Desire to Survive

Yue Yang lowered his head and realized he had stepped on someone's face.

Breaking out in a cold sweat, he quickly stepped off.

The man whose face Yue Yang had stepped on was tall and thin, dressed in tattered rags like a beggar. He lay sprawled on the ground, and even after Yue Yang stepped away, he did not get up. Yue Yang saw that he did not seem injured, yet he lay there like a puddle of mud, unable to move. Curious, Yue Yang asked, "What happened to you?"

"Don't mention it. I'm the disgrace of the Heaven-Piercing Tower!" The tall, gaunt young man shook his head with a sigh.

"You gambled away your entire fortune?" Yue Yang frowned slightly.

"No, but it's about the same! I spent five years preparing, building up my strength to its peak. I passed through the Dragon-Controlling Valley Path and came to the Star Domain for training. Everything went smoothly at first, and I was full of confidence. I thought I could obtain a Wisdom Fruit, but I never expected that I couldn't even pass the lowest-difficulty challenge of the Twelve Palaces of the Imperial Way. My Level Three Poison Wolf and Level Four Long-Armed Golden Ape King were both killed... Five years of preparation, reduced to nothing in a single day. Can you imagine it? Do you think I want to lie here quietly waiting to die? I'm too ashamed to go home... You probably wouldn't believe it, but I was the most outstanding genius in my family. My parents placed tremendous hopes on me. I can't go back and face the disappointment in their eyes! Haha, want to know how I wrote to my family? I lied to my parents, telling them I was doing well here, that my trials were progressing smoothly, that my two battle beasts had both advanced, and that my teammates now looked at me differently... But actually, I—I was fucking kicked out of the team by those guys long ago!" The gaunt man spoke with the bleak sorrow of someone whose heart had turned to ashes. Though he smiled as he spoke, it was all self-mockery.

Hearing the gaunt man's words, Yue Yang's heart tightened.

Yue Bing, that stubborn little girl, had also been kicked out of her team. Could it be that, like this skinny man, all her battle beasts had died?

Could she be lying on the ground starving and waiting to die, with nothing left and too ashamed to go home, writing letters to deceive her family that everything was fine?

The thought immediately made Yue Yang anxious. Nothing could happen to Yue Bing. He had to find her as soon as possible. He could not let her lie on the ground in despair like this skinny man, waiting to die. He had to bring her back and give the beautiful woman the best possible answer!

Yue Yang had previously heard Yue Bing mention the Dragon-Controlling Valley Path and the Star Domain in her letters. He guessed that her trial experience had been similar to this skinny man's.

"Are you familiar with places like the Dragon-Controlling Valley Path and the Star Domain?" Yue Yang decided to first ask the skinny man for information.

"Ha, how could I not be familiar with them? I've been working as a guide here in the Heaven-Piercing Tower for two years. I can walk through the first floor of the Heaven-Piercing Tower with my eyes closed! You want to go to the Star Domain? Do you need a guide? I know the easiest shortcut. I—I don't even need money. As long as I can fill my stomach, that's enough. If you complete your trial mission and are willing to give me a little tip, that would be even better!" When he mentioned a tip, the self-mockery on the skinny man's face grew even heavier.

"Do you know where the trial teams from Capital Academy are?" Yue Yang asked again.

"Capital Academy has ten trial squads. What's the name of the squad you're looking for?" The skinny man forced himself to climb up. It was obvious he had not eaten for many days. He was so weak from hunger that he even swayed a little as he stood.

"It seems to be called the Academy Rose Squad. But I'm not looking for that squad. I'm looking for someone in it. Since you work here as a guide, have you heard of a little girl named Yue Bing? Like you, she was kicked out of her squad. Have you seen her?" Yue Yang truly feared that Yue Bing had also fallen to the pitiful state of guiding people in exchange for food.

"Yue Bing? Never heard of her. I haven't encountered the Academy Rose trial squad either." The skinny man shook his head.

"..." Yue Yang became even more worried.

That stubborn little girl Yue Bing absolutely could not come to harm.

