A World That Devoured People!

"Little Sister Lu, you borrowed two taels of silver from Master Zhou. There are only three days left before your repayment is due!"

"Master Zhou sent me to ask when you intend to repay the money."

"If you can't repay it in three days, you'll have to become Master Zhou's concubine!"

"Brother Sun, I'll definitely repay the money! Brother Shi still hasn't recovered from his illness. Once he gets better, I'll definitely pay it back!"

"Please, show some leniency!"

"..."

In a haze, Wang Xuan heard people arguing beside his ear.

It was accompanied by subdued sobbing.

Wang Xuan struggled to open his eyes. What came into view was a shabby thatched roof.

"Where am I?"

"Didn't I win the lottery by getting hit by a truck while saving a child?"

Wang Xuan frowned and abruptly sat up.

Then a sharp pain stabbed through his mind!

A flood of unfamiliar memories surged into his head.

"I transmigrated?"

Wang Xuan's brow furrowed tightly.

He had transmigrated!

He had come to a world where demons ran rampant and martial artists towered over all!

Where human lives were as worthless as grass.

The original owner had also been named Wang Xuan, with the childhood name Stone. He had just turned eighteen and was born in Whitestone Village, White Water County, on the border of the Great Yuan Dynasty.

His family had hunted for generations.

They were renowned hunters in the village.

But three months ago, the original owner's father and elder brother had entered the mountains to hunt, only to encounter demons and die miserably. All they left behind were him, frail and sickly since childhood, and his brother's fiancée, who had not yet married into the family.

After his father and elder brother died, the family's circumstances grew increasingly straitened.

With their grain running out and less than half a month until tax collection, the original owner took the hunting bow left behind by his ancestors and entered the mountains to hunt.

Yet not only did he fail to catch any prey, he was frightened unconscious by a Black Bear instead!

Had hunters from the same village not rescued him, he would likely have been eaten clean by that Black Bear long ago.

"Brother Shi, y-you're awake!"

There were three men and one woman in the room at that moment.

The instant they saw Wang Xuan awaken, all of them turned around.

The woman wore coarse hemp clothing, yet it could not conceal her exquisite figure. Beneath the rough cloth, it seemed as though two rabbits were wrapped inside.

She was Wang Xuan's brother's fiancée, Lu Yao.

Lu Yao was in her early twenties, her face somewhat pale.

She had a pair of phoenix eyes, her gaze gentle, and an appearance so delicate and pitiable that it stirred one's heart.

She had originally come from a prominent family in the northern lands, but when the demonic calamity struck the north, her whole family died. She fled here as a refugee and was later taken in by Wang Xuan's father out of kindness.

To repay Wang Xuan's father for saving her life, Lu Yao had taken the initiative to offer to marry his elder brother.

But before she could even marry into the family, she became a "widow."

"Brother Shi, how do you feel?"

"Does your head still hurt?"

Lu Yao hurried to Wang Xuan's side and asked with concern.

The two were very close, and Wang Xuan could smell the faint fragrance on her body.

Wang Xuan turned his head away, moved his sister-in-law's hand aside, and said with a slight gasp, "I'm fine, Sister-in-law."

"My head's just still a little muddled."

Wang Xuan forced himself out of bed, his gaze fixed tightly on the three men in the room.

He knew all three of them. They were all hunters from the village.

The burly man at their head was called Shi Yong, one of the village's finest hunters.

However, their two families had never gotten along. Their feud stretched back to their ancestors.

"Well, little Stone is still alive!"

"I thought you were dead!"

Shi Yong looked rather surprised when he saw Wang Xuan awake.

"Thanks to you, I'm still alive."

"What are you doing here?"

Wang Xuan suppressed the fury in his heart.

According to the original owner's memories, the Black Bear he had encountered while hunting in the mountains had been deliberately driven over by Shi Yong and the others!

They had watched as Wang Xuan was pounced on by the Black Bear. Not only had they offered no help, they had laughed at the side.

Fortunately, other hunters from the village had happened upon the scene in time, allowing him to snatch back his life. Even so, he had remained unconscious for a full three days before waking.

Shi Yong smiled. "Your sister-in-law borrowed money from Master Zhou. Master Zhou sent me to ask when she plans to repay it."

"And while I was here, I thought I'd see how you were doing."

"She owes Master Zhou money?"

Wang Xuan's expression changed.

The Master Zhou Shi Yong spoke of was named Zhou Laifu.

He was a famous wealthy landlord from a nearby town!

He was stingy and vicious, known as Zhou Bapi!

He kept dozens of men under his command!

It was said that he even had martial artists under him!

Within a hundred li, almost no one dared provoke him.

And Zhou Bapi had a particular vice: he liked married women!

Any woman he took a fancy to, he would think of every possible way to get her into his estate.

But!

Not one of the women he took away had ever walked out of the Zhou Estate alive.

He had never expected his sister-in-law to borrow money from Zhou Bapi!

"Tell Master Zhou that we'll repay the money!"

"We definitely won't miss the deadline."

Wang Xuan answered coldly.

"Fine, I'll pass that along."

"Oh, right. You're short of money, aren't you? How about selling this bow to me? I guarantee—"

As Shi Yong spoke, his hand reached toward the bow hanging on the wall.

