Chapter 1: Reincarnated Misery

From a young age, I loved novels.

Fantasy, modern fantasy, wuxia, and so on… I read all kinds of genres without discrimination.

The reason was simple.

The sight of those overpowered protagonists called munchkin savagely smashing their enemies felt incredibly satisfying.

Yeah, the reason I read novels was for vicarious satisfaction.

That’s why sometimes I made wishes like that.

Wishing to be reincarnated in another world, crushing everything that annoyed me, meeting beautiful women, and freely wandering the entire continent.

But.

“…The protagonist is fcked.”

Unfortunately, reality wasn’t so kind.

Smack!

“Ow!”

“You little brat, what do you mean ‘fcked’… Where did you learn words like that?”

At my muttering, the bearded uncle sitting next to me slapped my shoulder.

Even after getting hit once, I’m not the type to stay quiet.

I glared at the uncle and shouted angrily.

“The current situation is fcked, what else should I call it?”

“You little punk again!”

The uncle raised his hand once more, but I quickly blocked my body with both hands.

At my action, the uncle sighed “eh” and turned his head, ignoring me.

“Hey, stop making noise.”

“Yeah, kid. This isn’t your private space.”

“….”

Immediately, rebukes came from the surroundings.

I let out a deep sigh and hugged my legs with my arms, burying my face in my knees.

It fcking sucks.

How did the situation end up like this?

I was reincarnated into the other world I had longed for.

And into a wuxia worldview overflowing with romance and chivalry.

But I wasn’t a munchkin protagonist in wuxia.

Rather, I belonged to the unfortunate side even among the ordinary.

I was reincarnated as a worthless commoner girl in wuxia.

Being reincarnated as a woman was already frustrating enough to die for, but the surrounding environment was even more frustrating.

The fifth daughter in a poor farmer’s family with seven children born thoughtlessly.

‘At least I remembered my past life at five years old, which was fortunate….’

Anyway, after realizing my reincarnation, I lived desperately to survive somehow.

There was no sign of the so-called fortunate encounters coming to me.

In a life unrelated to even the ‘m’ of martial arts, getting one meal a day was lucky, and on days without that, I survived by eating grass.

Several years of living more diligently and desperately than in my previous life.

In the autumn of the year I turned 11.

My parents in this life sold me to a merchant.

Because of lack of money, the younger siblings were too young, and the older ones were needed for work, so they sold me, who was at an awkward age.

For reference, the value of my life was 1 tael of silver.

…Fck.

And so, the situation returns to the present.

People captured for various reasons—like being sold like me, in debt, or even kidnapped—are trapped in this narrow iron cage.

Waiting for a master to come and buy them.

It’s been about a week since I came here, but I could say this for sure.

In this wuxia world, there wouldn’t be a place more beggarly than here.

The daily ration they called food was some tasteless gruel of unknown origin, and even that was so little that every night I clutched my rumbling stomach to sleep.

On top of that, autumn was ending, and winter was slowly approaching.

Expecting heating in this underground prison for slaves was truly a dream story.

Probably… this weak 11-year-old body wouldn’t withstand the winter.

I thought it would be better to be sold as a slave as soon as possible, even if just a day earlier.

“…Hmm, that little kid catches my eye.”

“Haha! Excellent choice.”

“….”

If only the one showing intent to buy me wasn’t some pig of a guy overflowing with greed and fat all over his face and body.

“Then, I’ll come to pick her up tomorrow. Make sure to wash her properly.”

…No, let’s not think too negatively.

People shouldn’t be judged by appearance alone.

Even if he looks that filthy, maybe he’s a decent master….

“Kid, that’s unfortunate.”

As the pig left, the guard at the door looked at me and clicked his tongue.

“If you’re sold to that guy, you’ll see hell. Better to die instead.”

“….”

Fck.

That night, I was dragged out of the iron bars and forcibly thrown into a small bathhouse.

Thud.

The door closed after telling me to wash thoroughly.

There was no consideration for warm water; the water felt so cold it stung my skin.

“Haa….”

I washed my face with the cold water and let out a deep sigh.

