Year 2008 of the Tianhun Calendar. Luoshi City, Qingyun Province, the Tianhun Empire—the sole empire on the Tianhun Continent. Evening.
"Sigh! Finally done for the day. Twenty-three copper coins earned today… I'll have an extra steamed bun tonight…" A youth in ragged clothes, his face etched with exhaustion, leaned against the wall as he walked down a dim alley. Rubbing his sore shoulder, he muttered to himself.
Bai Yunfei, eighteen years old, stood about one meter seventy-five centimeters tall. His short hair was simple, his face somewhat gaunt with a high nose bridge. His eyes were clear. Though not classically handsome, his appearance was at least not unpleasant. Years of hard labor had left him unconsciously hunched even while walking, giving him a somewhat cowed air. His body was actually fairly sturdy, but long-term malnutrition made him look sallow and thin.
After a hard day's work, all he wanted now was to buy a few steamed buns to fill his belly, then return to that dilapidated little hut, the "home" he had lived in alone for nine years, and get a good night's sleep.
Since becoming aware of the world, Bai Yunfei had never seen his father. Neither his mother nor his grandfather ever spoke to him about his father. His mother had passed away due to illness when he was five, leaving his elderly grandfather and Yunfei to depend on each other.
Unfortunately, misfortune still refused to leave the Bai household. While selling straw sandals at his stall, his grandfather had "blocked" the path of a certain young master from a wealthy family. The young master's servants savagely beat the old man. Not long after, he too left Yunfei behind—that year, Bai Yunfei was nine.
Such occurrences were not uncommon on the Tianhun Continent. Commoners, especially those at the very bottom like Bai Yunfei's family—with no land, no steady work, possessing only a ramshackle hut barely fit for habitation—their lives were considered worthless by the wealthy and powerful.
The nine-year-old little Yunfei, alone, etched the love of his mother and the kindness of his grandfather deep into his heart. Clenching his teeth, he survived—he pleaded desperately for two days and two nights outside a large rice shop before finally securing a porter's job. Don't imagine the shop owner was particularly kind-hearted; he never gave an extra half-copper coin. In the beginning, Bai Yunfei earned only a few coppers a day.
Many times, Bai Yunfei thought he couldn't endure any longer, curling up in the drafty, ruined hut at night, silently weeping. But every time he cried himself to sleep, he would dream of his grandfather gently patting his head, weaving straw sandals while teaching him to read; of his mother holding him in her arms, pointing at the white clouds in the sky and saying: "One day, when my little Yunfei grows up, he will soar like the white clouds beneath the clear sky, free and unfettered…"
The next day, wiping away the tear stains, gritting his teeth, he would lift those incredibly heavy sacks of rice, one by one—this lifting continued for nine years…
In those nine years, Bai Yunfei tasted the fickleness of human kindness and saw through the bleakness of the world. He simply worked hard every day, relying on his own hands and feet to earn the most meager existence.
There were actually many commoners at the bottom like him, but most, driven by desperation, resorted to petty thievery. Yunfei, however, had never done such a thing, hadn't even thought about it. Every copper coin he earned, every bite of food, was exchanged through carrying rice, step by step, footprint by footprint.
Because, he had promised his grandfather: "To live without shame in my heart…"
Many sneered at Bai Yunfei's stubbornness: "Without shame in your heart? Don't make me laugh! In this cruel, real world, what use is 'no shame in my heart'!"
But Bai Yunfei paid no heed. He persisted like this, living alone for nine years. No matter how lowly his status, how menial his work, how destitute his life—without shame in his heart.
"My body's much stronger now than before. I can carry a few more sacks of rice each day from now on. I can even save some money… to fix up Mother and Grandfather's graves…" Bai Yunfei thought as he walked. He patted the coppers tucked in his clothes and quickened his pace slightly. The alley's exit was just ahead; buying a few buns and he could go home.
Just then, walking forward with his head down, he didn't notice the void behind him suddenly splitting open. Several wisps of black mist flew out. One seemed to contain a book wrapped within it…
Whether by chance or intent, the wisps of black mist, along with the book, shot towards Bai Yunfei. In almost the blink of an eye, they plunged into his body.
Bai Yunfei felt only a sudden emptiness in his mind, then lost consciousness. He collapsed limply onto the ground.
As he fell, a transparent mass of energy followed closely out of the still-unsealed rift. It too rushed towards Yunfei, but instead of entering his body, it enveloped his entire form.
