266: The first special soul

His head felt heavy and muddled.

A wave of pain coursed through his limbs.

His back burned with a searing ache.

Ning Xiao struggled to open his eyes, gazing around in confusion.

Where have I transmigrated to?

He found himself lying on a dilapidated bed, with another bed beside it, where an old woman lay.

The old woman's face was covered in wrinkles; she seemed injured, unmoving, and let out pained groans.

Just then, a rush of memories flooded in.

Ning Xiao instantly realized that the person he had transmigrated into, coincidentally, was also named Ning Xiao.

He was a Mortal from a small city in the southern part of the Immortal Dynasty, living with his mother.

He usually sold tofu from a stall in the alley, earning just enough to get by.

However, with the establishment of the Immortal Dynasty, various exorbitant taxes gradually emerged, and an increasing number of player Gangs appeared, each introducing more outrageous taxes.

Ning Xiao's family soon couldn't cope, their savings completely depleted.

The day before yesterday, someone came to collect debts again, and his old mother was verbally abused. Ning Xiao couldn't help but step forward and fight.

As a result, he was knocked to the ground by a Spirit Nurturing Martial Artist and completely lost consciousness.

Thump, thump, thump!!!

At that moment, a series of knocks came from outside the house.

Followed by curses:

“Ning Xiao? It’s time to pay your debts!”

“If you don’t pay up, this house will belong to our ‘Newbie Self-Rescue Gang’!”

“Ning Xiao, come out quickly!”

Ning Xiao’s expression kept changing, from confusion, then bewilderment, finally turning into shock.

“Newbie Self-Rescue Gang? What kind of ridiculous name is that? Sounds like something players would come up with.”

“But why would players do something like this?”

Ning Xiao didn't yet know that after the Immortal Dynasty was established, some low-level urban gameplay had been discovered by players.

Initially, they honestly farmed, mined, and traded.

Until someone brought the gangster-like methods into the game.

Even if players were weak, relying on Lifespan acceleration and their natural tendency to group together, they were still superior to many Mortals.

Thus, players formed one low-level community Gang after another, profiting by collecting protection fees.

Sometimes, a single area would have multiple player Gangs, collecting layer upon layer of protection fees, driving the natives to desperation.

Ning Xiao opened the door and saw the players outside.

Four people had come in total, all with burly physiques and menacing faces, likely intentionally sculpted that way.

Seeing Ning Xiao come out, the leader, holding a large saber, cursed:

“Ning Xiao, do you have money to pay? If not, this house is ours. You and your old mother can leave now.”

Ning Xiao smiled and replied, “Brother, I’m a player too. Can’t we make an exception?”

The four players looked at each other, and one of them asked, “A player? Did you just transmigrate?”

Ning Xiao nodded, “Yes, I just transmigrated. I even know the secret codes among players. You can test me.”

The player with the large saber laughed, “No need for secret codes. Whether you’re a native or a player, everyone on our turf has to pay protection fees. Not to mention your original body owed us a lot of debt. Since you transmigrated, you’ve inherited the debt. Pay up now!”

Ning Xiao was completely dumbfounded, “No, buddies, I’m a player too, shouldn’t we be on the same side?”

The saber-wielding player chuckled, “Who’s on your side? Pay up quickly, or the house is ours.”

Ning Xiao was stunned, but quickly thought that since he was a player, this house had nothing to do with him anyway; he could just leave.

He was about to speak and hand over the house to the four players.

But at that moment, his old mother, lying on the bed, struggled to turn over and spoke tremblingly:

“The… the house, you can have it. Don’t make things difficult for Ning Xiao anymore…”

Ning Xiao trembled all over.

That tone, that cadence, and the emotion it conveyed.

It reminded him of his parents in reality.

Back then, he had accumulated millions in debt due to his divorce, and creditors came to his home to collect.

His mother was also so heartbroken, so sorrowful… “Alright, we’ll take the house. You two move out quickly!”

“Ning Xiao, you’re a player, right? Then I’ll give you a chance: join our Newbie Self-Rescue Gang and come with us to the next house to collect money!”

...“Go to hell.”

Ning Xiao squeezed these words from his throat, his angry gaze fixed on the four people before him.

The next moment, he clenched his fist and attacked the four like a starving wolf.

Then… he was knocked to the ground by the saber-wielding player.

The large saber was held to his neck, preventing him from moving.

“Oh? Attacking us now?”

“Are you out of your mind? We’re veteran players. Even if this account has slightly worse talent, it’s still Spirit Nurturing, alright?”

“You, a new account, dare to hit us?”

Ning Xiao’s head was stomped on by a large foot, the immense pressure making his head throb.

His old mother beside him cried out, repeatedly apologizing and begging them to let him go.

Ning Xiao looked at the four with agony.

Undoubtedly, he had transmigrated into an utterly terrible identity.

This identity’s plight was even worse than his situation in reality.

Is this how it ends?

As Ning Xiao was thinking this.

He suddenly saw his old mother clutching her chest in pain, violently coughing up blood.

Dark red blood splattered onto the jade bracelet on her wrist, and his old mother finally collapsed.

No!!!

Ning Xiao’s eyes widened, painful memories surging up.

He remembered his own mother, who had also been overwhelmed by grief and didn't make it through… Suddenly!

His old mother, who had already fallen, sprang up like a carp.

Her cloudy eyes regained their light, sweeping over everyone in the room.

Then, she painfully clutched her head, as if something was being poured into her mind.

This scene stunned Ning Xiao.

A shocking conjecture emerged.

Could it be… “Holy crap, Boss, she seems to be a player too?”

“Who’s so unlucky as to transmigrate into this person’s body?”

The other four players also looked at the old mother, somewhat bewildered.

Transmigrating into such an elderly body was the greatest sorrow.

There was no potential, no Upper limit to it.

“Hey? You’re a player, right? Have you finished receiving your memories?”

The saber-wielding player walked over and asked curiously.

However, the next moment, the old mother’s eyes suddenly widened, and a terrifying Aura spread out.

The four players all stood frozen in place, suddenly motionless, their bodies stiffening.

Ning Xiao stared at this scene, dumbfounded, not knowing what had happened.

The old mother frowned and looked at Ning Xiao, then suddenly reached out and gripped Ning Xiao’s neck, but she couldn’t bring herself to kill him.

“...”

After a long silence, the old mother withdrew her hand and looked at Ning Xiao: “Very well, from now on, you shall be My Crown Prince.”