Buzzing~
Behind Ye Qingzhou, the Sword Spirit of the Celestial Punishnt Sword emitted a buzzing hum, evidently longing for Chiyou’s Path of Heaven Fighting.
The Path of Heaven Fighting inherently carried the intent of conquest and slaughter, perfectly aligning with the Dao embodied by the Celestial Punishnt Sword.
"Well, do you want to accept this trial?"
Chiyou imdiately reminded, "Think clearly, the previous death was unreal. If you give up now, you can leave the Spiritual Realm and return to your body. But if you accept the trial, then if you fail, you will truly die."
"I accept."
Ye Qingzhou agreed without hesitation.
Boom~
At the mont of agreent, Ye Qingzhou’s consciousness was swept into a torrent ford by Thought Ability, into a strange world, where he beca a citizen of the Great Qi Kingdom.
Illusory dreams, seemingly real yet illusory.
Ye Qingzhou discovered he had beco an infant who had just been born, unable to control his body, only able to observe the host’s life through a third-person perspective.
The host’s na was Brother Aniu, and he was very unlucky. After all, being born into a peasant family in ancient tis, wasn’t this a calamity accumulated over several lifetis?
Ever since Brother Aniu beca sensible, he had to do chores for the family and perform tasks within his ability.
By the ti he was ten, he had to start working in the fields, engaging in heavy labor.
At fifteen, upon reaching maturity, the family began arranging for Brother Aniu’s marriage.
The surplus grain saved over several years was quickly spent to marry him to a bride of equal family status. Though she was not pretty nor could she be called virtuous, Brother Aniu’s family still ended up in significant debt.
This was extrely dangerous for Brother Aniu, as it ant the family’s economic situation would be exceptionally fragile during the years of having the bride.
Any mishap could lead the family to fail to repay the debt, becoming tenant farrs without land, or even refugees.
Thus, during the day, Brother Aniu had to work desperately in the fields, and after the farm work was done, he had to work at the landlord’s house.
At night, he had to ensure he and his wife were having children as quickly as possible, leveraging her young and robust reproductive capacity to bear as many children as possible.
In the agrarian era, a woman’s fertile period was very short, typically unable to conceive once past thirty.
Why?
Because soon after giving birth, they had to return to the fields, leaving behind illnesses preventing further childbearing, with their bodies’ potential utterly exhausted by the harsh life.
So older won, in severe cases, couldn’t even walk.
At four in the morning, Brother Aniu had to work in the fields with only the faintest light, till the sun set at six in the evening, typically having just one al on the ground during the day, then another at ho at night.
The als were very bland because of the governnt’s monopoly on salt and iron, so Brother Aniu could only consu high-priced salt. Only when farm work was particularly heavy and he was sweating a lot would he sparingly add more salt to his als, without which he couldn’t muster the energy to work in the afternoon.
With his face towards the soil and back towards the sky while drenched in sweat under the scorching sun, occasionally Brother Aniu would take a short rest in a shaded area, boldly wondering what kind of life the Emperor was living.
Ye Qingzhou fell silent.
This was the life of countless oxen and horses, exhausted to their limits, never considering why they lived so miserably.
In the eyes of the powerful of Great Qi, people like Brother Aniu were not seen as humans but rely as ’livestock’ reproducing and sustaining on this land.
Their sole purpose for existence was to support the nobility.
Brother Aniu’s life, possibly like his father’s, would not surpass the age threshold of thirty-five, yet he lived on content with poverty, continuing to work hard.
With diligence day in and day out, he tilled his small plot of land, cared for his aged mother, looked after his wife and children, even as it bowed his figure more each day.
Unfortunately, his efforts soon beca aningless.
Natural disasters destroyed his hopes while the Empire’s heavy taxes forced him to sell his beloved daughter.
Even so, the subsequent natural disasters, famine, and plagues continued to take away his mother, wife, and son, one after another...
Ultimately, at the age of thirty-five, he lost everything, becoming a man with nothing left to lose.
Ye Qingzhou could only helplessly watch all this happen, unable to do anything, his voice unable to reach Brother Aniu’s ears.
On the mass grave mound, Brother Aniu, with a withered figure, cried hoarsely, unable to comprehend what life ant to him, now filled only with indignation: "Was I born just to suffer?"
"Why do I have to endure such misery!"
The spark of anger was finally ignited at that mont, though just a tiny spark, it already had the potential to spread into a vast wildfire.
Because, across the vast expanse of the Empire’s lands, there were hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of people like Brother Aniu.
"Because you are weak."
For the first ti, Ye Qingzhou’s words reached Brother Aniu’s ears.
Brother Aniu, after a brief astonishnt, quickly accepted the fact.
Because in the turbulent world, ghosts and spirits were not fearso, especially to soone already deep in despair, ghosts and spirits instead easily beca a belief.
Quickly, under Ye Qingzhou’s guidance, Brother Aniu diligently practiced Martial Arts and soon joined the Rebel Army, relying on his sharp Swordsmanship, he slaughtered in the battlefield, gained appreciation, and beca the son-in-law of the Rebel Army leader.
After the leader of the Rebel Army fell in battle, he took over command, continuously victorious, defeating various heroes, and even repeatedly crushing the Empire’s forces sent to suppress the rebellion.
Ten breakthroughs in ten decisive battles, advancing triumphantly, they reached the Celestial Capital.
The Empire sent a beautiful Princess carrying a peace proposal, guaranteeing noble titles as long as Brother Aniu would cease hostility.
"Master Ye, should I accept?"
Brother Aniu looked at the gentle and beautiful Princess, then thought of the noble Prince title at his fingertips, his heart was tempted.
Ye Qingzhou sneered coldly, "Conspiring with a tiger leads to being devoured. Did your years of enduring humiliation ever bring you the beautiful life you desired in your heart?"
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