The Imperial Palace:
Lao Shi Chen [POV]
The grand corridors of the imperial palace were suffocatingly quiet, save for the rhythmic clinking of my armor.
"Young Warrior Lao Shi Chen, His Majesty the Emperor requests your immediate presence," the Head Eunuch announced, his voice carrying that distinct, high-pitched political sharpness.
I looked at the older man, offering a brief, silent nod as my only answer. Words were a waste of breath when actions spoke louder. We proceeded through the winding, golden-veined hallways toward the heart of the palace: the Emperor's private audience chamber.
When we finally arrived at the massive, intricately carved double doors, the Head Eunuch stepped forward to announce my arrival. Upon receiving the Emperor's booming approval from within, the heavy doors were thrown open, and I was guided to enter.
I walked with measured, steady steps across the polished marble floor until I stood directly in front of His Majesty. Dropping to one knee, I saluted and bowed deeply, showing the absolute peak of military respect to the ruler of the empire.
"Young Warrior Lao Shi Chen," the Emperor spoke, his voice vibrating with immense, undisputed power.
"We have heard that your performances on the field are nothing short of outstanding. One of my trusted generals highly suggested you for a critical mission. We would like to personally test you-to see your true capability to protect this empire in the long run."
The Emperor leaned forward, his sharp Alpha gaze locking onto mine.
"Therefore, we want you to travel to the southwest of our lands to provide immediate security to our people there. As you well know, we have received troubling reports of bandit attacks. The situation is getting progressively worse because we have been far too lenient with them in the past. But now? They must be violently punished for their sins. Do you understand, Young Warrior Lao Shi Chen?"
"Your Majesty," I replied, my voice ringing out with absolute conviction and unwavering focus, "this subject will not fail you. I will bring swift victory for both your majesty and the citizens of the southwest."
"En. We look forward to your grand return," the Emperor said, a small, approving nod gracing his features.
"When you finish this mission, we wish to see you immediately in our private chambers. There are... other personal matters we wish to discuss with you."
*Personal matters?* I kept my face an unreadable mask of ice, suppressing my curiosity.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
After everything had been officially laid out, I excused myself from the royal presence, exited the palace, and marched directly back to the elite warrior camp. If we were going to eliminate a horde of ruthless bandits in the southwest, I needed to gather a squad of capable young warriors-men like me who weren't afraid of a long, bloody journey.
It was time to cleanse the land.
=====°°°°°
Back to Our Host:
Shao Tien [POV]
Meanwhile, in the dark, terrifying woods just outside the village...
I am running. I am running so hard that I think my lungs are actively trying to detaching themselves from my chest cavity.
Why am I sprinting like an Olympic athlete through the mud, you ask?
Because a bunch of absolute *motherf*ckers* apparently want a piece of this grandpa's ass!
*F*ck it! F*ck everything!*
I ran as far and as fast as my weak, undernourished legs could possibly carry me, desperately trying to get away from the heavy footsteps echoing behind me.
My soul is way too old and tired for this cliché, high-stakes transmigrator nonsense! But what can I actually do? I'm just so unbelievably, cosmically unlucky!
( ꈨຶ ˙̫̮ ꈨຶ )
*Huff... huff... click.*
The sound of my foot hitting a dead end shattered my hopes. I froze. It was over. I had officially been cornered.
Like a textbook scene from a trashy horror movie, the shadows detached themselves from the trees. One massive man stepped into the path directly in front of me.
Two more moved in like walls on my left and right sides. And to seal the deal, a fourth man stepped up directly behind my backside.
They looked absolutely gargantuan, caked in dirt, grime, and what looked like years of poor hygiene choices. But the worst part?
The smell. A wave of rancid, cheap alcohol hit my nose so hard I nearly fainted on the spot.
"Hello there, little white rabbit," the man in front of me purred. He let out a sinister, yellow-toothed smile, and the entire group began to laugh in a creepy, synchronized chorus that made my skin crawl.
Now, normal people in this situation would beg for mercy. They would cry, tremble, and plead for their lives.
But me? My temper has a remarkably short fuse, especially when I'm tired, hungry, and dealing with a temporary lack of a System.
They were actively disrespecting this grandpa! These illiterate fools desperately needed a beautiful, thoroughly educational beating!
"You f*cking piece of absolute shit!" I shouted, pointing an aggressive finger directly at the leader's face.
"Don't you dare smile at me! Your teeth are completely gross! There are so many cavities in there it looks like a graveyard, and your breath stinks like actual, literal poop! Ha!"
The forest went dead silent.
The man's creepy, arrogant smile instantly vanished. For a second, he just stared at me in sheer disbelief. Then, his face started to turn a violent, dark shade of red due to absolute, unbridled anger.
*Uh-oh.*
The adrenaline high suddenly crashed, leaving me in a puddle of internal regret.
*I did it. I really, truly did it this time. F*ck! I am so f*cking dead! This troublesome, unfiltered mouth of mine... why can it never just keep quiet for a single damn minute?!*
( ･ั﹏･ั)
"Hold him down, men," the leader growled, his voice dropping into a murderous register as he wiped a stray bit of my spit from his cheek.
"We're gonna have a very long, very painful party tonight."
On his command, all four of the massive thugs started to advance on me, closing the circle, their hands outstretched.
*Yup. My ass is officially in a highly dangerous, critical situation.*
And you know whose fault this is? This is all because of that f*cking, useless, vacation-taking System! If I survive this with my virtue intact, I am going to delete its source code with a rusty spoon!