About to Die, My System Arrives

"How is Xie An's condition?"

"His stroke is no longer serious. He just needs to take his medicine on time, but given his advanced age, I fear he won't last more than a few days."

As the voices gradually faded, Xie An, lying on the sickbed, struggled to open his eyes. He mumbled with his cracked lips and let out a long sigh.

"After thirty years in this world, am I finally going to die of old age?"

He was originally a miserable office worker from Earth, burdened by mortgage and car payments, forced to accept his evil boss's bottomless overtime demands. One day, while working overtime late into the night, he suddenly suffered from oxygen deprivation to the brain and fainted. When he woke up, he had become a pawnshop clerk in Wuqiao Town of the Great Qian Dynasty.

The Great Qian Dynasty suffered from corrupt governance, powerful warlords, rampant bandits, and even malevolent spirits and demons. The lives of common people were as cheap as weeds.

Xie An had bad luck; he didn't get any cheat system upon transmigration.

However, relying on his wit and diligence, he had gradually worked his way up to the position of Appraisal Master at the Li Family Pawnshop.

An Appraisal Master was responsible for examining and appraising items, determining whether to accept them, and setting their prices. It was a skilled trade with better treatment than ordinary clerks, and his life was passable.

But a month ago, he inexplicably suffered a stroke, causing his fifty-year-old body to deteriorate rapidly. Now, his internal organs were failing, and he was at the end of his rope.

In this chaotic era, fifty was already considered old age. As a transmigrator, Xie An was unwilling to live such a mediocre and short life. He had once held dreams...

Initially, he wanted to live a life of splendor, wielding a sword and roaming the world. In middle age, he wanted a wife, children, and a warm hearth. In old age, he desired longevity.

He searched for half his life without success, only to realize that he was, after all, just an ordinary person.

His past fantasies had become reflections in a mirror, a dream within a dream.

Looking back on his life.

He had achieved nothing, gained nothing, and enjoyed nothing.

His life had been truly meaningless.

"Master, it's time for your medicine."

A knock on the door interrupted Xie An's thoughts.

Judging by the voice, it was his disciple He Chunli coming to deliver his medicine.

The pawnshop business relied entirely on the Appraisal Master's unique skills. It was common practice in the industry for masters to take on apprentices to prevent their skills from being lost.

As the Appraisal Master of the Li Family Pawnshop, Xie An possessed a unique talent for appraising items. He had taken on three apprentices, and He Chunli was one of them.

'I still have to take the medicine.'

Xie An struggled to get out of bed, wrapped himself in a thick cotton coat, endured his numb and heavy body, and shakily went to open the door, leaning on his dragon-headed cane.

"Where is Zhang Bing?"

The sallow-faced He Chunli replied shyly, "Brother Zhang is busy attending to a Guest Official."

He lived in the backyard of the Li Family Pawnshop, less than a hundred paces away. Could he be so busy that he hadn't visited his dying master for half a month?

Xie An didn't expose him. He took the medicine pot and entered the room.

He drank the nauseating medicinal soup with difficulty, but his body showed no signs of improvement.

"It seems I'm truly at the end of my rope..."

He looked at his withered and wrinkled hand and began to consider his funeral arrangements.

"I'll buy a good coffin and a nice tomb later. This life can only end like this. Well, if life has to fuck you, then just close your eyes and enjoy it..."

Just then, a white Daoist talisman suddenly appeared before his eyes.

[Detecting host...]

"A cheat?"

Xie An, whose heart had long been calm, became uncharacteristically excited.

Soon, a complete panel appeared before him.

[Host: Xie An] [Current obtainable Fate: Longevity.] [Obtain it?]

It really was a cheat system.

"Longevity..."

Xie An was dumbfounded, full of disbelief.

Just a moment ago, he was saying life was screwing him over, and now a Longevity Fate had appeared...

A timely rain indeed.

Although his time was short, perhaps he could still struggle a bit?

