In front of the circular palace, a row of red lanterns hung, casting a mottled and dim light onto the pristine snow-covered ground.
Qin Ming and twenty new eunuchs stood in a straight line. He was the only one wearing a black cloth over his face, likely because of his facial injury, making him an exception.
A high-ranking eunuch, dressed in deep blue brocade robes, approached them. He was broad-shouldered, and the sleeves of his robe were embroidered with strange six-petaled flowers. His waist token bore two characters: Wang Jin.
"You twenty were personally selected and personally castrated by me. Each of you has already stained your hands with the blood of a time traveler! However, this was merely your entry trial into the palace—there will be no reward.
From now on, keep your eyes wide open in the palace! For every time traveler you kill, you will be rewarded with one hundred taels of silver and a martial arts manual!"
Qin Ming could sense the burning excitement in the eyes of those around him.
This world is truly insane!
Killing time travelers makes you all this excited?!
He must have stepped in bad luck for over a decade to have ended up in such a deranged world!
"Now, let's assign palace and department duties!"
Just as Qin Ming was feeling overwhelmed, a short eunuch beside him lightly patted his hand.
"This Fluorite Imperial City is much warmer than our Cold Night City!"
Qin Ming nodded. This short eunuch and the masked man he had killed earlier must have been from the same hometown.
In the dim lighting, the eunuch could only see Qin Ming's eyes and didn't notice anything unusual. His waist tag read Xiao Liuzi.
"I just overheard something—never go to the Empress's Fire Control Hall! And never go to the Eldest Princess's Taiyin Palace!"
The other new eunuchs nearby also whispered in agreement.
"Yes! I heard the Empress and the Eldest Princess kill without blinking an eye! Especially the Eldest Princess—she's slaughtered hundreds of time travelers! Even dozens of non-time travelers have been killed!"
Hundreds of time travelers? What the hell?!
Qin Ming felt his scalp tingle with fear.
A woman—an Eldest Princess, no less—how could she be this twisted?
And seriously, why are there so many time travelers in this world?!
"But don't worry, Xiao Qinzi."
"With such a huge scar on your face, you don't fit the Eldest Princess's or the Empress's taste. They only like handsome men!"
Qin Ming let out a long breath.
Oh, thank god!
Good thing he had cut his face earlier!
"This time, the Empress's Fire Control Hall doesn't need new eunuchs. Whoever wants to go to the Eldest Princess's Taiyin Palace, raise your hand!"
Dead silence.
The twenty new eunuchs all subtly lowered their heads.
Anyone sent to Taiyin Palace was as good as dead.
Why was it called Taiyin Palace?
Because too many people had died there, and the place was filled with dense, eerie energy.
"Lift your faces!"
The fat eunuch, Wang Jin, walked among them, stopping in front of Qin Ming.
The hunchbacked eunuch who had brought Qin Ming quickly spoke up.
"This one, Xiao Qinzi, was injured yesterday. He has a fresh scar from his eye to his neck. He's too ugly—surely he doesn't meet the Eldest Princess's standards!"
Wang Jin chuckled darkly.
"Funny you say that—Taiyin Palace specifically requested this time: No pretty boys!
They said pretty boys are too fragile. They want someone ugly, strong, and tough!"
Qin Ming's heart skipped a beat.
Smack! Wang Jin patted Qin Ming's shoulder.
"Scarred face, ugly, tall, strong—you're perfect!"
A million curses flew through Qin Ming's mind.
WTF?!
What kind of cursed isekai start is this?! I've unlocked all the nightmare difficulty buffs!
Qin Ming was dragged away by the hunchbacked eunuch, Liu Yuan.
The others watched his departing figure with pity, as if they were looking at a walking corpse.
The night here didn't seem truly dark.
It was like someone had pasted a paper soaked in black ink over the sky—murky and dim.
The corridor was covered in thick frost.
Qin Ming, dressed only in thin robes, was freezing, but his mind was unusually clear.
He hunched slightly, keeping his head down, following Liu Yuan through the corridor.
With his peripheral vision, Qin Ming scanned the scenery around him.
The snow was too heavy.
