A Sheep for the Kill

Xia An had several reasons to hate being forced to travel to another world. His newly acquired, delicate and weak, weeping beauty-like figure, or rather drooping pair of effeminate eyes – his overly fair skin, or the fact that he had fallen into the most heinous of parts of this ancient, dated town; if he started counting, he felt that he couldn't stop.

He was twenty-four when he died in that accident. He had a stable job - which he liked, a girl-friend whom he adored, and cherished. His family, if not wealthy was quite affluent in terms of resources and opportunities. Both of his parents were in good positions in the Provincial University, working as well recognized professors. That meant, as an owner of a small publishing house, he could find good connections and resources through them. Being a second generation of a scholarly family, his parents connections had assisted him in his ventures quite a lot.

And he was just going to propose to senior sister Yun, and now…

He looked down at his weak body that looked like it had been starved for ages. His phoenix shaped eyes looked up and met with the new world – the hall of Thousand Beauties Pavilion.

One word, it was golden or glittery. Magnificent, grand in its leisurely eloquence. The walls raised high, the pillars supporting them aloof and mighty. Even the eves were drooping at graceful angles as if stretched out hands of a dancing beauty! The lushness of its garden, the cleanness of the springs flowing through here - the rolling mountain sight spread in its helm...here was a paradise for a moments breath. 

Laughter of ladies mingled in the air, with the waft of wines, heady meads. Music of pipa, or few listless, charming yet alluring voices, recounting sagas could be heard from afar. The small tinkling of anklets, the flowing of silk apparels and strange rubbing of brocades, the heavy steps, the silent steps and those floating steps as if rushing to get home in a hurry – everything was a testament of its age and repute, its beauty and splendor. This was the best courtesan's house in the whole of Lushui.

Men of repute, men of honor and great names came here to listen to gentle orioles flapping their wings and mesmerize themselves with their penchant for colorful, almost fantastical otherworld. Here the ladies laid in wait for them, here the beauties showered them with their gazes and here, they listened to the most beautiful, heavenly songs ever heard in Daxia.

And he, the Original body was just a small errand boy here. If he had grown a little older, maybe owing to his beauty, he might even keep some customers with an inclination towards his specific gender. Fall from grace and never be able to raise a free head.

Fortunately, he was just seven, not too old or young enough, to fall into evil of any kind. He sighed and looked again at his callused hands and picked up the heavy wooden tub with all his might, and scurried off the hall into the corridors, past the archways into the small yard.

Although he was small, he was the only one his age in here. Unlike him, the courtesans never kept their offspring's inside the pavilion. They were usually sent off somewhere, or sent off to the countryside to look after various jobs. His existence between these walls held several silent questions. He didn't like the smell of this secret. 

All this he knew because he had gained the memory of the boy. Unfortunately, there were more, many more doubts that were left unanswered. Who was he, an orphan? Where was his courtesan mother? In fact, he didn't even know his own name – he appeared to have always been called as the "little dumb" in here.

"System, please show me your interface."

Xia An murmured as he huffed and puffed along the cobblestone road towards the kitchen yard, where he was going to send this water. It was not early morning so there were few servants rushing about. His duty was only to send water to the kitchen. The well was quite a distance away from it so it was a tedious process, but not enough to employ a servant in. His status was just right for this kind of miscellaneous job.

"Okay host. Here is your system interface. Do you want me to pull out your current data?"

"Yes."

"Showing Transmigrator 2001's statistics please wait: Processing~

Name: Little Dumb (Xia An)* Can be changed after further recognition

Challenge Level: 210023

Cultivation Field: UNDECIDED*

Please Choose from Xianxia System, Magic School System, Martial Arts System, Interstellar Technological System, Niche Spirit and Aura system, Native Magical Art System...

Cultivation level: 0 (Mortal)

Health Points: Negative 300* (Current Status –Malnourished) * Level of Concern degree 5

Stamina: Negative 1000* Level of Concern Degree 12

Perception: 30 (Improbably Keen)/10

Défense: Negative 5000* (Current status – Grave Danger) * Please Choose your Start Point as soon as possible to go back to Safe 10

Agility: 60/10

Charm: 1000/10

The number of Red alerts in the status made his eyes blurred. For a moment he couldn't see anything but red, and hazy crimson of huge, glaring –

"ALERT! ALERT! SAFETY COMPROMISED, PLEASE FOLLOW THE EMERGENCY ADVISORY CLOSELY!".

