Chapter 1: The Great Xia Dynasty
Translated by algoo | Proofread by algoo
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“Xuanyuan Year Ten, five stars misaligned. A meteor shower fell in the night, destroying two houses and injuring one person.”
——Great Xia Chronicles, Volume Thirteen
Great Xia Dynasty, Bureau of Astronomy.
The Imperial Astronomer casually recorded the sentence on the bamboo scroll and went about his other duties. Meteorites, while rare, did occur every few years. Moreover, the meteor shower that fell on the city last night had been mostly intercepted by the imperial protectors. Apart from a minor injury to an unlucky descendant of a declining noble family, no serious consequences arose.
As the Imperial Astronomer, he only needed to briefly record the celestial phenomenon of last night on the bamboo scroll. As for the unfortunate soul who nearly lost his life under the meteor shower, he didn’t even merit a mention in the historical records.
Across the street from the Bureau of Astronomy, in a certain mansion, several servants were carefully carrying bricks and broken wood out of the premises. Last night, a meteor had fallen within the mansion, not only collapsing a house but also injuring the young master, who remained unconscious.
At this moment, on a soft couch in a room in the inner chambers of the mansion, a handsome young man’s eyelashes fluttered.
Lin Xiu vaguely remembered that he had arranged to watch the Perseid meteor shower with a girl he met at a bar three days prior. He had prepared steak, red wine, and candles, and when he stepped onto the balcony to adjust his telescope, he suddenly saw a point of light through the lens.
The light grew larger and larger, eventually transforming into a luminous mass with a long tail. The intense glare blinded Lin Xiu, and then he knew nothing more.
Thinking of this, Lin Xiu slowly opened his eyes.
Then he saw a square face.
A man with a thick beard was looking down at him. Seeing Lin Xiu awaken, the man appeared agitated and blurted out, “Young Master, you’re awake!“
Looking at the unfamiliar man, Lin Xiu asked warily, “Who are you? Why are you in my house?”
The square-faced man was startled. “Young Master, don’t you recognize me?“
A moment later, a figure stumbled out of the mansion, standing on the street, gazing blankly at his surroundings.
Passersby pointed and whispered.
“Isn’t that Young Master Lin? I heard he was hit by a meteor last night.”
“He seems dazed, and he’s not even wearing shoes. Could he have been struck silly?”
The bystanders’ discussions reached Lin Xiu’s ears, but he didn’t register a word. His mind was blank as he stood there, until he saw someone flying through the air in the distance, passing before his eyes and quickly vanishing from sight.
“Someone is flying…” Lin Xiu breathed a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on his face. “It was a dream…”
After a wave of dizziness, Lin Xiu lost consciousness again.
Lin Xiu desperately wished that he would wake up in his own bed, with the beautiful girl he met at the bar beside him. But when he opened his eyes again, he still saw that square face.
The square-faced man exclaimed joyfully, “Young Master, you’re awake again!“
Lin Xiu gave a wry smile. “Heh, it’s still a dream…”
The square-faced man grabbed Lin Xiu’s shoulders and shook him vigorously. “Young Master, this is not a dream! Wake up!“
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The man’s grip was strong, causing pain in Lin Xiu’s shoulders.
Lin Xiu woke up, thoroughly this time.
…
Ancient-style streets bustled with crowds, and the sounds of hawkers filled the air. Lin Xiu and the square-faced man sat on the stone steps at the entrance, chin in hand, watching people in ancient costumes pass by, their eyes unfocused.
The square-faced man told him that this was the Great Xia Dynasty, and he was Lin Xiu, the son of Baron Ping’an. Last night, he had been knocked unconscious by a falling meteorite.
But in Lin Xiu’s own memory, he clearly came from 21st-century Earth. Last night, he was preparing to watch the meteor shower with a girl he’d recently met, and afterward, well, there was no afterward.
He appeared in the Baron Ping’an’s mansion and became Lin Xiu, son of Baron Ping’an of the Great Xia Dynasty.
Lin Xiu clearly remembered seeing an enlarging meteor through his telescope before losing consciousness. It seemed he had been struck by a meteor…
Lin Xiu was at a loss for words. Aside from a somewhat indulgent lifestyle, he didn’t have any other flaws. He actively donated to disaster relief, frequently participated in charity auctions, and even took his girlfriend to visit orphanages every month—although he took a different girlfriend each time.
Lin Xiu admitted his romantic life was a bit rich, but he could still be considered a good person.
Furthermore, such matters were consensual, and each of his relationships ended amicably. Even after breaking up, his ex-girlfriends would introduce their friends to him…
It wasn’t fair!
After half a day, Lin Xiu sat on the steps and sighed deeply. Transmigration was transmigration. At least he had a second life, which was better than being killed by a meteorite.
