Free Web NovelChapter 1: Chapter 1: Scarlet
A dim room, mottled earthen walls.
The scent of blood permeated the air.
’Where is this place?’
Opening his eyes and taking in his surroundings, Fang Xing was stunned.
"Hiss... Why does it hurt so much?"
Before he could figure anything out, a sharp pain suddenly shot through the back of his head.
He reached up to touch it, and a crimson liquid appeared on his palm.
’Blood!’
’Did someone knock me out from behind?’
’Surely not. Did I really get knocked out just for getting a foot massage?’
’Kidnapping?’
’Extortion?’
Staring at the blood on his palm and feeling the pain from the back of his head, Fang Xing’s heart sank.
Just as he was about to stand up, a sudden roar exploded in his mind as a massive flood of information rushed in.
It poured into his mind with the force of a torrent!
His body trembled, and he instinctively closed his eyes.
Great Jing, Jiang Province... Qingshan County... Constable... fugitive.
Fragments of information flashed through his mind like a fleeting glimpse of flowers from a galloping horse. A long time passed before he opened his eyes again.
’I’ve transmigrated...’
Gazing at the mottled earthen walls, Fang Xing’s expression froze.
After sorting through the memories, Fang Xing began to understand his current situation.
The original owner of this body was an ordinary Constable in a County Town of the Great Jing Dynasty. He was ambushed while pursuing a heavily wounded fugitive...
This world was similar to the ancient times of his previous life, but it wasn’t any ancient period he knew!
There was no dynasty called the Great Jing in history, either.
Furthermore, this Great Jing Dynasty was a dynasty with a thousand-year history!
It had lasted for a millennium without falling. Although the Dynasty was now plagued by chaos and showing signs of a troubled era, it was still a behemoth!
Most importantly, this world had Extraordinary powers, powerful Martial Artists, and at the same time, Demons and Ghosts!
’A thousand-year-old Dynasty, Martial Artists, Demons and Monsters... this world seems incredibly dangerous!’
As he processed his memories, Fang Xing’s heart sank.
In an Extraordinary world like this, the death rate must be very high!
Especially since the Dynasty was entering a chaotic period. The death rate must be skyrocketing!
’Maybe... I should try to see if I can go back?’ Fang Xing glanced at the bloody wooden club to the side, but after a moment’s thought, he gave up on the idea.
’Death isn’t scary, but if I fail and end up half-dead, that would be truly terrifying.’
Calming himself, Fang Xing considered his next steps. He had to survive in these chaotic times—and he wanted to live well!
There was only one way!
Become a Martial Artist and obtain Extraordinary power!
It was the only way!
Although his predecessor was a Constable with an official position, his strength was nothing to write home about.
In this world, even in official service, strength was what mattered most.
Becoming a Martial Artist was the path to rising above the common folk.
But this path wasn’t one you could walk just by wanting to.
His predecessor had practiced some Martial Arts, but his skills were pathetic—barely rudimentary.
Without resources, it was impossible to achieve success in Cultivation and become a Martial Artist!
Besides, you also needed talent!
Root Bone, Comprehension... these were also crucial factors in determining whether one could become a Martial Artist!
The original owner’s talent wasn’t good. Otherwise, after a year and a half of practice, his skills wouldn’t have been so pitifully amateurish.
He wasn’t even a Martial Artist.
In this world, Martial Artists held a superior status.
In the social hierarchy, Martial Artists were definitely in the top tier.
The more powerful the Martial Artist, the higher their rank!
However, becoming a Martial Artist was not that easy.
A commoner might spend their entire life trying and never become a Martial Artist.
An orphan with no resources and poor talent... It’s hard to put into words just how bad this starting hand is!
’Forget it. I’ll think about it later. First, I need to get out of this godforsaken place.’ Snapping back to his senses, Fang Xing staggered to his feet.
Waves of pain throbbed from the back of his head. He had to treat the wound first, or it would be trouble if it got infected.
Fang Xing tore a strip of cloth from his clothes and quickly bandaged his head. Then, he picked up his saber and slowly walked toward the door.
Just as he reached the doorway, sunlight shone down from the sky. Instantly, Fang Xing felt a stinging pain in his eyes.
"Hiss..."
The stinging in his eyes was intense, as if they had been soaked in chili water.
Fang Xing squeezed his eyes shut, reaching out to brace himself against the earthen wall. An intense, stinging sensation washed over him, accompanied by a burning heat, as if his eyes were on fire!
