Chapter 2: Cannon Fodder's Tragedy

Lie Zhanfeng trudged through the uneven paths leading to the village, his thoughts sharp as he processed both the original owner’s memories and his own. Around him, villagers glanced warily, their whispers trailing like thorns.

“There he is again. What trouble will he cause this time?”

“Doesn’t he ever learn? Always sneaking around.”

“Keep your distance. That thug’s bad news.”

Lie Zhanfeng ignored their remarks, brushing past them without a second glance. Let them gossip—he had no interest in correcting their assumptions. There were bigger matters at hand.

Ahead stood the shack that passed for his home, a structure so decrepit it seemed ready to collapse under its own weight. The roof sagged, the walls leaned precariously, and the door creaked ominously as he stepped inside. The interior was as dismal as expected: a splintered table, a rickety chair, and a pile of thin, worn blankets shoved into one corner.

Lie Zhanfeng removed his outer robe, baring his upper body. Muscles honed by years of hard labor rippled under his skin, and his skin was tanned due to constant exposure to the sun.

He glanced at the cracked mirror leaning against the wall. The reflection staring back at him was uncannily familiar. The original body looked about eight points similar to his own, but younger.

Lie Zhanfeng examined his face–Sharp eyes, Sword eyebrows, High-bridged nose, and a strong jawline. But where Lie Zhanfeng's features exuded strength and confidence, the original body's face was worn and rough, marked by a life of suffering.

He wasn't surprised when he found out that the body's original owner have the same name as him, but to look almost exactly the same? That's another matter to ponder. Perhaps, it's fate.

Lie Zhanfeng sighed, and sorted out the memories––The memories of this body painted a grim picture; The boy is currently fourteen years old, an orphan branded as a troublemaker by the village. He survived through theft, scraps of work, and sheer stubbornness. Every day was a battle, every moment a struggle to stay alive.

But none of that compared to what lay ahead.

Lie Zhanfeng leaned back, sorting through the fragmented knowledge he’d brought with him into this world. Conqueror of Hearts and Realms. The book he’d read in his past life wasn’t just a novel—it was now his roadmap to survival.

The original body’s owner had been a minor character in the book, a nameless boy who stumbled upon an inheritance cave in the depths of Westmount. Within the cave were treasures that would change any cultivator’s fate: spiritual herbs, ancient artifacts, and the bracelet.

Lie Zhanfeng’s gaze narrowed. The bracelet wasn’t just any treasure. In the novel, it was a spatial artifact with properties far surpassing ordinary storage tools. Its internal dimension had accelerated time flow, making it invaluable for cultivating spiritual herbs, refining pills, or even training. But the boy hadn’t known its worth.

The boy’s fate had been a cruel twist. Before he could sell the herbs and artifacts to escape his miserable existence, he crossed paths with Zhao Tianyun, the so-called righteous protagonist. Zhao Tianyun had offered an unfair price for the boy’s findings. When the boy refused, Zhao Tianyun labeled him “greedy” and killed him, taking everything for himself.

Lie Zhanfeng’s jaw tightened. In the novel, Zhao Tianyun had used one of the herbs to cure his fiancée, Xie Ruyue, of a debilitating cold poison. This act had won him the Xie family’s favor, solidifying his influence in their ranks. The same family that had shunned and exploited Xie Dongyi, an essential figure in the larger narrative.

“What a joke,” Lie Zhanfeng muttered bitterly. “Greedy? All he wanted was to survive.”

Lie Zhanfeng was a business man in his previous life and he knows the twists and turns of entrepreneurship. In fact, an ancient artifact itself is a priceless treasure that even strong powerhouses would covet. Unfortunately, this body's original owner didn't know that. If Zhao Tianyun would resort to murder just to get these spoils, it means he knew the true value of the artifacts, but Zhao Tianyun refused to compromise because the original owner is just a mortal.

The novel had painted Zhao Tianyun as a beacon of justice, but Lie Zhanfeng saw the truth. Zhao Tianyun was a predator who cloaked his greed in righteousness, preying on those too powerless to defend themselves.

Lie Zhanfeng recalls that the novel had presented the bracelet as a fortunate encounter for the protagonist, glossing over its origins. But now Lie Zhanfeng knew the truth. The so-called hero had stolen it—killing the original owner under the pretense of punishing greed.

Pushing off the table, Lie Zhanfeng grabbed a crude map the boy had sketched in his belongings. He paused for a moment before marking the location of Westmount—a treacherous path through dense forests and rocky terrain. It wasn’t far, but it wasn’t without danger either. According to the book, spiritual beasts, poisonous flora, and natural traps made the journey perilous, even for seasoned adventurers.

Due to the original owner's limited ability, he only ventured the periphery of Westmount. That's why the map only have a general idea of its location and not the detailed outline of Westmount itself.

The body's original owner was lucky enough to survive without any preparation in the original plot, but Lie Zhanfeng wasn't stupid enough to be complacent.

The journey ahead is full of danger, of course he wasn’t deterred either.

Lie Zhanfeng rifled through the boy’s belongings, pulling out a pouch of dried food, a dull knife, and a coil of rope. It wasn’t much, but it would do for now. His stomach grumbled loudly, and he sighed.

"Alright, alright. You’ll get fed soon enough," he muttered to himself, shaking the pouch as if expecting it to magically produce more food.

He glanced at the map tucked among the boy’s meager possessions, his gaze lingering on the crude markings that led to the cave. The Void Bracelet was there, a treasure worth risking one’s life for. But rushing into danger unprepared? That was a fool’s move.

He folded the map carefully, tucking it away. "No need to act like a starving dog over a bone," he mused. "First, fill the stomach. Then, worry about the shiny things."

Lie Zhanfeng stood and stretched, feeling the ache in his back from sleeping on the hard ground. As much as he disliked the idea, his first priority was earning some coin. He didn’t plan to stick his neck out unnecessarily, but life wasn’t always so accommodating.

"If people leave me alone, I’ll do the same," he said aloud, as though negotiating with the universe. "But if Zhao Tianyun thinks I’ll roll over and play dead, he’s in for a rude awakening." His eyes narrowed, a flicker of steel in his expression. "I don’t mind playing nice—until someone makes me play dirty."

He chuckled at his own words, patting the knife at his belt. "Look at me, trying to sound all tough. I’m just a hungry man with a blunt knife and no money."

Turning toward the road, Lie Zhanfeng began his walk toward the nearest town, muttering as he went. "Let’s start with the basics: food, money, and maybe some pants that don’t smell like a dead squirrel. After that, we’ll talk about treasure and revenge."

The path ahead was far from glorious, but for now, he’d take it one step—and one meal—at a time.