Da Liang, Seventh Year of Jianping.
Yun Province suffered a severe drought, the land turned crimson for thousands of miles, crops failed completely, and the people could not sustain themselves. Rebel armies began to rise, throwing the empire into turmoil.
...
Qing Province.
Gu's Manor.
The orange hues of the setting sun spilled onto a solitary grass-thatched hut at the edge of the village, scattering a few broken streaks. A mild summer breeze swayed gently, barely dispelling the lingering heat.
"Ugh..."
A muffled groan of discomfort broke the silence inside the thatched hut.
Gu Sheng clutched his head, his face pale, his gaze vacant as he sorted through the last tendrils of information swarming in his mind.
"So, I've truly... transmigrated? To be precise, after suddenly dying fourteen years ago, I've been reborn in this world. And now, my innate wisdom has awakened?"
Over the past few days.
Gu Sheng's mind was in a state of chaos, muddled and dazed.
Those around him thought he was mourning his father's passing, unaware that this was only one of the reasons. The greater cause was the overwhelming information flooding his mind.
Blue Star, automobiles, smartphones, nine-year compulsory education...
Strange yet familiar, intriguing yet mysterious.
To an ordinary rural boy, it felt like stepping into an Immortal Realm, unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality.
Until today.
Only after fully absorbing the information did Gu Sheng understand—his previous life's innate wisdom had awakened.
That so-called Blue Star was precisely the world where he had lived in his past life.
And the sudden awakening of his innate wisdom...
Was triggered by the shock of his father's death. After fainting and subsequently waking up, he became like this, returning to clarity only today.
"This life of mine... really is full of misfortune."
Gu Sheng's eyes dimmed slightly.
The awakening of his innate wisdom had matured him overnight, transforming him from a clueless rural boy into someone far more perceptive. But these fourteen years of life were undeniably real.
Born during the chaotic days of an empire, he knew only that the kingdom was called Da Liang. The farthest he'd ever ventured was Canghe County, where Gu's Manor belonged.
Though the empire was still united, signs of disorder had begun to emerge. Bandits and marauders roamed unchecked, and ordinary folk couldn't walk ten miles without losing layers of skin.
He had lost his mother at a young age, growing up relying on his father, with whom he had shared a deep bond.
Now his father had passed away; he was left alone in the household. A profound sense of loneliness surged within him. However, the transformation in Gu Sheng helped hold his sanity together. Otherwise, he might truly have gone mad.
Even so, Gu Sheng still felt no small amount of grief in his heart.
He vividly recalled the words his father often told him, "Sheng, no matter how hard or dire it may be, you must live on. To live is to have hope!"
Gu Sheng clenched his fists tightly.
"I must live on! No matter how cruel this era may be!"
If the Gu Sheng before his awakening had been a fourteen-year-old farm boy, attempting to survive on his own in this world would have been nearly impossible.
But now, with two lifetimes worth of wisdom fused, the odds of survival had greatly increased.
What mattered most was—
A glimmer of light flashed in Gu Sheng's eyes—
"The proficiency panel."
As he murmured softly to himself, a translucent interface appeared before him, visible only to his eyes.
[Name]: Gu Sheng
[Age]: 14
[Realm]: None
[Martial Arts]: None
...
"This is the game panel I developed before my sudden death in the previous life!"
Gu Sheng's heart surged with excitement. This was the sole item he'd managed to bring over from his past existence.
"The panel's function is simple—it assists players in their martial arts cultivation. Once a martial art is learned at an entry level, it registers on the panel. By grinding proficiency endlessly, one can break through without impediment!"
Thinking about this, he couldn't help but feel thrilled. Yet his enthusiasm quickly turned into dejection.
"Right now, I don't know a single martial art, so this panel isn't of much use."
"Practicing martial arts must wait. I should focus on figuring out how to survive first."
In this world, martial artists existed—those strong enough to cut through gold and jade, or lift massive weights with ease. But achieving such prowess wasn't simple. The saying "rich families write, poor families fight" wasn't just empty talk.
With his father's passing...
Though there were still some savings in the house, they couldn't be consumed carelessly.
He needed to find work to sustain himself.
It was truly pitiable. Originally, the Gu family rented a few acres of land from the main household. After paying rent and taxes, it was enough to feed two people. During times of plenty, there'd even be leftovers.
But days prior...
