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At the end of Kurong Street lay a wealthy district, home to several grand estates—among them, the Lu Mansion.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJA1ASxH2kR
The carriage rolled steadily to the street’s end, entering an area that resembled a lush garden.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWwc3MhO7v
Encircling the space was a large oval gray-white stone wall, enclosing the serene grounds.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnUVrfQ0mrS
Just to the left of the entrance stood Lu Mansion, its black door framed by glowing red lanterns. Two stone unicorns, dusted with fresh snow, guarded the doorway, lending the mansion a quiet and peaceful air.
The carriage came to a halt at the mansion’s entrance. Lu Sheng stepped down as the door slowly creaked open, having already heard the carriage’s arrival. A group of servants waited patiently to greet them.
As Lu Sheng and Xiaoqiao stepped inside, their eyes were drawn to a man and woman standing gracefully on the stone bridge within the mansion grounds.
The man was striking—handsome and unconstrained—with a face as flawless as jade, sharp sword-like eyebrows, and eyes that shone like stars. His demeanor carried the calm authority of a true Confucian gentleman.
Beside him stood a woman, gentle and warm, her smile never fading. Her eyebrows and eyes seemed delicately painted, her slender waist and long legs moving with the refined elegance of a noble lady.
Lu Sheng’s thoughts paused for a moment, but seeing them lifted his spirits. With a smile, he took the initiative and approached the bridge.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtH6tpXVCGI
“Brother Xu, my cousin has been missing you for a long time. Why did you come today?”
The man turned to face him, returning the smile.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5kHT6eTIhn
“Master Sheng, I was ordered to investigate a case before, and now that it’s settled, I came to visit Yiyi. Please don’t blame me—no one can disobey orders from above.”
“Case? Has there been any major case in the city recently? Did Brother Xu have to come out in person?” Lu Sheng asked, knowing well the position held by Brother Xu—Xu Daoran.
Xu Daoran was the county lieutenant of Tongzhi County, under Jiulian City’s jurisdiction, responsible for overseeing all public security. His rank was just below the county prefect, equivalent to the director of the public security bureau for the entire Tongzhi region.
“It was a case in a few small fishing villages, but it’s closed now,” Xu Daoran replied with a gentle smile.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyNUoJ6UjQ
“Little Sheng, when will you come help me? You promised to assist with security planning here in Tongzhi.”
Lu Sheng scratched his head, unable to recall such a promise from his previous life, and quickly changed the subject with a laugh.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7f0EVHAf3P
“Fishing villages? Is it the rumor about some water ghost causing trouble?”
Xu Daoran shook his head lightly.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbWNabmz7u
“No water ghost. It was just a madman driven by hatred who went completely insane, murdering people left and right. I dealt with him on the spot.”
He sighed, then added,8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepnld0M06x
“The case is closed, so let’s not dwell on such disappointing things. Little Sheng, do you remember what I promised Yiyi last time?”
“To visit Red Lotus Temple to burn incense and go for a walk?” Lu Sheng answered quickly with a grin.
“You remember all the fun things so clearly,” Xu Daoran said, half amused, half exasperated.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFVSbqfFvO
“You’re not a kid anymore—you’re nineteen now, right? It’s time to find some work, not live like this forever.”
Having watched Lu Sheng grow up since childhood, and because of the long-standing friendship between their families, Xu Daoran had always regarded Lu Sheng as a younger brother.
At that moment, Xu Daoran couldn’t help but offer some advice.
Lu Sheng shook his head with a smile.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsSokdzG6Iw
“Brother Xu, do you want me to join the government or go into business?”
“Of course I want you in the government—that’s what your father wished for. Your uncle, and all the others, they’re counting on you to step up soon. After all, you’re the eldest son of the Lu family,” Xu Daoran said earnestly.
“Don’t bring that up. Don’t worry, I’m still young. There’s no need to rush pushing the eldest son forward,” Lu Sheng replied carelessly, brushing it off.
Xu Daoran and Lu Yiyi exchanged a glance, both at a loss for words—it wasn’t easy to argue with him.
Not wanting to continue the government topic, Lu Sheng quickly changed the subject and took Xiaoqiao to his bedroom.
