China, or Huaxia, was an intriguing place, a nation steeped in mystery—not just a mystery born of legend, but a legend born of mystery itself.

In the deep mountains where Yang Yi and Lin Pangzi resided, the distance to the county seat was considerable. One had to walk for over two hours just to leave the village, and after those two hours, they would reach a dock where various kinds of boats were moored. Boarding a vessel took another three hours before they could finally reach the county town. Only then could they board what was, for them, the stuff of myth: a train. And only after boarding that legendary train could they reach their actual destination: City A!

“Yi’er, Pangzi, come over here for a moment!” A deep, steady voice, laced with a faint trace of reluctance, rang out.

Hearing the summons, Yang Yi and Lin Pangzi leisurely emerged from the house. They found Old Man Yang seated in a chair, something placed on the table before him—they couldn't quite tell what—and walked up to him with curiosity. “Grandpa, is something wrong?”

“Yi’er, take this. It’s your travel allowance. Once you reach City A, you must remember to remain composed. Think things through three times before acting in any situation. Being arrogant and rash isn’t necessarily bad, but it requires strength as its prerequisite. You are inherently kind, only occasionally acting a bit roguish. With your current strength, I’m not worried about you getting hurt, but you must remember that there is always someone stronger. Huaxia is not short of true masters. Your path forward is now yours to walk; I will worry no more.” Old Man Yang watched Yang Yi with a thoughtful, indifferent expression as he spoke.

“I understand, Grandpa!” A wave of sorrow washed over Yang Yi’s eyes as he immediately knelt down. Seeing Yang Yi kneel, Lin Pangzi didn't hesitate but pressed his lips to the floorboards alongside him.

“Grandpa, now that Yi’er won’t be by your side, please take good care of your health.” There was no pretense in Yang Yi’s words; his sincerity was complete, and he felt the old man before him deserved nothing less than his deepest reverence.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Three resonant knocks echoed, signifying the respect Yang Yi and Lin Pangzi held for the old man. The tears streaming down their faces could not be restrained. Old Man Yang did not stop them, merely glancing at them with doting affection before pulling a small token from his robe.

“Yi’er, get up now. Come here, I have one more thing for you.” Old Man Yang fought back the urge to let his own tears fall, speaking lightly as he beckoned them over. “Take this token. Hold onto it!”

Yang Yi stood up and took the token from Old Man Yang’s hand, immediately sensing it was unusual. It was a small, rectangular piece of gold, inscribed with three drops of blood—otherwise, it held no immediately apparent extraordinary qualities. In truth, he didn't know there was a tiny mechanism hidden within the small token, containing something whose nature was currently unknown, leaving Yang Yi puzzled. “Grandpa, this…”

“Yes. Take this to the Li family in City A. You will understand everything when you get there,” Old Man Yang stated, his brow furrowing slightly.

“Yes, Grandpa!” Yang Yi and Lin Pangzi were already weeping freely. All that nonsense about men not shedding tears for trivial matters—they paid it no mind. They only believed that without the old man before them, they likely wouldn't have survived to this day.

Old Man Yang paid no attention to their emotional display. He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and then gave a sudden start, waving his hand, signaling that they were permitted to leave.

“Grandpa, please take care of yourself,” Yang Yi said, wiping his tears, his voice thick with emotion.

“Go,” Old Man Yang murmured, his eyes still tightly shut.

After a moment, Old Man Yang finally opened his eyes, and tears slowly began to trace paths down his cheeks. He spoke softly to himself, “Whether you rise to become a dragon or just an earthworm is up to you, Yi’er.”

Back in the present.

“We’re here! We’ve reached the county town. Everyone off the boat!” A loud shout echoed across the slightly worn-and-refurbished vessel, and the surrounding passengers began disembarking.

“Brother Yi, we should get off too!” Lin Pangzi’s voice pulled Yang Yi out of his memories and back to the present.

Yang Yi glanced around, took a deep breath, seemingly steadying his nerves. A cunning smile touched the corner of his mouth. “Yeah, let’s go!”

“And hey, guard those satchels you’re holding. If you lose anything, I’ll hold you personally accountable!”

“Yes, Brother Yi!” Lin Pangzi grinned in response. The two carried no legendary piles of baggage; their luggage was minimal.

