Quick Transmigration: Refusing to Be a Victim's Child

Little did he know that the system he had placed so much hope in was now also struggling to protect itself.

The system had just sensed something was wrong and was trying to leave a mark on the host's mind when it prepared to slip away. However, it had only managed to tear open a spatial rift and escape from the main hall when it was wrapped in a piece of dark yellow canvas floating in mid-air and swallowed whole, becoming a pattern on a ball of energy-nourishing cloth.

"Knock Knock-"

The sound of fingertips tapping on the table echoed in everyone's ears.

The elderly Chu couple were terrified, clutching their child tightly and repeatedly kowtowing and begging for mercy.

"Your Majesty...Your Majesty, spare me...spare my life! I truly do not know why this has happened. I have come to recognize my family according to my daughter's dying wish."

Old Mrs. Chu nodded repeatedly, her forehead bleeding profusely from the repeated kowtows. Her haggard and aged face was filled with fear and unease.

"That's right, we were also fooled by that brat. If we had known... if we had known it was all fake, we wouldn't have been so stupid as to go looking for death!"

She was crying and sniffling by the end.

This is a crime of deceiving the emperor! What if the emperor investigates and executes the entire Chu family?

The elderly couple were filled with deep regret at that moment.

They could only kneel and kowtow, begging the emperor for mercy and to spare their family's lives.

Shao Linshen stood high above, looking down at the elderly Chu couple. His clear, cool voice seemed to possess a subtle magic, drawing everyone in to listen intently.

"Just because of your daughter's dying words, you two went to great lengths, traveling thousands of miles to find her family? Didn't you ever doubt the authenticity of this matter at the time?"

"Moreover, your daughter once served in the palace. After her term ended, she returned home and became pregnant. How could such a major event be kept secret from everyone in the village? Apart from your family, no one else knew about it?"

Where is the midwife who delivered the baby? Raising a child for three years, surely your home would have his clothes and shoes? Do you even remember these things?

"Rumble--"

Shao Linshen's words were like a thunderclap, exploding in the minds of the elderly couple, instantly making their memories, which had been shrouded in mist, clear.

Only then did they realize with horror that their daughter had never been pregnant at all, and that she had not died of heartbreak, but had been attacked by a wild beast while digging for wild vegetables in the mountains, and had been eaten away, leaving only her lower leg.

When the elderly couple saw their daughter's tragic condition, they were devastated and had no choice but to have a carpenter make a dummy, dress it in their daughter's old clothes, and then put it in the coffin for burial.

Most of the elderly people in the village know about this.

Why would they suddenly bring a strange child and travel thousands of miles to the capital to find the child's family?

They even dared to offend the current emperor.

In that instant, the bizarre legends the couple had heard in the village flooded their minds, causing them to scream in terror. They threw their child out of their arms and scrambled behind a pillar, trembling uncontrollably.

"what--"

"A monster! He's a monster!"

"Your Majesty, save me! Your Highness, save me! This thing isn't our grandson..."

"We have no grandsons."

……

The elderly couple shouted and yelled in the hall, and their unruly behavior immediately aroused the dissatisfaction of the palace staff. Guards immediately stepped forward, tied them up, gagged them, and pressed them against the jade slab.

King Wu, on the other hand, was momentarily surprised by this sudden turn of events. After hearing the general truth from the couple, his face darkened.

He glanced at the elderly couple, still writhing and struggling in terror, then at the unconscious child who had been thrown to the ground, and bowed deeply to Shao Lin:

"Your Majesty, these two have deceived the emperor and dared to confuse the royal bloodline. Their crimes are heinous. I propose that their entire families be exterminated as a warning to others."

"Um-"

Upon hearing this, the elderly couple from the Chu family burst into tears and nearly fainted.

Chu Boyu, who was curled up on the ground pretending to faint, was also startled and almost opened his eyes.

The King of Wu continued:

"The Prefect of Jingzhao failed to thoroughly investigate the truth before trespassing into the palace and disturbing His Majesty. His handling of the matter was inappropriate and his abilities were lacking. He should be dismissed from his post as Prefect and demoted to a local county magistrate to gain more experience."

As for Liu Sihu, he was given twenty strokes of the cane and fined one year's salary.

Regarding the punishment of Qian and Liu, Shao Linshen adopted the King of Wu's suggestion.

but--

"The Chu couple were also blinded and made a mistake, committing this grave offense. Since it was an unintentional error, considering their advanced age, they were given thirty strokes of the cane and expelled from the palace."

After saying that, he glanced at a eunuch standing next to him and signaled him to instruct the guards who were about to carry out the execution to just make a show of it, to give them a small punishment as a warning, and not to actually beat them to death.

The other person understood and bowed, carefully following the elderly couple out of the main hall.

When Prefect Qian and others heard their verdict, they breathed a sigh of relief. Although they had lost their official positions, they were fortunate to have such an outcome, considering their involvement in such a life-threatening matter and their carelessness.

