Chapter One: Downfall

  In March of Yangchun, grass grows and swallows fly.

  Yangzhou's sun is high in the sky, at the busiest time of day, pedestrians fill the streets.

  On the crowded pedestrian path, a middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance walked among them, his face full of vicissitudes, filled with helplessness and worry.

  Yi Chi is also twenty-eight years old this year. It's supposed to be the prime of his life, but Yi Chi has a worn-out look on his face, and it's believable that he's forty.

  Yangzhou is also a place where gold can be earned everywhere. In the past, Yi Chi left his hometown because of this rumor. Who would have thought that he was unlucky in recent years and all his hard work went down the drain overnight.

  Who doesn't have a passionate youth, Yi Chi, who had just graduated from university, was like those trendy young people, thinking of starting his own business and making a living on his own. However, entrepreneurship is not that easy, with gains and losses, and after several years, Yi Chi has seen the world clearly and no longer has the vigor he had when he first graduated, as if he has been engraved with the vicissitudes of life.

  Originally, this life was still passable, but that's just how society is. When those in power want something to be a certain way, then it has to be that way for those below them.

  "Was it just because she looked at me a few more times, that I had to be made a fool of? Damn Tan Wei, damn the Tan family." Yi Chi was being targeted by the young master of the Tan Corporation just because he had been glanced at a few more times by a local rich girl and had revealed a smile.

  The Tang family is a large corporation, a multinational enterprise, which is comparable to this small-time businessman Yi Chi.

  Someone's careless remark ruined the business deal I had already discussed with Yi Chi.

  What? Contract?

  In their eyes, the law is a plaything, and what's more, they still care about that broken contract.

  In the end, it was still Yi Chi who suffered a loss.

  A whole warehouse of goods have all been brought in, but the buyer doesn't want them anymore. How can Yi Chi bear this?!

  "Hah? Small fry? Haha, big shot? Haha... HAHAHA..." He laughed maniacally for a while, ignoring the shocked faces of the surrounding crowd, before Yi Chi stormed off in anger.

  He could only endure.

  ........

  How many 28-year periods does a person have in their lifetime? Yi Chi doesn't know about others, but he knows that for himself, there may only be this one 28-year period.

  "Those guys won't let me go." Yi Chi said to the bartender in a bar not far from home, completely disregarding whether the other person understood what he was saying or not. He just needed someone to pour his heart out to, and whether that person understood him or not was another matter altogether.

  The staff at the Magic Lamp Bar are clearly well-trained, even when being dragged into a long conversation by Easy that they don't understand, the bartender doesn't show any signs of annoyance, still wearing his professional smile.

  "Do you know? I spent so much heart and soul on this business, entertaining clients, spending a fortune, but just because of someone else's word, it all went up in smoke! Bastard! Just because they have money, they think they're above everything! Just because they have power, they think they can do whatever they want!" Yi Chi slurred, recounting his misfortune.

  The bartender was already exasperated: "How much longer is this guy going to talk? Ugh, at this time I could be making a lot of tips. Damn it, you deserve to have your business go bankrupt. People with money and power naturally look down on others, it's only to be expected. This guy just doesn't get it." In his heart he was cursing Yi Chi, but on his face he couldn't show even a hint of anger - this was something their boss had specially trained them in.

  "What kind of society is this? I'm also a good young man, but at 28 years old, not only have I not achieved anything in my career, but I don't even have a girlfriend. Meanwhile, others are born into rich families, with money, power, and influence all prepared for them by their parents, without them having to spend any time working hard. Heaven, you're so unfair! What did I, Yi Chi, do to offend you? You won't give me a good life, fine, I'll work hard myself. But just because that woman looked at me a few times, these bastards want me dead. If there's an afterlife, I, Yi Chi, will definitely take control of my own destiny and never let things be like this again, where someone else's words can put my life in danger."

  By the time he heard this, the bartender had also figured it out. The poor guy in front of him was obviously being targeted because some rich kid's girlfriend had taken a liking to him and now his business was ruined, and his life was probably next.

  The bartender looked up and down at Yi Chi a few times, but he really couldn't see what it was about Yi Chi that could attract women.

  "Maybe that woman just took a few curious glances, this guy named Yi Chi, listening to him, is only 28 years old, but looks like he's 38, how could she possibly be interested in him?! It seems that he really has bad luck. This time, the bartender wasn't angry about Yi Chi affecting his tips either, after all, he was a dying man, of course, he didn't have any intention of helping Yi Chi, as the saying goes 'dead friends don't die poor', in today's society, who would go out of their way to help someone unrelated, and risk their own life?"

  "Hey buddy, you're drunk, go home." The bartender reminded kindly, actually he was also afraid that the guy wouldn't have money to pay the bill.

  "Drunk? I'm not drunk, I'm not drunk." Yi Chi said dazedly, although he said he wasn't drunk, he still took the bartender's advice, paid the bill, and staggered out of the bar with an unsteady gait.

  ......