Once inside, he changed clothes, took the pebble, and instead of visiting his old father, he slipped away to the back garden alone.
Xu Daoran came from the Xu family, a prominent and wealthy clan like the Lu family, both among the top households in northern Jiulian City. The Xus had many branches and held important posts throughout the city.
Lu Sheng had a good impression of Xu Daoran—he was kind-hearted, without selfish motives, and genuinely cared for Yiyi. Lu Sheng treated him as an older brother.
But...
Holding the pebble, Lu Sheng’s mind drifted back to the earlier scene and the death of the so-called water ghost he had heard about at the city gate.
“Are there really ghosts and immortals in this world...?”
He gazed at the snow-covered garden, a heavy feeling of unease settling in his chest.
“Maybe it’s just as Brother Xu said—a misunderstanding.”
He shook his head, though a small flicker of hope still remained in his heart.
That evening, Lu Sheng returned to his room early, washed up, and went straight to bed.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGFj1sWheT
The events of the day had left his mind in turmoil—too many thoughts swirling at once, leaving him mentally exhausted.
He slept deeply through the night, only waking when the first light of dawn touched the sky.
Knock, knock, knock!!8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg472wyeh3b
A series of urgent knocks shattered the morning stillness.
Lu Sheng’s eyes flew open. He sat up instantly, turning toward the door.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLel8YsbOc
“Who is it?”
“My lord, something’s wrong!” It was Xiaoqiao’s voice, panicked and trembling.
Lu Sheng jumped out of bed and pulled the door open. Standing there was Xiaoqiao, her face ghostly pale, completely drained of color.
Her usual baby-fat cheeks were trembling as she struggled to speak.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyHDvaWlPc
“Xu... Xu... Xu...”
The moment Lu Sheng saw her expression, a sense of dread began to rise in his chest.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDjrfiO9H0
“What’s wrong? Breathe first!” he said firmly, reaching out to pat her back.
Her breathing gradually steadied, and then she blurted out in one breath, voice on the verge of tears:8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF45dKxMbB4
“The Xu family... Mr. Xu’s family... they’re all gone!!”
Lu Sheng stood frozen, stunned by the words.
Without wasting another second, Xiaoqiao quickly helped him into his coat, and the two dashed toward the outer mansion.
Outside, Lu Fang—the head of the Lu family—stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His expression was dark, his body faintly trembling.
Three black double-row carriages were parked nearby, their presence grim and foreboding.
Lu Sheng and several of his cousins hurried to greet Lu Fang. Without a word, they all boarded the carriages.
Lu Sheng sat beside his father. The two faced each other in silence. Neither spoke a single word as the carriage began to move.
Lu Fang, now in his sixties, had a white beard, a lean frame, and a refined, scholarly face. He looked more like a learned gentleman than the head of a wealthy merchant family.
The carriage never stopped moving until it reached the outskirts of Jiulian City.
As soon as Lu Sheng stepped down, the sight before him struck him like a blow.
On the snow-covered ground to the left of the carriage road outside the city gates, dozens of bodies lay in neat rows.
Men and women.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzq5ZeKoApa
Young and old.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNYnL7C27S
Every one of them was from the Xu family.
They wore the Xu family’s custom-made robes, now stained and cold. In the center of the third row, Xu Daoran lay still.
His face had turned a ghastly shade of green, his limbs stiff, his eyes shut tightly. Yet even in death, his expression was twisted with terror—as if he had faced something unspeakable in his final moments.
Lu Sheng stood frozen, watching constables move carefully around the scene, trying to maintain order. His eyes shifted to his father, Lu Fang, who stood silently before an elder’s corpse. His fists were clenched tightly, his shoulders rigid.
Nearby, the city prefect had just arrived. His face was as pale as the snow beneath their feet.
Taking a slow, deep breath, Lu Sheng stepped toward one of the constables.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwWiBL1iaV
“How did they die?”
The constable recognized him immediately, sighed heavily, and replied,8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6hJkuDk1k
“All of them were hanged inside their own homes… by water plants. No one knows where the plants came from…”
“Yiyi! Yiyi!!”8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJr7Gk6d1g
A sudden cry rang out behind them—it was one of Lu Sheng’s cousins, and Yiyi had fainted.