Some unknown beast ravaged the fields, destroying every bit of crop belonging to the Gu family and several neighboring households.
Near harvest, disaster struck.
Gu Sheng's father, outraged to the point of collapse, coupled with years of wear and tear, failed to pull through.
Recalling this...
Gu Sheng's expression dimmed once more.
He let out a few measured breaths, then flipped himself off the bed and cautiously rummaged beneath the stove, retrieving an old oilcloth bundle after a moment.
Unfolding it revealed ten large coins, thirty-two small coins—totaling 532 wen, just over half a tael of silver.
These were the lifetime savings of an impoverished tenant farmer, scraped together bit by bit during good harvests.
But during a drought, not a grain could be harvested.
"If I exchange this for millet, it could buy over fifty catties; and if I get bran, over a hundred twenty catties."
"There's still about thirty catties of bran in the house. Alone, I can stretch it for about a month."
Gu Sheng was at the age when boys rapidly grew.
If he ate his fill, he could go through two catties of bran daily.
But he couldn't afford such extravagance. Any unforeseeable calamity would leave him relying solely on his savings to survive.
"This money can't be spent lightly. In the manor, any youth aged fifteen who can pay one tael of silver may follow the teaching instructor to practice martial arts. This is my chance to change my fate!"
Gu Sheng carefully tucked the oilcloth bundle back under the stove, adding a few extra stones to weigh it down securely.
These days.
Bandits were rampant, and his house was on the outskirts of Gu's Manor. Staying cautious was paramount.
"I wonder how things went with Brother Erniu after I asked him for help earlier today."
Gu Sheng sat by the bed, deep in thought.
Over the previous days of muddled living, he'd consumed quite a bit of bran. Once clear-headed again, his first action was to ask Gu Erniu to help him find work in the manor.
The household's remaining food wouldn't last long. If he didn't manage to secure work, starvation was inevitable. At the very least, he needed to last until the next planting season.
Otherwise, he'd be forced to borrow from the main household, or worse—sell himself into servitude, losing his freedom entirely.
In this era, mere survival required every last ounce of effort.
...
Gu Sheng waited silently inside the house, conserving his movements to avoid unnecessary expenditure of energy.
A short while later.
As the sun neared its descent behind the horizon, a gruff voice called from outside the house.
"Asheng, come out quickly! Gu He's overseer is here!"
Gu Sheng's spirit stirred—someone had finally come!
He strode forward eagerly.
At the threshold of the fence, two figures stood waiting.
Leading was a stout middle-aged man with a slightly prosperous complexion. Though his clothes were not of the finest silk, they were far superior to Gu Sheng's coarse hemp attire.
It was Gu He, one of the stewards for the main household of Gu's Manor, responsible for managing the various affairs, big and small, across the estate.
A step behind him stood a young man in his twenties, clad in rough cloth interspersed here and there with patches of unknown animal hide. His muscles were sturdy, and there was a hint of sincerity in his demeanor. When he looked at Gu Sheng, his eyes carried evident concern and worry.
Gu Erniu's ancestors had close ties with Gu Sheng's forebears.
Even now, the ties between the families remained. After Gu Sheng's father passed, Gu Erniu continued to show much care for his younger "brother."
Gu Erniu, equipped with remarkable hunting skills and decent archery, often went into the mountains to hunt, leading a life slightly more comfortable than Gu Sheng's.
With his future survival at stake, Gu Sheng didn't dare show neglect. He stepped forward respectfully and said:
"Greetings, Steward Gu He, Brother Erniu. Please, both of you, come inside and sit."
Gu Erniu was visibly surprised.
In the past, Gu Sheng would merely stand idly at the door with a silly smile, never this courteous with formal invitations.
"It seems Uncle Shun's passing has made Asheng grow up a bit," Gu Erniu thought to himself.
But Gu He casually waved his hand.
He examined the dilapidated hut closely before focusing on Gu Sheng, his brows furrowing slightly as he spoke gravely:
"With his scrawny build, I fear he wouldn't be able to handle chopping wood. Cutting two hundred logs a day might be impossible for him."
Gu Sheng, with his delicate features and slightly tanned skin from long-term malnutrition, indeed appeared thin and frail.
Upon hearing Gu He's remark, Gu Sheng's heart immediately sank.
Chopping wood was undeniably a labor-intensive task.