The two immediately kowtowed in gratitude and tactfully withdrew from the hall.

With everything else settled, Shao Linshen turned his gaze to Chu Boyu, who lay on the ground with his eyes closed but still moving rapidly. His eyes were icy cold as he said in a deep voice:

"This person behaves strangely and acts very differently from a child. He must be a heretical sorcerer who practices witchcraft."

"Guards, bind him and take him outside the Meridian Gate to be subjected to the torture of branding with hot irons."

As Shao Linshen finished speaking, Chu Boyu felt guards slowly approaching. Knowing he had been exposed and without the system's assistance, he panicked and quickly opened his eyes, kneeling down and shouting upwards:

"No, don't kill me! I'm very useful, Your Majesty. You'll definitely benefit from sparing my life. Really, believe me!"

I can hand-puff gunpowder, and I can even travel through three layers of clothing. "The Barefoot Doctor's Manual," "The Militia Military Training Manual," "The Dual-Use Personnel's Friend"... You've definitely never heard of these things, but I can recite them from memory for you..."

Seeing himself being lifted up by the guards and about to be dragged out of the main hall, Chu Boyu's voice was almost splitting from shouting.

Seeing Emperor Yuankang still sitting unmoved on the dragon throne, Chu Boyu had a flash of inspiration. Remembering the information the dog system had given him earlier, he immediately shouted:

"Your Majesty, I confess! I was actually instructed by someone to come to the palace to deceive and swindle. I confess, I confess everything..."

"Let him in," Shao Linshen said.

The guards who had reached the palace gates stopped and escorted Chu Boyu back into the main hall.

"boom--"

Chu Boyu, bound like an earthworm and thrown heavily to the ground, felt as if his internal organs were about to shift in pain, yet he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly knelt down, adopted a serious attitude, and "confessed" as follows:

“Your Majesty is wise. This humble subject is indeed not a three-year-old child. It is only because I suffer from dwarfism that my appearance has not changed for many years. This is why I gained the favor of Prince Ning. After changing my appearance, I sneaked into the palace with the intention of secretly poisoning Your Majesty.”

As Chu Boyu spoke, he made a throat-slitting gesture. Upon seeing this, King Wu was enraged and kicked him more than ten feet away.

"That's nonsense!"

"Your Majesty, this man's words and deeds are inconsistent, and his behavior is strange. It is truly unacceptable for him to live in this world. I humbly request Your Majesty to execute him immediately to prevent future troubles."

Shao Linshen knew, of course, that this person was deliberately trying to implicate Prince Ning.

But what he needed was a pretext to take action.

Although the Prince of Ning had previously volunteered to guard the imperial tombs, many officials who had been secretly bribed by him, as well as corrupt officials in the court, had not yet been purged.

With the national treasury short of supplies, it's time for a major procurement drive.

Therefore, Shao Lin turned to look at Han Zhong and asked:

"Did you hear what this boy just said clearly?"

Han Zhong bowed and replied:

"Your Majesty, this old servant heard it clearly. I will immediately send someone to take him to the imperial prison for a thorough interrogation and to investigate all those involved."

"Very good." Shaolin nodded deeply in satisfaction.

The master and servant worked together seamlessly, giving no one a chance to argue.

Seeing this, the King of Wu hesitated to speak, thinking that this person was most likely spouting nonsense and that the claim of being instructed by the King of Ning was completely unbelievable.

But when he was about to speak, he would remember the death of Consort Zhou and then silently step aside.

The murder of his mother and the years of poisoning were both irreconcilable feuds. If it were him, he would never let it go.

King Wu thought of his good-for-nothing sons and couldn't help but make plans for them. So he acquiesced to the outcome and tactfully bowed and asked to leave the palace.

Seeing that he was so sensible, Shao Linshen immediately got up and warmly helped him up, promising the Prince of Wu two honorary titles in the court to distribute upon his return.

"Don't worry, follow us. We'll never mistreat our own people."

The King of Wu naturally understood the meaning behind it, and his face was filled with gratitude, wishing he could immediately go through fire and water for the emperor.

The two, the emperor and his minister, engaged in a back-and-forth struggle, leaving Chu Boyu standing aside.

Seeing this, Chu Boyu wished he could disappear on the spot and prayed in his heart that they would not remember him.

Unfortunately, it backfired.

He thought that he, the "tainted witness," had finally escaped a disaster and was just waiting for the system failure to end so he could escape and make a comeback to avenge today's humiliation.

Unexpectedly, just as he moved his slightly sore and numb calves, a cold gaze shot towards him like an arrow.

Chu Boyu was startled and looked up to see Emperor Yuankang staring intently at him.

Shao Linshen's face was cold and stern as he said in a deep voice:

"Since this man has redeemed himself through meritorious service, I will spare his life."

Chu Boyu was overjoyed upon hearing this, and a smile had just begun to spread across his lips when he heard the other person speak again:

"However, he may be spared the death penalty, but he will not escape punishment. Since he likes to be someone's son, Han Zhong, how about I give him to you as your godson?"

