Chapter 1: The Killing System for Leveling Up
In the northwest border region of the Great Zhou Dynasty, a land of bitter cold ,
a lone grave stands before
a young man kneeling like a tombstone, his expression numb.
He is Bai Qi, a transmigrator, sharing the same name and surname as the ancient god of war, yet with a different fate!
Behind him, an old man dressed in hemp clothing takes a puff of his pipe and sighs, "Child, accept your fate! Your mother offended a deity and was killed with a single sword strike. This is destiny."
"Deities cannot be insulted!"
"We are merely mortals."
Upon hearing this, Bai Qi suddenly bursts into wild laughter, "What a fine saying, 'Deities cannot be insulted!'"
"My mother only slowed down slightly when that person was flying through the air, and she was cut in half right there in the street. My poor mother struggled for a long time before she died."
"What's even more tragic is that my father not only dared not question her, but also accused my mother of disrespecting the deities, divorced her, forbade her from being buried in the ancestral grave, expelled me from the family genealogy, tattooed me, and exiled me."
"Are we mortals destined to have lives as worthless as paper?"
Bai Qi roared, his eyes bloodshot with resentment, "One day, I will slaughter all these immortals and gods!"
The old man in hemp clothing stamped his foot, hurriedly looking around. Finding no one there, he breathed a sigh of relief and said anxiously, "Child, are you crazy? This is utter disrespect!"
Behind the old man followed a tall, slender, and pretty young girl, who said with heartache, "Brother Bai Qi, don't be sad. Your mother wouldn't want you to be like this."
"Brother Bai Qi, have a bowl of porridge first. You haven't eaten all day."
With that, the girl carefully ladled a bowl of mixed grain porridge into a rough porcelain bowl and handed it to him.
Bai Qi was slightly moved. From the day he was expelled from the clan register, he had been a rat crossing the street, hated by everyone.
His former cronies avoided him like the plague, not daring to have anything to do with him. They
even took advantage of his misfortune, mocking and humiliating him in various ways, as if only in this way could they completely sever ties with him and avoid being implicated.
Unexpectedly, after being exiled here, he found such a caring young woman.
Bai Qi felt a warmth in his heart, took the rough porcelain bowl, and drank deeply.
"That's right, Bai Qi, now that you've been exiled to our Black Wind Gully, settle down here and farm. Next year, when Miao'er grows up a bit, I'll betroth my granddaughter to you."
"If you have a bunch of children, your mother can rest in peace in the afterlife."
The old man was the grain chief of Black Wind Gully, responsible for collecting grain and handing it over to the imperial court. Ever since Bai Qi was exiled, he had taken a liking to this young man at first sight.
Compared to the rough men of Black Wind Gully, Bai Qi, who was literate, was the best grandson-in-law in his eyes.
Upon hearing this, the pretty young woman, Miao'er, lowered her head shyly, as elegant and independent as an apricot blossom.
But in her heart, she wholeheartedly agreed.
Her beautiful eyes shone with secret joy and shyness
as she awaited her brother Bai Qi's answer.
Looking at the beautiful young woman before him, Bai Qi's eyes were filled with unwavering determination. He shook his head and refused, "No! I want to join the army, I want to become stronger!"
"You stubborn mule!" The old man in hemp clothing wanted nothing more than to beat Bai Qi to death with his pipe. "War is nothing compared to the comfort of a wife, children, and a warm bed!"
Miao'er also looked sorrowful, pursing her lips as she asked, "Brother Bai Qi, don't you like Miao'er?"
Bai Qi shook his head. For three years, he had been exiled here, living in a daze. If it weren't for the young woman's devoted care, he might have starved or died of illness long ago.
He felt only gratitude and love for the young woman before him, and he only wished to marry her.
He then explained,
"You are very beautiful, but in this chaotic world, not having the power to protect your beauty is a disaster!"
"Just like my mother, weak and pitiful, she could only be killed at the mercy of others."
Bai Qi's words moved the young woman even more, and the love in her beautiful eyes deepened.
The wrinkles on the old man's face smoothed out as he exclaimed, "No wonder you're a scholar! You're so different from us peasants; you think long-term."
"But war means death!" he continued
. "Our Great Zhou is just a mortal dynasty; above us are immortal divine dynasties."
"Beyond Great Zhou's borders, wolves and tigers lurk. Among the mortal dynasties alone are Great Zhou, Great Feng, the Xiongnu, Northern Liang, Western Chu, Southern Barbarians..." "
And those immortals and gods love to watch us mortal dynasties fight. It's said that the more people die, the more energy they can absorb to cultivate."
"Child, joining the army is a life-or-death struggle!"
Hearing her grandfather's words, Miao'er's face turned pale. She reached out and grabbed Bai Qi's hand, incredibly nervous, as if he would leave her at any moment.
Bai Qi clenched his fists. Since transmigrating to this world, he understood its cruelty even more.
Weakness and ordinariness were original sins.
There was no chance of achieving invincibility through cunning. Those high and mighty immortals and gods might simply kill you if they didn't like you.
You must know, here, some people are so lowly they don't even
have a surname. For example, Miao'er has no surname, nor does she deserve one.
"My mind is made up. To protect my beloved, to avenge my mother, I must possess power and strength!"
Bai Qi clenched his fists, a resolute glint in his eyes. He would make the Great Zhou strong, so that even the immortals and gods of those immortal dynasties wouldn't dare to kill or plunder the people of the Great Zhou!
He would live up to the name Bai Qi.
"Sigh, stubborn mule!" The old man in hemp clothing sighed, then pulled the beautiful young woman away. "Grandpa will find you another marriage; I can't let you be held back."
"No! I will only marry Brother Bai Qi!" Miao'er's face was stubborn, her resolve to die with Bai Qi unwavering.
Bai Qi turned and strode away without hesitation; he was going to enlist in the army.
"Ding!"
At that moment, a system voice sounded.
[The host's killing intent is overwhelming, triggering the 'Enemy-Slaying Leveling System.' If you are determined to join the army, you can activate the system and receive a newbie gift pack.]
[Host, do you accept the mission?] This
is a system!
Bai Qi was overjoyed. He wanted to see how immortals and gods could be insulted after having a system.