Rise in the Alley

Yan Country.

Huainan Commandery.

Qingshi County.

In a secluded, dilapidated alley leading to Qingshi Temple, a dirty little beggar was slumped over.

His entire body was covered in filth.

A few tattered pieces of cotton cloth barely served as clothing, and he leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, having slept for who knows how long.

Suddenly.

The little beggar's body trembled, and he abruptly opened his eyes, looking at his surroundings as if waking from a dream.

"Where is this..."

Chen Guan's eyes widened as he looked at the unfamiliar environment with surprise, a flood of complex memories surging into his mind.

After a long while.

Chen Guan let out a long sigh of stale air, a wry smile on his face.

"I didn't expect to transmigrate, but to start with such a disastrous situation."

This was a world of constant warfare, where Yao and Mo ran rampant, and human lives were as cheap as grass.

His predecessor's parents had died in the war, forcing him to beg on the streets to survive.

However, he was naturally frail and not good with words, so he couldn't beg for much food. He was also robbed and bullied by the bigger beggars nearby.

He eventually starved to death, which was why Chen Guan transmigrated into his body.

Gurgle gurgle.

A sound came from Chen Guan's stomach, the hunger gnawing at his insides like a ferocious beast.

"If I don't find something to eat soon, I might transmigrate back..."

Chen Guan struggled to get up. Using a piece of broken glass on the ground, he discovered that his pale complexion was undeniable even beneath the mud covering his face.

He stumbled a few steps, leaning on the wall, before falling to the ground with a thud, lacking the strength to even crawl up.

Just as Chen Guan despaired, a golden light flashed before his eyes, and several lines of small text appeared in the air.

[Host: Chen Guan]
[Lifespan: 45 years (under normal conditions without illness or disaster)]
[Martial Arts: Stone Throwing Technique (Low-grade)]
[Lifespan can be consumed to upgrade martial arts and stats (up to a minimum of one year lifespan remaining)]

A golden finger?

Chen Guan rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Seeing that the small text was not an illusion, his heart filled with excitement.

"Consume five years of lifespan to upgrade Stone Throwing Technique!"

In this chaotic world, strength was the foundation of survival. Chen Guan did not hesitate to choose to upgrade his martial arts.

[Consumed five years of lifespan, Stone Throwing Technique upgraded to Minor Accomplishment realm]

[Minor Accomplishment Stone Throwing Technique: Throwing accuracy slightly improved, but power is average, only barely effective against ordinary people]

[Current Lifespan: 40]

Chen Guan's body trembled. He felt a stream of warmth flow through him, restoring some of his strength, but that was all.

"Just this after consuming five years of lifespan?"

Chen Guan was stunned for a moment, then gritted his teeth.

He had spent a whole five years, and the upgraded martial art wasn't significantly powerful, offering no help in his current predicament!

Just as Chen Guan was lamenting his misfortune.

Tap tap tap.

An exquisite carriage slowly entered the alley.

Chen Guan glanced up and knew that whoever was inside the carriage was either wealthy or noble, heading to Qingshi Temple to offer incense.

It was laughable how these high officials and dignitaries focused on accumulating merit while completely disregarding the lives of the common people.

Chen Guan made no move, simply sitting on the ground and watching the carriage pass with cold eyes.

But unexpectedly, the carriage slowed and stopped beside him.

The curtain was lifted, and a stunning woman in a green dress stepped out. She placed a box of exquisite pastries in front of Chen Guan before returning to the carriage.

Tap tap tap.

The carriage continued on its way, while Chen Guan gazed at the pastries before him, lost in thought.

"Qin Yanran, the famous woman of Qingshi, truly lives up to her reputation."

The Qin Family was the foremost noble family in Qingshi County. Although they held no official titles, their wealth was immense, their estate filled with numerous guest experts, and their prestige was considerable.

Qin Yanran was the only daughter of Qin Wang, the head of the Qin Family. Rumor had it that she possessed exceptional business talent and unparalleled beauty, earning her a considerable reputation in Qing Shi County.

In his memories, the previous owner of this body had seen her once from afar outside Qing Shi Temple, which was why he recognized her.

"I'll remember this favor."

Chen Guan couldn't wait to open the box and shove six small red date pastries into his mouth, swallowing them greedily.