"Obtain!"

As Xie An willed it, a white stream of light suddenly emanated from the Daoist talisman and flew into Xie An's body.

Buzz!

Xie An clearly felt a stream of warmth rolling through his body, flowing to every limb and bone.

His originally withered, weak, and sickly body suddenly felt as if it had been injected with a powerful hormone, becoming vigorous and energetic, his blood and qi full.

His clouded vision also cleared considerably, making him feel as if he had aged several years in an instant.

Although this feeling quickly faded, it was by no means an illusion; it had genuinely happened.

[Acquisition successful.]

[Current Longevity Destiny Level: Level 1.]

[Effect: Cultivating Health Cultivation Techniques is twice as efficient. Persisting in health cultivation will surely prolong life and increase lifespan. With accumulation, one might achieve longevity!]

[Current Health Cultivation Technique: None]

"Longevity..."

The appearance of these four words made Xie An's scalp tingle with excitement, his eyes burning.

Looking at the wrinkled face in the bronze mirror, at the head full of white hair, tears could no longer be held back and streamed down his face.

The longevity he had desperately sought for half his life, he finally saw hope for, just as he was about to die of old age!

Others who cultivate health techniques can only maintain their health.

But he, having integrated the Longevity Destiny, will surely prolong his life and increase his lifespan by cultivating health techniques. With accumulation, he might achieve longevity!

This was truly monstrous.

Having transmigrated for thirty years, Xie An was well aware that Martial Arts Grandmasters existed in this world, living up to one hundred and fifty years. There were also powerful cultivators whose lifespans could reach two to three hundred years...

For ordinary mortals, fifty years old was the twilight of one's life.

But for cultivators, fifty years old was the prime of their life.

This was truly something to look forward to.

Although cultivating martial arts depended on bone structure, talent, and guidance from a master, as long as his lifespan was long enough, he could slowly figure things out. Even with a poor bone structure, it might not be impossible to become a generation's Martial Arts Grandmaster.

Another benefit of being fifty was shedding the impatience of youth. His mindset was incredibly steady.

He could endure loneliness, tolerate slow development, and wasn't eager to show off or reveal his power.

This eliminated the risk of being too prominent and perishing due to being overly aggressive and confrontational.

Although his golden finger arrived late, there were benefits to its late arrival.

"The Great Qian Dynasty has a saying: 'Literature is poor, martial arts are rich.' It's not easy for ordinary people to learn martial arts. They either join the army and exchange their lives for resources, or spend a fortune to study at martial arts schools. Furthermore, they need to spend heavily on medicinal aids and secret manuals.

Even a random martial arts manual on the market, regardless of its authenticity, costs at least ten taels of silver. These are expenses that common people cannot afford.

In comparison, health cultivation techniques are much cheaper."

"That's right. Shopkeeper Chen at the pawnshop has a health cultivation technique. I'll go ask him for it."

With the Longevity Destiny, cultivating inexpensive health techniques could extend his life. What was there to fear from a mere stroke?

Noon.

The Li Family Pawnshop was crowded with customers.

As Xie An entered the shop, leaning on his dragon-headed cane, the shop assistants greeted him, calling him "Master Xie" one after another.

Although the Li Family Pawnshop was a small pawnshop in Wuqiao Town, the position of Appraisal Master was extremely important. Even Shopkeeper Chen Yuan treated Xie An with great respect.

However, their greetings were noticeably less enthusiastic than before, with a hint of perfunctory politeness.

Clearly, everyone knew that Xie An didn't have many days left to live.

Xie An was accustomed to such scenes. He directly approached Shopkeeper Chen Yuan, who was leaning on the counter playing with crickets, "Old Chen, I remember you have a health cultivation technique. Could you lend it to me to take a look?"

Chen Yuan immediately looked up, sizing Xie An up with surprise. "Old Xie, don't tell me you, who are a whole zodiac cycle older than me, want to practice martial arts."