"Brother Chen, the city lord is preparing another round of selection. The people are suffering—so many girls are crying in secret. This is a human tragedy. The lord is depraved and tyrannical, he is no enlightened ruler. Now the entire city is filled with fear and unease. Many already harbor resentment toward him. The time we've been waiting for is almost ripe. Brother Chen, make your decision—lead us to do something great!"
A burly man spoke in a low voice, his expression full of anticipation.
"You're right. In this Xiaoyao City, there are no less than two to three hundred thousand civilians. Most are original inhabitants of the city, but many have also come from nearby regions. In just over a year, countless have died, and countless more arrived. Yet the city's population has remained stable. The lord of Xiaoyao City, Wang Chen, claims the title of Xiaoyao King. They say he's incredibly powerful. When he first arrived, he subdued the entire city by brute strength alone. He even trained a personal army—the Rattan Armor Army. They're his most loyal force. They live in the best houses, eat the best food. I've even heard that each of them has been given a wife."
Another man inhaled deeply, his expression grave.
These details weren't secret in the city.
They were easy to learn.
"The Rattan Armor Army numbers ten thousand strong. They're extremely powerful. Their rattan armor is nearly impervious to swords or spears, incredibly tough. They're well-trained. The one leading them is called An Lushan. They say he's greedy and lustful—truly birds of a feather with Wang Chen. However, his strength is real, and he's quite skilled at drilling troops. The Rattan Armor Army has become an elite force under him, and they're utterly loyal to Xiaoyao King. Betrayal seems unlikely."
Someone chimed in.
The armor of the Rattan Armor Army was a huge threat—it couldn't be easily breached. Even beasts couldn't claw through their defense.
That was one of the key reasons Xiaoyao City had survived in the wilderness for so long.
"An Lushan is just a sex-crazed beast. They say he never spends a day without women. In the past, he was infamous—the Claws of Lushan, people called him. He and Wang Chen are cut from the same cloth. They often get together to talk about how to abuse women. Scum of the worst kind."
Someone else spat with indignation.
Everyone knew An Lushan's background. His notoriety had persisted through history.
According to folk legends, An Lushan once had a secret affair with Yang Yuhuan, concubine of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. Afraid of being discovered, she supposedly fashioned the earliest bra-like garment to hide her chest. The palace maids followed suit, and the trend spread.
No doubt, An Lushan had enjoyed countless pleasures.
At heart, he had always been lustful.
Now, in Xiaoyao City, he was thriving. A twisted form of fate, perhaps.
"There are 300,000 people in the city, and only ten thousand in the Rattan Armor Army. Including constables and defense forces, total military numbers wouldn't exceed thirty thousand. And now, the Xiaoyao King has incited public outrage. We just need to add fuel to the fire—and the blaze of rebellion will erupt. When hundreds of thousands rise in revolt, mere tens of thousands can't suppress them. 'Where there's injustice, someone will rise to correct it.' I, Chen Sheng, exist to speak for the suffering people. Are kings and nobles born to their station?"
The man in the center of the circle was none other than Chen Sheng.
After fleeing Lushan City, he had been separated from Wu Guang. With only a handful of followers, he'd wandered the wilderness, facing countless dangers. From the thousands who once followed him, only a few remained by the time he reached Xiaoyao City.
After entering the city in disguise, they began investigating.
And once they realized that the city lord was a depraved pervert, selecting beautiful women for his pleasure, locking them away—never to be seen again—it all became clear.
This was the third such selection in a year. It was like an emperor choosing concubines.
The city was seething with discontent and outrage.
Chen Sheng instantly saw an opportunity.
A tyrant like this had to be overthrown. If they could seize Xiaoyao City, he would finally have a foundation. With hundreds of thousands of people as his base, development would come quickly.
If he could free the people from this oppressive rule, he'd surely win their hearts. Then his position would be secure. From there, everything else would fall into place.
This was a rare chance to establish his own territory and settle down.
"Good. The selection will happen in three days. In that time, spread the word. Stir up the people's resentment. When the mood reaches a boiling point—that's when we strike."
Chen Sheng nodded, his tone full of confidence.
After several uprisings, he was now a seasoned revolutionary.
He already had people he could use—the followers who had entered the city with him. All he had to do was push things from behind the scenes.
Night.
Inside Xiaoyao City, the enormous city lord's mansion gleamed.
Built from a variety of luxurious materials, the interior was magnificent—gardens, rockeries, lakes—it had everything.
At that moment, in one of the ornate bedchambers...
Moans echoed through the room.
The bed was massive. So massive it could accommodate ten people without crowding.
On it, seven or eight beautiful women lay sprawled in various positions.
And at the center of them all lay a man.
He was chubby—an outright fat man.
Lying among the women, he wore a look of bliss. Eyes closed, he chuckled to himself: "Ah, the apocalypse is truly a blessing. Everyone else is dead, and I became a Heaven's Favored. This ancient-style life is the best—three wives, four concubines. The strong get all the women and treasure they want."
"This... this is what they call a loser's counterattack. Yeah, I was a loser. Back in the modern world, I was just a nerd—games, comics, web novels. No money, no car, overweight from sitting at home. No girlfriend, only... 'Miss Right Hand' and adult videos."
"Who would've imagined I'd end up like this?"
"So what if I was a loser? Look at me now. No one can match me. Lianhua Codex—it really is a man's dream cultivation technique. So what if it's dual cultivation, absorbing yin to replenish yang? It makes me stronger and I get to enjoy life. Everything else is secondary. Surviving is the most important thing. I, Wang Chen, will represent all losers everywhere!"
He chuckled smugly, still reveling in his fantasy.
Even now, he still had that same loser mindset.
"City lord, news has arrived."
A voice came from outside the door.
"Come in and report."
Wang Chen said lazily.
The door opened. A woman dressed as a maid entered. She wasn't fazed by the scene in front of her—clearly used to it.
She walked in naturally and stood before Wang Chen.
"News, huh? Let's hear it. Who's so bold as to try to defy me? Who's got the gall to stir up rebellion and try to overthrow me—the Xiaoyao King? Do they want to die?"
Wang Chen's tone was playful, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
"Our informant reports that a group inside the city is indeed plotting revolt, hoping to overthrow your rule. The leader appears to be named Chen Sheng."
The maid quickly replied.
"Chen Sheng? Chen Sheng and Wu Guang? It's them?!"
Wang Chen suddenly sat up, shock in his eyes.
It was the astonishment of someone meeting a historical figure.
Then his expression twisted into rage. He gritted his teeth.
"Chen Sheng and Wu Guang… on my turf? And they want to start a rebellion against me? They think I'm a tyrant? Hell—this guy's the ancestor of all rebels!"
The thought alone gave him a headache. If it really was that Chen Sheng… then this was no joke.