Chapter 1 - Ten years of slumber, the world remains unchanged by man
"Ugh, ugh, ugh!"
Under the bright moonlight that spilled over the dark earth, a young man was spitting out the dirt from his mouth.
"They said Golden Phoebe wood wouldn't rot for a thousand years, but it turned to dust in just a few.
Damn Lame Li, daring to deceive me with fake goods."
After spitting out the last of the dirt, Chen Changsheng stretched his somewhat stiff limbs.
In the dim moonlight, one could vaguely see Chen Changsheng's round, perky behind.
However, at this moment, Chen Changsheng didn't seem to care much about his moonlit streaking.
"System, has the ten-year period ended?"
"Yes, Host, the ten-year slumber has ended, and the attribute points have been credited."
Hearing the system's response, Chen Changsheng looked at the panel in his mind.
[Host: Chen Changsheng]
[Strength: 1]
[Speed: 1]
[Defense: 1]
[Spiritual Power: 0]
[Lifespan: 80]
That's right, Chen Changsheng was a bona fide Transcender.
And the system he possessed was not some kind of sign-in system, nor an invincible system, but rather an "Unremarkable" Longevity System.
As long as Chen Changsheng slept, he would gain corresponding lifespan and attribute points.
However, the slumber time was limited and could not exceed the lifespan limit.
Moreover, the lifespan Chen Changsheng had already lived would recharge after sleeping.
In other words, if Chen Changsheng lived for eighty years and then slept, even if he only slept for one day, he would wake up with a lifespan of eighty years and one day, not just one day.
Additionally, after waking up, the interval before the next slumber must be at least one-tenth of the total lifespan.
So theoretically, as long as Chen Changsheng developed cautiously, he could live up to his name and achieve true longevity.
Looking at the ten attribute points he had gained, Chen Changsheng didn't choose to allocate them immediately.
Instead, he took out a set of clothes from the System Space, put them on, and then, based on his memory, identified a general direction and quickly headed down the mountain.
Ten years had passed; the war should be over.
The beloved person he was separated from due to the war should have returned as well.
***
"Flatbreads, steaming hot flatbreads!"
Walking through the bustling market, Chen Changsheng felt a sense of being in a different world.
Although the town was still the same as before, the people from back then were all gone.
Ten years was neither short nor long, but it was enough for many things to change.
Observing the changes in the town, Chen Changsheng followed his memory to a familiar place.
Soon, Chen Changsheng arrived at a farmhouse on the edge of the town.
Looking at the familiar house, Chen Changsheng couldn't help but smile slightly and then said, "Is Nian Ci here?"
Hearing the voice, a little girl with delicate features peeked her head out from inside the house.
"Who are you looking for?"
Seeing the little girl, Chen Changsheng was taken aback.
"Isn't this Nian Ci's home?"
"I don't know anyone named Nian Ci, you've got the wrong place."
Faced with the little girl's words, a trace of disappointment flashed in Chen Changsheng's eyes.
At the time of the war, Nian Ci was just an ordinary person; perhaps she was no longer around.
Thinking of this, Chen Changsheng was about to turn and leave.
"Changsheng, is that you?"
A familiar voice sounded from behind Chen Changsheng, and he felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
Calming his excited heart, Chen Changsheng slowly turned around, and a once-familiar face appeared before him again.
Thud!
The basket in the woman's hand fell to the ground.
Upon confirming the person in front of her, Nian Ci immediately covered her mouth with her hand, tears streaming down her face.
"Don't bully my mother!"
Seeing her mother cry, the little girl immediately rushed out from the house, spreading her small hands to stand between the two.
Hearing the little girl's address, Chen Changsheng looked at his former childhood sweetheart with a puzzled expression.
Facing Chen Changsheng's gaze, Nian Ci didn't avoid it; she just slowly reached out and touched Chen Changsheng's face.
"Ten years, and you're still the same as before."
"Why?" Chen Changsheng finally voiced the question in his heart.
Hearing this, Nian Ci smiled and then lowered her head, lovingly patting the little girl's head.
"After we separated, I was chased by bandits, and he was the one who saved me from a pile of corpses.
Half a year later, I recovered from my injuries, and the war stopped.
He returned here with me, and at that time, Lame Li said you bought a coffin from him.
Then I waited for you for three years..."
