Chapter 1: Yang Guo’s Reckless Trouble, and the Heroine Mu Nianci Is Taken

When Mu Nianci woke, she was already crying so hard she could barely make a sound. She had dreamed of Yang Kang again.

For these eleven years, countless nights had been spent in that same dream.

She did not know who she could hate. Hate Yang Kang?

No. She loved him deeply. Because of that, she could endure the world’s ridicule and raise their child alone.

Hate Guo Jing? Hate Guo Jing for refusing to forgive him in the end?

If Guo Jing had stepped in back then to force the poison out, would Yang Kang still have died?

If Huang Rong had not worn that poisoned soft hedgehog armor, would Yang Kang have been spared too?

He clearly knew at the end that he had been wrong. Why, then, would no one still let him go?

Mu Nianci did not know that everything had been Yang Kang’s fault. She simply could not accept it.

That bitterness festered in her chest. Thinking of it again, Mu Nianci suddenly coughed up a mouthful of black blood.

She knew she was just like Yang Kang. Her own time was running out.

Only now, their child, Yang Guo, was still young, just eighteen years old.

Whenever Mu Nianci saw how much Yang Guo’s face was growing to resemble Yang Kang’s, she would be reminded of everything about Yang Kang.

This child was the crystallization of her love with Yang Kang. No matter what, she could not let anyone hurt him.

But in her current condition, how could she possibly protect him completely?

Sigh. It would be better to send him to beg Guo Jing.

Before that plan could even begin, that very day Yang Guo got into a fight with the son of Zhang the landlord from Lin'an City over an incident of his own making, and using the martial arts Mu Nianci had taught him, he crippled the other boy.

Mu Nianci looked at her son, who was eating, and said gently, “Guo’er, eat a little more. Mother will personally see you out of the city in a moment.”

“Why do I need to leave the city?” Yang Guo looked up, confusion showing in his eyes.

“Today you crippled Zhang the landlord’s son. He will never let you off. I’ve heard they’ve already hired many people from the martial world to hunt for you. In my condition, I can’t fully use my martial arts here, and I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep you safe,” Mu Nianci said, a trace of tension in her voice. “Go first to the ruined temple to the east. I’ll find a way to deal with the trouble at Zhang the landlord’s house. Once it’s settled, I’ll come look for you.”

Yang Guo understood his mother’s words, but at his age he could not fully grasp what she truly meant.

He only took himself for a burden, thinking to himself: Mother isn’t in good health right now. If I stay beside her, she’ll have to protect me and fight enemies at the same time. That really would make her lose focus.

“Mother, I won’t give you any trouble!” Yang Guo said quickly, feeling guilty. He did not want to become a burden to her, especially at a time like this.

“Guo’er, be good and listen,” Mu Nianci said with a slight frown, her tone firm. “You have to understand that Mother is doing all this so you’ll be safe. Besides, your martial arts still aren’t strong enough. If those martial-world people find you, you’ll be in real danger.”

“I know, but I don’t want to leave you!” Yang Guo’s voice was anxious and irritable, his worry for his mother tangled together with fear of the unknown.

“Guo’er, once Mother has dealt with these troubles, of course I’ll come find you,” Mu Nianci soothed him gently.

Yang Guo lowered his head. He understood his mother’s painstaking concern, but he still could not accept such a separation. His hands tightened around the edge of the table, and a pain he could not put into words filled his chest.

“All right. I’ll go,” Yang Guo finally gave in.

After sending Yang Guo away, Mu Nianci changed out of her rough hemp clothes and took out the red gauze martial outfit she had not worn in a long time. Sword in hand, she headed toward Zhang the landlord’s manor-office.

On Yang Guo’s side, as soon as he reached the ruined temple, goose-feather snow began to fall. In the original story, Yang Guo froze to death in the snow.

At that moment, a beam of light covered Yang Guo’s already cold body, and then a voice rang out.

Ding. Congratulations to the host: the Longevity System has been bound. Current world: the Giant Condor world of the Jin Yong universe.

Host name: Yang Guo.

Cultivation: None

Realm: None

World-level conversion:

Third-rate to first-rate experts: maximum lifespan of 100 years, equivalent to the Qi Refining stage in a cultivation world.

The Five Greats: maximum lifespan of 100 to 200 years, equivalent to the Foundation Establishment stage in a cultivation world.

Super Five Greats: maximum lifespan of 300+ years, equivalent to the Golden Core stage in a cultivation world.

Ding. The system has returned the cultivation resources from the host’s previous ninety-nine lives.

Detection: the Heavenly Dao power of the Condor world is weak and cultivation is impossible. All materials may not be used beyond the level of Foundation Establishment-grade magical treasures, or it will trigger collapse of the Heavenly Dao and bring down the world.

After Yang Guo inventoried the supplies, he also inherited eleven years of the original body’s memories.

In this life, he decided to lie flat and stop struggling. After ninety-nine lifetimes in cruel cultivation worlds, he had been sent to this Giant Condor world. Even without cultivation, the Longevity System was still with him, so he would treat this as a single trip and simply enjoy life.

As for cultivation, he had the system’s world-reset function anyway, and he could not die. After fighting for ninety-nine lifetimes, wasn’t he allowed to enjoy himself for once?

At the same time.

Outside the Zhang landlord’s manor-office in Lin'an City.

Several guards faced Mu Nianci, swords drawn and tension thick in the air.

Mu Nianci looked down on them and said coldly, “You people think you can lay a hand on my son? You really have no shame.”

With that, she launched into attack using the martial arts Hong Qigong had taught her.

Though these guards had been hired by Zhang the landlord and were third-rate fighters, they still were no match for Mu Nianci.

With just a few moves, she cut them down in front of the gate.

Inside, Zhang the landlord was so frightened he trembled all over, thinking he had offended some divine being. He hurried out to apologize.

He was even dragging along his son, Zhang Xiaobao.

Zhang the landlord brought his son and knelt at Mu Nianci’s feet.

Mu Nianci looked at the two of them with lofty disdain, her stunning face full of contempt.

Zhang the landlord, meanwhile, kept slapping his own son across the face.

Though his son had already been crippled by Yang Guo and was now being dragged out to kneel there as well, Zhang the landlord kept hitting him and cursing all the while.

“You good-for-nothing bastard! Who do you think Miss Mu is, that you’d dare be rude to her? I’ll beat the shit out of you!”

“Miss Mu has such noble status. Back in the day, she was the wife of the young prince of the Jin Kingdom, and you still dared disrespect her? Hurry up and apologize to the princess!”

As Zhang the landlord spoke, he kept raining slaps on his son, whose face was beaten swollen like a pig’s head, and who did not dare talk back.

But when Mu Nianci heard the word princess, she thought of Yang Kang again, of all the things that had happened between them.

The knot in her chest would not loosen. In an instant, her breathing went ragged, and she coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood, her whole body swaying as if she might collapse at any moment.

Seeing this, Zhang the landlord shouted a few times, “Miss Mu! Miss Mu!”

When he saw Mu Nianci braced on the ground, apparently unable to circulate her inner power, his heart jumped with joy.

He immediately stood up, ready to return to the manor, but then saw Mu Nianci still looking weak and unsteady. He came back and jabbed at her a few times, asking, “Miss Mu, are you all right? Miss Mu?”

When Mu Nianci still gave no response and her whole body pitched toward the ground, he was alarmed as well. He staggered back a few steps.

Then, seeing that Mu Nianci really did seem to have fainted, a lewd smile spread across Zhang the landlord’s face.

“Hmph, so you’ve got a day like this too. Come on, bring me the drug. Make Miss Mu drink it.”