Lu Sheng closed his eyes for a brief moment, forcing himself to breathe. His mind drifted back to yesterday—to the words Xu Daoran had spoken to him.
He had just returned from the fishing village after closing a case...
A fishing village.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUDlACZVIi
A water ghost.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8suNSulXdM
That strange pebble...
All of it rushed through Lu Sheng’s mind at once.
He hadn’t known Xu Daoran long—he had only been in this world for a few days. So his reaction was not one of grief, but of shock and regret.
It wasn’t that he had never seen death before.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBPNconUGd
But never this much.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TQm0LPn4n
Never this senseless.
“What of Master Chiling, the Xu family’s Taoist?”
Lu Sheng heard Lu Fang ask the captain, his voice calm but heavy.
“He was found elsewhere... the body torn apart. Some parts had already been eaten by wild beasts,” the captain replied in a hushed tone.
Silence followed.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JsURu3HQA
The Lu family, the prefect, the onlookers—none dared to speak.
“Taoist Chiling’s swordsmanship was even better than Uncle Zhao’s...” Lu Fang murmured, his voice low and bitter.
Uncle Zhao was known as the strongest martial expert employed by the Lu family.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Syhm9OD5k
And Chiling, stronger still, had been slaughtered.
This was no ordinary crime.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJDIAiyH0y
It was something darker, something powerful enough to shake the foundations of the city's most prominent families.
Who among them—Lu Sheng thought—could claim to be stronger than the Xu family?8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBj9DiaGUj
Not the prefect.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRIBEb3d7Fd
Not even his father.
He stood silently by the road, a chill settling in his bones.
He had once thought this world was safe—8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSEfpD6szC1
A version of ancient China, perhaps with a few surprises, but ultimately grounded and knowable.
Now… he wasn’t so sure.
Instinctively, he reached into his sleeve and touched the pebble.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKmYwgm1R5e
It burned against his skin—unnaturally hot.
He drew it out, hesitated for a breath, and then gently tossed it to the snow-covered ground.
This thing… might only bring more trouble.
The Xu family—once as powerful and deeply rooted as the Lu family—had been wiped out overnight.
The thought weighed heavily on Lu Sheng, leaving him restless and uneasy.
After a moment of hesitation, he stepped toward the discarded pebble, bent down, and picked it up again.
Chi—8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50mgTto9Gv
A sudden sting shot through his finger. Somewhere beneath the snow, a blade of grass had sliced him.
It wasn’t ordinary grass. It was a sharp-edged variety known as blade grass, infamous for its razor-like leaves.
A thin line of blood beaded on his fingertip and dropped onto the surface of the stone.
“Young Master?”
Xiaoqiao's soft voice came from behind, trembling with concern. Her cheeks were streaked with tears—clearly, Xu Daoran's death had shaken her too.
But Lu Sheng didn’t respond. He stood frozen, eyes widening.
In his mind, a strange and unfamiliar voice echoed—8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvF5AVdBAMD
“Welcome to use the Deep Blue Skill Cheat.”
His vision locked.
For several long seconds, he could do nothing but stare blankly.
Then, slowly, he came back to his senses.
In front of him, hovering in the air, a blue translucent box had appeared.
Inside was his name—and beneath it, a simple listing of the skills he supposedly possessed.
“Isn’t this... the cheat device I coded on my phone?”
Lu Sheng felt like he was losing it.
First, he had reincarnated into a strange world as the pampered young heir of a rich family—with no powers to speak of.
And now this? Hallucinations?
He remembered it clearly. Back in his previous life, out of boredom, he had downloaded a brutally difficult game called Chaos Swordsmanship.
To survive the game, he’d created a crude cheat plugin—something that could modify martial arts stats and techniques.
He’d named it Deep Blue Cheater.
The voice he just heard? He had recorded it himself, run through a voice changer for dramatic effect.
And now...
Without a second thought, Lu Sheng focused on the floating interface.
It was exactly as he remembered: basic, clean, filled with small, grid-like slots.
It read:
Lu Sheng –8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS5GPWcymKR
Martial Arts: None
