It was the time when dawn still lingered, just before the sun was about to rise.
In the sleepy hours when even roosters haven't woken up, a thatched house bustled with activity.
A woman, whose hands and skin were rough and appeared to be in her early forties, shouted towards the house while carrying a basket.
"Kai! Go fetch some wood!"
Inside the house where the woman shouted, a young man, who seemed to have just reached adulthood, sat on the bed with disheveled hair as if he had just woken up from his sweet slumber.
The young man's face was handsome enough to make women cry, but his eyes looked somewhat panick.
"Where am I, who am I?"
Kai, once again, woke up today in an unfamiliar bed, unfamiliar room and was dazed.
It had already been several days since he, an ordinary hardcore webnovel otaku from Asia-american, found himself in this Chinese xiaxia styled world. Even in this world his name is Kai.
At first, in his bewilderment and thinking of it as a sweet feverish dream, he tried to resist and return to his original world through several ways, but what he got in return was a severe beating from his this world father.
His father from his old world, had already passed away when he was young, but his father in this world was alive. On top of that, he was too vigorous and volatile like a time bomb, which was a pretty big problem for him.
This barbaric uncivilized world considered it natural to use violence on children. Even in his previous world as an Asian boy he didn't got any beating from his parents.
He had tried jumping from trees, jumping into water, and leaping around from high places to return to his original world, while his father took out the 'ultimate cure for all', a stick which is coated with oil.
Saying that the stick is the medicine for a madman.
It was indeed effective.
After getting beaten severely, he had to pretend to come to his senses because he didn't want to be hit anymore, the severity is enough to send his old man to jail.
"Kai!"
"Kai, you wretch, son of a b!tch, you're still not up yet? How many days has it been since our last ritual, and you're still not coming to your senses and lazing around! Where's the stick?"
Kai was startled by the rough male voice and quickly jumped up from bed, running outside in a hurry.
"Alright, alright! I'm coming out!"
Carrying an axe, Kai climbed the mountain to chop wood, muttering to himself.
This damn good for nothing world.
And that old man beat me as if he was going to kill me at the drop of a hat. I'm still his blood child.
He heard from villagers that he had a brother who actually died from being beaten by his old man?
And what's the actual reason? His older brother just didn't want to farm, instead he wanted to start a business, and touched their father money, only to get beaten to his death.
Recalling that memory, Kai vowed never to defy his father.
With a father who genuinely beats his children to death, he wouldn't be safe either.
After pretending to help with farming for days in an effort to return home, all that effort was now in vain, leaving only resignation.
What can he do? There's no visible way to return to the original world from here. There's no one, who'll answer his questions. So he could sadly bid his goodbye.
Goodbye, K*C fried chicken. Goodbye, McDonaldo pizza. Goodbye, computer. Goodbye Mia. Goodbye my dear beloved JAVs. Goodbye my dearest dark web dark content....
Kai humbly accepted that he couldn't return and was trying to adapt to this world.
The only thing he hoped for was a small perk since he was dropped into another world. It's unfair to be thrown into another world, right? They could at least give him some kind of perk, a cheat code or a golden finger!
Oh heavens! The god or the beautiful goddess who brought me here! If you have any conscience, you should give me something!
Kai shouted fervently, wondering if such a thing existed. In novels, when you shout like this, you awaken some kind of cheat code.
"Status window!"
"Window panel!"
"Menu?"
"Information!"
"Setting!"
"Logout!"
Damn it. Of course, I wouldn't get any shit.
The world isn't a game or some kind of wishfulment anime, and reality sucks. Ah, my shitty life.
Kai finally cursed heartily and flipped off the sky.
"DAMN IT, YOU B!TCH SYSTEM !"
Ding!
Name: Lin Kai (Kai)
Ability: Forbidden Yin-Harvest Art, Plunder
Attribute: None
Huh?
What is this?
Something's appeared in front of his eyes.
No way, is this a status window?
What did I just say?
Didn't I say "You B!tches"?
The translucent window that appeared in front of Kai slowly faded away.
Kai shouted once more to confirm his guess.
"You B!tch?!"
Ding!
Name: Lin Kai (Kai)
Ability: Forbidden Yin-Harvest Art, Plunder
Attribute: None
Is it really You B!tch system panel?
Not status window, but 'You B!tch'?
Kai dropped his axe and became absorbed in the You B!tch status window in front of him.
The name is Lin Kai, with Kai in parentheses. He isn't sure why even put his old name there, when his name is same ultimately. Anyway that's not his worry now.
The ability is Forbidden Yin-Harvest Art?
There are no attributes at all?
Isn't this status window too simple?
