Chapter 1: A true man lives between heaven and earth; how can he long remain beneath others?

On a summer afternoon, the heat was suffocating. Aside from the cicadas, which chirped incessantly, even the cats and dogs lay listlessly on the ground, too lazy to move.

A wealthy squire lay comfortably on a reed mat, clutching a bamboo wife—a hollow bamboo bolster used to keep cool—while a maidservant fanned him with a round fan, lazily enjoying the shade of the summer day.

A destitute man, however, had no choice but to strip naked and jump into the stream to wash away his sweat and escape the stifling heat. If he were lucky enough to catch a few fish, he could resolve his dinner plans in one go and add a little meat to his meager fare.

Year after year, many an unlucky soul who lacked swimming skills would drown in this river near Yishui County, serving as substitutes for the water spirits. Yet, those who refused to believe in such curses still flocked there to cool off. To the local gentry, these starving wretches were hardly precious; if they died, they died—it was simply an early reincarnation, and hardly worth a second thought.

Last night, Li Gui had gone to the city’s gambling den. He started by winning but ended up losing everything, squandering not only the strings of copper coins he had saved to propose marriage but also landing himself in deep debt. The proprietor of the den was a heartless man; showing no regard for the brotherhood they had shared for years, the moment he saw Li Gui had no more wealth to squeeze, he immediately ordered his thugs to toss him out.

When winning, the gambling den provided ample wine and meat, and when blinded by the fever of gambling, one doesn't feel hunger. Now that Li Gui had sobered up, the meager meal from the night before had long been digested, and his stomach began to growl incessantly. Penniless and with a reputation so foul that no one would grant him credit, he couldn't even afford lunch. Angry and frustrated, he had gone to the river to try his luck, hoping to catch a few fish to quell his hunger.

It was perhaps his fate to suffer this calamity. Exhausted and famished, he had been in the water for only a moment when his calf cramped. In his panic, he opened his mouth to cry for help, only to choke on the water and lose consciousness.

When he opened his eyes again, a new soul inhabited his body.

With a splash, the new Li Gui broke the surface and crawled onto the bank. He wiped his face haphazardly and caught his reflection in the water. The man staring back had a rugged, fierce countenance, with a thick, bristling beard and hair that stood up like an iron brush—he looked as menacing as a mythic lion, the very image of a reborn Zhang Fei.

He looked around in a daze, absorbing the memories of the original host. A moment later, he spat on the ground, placed his hands on his hips, and cursed at the sky:

"Damn the heavens!"
"I only dabbled in a bit of pirated business, and you turn me into Li Gui!"
"What kind of broken game start is this?"
"Couldn't you at least have possessed me into someone like Lin Chong or Wu Song?"
"In a world like *The Water Margin*, what use is a wretch who has to impersonate Li Kui just to pull off a robbery?"

He let out a long, cathartic string of curses, but the heavens ignored him. In the end, he had no choice but to accept reality.

"Fine, fine. If I am Li Gui, then so be it. On Mount Liang, I will carve out a place for myself!"
"If Li Kui can be a baleful star, then I can be one, too!"

***

Li Gui let the river breeze dry his body, then pulled on his tattered rags and straw sandals before heading toward the city.

Though called Yishui County, it was, in reality, little more than a large town. The surrounding walls were low and dilapidated; one could climb them with nothing more than a simple ladder. The walls were made of rammed earth, and having gone unmaintained for years, they were in a state of ruin. However, as Yishui was located in the Jingdong East Circuit, not far north of the Huaiyang Military District, no bandits usually dared to raid it. The county magistrate was naturally unwilling to waste silver on the walls. With that spare money, wouldn't it be better to host more literary gatherings or listen to more music? Why waste it on repairs? As for the mountain bandits terrorizing passing merchants... well, could merchants even be considered people?

Upon entering the city, Li Gui wandered around to observe the customs of this strange world and reinforce his memories. However, halfway through his stroll, he was blocked by a shifty-eyed man with embroidered patterns on his clothes.

"Li Gui, when will you pay back the money you owe the gambling den?"

This ruffian, known as Li Er, was a thug for the gambling den. He usually called Li Gui "brother," but seeing that Li Gui had nothing left to exploit, he had immediately changed his tune.

Li Gui glared at him and cursed, "It's only been half a day, what are you rushing for? Since when have I ever failed to pay back a debt?"

Li Er was a bully who feared the strong; seeing Li Gui’s fierce, angry expression, he lost his nerve and stammered, "You know how formidable Brother Huang is. If you don't pay in a few days, it won't just be me coming for you!"

Li Gui kicked out at him. "You thieving bird! Even if I paid you now, it would be a full month’s interest. Do you take me for a three-year-old? Get lost and stop your nagging!"

Li Er was kicked to the ground. Daring not to say another word, he scrambled up, patted the dirt off his backside, and slunk away. Once at a safe distance, he turned back and shouted, "You know the rules of debt collection! I won't lower myself to your level today, but next time won't be so easy! If you don't have the money then, watch out—I'll break your dog legs and sell you to the brothels!"

He was about to hurl more insults when he saw Li Gui charging toward him. Terrified, he turned and fled, vanishing around the street corner in a flash.

Disturbed by Li Er, Li Gui lost all interest in wandering and turned back toward his home. He lived in the slums in the west of the city, in a crumbling mud-brick hut. The doors and windows had long since rotted away, and since there was nothing worth stealing, he had never bothered to fix them. It was truly a case of "leaving one's door unlatched at night."

Stepping inside, Li Gui looked at the four bare walls—a poverty so extreme it could starve a mouse—and spat on the ground with a look of disgust.

"Damn it all!"
"To be this poor, it's truly something else!"

The rice jar sat next to the stove, but there was no need to look; his memories told him there wasn't a grain of food inside. Just as he was pondering how to get some money to fill his stomach, he heard footsteps and a rough voice sounded from outside.

"Big Brother, why didn't you go to propose marriage today?"
"Did you go gambling again?"
"You thieving bird, I shouldn't have trusted you in the first place!"

Accompanying the cursing, a burly man strode in. He grabbed Li Gui by the collar and glared at him.

"If it weren't for my old friendship with your father, do you think I'd care if you lived or died?"
"I thought that once you started a family, you might turn over a new leaf and do some honest work, so I had my wife go to the Zhang family to arrange the match. And look at what you’ve done..."
"Someone saw you being thrown out of the Jubao Gambling Den today, didn't they?"
"Tell me the truth: where did the money for the proposal go?"

Li Gui winced, feeling a headache coming on. This man was Li Liye, a childhood friend of Li Gui's father. They had been like brothers, and after his father passed away, Li Liye had taken good care of Li Gui. However, the original Li Gui was a lost cause—he had no skill in letters or martial arts, was always idling, and spent his days hanging around town. Not only had he squandered the small inheritance his father left behind, but he had also developed many vices that kept Li Liye constantly worried.

If this were an enemy or a stranger, Li Gui wouldn't care. But the hardest thing in the world to refuse is someone who genuinely cares for you, even if, to the traveler Li Gui, this person was nothing more than a stranger.

Li Gui gently moved Li Liye’s hand away and smiled.

"Uncle, a man living between heaven and earth—how can he be content to remain under others forever?"
"If I haven't established myself, how can I start a family?"
"As for the proposal, Uncle, let's not speak of it again!"