The rock gardens were buried so deep that only the top halves were visible.
Various twisted trees drooped under the weight of the snow, their branches swaying eerily in the wind.
From time to time, strange, fire-red birds darted between the branches.
"Xiao Qinzi, how did it feel to kill a time traveler today?"
Feel? What kind of question is that? Stabbing a guy—what kind of 'feeling' should I even have?
"Replying to Eunuch Liu, it felt... not bad."
"You're quite brave. Many newcomers tremble in fear when they kill a time traveler for the first time. They see them as evil beings and hesitate."
"Thank you for your praise, Eunuch Liu!"
"Has the famine in Hanye City improved?"
Qin Ming's mind started racing.
How should I answer this?
Where even is Hanye City? The hometown of the masked guy?
He ended up as a eunuch in the palace—how good could things possibly be back home?
"Replying to Eunuch Liu, it's... not doing too well."
"Sigh... Ever since I can remember, darkness and cold have shrouded Hanye City. And for the past three years, it's been completely frozen over. But the Western Region where you're from should be slightly better. Stay sharp in the palace, kill more time travelers, and you'll earn silver to send back home. That way, your family can live a little better."
"Thank you for your guidance, Eunuch Liu!"
Qin Ming was utterly shocked.
Hanye City has been shrouded in darkness for years? And completely frozen for three years?
What kind of insane world is this?!
"Keep going straight ahead—that's the Taiyin Palace. The Eldest Princess loves to kill. Time travelers, Dayan citizens—she enjoys killing them all.
Since we've had this little chat tonight, if you die, I'll make sure to send word to your family."
Qin Ming: …(⊙o⊙)!
Wow. Thanks, I guess?!
"Xiao Qinzi, do you see the writing on that stone up ahead?"
At a fork in the path, a large blue stone stood tall, with three blood-red characters engraved on it.
"I see it—Qujing Garden."
Eunuch Liu paused for a moment, then gave a quiet "Mhm" and turned right.
"Eunuch Liu, didn't you just say going straight would lead to Taiyin Palace?"
"This way is a shortcut."
Qin Ming frowned in confusion.
Isn't the shortest path between two points a straight line?
He clearly just said to go straight...
You just said going straight would take us there.
Now you're taking a shortcut by turning right? Something's not right!
Suddenly, Qin Ming realized—
Just now, the three characters on the stone—"Qujing Garden"—when Liu Yuan asked him, he instinctively read them out loud.
But those characters... they looked like simplified Chinese!
In that instant, Qin Ming's mind buzzed, as if he had been struck by lightning.
This place is full of hidden dangers!
Stay calm! I have to stay calm!
Keeping his composure, he quietly reached out and picked up a stone from the nearby rockery.
"Xiao Qinzi, do you know how long I've been in this palace?"
"Eunuch Liu, I don't know."
"Thirty years. And my luck has always been terrible. Never once have I caught a time traveler, never earned a reward.
No money to send home, no martial arts techniques to practice!
But all of that… is about to change."
Liu Yuan suddenly stopped walking.
In the very next breath—
Swish! He whirled around, a gleaming dagger in his hand, stabbing straight at Qin Ming's heart!
Clang! The dagger struck the stone in Qin Ming's hand instead.
Liu Yuan's eyes widened in shock.
Qin Ming grabbed the dagger with his left hand and smashed the stone down onto Liu Yuan's head with his right.
Bang!
Liu Yuan collapsed to the ground!
"You…! When did you pick up that stone?"
"Go to hell!"
Qin Ming snatched the dagger and pressed it against Liu Yuan's throat.
"Why do you kill time travelers? Speak!"
"Hah! So you really are one of those damn time travelers! If you lay a finger on me, you'll die with no grave to bury you!"
Qin Ming pressed him harder against the ground, the icy blade digging into his skin.
"I'll ask you one last time—why do you kill time travelers?!"
"You're finished! You damn time traveler, you're going to die a miserable death!"
Liu Yuan was just about to raise his voice.
Qin Ming thrust the dagger into his throat without hesitation.
"Swish~ Splat~"
The sound cut off instantly!