Yan Kingdom.
Huainan Prefecture.
Qingshi County.
In a remote, shabby alley leading to Qingshi Temple, a filthy little beggar sat slumped on the ground.
He was filthy from head to toe.
A few scraps of cotton cloth barely passed for clothes. He leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, and no one could tell how long he'd been asleep.
Suddenly.
The little beggar shuddered all over and jerked his eyes open, staring at everything around him as if he'd just woken from a dream.
"Where is this..."
Chen Guan widened his eyes and looked in wonder at the unfamiliar surroundings as a flood of jumbled memories surged through his mind.
After a long while.
Chen Guan tipped his head back and let out a long breath, then gave a helpless, bitter smile.
"I can't believe I transmigrated, only to land in a disaster of a starting situation."
This was a chaotic world of high martial arts, where war raged on all sides, demons ran rampant, and human lives were no more precious than grass.
His predecessor's parents had died in the war, leaving him to wander the streets and beg for a living.
But he'd been born frail and was no good with words. He couldn't beg enough food to eat, and the bigger beggars nearby bullied him and stole from him.
In the end, he'd starved to death, and Chen Guan had transmigrated into his body.
Gurgle, gurgle.
Chen Guan's stomach growled. Hunger gnawed at his insides like a ravenous beast, tearing at his gut.
"If I don't find something to eat soon, I might transmigrate right back..."
Chen Guan struggled to his feet. Using a shattered piece of glass on the ground, he saw that the mud smeared across his face couldn't hide his pallor.
He braced himself against the wall and staggered only a few steps before collapsing with a thud. He didn't even have the strength to get back up.
Just as Chen Guan was losing hope, a flash of golden light appeared before his eyes, and several lines of small text materialized in the air.
[Host: Chen Guan] [Lifespan: Forty-five years (assuming no illness or disaster)] [Martial Arts: Stone Throwing Technique (Unranked)] [Martial arts can be upgraded by expending lifespan, up to a maximum expenditure that leaves one year of lifespan remaining]
Golden Finger?
Chen Guan rubbed his eyes in disbelief. When he realized the text wasn't a hallucination, excitement surged through him.
"Spend five years of lifespan to upgrade Stone Throwing Technique!"
In a chaotic world, strength was the foundation of survival. Chen Guan didn't hesitate to upgrade his martial arts.
[Five years of lifespan expended. Stone Throwing Technique upgraded to Minor Achievement Realm] [Stone Throwing Technique at Minor Achievement: Slightly improved accuracy when throwing stones, but its power is mediocre; it can barely deal with ordinary people] [Current lifespan: 40]
Chen Guan shuddered. A faint current of warmth passed through his body, restoring a little of his strength, but that was all.
"Five years of lifespan, and that's it?"
Chen Guan froze for a moment, then gritted his teeth in frustration.
He'd spent a whole five years of his life, and the upgraded martial art was barely any stronger. It did nothing to help with his predicament!
Just as Chen Guan was overcome with grief and anger.
Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop.
A fine carriage slowly entered the alley.
Chen Guan glanced up. He could tell the person inside was either rich or powerful, on the way to Qingshi Temple to offer incense.
Ironically, these high officials and wealthy nobles devoted themselves to accumulating merit, yet never spared a thought for the lives of the people at the bottom.
Chen Guan made no move. He simply sat on the ground, watching the carriage pass with cold eyes.
But, to his surprise, the carriage slowed to a stop as it passed him.
The curtain lifted, and a breathtakingly beautiful woman in a green dress stepped down. She set a box of exquisite pastries in front of Chen Guan, then returned to the carriage.
Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop.
The carriage continued on its way, while Chen Guan stared thoughtfully at the pastries before him.
"Qingshi County's famous beauty, Qin Yanran. The reputation is well deserved."
The Qin Family was the foremost clan in Qingshi County. Though it held no official title, it possessed immense wealth, employed countless expert retainers, and commanded great prestige.
Qin Yanran was the only daughter of the Qin Family's head, Qin Wang. It was said that she had exceptional business acumen and stunning looks, and was widely admired in Qingshi County.
In his memories, his predecessor had seen her once from afar outside Qingshi Temple, which was how he recognized her.
"I'll remember this kindness."
Chen Guan hurriedly opened the box, stuffed all six little red-date pastries into his mouth, and gulped them down.
