Surviving the Ancient Angst Novel [Transmigration] - Chapter 8

System time: 23:55. We finally reached our destination.

When we arrived, over a dozen people were already standing by the lakeshore, led by two individuals carrying glass lanterns.

A stone monument stood at the edge of Guya Lake, with the three characters for “Guya Lake” traced in eerie, blood-red ink. The lake’s surface was a disturbing, murky dark green so deep the bottom was invisible, appearing like a pool of stagnant, dead water.

The man in sturdy attire helped Chu Mei hide behind a giant boulder by the shore, whispering to her not to come out. He then led us over to the two groups already present, chatting in low voices with the other “Guides.”

At some point in the conversation, the man glanced back at us. As if afraid we might overhear, he led the other two Guides to a spot far in the distance.

As soon as the three Guides left, the deathly silence of the scene finally broke.

A few newcomers huddled together, sighing with lingering fear. “That scared the life out of me.”

“I thought I was going to die here today.”

“I came here to learn martial arts, not to be bullied!” someone complained, teeth clenched and face darkening.

A muddy footprint was still stamped across his face; he looked beyond ridiculous making such a serious expression.

“That’s nothing. I was forced to drink their urine!” a youth with no visible injuries said, his nose wrinkling in fury.

The moment he said that, a ten-meter radius around him cleared instantly. Everyone scrambled three paces away.

“I was wondering where that smell was coming from.”

“Ugh—gross.”

The youth: “…” He was so angry he started crying on the spot.

“I don’t want to stay in this hellhole for a single second longer,” the guy with the footprint said viciously, yet his feet remained rooted to the spot, not moving an inch.

I quietly observed the people present. Everyone was sporting some kind of injury. Aside from the “urine-drinking youth,” the “footprint guy,” and the blue-robed boy next to me, everyone looked pretty battered. It seemed they had suffered quite a bit today.

They stood with heads bowed; some looked despondent, others vacant, but most remained silent.

Just then, the blue-robed boy beside me spoke up mockingly: “Don’t want to stay? Then leave. Why aren’t you leaving? No one’s stopping you.”

“You!” The footprint guy’s mouth twisted in rage, but he didn’t actually come over to pick a fight.

The blue-robed boy let out a huff and tucked his hands into his sleeves, shivering. “Oh, I’m so scared~”

The footprint guy sputtered another “You!”, his cheeks trembling with anger. His gaze shifted to me, standing nearby, and he suddenly glared at me with pure venom.

Me: ??? What does this have to do with me?

I looked at the blue-robed boy, then back at myself. Oh, I get it. We have one thing in common: neither of us is injured. He probably assumes we’re a team.

Thanks for the reminder. I gave him a grateful smile.

The footprint guy huffed and continued to glare at me with a sour expression.

I turned away and called the system. ‘Do you have any blood packs?’

The system appeared quickly this time: 【Yes. One tael of silver per pack.】

‘A tael?’ I was currently penniless.

【It can be deducted from your salary card in the modern world.】

Me: ‘…’ Should I call it a “System Scammer”?

System time: 00:46. The last wave of people finally arrived.

In that group, I saw Qiao Kaiheng. He was being supported by Bai Mo and Nangong Hu, his head hanging low and his feet practically dragging on the ground. His entire back and shoulder were soaked in blood.

All of them were deathly pale, their eyes filled with a fear so thick it wouldn’t dissolve. They kept looking around nervously as they walked, like startled rabbits.

I didn’t see Li Yajin, Gao Mang, or the four children. I didn’t know if they were still alive.

The Guide who brought them led them to the lakeshore with a smile, then left to talk to the other Guides.

The blue-robed boy next to me noticed I was staring and asked curiously, “You know them?”

I snapped out of it and nodded. “We were in the same group.”

Perhaps my expression was particularly grim, because the boy’s eyes flickered. He gave me a piece of well-meaning advice: “Those few have already been marked. If you want to live, pretend you don’t know them from now on.”

I took a deep breath. My gaze drifted back to Qiao Kaiheng; seeing him in this state made my heart feel inexplicably heavy.

The blue-robed boy shrugged nonchalantly. “Friendship is the most worthless thing in this place.”

I nodded and withdrew my gaze, deflated. “You’re right.” Indeed, there was nothing I could change.

Seeing how sensible I was, the boy smiled in approval. “You’re a smart one.”

I let out a dry, hollow laugh. It wasn’t about being smart; it was just a difference in goals. Some transmigrators might want to be a hero everyone looks up to. Me? I just want to be an average Joe, survive for ninety years, and go back to the modern world.

I don’t want to be involved with any of these “paper characters.” Every man for himself, or the heavens will destroy him. Expecting me to turn into a “Holy Father” and sacrifice myself to save every tragic protagonist is less likely than a pig flying.

System time: 01:10. The Hour of the Rat had passed.

A group of people slowly emerged from the forest. Leading them was the middle-aged man with the Orange Jade who had greeted us yesterday. He still wore that kind, gentle smile. He scanned the crowd of traumatized, trembling newcomers, then raised his hand.

Three “White Jade” attendants stepped forward, each carrying a tray. I noticed that the trays were filled with pieces of white jade, but the quantities were different.

One tray held only two pieces of white jade tied with red strings. Yes, only two.

Another tray held eight pieces tied with blue strings.

The last tray had the most: fifteen pieces tied with green strings.

The middle-aged man spoke softly to the three Yellow Jade disciples behind him. “Go ahead and call the names.”

These three were likely the ones in charge of this recruitment. They seemed to recognize almost every newcomer present. I inferred this because I saw the “Man in Green” among them (the one who had originally brought Qiao Kaiheng and me into the sect with Mei Renteng).

His gaze swept over me, Qiao Kaiheng, and three other newcomers I didn’t know. When he reached Qiao Kaiheng, his gaze lingered for a moment longer.

“Jian’an, you go first,” the middle-aged man said, turning his head.

The white-robed Jian’an stepped out. With his hands behind his back and a smiling gaze, he looked at the blue-robed boy next to me. “Nie Gaoming, step forward.”

Nie Gaoming wiped the mud from his cheek and walked forward with a brisk, confident stride. Jian’an looked him over, then reached for a red-stringed white jade from the tray.

“Nie Gaoming. Superior White.”

He displayed the jade to the crowd and to the middle-aged man before solemnly placing it in Nie Gaoming’s hands. Nie Gaoming grinned, thanked him, and stood behind Jian’an.

This sudden scene was like a bucket of water thrown into hot oil. The previously silent crowd erupted instantly.

“What does this mean? ‘Superior White’? Does that mean the other trays are ‘Medium’ and ‘Lower’?”

“What are the criteria?”

“Only two Superiors? Why did he get one of them already?”

“Does it make a difference?”

“Why are you asking if it makes a difference? Rare things are always better. Superior must be the best!”

“Why the hell did he get a Superior?”

“Didn’t you see? He’s barely injured!”

As soon as those words were uttered, the “urine youth” and the “footprint guy” were filled with instant hope. One scrambled to a secluded corner to spit frantically, trying to freshen his breath. The other used his sleeve to rub his face so hard it looked like he wanted to peel off the half of his face that bore the shameful mark.

I stroked my chin, observing the various reactions with interest. Everyone was eyeing that last Superior jade with burning greed, ready to fight for it.

Me? I kept my eyes fixed on the modest “Medium” jades in the middle. I was calculating how to get my hands on one of those. As a professional background character, my goal is to be neither outstanding nor a failure. Not to be noticed, and not to be envied.

If I can just keep my life, that’s enough.

“Xin Jie,” Jian’an called out after letting the discussion continue for a while.

The footprint guy’s eyes lit up. He dropped his sleeve and hurried forward.

Jian’an looked him over and said slowly, “Medium White.”

The footprint guy froze for a few seconds before snapping: “Why?! I’m not injured either!!”

Jian’an picked up a blue-stringed jade and held it out. “This is yours.”

“I don’t accept this!” The footprint guy swiped the jade onto the ground, where it instantly shattered into three pieces.

The smile on Jian’an’s face vanished.

“Lower White,” he said flatly. He took a green-stringed jade from the other tray.

Immediately, attendants stepped forward, forced Xin Jie to his knees, and pinned him down. Jian’an crouched and patiently tied the green-stringed jade to the man’s waist. He stood up and ordered, “Take him away.”

The attendants dragged the footprint guy toward the lake.

“It’s not fair! This isn’t fair at all!!”

He only managed to scream those words before the attendants shoved his head into the lake.

The noisy whispering died instantly. This move successfully “killed the chicken to warn the monkeys.” Everyone began to feel the weight of their own danger; no one dared to shout about fairness anymore.

Jian’an continued calling names, handing out two more Medium jades and two Lower ones. Those four accepted them submissively and stood in their designated spots.

Once Jian’an finished, it was the Man in Green’s turn.

“Biyun,” the middle-aged man nodded to him.

Biyun stepped forward. He seemed to have a fondness for green; today he wore a dark green cross-collar robe that made his hair look blacker and his skin whiter. After not seeing him for a while, the Man in Green was still as fresh and beautiful as a dew-covered flower.

I just wondered if his impression of me was still stuck on my “unique” orchid fingers and eunuch voice from before. If he gives me a Lower jade, things are going to get ugly.

System: 【Don’t worry, Yin Chen. With a high-ranking official present, Biyun won’t hand out jades haphazardly.】