Chapter Two: Caught in the Net of the Law

After a long silence, Liang Zhi set down the list of final wishes.

"I'm sorry. I can't help him fulfill these wishes."

Lord Crow let out a laugh. "Are you sure you want to give all this up? May I ask why?"

Liang Zhi considered for a moment. "It's too exhausting! By the time I complete all these wishes, my hair will probably be white, or I might even die halfway through. I'd rather spend that time enjoying life in comfort."

Lord Crow was taken aback. "You're giving up the inheritance of a Paragon just because of that? Don't you have any ambition or dreams? If you claim this inheritance, you'll be standing at the very pinnacle of this world!"

Liang Zhi's cheeks flushed, but he spoke righteously. "Of course I have ambitions and dreams. My dream is to enjoy the best life with the least amount of effort!"

Lord Crow gaped, hopping in place with agitation. "What kind of nonsense dream is that? How can you say it with such conviction? Aren't you ashamed?"

Liang Zhi pointed to his own cheeks. "Of course I'm ashamed! Can't you see my face is red?"

Lord Crow: "..."

...

"Are you really not going to reconsider? Doing bad things can be quite fun!"

In the forest at night, Liang Zhi stumbled along toward the small town, while a large black crow circled above him, squawking incessantly.

Because Liang Zhi refused to complete the list of wishes, the crow confiscated everything of value he had, leaving him only with a tattered hemp shirt and a few small-denomination bills.

The real reason Liang Zhi rejected the list wasn't just exhaustion; some wishes were simply beyond him.

Massacring cities, destroying kingdoms, forcing the innocent...

In his previous life, he had been a firm believer that hard work changed fate—earnest, principled, and with clear boundaries.

In this life, he intended to be more flexible, but there were still things he couldn't do.

All he could do was offer his apologies to the body's original owner.

As Liang Zhi approached the small town, Lord Crow's irreverent tone paused.

"I'm advising you to think again. You're new here and have a lot of misconceptions about this world. As an otherworlder who knows nothing, you won't survive even a month here."

Liang Zhi scoffed and strode toward the town.

Was he joking? He was a transmigrator!

As long as he could find a place to settle, any bit of knowledge in his mind could earn him a good living in this world.

At worst, he could live quietly as a common townsman.

And so...

He was arrested!

The small town had a gate, though not a high one, with the words "Antai Town" inscribed above it. At the entrance stood three guards in gray short coats and square hats.

"It looks like an ancient town. There might be a curfew at night. Better to play it safe and wait until morning to enter," Liang Zhi thought. He decided to spend the night in the woods, but as he turned around, he found a man with a bulbous red nose standing right behind him.

Old Lin Wai was a town guard of Antai. On a long night, he had been struck by the call of nature and went to relieve himself in the woods near town.

Returning to his post, he spotted a shabby, suspicious-looking youth and seized Liang Zhi by the collar, his tone unfriendly.

"What are you sneaking around for? Are you a spy sent by the Robots? State your name and where you're from!"

Liang Zhi froze. An ancient-looking man talking about robots—what on earth was this?

But robots could wait. He couldn't reveal his real name; admitting it would get him beheaded a hundred times over. And he couldn't make something up either—he knew nothing of this world.

So Liang Zhi chose what he thought was the safest option.

He let snot trickle down, rolled his eyes upward, and his expression grew vacant. "A-ba, a-ba, a-ba..."

Old Lin Wai cursed with a laugh. "So, just an idiot. Get lost and don't bother..."

But before he finished, his eyes suddenly gleamed.

He roughly grabbed Liang Zhi's arm, deftly rifled through his pockets for the last few bills, and pushed him toward the town.

One of the portly guards chuckled. "Old Lin, why hassle an idiot?"

Lin Wai shook his head. "Who knows, maybe his family is looking for him. I'll take him in and make arrangements."

"Who would've thought you had such a kind heart, Old Lin," the fat guard joked.

And so, under Old Lin Wai's escort, Liang Zhi entered Antai Town.

Once inside, Liang Zhi was momentarily stunned.

The town's buildings were quaint and classical, with carved beams, painted rafters, blue bricks, and green tiles. Yet there were oddities.

Clear glass windows, dim yellow electric lights, greenish telephone booths, and vein-like pipes running along the houses...

Such things didn't belong in an ancient city.

Shoved along, Liang Zhi barely had time to look around before being taken to a rear courtyard behind the town's administrative offices. The rusty iron bars, slippery floor, and moldy straw made it obvious—

This was a jail cell!

"Why lock up an idiot? Something's not right," Liang Zhi thought.

He tried to push Old Lin Wai aside and escape, but Lin Wai grabbed him like an eagle snatching a chick and tossed him into the cell.

With a flutter and a flap, Lord Crow landed on the windowsill, gazing at Liang Zhi with mocking eyes.

"Didn't you say the body's original owner was a top-tier powerhouse? How is it that this body is weaker than an ordinary jailer?" Liang Zhi whispered.

Lord Crow gloated. "Physical strength is also part of the wish rewards. Earlier I said you could survive a month—sorry, I was wrong. Now I think you'll last at most three days... Oh hell!"

"Where did that damn crow come from? Such bad luck."

Not far away, Old Lin Wai spotted Lord Crow and hurled a stone at him. Only a splatter of black, white, and yellow droppings was left on the windowsill, followed by the crow's harsh caw.

"You're done for, you red-nosed fool! I'll ruin you, your whole family, and peck your red nose to shreds!"

But to Old Lin Wai, these curses were nothing but the harsh cawing of a crow.

Through the bars, Liang Zhi frowned slightly. Apparently, only he could understand Lord Crow’s words.

Leaving the cell, Old Lin Wai hurried across to the administrative building—Antai Town’s criminal investigation office.

He tiptoed into the back courtyard and knocked softly. "Master Fan!"

A moment later, a plump man with a handlebar mustache opened the door. He wore a half-fastened silver silk robe, his face slick with sweat and smeared with lipstick. As he buttoned up, he muttered curses.

"Stop knocking! Are you trying to summon the dead? If this is just some trivial matter, I'll have your head."

Old Lin Wai leaned in and whispered, "Master Fan, I found the person you wanted."

The fat man paused, bringing his face close to Old Lin's ear. "Really?"

In a barely audible voice, Old Lin replied, "I've never seen this kid before, so he’s from out of town. Looks dirt poor, and he’s an idiot!"

The fat man smiled, patting Old Lin on the head. "Excellent. Keep an eye on that idiot. Once this is done, you’ll be well rewarded."

But then his smile froze. "What’s this sticky stuff on your head?"

Old Lin grinned sheepishly. "Somehow, a crow took a fancy to me and left several droppings on my head."

A crow flew overhead.

...