...
Anything from one plane of existence inherently contains its own laws. When it attempts to enter another plane, it is rejected and annihilated by that plane's laws.
However, once successfully entering the world of a plane, it begins to assimilate—to merge with the rules of that plane!
The fragmented remnants of souls, the skill book—the instant they entered Bai Yunfei's body, they began fusing with him. The planar law energy that chased after them only enveloped Yunfei's body momentarily, eliminating a small portion of the soul fragments that hadn't fused in time. Then, it dissipated into the air, as if it had never appeared.
Bai Yunfei also showed no apparent change, lying on the ground as if in deep sleep.
About ten minutes later, the unconscious Bai Yunfei stirred slightly. He sat up, but his face was blank, his eyes unfocused. Clearly, he hadn't yet regained his senses.
After sitting dazed for a long while, he propped himself up against the wall with one hand. With the other hand, he gently patted his head, muttering as if to himself or perhaps to someone unseen.
"I am Tang Loong (Player Jia, weeping bitterly: 'Finally mentioned my name, wuwu… Can I get an extra sausage in my lunch box?')… No, I am Bai Yunfei…"
"I come from Earth… No… I am a person from the Tianhun Continent…"
"I am a transmigrator… I am a commoner from Luoshi City…"
"Water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen…"
"Save some money to fix Mother and Grandfather's graves…"
"…"
"…"
The soul fragments, though devoid of consciousness, were composed of countless memory shards. Their fusion with Bai Yunfei caused a temporary chaos in his memories.
Staggering unsteadily, Bai Yunfei swayed towards the main street. This was purely an instinctive movement; his mind was foggy, utterly unaware of what he was doing…
...
On the main street, the commoners bustling along the thoroughfare now retreated to the sides of the road with evident deference. A procession of about ten people approached from the direction of the city's eastern gate.
Walking at the forefront were two people. On the left was a seemingly elegant young man. Dressed in fine embroidered silk, he had thick brows like swords, starry eyes, and long hair tied back. He held a folding fan, waving it with practiced grace. He pointed at various shops and stalls lining the street, apparently explaining things to the person beside him. A smug smile played on his lips intermittently. He looked dashing and charismatic, yet also somewhat rakish.
Beside him, however, was a young woman with long hair. She wore luxurious, light blue attire, her figure slender. Her face was fair-skinned, with cherry lips and a jade-like nose. Her large eyes followed the young man's gestures with keen interest as she observed her surroundings.
Not far behind them, a burly middle-aged man walked slowly with his hands clasped behind his back. He watched the young man and woman ahead with an amused glint in his eye. Beside him, two guards, equipped with long swords at their waists, followed seemingly casually. Yet, their occasional sweeping glances at the crowd caused anyone who met their gaze to immediately look away, their expressions filled with even greater awe.
Further back came a group of servants dressed as household attendants. They carried several large chests. Though the chests looked substantial, the bearers moved with relative ease, indicating each possessed notable physical strength.
The Zhang family, Luoshi City's premier noble house, controlled nearly half of all the city's various shops. Moreover, they were a family of Soul Masters. While this so-called "noble family" was insignificant on the scale of the entire continent, within Luoshi City, even the city lord had to afford them considerable deference. No commoner would dare block the path of the Zhang Family Head or its young master.
"Dream'er Sister, I didn't expect you to come to Luoshi City with my father. You should have sent someone to inform me earlier. I would have prepared some interesting things for you to ensure your enjoyment…" The young man smiled ingratiatingly at the young woman beside him. This was precisely the Young Master of the Zhang Family, Zhang Yang.
The young woman showed no reaction to Zhang Yang's flattery. She merely said flatly, "I was sightseeing in Yinshan City and happened to meet Uncle Zhang. I simply came along to visit Auntie. There's no need to prepare anything for me; I'll be leaving in a few days." She furrowed her delicate brows slightly and added, "Also, don't call me 'Dream'er'. I am not your sister. Call me by my name, Liu Meng."
"Hehe, Dream'er Sister, look how you talk. Actually, you should understand the intention of our elders in both families. We…" Zhang Yang, undeterred by her coldness, pressed on.
"I don't wish to consider other matters right now. The only reason I came on this trip was because I've been unable to break through to the mid-stage Soul Warrior realm and wanted to relax outside for a bit. Afterwards, I'll return home to focus on cultivation." The young woman named Liu Meng interrupted Zhang Yang.
