Wu Ming’s face remained expressionless as he watched the butler confronting the guards. In his mind, he was still sorting through the memories of his former self.
Although this young master was idle and unlearned, he still possessed basic knowledge that allowed Wu Ming to know the nation he was in was named “the Great Zhou”!
This Great Zhou was clearly unrelated to the Eastern and Western Zhou dynasties of his previous life but instead was a world where mysterious forces existed!
Here, there were martial artists whose physical bodies rivaled diamond, terrifying like ancient ferocious beasts!
There were also Confucian cultivators who nurtured their inner qi to bring peace to the world, capable of forging a body imbued with righteous energy!
Even more fantastical were Taoist immortals who could summon armies from scattered beans or summon wind and rain at will!
Additionally, there were shamans skilled in witchcraft, capable of harnessing the power of natural spirits, as well as sinister and cruel sorcerers who bred insects and could curse enemies from afar…
Naturally, Wu Ming wanted to know more, but unfortunately, his former self had been an idle good-for-nothing from the countryside. The knowledge he had was only because his elder sister had entered a Taoist academy.
“Ghost-hand Sixth truly is useless!”
The butler flicked his arm, his joints cracking like firecrackers in midair.
Strength coursing through sinew and bone!
This butler, it turned out, was also highly skilled.
“Master! Let me capture Lin Qi, and you can deal with him however you wish!”
However, the moment he turned around, the butler’s fierce aura completely vanished, replaced by a sycophantic expression, so drastically different that he seemed like two entirely different people.
“Wait for now!”
If it had been the old Wu Ming, he would have already been shouting to tear Lin Qi limb from limb.
But this Wu Ming was not quite the same. He hadn’t taken the girl, nor had he sent men to kill Lin Qi, so he had no intention of taking the blame.
Moreover, as a newly transmigrated soul, his previous life’s thoughts and values were deeply ingrained. Ordering a kill outright, especially of someone unrelated to him, was still a bit too much for him to stomach.
Most importantly, the current situation was just too suspicious!
“Just who is this Lin Qi?”
Wu Ming decided to first understand the situation clearly.
“Lin Qi?”
The butler, a seasoned henchman, quickly responded after a brief moment of thought: “Reporting to you, Master Ming, this man lives in Bai Shui Village, is a neighbor of Miss Yun, and has been an orphan since childhood, barely surviving on a few barren acres of land… He was once sent to the village martial arts hall, but after being tested, was deemed a talentless good-for-nothing and expelled after just three days…”
Wu Ming’s expression grew even more peculiar.
In this world, village martial arts halls were akin to rural elementary schools of his past life, even more widespread, with nearly every farming family sending their children there for a few months of martial training for self-defense.
The entry requirements were naturally very low, so if even the village martial arts hall rejected him as unworthy of teaching, he could truly be considered a prodigy of incompetence!
“Talent?!”
Wu Ming tapped his own head. Humans were the most intelligent of all beings. Theoretically, anyone could cultivate martial arts, practice Taoist arts, nurture insects, or even achieve immortality!
However, when everyone had potential, the quality of that potential became important.
Some people trained for ten or even a hundred years and still couldn’t match someone else’s one year, or even ten or fifteen days! This was where the differences emerged.
Everyone technically had potential, but if it was extremely low quality, it was as if they had none at all.
His current body seemed to possess some basic level of martial cultivation, but it had only been barely achieved through constant nourishment, top-tier techniques, and his sister’s supervision.
According to the martial instructor at the fortress, Wu Ming’s talent was merely average, barely meeting the standard, yet the resources poured into him could have cultivated ten, even fifteen, martial artists of the same level.
This clearly showed how poor his former self’s perseverance had been!
“If that’s the case… then this Lin Qi must be an even bigger waste than my former self… I need to be careful!”
Wu Ming’s heart suddenly tensed.
When something is unusual, there must be a reason. If a previously talentless young man suddenly became a formidable killer with rapid progress, there must have been an extraordinary encounter!
Whether it was meeting an old master, awakening hidden wisdom, or even being possessed by another soul, Wu Ming realized he was in a very awkward position.
It seemed his current body had already become that person’s sworn enemy?
“I hope he’s just a clever and patient boy!”
Wu Ming knew all too well how terrifying a “true protagonist” could be!
Their growth rate would be monstrous, and they would have an absurdly lucky life—unstoppable and vengeful, always repaying any past grievances quickly, even involving family and teachers.
“If this follows the plot of novels from my past life, now would be the time I send wave after wave of henchmen for the protagonist to defeat and gain experience, eventually leading to my own downfall… Then my sister would step in, the protagonist would suffer a minor setback, quickly level up again, and defeat me once more… This cycle would continue until even my sister’s Taoist sect would be dragged in, becoming fuel for the protagonist’s growth…”
Wu Ming muttered to himself, feeling a chill run down his spine before shaking his head: “Enough… Maybe I’m just scaring myself for no reason!”
