Gray clouds stretched across the sky, heavy and low, blotting out the sun. Thin rays of sunlight pierced the gloom, falling in scattered streaks across the dry, cracked earth of Blackwater Village. The sound of fowl calling echoed faintly through the air.
A young man woke up, sweat clinging to his face, gasping for air. Looking at his hands, he thought, "Another nightmare…"
He glanced through the window at the scattered sunlight, then quickly stood and dressed in a brown tunic with red and black stripes. A rope belt, looking almost plated, was tied around his waist. Around his neck hung a small golden bead, patterned with dragons and waves.
He opened the door and stepped outside, walking toward the hen pen. He grabbed a wooden bucket and slung it over his shoulder. The walls of the house were old and crumbling, made of wood and stone, deep cracks marking their age.
The young man made his way down the street. Buildings leaned and decayed, walls sagging from neglect. The air was dry, and the land looked parched, like it had not seen rain for years. Villagers moved slowly, carrying empty pots and jars, forming a line at the pond — the village's only source of water.
Zhen Yuan stood among the crowd, forming a long line as the villagers hurried to get their share of water. At the end of the line were a group of burly men, their bodies covered in scars, faces hardened with experience. One of them stepped forward, his voice booming across the crowd.
"Everyone pay the fee! No excuses, or face the consequences! Due to the recent water shortage, the price of water has gone up — two copper coins per bucket!" he announced, slamming his hand against a wooden post for emphasis.
The villagers murmured anxiously, shifting from foot to foot, clutching their empty pots and jars. Some whispered to each other, voices low, "Last month it was only five teal… now two copper coins? That's unfair…" One copper coin was equivalent to ten teal, and the increase had left many struggling to pay.
Some muttered complaints, while others reluctantly counted out the coins, handing them over to the men.
Zhen Yuan thought to himself that most villagers barely earned ten copper coins a month. Now, with the price of water doubled, it was far beyond what many could afford. No one dared argue or complain, for the village's water supply was firmly under the control of the Black Scorpion Gang.
The Black Scorpion Gang — one of the major groups in Blackwater Village — controlled the water supply, and among them were skilled martial artists. Anyone who disobeyed or resisted was killed without mercy. In this god-forsaken world, strength ruled, and the weak were always at the mercy of the strong.
Those who could pay received their share of water, their buckets quickly filled and carried home. Those who could not afford the fee trudged out of the line slowly, heads low, shoulders heavy with disappointment. The line began to shrink as more villagers got their share, leaving only a few struggling to gather the precious liquid.
As time went on, Zhen Yuan reached the post. He slammed down the wooden bucket as the man asked him for his water fee. Zhen Yuan reached into his tunic, pulling out a small pouch, and brought out two copper coins. There go my savings for the month, he thought.
Walking out of the line, he muttered to himself, "Water is a limited resource, monopolized by the strong. In this world, water is worth more than gold."
Making his way back to his house, Zhen Yuan walked through the street where some people shouted out prices for their goods, while others offered fortune-telling services. Everyone must work to earn a living, he thought. Those who cannot… starve to death.
As he continued down the road, a well-kept one-story building caught his eye. A lady stepped out, draped in beautiful fabrics that shimmered faintly in the dim sunlight. The cloth flowed around her, embroidered with delicate patterns that hinted at wealth and status, and her face was partially covered with a silk veil. She smiled at him, licking her lips subtly with her tongue, and said, "Our pavilion is offering a discount today. Would sir care to pay a visit?"
Zhen Yuan quickly shook his head. I have no intention of visiting the pavilion, he thought, refusing politely. Just then, a fat man with balding hair, dressed in ordinary clothing, entered the pavilion carrying a heavy sack of coins. Zhen Yuan watched him walk past and muttered "The Red Rose Pavilion… one of the many places where ladies sell their bodies for money. Most men, forgetting their wives and children at home, come here to buy pleasure."
"This world… it is hell," he thought.