encounter wind or rain.
"Xiao Shou, be careful today too." A middle-aged fisherman beside him said with concern.
Yun Shou nodded. "Mm, thank you, Uncle Ji."
After signing the contract of sale, Uncle Ji had taken him fishing for a year. Otherwise, with no experience, there was no way he could have survived until now.
Walking onto the little boat, Yun Shou was just about to untie the rope.
Suddenly, his mind jolted!
A line of information appeared.
Ding! Flawed Simulator installed.
Yun Shou: "???"
This Simulator may be used once per day. Each activation damages 1% of your Foundation vitality, hence the name Flawed Simulator.
Yun Shou: "Uh... so for me, that means I can use it once a year?"
After each simulation, you may choose one of the following two options to inherit: 1. Martial Cultivation 2. Detailed memories Beep... Data altered. Updated.
The system suddenly froze, startling Yun Shou, but the familiar-looking content soon appeared again.
After each simulation, you may choose one of the following three options to inherit: 1. Detailed memories (excluding martial arts memories, with nothing omitted) 2. Martial Cultivation (including martial arts memories, muscle memory, and so on) 3. Increased Foundation
Yun Shou froze.
"What do you mean, after simulating I can choose to increase my Foundation? No, System."
Originally, this Flawed Simulator really did seem terribly flawed. An ordinary person could use it at most ninety-nine times. Even if they became a grandmaster after ninety-nine simulations, with only 1% Foundation left, their strength might not even compare to an ordinary person's!
And who knew whether Foundation would affect one's Talent Aptitude for martial arts and one's lifespan!
But now, with the two cheats combined, it seemed they had produced a heaven-shaking bug!
Time waited for no one. He immediately chose to begin the simulation!
"Let me ascend to the heavens in a single step and become a martial artist!"
"Pay a visit, simulated me!"
Ding! Foundation -1%. Current Foundation: 113%.
Da Qing 269. You blinked where you stood and realized that you had entered the simulation.
To your regret, you discovered that you could not conduct a second simulation within the simulation.
For the main body outside the simulation, you decided to continue being a child-labor fisherman, staying alive cautiously for a year and earning back the cost first!
Da Qing 270. This year, you focused on being steady. You refused to take the boat out whenever the wind and rain grew even slightly stronger. At last, you cautiously made it to fifteen years old. Foundation +1%, reaching 114%.
Da Qing 271. Old Man Wang, the old fisherman who had once helped you, passed away. His son cried bitterly, but instead of using the condolence money from the nearby fishermen to bury Old Man Wang, he held a "water burial" in the lake.
Half a year later, Old Man Wang's son used the funeral money to take a wife.
Da Qing 272. You were still fishing, but as your skills and experience improved, not only could you support your own food and drink, you could even save a small amount of copper coins.
Da Qing 273. Uncle Ji's wife gave birth to a daughter, but you heard that the daughter had been left behind by a young wandering hero who had ridden their boat.
You wanted to comfort Uncle Ji, but there was not the slightest trace of sorrow on his face. He and his wife happily cradled the daughter in their arms.
Yun Shou: "..."
He knew that these "ancient" fishermen sometimes doubled as boatmen, ferrying passengers. Many boats also had "boat wives"—the boatmen's wives—who provided that sort of service too.
But the boatmen did not feel humiliated. Instead, they rejoiced at having a better-quality "seed." After all, the child might be false, but familial affection was real.
Though you completely disagreed with this view, you would not look down on Uncle Ji. Poor people had their own ways of living; having grown up relying on him, you had no right to point fingers.
Yun Shou decided that he would change Uncle Ji's fate in the future.
Da Qing 274. You were nineteen. Uncle Ji advised you that it was time to marry, but you knew you could not afford a wife and did not want to leave behind romantic debts. Better to go to the Red Gauze House in the city and take care of your urges.
You went once to take care of your urges, worked for free for a month, and decided never to go again.
Da Qing 275. Your current Foundation was 118%. You had become far tougher under the wind and sun—and much darker too.
You went to take care of your urges again.
Yun Shou: "You fucking whoremonger, don't you have hands?"
He looked down on the simulated version of himself!
June, Da Qing 275. Took care of your urges.
August, Da Qing 275. Took care of your urges.
September, Da Qing 275. You had a great haul after taking the boat out, then took care of your urges twice.
Yun Shou, oh Yun Shou! How could you fall so low? Have you forgotten the martial arts training plan you set before? The main body said, "Let me ascend to the heavens in a single step..." ...This cannot go on!
November, Da Qing 275. Hehe, I'm the main body. Took care of your urges.
Da Qing 276. You heard that someone had contracted a venereal disease and died horribly. After taking a look, you stopped taking care of your urges.
Da Qing 277. You were twenty-two, with 120% Foundation. Brimming with confidence, you took the silver you had saved and went to a martial arts hall in the city to seek a place as a Registered Disciple. After feeling your bones, the master of the hall said that your Talent Aptitude was ordinary and you were poor, so they would not take you.
Word of your visit to the martial arts hall reached the Qing He Gang. Three burly men gave you a vicious beating. Before leaving, they said, "You lowly life haven't even paid off your debt, and you dare dream of becoming a martial artist above other men?"
Da Qing 278. You heard that another great grandmaster had emerged in the Jianghu, renowned across a thousand li. Even fishermen with narrow horizons had heard of them.
You were still fishing.
Yun Shou gritted his teeth. "Could it be that the Qing He Gang really intends to keep me under their thumb for twenty years, only releasing me when I'm thirty-two?"
Before you continue