The 9th day of the 7th month, year 235 of the Yaoqing King Calendar.
Li Chang'an was two years and six months old, and he was already nearly a meter tall.
Just when he thought his simple life of "eating, sleeping, and cultivating" would continue for a while longer, a sudden commotion shattered the morning peace in Li Family Village. Several clerks in black robes barged into the village as if they owned the place.
The leader, a Clerk in black, had a sinister face and a vicious glint in his eyes.
He carried a battered bronze gong, which he struck as he yelled, "For the sake of good weather and bountiful harvests in our county, the new County Magistrate has graciously decided to hold a sacrificial ceremony for the River God on the fifteenth of the seventh month!"
"Historian Liu has already given the order! Every household near the banks of the Three Yellow Rivers must offer one silver tael and one chicken and one duck each! Those who cannot shall provide goods of equivalent value!"
Hearing the clerks' shouts and the banging of the gong, the entire Li Family Village was thunderstruck.
The so-called River God was, in reality, a malevolent flood dragon that had gained sentience in the upper reaches of the river in Sanhuang County.
Using its innate affinity for water, the flood dragon often wreaked havoc during the rainy season, demanding and taking whatever it pleased from the downstream counties.
The Imperial Court, far from sending troops to eliminate it, actually used the situation as an excuse to extort money from the people.
It was only the beginning of the seventh month, and the rice in the fields had not yet fully ripened. For the new County Magistrate to feign a sacrifice to the River God during this lean season was utterly shameless!
A moment of silence fell.
A few desperate villagers, hiding behind their courtyard gates, gathered their courage and cursed, "Magistrate Chai just held a sacrifice to the River God on the sixth of the sixth month! It's been less than a month, and now Magistrate Su wants another one! If you officials love sacrifices so much, why don't you just throw us farmers into the river instead!"
Hearing the curses from the courtyard, the lead Clerk in black sneered. He suddenly lunged forward, kicked open the gate of one of the houses, and grabbed an old man behind it by the neck. "The County Magistrate is holding this sacrifice for your own good," he said with a humorless smile. "Don't be a fucking idiot and refuse my kindness!"
The old man had dark, weathered skin and struggled with all his might, but the Clerk's gaunt fingers were like steel.
Not only did his grip not loosen, it actually tightened.
The old man's struggles quickly weakened, and his head slowly slumped forward.
The Clerk in black casually tossed the old man's soiled corpse a good ten meters away, disgustedly flicking his hand. "Every time I come here, I have to make an example of someone before you all cooperate. A bunch of ungrateful peasants who don't know what's good for them."
He licked his lips, his vicious gaze sweeping over the villagers' tightly shut doors. He grinned menacingly. "Don't blame me, Han the Eighth, for being too cruel. You lot, remember to throw this peasant's corpse into the river later. Fulfill his dying wish!"
The villagers hiding in their homes were initially filled with resentment, but after witnessing the old man's gruesome death, their fighting spirit instantly deflated like a popped balloon.
This Han the Eighth was notoriously fierce and brutal.
In his early years, he had lorded over the countryside using a Body Refining and Qi Cultivation technique he learned in the army. Now, he had latched onto the Government Office, becoming a running dog for the officials, with connections in both legitimate and criminal circles.
Faced with such a snarling, vicious dog, the villagers were utterly powerless to fight back. They could only sit numbly in their homes, awaiting their inevitable fate.
"KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!"
Hearing the knocking draw closer, like a summons from death itself, Li Dashan and Huang Xiaoru's faces turned deathly pale.
Although their family still had some meager savings, it was all food reserves that Li Dashan had painstakingly saved for Huang Xiaoru and Li Chang'an. If it were taken, the family would find it hard to survive the coming months.
With no time left to hesitate, Li Dashan turned and scooped up Li Chang'an, who was playing in the courtyard. He stuffed him into a broken water urn and whispered urgently, "Chang'an, you have to hide well! No matter what happens, don't come out, understand?!"
Li Chang'an blinked without a word, but the Spirituality and wisdom in his eyes was enough to make Li Dashan let out a heavy sigh of relief.
