My Life Has Been Like Walking on Thin Ice

"Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty."

A ducklike voice sounded in Xiao Mo's ears.

Xiao Mo slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a man dressed as a eunuch.

He looked around at the enormous room.

In an instant, memories surged into Xiao Mo's mind.

In his previous life, Xiao Mo had been an orphan. He had worked his way through college, then started working after graduation.

Just as his life was getting better by the day, Xiao Mo had been walking along a highway when a heavy truck hit him.

He had transmigrated into the body of an emperor who was also called Xiao Mo.

But his predecessor's situation had been far from good.

Since the Late Emperor had no children, Xiao Mo had been adopted into the imperial family.

After the Late Emperor passed away, he entrusted Xiao Mo to four ministers. But Yan Shan'ao had gradually seized sole control of the court, formed factions, and acted tyrannically. He had even murdered Su Su, one of the regents.

On top of that, the current Empress Dowager was Yan Shan'ao's older sister.

The two of them held power inside and outside the palace.

Now, the emperor was nothing more than a figurehead.

"Your Majesty, it's time for your medicine." Wei Xun carried the bowl over and attended to Xiao Mo.

Wei Xun was Xiao Mo's personal eunuch. He had once served the Late Emperor.

Although Wei Xun appeared to obey Yan Shan'ao's every command, Xiao Mo knew in his heart that he was still loyal to him.

After Xiao Mo drank the bitter medicine, a maid entered and reported, "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister heard that you have caught a chill. He has come especially to visit you."

"Quickly, invite the Prime Minister in." Xiao Mo hurriedly replied, preparing to get out of bed to welcome him.

Though Xiao Mo was deeply displeased with Yan Shan'ao, he still had to keep up appearances.

Besides, acting harmless would help him lower Yan Shan'ao's guard.

Then he could find a chance to kill him.

A moment later.

A middle-aged man with a sword at his waist strode in, cupped his hands, and said loudly, "Your subject pays his respects to Your Majesty."

Looking at Yan Shan'ao, Xiao Mo narrowed his eyes.

He had brought a sword into the palace.

That alone showed just how little regard he had for the emperor.

"Why bother with formalities, Imperial Father?" Xiao Mo hurried forward and helped Yan Shan'ao to his feet. "What brings you here?"

"I heard that Your Majesty had caught a chill, so I came to see how you were faring."

As he spoke, Yan Shan'ao glanced at the few palace maids in the room.

"Guards, drag these maids away and execute them. They can't even take proper care of His Majesty. What use are they?"

"Prime Minister, spare us!"

The maids dropped to their knees in terror, begging for mercy.

A few eunuchs entered, preparing to drag them away.

How could Xiao Mo not know that Yan Shan'ao was deliberately killing these maids to make a show of force?

Not long ago, Wang Can, deputy censor-in-chief of the Censorate, had secretly entered the palace to discuss the matter of eliminating the "traitor" with Xiao Mo's predecessor.

Yan Shan'ao had found out.

But Wang Can was the Censorate's second-in-command. The officials of Liang Kingdom were not people the emperor could easily have executed.

So Yan Shan'ao had found a pretext to demote Wang Can and send him away from the capital.

By killing these maids, Yan Shan'ao was making his message clear: "Your Majesty, don't even think of making a move. Everything around you is under my control."

"Imperial Father, the Late Emperor always taught me to be merciful. These maids have not committed a crime worthy of death. Just send them out of the palace." Xiao Mo spoke slowly.

Yan Shan'ao stared at Xiao Mo for a moment before replying, "Since Your Majesty says so, then give each of them ten strokes of the rod and send them out of the palace."

Yan Shan'ao waved his hand, and the eunuchs dragged the maids away.

"Your Majesty should take good care of your health. I will personally select a few maids to look after you."

"I'm grateful for your concern, Imperial Father." Xiao Mo put on an honest, guileless smile.

"Then Your Majesty should rest. I'll take my leave."

"Take care, Imperial Father. Eunuch Wei, see him out."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

After seeing Yan Shan'ao off, Xiao Mo lay back down and couldn't help recalling a line: "My life has been like walking on thin ice. Can I really make it to the other shore?"

Just as Xiao Mo was sighing to himself,

a book appeared in his mind.

Three words were written on its cover: Book of a Hundred Lives.

At Xiao Mo's prompting, the scroll opened on its own, and lines of text appeared—

[Book of a Hundred Lives: By using this book, the host can create a character and experience a different life.

In each life, the host will receive different tasks. Completing them will earn certain rewards.

Would you like to use it?]

Xiao Mo decisively chose "Use!"

[Please enter the name of the character you wish to create.]

Xiao Mo thought about it. Since he was only experiencing a life, he would use his original name. That would make it easier to immerse himself.

[Avatar "Xiao Mo" has been created.]

The Book of a Hundred Lives released an immense force of suction, like a black hole.

In an instant, Xiao Mo's consciousness was pulled inside.

A moment later, as his awareness returned, Xiao Mo found himself standing before a wooden house on a mountain.

The Book of a Hundred Lives appeared in his mind once more—

[The host has created a new avatar named Xiao Mo.

Time inside the Book of a Hundred Lives flows one hundred times faster than outside.

When the host's consciousness leaves the Book of a Hundred Lives, time inside it will stop.]

[Character background: You are the son of Xiao Jing, Prince Jing of the Liang Kingdom. Your talent is mediocre, but your father cannot bear to see you remain ordinary.

When you were eight, your father knocked you unconscious and transplanted the Innate Sword Bone of a little girl into your body. They lied to you, telling you that your Sword Bone had awakened naturally.

You rose to become a prodigy of the Sword Way. Though you are only eighteen, you have already reached the Nascent Soul Realm as a Sword Cultivator.

But you are an upright person. When you learned that your Sword Bone came from a little girl, and that she had become a cripple after it was forcibly removed, you were dealt a devastating blow.

You had a huge quarrel with your family, left home, and joined the Dragon Spring Sword Sect. You became an elder with no real duties there, while constantly searching for the little girl, hoping to make up for what you had done with everything you had.]

[Task issued: The little girl you must find is named Jiang Qingyi. She will appear on Xuanwu Street in Black Wind City. (Until the host finds her, her location will be continuously marked for the host.) Please take her up the mountain and teach her swordsmanship.

The task will last fifty years.

When the task is assessed, the higher Jiang Qingyi's cultivation, the richer the host's rewards.]

"Fifty years. At least time in the Book of a Hundred Lives flows a hundred times faster than outside. Otherwise, I'd be dead before I could finish this task."

Xiao Mo withdrew his attention from the book and found a pool of water to look at his reflection.

This avatar looked exactly like he had in his previous life.

That was good. It would make it easier to immerse himself.

He picked up the long sword on the table and headed straight down the mountain.

"Steamed buns for sale!"

"Freshly baked buns!"

On Xuanwu Street in Black Wind City, the bun shop's owner was calling out at the top of his lungs.

A short-haired little beggar girl, dressed in ragged hemp clothes, small and covered in dirt, with her gender impossible to make out, was sneaking closer.

While the owner wasn't looking, the little beggar girl wrapped a few buns in a dirty cloth and ran!

"You're stealing buns again!"

The owner reacted, grabbed his rolling pin, and chased after her.

"You, stop right there! This time, I'll break your legs!"