After a while, the stinging and burning in his eyes seemed to have subsided quite a bit.
Fang Xing slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry at first, but it quickly cleared and came into focus.
’What’s going on? The original owner’s eyes were fine, weren’t they?’ Fang Xing was baffled and alarmed.
Just as he was wondering, a crimson glow slowly materialized before his eyes.
Soon, a crimson panel appeared in his vision.
’What is this?!’
’A Golden Finger?’ freewebnovёl.ƈom
’A cheat?!’
On the crimson panel, text appeared.
Name: Fang Xing
Cultivation: None
Enhancement Level: One-Star (0%)
Enhancement Points: Ten!
(Initial enhancement available. Randomly enhance one personal attribute. Enhance?!)
???
’Crimson... Enhancement?!’
Staring at the crimson panel, Fang Xing was taken aback.
’This is... a cheat?!’
He quickly came to his senses.
’There’s also one chance for an initial enhancement, randomly enhancing one of my own attributes...’
Looking at the last prompt on the crimson panel, Fang Xing quickly understood.
’Enhance.’
The moment the thought formed, crimson light flooded his vision.
A line of text appeared on the crimson panel.
[You have enhanced your Comprehension. Enhancement successful. Your Comprehension has reached the level of Heavenly Genius.]
Fang Xing: "...?!"
Looking at the crimson panel, Fang Xing’s heart skipped a beat.
’Comprehension... can be enhanced too?!’
’This... is simply outrageous!’
’I thought it would enhance my physical fitness, strength, spirit, or recovery ability, but I never would have imagined it would be Comprehension.’
’Comprehension at the level of a Heavenly Genius!’
’That should be... really powerful, right?!’
’Doesn’t that mean becoming a Martial Artist will be no problem for me?!’
’Comprehension is one of the core talents!’
’Even though it isn’t Root Bone aptitude, with powerful Comprehension, I should have no problem becoming a Martial Artist, even if my Martial Arts Root Bone is mediocre.’
’If I can become a Martial Artist... I can rise above the masses.’
Gazing at the crimson panel, a light ignited in Fang Xing’s eyes.
’With a panel like this, is becoming a Martial Artist still a problem?!’
’If even Comprehension can be enhanced, what can’t be?!’
’Enhancement must require Enhancement Points... but how do I get them?’
Fang Xing stared at the panel, lost in thought.
’I have ten Enhancement Points. They were probably a starting gift.’
’But for now, I need to figure out how enhancement works and how to get more Enhancement Points.’
Fang Xing’s gaze swept over to the blood-stained wooden club, and a line of text appeared in his vision.
[A blood-stained, decaying wooden club. Enhancement requires one Enhancement Point.]
’This works too?!’
Looking at the text in his vision, Fang Xing glanced back at the blood-stained wooden club.
The text hadn’t changed, but a ’+’ sign had appeared over the club!
’The wooden club can be enhanced, so what about other things...’ Fang Xing looked down, and text appeared again.
[A blood-stained Official Uniform. Enhancement requires one Enhancement Point.]
Next, Fang Xing glanced at the saber in his hand.
[An ordinary saber. Enhancement requires two Enhancement Points.]
Everything in the room.
As long as he looked at something, a corresponding prompt would appear.
The items were all ordinary, mostly requiring one Enhancement Point.
But when he looked at his own body, there was no reaction.
His palms, his thighs—none of them triggered a response.
’No reaction from my own body, but everything else is fine. Could it... be related to the Enhancement Level?!’
A thought flashed through Fang Xing’s mind. He figured he was probably on the right track.
’Perhaps once my Enhancement Level increases, I’ll be able to enhance myself.’
’No need to rush. I don’t have many Enhancement Points, so I can’t waste them.’ Suppressing the urge to experiment, Fang Xing calmed himself.
’I need to use these points where it really matters.’
’Now that I understand enhancement, I can hold off on using it until I know how to get more points.’
The crimson panel in his vision disappeared.
Just as he was about to walk out of the courtyard, the sound of footsteps reached him.
At the entrance of the dilapidated earthen courtyard, a figure in an Official Uniform appeared before him.
He looked to be eighteen or nineteen, tall and sturdy.
’Xu Le!’
As Fang Xing looked at the young Constable, a name instantly surfaced in his mind.
This young Constable was his colleague, and they were on good terms.
