Chapter 1: Eating Alone Leads to a Bad End

"We've hit the jackpot, we've really hit the jackpot."

"That's two hundred taels altogether."

Outside the city, in a ruined temple, several figures huddled together, excitedly staring at the money bag before them.

Two hundred taels—enough to support an ordinary three-person family for years on end.

Even split among just the few of us, it's enough for each of us to live lavishly for a long time.

Under these circumstances, the only one who remained calm was a young man standing near the edge.

"What the hell, did I get reincarnated?"

Ye Tian scanned the surroundings without expression, his head throbbing, memories still stuck at the moment a bullet flew toward him.

"Fucking hell, I just stole a few million and they're already targeting me? No one in this world has any loyalty."

Ye Tian had previously been a mercenary overseas, rising to squad leader through skill, occasionally skimming funds when he could—never expecting to get caught.

But now it seemed he'd died—and been reincarnated, right into the middle of a loot-splitting scene.

Silver? Ancient times?

Before his memories fully returned, Ye Tian suppressed any sign of abnormality, forcing a look of delight onto his face.

"Brother She Tou."

At that moment, someone spoke up.

Rubbing his hands, eyes gleaming with excitement, he looked toward the man called She Tou.

"The money?"

His meaning was obvious: the money's in hand, so when do we split it? The others nearby all turned their gazes toward him as well.

The man called She Tou was no more than thirty or forty, his eyes sharp and venomous, like a snake's gaze sweeping over them; he picked up the money bag and weighed it twice in his hand.

"You can all rest easy—I brought you here to do this job, so I won't shortchange you. Any profit made, I won't forget you."

Instantly, all eyes brightened.

Except Ye Tian's.

"This sounds exactly like one of those empty promises."

He'd been fed too many empty promises—he was practically traumatized.

"But." The twist came as expected.

"This time, we're not splitting it."

At those words, the previously excited group fell silent, eyes wide, the atmosphere shifting instantly.

The money they'd risked their lives for—if not for fear of She Tou, they'd have already lunged to seize it.

Undeterred by so many staring eyes, She Tou calmly pulled a wooden plaque from his waistband. The plaque itself was ordinary; what wasn't ordinary was the black character carved into it.

"This… this can't be the Black Water Gang's waist token!"

"Brother She Tou, you've joined the Black Water Gang!"

The Black Water Gang was a notorious gang nearby, with countless disciples—even the authorities dared not provoke them lightly. The few among them who'd entertained secret thoughts immediately abandoned them upon seeing the token.

She Tou's smile grew even more confident.

"Just a Registered Member—but with these two hundred taels as bribes, I'll become a full member of the Black Water Gang. After that, making money will be child's play."

"Once I rise to Head Boss, I might even bring all of you into the Black Water Gang."

Hearing they might join the Black Water Gang, the others grew even more excited.

In this age, ordinary folk who wanted to live well without being bullied had only one path: join a martial sect. But such sects weren't easy to enter—bribes were routine.

Still, you don't need two hundred taels for that.

But no one dared say so now.

"So I won't split this two hundred taels. You've got no objections, right?"

She Tou smiled confidently.

Split the money? What money? He'd never intended to split it from the start.

A bunch of worthless lives—just toss them a bone. Do they really expect a share?

"No objections! No objections!"

"Brother She Tou bringing us into the Black Water Gang? He's our savior, our second parents!"

They nodded vigorously.

Perhaps some saw through She Tou's lies—but the mere status of Black Water Gang membership silenced any rebellious thoughts.

She Tou chuckled, weighing the money bag twice in his hand, then prepared to slip it into his robe.

"Brother She Tou."

At that moment, Ye Tian spoke.

"They say if you hoard all the food, your sons are born without an anus."

His memories fully returned.

Ye Tian smiled gently, his tone mild—but the words he spoke froze the air around them.

Everyone stared at him in disbelief.

"What did you say?! Say that again, you bastard!"

After a brief stunned pause, She Tou erupted in rage.

"Brother She Tou, I don't want to join the Black Water Gang. Just give me my share of the money."

The other guy rejects your empty promises—and plans to curse your entire family.

I got fed nothing but empty promises in my last life—now I'm reincarnated and you're still serving me the same crap?

I'd believe I'm the Buddha himself before I believe you can get us into the Black Water Gang.

"You fucking dead bastard, someone like you still wants a cut of the money!"

Clearly provoked, She Tou covered the distance in three strides, stepping right up to Ye Tian, one hand gripping Ye Tian's collar in a death grip, a terrifying light flashing in his eyes.

The men beside them immediately joined in the accusations, as if they thought doing so would earn them more favor in She Tou's eyes.

"A piece of trash like you, born from who knows what kind of bastard, if it weren't for..."

"Shhk."

No one had time to react. They only saw She Tou's words suddenly cut off, his grip on Ye Tian's collar loosening, his face full of disbelief as he clutched his own throat, blood streaming ceaselessly from between his fingers.

And in Ye Tian's hand, no one knew when, a dagger was now dripping with blood.

"I hate it most when people curse my mother."

Ye Tian was still smiling brilliantly.

This slightly rusted dagger had been carried on the original body's person all along. The moment he heard She Tou start painting pie in the sky, Ye Tian had silently hidden it under his own sleeve.

The others were all dumbfounded.

"Are you mad?! He's..."

Strike first and gain the upper hand. From memory, these people were just ordinary local thugs — fine with petty theft, but completely inexperienced when it came to killing.

The dagger went straight for the throat; this body's agility was even better than Ye Tian had expected.

After finishing off everyone, Ye Tian rolled his somewhat sore wrist.

Then, with a smile, he took the money pouch containing two hundred taels of silver from She Tou's body, weighed it in his hand twice, and tucked it into his clothes.

Seeing She Tou still had one last breath left, Ye Tian said with a smile.

"See, I told you eating alone is no good. Now you won't even get the chance to have a son."

She Tou clutched his throat with both hands, his eyes glaring at Ye Tian with a look that could split his sockets, but his mouth was now full of blood and he couldn't speak at all.

He really dares to make a move?

Are you fucking crazy.

Casually tearing off a piece of cloth, Ye Tian wiped the blood from the dagger, while at the same time thinking about his next move.

In this era where wanted notices were issued through portraits, as long as one changed one's appearance and went somewhere no one knew you, one could completely start a brand new life.

Of course.

Ye Tian also thought of another way out. His gaze slowly drifted toward She Tou, who was gradually breathing his last — mainly looking at the token engraved with black characters that had fallen to the ground.

"Ding!"

A crisp sound interrupted Ye Tian's thoughts.

After a brief moment of blankness, Ye Tian suddenly smiled — the transmigrator's exclusive golden finger had arrived!

【Detected that the host has triggered a Life Choice】

【Heavenly Mandate System auto-running】

【Choice One: Flee this place, change your appearance and start a new life! Reward: Primary Loyalty +3, Tan Leg Mastery.】

【Choice Two: Borrow a corpse to impersonate the dead, take over She Tou's identity within the Black Water Gang! Reward: Primary Loyalty +3, Iron Wire Fist Mastery.】

A life choice? Ye Tian didn't rush to make a decision, a thoughtful gleam flickering in his eyes.

Two choices meant two possible life outcomes.

If he could, who wouldn't want a peaceful life? But looking at the corpses on the ground, Ye Tian gradually made his decision. Born in chaotic times, ordinary people simply had no choice.

However, before leaving, there were still other things to do.

"If I remember correctly, She Tou seems to have a wife, doesn't he."

Staring at She Tou's corpse, the smile on Ye Tian's face gradually grew brighter.

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