They all want to change my future.

Chapter 1 Li Zhi

In the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, in the dead of winter, fine snow was falling.

The snow fell lightly, as lightly as if someone were scattering salt from the clouds, one grain at a time, landing on the bluestone path, on the upturned eaves, and on Li Zhi.

Li Zhi stood in the middle of the long street, his breath dissipating into the night and vanishing into nothingness.

He was certain he had traveled through time.

Just a moment ago, I was sitting in front of my computer, playing a single-player game called "Ask for Immortality".

I had just selected the keywords, created my character, and entered the game when everything went black.

We've arrived at this place.

Where we came from is decided, so where are we going?

He needed to think about where to go, as he was very hungry.

Not only was my stomach feeling incredibly empty, but a chill also crept up from the soles of my feet, climbing up my legs.

The current situation is one of extreme hunger and cold.

Li Zhi looked down at his clothes; they were coarse cloth garments, as thin as paper in the twelfth lunar month.

He rubbed his hands together, but the warm breath he exhaled dissipated before it could even take shape.

We need to find a place.

Looking up, towering wooden buildings lined both sides of the long street, dark and imposing, with icicles hanging from their eaves, gleaming eerily in the night.

The city was eerily quiet at night, so quiet you could hear the snow falling.

Is this a curfew?

Li Zhi frowned.

If there's a curfew, given the weather and the hunger, I'm afraid I won't be able to make it until dawn; I'll definitely have to get moving.

So Li Zhi started walking.

The boots crunched on the snow, the sound particularly clear in the silence.

I had only taken two steps when I suddenly tripped.

Li Zhi looked down and saw a section of arm protruding from the snow, bluish-purple and hard.

He moved his feet, bent down, and brushed away the snow to reveal a corpse.

It was a man, completely naked, without even a rag.

His skin was frozen purple, and his face still held the expression he had before he died—not one of pain, but a numb blankness.

They froze to death.

Looking at this, I realize it might be what I'll look like in the future.

Li Zhi felt little fear; instead, he experienced a strange sense of calm.

It's like watching a play, a play that relates to yourself. The characters in the play are about to die, but the audience is pondering whether the plot is reasonable.

He stood up and continued walking forward.

When he passed the corpse, he didn't go around it, but stepped directly over it.

He felt a hard, solid sensation under his feet, but his heart remained unmoved.

It's like looking at a stone on the side of the road; you step on it, and that's it.

I'm not a normal person to begin with; call it a lack of empathy or cold-heartedness.

After walking a few dozen steps, there was an intersection ahead.

There are two roads.

A brightly lit road, wide and deep, led to a grand mansion with two red lanterns hanging in front of the door, swaying in the wind and snow.

It was a dark and quiet street, lined with low-rise houses, with not even a faint light coming from the windows.

Without much thought, Li Zhi chose the path of the wealthy and powerful.

There is light there.

Where there is light, there are people.

Where there are people, there is a way to survive.

He walked down that road.

The sound of boots crunching in the snow echoed in the empty alley.

After walking about a hundred paces, a creaking sound suddenly came from behind.

It was so light, almost completely obscured by the wind and snow, but Li Zhi heard it.

He stopped and looked back.

A horse-drawn carriage.

It appeared out of nowhere and stopped three zhang behind him.

The horses pulling the carriage were pure white, their coats shimmering with a faint silver light in the night, and they were exceptionally handsome.

There was no driver in the carriage. The curtains were drawn, made of dark black velvet embroidered with dark gold patterns. Li Zhi squinted to examine them closely, and the patterns seemed to be some kind of bird, with its wings spread as if about to take flight.

The white horse looked at him.

Li Zhi was certain that the horse was looking at him.

His eyes were amber in color, shining with a warm light in the darkness, and there was even a hint of compassion in his gaze.

"Please get in the carriage, young master."

A voice came from inside the car.

It was a woman's voice, soft and sweet, like melting honey, bringing an unreal warmth to this cold night.

Li Zhi moved and walked towards the carriage. As he lifted the corner of the curtain, he glimpsed inside—warm light, charcoal fire, and a touch of red.

red?

