Chapter 1: Rainy Night, Saber, Umbrella
Chu Huaixu put on the [Game Helmet] and opened his eyes.
The scene before him instantly changed; he felt as though the vision was somewhat dim.
It was a night of pouring rain.
At this moment, with a short saber at his waist and holding an oil-paper umbrella, he stood on a forest path.
The smell of rain mixed with earth surged into his nostrils, making him even more clear-headed.
Dark clouds filled the night sky, not even a sliver of moonlight was visible.
Chu Huaixu frowned, raised his right hand, which was not holding the umbrella, and brought his index and middle fingers together before slashing upwards in the air.
The next moment, the entire world seemed to brighten!
He could suddenly see everything around him much more clearly.
Just as Chu Huaixu prepared to survey his surroundings, a figure darted out from beside the dense woods ahead.
The other person also held an oil-paper umbrella and wore a black tight-fitting outfit. The only difference was that he had a long saber at his waist.
Oh, and he held his umbrella very low, so from Chu Huaixu’s angle, he could only see more than half of his face, resembling a close-up shot in a movie.
Therefore, Chu Huaixu also silently lowered his own oil-paper umbrella.
The man who had sprung from the dense woods had his right hand resting on the hilt of his long saber.
His voice was slightly hoarse, and it sounded as if he had phlegm stuck in his throat:
“I advise you not to do anything. Go back with me now and be thrown into heavenly prison.”
After speaking, the Stubble Man added:
“Of course, you have a second option.”
“Give me fifty taels of silver.”
After saying this, he shifted his body sideways as a gesture of letting him pass.
Upon hearing this, Chu Huaixu raised his oil-paper umbrella even lower.
The night rain poured down, pattering against the surface of the oil-paper umbrella. In the darkness of the night, his expression couldn’t be seen clearly.
‘Fifty taels, its purchasing power is roughly equivalent to over 50,000 yuan on Earth,’ Chu Huaixu mentally converted.
Over fifty thousand to avoid jail, or even to save one’s life, didn’t seem too expensive.
But he wasn’t sure if the “himself” of this moment could actually produce such a sum.
Thus, he began to search himself for money.
To his surprise, he actually found a banknote of one hundred taels in his embrace.
‘Huh? It seems this [Starting Point] is not simple,’ he thought.
Chu Huaixu raised his oil-paper umbrella slightly, raised an eyebrow at the other man, took out the hundred-tael note, and asked seriously:
“No… can you make change, right?”
The Stubble Man opposite him also raised his umbrella, his gaze suddenly becoming sharper.
According to his original plan, he wanted to check the background of this young man.
For many people, they wouldn’t carry their entire fortune with them.
Just taking the money on his person wouldn’t satisfy him.
It could basically be understood as him wanting to rob not just the wallet, but also the balance in the bank account.
But who would have thought that this young man would actually carry such a large denomination banknote with him!
The Stubble Man licked his slightly dry lips and said in that terrible, phlegm-filled voice, “I had my doubts about your identity before, but now…”
“Seize—!” The Stubble Man directly drew the long saber at his waist!
He looked at Chu Huaixu with a sinister grin, holding the umbrella in his left hand and the saber in his right, and took two steps forward.
“I’m just a bit confused, what’s the point of sending a mortal like you, a [False Spiritual Embryo], here?”
The situation was special, the great tribulation was approaching, and the era of universal cultivation had already begun.
As long as one had some aptitude for a Spiritual Embryo, they could step onto the path of cultivation and become a cultivator.
This person looked quite old but had not yet stepped onto the path of cultivation, so he was undoubtedly a False Spiritual Embryo.
Hearing the Stubble Man’s words, Chu Huaixu tilted his head slightly and looked at him askance:
“Aren’t you the same, buddy?”
Haha, you’re also a False Spiritual Embryo, and you’re looking down on me?
Hearing this, the Stubble Man’s eyes grew more sinister, and a look of anger spread across his face.
In the past, the right to cultivate was controlled by forces like sects, dynasties, and aristocratic families to ensure the perpetual existence of class distinctions.