Wang Xuan immediately got up and blocked the bow and arrows. "This bow isn't for sale. As for the money, we'll find a way ourselves!"

Shi Yong did not get angry. He withdrew his hand and smiled. "Fine, then. If you change your mind, you can still come find me."

Chuckling, he left with the other two men.

Only after Shi Yong and his two companions had disappeared did Wang Xuan finally relax. He dropped onto a stool.

"Brother Shi, are you all right?"

Seeing the exhausted look on Wang Xuan's face, Lu Yao hurried over to ask.

Wang Xuan shook his head. "I'm fine."

"Sister-in-law, is there anything to eat?"

He felt as though he were about to starve to death.

The original owner had lain unconscious for three whole days without a grain of rice, and his stomach had long since been pressed against his back from hunger.

Lu Yao hurriedly nodded. "Yes. I've got porridge simmering in the pot, and some wild vegetables I just picked."

"Wait here. I'll be right back."

As she spoke, Lu Yao immediately rose and left the room, her millstone-like hips swaying. When she returned, she carried a clay bowl in her hands.

"Brother Shi, the porridge was just cooked, so it's still a little hot."

"Drink slowly."

Lu Yao blew on the steam before handing the bowl of porridge to Wang Xuan.

Looking at the clay bowl she offered, Wang Xuan's brow furrowed even more deeply.

She called it porridge, but it was clearly a bowl of water!

There were not even a few grains of rice visible at the bottom, while several leaves resembling weeds floated on top.

It was simply unfit for human consumption!

But in his current situation, something was better than nothing.

Wang Xuan blew on the steam and anxiously took a large gulp. The watery porridge went down his throat, and his ravenous stomach gradually felt a little fuller.

After recovering some of his strength, Wang Xuan suddenly remembered something. He looked up and asked, "Sister-in-law."

"Shi Yong said just now that you borrowed money from Zhou Bapi. What happened?"

At Wang Xuan's question, Lu Yao lowered her head guiltily. Grasping the hem of her clothes with both hands, she said softly, "After you fell unconscious, there was no money left at home to buy medicine. I borrowed from everyone in the village who could lend me anything, but it still wasn't enough to buy the medicine."

"I could only borrow money from Master Zhou to treat you. He said that if I couldn't repay it within seven days, I would have to become his concubine. I had no choice but to agree..."

Wang Xuan's expression changed at those words.

"What? Become his concubine?"

"No!"

"Sister-in-law, what kind of man is Zhou Bapi? If you become his concubine, wouldn't that be like a sheep walking into a tiger's mouth? Besides, I'm better now. We don't need to beg him!"

Wang Xuan immediately grew anxious.

"But I had no choice if I wanted to treat you!"

"And tax collection is coming soon. When the time comes..."

Lu Yao looked anxious as she tried to explain.

If taxes could not be paid, women would be forced into prostitution and men into corvée labor.

Neither would meet a good end.

Wang Xuan cut her off firmly. "Sister-in-law, I know you went to borrow from him to save me, but I absolutely cannot stand by and watch you jump into a pit of fire."

"I'll find a way to settle both the debt and the taxes. There is still a man in this household. It isn't time for a woman like you to shoulder this burden."

Lu Yao's heart could not help warming at his words.

She knew Wang Xuan was thinking of her.

"By the way, Sister-in-law, how much silver did you borrow from Zhou Bapi? And how much are this year's taxes?"

Wang Xuan asked again.

"I only borrowed two taels of silver, with a seven-day term. But after seven days, I have to repay three taels and six mace in total. If I can't repay it in three days, I'll have to become his concubine."

"As for the taxes, the village chief came by yesterday and said that this year's tax rate is one tael of silver per person!"

"Father and your elder brother's bodies were never found, so... they still count toward the household. Adding the three taels of hunting tax, the total tax comes to seven taels of silver!"

"There are only a little over fifty copper coins left at home now."

Hiss!

Wang Xuan sucked in a cold breath.

Borrowing two taels, then repaying three taels and six mace after seven days!

Zhou Bapi was practically robbing people!

He was even more ruthless than usury!

And most importantly, the taxes were as high as seven taels!

His father and elder brother were already dead, yet they were still counted!

This was plainly devouring people!

"This world truly leaves no way for people to live!"

Wang Xuan clenched both fists as rage flared in his heart!

"Three days... I have to find a way to repay Zhou Bapi first!"

"Otherwise, he'll definitely send people to seize Sister-in-law!"

"And there are only half a month left before the taxes are due. I have to hurry!"

Wang Xuan was anxious.

A little over fifty copper coins was not even enough to keep them alive, much less repay debts and pay taxes.

As he pondered how to solve the problem, his gaze could not help falling on the hunting bow.

"The original owner's body may have been weak, but he did learn how to hunt!"

Wang Xuan narrowed his eyes, rose, and took down the hunting bow hanging on the wall.

One hand gripped the bow while his other hand unconsciously settled on the bowstring.

Thrum!

The bowstring gave a dull twang, but Wang Xuan remained motionless where he stood!

His pupils shrank as a voice suddenly rang beside his ear.

Immediately afterward!

A data panel that no one else could see slowly appeared before his eyes!