The red color, like a wedding dress, is eye-catching and stunning.

There was only one woman in red inside the car, after seeing the owner's appearance.

Li Zhi's breath hitched slightly.

It was an extremely beautiful face.

Her skin was as white as snow, her eyebrows and eyes as beautiful as paintings, but her eyes were golden, exuding majesty under the light.

What's most eye-catching is her hair, which isn't the usual black, but a dark red, like maple leaves in late autumn, draped over her shoulders, making her face appear even whiter.

"Young master, aren't you afraid I'll harm you?" The woman in red asked with a hint of amusement.

Li Zhi finally spoke: "It doesn't matter. I'm more curious why you invited me in the first place."

"Seeing that the young master was dressed so thinly and walking alone in the snowy night, I couldn't bear to see him like this."

"Tonight, more than one person will probably freeze to death," Li Zhi said. "Why can't you bear to see me like this, young lady?"

"Because you are different, young master," she looked at Li Zhi with a serious expression, "I can tell."

Li Zhi stared at her for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

"it is good."

He said no more and walked straight to the woman.

The curtains fell, keeping the wind and snow out.

It was indeed warm inside the car.

A charcoal brazier sat in the corner, the charcoal fire burning brightly, glowing red and radiating heat.

The carriage was spacious and covered with thick plush carpets that felt soft and fluffy underfoot.

A small table was placed on one side, with a teapot and teacups on it, and steam was rising from the spout of the teapot.

After Li Zhi sat down, he unceremoniously reached out to warm his hands by the fire.

Warmth spread from his fingertips, and his frozen body gradually came back to life. He felt so comfortable that he almost groaned out loud.

"Thank you, young lady," he said.

"My surname is Ji, Ji Baizhi." After saying her name, she picked up the teapot, poured a cup of tea, and pushed it in front of him.

"Young master, you are quite impolite."

"Why be so polite to someone who's about to die?" Li Zhi picked up his teacup and took a sip.

The tea was hot, with a faint osmanthus fragrance, and slid down my throat, warming me all the way to my stomach.

He let out a long sigh, leaned against the car wall, and squinted slightly.

"So, Miss Ji," he asked, "where is this place?"

"The capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty".

"Great Zhou..." Li Zhi repeated, then looked up at her, "The surname Ji, young lady, is not an ordinary surname."

Ji Baizhi nodded: "Exactly."

"That girl is...?"

"It's nothing to mention," Ji Baizhi said casually, then asked, "It seems you're not a local, sir?"

"no."

"Where did you come from?"

"It's a very far place," Li Zhi said. "So far that I don't even remember how I got here. But thankfully, I still remember my name, Li Zhi."

Ji Baizhi listened but didn't press him further. She simply looked at him quietly, her eyes filled with an emotion that Li Zhi couldn't decipher—a mixture of inquiry and confirmation.

"Young Master must be hungry. Have some bread first." Ji Baizhi took out a well-wrapped bread from her bosom and handed it to Li Zhi.

Taking the still-warm pancake, Li Zhi chuckled, "The last person to eat a pancake from a girl's arms was completely captivated."

"So, young master, you're looking down on me?"

"No, I was just sighing." Li Zhi took the handkerchief wrapped around the flatbread and started eating it.

Ji Baizhi smiled slightly, gently extended her delicate hand, and continued to add tea for Li Zhi.

The carriage moved slowly forward, its wheels crunching over the snow with a regular "crunch".

The carriage was warm and cozy, filled with the aroma of tea, a stark contrast to the icy, snowy landscape outside.

Li Zhi sat by the fire, eating flatbread and drinking tea, but his mind gradually began to wander.

This woman is not simple.

Driving alone on the streets late at night, I bumped into a ragged stranger who not only invited me into his car but also offered me tea, cakes, and warmth.

Where in the world is there such a good thing?

It's either a trap, or they have ulterior motives towards me.

"Miss Ji," Li Zhi put down his teacup after finishing his cake, looked directly at her, "we are complete strangers, yet you are so kind to me. What do you want me to do? Please tell me directly."

Ji Baizhi smiled.

