C2 In This Strange World

Liu Xiaobao awoke from his slumber to find himself sprawled on a wooden bed in a grand, opulent room adorned with decorative treasures like corals and exotic stones scattered throughout.

In the room, a young girl, no more than ten years old, bustled about in her white servant's attire. She diligently carried a basin of water back and forth, her hands busy with two cloths as she worked tirelessly.

Liu Xiaobao refrained from interrupting the girl's work, choosing instead to continue feigning death on the bed. It was crucial for him to sort through the jumbled memories crowding his mind. He vividly recalled his own demise, having been killed by a beautiful girl named Yinyin, and just as he was on the brink of reincarnation, Yinyin had thrust him into a mysterious realm.

In another fragment of his memory, he was Liu Xiaobao, the esteemed young master of the Liu family from Aeseaba, residing in a world known as the Three Pure Ones World, on the vast Continent of Divine Might. This continent dwarfed Earth's largest landmass from his previous life, and was home to a plethora of races, with humans reigning as the most formidable.

The Continent of Divine Might was divided among three major empires: the Aeseaba Dynasty to the east, the Yalas Empire at the heart of the continent, and the Orcish Empire to the north. While these empires frequently clashed, the Aeseaba Dynasty and the Yalas Empire were separated by the Magic Kingdom, limiting their disputes to trade matters. The Orcish Empire, on the other hand, posed a real threat. With its formidable strength and fierce culture, the Orcish Empire would annually descend upon the human nations in the winter, causing havoc and seizing resources.

To the south of these empires lay a region of lush vegetation, where endless mountains were cloaked in dense forests. Nestled within these mountains was the Elf Realm, whose power rivaled that of the empires. Yet, the Elf Realm cherished peace and revered nature, avoiding unnecessary conflicts with other races. The mountains were also home to the dwarves, a temperamental yet exceedingly hospitable people who carved out their dwellings within the mountainsides, forging a unique mountain civilization. Among the dwarves, there were no weaklings; famed for their forging skills, they were the world's finest blacksmiths, and every legendary weapon had been crafted by their masterful hands. The southern mountains housed many other races as well, including the world's most ingenious dwarves, creators of a wondrous mechanical city; the Tauren, the only Orcish race accepted by humans and known as the finest of allies; and the fearsome cannibals, who roamed the mountains as the most dreaded foes of any adventurer.

Having gained some understanding of the world, Liu Xiaobao delved into the personal memories of his namesake, the original Liu Xiaobao. Born into the noble Liu family of Duke Silverwind, Liu Xiaobao's life began with tragedy as his mother passed away during childbirth. Despite coming from a family of scholars, his father inexplicably took up martial arts at a young age. Tragically, ten years ago, while leading troops to quell bandits, he was struck down by a stray arrow and killed. With his father's death, Liu Xiaobao was left as the sole heir to the Liu family. In such dire straits, one might expect a person to rise to the occasion. Yet Liu Xiaobao shirked responsibility and instead gained notoriety as the capital's most infamous spendthrift. Over the course of a decade, he lived up to everyone's lowest expectations by squandering the family fortune.

In recognition of the Liu family's past services, the Imperial Court dutifully sent 100 taels of silver to Liu Xiaobao each year. But for someone with his lavish habits, this sum was woefully insufficient, especially with over ten servants to maintain. Last year, penniless and unable to pay his staff, Liu Xiaobao watched as the servants deserted the once-great Liu household, leaving only himself and Labino behind.

Labino, the young girl bustling about the room, was brought home by Liu Xiaobao's father a decade earlier. A close friend of his father had entrusted the Liu family with the care of newborn Labino, hoping she would be adopted. But fate had other plans, as Liu Xiaobao's father passed away shortly after taking her in. At just six years old, Liu Xiaobao was ill-equipped to care for an infant, still needing care himself. Consequently, Labino was raised by the servants, who passed on their skills to her. Now, Labino had blossomed into a competent little maid, adept at cooking, laundry, and keeping the house spotless.

