Author's Note
Hello, everyone. I'm the author of The Hymns of Death.
This is a xianxia novel inspired by works such as Renegade Immortal, with a ruthless protagonist whose mindset is closer to Reverend Insanity. However, this is still my own story.
One thing you won't find here is another reincarnation story. Reincarnation has become common in cultivation novels. The protagonist returns with memories, experience, wisdom, and knowledge from a previous life. It is an interesting concept, but it isn't the story I want to tell.
I want a character who learns through the cruelty of this life. Every scar, every victory, every mistake, and every decision will shape him. Experience earned through suffering is far more meaningful than experience inherited from another lifetime.
The world isn't kind. From the moment we begin to understand it, we also begin to see its cruelty. That belief has greatly influenced this novel.
I'm still a new writer, and I'm learning as I go. This story wasn't planned from beginning to end. Instead, I want to keep writing, keep improving, and see where this journey leads.
If you decide to walk that journey with me, thank you.
I hope The Hymns of Death becomes a story worth remembering.
_____________
"Mom, Dad, Big Brother, where are you?"
I did not know how many times I had spoken those words over the years. Eventually, I forgot how to say them. Sometimes, however, the memories still surfaced.
Their faces had long since become blurry. Perhaps time had erased them. Or perhaps I had chosen to forget.
Shaking those useless thoughts from my mind, I crouched low against the muddy ground and stared into the distance.
Not far away was a group of Snake-Lizards.
They were mutated creatures possessing the traits of both snakes and lizards. Their bodies contained deadly poison. Fortunately, the poison of newborn Snake-Lizards was not fatal to me.
As for the adults...
I would be dead before I could even approach one.
With only my eleven-year-old body and a crude stone dagger, hunting a wandering youngling was already a life-threatening gamble.
Snake-Lizards lived in groups. If I failed today, I would have to survive on insects and wild plants for another four days.
These creatures emerged only once every four days to hunt before returning to their hidden nests.
Suddenly, my eyes narrowed.
A target.
Although it was no newborn, it had not yet reached maturity. If I was careful, I could still kill it.
Slowly, I lowered my body and crawled through the muddy water. The foul smell concealed my scent.
Closer.
Closer.
The young Snake-Lizard suddenly lifted its head.
Perhaps it sensed danger.
Its mouth opened wide, preparing to release its piercing cry.
I did not give it the chance.
My body exploded forward.
The muddy water scattered in all directions.
Using every ounce of strength in my body, I drove the stone dagger into its eye.
The blade sank deep.
Green blood mixed with brain matter burst out.
Before it could struggle, I seized its neck and fled.
Behind me, furious hisses erupted from the group.
I did not dare look back.
Long before this hunt, I had already planned my escape route.
I ran until the sounds disappeared.
I ran until my lungs burned.
Only when I arrived at a familiar lake did I finally stop.
Without wasting time, I dragged the corpse to the shore.
The stone dagger cut open its softer underbelly, the only place not protected by scales.
I removed the organs and washed away the filth in the lake.
Afterward, I carefully harvested the usable meat and, most importantly, the poison glands.
The poison itself was useful.
Applied to my weapons and body, it could conceal my scent from other Snake-Lizards.
For a scavenger like me, every part of the creature had value.