Before the Tang Dynasty, there was no great Sui; the chaos of the Five Barbarians ravaging China was even fiercer than in recorded history. And after the hard-won establishment of the Tang Empire, following three centuries of glory, history seemed to veer even further off course. The Yellow Ant Rebellion erupted, there was no Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period; instead, the revival of powerful local aristocratic clans took its place, with warlords carving up the land and clan factions vying for supremacy.

"Why?" Brian Carter couldn't help but mutter to himself. It was a pity that back in university, he had majored in history. Although years of hustling in the business world had made him forget much, if history had truly followed its normal course, couldn't he have simply relied on a powerful patron and enjoyed life? But now, everything was no longer the history written in the textbooks. He was forced to struggle, possessing the body of this Brian CarterEric Carter, whose name was the same as his own.

Brian CarterEric Carter, a native of Guangzhou, came from a once-prominent family now fallen on hard times. He studied at the Chongwen Academy in Guangzhou, was headstrong and fond of martial arts, and had a bold spirit. Later, he caught the eye of the most prestigious family in Guangzhou, the Xu clan, and was recruited as an auxiliary member under the jurisdiction of the Guangzhou Prefect's office, responsible for gathering intelligence on surrounding powers—a part-time scout.

This was Brian Carter's current identity.

A bitter fate cannot be blamed on the government; a lowly life can only be shouldered with a sword. At this moment, Brian Carter could only regret that he had studied history in university—why hadn't he chosen something like mechanical engineering or chemistry, disciplines with higher technological content? At least then, in this era of backward productivity, he could have showcased his superior wisdom and knowledge. But now, it seemed he could only continue along the path of this Brian CarterEric Carter's original identity, never knowing which mission might bring his journey through time to an abrupt end.

What Brian Carter found hardest to accept were the many things that had already mutated in this timeline, so much so that the natural advantages of a top history student like himself had been reduced to almost nothing.

It was one thing for the course of history to change—distant alliances, attacking nearby enemies, strategies of diplomacy and intrigue would not change—but what saddened Brian Carter was that so many other things in this world had undergone tremendous transformation: martial cultivation, the way of magical arts—these were things he could never have imagined before.

Martial cultivation, perhaps, could be barely understood as an upgraded version of martial skills, though the level of upgrade was far too high. But the path of magical arts was truly incomprehensible. If he hadn't used magic himself to save his life, and witnessed and experienced its power firsthand, he really couldn't have accepted it.

A phrase suddenly came to Brian Carter's mind to describe the world as he now understood it—how could the word "chaos" possibly suffice?!

Only after losing something does one realize its value. Brian Carter had already lost his life and soul from the original world; he didn't want his current soul and life to simply vanish as well. Recalling the perilous missions this Eric Carter had undertaken, infiltrating enemy cities and armies before Brian Carter possessed him, made Brian Carter shudder.

Even though this Eric Carter was highly skilled and formidable, many things in life do not bend to your will. A single small accident could send you to your grave—especially in this era where human life was as cheap as grass. If he wanted to survive more safely, he would have to seriously consider how to escape this dangerous identity.

Brian Carter stretched lazily. Although he was dissatisfied with this role, he was still somewhat grateful to Eric Carter for providing him with such a robust and healthy body. Compared to his former self, whose body had been hollowed out by wine and women, this physique was truly excellent.

This Eric Carter, now himself, seemed to have been practicing some kind of traditional Chinese internal martial art. His internal energy and blood were balanced and enduring; his running and jumping abilities far surpassed those of his former self in the original world. By Brian Carter's estimation, he probably even outperformed the sprinters and high jumpers of that era, especially in terms of stamina, which was extraordinary. Brian Carter couldn't help but wonder if he might also be exceptional in other areas.

But in Eric Carter's memories, recollections of such matters were sparse and vague. It seemed this fellow hadn't had much luck with women in this world, which was quite inferior to his former self. Heh, perhaps the arrival of his modern soul would bring endless romantic encounters.

Pushing aside the bushes, Brian Carter carefully surveyed the surroundings. Night had fallen, and everything was very quiet. He had been running through the forest in this area for over two hours and could already feel the dampness of the air rising to meet him.

He had reached the vicinity of the Bai River. Brian Carter knew his pursuers would not let him go so easily. By now, the land was surely crawling with scouts, and his likeness had probably already been drawn by an artist and posted at every checkpoint. To escape pursuit, the best way was to flee by water.

Taking a deep breath, Brian Carter crouched low and darted out, his ghostly figure flickering in the night. With a few leaps, he had already covered dozens of meters. The strong, fishy smell of the river told Brian Carter he had reached the banks of the Bai River.

Raising his head slightly to survey the area, he saw that the reeds swaying in the wind along the riverbank were undoubtedly the best place to hide. The reed bed was not wide, and he couldn't stay hidden there forever. The best option would be to board a boat and drift downstream. As long as he could escape the control of the Nanyang Liu clan, he would be safe.