Midnight.
Great Chu Empire, An Residence.
The vast An family estate was brightly lit. Lanterns, red silk, and double happiness symbols were everywhere, still echoing the festive joy of the day.
Inside a traditionally styled room, Ning Chen suddenly woke up with a jolt.
“What the hell?! Where is this? Wasn’t I just drinking with eight older sisters?”
Ning Chen was completely baffled, even a little annoyed. After all, he was recognized as the undisputed king of workplace competition in his entire company! Every year, he dominated sales, his bonuses were endless. He had been this close to securing another sales championship—he just needed to win over those eight older sisters.
And now? What the hell was this? Someone actually pulled such a dirty trick on him just because they couldn’t compete fairly?
He looked around and immediately froze.
The room had carved beams, painted rafters, pearl-draped curtains, and paper windows beneath wooden eaves—entirely antique in design. The windows were plastered with large red double happiness symbols, and rows of red candles swayed in the breeze, casting a soft celebratory glow.
Just as he was trying to make sense of it all, he caught a glimpse of himself in a bronze mirror. He was wearing a bright red groom’s robe!
Even more shocking—right behind a pearl curtain, on the bed, sat a woman dressed in a red wedding gown!
Although her face was veiled, her figure alone was enough to make one’s heart race. Her snowy white neck was as elegant as a swan’s, her chest full and firm, her waist slender enough to hold in one hand, and her long legs stretched out like jade columns.
“Wait… am I dreaming about marrying a beauty?”
Ning Chen’s eyes widened. This dream felt way too real. He could even smell the faint fragrance on her body!
Boom!
Just then, an overwhelming flood of memories surged through his mind! Countless scenes from another life rushed past like a spinning lantern carousel.
Moments later, Ning Chen’s eyes widened even further in disbelief.
“Hiss—this isn’t a dream! I’ve transmigrated!!”
Based on the memories in his mind, he had arrived in a world called the Tianxin Continent, a place where martial cultivation led to immortality!
Martial artists here could fly through the skies and burrow through the earth, split mountains and rivers with a wave of their hands, and the strongest could hold the sun, moon, and stars in their palms while stepping across the abyss!
Strangely enough, his current body was also named Ning Chen, a famously useless failure in the Great Chu Empire!
He had absolutely no talent for martial arts. He couldn’t cultivate at all. Even after taking the imperial exams for over ten years, he’d never passed once. He was utterly hopeless in both literature and martial arts!
Yet, fate was often dramatic.
Not long ago, the former Ning Chen was actually granted a marriage by the Emperor of Great Chu. His bride? The woman sitting across from him—An Nanjing!
Her name alone sounded like a woman of valor, and she lived up to it. An Nanjing was a legend in the Great Chu Empire, known by everyone.
She was the current Patriarch of the founding An family!
She was the Empire-Defending Valkyrie, commanding a million troops!
She was the strongest female warrior in the entire Great Chu Empire—an invincible Valkyrie!
Any one of her titles was something the former Ning Chen couldn’t even dream of matching!
But no matter how extraordinary, even she couldn’t escape one truth—her achievements had overshadowed the ruler!
Within the Great Chu Empire, her influence had already far exceeded that of the Emperor. To suppress her power, the Emperor had orchestrated this imperial marriage!
The reason the former Ning Chen was chosen? Simple. Because he was worthless enough—perfect to use as a humiliation.
Sure enough, he lived up to that name. Right after the wedding ceremony, the moment he entered the bridal chamber, he was so excited he died on the spot.
That’s how Ning Chen from Earth ended up in this body—successfully taking over and being reborn!
Swish!
At that moment, the woman across from him—An Nanjing—suddenly lifted her red veil, revealing a face of flawless beauty.
Her features were sharp and refined, absolutely impeccable. And between her brows, there was a heroic spirit—unapologetically strong.
An Nanjing glanced at Ning Chen and said coldly, “Ning Chen, I trust you understand what this marriage truly means?”
Ning Chen nodded. Achievements overshadowing the ruler, suppression by marriage—these were tactics he’d seen throughout 5,000 years of history in his past life.
“Though our union may be a mere performance staged by the Emperor to suppress his subjects, we are now, in name at least, husband and wife. While I cannot offer you the duties of a wife in practice, so long as you behave and stay in the An Residence without stepping out of line, I will guarantee you a life of wealth and comfort.”
Her beautiful face turned colder than frost under the moon, filled with unquestionable authority, “Do you understand?”
“Tsk… definitely a dominant woman.” Ning Chen clicked his tongue inwardly, then nodded obediently.
“Good. Then rest well.” An Nanjing nodded, then with a flicker, vanished from the bridal chamber.
All that remained was a lingering, elegant fragrance uniquely hers, intoxicating to the senses.
“So… am I being kept?”
Ning Chen rubbed his nose, a bitter smile appearing on his lips.
Then he began calculating what to do next. This starting point wasn’t exactly a disaster, but it wasn’t great either.
He needed to carefully consider how to establish himself in this world. But no matter what ideas came to mind, he ended up dismissing them all.
Because in this world of martial cultivation, personal strength was everything.
No matter how clever your schemes were, they couldn’t compete with a single punch from a true powerhouse.
And worst of all, he had transmigrated into a body that couldn’t cultivate at all—a complete martial waste!
In the end, Ning Chen gave up thinking altogether and lay down on the bed.
“Sigh, forget it! I spent my last life working hard, pushing myself all my life, and I died before I could even enjoy the fruits of my labor.”
“Now that I’ve been reborn like this, I won’t waste time thinking about things that don’t matter. Lying flat is the true path!”
“Besides, with a Valkyrie as my wife, no one would dare mess with me. I can lie down however I want!”
Ning Chen adjusted his mindset and decided to fully embrace a life of lying flat.
After all, effort may not bring results—but lying flat was always relaxing!
With that thought, he stopped overthinking, stretched out on the bed, and quickly fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.
By morning, he had slept better than he had in years.
But just as he was waking up, a cold mechanical voice echoed in his ears.
[Ding! Host’s mindset detected to be lying flat. Lying Flat System successfully activated!]