On a rugged mountain path, two gaunt men with sunken cheeks and tattered clothes blocked the way of a young girl, their eyes gleaming with hunger and greed.
"Heh heh... a child!"
"Heh heh... we just ate one, and now another!"
Man Sui looked at the two of them and recalled the stories her family once told her—about the starving ghouls that ate children.
Her father had vanished after leaving home, while her mother and younger brother had been killed by corrupt officials.
Now, she deeply regretted not listening to the immortal earlier—she should have slaughtered all those greedy officials.
As the ravenous ghouls lunged toward her, a blade materialized in Man Sui's hand out of thin air. With one swift strike, she decapitated the first attacker. The second man, terrified by the sight, turned to flee.
Man Sui threw the blade—
It pierced straight through the ghoul's chest, sending him sprawling lifeless to the ground as his blood soaked the dirt.
"I act by Heaven's will—to end this cannibalistic age of chaos."
Raising her small fist, Man Sui whispered the oath.
Ever since she had received divine power in her dreams, she had felt her body grow stronger by the day. She no longer needed food or drink, and her strength had become so great that she could lift stones weighing hundreds of pounds with ease.
Afraid of being seen as a monster, she often left home secretly to find food for her family—until recently, when she returned to find her brother dead from illness.
Her mother had noticed her strange changes. Under her questioning, Man Sui confessed everything and even demonstrated the immortal's power.
Upon hearing it, her mother smiled.
She told Man Sui to obey the immortal's will—to become a ruler who could bring peace to the people and end their suffering.
That night, they spoke for a long time.
The next morning, when Man Sui returned from gathering wild vegetables, she found her mother had hanged herself.
She stood there for a long time, unable to understand why her mother had taken her own life.
It wasn't until she had wandered alone for dozens of days that she began to understand.
In the past, she would have been terrified to stray too far from home.
But now, she feared nothing.
She had once refused to raise an army in rebellion because she feared implicating her family.
Now, with her family gone—there was nothing left to lose.
Man Sui wanted to find her father.
But recalling her mother's words, she changed her mind.
Her father was likely already dead.
If he were alive, he would have returned long ago.
Spending years searching for her father's killer would be too slow.
She would go to the capital, slay the pig demon—the emperor—and claim the throne. Then, she would command all to seek out her father's murderer.
She would end this cannibalistic age of chaos.
For she was Heaven's chosen.
That was what her mother had told her.
But ever since she had refused the immortal's earlier command to rebel, the divine voice had never spoken to her again.
She no longer knew how to bring an end to this world where men devoured men.
Along the way, Man Sui saw countless refugees. The way they looked at her—hollow, ravenous—made it clear they saw her as food.
But she was no ordinary child.
The immortal's power made her immensely strong.
Even if hundreds or thousands attacked, Man Sui felt she could kill them all.
Reaching Baishui City, she stopped to gather information.
She learned that in Chang'an, many missionaries from the western nations of the Church of Revelation were distributing food and helping the starving.
So Man Sui decided to travel to Chang'an. The entire Shaanxi region was in turmoil—natural disasters and famine for years on end had driven many to rebellion or banditry.
She had considered raising her own army like them, but she had no money or food to feed soldiers—having them would only slow her down.
It would be better to reach Chang'an first, assess the situation, and decide afterward.
Without wasting time, Man Sui continued her journey westward.
The immortal's power allowed her to forgo rest, sleep, and food—she traveled day and night.
Eventually, she reached the great city of Chang'an.
Standing before the towering gates and massive city walls, Man Sui felt no awe.
The immortal's power surged through her veins—she knew she could easily shatter or leap over those walls if she wished.
As she approached the gate, the guards stopped her.
"Hey, refugee girl! If you're looking for food, go over there."
The guard pointed toward a line of refugees. The relief effort wasn't run by the imperial court, but by missionaries from the western Church of Revelation, guarded by soldiers armed with firearms to maintain order.
"I'm not hungry. I want to enter the city," Man Sui said calmly.
Man Sui glanced at the guard, her tone cold. From the bandits she had met along the road, she had already learned how powerful she had become.
Arrows, firearms, and blades could no longer harm her in the slightest.
Now, she intended to seize Chang'an City and recruit her own soldiers.
"Go, go! No refugees allowed inside!" the guard barked, waving her off.
"I want to enter the city. Move, unless you wish to die," Man Sui warned flatly.
"Hahaha! Listen to this brat! Such a big mouth for such a little girl!"
"Look at those skinny arms—she doesn't even have two taels of flesh, and she dares threaten a soldier of the garrison!"
"Hahaha!"
The guards burst into laughter, joined by several others nearby.
"Move aside, don't block others from entering."
He reached out to push her away.
Man Sui suddenly grabbed the man's hand—and with a casual motion, flung him through the air.
The other guards and passersby froze in shock.
How could a tiny girl, her thigh thinner than their arms, toss a grown armored man like that?
"From this moment on, this city belongs to me."
A blue light shimmered in Man Sui's hand, forming into a long blade. With a single swing at the city wall, a crescent-shaped slash of azure energy carved a deep scar into the stone as easily as slicing through tofu.
The guards exchanged terrified glances, swallowing hard. They had heard tales from the Church of Revelation about the Chosen—true rulers appointed by the gods themselves, blessed with divine power.
Each one possessed the might to annihilate armies and destroy nations.
Only under the rule of a Chosen could the people live in peace, with homes full of food and safety.
At first, they thought the westerners' stories were just tall tales.
But now—they had seen one with their own eyes.
"Who are you? What's your name?" one of the guards asked, trembling.
They no longer dared to treat the ragged little girl before them as a mere refugee.
"Man Sui."
The soldiers looked once more at the enormous gash on the wall, then at each other. In silent agreement, they dropped to one knee and cupped their fists.
"We humbly welcome Lady Man Sui to Chang'an City!"
Currently, Chang'an was under the control of the westerners. They had declared that only when this land's Chosen appeared could it be returned.
As for the imperial court, the westerners simply ignored it.
Rumor had it that the court once sent an army against them—but it was easily crushed, sparking rebellions across the empire.
Since then, the court had not dared to provoke the westerners again.
Many witnesses nearby had seen Man Sui's godlike display firsthand.
When they saw the soldiers kneel, they too fell to their knees.
Those further back, seeing the front rows kneel, followed suit in imitation.
Man Sui tilted her head slightly, puzzled. She had been prepared to storm the gates—but now everyone was kneeling.
"Oh, my Angel! Look what I've found—a Chosen dressed in rags!"
A missionary from the Church of Revelation exclaimed as he approached, taking in the sight of Man Sui with her glowing blade and the scarred city wall. In an instant, he understood what had happened.
Still, seeing her tattered clothes left them astonished. No matter how poor a Chosen was, surely they couldn't look this destitute.
Could she be... an impostor?