Life… why is it so dog-like?

No, why is only my life like this?

The existence called god is truly heartless.

If you’re going to reincarnate someone into a wuxia world overnight… at least give some ability, not this life of becoming a pig bastard’s plaything….

Grit.

Thinking up to there, I ground my teeth.

“…I hate it.”

Until now, I lived adapting to the life given to me, but that was truly hateful.

Becoming like that would be worse than dying for real.

So.

“….”

I glared at the firmly closed wooden door.

Whether I die this way or that, I have to resist until the end.

“Um… I’m done washing.”

Clank.

“Then come out….”

Now’s the time.

Whoosh!

Crunch!

“Urk!”

…It worked.

Hiding in the blind spot behind the door, I smashed the back of the guard’s head as he opened the wooden door.

He seemed properly hit and collapsed without getting up.

But… this wasn’t enough.

I quickly searched the guard’s bosom.

Then, a dagger caught in my hand.

The blade was very sharply honed.

With this, stabbing would easily kill at least one person.

I swallowed dryly.

My hand was already starting to tremble a bit.

But having come this far… I couldn’t hesitate anymore.

Stab!

Without hesitation, I stabbed the heart, and blood gushed out.

A drop of blood splashed onto my face with a splat.

The fainted guard opened his eyes wide, trembled his body very briefly, and then went limp.

“….”

It was my first murder in life.

“…Ugh.”

Nausea rose suddenly, but I forced it down and covered my mouth.

I can’t waste more time here.

Gripping the dagger tightly in my hand, I cautiously poked my face out the door and scanned the surroundings.

Fortunately, no one was visible.

While relieved, I felt a bit puzzled.

‘…That’s strange.’

Normally, there should be one or two other guards.

Even on the way to this bathroom, other slave traders were guarding the paths in between.

But where did they all go? The hallway was empty.

I don’t know why… but it was a great situation for me.

I started moving cautiously.

It was really fortunate that my body was small.

If I hid in the corners while moving, the chance of enemies spotting me was low.

On top of that, as if luck I never had before was following me, no one was present throughout the path.

That relief was short-lived.

Clank.

“…Hic!”

As soon as I opened the door and stepped into the next hallway, I covered my mouth.

Because… what unfolded before my eyes was a hallway piled with corpses.

The nose-piercing smell of blood and the groans of the dying echoing in my ears and head.

“…A girl?”

And, standing in the center, a middle-aged man in pitch-black silk clothes.

The sword in his hand was soaked in blood.

I collapsed on the spot.

Suddenly, strength left my legs, no, my whole body.

Even though I was reincarnated in the martial world, I’m a modern person who lived longer in the modern era.

The scene unfolding before my eyes was too horrific for my brain to accept.

“…Ugh!”

Gag! Cough!

Without realizing, I started retching.

Having eaten nothing properly, I only kept vomiting transparent gastric juice.

Step. Step.

The man standing in the midst of the corpses began approaching me slowly.

“Hu, d-don’t come!”

I stopped vomiting and pointed the dagger at him.

But my hand was already shaking madly.

I thought dying was better than living as the pig’s plaything.

But now that death was really approaching.

I was scared.

So incredibly scared.

I didn’t want to die like this.

Tap!

“!”

The man lightly swung the scabbard and knocked the dagger out of my hand.

“Kid.”

“Hu, huaaa!”

And so, the moment the man’s hand touched my shoulder.

I lost consciousness right there.

Chirp chirp-

“Uh….”

What woke me was the birdsong and the morning sunlight.

With the sunlight shining on my eyelids, I couldn’t sleep even if I wanted to.

I barely raised my upper body and leaned back.

“…Heavy.”

My whole body was aching with pain, whether from muscle soreness or something else.

At least thanks to the blanket, my body was warm….

Hm?

“B-blanket?”

Covering my body was a high-quality silk blanket filled with warm cotton.

The moment I saw it, I felt wide awake.

I turned my head and urgently scanned the surroundings.

In this world, no… even in the original world, I had never seen such luxurious Chinese-style interior unfolding.

…Where is this?