After My System Went Bankrupt, I Found My Happy Ending with the General - Chapter 1

The bell tolled repeatedly, startling the birds on Qingyun Mountain into scattering flight. It was the hour of You, and the Shifang Academy, nestled atop Qingyun Mountain, had just dismissed its classes. Scholars in blue robes emerged one after another from the lecture hall, soon disappearing along the winding paths down the mountain.

By mid-November, the leaves on Qingyun Mountain had turned golden, rustling in the cool breeze.

The academy’s gate stood at the foot of the mountain. Only after the crowd had dispersed did a few scholars leisurely make their way down. At the forefront was a tall, elegant figure with jade-like features, the very image of a refined gentleman. As he walked, he continued to flip through an ancient book in his hand.

The scholar beside him couldn’t resist commenting, “Brother Changlin, tomorrow is the day off every ten days in ancient Chinese academies.”. You can read at home anytime you want. Why rush to use this time on the road? Besides, the imperial examination is still far off.”Before Xu Changlin could respond, another scholar chimed in with a laugh, ‘You must have forgotten that the South Dorm also has a holiday tomorrow?” If you ask me, Brother Changlin is making the most of this time on the road to meet the young marquis waiting for him at the foot of the mountain.”

He deliberately winked and spoke in a teasing tone.

The first scholar slapped his palm in sudden realization. “How foolish of me!”

The one who had interjected added, “How about a wager for a round of drinks? The South Dorm always dismisses earlier than we do. I wonder if the young marquis will come to meet him today.”

“Is there any doubt?” someone else joked. “It’d be worth a jug of wine only if he doesn’t show up.”

As their remarks grew increasingly impertinent, Xu Changlin closed his book and frowned. “It is unbecoming of gentlemen to gossip about others behind their backs.”

“Understood, our virtuous Xu,” the scholar replied, unbothered by his stern expression, and cheerfully added, “Have fun with the young marquis tomorrow!”

Soon, they reached the foot of the mountain, but to their surprise, the familiar figure was nowhere to be seen by the stone stele near the gate. Everyone froze for a moment, and Xu Changlin, too, stood still, clenching and then loosening his grip on the book.

The scholar who had proposed the wager awkwardly muttered, “Perhaps the young marquis was held up by something today.”

The others quickly began making excuses for the young marquismentioning that a eunuch in official robes had visited the academy dean a few days prior, or that the South Dorm had been overwhelmed with coursework lately.

Meanwhile, the subject of their discussion was still at the back of Qingyun Mountain, crouched on a rocky outcrop, staring blankly into the air.

[What does ‘bankruptcy’ mean?] Luo Chuchen asked.

The system felt awkward but pressed on: [It means our headquarters has gone bankrupt. Now all of us systems are being recalled, and there’s no need to continue with the conquest missions.]

Luo Chuchen’s mind buzzed, and he instinctively glanced at the value in the upper right corner of his vision.

He had just completed a daily task yesterday, and his life value was still at 85%.

In this world, he lost 3% of his life value every day. In other words, if the system left, he would only have 28 days to live.

This was the sixteenth year since Luo Chuchen had crossed into this world.

Originally, Luo Chuchen had been an ordinary prospective university student who had just received his art exam results. Unfortunately, fate had cut his life short. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself as a young child in ancient times, with a system in his mind that warned him he would die if he didn’t complete tasks.

According to the system’s explanation, because Luo Chuchen was an external soul, he would face rejection from this world, causing his life points to drop daily. The longer he stayed, the more they would decrease, so he had to complete tasks to exchange for life points provided by the system.

The system was a conquest system, with the main task being to raise the target’s affection level to 100%. In addition, the system would issue many daily random tasks as supplements.

Unfortunately, for the first dozen or so years, Luo Chuchen had never found his conquest target and could only complete daily tasks with minimal rewards. His life points hovered around 20%, making him appear as a frail and sickly person to outsiders.

Luckily, in this world, he was the legitimate eldest son of the Pingyang Marquis in the capital. No matter how poor his health, he was always supplied with precious medicinal herbs to sustain his life, exchanging them for a small amount of life points.

However, when Luo Chuchen was twelve, political turmoil struck the capital. The Pingyang Marquis and his wife were caught in the conflict and died unexpectedly. Luo Chuchen was sent back to his ancestral home in Yunzhou and transferred to the Shifang Academy run by his maternal grandfather.