  On spring nights, a gentle breeze drifts between heaven and earth.

  Yi Chi, who had just left the bar, was blown by the wind and woke up half of his intoxication.

  Covering his head with his hands, he slowly shook it and slightly sobered up.

  "Alas, in this vast world, is there still a place for me to exist?" Looking around at the crowds of people who were still laughing and strolling about even at night, Yi Chi suddenly felt that they were all so insignificant, their happiness was so fragile, it could be shattered with just a slight blow, just like his own.

  "Haha, I don't even know when they'll come to take their own lives. Alas, I don't even have the capital for revenge, haha, what a waste I am." Yi Chi didn't bother anymore, he had thought about taking revenge, but that was such a luxurious thing to do. When others went out, it was like a group of bodyguards, and as for him? After years of running around, and having to entertain guests with drinks, his body wasn't what it used to be. In front of them, he could say he had no strength to even tie up a chicken, how could he possibly compete with them?

  As he walked on the streets lit up by the lanterns, Yi Chi's heart gradually calmed down.

  "Come on, come on, don't miss out, various small accessories starting from one yuan."

  "Freshly baked sweet potato, delicious and cheap."

  "Sugar gourd, two pieces for one string."

  "Final sale on T-shirts."

  ......

  On both sides of the streets with endless calls, one side stops to watch and the other walks around.

  Yi Chi was attracted by the forbidden love.

  Yi Chi, who had been wandering around, was attracted by a stall selling antiques, or rather, the dagger on it.

  The bronze handle had a slight verdigris, on which seven gems were inlaid. The dazzling light was so radiant. The silver blade gleamed with a long blood groove showing that it was not used for cutting vegetables, but for killing people.

  The boss of the street stall saw Yi Chi staring straight at the dagger, and the smile on his face grew thicker.

  "Hehe, the fat sheep is coming." thought with a pleased heart.

  "Sir, what do you need? Take whatever you want, things are cheaper here." The street vendor shouted out his advertisement.

  Yi Chi listened to his boss's words and didn't hesitate, casually picking up the dagger to admire it.

  "How is it, isn't it great? This dagger has a lot of background to it. Speaking of which, that was over a decade ago." The street stall owner's eyes were deeply fixed on Yi Chi.

  "It was a night with thick clouds, I and several local brothers went to search for treasure. Outside an old cemetery, we found a very hidden cave entrance. So, the brothers decided to go in and take a look. That dark cave entrance, even now, I still dream about it. At that time, I was young, didn't understand things, wasn't afraid of anything. The several brothers took flashlights and went into the cave." As he said this, the street vendor boss secretly looked around, as if afraid others would hear, pulled Yi Chi to the back of the stall, and continued speaking in a low voice.

  "In the cave, there was no light, only a flashlight that we used to move forward with its weak beam. After about half an hour of walking, a faint light suddenly appeared in front of us. We were like people drowning in deep water who had grabbed onto a lifeline, and excitedly ran towards it. As we approached, we realized it was a huge tomb chamber, and the faint light came from oil lamps inside. According to our observation, that tomb chamber must have been thousands of years old. The bronze coffin was placed right in the center of the chamber, with strange texts carved on the walls and ceiling all around. Later I found out those were ancient characters. This dagger was found in the coffin, which was empty except for this dagger. We were scared at that time too, but I insisted on taking it. The others were too afraid to stay and immediately ran away. It's strange, after that we couldn't find the entrance of the cave again, and the matter was dropped. The old man said this as he took back the dagger from Yi Chi, staring at him with deep eyes that made Yi Chi feel a chill."

  "Heh heh." After a few dry laughs, the atmosphere was slightly relieved. Yi Chi didn't believe the boss's words, but he was still frightened out of his wits.

  "How about this? It's a big deal, right? Look at the gemstones on it, look at the patina - this is an antique from several thousand years ago!" The boss excitedly introduced.

  "Cough, boss, isn't that an exaggeration? And another thing, were daggers from thousands of years ago made with alloy materials? You're really overdoing it. Give me a reasonable price and I'll buy it." Yi Chi hastily said, he was truly afraid that the boss would continue talking and probably make this dagger sound like a divine artifact.

  "Haha, brother is actually a connoisseur, so I won't cheat you either. One price, 1000 yuan, and it's yours." The boss said with a sly face.

  "Haha, 1000 is too expensive, in one sentence, I'll buy it for 200." Yi Chi haggled.

  "It's 800, can't be cheaper than that."

  "Even if it's 300, I won't buy it."

  "600, can't go any lower."

  "500, love it or leave it."

  "Alright, 500 is 500, oh dear, I'm going to lose big time."

  Finally, Yi Chi bought this good-looking dagger for 500 yuan.

  ......

  After De Yi Chi left, the boss hurriedly took out another dagger from his backpack and placed it on the stall.

  "Heh heh, bought for 100, sold for 500, made a profit of 400, haha, can go to Miaoyu Palace again tonight." The street stall owner said with a sly smile.