'My son has always been smart; I don't need to worry about him messing up at a critical moment.'
After stroking Li Chang'an's soft, dark hair, Li Dashan carefully placed a stone on top of the wooden plank covering the urn before getting up and leaving.
Seeing him go, a playful expression appeared on Li Chang'an's childish face. 'I originally thought the next turning point of my destiny wouldn't come until after I turned three in a few months.'
'But it seems the timeline provided by the Rebirth Mark isn't entirely accurate. I'm only two and a half, and the new County Magistrate is already sending men out to plunder money and grain.'
'If I hadn't already acquired enough power in advance, I'd have been caught completely unprepared. Forget rewriting my destiny; I wouldn't even be able to protect myself.'
After a moment's thought, Li Chang'an shifted his body and peered toward the main gate through a crack in the broken urn.
He saw Li Dashan dawdling in the courtyard for a good while, only reluctantly opening the gate when the knocking from outside grew more aggressive.
Several menacing Clerks filed in one after another, with Han the Eighth bringing up the rear, arriving last as if taking his sweet time.
He wore a black robe, his face a mask of ferocity and defiance. Upon entering the courtyard, he scanned the area, but seeing nothing he wanted, he snorted coldly. He glanced at Li Dashan, whose expression was a mix of fawning and flattery, and said with a humorless smile, "Li Dashan, it's been a few days. Have you grown bold again? One chicken, one duck, and one silver tael. Where are they?"
Hearing this, Li Dashan immediately dropped to his knees, prostrating himself on the ground. He trembled as he spoke, "Lord Han, this humble one hasn't even been paid for the residence I helped build for the County Magistrate's Office a few days ago! My wife at home is about to faint from hunger. How could I possibly come up with so many treasures?!"
Han the Eighth sneered, immediately leveling a heavy accusation. "This is for the County Magistrate's business! Countless people beg for such an opportunity, yet you dare to stand here whining? Do you think the County Magistrate will short you your silver coins?"
Li Dashan shuddered, rage surging in his heart, but he could only grit his teeth and swallow his anger. He forced a smile and said, "The County Magistrate loves his people like his own children. Of course he wouldn't withhold this humble one's hard-earned money!"
Only then did Han the Eighth nod in satisfaction. "Business is business," he continued. "You hand over the money and meat for the River God sacrifice first. Afterward, I'll put in a good word for you with the County Magistrate, and your wages will naturally be taken care of!"
In the shadows, Li Chang'an watched everything unfold, a flame beginning to smolder in his heart.
'This damned bastard is quite skilled at his little tricks. Get the money now, and as for 'putting in a good word'? You'd have to be a fool to believe that.'
'It's true the County Magistrate wouldn't necessarily stiff my father on his wages.'
'But whose pocket that money would end up in is a whole other question.'
Obviously, Li Dashan also knew what he was plotting. He took a deep breath, steeled himself, and said with a stiff neck, "Lord Han, my family truly has nothing left to offer. These are my last few hundred copper coins. If you wouldn't mind, sir, please take them as a small token to buy yourself some wine!"
Staring at the prostrate Li Dashan, a savage light flared in Han the Eighth's eyes. He viciously kicked the man, sending him flying several meters, and snarled, "Heh, you're trying to honor me with this paltry sum? You ungrateful piece of shit! Do I look like a beggar to you?"
As he spoke, he began to stroll around the courtyard. After a long moment, his gaze suddenly landed on Huang Xiaoru, who was peeking out from a room. A look of interest crossed his face. "This woman isn't bad looking. Bundled up and sold to a brothel, she might fetch a good price!"
He paused, then as if remembering something, added in a sinister, threatening tone, "Right, I heard you have a son, don't you?"
His eyes darted around, as if searching for something in the courtyard.
Li Dashan finally panicked. He hastily pulled out a handful of broken silver from his pocket, held it out to Han the Eighth with both hands, and begged through his tears, "Eighth Master, Eighth Master! Take the money! Please, spare us!"
...