Lin Qing

Great Yuan Dynasty, Shu Region, Jiangyin County.

In a small courtyard, more than thirty young men were hard at work.

Dawn had yet to break. Wisps of cold mist drifted along the street, and every gust of wind made them shiver.

Some of the youths skinned hides, while others ground materials into tools. Wearing only thin hemp clothes, they trembled in the cold.

Yet they all gritted their teeth and worked with their heads down, without a word.

Lin Qing was one of them. This was the Soul-Calming Office, which stood alongside the county government and handled incidents involving Evil Spirits. He was a laborer in its Artisans' Office.

"I woke up in this ancient world as a laborer. What a miserable life," Lin Qing muttered.

Three months earlier, he had crossed over from Azure Planet and become a bone grinder.

The Artisans' Office specialized in researching and making tools to fight Evil Spirits.

Its laborers fell into two groups: bone grinders and hide skinners. Neither had it easy.

Lin Qing, for instance, had to rise before dawn to grind bones. Rain or shine, the work never stopped.

He had already been at it for almost two hours. His arms ached and tingled, chilblains covered his fingers, and his whole body felt miserable. All he could do was endure it.

"A laborer has to put in five years before he even gets a chance to become a Constable. I still have a year to go. Another whole year."

Lin Qing sighed inwardly and rolled up his sleeves. Twisted, uncanny red lines ran from his wrists to the tops of his arms, creeping toward his heart.

A local physician had called it Bloodline Disease. Evil Spirits had entered his body, and within a year, when the lines reached his heart, he would die.

To be cured, he had to go to the prefectural city. But he was a poor family's son, with neither money nor a travel permit. How could he leave? Even if he managed it, Evil Spirits roamed this world. One unlucky encounter could kill him faster.

"But there's still hope. If I become a Martial Artist, the vigorous blood and qi in my body might sweep the Evil Spirits away. I could survive."

"I have to find a way to become a Martial Artist within a year."

As Lin Qing considered this, a cry of alarm rose nearby. Someone had fainted.

"Ding Tiezhu! Wake up!"

A scrawny youth, exhausted from work, had collapsed while trying to stand and lost consciousness.

"Useless brat. You faint from a little work? Bring him here!"

A woman in her thirties emerged from a large room on the north side of the courtyard. She was attractive and full-figured, but her face was dark as she cursed.

Her name was Shen Lian, and she was the laborers' immediate superior.

The youth was carried before Shen Lian. She had someone pour several mouthfuls of thick, blackish medicine down his throat.

After a fit of violent coughing, he woke.

Shen Lian stared coldly at him. "Get out! Don't come back tomorrow! Plenty of others will do this job if you won't!"

"My lady, I have an eighty-year-old grandmother at home. Please give me another chance!" The youth dropped to his knees in alarm.

Shen Lian waved him away. "Go on, get out. I'm sick of looking at you. If you don't leave, I'll have someone break your legs!"

Under the sympathetic gazes of the other youths, Ding Tiezhu was hauled away by two burly men.

Lin Qing watched, long since numb to such scenes.

Laborers held little status. Only after five years of diligent work could they become Constables.

Poor performance earned a beating or a scolding at best. At worst, they were dismissed outright.

They had to endure every hardship to keep their places. Outside the office, plenty of young men would fight tooth and nail for a laborer's position.

Why? Because times were hard. A government laborer's job was already considered a good one: food and lodging, two days off a month, and forty copper coins. After five years, they could learn martial arts and become Constables.

Even the lowest-ranking Constable drew a government wage and had a secure living.

Thought that was hard? Look at the refugees outside the East City Gate. People were freezing and starving to death in droves.

Lin Qing understood that this era was nothing like his previous life. Here, enough food and a chance to rise in the world were already a great deal.

Before long, the sun rose in the east. A gong sounded in the courtyard: breakfast. At last, everyone had a short break.

Lin Qing sat on a stone step beneath the eaves, a coarse steamed bun in his left hand and a bowl of warm water with a few flecks of oil floating on it in his right.

He bit into the bun. It was cold, hard, gritty, and difficult to swallow. Even pig feed in his previous life had been no worse. Without the warm water, it might have choked him.

"What a life. I hear Constables get meat and steamed buns made with white flour."

"They do. And they get paid in silver every month. I want to join the Night Patrol Office as a Corpse Collector."

"Who doesn't? It's the safest, easiest job. Chief Constable Yang, who runs the Corpse Collection Team, is known for being scrupulously fair. That makes him our best chance, since we don't have connections."

Several Constables were sitting near Lin Qing, chatting as they ate.

Lin Qing's interest stirred. The Night Patrol Office was where he wanted to go, too.

The Soul-Calming Office had several divisions. The Night Patrol Office kept watch after dark, dealt with Evil Spirits, and collected corpses.

Corpse collection meant bringing bodies from inside and outside the town to the office and burning them to ash, lest Evil Spirits arise from them.

If I become a Corpse Collector, I can put my special ability to use and quickly grow into a top Martial Artist. Excitement surged through Lin Qing.

Like most people who crossed over, he had a special ability: an ancient book called the Rebirth Record, suspended in an empty space within his mind.

[Name: Rebirth Record]

[Host: Lin Qing]

[Realm: None]

[Martial arts: None]

[Skills: None]

[Equipment slots: 1]

[Level: 1 (0%)]

[Note 1: Guiding departed souls to rebirth (such as by burning corpses or reciting the Rebirth Mantra) allows you to view four martial arts, skills, or talents they possessed in life and copy one.]

[Note 2: Raising the Rebirth Record to level two unlocks a second equipment slot, which can hold a copied martial art, skill, or talent.]

[Note 3: Guiding departed souls to rebirth increases level progress. Spending gold, silver, or rare natural treasures can speed up leveling.]

The Rebirth Record was Lin Qing's special ability. To use it, he needed corpses, and the Corpse Collector's job was a perfect fit.

Shanyin County Town had a population of over two hundred thousand, with dozens of villages of all sizes around it. Every day, who knew how many people died? Their bodies were all sent to the Night Patrol Office as soon as possible.

If he became a Corpse Collector, Lin Qing could scarcely imagine how quickly he would grow—or how formidable he would become.

I have to become a Corpse Collector. Then my future will be bright. Lin Qing's eyes gleamed.

He did not fear hard work. But in this era, people at the bottom lived from day to day. To survive, and to live without constant fear, he had to grow stronger.

To grow stronger, he needed to train in martial arts. Becoming a Corpse Collector would let him make full use of the Rebirth Record and learn martial arts as well.

Lin Qing took a deep breath, quelled his excitement, and went back to grinding bones. He kept at it all morning.

By the time the sun stood high and bright, he was exhausted.

After a hurried lunch and a brief rest, everyone returned to work for the afternoon.

Two hours later, a shout rang out from the courtyard gate.

"Chief Constable Yang has arrived!"