Chapter 1: Transmigration

Chapter 1: Transmigration

"A Chi, I never thought Yan Wanqiu could survive so long after being poisoned. That Blizzard City is remote and backward, frozen all year round. Do you resent me for being exiled to the borderlands with Yan Wanqiu for my sake?"

A pitiful voice came from the neural device, and Xie Chi blinked, dazed.

What Blizzard City?

Wasn't this the city where the tyrant Yan Wanqiu was exiled in his youth over three thousand years ago? The city had blown itself up when Yan Wanqiu was defeated by Yan Huishi, burying Yan Wanqiu and all his loyal followers. All that remained for posterity was a monument.

He was still on an assassination mission—why would he end up at the ruins of Blizzard City?

Within half a second, countless questions raced through Xie Chi's mind.

Out of professional habit, he didn't speak immediately. Instead, he kept his body tense, scanned his surroundings with a guarded expression, and looked toward the source of the voice to figure out what was happening.

He was sitting on a crude bed. The room was bare, with outdated furnishings, looking like something from a slum.

In front of him was a vintage wrist-worn neural device, and on its projected screen was a pale, frail-looking man with long white hair.

Seeing that he didn't respond, the man's face fell, and his voice grew even more theatrical: "A Chi, you're the only one who can help me. I heard Yan Wanqiu discovered a thermal ore in Blizzard City and plans to use it to survive the freezing period that's coming in three weeks. You know how severe the national energy shortage is and how vital this new energy source in Blizzard City is. I've already petitioned Father, and I'll arrive in Blizzard City in a week for an inspection. I've also notified Yan Wanqiu to prepare for my arrival. You'll follow the original plan and help me get rid of him and take over the thermal ore field, right?"

Xie Chi gave a low "hmm" in response while his mind raced.

Yan Wanqiu discovering thermal ore in Blizzard City—wasn't that an event from three thousand years ago?

He couldn't have gone back three thousand years, could he?

Anyone in the killing business knows that for a perfect assassination, physical skill is just the foundation—what matters more is knowledge.

As someone raised in an underground assassin organization since childhood, Xie Chi had received the organization's full training, which of course included interstellar history.

And Yan Wanqiu, as the infamous villain tyrant in the founding era's history, was the first lesson in history textbooks, a household name to later generations. Xie Chi immediately remembered the full story.

The tyrant Yan Wanqiu, cursed by later generations, was at this point still the Second Prince of the United Kingdom of Eberis.

Three thousand years ago, before Year One of the Stellar Calendar, the various races had not yet established contact, and the United Kingdom of Eberis, home of the ABO race, was entering an era of rapid development.

Stellar network intelligence, starships, and new weapons sprang up one after another. In contrast, old energy sources could barely sustain the nation, which kept facing energy crises.

Yan Wanqiu was the first S-class alpha in a thousand years in the ABO race, possessing extraordinary talent in energy technology and machinery. While promoting a new energy revolution, he also advocated for space exploration and expansion. For a time, he was at the height of his fame, which made him a thorn in the side of his elder brother, the First Prince Yan Huishi, also an alpha.

The First Prince exploited Yan Wanqiu's trust in him, seized control of the exploration project, concealed its progress, and secretly colluded with the Mechanical Civilization—a foreign civilization which had even worse energy crises. He promised them a share of the energy in exchange for more advanced weapons and genetic drugs, which he used to slowly poison Yan Wanqiu.

Yan Wanqiu, originally devoted to the people and honest and kind, developed pheromone dysregulation syndrome due to prolonged poisoning. His personality changed drastically, and during a joint military exercise, he went berserk, attacking several delegates and causing a shocking scandal.

It was only after Yan Huishi took the chance to seize power that Yan Wanqiu realized he had been framed by his own brother.

The aging king, already suspicious by nature and wary of this prince, had always turned a blind eye to Yan Wanqiu being poisoned.

To appease public outrage, the king exiled him to Blizzard City in the most remote northern star system.

Everyone thought he was doomed, but Yan Wanqiu, with only three hundred personal guards, discovered a new energy source beneath Blizzard City—thermal ore.

Yan Huishi and the Mechanical Civilization coveted this new energy. They instructed the Third Prince, Yan Baiyue, to contact a traitor and plot against Yan Wanqiu, hoping to kill him and seize the treasure without a trace.

Yan Wanqiu survived by luck, but his pheromone dysregulation syndrome worsened, making him paranoid and distrustful of everyone. The Third Prince and the traitor were both skinned alive.