But before he could swallow them, a piercing whistle suddenly cut through the air.
Chen Guan followed the sound and stared in shock.
The carriage, which hadn't gone far, had its axle explode with a boom. Then a flash of cold light plunged from the sky.
The driver hadn't even had time to react before his head was severed from his body.
Two guards in long robes hurried Qin Yanran, still shaken, to a safe position.
One of the guards lit a talisman, apparently to call for help, while the other wore a grave expression and spoke in a deep voice.
"Since you've dared to assassinate the Qin Family's young lady, why hide your faces?"
In the shabby alley, six Black-Robed Men appeared one after another, blocking Qin Yanran and the others in from both ends.
Chen Guan saw what was happening, hastily swallowed the pastries, and cautiously edged toward the mouth of the alley.
When the city gates caught fire, the fish in the moat suffered too.
This was no situation a nobody like him could afford to get involved in.
Sure, Qin Yanran had just given him a box of pastries to fill his stomach, but it wasn't worth risking the forty years of lifespan he had left to save her.
Besides, even if he spent all forty years upgrading, there was no telling whether he could take these people down.
"Kill everyone except Qin Yanran."
The leader's voice was icy. He glanced at Chen Guan, who was slowly edging away nearby, and ordered, "And kill that Wild Dog, too."
"Yes!"
The battle erupted. Five Black-Robed Men charged at the guards in long robes.
The remaining Black-Robed Man held his long blade at the ready and lunged toward Chen Guan without a word.
Fuck you!
I didn't do anything to you. Kill whoever you want—what's that got to do with me?
And you're the Wild Dog! Your whole family's a pack of Wild Dogs!
Chen Guan cursed furiously to himself.
But as the blade closed in, the hairs on his neck stood on end.
Facing mortal danger, Chen Guan's eyes turned savage, and he steeled himself.
So the strong preyed on the weak, huh?
So strength was everything, huh?
Then I'd risk my life and play this game with you!
"Spend all my remaining lifespan to upgrade my martial arts!"
Chen Guan knew he couldn't spare a thought for his lifespan. He poured it all into upgrading his martial arts and fought for his life.
[Thirty-nine years of lifespan expended] [Stone Throwing Technique upgraded to Great Achievement Realm] [Stone Throwing Technique upgraded to Perfection Realm] [Stone Throwing Technique broke through the Extreme Realm and can now release invisible force] [Stone Throwing Technique upgraded to Pecking Sparrow Strength. Martial art quality raised to Mortal Grade High Rank, inheriting Extreme Realm Power] [Remaining lifespan: One year]
A string of crisp notifications rang in his ears. Chen Guan shuddered as his blood surged through his body, and he felt as if he'd been reborn.
The insights into the wondrous force behind Pecking Sparrow Strength were branded into his mind, as familiar as if he'd practiced it for decades.
Facing the cold blade, Chen Guan dodged to the side almost instinctively, narrowly evading it with his face practically brushing the edge.
Then Chen Guan curled his fingers and focused his strength. A burst of invisible force shot out and struck the Black-Robed Man in the chest and abdomen.
"You... you..."
The fierce force of Chen Guan's fingers penetrated the flesh and sank into the Black-Robed Man's organs. A pained groan escaped his throat, and he slowly crumpled to the ground.
His eyes were wide open as he died, confusion lingering in them.
Chen Guan's gaze was as still as an ancient well. When his eyes opened and closed, sharp glints like an eagle's flashed within them.
He hadn't expected the invisible force from Stone Throwing Technique breaking through the Extreme Realm to be so powerful.
Nearby, the two guards in long robes were faltering beneath the assault of the five Black-Robed Men. Each had taken a blade to the chest or back, and blood pooled all around them.
Chen Guan bent down and picked up several little stones by his feet.
He spread his fingers and gripped the stones. The familiar insights of decades spent mastering the art of concealed-weapon throwing surged to life within him.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Wrapped in force, the stones flew from every direction and struck the five Black-Robed Men in the chest, their trajectories as deft and natural as an antelope's horns catching on branches.
As the five Black-Robed Men dropped dead on the spot, several lines of small text appeared before Chen Guan's eyes.
[Killed demonic martial artists. Obtained Demon Lifespan, total: Seventy-five years (for point allocation and upgrades only; cannot extend lifespan)]
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