Unless commoners had truly outstanding innate talent, they wouldn’t even have a chance to cultivate.
Now, due to the approaching great tribulation, the era of universal cultivation had been initiated.
Under such circumstances, for someone like him who was a False Spiritual Embryo, it was extremely cruel.
Apart from Body Refining, there was no other option.
However, reaching the first stage of cultivation through Body Refining was as difficult as ascending to heaven!
The effort required was a hundred, or even a thousand or ten thousand times more than that of those with a Spiritual Embryo!
Therefore, for the Stubble Man, a Spiritual Embryo was the thing he envied the most.
He dreamed of becoming a cultivator.
His anger surged at this moment, and he tightened his grip on the saber in his right hand.
But before chopping him, the Stubble Man wanted to continue his taunts.
After all, chopping someone was one thing, and engaging in verbal sparring was another.
“Yes, I am also a False Spiritual Embryo.”
“But I never thought of sneaking into the [Daoist Sect] relying on a mere False Spiritual Embryo.”
“You trash don’t even know your own limits! Don’t tell me you’re relying on your tender skin and trying to use a back door?” he licked his upper lip.
Chu Huaixu listened to his words, digesting the information.
“Sneaking into the [Daoist Sect]?” He caught the keyword.
Strictly speaking, a False Spiritual Embryo couldn’t be registered by the [Daoist Sect].
However, a smile appeared on Chu Huaixu’s face, and he uttered words that the Stubble Man couldn’t understand:
“Don’t ask.”
“I’m a sports specialty student.”
The rain continued to fall.
The Stubble Man wondered if his brain had gotten wet, or if the other person’s had.
He was completely bewildered.
However, the other person moved!
Chu Huaixu also drew the short saber from his waist.
“Rainy night, saber, umbrella?” he muttered to himself.
Then, he threw the umbrella away.
The short saber was unsheathed!
The heavy rain beat against his body. Chu Huaixu drew his saber and stepped forward, his first step landing in a puddle, splashing muddy water everywhere.
“How dare you!” the Stubble Man roared, also throwing away his oil-paper umbrella.
He swung his long saber forward, his style fierce and wide-ranging.
When the two sabers clashed, Chu Huaixu felt his tiger’s mouth jolt.
Clearly, the other party’s strength was far greater than his!
If nothing unexpected happened, this Stubble Man must have undergone Body Refining.
It was just that he hadn’t broken through the first stage of cultivation.
“An interesting start,” Chu Huaixu thought.
But you’re this old and still have such a foul mouth? And this is what you achieved with Body Refining?
“This is it?”
The short saber flicked upwards sharply!
The Stubble Man was secretly alarmed.
He couldn’t understand why this young man before him, who wasn’t strong, fast, or physically robust, couldn’t be hit.
If it were just one narrow avoidance, he would attribute it to luck.
But what if it happened every time?
Moreover, the angle of his saber strikes and his control of distance were terrifying.
It seemed that his control over his own body had reached a perverted level!
“Why?” the Stubble Man was utterly perplexed.
A very bad premonition began to surface in his mind.
“If he hits me even once, it will be a vital spot, and I’ll surely die!”
And as it turned out, he was right.
Because the moment this thought arose, the short saber drew a bloody line across his neck.
—You’re right, happy now?
After slitting the Stubble Man’s throat, Chu Huaixu kicked him hard in the lower abdomen, sending him flying far away, maintaining a safe distance from himself to prevent any close-quarters accidents before he completely died.
He saw the other man lying on the ground, his body convulsing, his hands tightly covering his neck, but the blood still flowed uncontrollably.
—The situation is decided.
The rain washed over his body. Chu Huaixu lowered his head slightly, sheathed his saber, and said calmly:
“If you’re weak, practice more.”
Chu Huaixu walked a few more steps forward, picked up the oil-paper umbrella he had discarded earlier, shook it, and flicked off the accumulated water.
He felt he had looked extremely cool just now.
However, not long after, he fell into a state of confusion, followed by a complex mix of emotions such as annoyance, puzzlement, and shock.
“No! Where the hell is my [Exit Game] button!”