"What?! You're already approaching the mid-stage Soul Warrior level?! I remember we broke through to the Soul Disciple stage at roughly the same time! Yet in just one year, I'm only at the mid-stage Soul Disciple, while you've advanced so much!" This time, Zhang Yang dropped the sycophantic act, his face filled with genuine shock.
Hearing this, Liu Meng gave him a sidelong glance tinged with disdain before casually looking towards a stall at the roadside. "I'm not like some people, idling about all day."
"Uh…" Zhang Yang was rendered momentarily speechless by this retort and looked somewhat embarrassed. He quickly changed the subject, forcing a smile back onto his face. Pointing towards a candied hawthorn stick stall by the street, he said, "Dream'er Sis— uh… Liu Meng. That's candied hawthorn. Girls really like to eat it. You spend most of your time focused on cultivation at home, so you probably rarely get to try these little treats? I'll get one for you to taste."
Without waiting for a response, he walked over directly, took a skewer of candied hawthorn, and returned to Liu Meng's side. The stall owner dared not show the slightest displeasure; his aged face even contorted into an obsequious smile…
Liu Meng took the skewer with mild curiosity. She examined it for a moment, then extended her small, clove-like tongue to lightly lick the hardened sugar coating. A faint smile appeared on her face, like cold plum blossoms blooming. Zhang Yang, watching beside her, stared transfixed.
The procession continued towards the city center. Along the way, Zhang Yang repeatedly fetched various strange little curios from different stalls for Liu Meng, hoping to earn a smile from the beauty.
As they approached the mouth of an alley, a figure suddenly stumbled out from the dimness within. A youth in somewhat tattered clothes, his expression dazed. Staggering unsteadily, he muttered incessantly to himself, seemingly oblivious to the group in the street. He walked forward as if in a trance. Suddenly, he tripped and collided headlong into Liu Meng!
The youth's appearance was abrupt. Liu Meng, following Zhang Yang's pointing gesture, had been looking at a silk shop on the other side. Moreover, she never expected anyone to charge into her like this. Coupled with Yunfei's current mental confusion—there was no question of "intentional approach"—even as a Soul Master, she couldn't avoid the collision. She was directly knocked to the ground by the impact…
…
Bai Yunfei felt his head splitting with pain. Countless fragments of disparate information scrambled chaotically through his mind. He didn't even know where he was right now.
Suddenly, Bai Yunfei felt himself bump into something. His body lurched forward uncontrollably. Then, he felt as if he had fallen onto something soft… A refreshingly sweet fragrance drifted into his nostrils…
Whether it was the impact, the fall, the softness, or the fragrance… Regardless, that precise moment snapped Bai Yunfei back to awareness. Though not fully clear-headed, he finally regained control of his body.
He shook his head and stood up. Only then did he see the scene before him—a young lady in blue sat on the ground in front of him. With her delicate face tilted slightly upwards, she stared at him blankly, seemingly still stunned from the collision.
"Uh… Miss, I'm sorry… I didn't mean to bump into you. Are you hurt?" Bai Yunfei quickly grasped what had happened—he had knocked her down. He hurriedly apologized. Then, almost naturally, he bent down, reached out his hand, grasped Liu Meng's fair wrist, and helped her up from the ground.
Bai Yunfei glanced at the candied hawthorn skewer lying discarded nearby. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he scratched his head and looked around. He spotted the candied hawthorn vendor nearby—Zhang Yang, wanting to please Liu Meng, had specifically ordered the vendor to follow them. Bai Yunfei jogged over. With a slight pang of reluctance, he pulled out one copper coin and handed it to the vendor, then took a skewer of candied hawthorn.
"Miss, I'll replace your candied hawthorn. Please forgive me, I truly didn't…"
Thud!
Before Bai Yunfei could finish speaking, a tremendous force slammed into his left side. Excruciating pain erupted, and his entire body was sent flying sideways!
Zhang Yang slowly retracted his right foot. His whole body trembled with rage, his face contorted. The image of the elegant young master was utterly shattered. He stared at Bai Yunfei lying on the ground, his eyes blazing with unconcealed, murderous intent.
"You lowly, worthless scum! How dare you lay hands on my Dream'er! How dare you harass her! You… I will have your life!"