Unexpectedly, the system’s designated conquest target, Xu Changlin, happened to be at the academy. With no other choice, Luo Chuchen began a four-year “conquest routine” sporadic and half-hearted efforts just to scrape together enough life points to survive.

Luo Chuchen considered himself to have a good temper. No matter how bizarre the tasks the system assigned, he could grit his teeth and complete them.

But now, 28 days!

Even someone as calm as Luo Chuchen couldn’t help but wish he could drag the system out of his mind, throw it on the ground, and stomp on it a few times.

Suppressing his impatience, he asked, “Then what about my life points?”

The system replied, “Don’t worry, our headquarters has come up with a unified solution.”

Every world had its own child of fortune. While the system existed in this world, it would suppress this individual. However, after the system left, as long as Luo Chuchen stayed close to this child of fortune, he could gain varying amounts of life points.

In other words, as long as Luo Chuchen found this world’s child of fortune, he could survive.

“There are so many people in the world, how could I possibly find him?” Luo Chuchen said.

The system replied, “I really can’t help with that. But he should be in the capital. Back when you hadn’t yet arrived in Yunzhou, I secretly detected that the child of fortune, once in the capital, usually wouldn’t leave easily. The capital has the dragon vein.”

Luo Chuchen guessed, “Someone in the palace?”

The system, however, said, “Not necessarily. In most cases, the emperor is not the child of fortune. The capital isn’t that big if you search around, you’ll find him.”

As luck would have it, a few days earlier, Luo Chuchen had received an imperial decree ordering him to return to the capital to inherit the title of Pingyang Marquis and his family’s estate.

In this world, sixteen was considered adulthood.

Unable to refuse the imperial decree, Luo Chuchen had spent the past few days frantically completing tasks, hoping to max out his life points before returning to the capital.

“The value panel will remain for you to check your life points at any time,” the system said, noticing Luo Chuchen’s silence. “After all, we’ve been together for over a decade. I wish you success in finding the child of fortune and living a good life in this world.”

Before leaving, the system felt a twinge of reluctance.

Watching the young man crouched on the large rock with a rather bewildered expression, the system couldn’t help but nag a few words while inwardly despising its own mother-hen mentality: [Generally speaking, the chosen ones of fate are exceptional individuals, and your life force will fluctuate when you’re near them.]

Luo Chuchen nodded.

The system continued: [Although you don’t need to complete the conquest mission anymore, don’t let your relationship with Xu Changlin become too strained. He’s a person of good character and excellent knowledge, he’s bound to become the top scholar in the imperial examinations. It’s good to remain friends. Also, your life force is still a ticking time bomb. You must take better care of your health: stay up less reading novels, eat fewer sweets, and exercise more. Understood?]

Luo Chuchen nodded again and again.

The system thought to itself, Even if you understand, you probably won’t follow through. Though still uneasy, it was time to leave. Unable to bring itself to speak harshly, it gritted its teeth and detached from this world.

Luo Chuchen suddenly felt a lightness in both body and mind, as if something had been stripped away from him. Guessing that the system had left, he tentatively called out once. Receiving no response, he knew it had truly returned.

His emotions were complicated, but there was no time for melancholy. Feeling the urgency of time, he thought it best to return to the capital as soon as possible, ideally by the next day.

The sun was already setting. Having crouched for too long, Luo Chuchen’s legs had gone numb. He jumped off the rock to stretch his limbs, then hurried back to the lecture hall to retrieve his belongings before rushing down the mountain.

As he approached the gate at the foot of the mountain, Luo Chuchen spotted a figure standing by the stone tablet in the distance. Drawing closer, he realized it was Xu Changlin, no longer wearing the academy’s plain robe but changed into casual attire of bamboo-green with subtly embroidered white magnolias, his eyes lowered as he read a book.

Why does this person read no matter where he is?

Luo Chuchen felt awkward, knowing Xu Changlin was likely waiting for him, and grew even more guilty. He thought to himself, Your favorability toward me is only 70, why bother?

But now, survival was the most important thing. Unwilling to entangle with him further, Luo Chuchen noticed Xu Changlin hadn’t spotted him. He lightened his footsteps, carefully turned around and hurried home along another mountain path.