But before he could even finish swallowing the pastries, a sharp, piercing sound suddenly echoed in his ears.

Chen Guan followed the sound and looked up in astonishment.

He saw the axle of the departing carriage suddenly explode, followed by a cold glint descending from the sky.

The coachman on the carriage didn't even have time to react before his head was severed from his body.

Two guards in long robes grabbed the terrified Qin Yanran and moved her to a safe location.

One of the guards lit a talisman, seemingly to call for reinforcements, while the other guard, with a solemn expression, said in a deep voice.

"Since you dare to assassinate the Qin Family's eldest daughter, why hide your face!"

In the narrow alley, six masked figures in black appeared one after another, blocking Qin Yanran and her escorts.

Witnessing this scene, Chen Guan swallowed the pastries with a gulp and cautiously began to inch his way towards the alley's exit.

When the city gates catch fire, even the fish in the moat are affected.

This kind of situation was not something a small fry like him could get involved in.

Although Qin Yanran had just given him a box of pastries to fill his stomach, it wasn't worth risking the remaining forty years of his lifespan to save her.

Besides, even if he used forty years of lifespan to upgrade, it was still uncertain whether he could deal with these people.

"Kill everyone except Qin Yanran. No mercy."

The leader of the black-clad figures spoke with a chilling voice. He glanced at Chen Guan, who was slowly moving his feet not far away, and ordered, "Kill that stray dog too."

"Yes!"

The battle was on the verge of erupting, and five of the black-clad figures charged towards the guards.

The remaining figure, holding a cold saber, leaped towards Chen Guan without a word and slashed.

Damn your ancestors!

I didn't provoke you guys, you kill your targets, what does it have to do with me!

And you're the stray dog? Your whole family are stray dogs!

Chen Guan cursed inwardly, furious.

But as the saber drew closer, the hairs on his neck stood on end.

Facing a life-or-death crisis, Chen Guan's eyes turned fierce, and he hardened his heart.

Survival of the fittest, is it?

Might makes right, is it?

Then I'll risk my life to play with you!

"Consume all lifespan to upgrade martial arts!"

Chen Guan knew he had no time to worry about his lifespan and decided to go all out, upgrading his martial arts in a desperate gamble.

[Lifespan Consumed: Thirty-nine years]

[Stone Throwing Technique upgraded to Great Accomplishment realm]

[Stone Throwing Technique upgraded to Perfection realm]

[Stone Throwing Technique broke through to the Extreme realm, capable of releasing invisible force]

[Stone Throwing Technique upgraded to Pecking Sparrow Strength, martial art quality improved to High-grade Mortal tier, inheriting the power of the Extreme realm]

[Remaining Lifespan: One year]

A series of crisp notifications echoed in his ears. Chen Guan's body trembled, his blood surged, and he felt as if he had undergone a complete transformation.

The profound sensation of wielding Pecking Sparrow Strength was imprinted in his mind, as familiar as if he had practiced it for decades.

Facing the cold saber, Chen Guan dodged sideways almost instinctively, his face brushing against the blade.

Then, Chen Guan flicked his finger, channeling force, and an invisible surge of power struck the black-clad attacker's abdomen.

"You... you..."

The powerful finger force penetrated the flesh and seeped into the internal organs. The black-clad man let out a muffled groan of pain from his throat and slowly collapsed to the ground.

His eyes were wide open, dying with an unresolvable confusion.

Chen Guan's eyes were calm, but within them, a sharp, hawk-like glint flickered.

He hadn't expected the invisible force from Stone Throwing Technique breaking through to the Extreme realm to be so powerful.

Not far away, the two guards were gradually losing ground under the assault of the five black-clad attackers. Each received a knife wound to the chest and back, their blood staining the ground.

Chen Guan bent down and picked up several small pebbles from the ground.

His fingers spread, gripping the gravel. A familiar sense of mastery, honed by decades of throwing concealed weapons, surged within him.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Several flying stones, imbued with force, struck the chests of the five black-clothed figures from all directions, like antelopes leaping onto a peak.

As the five black-clothed figures died on the spot, several lines of small text appeared before Chen Guan one after another.

[Killed Yao Mo martial artists, gained Yao Mo lifespan, total: 75 years (only for stat allocation and leveling, cannot extend life)]

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