I woke up feeling a bit dazed, unable to remember who I was, where I was, or what I was supposed to be doing.
Turning my head, I saw a wooden box with an envelope resting on top. The cover was beautifully illustrated—exactly my style—so I shook the letter out.
"Hey! Look around. Is it pretty?"
The letter began with this sentence, and I instinctively looked around. I was in a small pavilion on a hillside, surrounded by lush vegetation. Through the gaps in the leaves, I could faintly see towering city walls.
"This is the world you created."
...
????
What the hell!!!!
"Saying it like this is probably a bit sudden, since your memory stops right before the start of your graduation project, right? Actually, you already settled on your thesis topic: this world created by you. You spent seventy-five years completing your coursework, and this world has finally entered the preview stage. Of course, since every blade of grass and every tree was set and created by you, being too familiar would make it dull. So, before you entered, your memories regarding the production of the project were temporarily locked and encrypted. You get it, right?"
Oh, I remember now.
In the era I come from, human science has reached its peak. Any wild idea can be realized through science, and any long-standing trouble can be solved by it. Humans are immortal, free from disease and disaster, and don't even need to rely on a physical body to exist. What our civilization can achieve is no different from the "gods" in ancient myths.
It sounds a bit crazy, but someone once said that any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic.
"You can go experience this world you created right away. Isn't that a little exciting? But since you've never experienced the hardships of the mortal world, trying to survive with a physical body is practically a pipe dream; you'll probably starve to death in minutes. —Hey, you remember starving, right? It was mentioned in the Somatosensory Studies course. If the physical body doesn't ingest food, it undergoes necrosis! Yes, that's the one! Oh, and you'll also die if you don't breathe underwater for a long time! Although these things are difficult and not many people know about them, you are the most badass honor student in our class, after all. I believe you can survive for at least a few days.
"That being said, it's still a bit worrying for your first time being 'alive'... so I secretly enabled a cheat system and a trainer for you. If you need to change any values, just adjust them yourself.
"However, the most important thing for survival is the money system. The initial money you have upon entering this world is only 1 tael, which probably won't get you much. The code to modify your money is 23333—it's the most common one, so I used the simplest. The codes for other data are in that book in the box.
"The martial world is treacherous. Remember the first thing you need to do: go buy a bodyguard or an attendant. Since your memories of creation are locked, it's safer to have someone following you. Buy a guard who can fight and kill outside, and wash clothes and cook inside—a true household essential.
"Also~ if this physical body bites the dust, you'll have to reload your save. Rendering takes too much time, and I really don't want to wait for a second round. Stay alive for me, okay? *Keke*."
After reading the letter, I couldn't help but feel a bit light-headed. Looking at the magnificent mountains and rivers before me and thinking about how I was the Creator God of this place, I felt I was truly cool and dazzling.
Let me see what this Creator God looks like.
I smoothed my hair and strolled to the riverbank, looking down composedly.
The reflection showed a tall figure. Impeccable, luxurious silken robes complemented a face of peerless beauty, making it look even more transcendent and ethereal. My skin was like congealed jade, shimmering with a soft, translucent glow. This face, this figure—it was so beautiful that I'll just skip fifty thousand words of description.
The "fallen immortals" mentioned in ancient books probably referred to someone like me.
...Oh.
Wait, isn't this that "Number One Best-Selling Male God Face" I bought on Taobao?
This discovery brought a faint sense of sorrow. Back in my Face-Sculpting class, I had truly put in a lot of effort. However, it was all useless. Had I really failed to sculpt an original, satisfactory face even by the time of my graduation project?
But although my sculpting skills back then were eyesores, I did discover something: even if the sculpt is mediocre, as long as you apply a high-quality skin texture and add some lighting effects, it can still look good. Three parts looks, seven parts special effects.
Like this ring of holy light around me right now.
Why did I have to add special effects even though I bought a face that was already drop-dead gorgeous? And that flamboyant cinnabar mole between my brows... Sigh, this combination is so conspicuous, so gaudy.
In our modern civilization, we are immortal and have no shortage of time. Our days are incredibly lazy, and zoning out has become a habit. I actually couldn't adapt for a moment, until I stood on the hilltop feeling the wind for a while and a sharp pain struck my abdomen. Only then did I snap out of it, remembering that I should go buy a guard as the letter instructed.
I looked down to check myself; there were no external injuries. Could it be the so-called "poisoning"? To think that I had just arrived and hadn't seen a single soul, yet I had already been ambushed. The martial world was indeed treacherous.
I stood up, straightened my clothes, and meandered down the mountain along a forest path. Having not operated a physical body for a long time, walking wasn't easy.
I entered the city gates and finally encountered passersby. Most were commoners, busy toiling for their livelihoods. Looking at the style of the clothing and architecture, it seemed to be the Tang or Song dynasty.
I looked at these dense, busy people with an expression of awe.
These are all my ancestors!
However, I didn't know where to buy a guard.
...I've lived this long and I've never seen a physical storefront!!
The buildings were so complex and there weren't even any road signs. Life in ancient times was truly inconvenient. Fortunately, I was clever enough to ask an "ancestor" by the roadside. The man sized me up: "A young master as noble as you surely doesn't lack servants. I presume you're here to buy a Shadow Guard?"
...Is there a difference?
However, as I am your Creator God, I didn't want to reveal that I knew less than a passerby. I nodded profoundly. "Mm."