Chu Boyu's expression changed drastically in an instant.

Looking at his face, which resembled his master's, Han Zhong dared not accept the offer, even though he knew they were not father and son.

He had no choice but to kneel down and beg for mercy:

"Your Majesty is wise. This old servant already has a godson. This one... seems too clever. I'm afraid I can't teach him. Please don't make things difficult for me."

This person dared to be so audacious as to try and frame the emperor; how could he not be clever?

That's incredibly clever.

If I keep such a troublemaker around, I'm afraid I won't see the sun rise tomorrow.

Han Zhong smiled and begged for mercy, his chubby round face almost scrunched up like a bitter gourd, which made Shao Linshen shake his head repeatedly and stop teasing him.

He immediately gave the order:

"Isn't that old eunuch Liu Rong from the silkworm room about to retire? Let him come and take the person away to be properly trained."

Today's trouble was caused by this kid's excessive distractions. As the saying goes, "cutting off the veil is a permanent cure." Once his six senses are cleared, he won't think about these things anymore, and he'll have a skill to support himself in the future.

Daqi still lacks people who know how to raise pigs. Once this guy learns, he can learn to raise pigs in the future.

"Your Majesty is wise," Han Zhong immediately chimed in.

"No, no... um..."

Chu Boyu was so frightened that he was about to shout, but a clever little eunuch next to him covered his mouth, grabbed him by the neck, and carried him out of the main hall.

……

With the matter settled and the national treasury significantly replenished, Shaolin, after the court assembly, finally had the leisure to stroll in the Imperial Garden.

It was late summer, and in the Imperial Garden, ancient trees reached for the sky, and a gentle breeze was blowing.

Flowers still bloom in vibrant colors, exuding a delicate fragrance under the sunlight. Butterflies dance lightly, and birds sing joyfully, making the scene even more lively.

Shaolin leaned against the pavilion, leisurely feeding the koi carp by the lake.

Pangu Banner, standing nearby, was playing three roles at once, yet he was performing with great enthusiasm. His three clones, with protruding bellies, followed beside Shao Lin Shen, their mouths never stopping.

suddenly--

The three people in the pavilion froze simultaneously. Shao Linshen seemed to sense something, and looking up, he saw one of them excitedly grab a pastry and stuff it into his mouth. He glanced at the palace servants waiting outside the pavilion and whispered to Shao Linshen:

"Brother Shen, I have good news."

"The Heavenly Dao just told me that the loopholes in this world have been repaired, and He has also hidden the small world away. We no longer need to worry about transmigrators randomly barging in and causing trouble."

"And the Heavenly Dao has also agreed to your earlier suggestion to send those transmigrators back to their original world."

This means that those transmigrators will be stripped of their memories of this world and sent back to their original world. Those who are meant to get sick will get sick, and those who are meant to be in car accidents will continue to be in car accidents. They will never be given a chance to start over.

Shao Linshen spoke up:

"The souls of those who have already died can be sent back immediately. As for Chen Qingyu and the others, you can have this Heavenly Dao detain them for ten years. They have to pay off their debts before they leave."

“Alright, I’ll tell Him right away.” Pangu Banner immediately agreed.

Seeing that it was still early, Shao Linshen thought that he hadn't seen Prince Ning and the others for a long time and wondered how the family of three was doing. With a thought in mind, he immediately got up and prepared to go and see them.

So he got up, went back to his palace to change into casual clothes, and quietly left the palace in a covered carriage...

***

A dozen or so miles south of Beijing lies a small village surrounded by mountains on three sides.

A family surnamed Shao moved to the village a few months ago and settled down in a few thatched houses at the foot of the mountain.

At first, when people saw that the family of three looked quite respectable and their demeanor was unlike that of ordinary, rough people from the countryside, they guessed that the family must have fallen on hard times and had no choice but to come to the village.

As the saying goes, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. You never know when you might need the Shao family's help. So the villagers would often bring them some vegetables, carry buckets of water, and so on. They also enthusiastically suggested that the Shao family could raise some chickens and ducks in their yard to supplement their household income.

To everyone's surprise, that family was arrogant and looked down on the villagers like they were bedbugs. They kept saying things like "outrageous" and "bold." We weren't exactly lowlifes, and after being treated like that, we naturally didn't want to associate with them anymore.

Within just three days, the villagers ostracized the family.

Even though the Shao family had only been there for half a month, the son broke his leg when he got up in the middle of the night, and the daughter-in-law was about to go to the city to find a doctor the next day when she was found to have fallen into a ditch and broken her arm. No villagers sympathized with them.

From that day on, whenever that family left the village, they would inevitably suffer a terrible misfortune. They would either fall and get injured or be chased by wild animals in the mountains. They looked as if they were possessed by the god of bad luck, which frightened the villagers so much that they wanted to stay far away from them.

Occasionally, villagers who went up the mountain to chop firewood would pass by the Shao family's courtyard and always hear the noisy commotion inside...