Being stunned by the meteorite gave Lin Xiu an excuse for amnesia, allowing him to ask the square-faced man all sorts of questions. Through the square-faced man by his side, Lin Xiu gained a preliminary understanding of the world he was in.
This was a world vastly different from Earth. Apart from humans, there were other races like the Spirit Race, the Barbarian Race, and the Sea Race. These races had their own territories and were rarely seen in human settlements.
There were five great dynasties and dozens of kingdoms on the continent. Lin Xiu was in one of the five great human dynasties, the Great Xia Dynasty.
The five great human dynasties, with their immense power, set the rules of the continent and held absolute authority within certain regions. The dozens of other kingdoms were either allied or subordinate, somewhat resembling the world order of his previous life.
Lin Xiu’s father was a declining nobleman of the Great Xia Dynasty. He was currently visiting his wife’s family and was not at home.
Although the Lin family was not prominent in the capital, they lived comfortably thanks to their ancestral legacy. Lin Xiu was the only son and the sole heir of the Lin family.
What surprised Lin Xiu the most was that, unlike Earth, this was a world with magical powers.
People called this power “Mystic Arts“.
Each Mystic Art possessed unique and powerful abilities, such as controlling fire, summoning lightning, condensing ice, and even invisibility and flight—just like what Lin Xiu had witnessed earlier.
As an ordinary person, facing such supernatural power, Lin Xiu couldn’t help but feel envious. In his heart, Earth and this world each had their own advantages and disadvantages.
21st-century Earth had the internet, television, and countless forms of entertainment. If Lin Xiu had transmigrated to ancient China, he definitely wouldn’t have been willing.
Although this world lacked such entertainment, it had Mystic Arts. Breathing fire, spitting water, creating ice, turning invisible – if he could learn them all, wouldn’t he be even more impressive than the Calabash Brothers? After all, what boy hadn’t dreamt of having superpowers when they were young?
Unfortunately, Mystic Arts weren’t something anyone could cultivate. This ability was innate; it couldn’t be acquired or changed later in life.
Moreover, each person could only awaken one Mystic Art at most, shattering Lin Xiu’s dream of becoming a Calabash Little King Kong.
Lin Xiu, son of Baron Ping’an, was just an ordinary person. He had lived to eighteen without awakening any Mystic Arts. Generally speaking, the chances of awakening a Mystic Art after adulthood were slim, and even if one did awaken, they wouldn’t have much of a future.
He had finally transmigrated, but he was just an ordinary person—in that case, perhaps Earth was more fun after all.
Just as Lin Xiu felt regretful, the square-faced man beside him slapped his thighs, stood up, and said to Lin Xiu, “Young Master, let’s go back. The ground is cold…“
In this world, people with Mystic Arts, while not ubiquitous, were not uncommon. The square-faced man beside Lin Xiu was a Mystic Arts awakener, or a Mystic Artist.
The Mystic Art he awakened was “Strength.” It was said that if this Mystic Art was cultivated to its peak, one could move mountains and fill seas, shattering a mountain peak with a single punch.
Of course, awakening a Mystic Art was only the first step on this path. The extent to which one could cultivate their Mystic Art depended on individual talent and effort.
The square-faced man, Lin Xiu’s personal guard, had ten or even dozens of times the strength of an ordinary person, but he was still far from moving mountains and filling seas.
Even so, it was enough to make Lin Xiu envious. He tried to stand up from the steps, but because he had been sitting for too long, his legs were numb. He only managed to get halfway up before losing his balance and falling backward.
The square-faced man hurriedly stepped forward to support him.
Lin Xiu intended to steady himself, but his movements suddenly froze.
The square-faced man asked puzzledly, “Young Master, what’s wrong?“
Lin Xiu stared for a moment, then quickly regained his senses, looked at the square-faced man, and urgently said, “Give me your hand.“
The square-faced man hesitated for a moment, then obediently extended his hand. His hand was much broader and thicker than an ordinary person’s, giving a powerful impression. Lin Xiu grasped his hand, a ripple spreading through his heart. He asked, “Do you feel anything?“
The square-faced man was stunned, his face suddenly paling. He stammered, “Young Master, you are a man, and I am also a man. How could I have feelings for you? I, I like women…“
He tried to pull his hand back, but Lin Xiu held on tight.
Lin Xiu glared at him and said, “Don’t move!“
Lin Xiu was his young master after all. The square-faced man trembled and didn’t dare to struggle any further. Fortunately, Lin Xiu only held his hand and didn’t make any further moves, and the square-faced man’s heart gradually calmed down.
A quarter of an hour later.
Lin Xiu let out a soft breath and slowly released the square-faced man’s hand.
The next moment, the square-faced man sprinted out of the mansion, vanishing in an instant.
Lin Xiu ignored him, picked up half a green brick from the corner of the courtyard, and exerted a slight force. The hard brick, like a biscuit, was broken off at a corner…
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