Daqian, Qinzhou, White Stone City.
The sun shone brightly high in a cloudless sky.
CAW. CAW. CAW.
A crow let out a shrill cry, flapping its wings as it soared. It swept over mountains, forests, and farmlands, past city walls and tall buildings, before diving down to land on the windowsill of a dilapidated mud-stone house. Suddenly, as if startled by something, it frantically flapped its wings and flew away.
"Ah!"
Inside the room, Su Chen sat up with a start. Mottled and fragmented memories pierced his mind like swords, leaving him in agonizing pain.
"I’ve transmigrated!" Su Chen muttered to himself after a long while, having finally digested the memories.
In his past life, Su Chen was a truck driver. While driving at night, he collided with an out-of-control Hongqi car at an intersection. The Hongqi was smashed to pieces, and because he couldn’t turn in time, his truck crashed into the mountainside, knocking him unconscious.
Upon his Awakening, he was already in another world.
This was a world similar to ancient Huaxia, yet it did not belong to any known dynasty. The empire he was currently in was called the Daqian Dynasty, boasting a history of over seven hundred years. But even after seven centuries since its founding, Daqian still couldn’t escape the inevitable fate of all empires; it was already nearing its setting sun.
In the twilight years of the dynasty, chaos ran rampant, the masses lived in dire straits, and the common people suffered endlessly. Various gangs sprang up like weeds everywhere, bullying the kind-hearted and terrorizing the region. As for this body’s original owner, he was driven to his death by a small gang—all because of a house.
Half a month ago, a gang approached the original owner, intending to forcefully buy his house for a pittance. Unwilling to sell it so cheaply, he refused. That very night, however, he was brutally beaten and warned by two men in black.
The original owner knew this was the work of the Wild Dog Gang, so he reported it to the Government Office. Yet, the Governmental Constables completely ignored him. They chased him out, threatening to teach him a harsh lesson if he dared to return. This left him utterly in despair.
For some unknown reason, the Wild Dog Gang never showed up again. He thought the matter had ended there, but three days ago, two members of the Black Water Gang came looking for him. As it turned out, the Wild Dog Gang had been wiped out and replaced by the Black Water Gang.
They found Su Chen and told him to pack his things and scram immediately. Furious, the original owner learned from them that his house was blocking the gang’s "path to wealth" and had to be demolished. They gave him three days. When the deadline arrived and he still refused to move, they beat him half to death, ordering him to leave within a day or face the consequences.
Overwhelmed by grief and indignation, and suffering from severe internal and external injuries, the original owner breathed his last, allowing Su Chen to take over his body.
Having fully absorbed the memories, Su Chen felt a throbbing headache, as if he could still feel the original owner’s overwhelming sense of helpless despair. Gang oppression was an everyday occurrence here; ordinary people were constantly squeezed dry. Living in such an era, the people at the bottom had to exhaust all their strength just to stay alive.
"The Black Water Gang..." Su Chen murmured with a solemn expression. Since they hadn’t obtained the property deed yet, they definitely wouldn’t let him off the hook.
These gangs were utterly despicable. If coercion and bribery failed, they would resort to direct violence. The Government Office’s apathy only fueled their unbridled arrogance. By himself, Su Chen could never be a match for a gang.
He thought, "Unless... I practice martial arts!"
As Su Chen pondered, a transparent panel suddenly appeared in his mind:
[Name: Su Chen]
[Martial Arts: None]
[Easy Mode: 0] (Can be activated after acquiring a martial art)
This was his cheat. When practicing any martial art, he could activate Easy Mode to master it rapidly. However, it couldn’t be activated just yet.
As far as Su Chen knew, Martial Artists existed in this world. Although he didn’t know if they were as powerful as the ones in the wuxia novels from his previous life, Martial Artists enjoyed a very high status. They were the masterminds behind many industries. It was said that the Gang Leader of the Black Water Gang was a Martial Artist, which was exactly how he managed to wipe out the Wild Dog Gang.
