Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Hard Times, Easy Mode
Chapter 1: Hard Times, Easy Mode
Great Qian Dynasty, Qingzhou, White Stone City.
The sun blazed in a cloudless sky.
Caw! Caw! Caw!
A crow cawed mournfully as it soared over forests, farmland, and city walls before diving toward a dilapidated mud-brick house. Startled by something, it flapped its wings and vanished into the distance.
“Ahh!”
Inside the room, Su Chen jolted upright.
Shards of jagged, fragmented memories pierced his mind like blades, leaving him reeling in pain.
“I’ve… reincarnated!”
After a long silence, Su Chen whispered, accepting the truth.
In his previous life, he’d been a truck driver who crashed into an out-of-control Hongqi sedan at a crossroads. The sedan was smashed to pieces, and he’d struck a mountainside while swerving, losing consciousness. When he awoke, he was in another world—a realm resembling ancient Huaxia but belonging to no known dynasty.
The Great Qian Dynasty, founded over seven centuries ago, had entered its twilight years. Lawlessness reigned, and the common people suffered under the weight of corruption and chaos. Gangs flourished like weeds, terrorizing the innocent.
The original Su Chen had been killed over his home. Two weeks ago, a gang demanded he sell his house at a pittance. When he refused, two Black-Cloaked Men beat him savagely. He reported the attack to the authorities, but the corrupt magistrates drove him away, threatening worse if he returned.
To his shock, the gang—Wild Dog Gang—disappeared shortly after. He thought the ordeal was over until the Black Water Gang emerged, displacing the Wild Dogs. They gave him three days to vacate his home, claiming it blocked their fortune. When he refused, they thrashed him again, leaving him to die from his injuries. That’s when Su Chen inherited his body.
The weight of those memories left Su Chen reeling, feeling the original’s helplessness. Gangs ruled unchecked here, and ordinary people lived under constant oppression. Surviving in this era was a daily battle.
“Black Water Gang…” Su Chen muttered grimly. Without the Land Deed, they’d never stop hunting him. With the authorities turning a blind eye, these gangs grew bolder. Facing them alone was suicide.
“Unless… I learn martial arts!”
Suddenly, a transparent Progress Panel materialized in his mind:
[Name: Su Chen]
[Martial Arts: None]
[Easy Mode: 0] (Activates upon acquiring martial arts)
This was his Golden Gift—unlocking Easy Mode to master any martial art instantly. But without cultivation, it remained dormant.
He knew martial cultivators existed here, wielding immense power and influence. The Black Water Gang’s leader, a cultivator, had crushed the Wild Dog Gang.
“I must cultivate! Not just for survival, but to thrive!”
A pounding on the door interrupted his thoughts.
“Su Chen! Don’t play dead—get out here!”
The voice belonged to the Black Water Gang. Su Chen’s heart sank. They’d come sooner than expected. Facing them meant the same fate as before. Hiding wouldn’t work—they’d break in eventually.
“Damn it, kid! Don’t force me to kick this door down!”
The door exploded inward. Three gang members stormed in, their faces twisted with menace. They froze when they saw Su Chen gripping a blunt cleaver and a chopping axe, his eyes blazing with fury.
“Y-You think you can scare us?!” one stammered, stepping back.
Su Chen advanced silently, his shadow looming in the dim light. The gangsters, unarmed and unprepared for resistance, panicked.
“You’re signing your death warrant, Su Chen!” one snarled, brandishing a stick for courage—his trembling hands betraying his fear.
“Leave. Now.” Su Chen’s voice was a guttural growl. He feigned a throwing motion with the axe.
The trio fled, shouting threats over their shoulders. Their eyes promised vengeance.
Clattering the weapons to the floor, Su Chen exhaled, his nerves fraying. He knew they’d return—this was only a temporary reprieve.
After a long pause, he slung a cloth bag over his shoulder, its bulge hinting at his meager belongings.
“Time to cultivate. No more running.”
With resolve hardening his steps, he left for the Hong Martial Arts Hall—the only reputable institute in the Outer City that taught martial arts for a price.
(End of Chapter)
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