At this point, Nian Ci paused, a hint of disappointment and helplessness flashing in her eyes.
Then Nian Ci took a deep breath and smiled, "For these three years, he has been taking care of me, and he has been really good to me."
Hearing this, Chen Changsheng was momentarily stunned.
Then he smiled with relief, though the smile carried a hint of bitterness.
Ten years of slumber was a short time for him.
But for Nian Ci, ten years was too long; how many decades does one have in a lifetime?
When they parted, both he and Nian Ci were twenty years old.
Ten years later, he still looked twenty, but Nian Ci was already thirty.
In fact, from the moment he came to this world, she and he were destined to be people from two different worlds.
Thinking of this, Chen Changsheng squatted down, patted the little girl's head, and smiled.
"Little girl, what's your name?"
In response to Chen Changsheng's question, the little girl turned to look at her mother, as if seeking her mother's approval.
"Tell uncle... tell brother, he's an old friend of your mother's."
With her mother's consent, the little girl said crisply, "My name is Li Niansheng, and I'm six years old."
"Niansheng," Chen Changsheng repeated the name a few times, then smiled, "That's a really nice name."
"My name also has the character 'sheng' in it, but I'm called Chen Changsheng."
"You can call me Brother Changsheng."
After speaking, Chen Changsheng stood up and left.
Seeing this, Nian Ci instinctively asked, "Where are you going?"
Hearing this, Chen Changsheng paused for a moment, waved his hand with his back to the mother and daughter, and said.
"My old house is gone, but I see Lame Li's coffin shop is still there, so I'll stay there for a while."
With that, Chen Changsheng's figure gradually disappeared into the distance.
Watching Chen Changsheng's departing figure, Li Niansheng looked up and asked, "Mom, is Brother Changsheng your friend?"
"Not a friend, but a very familiar old acquaintance."
"Then who is the Nian Ci he's looking for?"
"Perhaps his childhood sweetheart. After all, the name 'Nian Ci' sounds like a private term of endearment a man would use for his beloved."
"Oh, I see!"
"Will Brother Changsheng find his beloved?"
"I don't know, maybe he already has."
Nian Ci murmured to herself, then looked at Li Niansheng and smiled, "Alright, your father will be back soon, let's go make dinner for him, shall we?"
"Okay!"
Li Niansheng cheered happily and then skipped towards the kitchen.
Chapter 2 - Time flows endlessly, an inescapable Reincarnation
"Lame Li, there's a problem with your coffin, I want a refund!"
"Nonsense, no one has ever complained about the coffins I make."
A figure suddenly sat up from the coffin, scanning the surroundings with an angry gaze, seemingly looking for the person who dared to slander his craftsmanship.
However, when Lame Li saw the person at the door, he was so frightened that he lay back down in the coffin.
"It seems my time is really up. Why is that penniless Chen Changsheng here to see me?"
Hearing Lame Li's muttering, Chen Changsheng grinned and walked straight to the coffin.
Looking at Lame Li, who had his eyes tightly shut in the coffin, Chen Changsheng said, "Lame Li, you promised me back then that if there was a problem with the coffin, I could come to you for a refund.
Now, are you trying to renege on that promise?"
Hearing Chen Changsheng's words, Lame Li reluctantly opened his eyes.
"No money, just my life. If there's anything here you fancy, just take it."
Faced with Lame Li's shameless attitude, Chen Changsheng couldn't help but laugh.
"Lame Li, aren't you afraid of me?
You were the one who helped bury the soil on my grave back then."
Upon hearing this, Lame Li glanced at Chen Changsheng and said, "I'm sixty this year, and the doctor said I have at most three years left.
I, Lame Li, have no children or old flames.
Do you think I care about living three years less or more? Besides, when you came to buy the coffin, I knew you'd be back."
"Why?"
"I've seen people buy coffins for themselves, but it's the first time I've seen someone do it so cheerfully."
Saying this, Lame Li sized up Chen Changsheng again and hesitated.
"Hey kid, interested in working for me? Room and board included, but no salary.
This trade is perfect for a loner like you.
And once you learn my craft, you're unlikely to starve in this life.
After all, there's a shortage of everything in this world, except for the dead."
Hearing Lame Li's words, Chen Changsheng was somewhat tempted.
Although he could indeed live a long time, he could still die if harmed.
And starving to death was one of the many causes of death.