“Master Ming?!” Seeing Wu Ming lost in thought, the butler promptly stepped forward to inquire.
“Nothing… Come with me…”
Wu Ming set aside his thoughts and led the butler to the study as he remembered.
The zitan wood shelves were filled with brand new books. In a vase on one side were two sprigs of black plum blossoms, exuding a fresh fragrance. The desk, however, was in disarray, revealing a few extremely sensual books, seemingly erotic manuals.
“…”
Wu Ming had a dark line on his forehead. He swept aside the clutter with his right hand, then frowned at the dim lighting in the room. He reached into his robe and pulled out a crimson ring adorned with purple cloud patterns, gently rubbing it.
Crack! The runes lit up, a small flame appeared, igniting the oil lamp.
The room suddenly brightened, and the butler’s face revealed a trace of envy.
Wu Ming emotionlessly put the ring away, though his heart was in turmoil.
In this world, the supernatural was seamlessly integrated into daily life.
Of course, even though it was just a simple household item not even worthy of classification, it was clearly quite valuable. Without his elder sister’s help, as a rural tycoon, obtaining it would have been somewhat difficult.
This only further convinced Wu Ming of the reality and mystery of this world.
“You go find Lin Qi… He might no longer be in Bai Shui Village, but he can’t have gone far…”
“Rest assured, Master Ming, I’ll make sure to thoroughly teach that little rascal a lesson, and then…” The butler smirked maliciously, believing he had grasped the intention.
“Who told you to go kill him?”
Wu Ming rolled his eyes: “You find him and explain that it was all a misunderstanding. I can even give him back the Yun girl, and both sides can just drop it…”
The butler’s eyes widened as if seeing Wu Ming for the first time.
“There’s one more thing!” Wu Ming’s expression turned serious: “You send someone to the county Taoist academy to find my sister and tell her I’ve gotten into trouble and need real experts to help!”
Wu Ming especially emphasized the word “real.”
“Master Ming… are you planning to involve the Young Mistress?” The butler drew a sharp breath: “He’s just a nobody, is it really worth it?”
Although this young master often caused trouble, he only resorted to begging his sister for help when he had truly messed up big. This time…
The butler’s brain couldn’t keep up.
“Just do as I say!”
Wu Ming dismissed the bewildered butler, shut the study door, and finally let out a deep sigh.
He wasn’t going to take the blame for his predecessor!
Therefore, he would first send someone to investigate. If Lin Qi was willing to reconcile, that would be best.
If not, these preparations could come into play.
He wasn’t some foolish big bad in a fairy tale, who liked sending his henchmen one by one to give the hero experience, only to end up alone and defeated when the hero reached his peak.
Although it would be a bit awkward to see his family so soon, having absorbed all his predecessor’s memories, Wu Ming was still confident he could bluff his way through.
Besides, he was only asking his elder sister to send experts, not necessarily for her to come in person.
Thinking about how this wastrel had acted before, Wu Ming felt somewhat embarrassed.
But now, under the threat of a potential true protagonist, Wu Ming activated his ultimate move without hesitation—calling for reinforcements!
With his current strength, protecting himself was already a struggle. Growing stronger as quickly as possible and relying on others for protection was not at all shameful.
At this moment, confirming no one was around and the door was tightly shut, Wu Ming immediately began doing something crucial to his survival.
“System!”
…Silence.
“Golden finger!”
…Still silence.
“Old master?”
…The empty study gave no response. Wu Ming, unwilling to believe, searched himself thoroughly inside and out, suddenly plopping back into his chair, frowning and sighing: “Golden finger? Where is my golden finger?”
In Wu Ming’s previous life, there was a myth that had always circulated:
Are you unsatisfied with your job? Are you tired of the monotonous routine? Have you failed in life and want a fresh start?
Then transmigrate! Once you transmigrate, even a failure can immediately turn his life around, becoming a CEO, marrying a rich beauty, and reaching the peak of life!
Once you transmigrate, no problem is a problem!
The ugly can become handsome, the handsome even more so, the timid can become brave, and even an idiot can instantly become a genius!
And among all these, the most important thing—was the golden finger!
After repeated confirmation, Wu Ming couldn’t help but cover his face and wail: “Heaven… without a golden finger, how am I supposed to survive in this world full of powerful beings capable of destroying cities and nations? Time-space administrator, I want to file a complaint, I want to go home!”
There’s no denying that compared to this world teeming with rampant supernatural powers and countless law-defying powerhouses, his previous life—though peaceful and mundane—was at least safe.
For ordinary people, life in his previous world was clearly much happier than at the bottom of this one.
…
After a long time, the study remained silent, and Wu Ming could only shake his head and sigh: “Even without a golden finger, am I really destined to be the villain?”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage