Chapter Three: Rewriting Life

“Rain, close your eyes!”

Xue Chengqian barked sharply.

Then, with a decisive slash, the broken blade came down. The sound of metal scraping against spine echoed sharply. Gritting his teeth, Xue Chengqian exerted more force, and the vagrant’s head soared high into the air before crashing onto the ground.

Even in death, his eyes remained wide open, unwilling to rest.

No matter what, he never expected that merely taking on the task of kidnapping the girl for the murderous woman would cost him his life. As the head landed on the snow, Xue Chengqian raised his foot and kicked it far away.

Only then did he turn and walk back the way he came.

Holding the bloodied blade tightly, the surrounding refugees, terrified out of their wits, paled and hurriedly gave way, fearing that any sudden movement would provoke the killing god before them.

[Beep, life trajectory rewritten. Please review, host.]

The system’s notification sounded.

“Just as I thought!”

Xue Chengqian felt a momentary relief, though his face remained cold and stern. When he returned to the place where he had been resting, he was surprised to find the refugees making space for him, even offering the best spot willingly. Xue Chengqian snorted coldly before setting Rain down and soothing her gently.

He had expected Rain to be terrified.

After all, such a public killing was horrifying. Not only would a child of six or seven years old be scared stiff, even an adult witnessing it would be left with psychological scars.

Unexpectedly, Rain wiped the blood from his face with her small, dark hand and hugged him tightly.

“Brother, Rain isn’t afraid.”

Those words instantly eased the tension in Xue Chengqian’s heart.

It was worth it.

He spoke softly to Rain for a while until she drifted off into a deep sleep again. Only then did Xue Chengqian eagerly open the system interface.

The familiar holographic projection appeared anew.

He noticed that in the section originally labeled “Life Trajectory,” an eraser had appeared out of nowhere, wiping away the predetermined path. Line by line, new words began to emerge.

[……]

[You were fully prepared, striking first and slaying three men like a killing god. Then, in front of dozens of refugees, you beheaded one to establish your terrifying reputation. With a fierce will to survive, you overcame this trial and lived through it.]

[Because of this, Xue Rain avoided being sold into the brothel by the murderous woman. But the murderous woman’s evil deeds have earned her many enemies. Will she really let you siblings off so easily?]

[Beep, congratulations, host, for rewriting your predetermined fate. Physique +1, Destiny Points +10.]

Seeing this, Xue Chengqian’s fist clenched involuntarily.

“So the fate that was written can be rewritten. I’ve changed my own destiny.”

For a moment, his mind was a whirlwind of emotions.

But soon, he cast those feelings aside. In such chaotic times, to indulge in such emotions was the greatest burden. Xue Chengqian had long prepared himself mentally.

Only…

“What exactly are these Physique and Destiny Points?”

Squinting, Xue Chengqian instinctively glanced at the rewritten destiny.

Whether it was the system sensing his thoughts or something else, the next moment, another small screen projection appeared in front of the hologram.

Xue Chengqian:

Physique: 3 points

Intelligence: 4 points

Agility: 5 points

Destiny Points: 10 points

[Note: Rewriting your predetermined fate grants varying amounts of Destiny Points, which can be exchanged in the shop interface. The higher your Destiny Points, the better the rewards.]

“Shop?”

Xue Chengqian blinked in surprise. He could understand Physique, Intelligence, and Agility — they resembled character stats in a game. But after looking carefully, he found no option for a shop.

However, Xue Chengqian didn’t dwell on it.

The intense battle had left him physically and mentally exhausted, barely able to think. He leaned against Rain and drifted into a light sleep.

Unbeknownst to him, not far away, a pair of eyes were watching him intently.

“What a ruthless kid—brave, clever, and bold. A promising talent.”

A middle-aged man stood beneath a locust tree, gazing at the resting Xue Chengqian with a faint smile.

“Boss Luo, is he really that formidable? He only killed four scheming vagrants. Any one of us could do that.” A short-haired young woman behind him pouted in displeasure.

Luo Fang was unperturbed.

“Kang Yu, capability isn’t the key. You’re all seasoned fighters. Dealing with a few flashy vagrants is nothing.”

“But that kid is barely seventeen and already so daring—that’s impressive.”

“Striking first, killing to establish a reputation—at least in our band of fighters, very few have that kind of ability. Tomorrow morning, let’s send someone to see if he’s willing to join our stick fighters.”

“Others fear the murderous woman, but I, Luo Fang, once served in the army as a youth. Though I’ve fallen on hard times here in Xue Lake, I’m not afraid of those tricksters.”

“Boss!”

“Do as I say.”

After speaking, Luo Fang turned and left.

But Kang Yu sneered slightly, displeased.

She thought to herself that this kid surnamed Xue was absurdly lucky to have caught the boss’s eye. Among the tens of thousands of refugees outside Wangxue City, most were scattered and fought for themselves. Only two or three groups had enough strength to challenge the murderous woman.

And Luo Fang’s military background made him one of them.