That smile was beautiful; the corners of her lips were slightly upturned, and her eyes curved into crescent moons.

"Young master is indeed perceptive," she said. "Indeed, I have something to discuss with you."

"What is it?"

"I want to save a life."

Li Zhi raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean?"

"If I hadn't come," Ji Baizhi said, "if you had gone any further, you would have knocked on the back door of the residence of Huang Jian, the Vice Minister of Works."

"and then?"

"Minister Huang took pity on you and took you in as a slave in his household." Ji Baizhi spoke calmly, as if telling a story she already knew well. "For three years, you worked diligently, but in one night, you killed forty-three people in the Huang household and fled to the south."

Li Zhi listened quietly.

Ji Baizhi did not continue speaking.

The carriage was completely silent.

A spark popped from the charcoal fire.

Why didn't you tell the rest of the story?

"This is not a story, this is the future," Ji Baizhi said earnestly.

"Oh." Li Zhi nodded. "So, young lady, you haven't seen the end of my future, or you simply don't want to talk about it anymore?"

Ji Baizhi picked up her teacup, took a sip, and slowly said, "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed."

"Okay, I understand." Li Zhi nodded. "One last question: is the young lady trying to change my future by doing this?"

"That's right." Ji Baizhi's answer was firm and decisive, so decisive that it seemed as if she was afraid.

Li Zhi leaned back against the carriage wall, closed his eyes, thought for a moment, and asked softly, "Why?"

Ji Baizhi looked at him, something flickering in her golden eyes.

"Because the young master shouldn't end up like that," she said. "I don't want the young master to go down that path."

"That path and the ending?"

"Everyone has their own path to walk and their own destiny," Ji Baizhi explained. "Young Master should have had a better path to take."

She paused, then lowered her voice: "That's such a pity."

"Everyone has their own destiny," Li Zhi said. "If I knew the future, I would only kill him in advance to prevent future troubles."

Ji Baizhi was taken aback, then chuckled, "Young master is joking. I have no intention of killing you; I only want to help you."

"How can I help?"

"I would like to invite you, young master, to come with me to a place."

"where?"

"A place that might change the young master's fate."

Li Zhi looked at her for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Why should I believe you?"

"Young master, you may not believe me," Ji Baizhi said, "but it's freezing outside. Why don't you come with me for the sake of that pancake?"

"Are you sure you want to use this favor so soon?"

"Of course, I am not the kind of person who would take advantage of someone's kindness."

Ji Baizhi smiled, and this time her smile was much more genuine.

"Okay," Li Zhi said, "I'll go with you."

"Young master will not regret it."

The carriage moved forward slowly, and Li Zhi began to think. He thought about Ji Baizhi's ending earlier, and then about the game he played before he transmigrated.

Some answers are obvious; different choices in the game will naturally lead to different endings.

If this is truly a game, then my talent is indeed quite good.

After all, the two keywords he chose earlier were absolutely top-notch.

So, how can I be sure?

panel?

As Li Zhi silently recited the command, a light screen appeared. Seeing that Ji Baizhi appeared normal, Li Zhi understood that this was something only he could see.

[Character: Li Zhi]

[Entries: Heart of Nothingness, Emperor's Body, Favor of Heaven and Earth]

[A Heart of Emptiness: A passerby in this world, worldly affairs do not enter your heart. (I need more interesting things.)]

[Human Emperor's Body: The ultimate in the world, unparalleled, immune to all poisons. All cultivation efficiency related to the physical body is increased by 300%. (First, I hate that Heaven has no ring; second, I hate that Earth has no handle; third, I hate that humanity is heartless.)]

[Blessed by Heaven and Earth: Spiritual energy perception is consistently at MAX level; spiritual energy absorption speed has no upper limit; there are no bottlenecks in cultivation before the seventh realm. (Gathering the essence of Heaven and Earth, and the spirit of the sun and moon.)]

Current level: 0

"Human Emperor's Body" and "Blessed by Heaven and Earth" were the best keywords Li Zhi chose when creating his character.

As for the first entry, it should be something that Li Zhi already had.

However, this "heart of nothingness," what kind of summary is this? It's quite interesting.