Chapter 2: Life Simulation

After uttering a harsh threat, Cui Lao San turned and left.

Outside the city, countless refugees lingered, yet he, surnamed Cui, had never before suffered such a great loss.

Only after Cui Lao San and his gang of ruffians left did Jiang Xiaomu finally breathe easier; he struggled to sheath his knife at his waist, but his hand shook so badly that for a long while he couldn't get it in.

Though Jiang Xiaomu's words were fierce, how could an ordinary person raised in China's peaceful prosperous era have any experience fighting for his life? Although he forced himself to hold his breath and drive off Cui Lao San, his heart still raced.

Suddenly,

Jiang Xiaomu felt a tap on his shoulder.

He instinctively turned his head, only to meet Xiao Lüzhu's pitiful little face.

"Scared?"

Jiang Xiaomu collected himself, forcibly suppressing the panic in his heart.

In chaotic times, one has no control over one's fate; now that the two siblings depend on each other for survival, Jiang Xiaomu is Xiao Lüzhu's mainstay and her hope, and he will not allow himself to show the slightest timidity no matter what.

Hearing his voice, Xiao Lüzhu timidly lifted her little face.

She first nodded, then shook her head, being sensible and not wanting to worry Jiang Xiaomu.

Feeling warmed inside, he spoke gently.

"Don't worry, I'm here as your brother."

That one sentence was spoken with utter firmness.

Xiao Lüzhu's little face visibly froze, then her mouth pursed, and she burst into tears with a wail. She clung tightly to Jiang Xiaomu's neck and refused to let go.

"Brother, please, Lüzhu begs you not to sell me."

"Lüzhu is very capable; she can wash clothes, cook, and starch linens. Brother, don't send me into the brothel. Lüzhu doesn't want to become a courtesan..."

The little girl instantly burst into tears, her pitiful appearance making Jiang Xiaomu feel a pang of sorrow; he opened his mouth to say something, but in the end said nothing.

Jiang Xiaomu forced a smile, firmly patting Lüzhu's back; she seemed to feel her brother's resolve, and her crying subsided.

Jiang Xiaomu shook his head, but his eyes were far from calm.

Cui Lao San was easy to dismiss, but Jiang Xiaomu couldn't ignore the words that gang of ruffians left behind; he naturally knew who the 'tooth madame' they mentioned was.

The northern barbarian cavalry shattered the border garrisons, grazed their horses across the Central Plains, cities were razed and inhabitants slaughtered, countless civilians fled in panic. Wangjiang Cheng, famed as the northern realm's strongest fortress, became the best refuge.

Thus, the fleeing populace unanimously converged on Wangjiang Cheng; the city could not accommodate tens of thousands of refugees, and the prefect could only order the troops to shut the gates, leaving them to fend for themselves.

Among the refugees, the three most powerful factions roughly split into three waves, one of which was the tooth madame.

It is said that this old woman who deals in dead wood was once the biggest child trafficker in another city, having genuinely gathered a gang of enforcers who acted arrogantly among the refugees. Because of her ruthless methods and her trade in human trafficking, she earned the nickname 'tooth madame,' engaging in arson, murder, pillaging, and every conceivable evil.

Cui Lao San's gang of petty thugs simply cannot compare to the tooth madame.

Perhaps my bravery could scare off Cui Lao San, but if Lüzhu is indeed the child the tooth madame specifically demanded, then the trouble would be great.

But in an instant, Jiang Xiaomu's resolve hardened.

"No matter what, I cannot let Lüzhu fall into a pit of fire; at worst I will take her far south to Jiangnan, and even if we die in a foreign land, it is better than becoming a prostitute in the city's brothel, subject to abuse."

Jiang Xiaomu exhaled, and his resolve instantly solidified.

But just then.

【Ding, Heaven's Mandate System bound successfully, please host check.】

A sudden female voice sounded.

Jiang Xiaomu instinctively froze, then a look of ecstasy appeared on his face. As a youth raised in the age of information explosion, he had naturally read many such novels.

"Could it be that my cheat has arrived?"