From then on, Yan Wanqiu focused solely on revenge, growing increasingly brutal, tormented by his condition. With the new energy and iron-fisted methods, he quickly established a foothold in the northern star region, declared himself king, and openly defied the capital.

As Yan Wanqiu was about to conquer the entire border, Yan Huishi stooped to anything, selling off national territory and resources to ally with the Mechanical Civilization. Using their advanced weapons, he took Yan Wanqiu by surprise.

In the end, Yan Wanqiu and his remaining guards were forced back to Blizzard City. With no support, he chose to detonate the city, taking his enemies down with him.

It was also because of the city's explosion that the Mechanical Civilization was severely weakened, and Yan Huishi took the opportunity to unify the two races.

Different civilizations in the universe began to merge, and the cosmos entered the interstellar era.

History is written by the victors. Yan Wanqiu, as the last tyrant before the interstellar era, became the quintessential villain in the first lesson of later history textbooks.

But now...

Xie Chi looked at the old-fashioned neural device screen. The white-haired, effeminate man across from him was still speaking, looking emotional.

"Thank you, A Chi. I knew you were the only one who truly loved me."

Xie Chi ventured: "Yan Baiyue?"

The white-haired, effeminate man looked at him lovingly: "What's wrong, A Chi?"

Xie Chi shuddered.

Half out of disgust at the other man, half out of realization of who he was.

He was the traitor who helped the Third Prince Yan Baiyue betray the tyrant and was later skinned alive.

Yan Baiyue didn't notice anything off about Xie Chi and kept playing the emotional card, dangling promises: "Once you succeed, I'll take you back to the main star. With your contributions, my brother will surely approve of us."

Xie Chi listened to Yan Baiyue's empty promises, his skin crawling.

He couldn't see a bright future—only himself being skinned alive. He refused without thinking: "No need."

Forget the fact that continuing this rebellion would only leave him and Yan Baiyue dead; Xie Chi was straight, plain and simple. Even in the ABO race, he had no interest in marrying a man.

Yan Baiyue was stunned.

It was the first time Xie Chi had ever refused him.

But since "Xie Chi's" image as a loyal simp was too deeply ingrained, Yan Baiyue quickly rationalized it himself.

"Don't worry about my arranged marriage," Yan Baiyue put on a fragile, innocent act. "Those were all forced on me by my father. As long as I accomplish something concrete, I'll have grounds to refuse the marriage. A Chi, you're the finest alpha I've ever met."

Xie Chi was speechless.

Xie Chi was an orphan of no particular race. He'd never been an alpha or an omega. Suddenly transported here, he couldn't bring himself to say romantic words to Yan Baiyue, so he stayed silent while quickly thinking of a plan.

Based on what Yan Baiyue had just said, the original Xie Chi hadn't made his move yet—there was still time.

As long as his relationship with Yan Baiyue wasn't exposed to Yan Wanqiu, he still had a chance to survive.

Following a lost cause would only lead to a bad end.

He was only eighteen, and he hadn't even saved up enough money to find a wife yet T^T

Though he hadn't figured out exactly what kind of wife he wanted, his colleagues always said that having a wife meant having a home, and only then could life really begin.

As an orphan raised by the organization, Xie Chi had no family, and he wanted to know what it felt like to have one.

Thinking of the family and home his colleagues had described, Xie Chi's mind wandered for a moment, and he couldn't help but purse his lips and smile.

Yan Baiyue held his nose to keep up the bootlicking act, planning to hang up and shut off the communicator to avoid being discovered by Yan Wanqiu.

But upon seeing Xie Chi's expression, Yan Baiyue froze mid-motion.

Why had he never noticed how good-looking Xie Chi was before?

The old "Xie Chi's" face had been strangely blurry in his memory; Yan Baiyue only remembered that the guy wasn't too ugly and wasn't low-level either, or else he wouldn't have chosen to flirt with him.

But the guy was dull and boring, his fighting skills the only decent thing about him. Plus, he was young, and after a few chats, Yan Baiyue got bored of him.

But now, seeing the young man lost in thought, his eyes sparkling, the tear mole under his left eye even more alluring, faint dimples forming at the corners of his mouth—

His features were delicate, his lips a vivid red—clean and handsome. Even that faint smile was enough to be a total heartbreaker.

Yan Baiyue had never seen Xie Chi look like this before.

