Chapter 1: Does Everything End Before It Begins?

"Is this one dead?"
"No, still breathing."
"Should we cut or not?"
"Once you're in the purification chamber, there's no avoiding it. Where's your professional integrity?"
"Fine, Old Wu, this tender chicken is yours. I'm off for a drink."

Long Chen lay on a plank, the dim light around him barely illuminating the room. Hearing the voices, he forced his eyelids open and realized a chill was seeping into his body from below.

Splash!

A ladle of hot water was thrown over him, jolting Long Chen awake with a shudder.

"Where is this? Who tied my hands and feet?"

He struggled, discovering his wrists and ankles were secured by four iron rings.

"Stop struggling. You've been sold here. We paid six taels of silver for you—you're palace property now."

"My knife is quick. It won't hurt much."

Long Chen lifted his head to see a burly, clean-shaven man standing before him, holding a small sickle-shaped blade. The man approached, ready to bring the knife down.

"A knife craftsman? Are you from the purification chamber?"

Having read about ancient history, Long Chen instantly understood his predicament: this was the purification chamber, where eunuchs were made for the palace.

"Oh? You finally get it? Don't be afraid. Better to be a eunuch in the palace than starve to death outside."

With that, the knife craftsman prepared to do his work.

Just after crossing over, was he to lose his manhood? Long Chen cursed furiously, "You bastard! If you dare cut me, I'll never let you off!"

The craftsman ignored his curses, deftly disinfecting the blade.

Buzz...

A wave of dizziness swept over Long Chen as a flood of information surged into his mind. In an instant, he understood everything about this body.

The original owner was also called Long Chen, the fifth son of Long Ye, Grand General and Protector of the Southern Liang.

The Grand General's family had defended Southern Liang for two centuries, pillars of the nation, generation after generation fighting on the frontiers.

But in Long Ye's time, a prophecy suddenly echoed through the capital Jinling: "The dragon rises from the wilds, and the world becomes one!"

Emperor Li Chengdao of Southern Liang believed the prophecy referred to Long Ye. Fearing rebellion, he allied with Western Xia and the northern barbarians, setting a trap at White Wolf Mountain.

A hundred thousand of the Long family’s troops perished; Long Ye died in battle, his four sons all slain, leaving only the fifth son, Long Chen, barely escaping with grievous wounds.

Afterwards, Emperor Li Chengdao falsely accused Long Ye of colluding with the barbarians, executing the entire Long clan—over ninety people—and exterminating three related families as well.

Long Chen fled the battlefield, but was horribly burned, his appearance altered, his martial skills lost—reduced to a cripple.

For over a year, he wandered east to Zhou, only to be captured by a local tyrant and sold into the palace to become a eunuch.

The memories of his family's destruction and his father's and brothers' deaths flooded his mind. Though a transmigrator, Long Chen was engulfed by rage and hatred.

"Curse you, Li Chengdao! I will destroy Southern Liang! I will slaughter the royal clan! Kill! Kill! Kill!"

He thrashed and roared in fury, veins bulging on his face, eyes bloodshot, a terrifying sight.

The craftsman froze, staring at Long Chen. The knife suddenly slipped from his hand as tears welled in his eyes.

"Young General, is that you?"

Though his appearance had changed, the feeling was unmistakable. The craftsman immediately recognized Long Chen’s true identity.

As their memories merged, Long Chen also recognized him: Wu Jian, Captain of the Long Family Cavalry.

"Uncle Wu, how are you here?" Long Chen asked in astonishment.

Wu Jian replied with bitter sorrow, "At White Wolf Mountain, the cursed emperor ambushed us. Our cavalry fought to the death; I fell from a cliff with an arrow in me. When I woke, everyone was gone..."

Tears streamed down Wu Jian’s face as he wiped them away and continued, "I tried to find the general and the young masters' bodies, but failed. Later I learned the general’s head was made into a wine cup by the barbarian khan Yelü Hong, and the four young masters’ heads were taken by Western Xia to serve as temple relics. Only your body was unaccounted for."

"I thought about assassinating the emperor, but alone I was powerless. I survived, hoping you might still be alive."

"Heaven has eyes—today, I finally meet you again, Young General."

Hatred surged anew. Long Chen gritted his teeth. "Uncle Wu, don’t worry. I will avenge the hundred thousand brothers and our family. I swear it!"

Wu Jian hurriedly unfastened the iron rings and said anxiously, "Young General, this is the Eastern Zhou Palace. You must escape. You are the last of the Long bloodline; you cannot become a eunuch."

As the sole surviving heir, Wu Jian could never let Long Chen be castrated.

"But Uncle Wu, if you let me go, what about you?"

"I have my ways. Surviving the operation is rare—many bleed to death. I’ll claim you didn’t survive the knife."

Wu Jian quickly dressed Long Chen. At that moment, an old eunuch entered, followed by a young attendant.

This old eunuch was Wei Xian, Chief of the Purification Chamber in Eastern Zhou.

"My, Old Wu’s knife work is truly fine—just cut and already lively," Wei Xian said with a sinister smile, eyeing Long Chen.

Wu Jian cursed himself for not sending Long Chen away sooner.

They were in the heart of the palace, surrounded by elite guards; a forceful escape meant certain death.

"Chief, your praise is too much. Show your respects to Chief Wei," Wu Jian said.

Long Chen cupped his hands to Wei Xian, but did not bow, feigning great pain.

"Greetings, Chief Wei. I hope you will look after me in the future," he said.

Wei Xian smiled slyly, "A fine-looking lad. After the cut, your skin will be even better—a handsome one, you are."

"Send him to the ward. With that spirit, he’ll likely survive. Once he’s healed, I’ll decide where to assign him."

Two junior eunuchs led Long Chen to another courtyard—the recovery ward for newly cut eunuchs. Those who survived became palace eunuchs; those who died were dumped in the mass graves.

Wu Jian watched helplessly as Long Chen was taken away.

Long Chen was brought to the ward, where a dozen others lay, some recovering, others barely clinging to life. He lay down, feigning agony, and kept silent.

Fifteen days passed, and Long Chen pretended to recover.

One day, a young eunuch entered and said, "Little Dragon, come with me. Today you’re being sent to the Western Palace, to serve the Fourth Princess."

As the eunuch spoke, a faint sneer curled at his lips, and the other eunuchs in the ward looked at Long Chen with pity.

A sense of foreboding rose in Long Chen’s heart. Was the Fourth Princess of the Western Palace some sort of tigress?

"Sir, what kind of person is the Fourth Princess?" Long Chen asked softly.

The young eunuch replied coldly, "Of course the princess is fine. She just has a bit of a temper—when displeased, she kills people, and she especially likes killing eunuchs."

Hiss...

Long Chen asked in a whisper, "Has she killed many?"

The young eunuch chuckled darkly, "Not that many—just five this month."

Long Chen nodded, "Five in a month—not that many."

Born into the military, Long Chen had seen much bloodshed; he was unfazed.

The young eunuch stared at him in surprise, "You’ve got guts. What day of the month is it?"

Long Chen smiled, "No guts at all—today’s the second..."

Damn!

Five in a single day?