The satchel Yang Yi had just mentioned was the one given to them by Old Man Yang. Inside were some... [content omitted for brevity in thought process, but conceptually present], along with two stacks of Renminbi, totaling perhaps twenty thousand. Yang Yi also possessed a bank card and the token. He didn't know how much money was on the card, nor did Lin Pangzi, but they both knew they had to guard the satchel diligently, as that money was their allowance from Old Man Yang. The thought of it being snatched by thugs or simply misplaced was unthinkable.

After getting off the boat, they looked at the throngs of people bustling by. A sense of awe struck them; they undoubtedly looked like country bumpkins, only perhaps the calmest-looking bumpkins anyone had ever seen.

“Pangzi, let’s go. The train station should be that way!” Although Yang Yi felt a shock internally, his expression was strangely determined, for he knew his real undertaking was about to begin, the things he truly wanted to achieve were starting now.

“Ahem!” Yang Yi cleared his throat, and his voice, surprisingly magnetic yet slightly raspy, emerged. “Excuse me, miss, do you have any train tickets left for City A?”

Behind the ticket window sat an attendant who looked... well, who looked like... In truth, the young man wasn't yet inclined to feel the urge to overpower a middle-aged auntie, so he didn't pay much attention to her appearance.

“How many tickets?” A voice, aloof yet perfectly calm, issued from the middle-aged attendant across the counter.

“Two!”

“Two tickets to City A. Only hard sleeper seats remain. Five hundred sixty yuan. Want them or not?” The attendant stated quickly and efficiently.

“Uh!” Yang Yi hadn't expected such coldness from the woman. He simply managed a slight, unconcerned laugh, quickly paid Lin Pangzi to handle the transaction, and they departed.

Finding their assigned seats according to the numbers on the tickets, they settled down. Lin Pangzi immediately asked Yang Yi, “Brother Yi, what are we going to do once we hit City A?”

“Hmm—we’ll figure things out after we get to the place Grandpa mentioned,” Yang Yi replied thoughtfully.

“But, Brother Yi, this…” Lin Pangzi tightened his grip on the satchel, seemingly asking how they should manage it.

In truth, both Lin Pangzi and Yang Yi shared a similar sensibility; neither liked carrying bulky belongings. Yang Yi understood Pangzi’s implication. After a moment of thought, he said, “How about this: once we arrive in City A, we find a bank, open an account, and deposit ten thousand yuan immediately. I’ll entrust that to you for safekeeping. The rest of the money will be used to find an apartment, buy daily necessities, and get some clothes.”

“And then, once everything is arranged, we decide what to do?” Lin Pangzi was more concerned with long-term prospects. After all, they were heading out to make their way in City A; if they didn't find something substantial to pursue, even if they currently possessed billions, it would eventually be spent, and more importantly, they would have achieved nothing.

“Exactly!” Yang Yi understood Pangzi well. Despite appearing foolish sometimes, that was just on the surface; Pangzi was sharp-witted and remarkably clever. So, Yang Yi asked, “Pangzi, do you remember what we once said we wanted to do?”

“Uh! Brother Yi, I—I forgot,” Lin Pangzi admitted sheepishly.

Yang Yi was momentarily speechless, instantly overturning the flattering assessment he had just made in his mind. He said curtly, “Damn it, think harder.”

“Mmm—let me think!” Lin Pangzi fell into contemplation, as if digging through deep memories. Moments later, his face suddenly brightened with excitement. “To establish a dynasty of rascals, to profane the established Underworld, and forge a Black Empire belonging only to us rogues!”

“Keep your voice down, damn it! I thought you actually forgot. I originally wanted to stay with Grandpa a while longer, but given the situation, I guess we have to follow Grandpa’s plan.” A shadow of melancholy flickered in Yang Yi’s eyes. He didn't know if his own ambitions were correct, nor did he know how his fate would unfold. But he knew one thing: in this world, lacking power was tantamount to being an ant that could be crushed at any moment. Therefore, he had to build his own strength.

“What the hell are we thinking about so much? As they say, the boat straightens itself when it reaches the bridgehead—never mind, stop thinking about it.” Yang Yi violently shook his head, realizing he might have overthought things. In truth, what he had just said sounded similar to another saying: ‘When death is imminent, the path becomes clear!’

......... : Rush to the top spot on the New Book chart; expect mass releases to satisfy everyone’s desires! We are only five spots away—brothers, use your votes quickly, push us up there! Thanks everyone.