Originally, he only planned to stay here for a short while, but now, having a long-term meal ticket seemed like a great choice!
"Lame Li, your offer is too stingy."
"At least give me some salary!"
In response to Chen Changsheng's complaint, Lame Li pulled out a Funeral Scripture from his pocket and tossed it over.
"With your lively appearance, you'll definitely outlive me. Once I'm dead, won't everything here be yours?
This small place, as you can see, has no other spot for you to sleep.
The coffin next to you will be your bed, just as you like sleeping in coffins."
With that, Lame Li prepared to return to his coffin to continue sleeping.
But Chen Changsheng grabbed him.
"Wait, aren't you going to teach me how to make coffins?"
"What's this book for?"
Faced with Chen Changsheng's confusion, Lame Li rolled his eyes and said, "As the saying goes, having more skills doesn't weigh you down. If you only sell coffins, who will take care of your business?
To be honest, I know the whole funeral process. There's a lot for you to learn!"
After saying this, Lame Li shook off Chen Changsheng's hand and lay back in his coffin.
Looking at the Funeral Scripture in his hand, Chen Changsheng paused for a moment, then laughed, "Well said, having more skills doesn't weigh you down."
With that, Chen Changsheng climbed into another coffin.
Honestly, once you're used to sleeping in a coffin, sleeping in a bed just doesn't feel right.
***
Seasons came and went, autumn harvests followed by winter stores, and eight years slipped by like a fleeting moment.
Chen Changsheng settled completely at Lame Li's Coffin Shop, spending his days reading and learning the craft of coffin-making.
Whenever there was a funeral feast, Chen Changsheng could enjoy a good meal.
However, in these peaceful times, he couldn't improve his meals often throughout the year.
As for those ten Attribute Points, Chen Changsheng put them all into Defense.
In theory, as long as he could endure for a little while longer, he could achieve an incredibly long lifespan.
Given this, Defense was naturally the attribute Chen Changsheng valued most.
It's worth mentioning that Lame Li didn't die in the third year; after Chen Changsheng arrived, he lived for five more years.
But eventually, he couldn't outlast Chen Changsheng, and one night after lying in his coffin, Lame Li never got up again.
***
"Brother Changsheng!"
The door of the Coffin Shop was pushed open by a young girl.
Chen Changsheng was startled awake by the noise and reluctantly sat up from the coffin, saying, "Niansheng, how many times have I told you? This is a Coffin Shop. What does it look like for a girl to keep coming here?"
Hearing this, Li Niansheng stuck out her tongue and said, "I don't care about that!
They can say whatever they want. Besides, with the plague rampant, who has the time to bother with me?
I'm going to make you some food, so come out of the coffin and stop sleeping in it all day."
With that, Li Niansheng skillfully headed to the kitchen in the back.
Watching her retreating figure, Chen Changsheng couldn't help but sigh.
The plague had been rampant for a whole year, and at the start of it, Nian Ci's parents had passed away.
He had helped handle their funeral affairs.
The interval between periods of sleep must be no less than one-tenth of the total lifespan.
It had been eight years since he last awoke, so theoretically, he could go back to sleep.
But with Niansheng being all alone now, how could he bear to leave her alone in the world?
Thinking of this, Chen Changsheng shook his head and jumped out of the coffin.
"Forget it, sleeping sooner or later is the same. I'll wait until this little girl gets married."
***
Soon, two steaming breakfasts were placed on the table.
Chen Changsheng and Li Niansheng quietly drank their porridge.
Suddenly, Li Niansheng looked up and said, "Brother Changsheng, are you an Immortal?"
"You silly girl, what nonsense are you talking about? If I were an Immortal, how could I have watched your mother die from the plague? She was a very good friend of mine."
Faced with Chen Changsheng's answer, Li Niansheng looked down at the bowl in her hands.
"Brother Changsheng, I'm fourteen now. I'm not a little girl anymore.
There are some things you can't fool me about."
Seeing this, Chen Changsheng patted Li Niansheng's head and smiled.
"You silly girl, what kind of nonsense are you spouting today?
It's not that I won't buy you candied hawthorn, but your teeth can't handle it anymore.
I'll take you to buy some another day..."
"Nian Ci was my mother's nickname."
Before Chen Changsheng could finish, Li Niansheng interrupted him, and her words made him put down the bowl in his hand.