Liu Xiaobao, having risen from his bed, addressed the industrious Labino, "Labino, there's no need to keep busy. Take a moment to sit and rest."

Labino, dropping the cloth she was holding, hurried over with a smile, "Young Master, you're awake? I'm so relieved! Is there anything ailing you? Let me take a look and see if I can help."

"Labino, could you please make me something to eat? I'm famished," Liu Xiaobao said, his stomach growling after having been unconscious for quite some time.

"Young Master, take a moment to rest. I'll head to the kitchen and prepare a meal for you," Labino said as she hurried toward the door. Pausing, she turned back with tears in her eyes, "Please, Young Master, no more foolishness. If you were to die, I wouldn't know how to go on."

Watching Labino rush off, Liu Xiaobao silently berated himself, "Damn, the original owner of this body was a real piece of work, squandering the family fortune with reckless abandon. He blew through the money and even considered drowning himself in despair. What a wastrel! Thankfully, Sister Labino is a force to be reckoned with. At such a young age, she's already a Black Iron Knight with impressive medical skills that brought me back from the brink."

Liu Xiaobao knew he hadn't been the best person in his past life, but he didn't consider himself a wastrel or a bad person. Now that he'd been duped by the malicious Yinyin, he was determined to find a way to survive.

Before long, Labino returned with a bowl of porridge. "Young Master, please enjoy the porridge. I've cooled it down in cold water so you can eat it right away."

As Liu Xiaobao sat at the table sipping the porridge, he inquired, "Labino, do we have any side dishes to go with this?"

Labino looked at him solemnly, "Young Master, you've spent all the silver allotted by the court for the year. All that's left is ten taels, which I earned working at the clinic."

"What? We're out of money already? But it's only May; how could it all be gone?" Liu Xiaobao was astounded. The body's previous owner had indeed lived unwisely, exhausting a year's funds in just five months, leaving Labino to pick up the slack.

He gestured to the room's exotic treasures and instructed, "Labino, sell all these items and convert them to silver."

"Young Master, are you certain you want to part with these treasures? These are your most cherished possessions! You once said you'd rather die than sell them," Labino cautioned, yet her eyes sparkled with anticipation, almost as if she was saying she had long wanted to rid themselves of these frivolous items. After all, what good was their beauty if they could be traded for much-needed silver?

Liu Xiaobao confidently answered, "Sell them, sell them all."

"Right, Labino, you shouldn't go to the clinic to help out anymore. It's not good for someone as young as Xiaoxiao to work. Child labor is not allowed." Liu Xiaobao wouldn't let a ten-year-old girl work to support herself. As a graduate from the history department of a prestigious university, surely he wouldn't struggle to make money?

Labino shook her head vigorously. "No, Young Master, it won't do. Labino must work hard to save money. If the Young Master spends all his money again, Labino can use her savings to cook for the Young Master."

Liu Xiaobao gently stroked Labino's long hair. "Don't worry, Labino. From now on, the Young Master won't waste money. I will earn money to support us. Trust me."

"I don't trust you, Young Master. You've said this many times before, but you've never managed to stick to it for even three days," Labino said as she rose and walked over to the shelf where the treasures were kept. "Young Master, I'll take these to be sold. You rest well."

Despite her young age, Labino's martial talent was extraordinary. She had caught the eye of the renowned martial master Huo Tianyi and had already become a Level 2 Black Iron Knight. The treasure shelf was filled with many large and unwieldy strange stones, so Labino brought in a large basket and filled it with treasures weighing dozens of kilograms.

"Young Master, Labino has gone out!" Labino cheerfully shouldered the basket, nearly as tall as herself, and left the room.

After finishing his porridge, Liu Xiaobao stepped out of his room into the warm and inviting May sunshine. The Liu Manor was expansive, with over twenty rooms between the front and back courtyards, situated in the capital's noble district, where all the residents were from distinguished aristocratic families.

"Now, what to do? Yinyin, that malicious woman, claimed she was going to save the world. Given the typical pattern of transmigration, could it be that I've already become a rare genius? This world of magic and knights really does remind me of the games I used to play."