He couldn't help asking out loud: "What are you thinking about?"

Xie Chi answered without thinking, dead serious: "I'm thinking about saving up to take care of a wife."

Yan Baiyue thought Xie Chi meant him, and his heart gave a little lurch, even feeling a flicker of warmth.

He was about to say something when he heard a soft "creak." A cold, sinister voice came from behind Xie Chi.

"Who are you communicating with?"

The man's voice was deep, the last syllable clipped, dripping with icy menace.

"B-Brother?!"

Yan Baiyue's face instantly filled with panic, and Xie Chi shot to his feet, every hair on his body standing on end.

How the hell had the Tyrant caught him already? That wasn't in the history books?!

He tried to shut off the smart device, but couldn't figure out how to work this antique in a panic, so he just tossed it onto the bed, steeled himself, and slowly turned to face Yan Wanqiu.

One look and Xie Chi understood why the man was called "the Final Tyrant."

The man had long white hair, crimson eyes, sharp, deep-cut features, and a high-bridged nose—an aggressively striking look.

His gaze was dark as a frozen abyss, his aura sinister, his faint smile carrying a hint of madness and ruthlessness.

The cold wind sweeping in from outside carried the chilling pheromone pressure of an S-grade alpha.

"What were you and Yan Baiyue talking about? I thought I heard something about marriage?"

Yan Wanqiu's tone rose slightly, but his pheromones were violently oppressive, crushing down on Xie Chi.

Caught off guard, Xie Chi felt a sharp, needle-like pain stab through his brain. His face went pale, he staggered back a few steps, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

His assassin instincts screamed that Yan Wanqiu genuinely wanted to kill him right now.

The pressure of an enraged S-grade alpha's dominance was enough to drop a lower-grade alpha dead on the spot. Xie Chi didn't know his own grade, but he was starting to struggle to breathe, his mind going hazy.

Remembering how traitorous shadow guards had died horribly in history, Xie Chi bit his tongue to force himself to stay conscious.

No way he was dying here for no reason.

There had to be a way out of this.

Yan Baiyue, also terrified of losing his only source of info if Xie Chi got caught, hastily explained over the video call: "Brother, you've got it wrong! Xie Chi and I aren't like that. You know I have a fiancé..."

"Did I ask you?" Yan Wanqiu coldly glanced at Yan Baiyue.

Even through the screen, Yan Baiyue could feel the murderous intent radiating off Yan Wanqiu.

At this point, Yan Wanqiu was a total madman with nothing to lose, and even Yan Baiyue felt a chill. He shut up immediately.

Yan Wanqiu turned his gaze back to Xie Chi.

This guard had been with him since he was sixteen—quiet, honest, skilled in combat, but usually invisible. Yet when he was exiled, the man had stubbornly followed him to Blizzard City.

He'd be lying if he said it didn't move him. Yan Wanqiu repaid the favor, making Xie Chi the head of the shadow guards and even putting him in charge of the thermal ore operation.

But it turned out this was also part of his good younger brother's scheme.

After all, Yan Baiyue and Yan Huishi were born of the same mother, so there was no way he wasn't involved in Yan Huishi's framing of him.

At the peak of his fury, Yan Wanqiu couldn't help but let out a soft laugh instead.

He was laughing at himself.

How ridiculous—having fallen this far, he still wanted to believe in others.

Hadn't he ended up in this situation precisely because he'd been betrayed by all his closest kin?

Truly—he wanted to tear every one of them to pieces.

His temples began to throb with pain, and Yan Wanqiu knew it was because his intense emotions had triggered a relapse of his Pheromone Dysregulation Syndrome.

He licked his sharp canine teeth, narrowed his eyes dangerously, and had completely run out of patience.

He had important matters tonight and no time to play guessing games about traitors with Xie Chi.

"Since you can't explain yourself, then for seducing royalty, drag him away and exe—"

"Your Highness, I can explain!"

To speak out, Xie Chi forced out a bit of his own pheromones to tear through Yan Wanqiu's oppressive aura, nearly shouting himself hoarse.

He no longer cared about anything else. Driven by survival instinct, he steeled himself and pointed at Yan Baiyue on the screen, spouting nonsense: "I'm actually gay, and the Third Prince and I are purely like girlfriends! We both like the same type of alpha. The Third Prince has been troubled by his upcoming marriage, so he suddenly came to ask me for advice!"

Yan Wanqiu: ?

Yan Baiyue: ?