The air was heavy, thick with a hum of energy I would later recognize as spiritual essence.
It had been twenty-four hours since I woke up in this strange world, and I hadn't yet found the courage to step past the front door. I didn't have to; the world came to me.
Without warning, a tidal wave of memories—this body's memories—slammed into my consciousness.
I gasped, clutching my head as a white-hot pressure threatened to split my skull apart. It felt less like a flashback and more like a physical execution.
"Huff... what the hell?" I wheezed, my chest heaving.
The images settled, flickering behind my eyes like a film reel. I saw this boy's entire life—his lonely years and his desperate choices. Everything finally clicked.
"So," I whispered to the empty room. "All you ever wanted was to be noticed."
I saw myself in the boy, this "Zhu Dongli," and for the first time, I felt a sharp pang of pity. He was a boy desperate to prove his worth but cursed with the heavy burden of being utterly ordinary.
To make matters worse, his brother was the sun he could never outshine.
There was only one word for his elder: perfect.
In a desperate bid to be seen, Zhu Dongli had chosen the only path left to him. If he couldn't be the pride of the family, he would be its greatest shame. He traded honor for infamy, becoming a scumbag just so his name would be whispered in the same breath as his brother's.
I rubbed my temples, letting out a long, weary sigh.
"That's no way to live," I muttered.
But deep down, the hypocrisy of my words stung. I understood him. This wasn't Earth, where success was measured by a bank balance.
In this world, you gambled with your life for even a spark of power. But as a product of a civilized world, I couldn't accept his path.
"I refuse," I whispered, my voice hardening. "I won't live the way you did."
I stood up and immediately headed out to find this body's older brother.
According to the memories I'd inherited, he would almost certainly be at the training grounds.
"You wish to see Senior Brother Zhu Ma?"
A disciple paused his training and blocked my path, his expression shifting into a sneer.
"He has only just ascended to the Core Refining Realm. Naturally, he has entered secluded meditation to stabilize his foundation. Are you truly so ignorant of such fundamental truths?"
His gaze was heavy with mockery.
If I were the real Zhu Dongli, I probably would have lost my temper and started an argument.
But I'm Chris.
As a former CEO, I knew better than to waste my energy on a low-level employee's insolence.
Instead, I simply cupped my hands and apologized respectfully. Based on Zhu Dongli's memories, this was the proper way to show face and settle the matter.
The disciple froze, staring at me with a stunned expression. 'Is he serious?' The question was written all over his face.
Seeing his reaction, a flicker of genuine confusion crossed my mind.
'Did I do it wrong?' I wondered, keeping my expression neutral. 'Why is he looking at me like that? Just how terrible was Dongli's reputation?'
When it became clear the boy was too shocked to speak, I didn't linger. I simply paid my respects and left.
On the way back to my residence, my body suddenly froze.
It wasn't a choice; I simply couldn't move.
'What's going on? What is this formless hand holding me?'
Panic flared across my face.
This was a first for me, and the sensation of being physically locked in place was terrifying.
Then, I heard the same cold voice from the moment I first transmigrated into this body.
"Don't struggle," he said, his tone entirely devoid of warmth. "A mere Qi Refining Stage like you will never break my restraint."
I saw the look in his eyes and the realization hit me like a physical blow.
'He's planning on killing me!'
I tried to scream, to call for help, but I couldn't make a single sound. My mind raced in the silence.
'What is happening? Am I going to die again for a sin I didn't even commit?'
My heart dropped. It was unacceptable. I wasn't the one who had touched his fiancée's lower back, but I had no way to explain that.
My body moved against my will as he led me into a dim, narrow alley. Only when we were hidden in the shadows did the pressure on my throat disappear.
I could finally speak.
"P-Please… senior brother… I'm so sorry!"
Forget about pride. I immediately begged for my life. I didn't care how it looked; I just didn't want to die.
Feng Hei stared down at me, his expression one of pure, stunned disbelief.
"Do you truly believe your feeble platitudes can deceive my eyes?" his voice thick with hatred. "This Senior Brother is no fledgling disciple to be toyed with by such a shoddy facade. Your insolence has sullied the prestige of our sect! Have you no shred of honor or shame?"
Looking at him, the realization hit me. He wasn't killing me out of a simple thirst for revenge. He wanted to erase the only stain on the sect's honor.
To him, I was just trash that needed to be thrown out.
Without a second thought, I doubled down on my plea. I needed to convince him, hoping my desperation would mask any flicker of my true resolve.
"I... I'm sorry! I won't do it again!"
I choked out, tears streaming down my face. They weren't fake; I was genuinely terrified, so scared I nearly lost control of my own bladder.
"I swear I won't drag the sect's reputation down again! Please, senior brother... I'll change. Please don't kill me!"
The silence in the alley was suffocating.
Then—
A brilliant golden screen flickered into existence right in front of my eyes.
[YOUR SINCERITY HAS REACHED THE HEART OF A MYSTERIOUS GOD!]
[YOU HAVE BEEN REWARDED WITH A GROCERY SYSTEM!]
[WELCOME TO THE CULTIVATION REALM, PLAYER CHRIS!]
My panic came to a screeching halt the moment Feng Hei spoke.
"Hmph! What nonsensical talk is this? I am not going to kill you," he snapped, looking offended. "What do you take me for? Some vile demonic cultivator? Hmph, I will admit the thought flickered through my mind, but you are still my Junior Brother, after all."
His words hit me harder than the floating screen.
'Wait... if he's not killing me... then why the hell was I just crying and begging like a toddler?'
I just stood there, my brain trying to reboot.
"Then... why did you bring me here secretly?"
He looked at me like I was the dumbest person on the planet.
"Naturally, it is to grant you a sound thrashing! How are you supposed to temper your dao heart and learn your lesson if I do not personally beat some sense into you?"
He didn't wait for an answer.
He proceeded to beat me until I was seeing stars. When he was done, he tossed a healing pill at my bruised face and walked off into the sunset.
I stared at the pill, then at his receding back.
"This world really is insane. I nearly died from fear... and he just wanted to beat me."
But despite the throbbing pain, I felt a wave of relief.
I was a mess, but I was a living mess. I lay there on the freezing ground, covered in dirt and bruises, and actually started to laugh.
My gaze was drawn back to the golden screen hovering in the air.
"Grocery system?" I whispered hoarsely. "What does it do? Sell me groceries?"
I meant it as a joke; after all, there was no way... right?
Then—the System answered with startling enthusiasm.
[THE PLAYER GUESSED CORRECTLY! I WILL BE TRADING EARTH GOODS FOR CULTIVATION RESOURCES, SPIRIT STONE, OR GOLD AS CURRENCY!]
[DO YOU WANT TO BROWSE THE AVAILABLE PRODUCTS?]
[YES / NO]
I just stared at it. For a second, I actually forgot my ribs were screaming in pain.
"No way..."
After everything that happened…
The god gave me a grocery store.