I transmigrated and became Shang Yang. I knew the history: I was going to be torn apart by chariots. I had studied history, so I was going to change my fate. I enacted reforms, established laws, and made sure to leave myself a way out. Then Duke Xiao of Qin died. The travel permit system trapped me. The bribery laws trapped me. The collective punishment laws trapped me. As the five horses prepared to pull, I gave the Qin Code the middle finger. “This rotten law only fools honest people like you!” The System announced: [Achievement: Pioneer of the Rule of Law. Rating: B+]
Next life: Wang Mang, dead from inflation. I lived five times. Shang Yang, Wang Mang, Yuan Chonghuan, Yue Fei, Qianlong. Every time, I worked hard to change my fate, and every time I died under the same verdict: “The harder you try, the worse it gets.” This isn’t a power fantasy. It’s a test of luck involving five dynasties, five ways to die, and the same soul. The System says I can keep going. But I’m tired. For the last time, I set down the imperial seal and walk out the door. The wind is still blowing, the boat is still sailing, and the light is still there. I don’t know where my next life will be. Neither does the System. But I’ve finished writing this book.
