Chapter 1, opening my eyes in the cleansing room
The concept of fortune is profoundly mysterious. If a person possesses strong fortune, they may find money while out, have extraordinary encounters after jumping off a cliff, or receive treasures falling from the sky while sitting at home. However, if a person has insufficient fortune, they might even get food stuck in their teeth while drinking water
As the words fell, an invisible aura of fortune manifested above Chu Yi's head, a swirl of azure and white energy enveloping him. In the next moment, the azure and white fortune transformed into firewood, igniting fiercely on the altar. Immediately afterward, a beam of light shot up from the center of the fortune altar, seemingly piercing through a membrane of a certain world.
This ... ... this ... ...
Chu Yi lowered his head slightly, a flash of anger flickering in his eyes, his fists tightly clenched. If he were not aware that a punch from him would be akin to a mere tickle for Qiu Guan Shi, a practitioner at the Bone Refinement stage, he would undoubtedly have smashed his fist into Qiu Guan Shi's face.
With a creak, he pushed open the heavy door and set down the burdensome firewood. A sound of footsteps approached, followed by a voice saying: "Brother, have some water"
Regaining some consciousness, Chu Yi felt that his hands and legs were bound, and then a foul-smelling strip of cloth was stuffed into his mouth. The next moment, he felt a chill in his lower body
When Chu Yi opened his eyes, he only saw the intricately carved beams of the building. The most striking sight was an old man in front of him, with white hair and a pale face devoid of a beard, who was smiling at him while holding an exceptionally sharp small knife.
The young girl nodded and said cheerfully, "Brother, rest assured, Ying'er will definitely take good care of mother."
Chu Yi relied on delivering firewood to the Huang family every day in exchange for some silver, which barely allowed him to sustain his family's livelihood. Even though he was severely exploited, there was no other family in the entire town that required his firewood delivery apart from the Huang family
Gazing at the enormous altar, Chu Yi could not help but stride towards it. Strangely enough, as soon as Chu Yi focused his thoughts, he found himself standing atop the altar.
A pale-faced woman leaned against the bed, and upon seeing Chu Yi and Chu Ying, a gentle smile appeared on her face as she said, "Yi'er has returned!"
Squinting his eyes, Qiu Guanshi revealed a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth. Chu Yizhi's sister was someone he had carefully selected for a long time to please the young master, so how could he just let it go like that
In a daze, Chu Yi only heard a sharp and hoarse voice, reminiscent of that of an old eunuch in a television drama, ringing in his ears: "This child is quite good; whether sent to the Imperial Horse Depot or the Imperial Kitchen after being castrated, he would be excellent!"
In Chu Yi's eyes, a blazing fire gradually ignited, for who would willingly accept mediocrity? If given the opportunity, I believe anyone would fight for their future.
In a state of confusion, Chu Yi felt as if his soul had left his body, and before his eyes appeared an endless void. Within this void, an enormous nine-tiered altar quietly floated, spanning the infinite emptiness.
The origin of the Qi Luck Altar is long lost to history, and it was by a stroke of fortune that it came into the possession of Chu Yi. From the information obtained by Chu Yi, it is known that the Qi Luck Altar has the effect of burning the luck of the sacrificer and traversing through the myriad realms.
It is said that before Chu Yi crossed over, he accidentally fell in the mountains and hit his head on a roughly meter-square altar. As a result, when he woke up, he found himself in this world, and for more than ten years, there had been no sign of activity.
Chu Yi was completely stunned. He was all too familiar with this nine-tiered altar, which was the root cause of his crossing over. After more than ten years of being in another world, he had almost forgotten about it entirely, yet he never expected to see this altar again.
All that could be heard was Chu Yi standing atop the Fortune Altar, speaking in a deep voice: "I, Chu Yi, am willing to sacrifice 50,000 fortunes, praying for the altar to open and traverse the myriad realms of the heavens."
Through the Luck Altar, Chu Yi could clearly ascertain that his luck amounted to just over 100,000. He was uncertain whether this figure was considered high or low, but he presumed it would not be too little
Along the ancient path paved with bluestone, Chu Yi walked into the town and, from a distance, saw a dilapidated courtyard. This dilapidated courtyard was indeed Chu Yi's home in this world.
For Chu Yi, brewing medicine and cooking have become second nature
Turning to the approximately ten-year-old Chu Ying, he said: "Ying'er, you take care of mother, and brother will go make you some food"
Burning the luck of the world, traversing through all realms!
Taking a deep breath, Chu Yi slowly said: "Thank you for your kind intentions, but my younger sister is young and ignorant. If she has offended you, it would not be good. Manager Qiu, I shall take my leave now."
A little girl with braided hair, wearing a patched-up jacket, raised her small face and handed a ladle of clear water to Chu Yi.
At the back door of the Huang family mansion, Qiu, the steward, stroked his long beard while watching Chu Yi stack the firewood. As he handed five copper coins to Chu Yi, he said: "Chu Yi, have you considered my proposal? I have observed that although your younger sister is pale and thin, with proper care, she could indeed become a beauty. If your younger sister could serve by the young master's side..."
