Qin Ke slowly opened her eyes. What greeted her was a dim sky, and beneath her body came a hard, icy sensation. After carefully feeling it, she realized she was lying on solid, compacted earth.
The soil carried a distinct scent—the humid, decaying fragrance of nature mixed with the raw aroma of the earth—drilling into her nose and stirring her most primal instincts.
Looking around, she found herself sprawled on the dirt ground, her body covered in bits of grass. Though her clothes weren't tattered, they were patched all over. Sitting up, she sniffed at herself with disgust—the heavy smell of alcohol mixed with sweat. Fortunately, the temperature was mild; otherwise, she might have frozen to death drunk on the roadside.
She rubbed her groggy head. The aftermath of the hangover made her skull feel like it was splitting. Propping up her limp body, she sat for a long time before managing to piece together her situation.
A few days ago, she had finally finished a major project after working overtime for nights on end. The company gave everyone a short break. Ever since graduating and becoming an overworked corporate drone, she rarely had the chance to relax or travel, so she decided to use the holiday to take a trip.
But just as she arrived at her destination, while shopping at a mall, bad luck struck: someone with a knife began attacking people—specifically targeting lone women and underaged individuals. Qin Ke, unfortunately, became one of his chosen victims.
When the blade pierced her abdomen, she was still in shock. Warm blood soaked her clothes. She couldn't even describe the pain. She opened her mouth, but not even a cry for help came out before she collapsed helplessly onto the floor.
As her blood drained, her consciousness blurred. Her final memory of that world was chaotic footsteps and the twisted face of the vicious attacker pinned to the ground.
She only hoped people wouldn't claim afterward that the man had a mental illness and let him escape legal punishment.
Qin Ke thought drowsily. Even if he did have a mental disorder, he selectively chose victims—he never challenged anyone who could fight back.
When she opened her eyes again, she saw the scene before her now. Had someone saved her in the end? No—when she raised her hand, she froze. This wasn't her hand. Strictly speaking, this wasn't her body. Even the gender was wrong.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host. System Mall successfully bound."
"Who's talking?" Qin Ke looked around, but no one was there. She was lying on a desolate rural path surrounded by endless open land—not even a shadow in sight.
"Greetings, Host. I am System Mall No. 052. You died from blood loss in your previous world, but at the final moment, I bound myself to you. Please cherish this second life."
This time, Qin Ke noticed the voice sounded inside her mind. She recalled the novels she used to read in college where characters transmigrated after binding systems. Although the thought of having something inside her brain felt unsafe, at least she had gained a new life for free.
"Do not worry, Host. The system prospers with the host and perishes with the host. I will not overly interfere in your life."
"You can read my thoughts?" Qin Ke's expression darkened. Someone accessing her mind without permission made her feel even more uneasy.
"If the Host wishes, this function may be disabled."
She immediately turned it off without hesitation, then began analyzing her current situation. "This body is male. Why did I transmigrate into this one?"
"Because the Host and this body share certain connections and it is the most compatible option. Without explicit instructions, the system chooses the optimal match." The system's tone was rigid—more like an AI from her previous world.
"Then how am I supposed to live in this body without arousing suspicion?"
"Would the Host like to accept this body's memories?"
Qin Ke confirmed. In the next moment, unfamiliar memories flooded her mind like a projected film. Her already aching head throbbed even harder. When she finally digested everything, she sat frozen in place as if struck by lightning.
The original owner had collapsed here drunk. Qin Ke had already sensed he wasn't a good person, but reality was far worse than she imagined.
She indeed came to an ancient era—but not one matching any known dynasty. She suspected this wasn't Earth's past at all but another world entirely, diverging from Earth's history at some unknown point.
Still, history followed familiar patterns. Society had left the age of slavery, and this was now a feudal kingdom.
The emperor had ruled for over ten years, but the original owner knew little else. After all, he could barely read, and his daily concerns revolved around trivial village matters. He didn't care who sat on the throne.
His name was also Qin Ke. He was eighteen—an age when many in the village were already married, given the shorter lifespans of this era. Yet no matchmaker ever wanted to visit the Qin household on his behalf.
The original owner was idle and useless—drinking, gambling, and lazing around. He indulged in everything except visiting brothels. His family consisted of deceased parents, grandparents, two uncles' families, and a rarely-seen aunt who married out early.
His father had been honest and simple, earning little affection from Qin Ke's grandfather. He worked himself to exhaustion for the family. When he was killed years ago by a tiger from the mountain, Qin Ke's grandmother treated him and his frail mother even worse—cutting their food rations and refusing medical help.
Thus, two winters ago, a severe illness claimed the life of the last person who cared for him.
Heartbroken and resentful, the original Qin Ke grew to hate his relatives. Under the coaxing of ill-intentioned people, he began frequenting gambling dens, making disreputable friends, and drinking himself senseless.
After his relatives paid off his gambling debts twice, they immediately called the village chief to split the family, insisting they would not let this good-for-nothing drag the entire Qin household down.
So the original Qin Ke was kicked out and given a shabby mud-and-thatch hut at the edge of the village along with a few acres of barren land.
Wait—?
As Qin Ke sifted through the memories again, she realized the original owner wasn't entirely alone. There was still a woman he had bought from the town.
Yes—bought.
That day, he had unusually good luck at the gambling den and won some money. As he swaggered down the street thinking of drinking, he happened to pass a brothel where a trafficker was haggling with the madam. Among the crowd, he spotted a woman standing at the very back—her clothes stained with dirt.
Qin Ke frowned. This part of the memory was extremely blurry. According to the original owner, he had acted like he'd lost his mind—taking out all the money he won and buying her on the spot. When he brought her home and sobered up, he was furious, feeling he must have been insane to spend everything on a disfigured woman.
Penniless, he vented all his anger on her—not only beating and scolding her, but refusing her food. Yet because she was someone he had paid for, he tied her up whenever he went out drinking, afraid she would escape.