Otherwise, how would he explain it to the beautiful woman when he returned? Although he had not spent much time with Yue Bing, she felt like a real younger sister to him. She had always treated him with great respect. He absolutely could not watch her fall into desperate straits.

Training could wait. He had to find Yue Bing first!

The image of Yue Bing in black flashed through his mind. He felt that this ill-fated and stubborn little sister was in desperate need of the protection of an older brother like him...

"Still, you don't need to worry. Capital Academy's students are all top talents. They won't end up like me! Even if they fail their trials, the academy will make arrangements for them. I know every guide here, and there isn't a single girl named Yue Bing among them!" The skinny man was very perceptive. He had seen Yue Yang's concern.

"Then help me find her as quickly as possible. I'll offer you an extremely generous reward! If you help me find her within one day, I'll give you ten gold coins. For every additional day, I'll deduct one gold coin, and so on! I don't care what methods you use or what means you employ. In short, I want to see her as soon as possible!" Yue Yang fell silent for a moment, then decided to use money to clear the way. Finding Yue Bing came first.

"I'll do my best... But could you advance me some pay first? Don't laugh at me, but I haven't eaten anything for days! Just a few copper coins would do. I'm so hungry I can barely walk!" The skinny man looked at Yue Yang expectantly. Yue Yang had seen that same look in Grey Wolf's eyes when he had been about to smash it to death.

This was the desire to survive!

Even in utter despair, he still longed to live. Even when he no longer had the strength to struggle, he still hoped for a miracle.

Yue Yang was slightly moved. Nodding, he did not simply toss the skinny man a handful of copper coins. Instead, he handed over a purse containing one hundred silver coins. "This is your pay for today. Go take care of your business. I'll wait here for half an hour!"

When the skinny man took the heavy purse, his eyes reddened slightly. He said nothing, merely gripping the purse tightly in his hand and nodding hard.

Without saying a single word, he quickly left.

If one looked closely, one could see scattered tear tracks falling along the path beneath the skinny man's departing feet.

Watching his back, Yue Yang sighed softly. This was a genius... a fallen genius! Perhaps this skinny man had once been a spirited, unrestrained prodigy, the hope of his family. But after losing his battle beasts, he had become a useless man with nothing, too ashamed even to return home! In some ways, the skinny man had something in common with the Tragic Guy who had thrown himself into the river... Though the Tragic Guy had belonged to the Yue Family, one of the Four Great Families, he had been unable to contract the Summoning Codex. With no battle beast, he had become the greatest waste of the family. In the end, under family pressure and the blow of having his engagement broken off, he chose to throw himself into the river. Was that not the same helplessness of the weak as this skinny man quietly lying here and waiting for death?

Before the Tragic Guy threw himself into the river, perhaps his eyes had held the same intense desire to survive as the skinny man's eyes had just now?

He must have longed for a miracle too.

But in the end, no one had been able to save him... After he died, Yue Yang had taken his place! In a sense, that Yue Family good-for-nothing had been reborn as well, except the one reborn in his place was Yue Yang, a transmigrator! Yue Yang was luckier than the Tragic Guy. He had received everything the man possessed, such as the affection of the beautiful woman and her family, and that warm familial love. At the same time, he had received everything the man could never obtain: he had contracted the Summoning Codex, gained a Life Guardian Beast, the Twin Star Talent, the Snake-Demon Loli, and more!

"Fine. I can't help you with what happened in the past, but from now on, I'll take good care of Yue Bing and the others for you. I'll make them proud of you, honor you, and glory in you! I will definitely clear away that title of good-for-nothing for you! The truth is, you weren't worthless. You simply weren't lucky enough!"

Yue Yang raised his head to the sky. It was as if he saw a man who looked much like himself, smiling brightly beneath the sunlight and waving goodbye to him.

Perhaps Yue Yang had come because of the Tragic Guy's wish!

He must have hoped that someone as fortunate as Yue Yang would take his place and fulfill the wishes he had left unfinished...