A glint of joy appeared in Jiang Xiaomu's eyes; he didn't bother with anything else and quickly narrowed his eyes.

"Whoosh."

A virtual projection swiftly formed before his eyes, full of sci-fi feel.

【System generating......】

【You have crossed into a parallel space, becoming a rootless refugee of the Great Qian Dynasty; seeking survival, you brought your sister Jiang Lüzhu fleeing all the way to Wangjiang Cheng, expecting the official troops to provide relief, but the city gates remained shut, so you had no choice but to temporarily stay outside with your sister, hoping to endure this harsh winter.】

【Unexpectedly, though Jiang Lüzhu is young, her rosy lips and white teeth make her a beauty's embryo. In a prosperous age she would naturally delight you, but born into troubled times where life is as cheap as grass, Jiang Lüzhu has been targeted by villains to be sent into a brothel; you swore not to yield. Thus you drew your sword and mounted your horse, intimidating the petty villains and temporarily easing the crisis.】

【Yet the enemy's forces are vast; how could they possibly regard you as anything? That very night they bought off the idlers around you; although you took pains to guard, you did not expect the refugees to act, and you were spotted on the spot. Your sister Lüzhu was also seized and sent into the brothel within Wangjiang Cheng to be abused.】

【You died.】

Jiang Xiaomu stared, and a look of horror flashed in his eyes.

Those lines of text appeared out of thin air, yet they seemed to turn in an instant into a sharp sword piercing his heart.

"This, is actually my upcoming life?"

Jiang Xiaomu took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

He could not determine the truth of the matter.

Yet Jiang Xiaomu also knew deep down that in chaotic times human life is worthless, and deeds like murder and robbery—such as the tooth madame, notorious among the refugees—are easily done.

Instinctively, Jiang Xiaomu was about to take Lüzhu and leave this place of right and wrong.

But just as his body prepared to rise, he forcibly stopped himself.

"We can't leave; it's getting late and snowing heavily—leaving now would only mean freezing to death. Moreover, bandits frequently roam nearby; if we fell into their hands, our fate would only be worse."

Jiang Xiaomu's face turned deathly pale.

Leaving now is indeed not wise; perhaps with his strength he could walk ten li, but the heavy snow has already blocked every road, and rash action leads only to a dead end.

It's true the tooth madame is hard to deal with, but those blood‑licking bandits who regard human life as nothing are even more terrifying.

What to do?

Jiang Xiaomu furrowed his brows, subtly scanning the surroundings in hopes of finding traces of the refugees who had acted that night. Unfortunately, the area was crowded with refugees, pressing together, making it impossible for him to easily distinguish them.

"But must we simply wait passively to die?"

"Absolutely not!"

Jiang Xiaomu's eyes showed resolve; he did not trust heaven, did not trust fate, only trusted himself.

"Xiao Lüzhu, do you believe in me, brother?"

Jiang Xiaomu opened his mouth to ask.

"I believe in you, brother, and I will believe in you forever."

Xiao Lüzhu was too young to catch the hidden meaning in Jiang Xiaomu's words; only her pair of dark little hands stroked his cheek, warming his heart and filling him with boundless heroic spirit.

"Good, then let's give it our all."

Indeed, we must give it our all.

This so-called Heaven's Mandate System had written out how Jiang Xiaomu would die, but Jiang Xiaomu utterly disagreed; if fate were already set, then he would defy heaven and change his destiny.

No matter what, we cannot let Xiao Lüzhu fall into the tiger's jaws.

In a moment, Jiang Xiaomu gripped the broken sword in his hand tightly, and the murderous intent in his brows rose.

The sky gradually darkened, the restless refugees gradually grew quiet; the government army could not afford to feed the tens of thousands of refugees, had long abandoned them, leaving them to fend for themselves.

Every night signifies that someone will not see the sun of the next day.

Jiang Xiaomu closed his eyes, gripped his sword, but his ears carefully listened to the surroundings; his vigilance had already peaked. Suddenly, a faint sound caught his attention.

"They're here!"

Jiang Xiaomu instantly became alert.