"Chu Yi, you are truly worthless; you cannot even protect your own family. What is the meaning of your existence?"
Although the nine-tiered altar has become immensely large in this mysterious place, Chu Yi recognized it at a glance, for it was the altar that caused him to break his head.
Chu Yi stepped forward to help the woman adjust the quilt and said: "Mother, you rest for now, I will go prepare the medicine for you"
Anger and self-blame, amidst a surge of emotions, Chu Yi did not know how to return home, lying on the hard bed in a daze.
The Huang family of Taiping Town is a dominant force in the town, with the head of the family, Huang Qianye, serving as the mayor of Taiping Town. It is said that the Huang family is a branch of the Huang family of the barbarian city, Huang Duwi. Given such a background, it is not surprising that the Huang family holds power in Taiping Town
The woman looked at Chu Yi's hands, which were red and swollen from the cold, and said with a pained heart: "Yi'er, it is all because of your mother that you have suffered. I will no longer seek treatment for this illness..."
Chu Yi did not want this either. Who the hell told him that the Tang poetry and Song lyrics in his mind would be of any use in this desolate and harsh environment? Can they be used as food? Can they slay the ferocious beasts in the mountains?
Chu Yi felt a warmth in his heart upon seeing the little girl. He first reached out to pinch her slightly dry little face, which appeared somewhat malnourished, and then took the water ladle and drank it all in one go. With his stomach filled with fresh water, the feeling of hunger finally weakened a bit.
With the burden of firewood weighing dozens of pounds on his back, Chu Yi's frail body swayed slightly, but he managed to maintain his balance. He then cautiously made his way down the rugged mountain path.
This is a vast world where martial prowess is off the charts, yet he has no path to cultivation.
With a loud bang in his head, Chu Yi wished he could turn around and rush at Manager Qiu to tear him to pieces. However, he was very clear in his heart that if he really turned back, Manager Qiu could probably kill him with a single slap. If he died, what would happen to his mother on the sickbed and his young sister?
Entering the shabby kitchen, Chu Yi lifted the lid off the stone jar and saw that there was only an inch thick of corn left, which made him feel a wave of embarrassment
If someone were to see it, they would discover that the figure of Chu Yi, who was originally lying on the bed, had silently vanished without a trace
After others traverse through time, they either rebel and proclaim themselves emperor with a harem of three thousand or amass a fortune of billions with numerous wives and concubines. Even if they fare somewhat poorly, they still manage to gain a reputation that shakes the world, becoming a literary sage of their generation
As a time traveler, Chu Yi felt that he was undoubtedly the most unfortunate and the most useless among countless time travelers
However, the altar trembled slightly but showed no response. A stream of information flowed into his heart, and Chu Yi understood that the luck he had sacrificed was fundamentally insufficient to break through the barrier of the myriad realms. Gritting his teeth, Chu Yi declared: "Sacrifice one hundred thousand!"
In impoverished mountains and treacherous waters, there are many cunning people
After serving his mother with her medicine and reminding Chu Ying to take good care of the house, Chu Yi carried the chopped firewood on his back and headed straight for the town mayor's house
Gululu, a rumbling sound came from his stomach, and Chu Yi came back to his senses, revealing a wry smile on his face. What cultivation, what fist could shatter mountains? Nothing was more important than filling his stomach; otherwise, he feared he would become the first transmigrator to starve to death
Only the autumn steward slowly called out to Chu Yi's back: "Chu Yi, remember, within three days, bring your little sister to the residence, otherwise..."
Chu Yi's heart trembled as he looked into the woman's eyes, filled with a resolute expression. He instinctively clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, saying: "Mother, I have said before that unless I die, I will definitely help you seek treatment. If you were to leave us, both Ying and I would no longer have a mother!"
This may be acceptable, but while others traverse through time and confront the heavens, the earth, and even the air, practicing Qi for three days and becoming invincible in three years, he merely wanted to secretly learn the methods of cultivation and nearly got killed in the process
A sudden fit of coughing came from within the room, and Chu Yi hurriedly walked towards it. In the dimly lit room, apart from a large bed, a table, and a few chairs, there were hardly any other belongings, making it a true case of bare walls and empty rooms.
Taiping Town is an inconspicuous settlement located outside the Mangshan Mountains, approximately 30,000 miles away. It has over a hundred households and about a thousand residents. Nestled by the mountains and rivers, one would expect the locals to thrive by utilizing the resources of the mountains and waters. However, the mountains are home to ferocious beasts that prey on humans, and the waters harbor large fish that cause harm, making life exceedingly difficult for the inhabitants.
The moment Chu Yi appeared on the altar, a stream of information flowed into his heart, leaving him completely stunned.
Chu Yi laboriously swung the rust-covered machete in his hand, cutting down one withered branch after another, and it took him nearly half an hour to complete today's task
However, he has been traversing for over ten years, living in a house stripped bare, achieving nothing, and is on the verge of starvation, truly bringing shame to the face of all time travelers