In a desolate wilderness on the outskirts of Anping County, Jiangling Prefecture, Great Xia Dynasty.
Luo Hong quietly woke up, groggily opening his eyes. The pungent smell of damp earth and rotting flesh rose thick in the air.
His instincts told him to open his mouth wide for easier airflow, but waves of burning heat from his throat and nasal cavity flooded his brain, making it impossible for him to breathe.
The skin beneath his nostrils was soaked, pungent with the smell of fresh blood.
He wiped it with his hand, and his entire palm was stained red.
Luo Hong was slightly bewildered. He stood up, reaching out to grope for the roll of toilet paper he always kept on his desk.
But... everything he grasped in his hand was just invisible air.
He looked around, his neck suddenly stiffening as if fixed in place by cement.
What the hell... Where is this place?
When did his 25m² rental room become so warm and spacious? And when did it turn into such a desolate, godforsaken place, without a single soul?
Unable to suppress his shock, he reluctantly raised a hand to wipe his nosebleed.
Unending waves of pain surged through his entire body, as if his insides had been completely scooped out.
The cold, silent moonlight lay high in the sky, thin as silk, casting a faint glow.
Through the faint moonlight, Luo Hong looked around and vaguely saw corpses scattered haphazardly, piled on top of each other, all emitting the smell of decay.
In an instant, Luo Hong suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
His nosebleed had just stopped, and almost started flowing again.
His head throbbed with pain, as waves of chaotic memories, like film reels from a movie cut up and scattered without order, flooded his mind.
Time seemed to have stopped.
After a long moment of thought, Luo Hong paled as he realized he had transmigrated.
The moment he opened his eyes, he was in the middle of a mass grave, and not only that, everything around him was red.
A shiver of fear ran through him, growing larger and larger, spreading wider and wider, completely consuming his body.
Luo Hong scrambled up, intending to crawl out of the pile of corpses.
But just as he regained his balance, he unexpectedly stumbled and fell sprawling to the ground, his legs feeling heavy as if someone was pulling them back.
His hands braced him, the sharp pebbles on the ground digging deep into them, causing stinging pain.
Turning his head, he saw that a package was blocking his leg.
Luo Hong almost cried out in his native tongue, his composure beginning to crumble.
Does everyone who transmigrates have to suffer such heartbreaking misery?
Luo Hong's gaze drifted down to his feet again, to where the package was still blocking his leg.
He saw a corner of a book peeking out from the package.
He didn't know what material this book was made of, but even with just the gentle moonlight shining on it, it flashed with a headlight-like gleam.
Could this be... a golden finger?
Luo Hong was shaken to his core.
The original owner of this body was also named Luo Hong, the young master of a rather wealthy landlord family in Anping County.
The original owner's father had suddenly vanished, leaving him a large fortune and a five-year-old sister.
As for why he was abandoned in the mass grave, his hazy memory couldn't recall it at all. He only vaguely remembered Luo Hong taking three guards with him, leaving Anping County, and heading to a remote village at the foot of the mountains to collect land rent.
Somehow, unluckily, they encountered bandits who robbed them of their valuables and horses.
Luo Hong, filled with a righteous spirit, decided to charge forward with his guards to eliminate the bandits.
In the end, not only did he fail to collect the land rent, but he also ended up battered and broken in the middle of nowhere.
Truly, a young master who was both miserable and foolish.
How could such righteous deeds be so easy to accomplish?!
As Luo Hong was about to enter the city, he was stopped.
The soldiers guarding the city gate examined him for a long time before recognizing this disheveled person as Young Master Luo Hong.
After all, the eldest young master of Anping County's largest landlord family had a bit of a reputation.
Luo Hong recounted his experiences to the soldiers, but they only treated it as idle gossip.
Looking at Luo Hong's miserable appearance, one could guess that eight or nine tenths of his story was true.
But now was a time of chaos; no place was peaceful, and such incidents were not uncommon.
The soldiers didn't try to take advantage of the situation; after checking Luo Hong, they let him pass.
Luo Hong entered the city, his feet treading on solid, moss-covered flagstones, and his heart felt much more at ease.
Anping County wasn't considered large. It was still early morning, and the fresh air hadn't yet dissipated.
On both sides of the road, scattered early-rising vendors were selling their wares.
Luo Hong's appearance at that moment was both disheveled and dirty, and a bit pathetic.
He clutched the blood-stained bundle tightly.
The small booklet in the bundle could emit light in the dark; it must not be an ordinary item.
It was very likely the "golden finger" for a transmigrator.
This was what a transmigrator like him could rely on.
The rich aroma of douhua spread through the air, making Luo Hong's stomach rumble uncontrollably.
Now that he felt safe, hunger pangs rushed in like a tsunami, sweeping away Luo Hong's willpower.
In the distance, a douhua stall was open.
Luo Hong licked his parched lips, his bloodshot eyes now seemed to glow, and he took slow, deliberate steps towards the douhua stall, his calves feeling as if their tendons had been pulled out.
This douhua stall was located in a relatively secluded spot, with very few customers passing by.
"Esteem... esteemed guest... what would you like to eat?"
Luo Hong sat on the long bench, setting down the blood-stained bundle. From beside him came a timid, hesitant voice, yet its sound was very pleasant to the ear.
Luo Hong turned his head, his face disheveled and covered in blood, his entire body emitting a strong, foul odor.
At a glance, he looked like a malevolent fiend.