The ancestor said understandingly, "Coincidentally, there is a branch of Yexing up ahead. Although the guards at the branch aren't as elite as those at the headquarters, it is, after all, under the Yexing banner."
I thanked him and searched my way there, asking other passersby along the way. I finally understood a few things: besides a few noble families who trained their own guards from childhood, there were many civilian institutions specializing in training guards for re-employment. Among them, this "Yexing" was a rare company in the industry that had brand awareness, trained excellent employees, possessed a unique corporate culture, and—amazingly—even provided after-sales service.
It could be called a guard-training institution at the forefront of its time. So avant-garde. I was filled with respect.
Thinking that such an avant-garde brand enterprise would surely be easy to find, I searched for a long time without seeing a storefront. Finally, a kind young lady personally pointed it out to me.
She pointed to a small tree stump next to a Shaxian Delicacies stall.
There was a hole in the stump. A crescent moon was drawn at the entrance.
This is way too hard to find! Are there actually any customers?!
What kind of trash marketing capability is this? I was very unimpressed.
I, the Creator God, condescended to squeeze into the hole and slid down a distance.
The bottom of the hole was pitch black. An old woman holding a lamp looked at me as if it were the most normal thing in the world and held out her hand: "Do you have a token?"
It was like a hair salon girl asking, "Do you have a membership card?"
Obviously not.
I shook my head solemnly.
"Then you can only look at the stock above ground." The old woman withdrew her hand and lightly tapped the table. A gust of dark wind blew past, and before I could see a figure clearly, I was tossed out.
The dark wind materialized into a person who beckoned to me expressionlessly. I followed him through several twists and turns until we entered an inn.
On one side of the inn were tables; on the other side, many people were gathered. They were all scratching their feet and chatting idly, looking like laborers waiting to be hired. When they saw me enter, they all stared at me blankly.
"These are the ones. Take your pick, Young Master. If you need anything, speak to the manager." With that, the dark wind blew again, and the man vanished.
...So casual!! What happened to the brand image? What happened to the corporate culture!! I had wasted my time imagining the handsome, dashing sword-wielding guards from the plays. What was with all these rough men!!
The manager was an elegant young man. After finishing with his abacus, he came over to greet me. "This gentleman looks unfamiliar. Is this your first time in Changluo?"
My flamboyant styling exuded the aura of a wealthy tycoon. The rough men seemed quite eager, looking at me like hungry wolves, which scared me into taking a step back.
"Since you were led here by Ye Sheng, I assume the Young Master is here to buy a guard? Besides guards from Yexing, my shop also frequently has laborers looking for short-term work. Please don't take offense, Young Master."
Oh, this person's name is Xiao Ke. What a "Q-version" name, like a mascot following a magical girl.
Only when he mentioned it did I notice that besides the group of rough men in front, there were several lean men in black further inside. These people were either sitting or standing with steady auras, swords never leaving their hands, their expressions quite wary.
There was also a person curled up in the corner, their figure hidden in the darkness, features invisible.
"Guards from Yexing have never been cheap." The manager paused and smiled. "But for a noble person like the Young Master, it naturally won't be an issue. Please, choose as you wish."
"What are the prices?" I asked slowly.
"Once a Shadow Guard acknowledges a master, they are employed for life; it is a one-time buyout. These two on the right are new recruits from this term, three thousand taels each. The three guards to the left are veterans from three terms ago, priced at two thousand, four thousand, and four thousand five hundred taels respectively. The one in the middle..."
...I must be picking out cabbages!
These prices were indeed not cheap. They were enough to cover the expenses of an ordinary family for over a decade. Even for a wealthy household, buying a large number of guards would likely be a significant burden.
However, I didn't lack money. I could use the cheat and modify the amount of money at will.
At this thought, the corners of my mouth curled into a slight, shallow arc, a very mysterious smile.
I walked slowly in front of the Shadow Guards.
Slowly sizing them up one by one.
Slowly recalling the code to modify money.
Slowly wondering where the input box for the code was.
BUT THERE IS NO INPUT BOX!!!!
Where do I open the trainer!! I don't see an ESC key either!!
What the hell is going on!!!!!!
The scene was too ridiculous to bear. I clutched my head in agony and crouched down.
"Hey! Young Master, that one... that one won't do..."
Eh?
I looked up and saw the pile of rags in front of me... no, a person.
It turned out that as I walked past those Shadow Guards, I had ended up right in front of the person curled up at the base of the wall. That person was huddled in a ball on the ground. Not only were his clothes tattered, but even the places where the fabric was torn were matted with dark, filthy grime that stuck dryly to his body.
There was also a strange, fishy smell.
"How much for this one?" Why won't he do? Is he ridiculously expensive?
"That..." the manager said hesitantly, "He's free."
Eh~!
My mood became as bouncy as that tilde.
"He costs no money; you only need to pay the one-tael processing fee for taking someone from Yexing. Yexing does not deceive its customers—this one... is a broken man."
"Is he also a Shadow Guard?"
"Yes. But—"
"I'll take him." I nodded with satisfaction.
The letter said to buy a guard; it didn't say I had to buy a good one. A makeshift one will do just fine.
At worst, I'll just buy a new one next time.
***
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Fatal to Pretend With a Cheat | Chapter 1 | The Creator's Budget Bodyguard | Novela.app | Novela.app