"I have to practice martial arts. I must!" Su Chen said resolutely. It wasn’t just to activate his cheat, but to survive. In this Doomsday Dynasty, money, power, and property were nothing but fleeting clouds. Only by possessing immense personal strength could one truly live on!
BANG BANG BANG!
"Su Chen, stop playing dead and get out here!"
Just as he was deep in thought, urgent knocking and a string of arrogant curses came from outside the door.
"It’s the Black Water Gang!" Su Chen’s eyes darkened. He hadn’t expected them to show up right after he woke up.
He thought, "They have the numbers. If I go out recklessly, I’ll probably end up like the original owner. But if I don’t go out, they’ll break the door down eventually, and I’ll still get beaten up!"
His body still ached faintly even now. If he took another beating, he would undoubtedly follow in the original owner’s footsteps.
"Damn it, you little brat, don’t force me to smash the door!"
The knocking grew more frantic and louder, tolling like a death knell.
"I’ll risk it all!" Su Chen gritted his teeth, grabbed a blunt cleaver and a woodcutting axe, and marched outside.
With a loud CRASH, the door was violently kicked open.
Three hooligan-like Black Water Gang members with fierce, meaty faces walked in with dark expressions. The moment they entered, they spotted Su Chen marching toward them, an axe and a cleaver in hand.
"What... what are you doing?"
Su Chen’s ferocious demeanor, paired with the dim lighting, made their eyelids twitch in apprehension.
"Don’t... don’t come any closer!"
Seeing that Su Chen wasn’t answering and was just advancing toward them, the three thugs—who had been brimming with murderous intent just moments ago—suddenly panicked. They hadn’t expected him to resort to violence without saying a single word. Since they had come in a hurry today, they hadn’t brought any weapons. Faced with a ruthless Su Chen, they genuinely feared he would strike with no regard for his own life.
Intimidated, the three men backed away continuously, throwing out empty threats as they retreated. However, Su Chen remained completely silent. His fierce gaze was locked onto them as he closed the distance step by step. This terrified the thugs even more, causing them to scramble away in a panic.
"You’re courting death, Su Chen! The Black Water Gang won’t let you off!" one of them shouted, trying to stall for time and reawaken Su Chen’s fear of the gang. He snatched up a wooden stick and pointed it at Su Chen, seemingly regaining some confidence, though his trembling body betrayed him entirely.
"Scram!" Su Chen bellowed, his hoarse voice carrying a bone-chilling coldness.
Without slowing down in the slightest, he pulled his arm back, posing as if to hurl the axe.
The three thugs were instantly scared out of their wits. Terror etched across their faces, they abandoned all dignity and bolted outside.
"Just you wait, brat! This isn’t over!"
Unwilling to tangle with Su Chen any longer, they left a parting threat and ran off. However, the occasional glances they threw back over their shoulders were brimming with killing intent. Clearly, they had been thoroughly enraged. The next time they came, even if Su Chen had weapons, his chances of survival would be grim.
CLANG.
Su Chen dropped the blunt cleaver and the axe, panting heavily. His taut nerves relaxed just a fraction, but the heavy boulder hanging over his heart did not disappear. He knew those three wouldn’t take long to return, and it would be impossible to bluff them a second time. When that happened, his life would undoubtedly be in grave danger.
His expression shifted constantly as he stood rooted to the spot for a long while before turning back into the house.
A few moments later, Su Chen walked out again. This time, however, the cloth pouch hanging at his waist was bulging.
He thought, "I can hide for a while, but not forever. Since that’s the case, I’ll just have to practice martial arts!"
With a steeled resolve, Su Chen took all his earthly possessions and arrived in front of an ancient courtyard. The plaque hanging above the entrance bore four large characters: Hong Family Martial Arts Hall.
This was the only reputable Martial Arts Hall in the Outer City that accepted anyone as long as they paid the fee, making it his sole destination. Standing before the gates, Su Chen hesitated for a moment before finally stepping into the courtyard.