No, no, he shouldn't jinx it. And it still better than nothing.
Before he thought he was abandoned in a unfamiliar world with no abilities and cheat but now it seems he does have ability.
.
.
.
Even after awakening the You B!tch status window, nothing much changed.
The abilities listed, Forbidden Yin-Harvest Art, and Plunder, came with no explanations or intuitiveness, leaving him to figure out how and where to use them on his own.
Such an unkind fucking status window. It sucks, seriously. Which lazy bastard created it.
"Also isn't Forbidden Yin-Harvest Art that, draining women through sex or something? Like turning them into mummies?"
In his past life, he was a wuxia and xianxia enthusiast. And he knew what Forbidden Yin-Harvest Art means.
Forbidden Yin-Harvest Art. It's a sinister technique that steals the Yin-Qi of females to bolster one's own Yang-Qi.
Plunder probably means taking something. Though he doesn't know what he could exactly take and how he can take something.
What was he supposed to do with these abilities?
Is it just telling me to have sex with women? I mean, sure, if I wanted to, it'd be easy, since I'm so damn handsome. But the problem is having to keep taking something from them. The issue is what happens after taking it.
If I take away their ability, then what happens to the woman I take it from?
Will they be aware that something was taken from them? If they realize it, will they try to kill me.
Even if they don't realize it, the changes after taking it could be a problem.
If the woman dies or something goes wrong, that'll be a big problem too.
If the woman he sleeps with turns into a mummy and shrivels up dead just like in the wuxia novels he had read, he'd become a murderer. A murderer who killed with passionate sex, no less.
Naturally, he'd be branded as a sex fiend in the world and become a public enemy.
People seeking fame, and the do called righteous hypocritical heroes wanting to enforce justice, officials who can't stand the emergence of evil, and so on will come for his head.
There would be countless people trying to kill him.
And if word got out that he kills people with sex, who would want to have sex with him? Then he wouldn't be able to have sex anymore and would be doomed.
The first sex would be the last sex.
More Kai thinks about it more frightening scenario he can imagine. Now all he wants to do is forget about it.
He'll just live without using such an taboo ability.
***
One year later, the year Kai came of age, turned eighteen.
During that time, Kai lived quite an ordinary life.
He helped with his parents' farm work, did odd jobs, and spent his days laboring quite diligently like the slave who wants nothing more than his master wellness. If asked if he had any complaints, he would say he was full of them, but at least outwardly, he got along without showing his dissatisfaction. Since complaining would just earn him a beating from his volatile father, who just needs a reason to beat him.
The days of unpaid labor built a lot of muscle on his body. The small muscles that clung to his body, perhaps due to his physique, complemented his handsome face, developing him into a fine-looking young man.
Whenever he walked around the village, he felt the village girls stealing glances at him. Heck, he could even see soem of those aunties eyeing him like a candy.
This popularity.
He didn't have such a handsome face in his past life, but it seemed he fulfilled that desire in this life, and it felt really really really good.
And he has a younger sibling at home too.
A girl with a name of Lin Xue. She is his younger sister and only sibling.
But the main things is that in this world there's no crispy fried chicken, and no pizza with various toppings on the dough.
All there was to eat was coarse mixed-grain rice, vegetables and pickled radish, lemon, chilli-like side dishes. There would only be meat on village feast days.
Still, his family was kind of middle class with pigs and cows, so they had two meals a day. He heard that some households barely manage one.
Should he be happy about this?
No certainly not and he is getting scared because he is getting used to this.
And even made some relationship progress with a village gal named Han Nana.
There was even subtle talk about him and her having a wedding next year.
Han Nana, a young beautiful girl. She was the prettiest girl in the village.
With a white, round face, a well-shaped body, and distinct features, she was a rare beauty in a countryside area like this.
His parents complained that she was too pale and thin, but to him, that was beauty, and they just didn't know it.
"Can I take Nana back to the original world? Maybe I'd be able to if I really become an immortal?"
Kai was on his way to meet Nana.
If he circle around the wall of the house of the village lord who had returned home after serving in the capital, he would reach Nana place.
Counting the patterns on the wall as he walked, he soon arrived at Nana's modest home, which looks mostly same as any other house in the village made up of wood.
If it weren't for the lord's house, it would have been more convenient to visit Nana house. Despite lightly grumbling, Kai steps were filled with excitement.
What should he give Nana today? Last time, she was thrilled when he gave her flowers. Should he pick some mushrooms from the mountain this time?
In the distance, Nana small, white figure appeared. As always, she was waiting in front of the house.
Just as he was about to run up and pull her in his arms for a tight hug, she said something which literally turn his world upside down.
"Let's break up."
What?