The negatives in his stats really made him speechless. This body had some grave issues, he knew. And specially, after last nights beating he had felt the cruel sensation of bones and muscles falling apart all too clearly.

But he really couldn't just jump into a decision! What cultivation system to choose? As if he had a moments rest to decide on! If anything, he hadn't even slept off the issue of having travelled to a strange ancient dynasty where people without noble birth were pretty much like animals and herds of cattle! Here, he had just tasted the taste of thanking god for letting him simply breath on. 

Even if the system promised him, he could find his way out if he stuck to his mission objectives longer, but – what kind of normal world-view needed cultivation?! He really couldn't tell. If there was going to be further developments, it meant this seemingly crowded looking mortal world had Immortals living somewhere.

What did the presence of Immortals mean for him personally? Death sentence. 

Current Task: Find out about the Secret of the Thousand Beauties Pavilion (12/100)

"No new progress – Ah, what should I do?"

Xia An had brushed up that much of progress by simply stumbling around the courtyards around here.

In these five days since his arrival, he had just been fumbling around, groping for some kind of sense in this senseless scenario. But the curses from all around had pretty much awakened his survival instinct. All he had felt around himself since waking up had been indifference, persecution and clear malice. He couldn't understand the reason, but he felt it was closely linked to this strange system task.

"Hey you over there! Look here, where are you looking at? Bring it in quickly! If madam found you loitering around like this, she will skin your hide, I tell you! A pesky rat, that's what you are! Just wait for your death you pest!"

A middle-aged woman, covered in grey rags of faded clothes tied around with utmost carelessness, spoke her distaste for the boy. The hate had manifested into solidified entities, crunching between her teeth and dripping down the saliva drops. "Beast. Son of a whore!" 

"Mother of Jiang, who are you talking to? You have left your spot unattended for so long. Oh! Has the dumb boy come to send water? Quickly help him support that barrel."

The caretaker came out from inside and looked at his shoulder's falling apart with weight and called out for help. He looked at him capriciously, then titled his head while asking, "Little dumb, did you wake up good today? Have the wounds from last night gone yet or do you want me to send some healing medicines for you? Looking at you, you look good to go, my lad!"

Yesterday, he was beaten on a mistaken notion of his being the chief culprit in the ongoing big case of theft. After flogging him half dead, they had left him uncared for in the courtyard as a new lead told them he wasn't.

He had slept the whole night outside, dews and rain falling over his weak body. He could feel the fatigue and weakness bubbling into a murky cough, a strange kind of ailment rested over his heart. It hurts! He couldn't bear to reminiscence how he had spent each moment counting the stars away. Yet! Yet, he woke up as a human animal once more.

Who said that transmigrating was a great thing? As if all the pain and anguish that came from separations were a dream! Leaving your relatives, your relations in the past – in an unreachable corner – because you are completely helpless to fate is really not something a man could endure!

He could live with that if the surrounding environment wasn't so stimulating. One moment he was walking in a daze, another he was being ruthlessly pushed down on the ground and beaten like a senseless animal. He didn't want anything to do with this world! He wanted to go back so badly.

"System, can you really not send me back?"

"Dear Host, you have been selected at the 2001's candidate for the ongoing 'Three Thousand World's and Hundred Thought's Challenge'. As notified earlier, this challenge mainly look's at the transmigrators ability to forge a road on their own, with system assists and helpful tools being the backdrop. Your Challenge level will rise as you unfold the plot – several hosts have already jumped up the queue. Many have even found the first Battlefield. You should hurry up. As for going back…you cannot go back until you have met the qualifying conditions. You should worry about completing the first task, host, as the deadline is last day of this month. Best of luck host no. 2001."

Xia An really didn't want to wake-up another day to this distasteful world. But he knew, he was just a sheep in the enclosure, ready to be butchered at the right time!