Chapter 1 The Time Traveler Being Buried Alive

　　The sky was very blue, not a single cloud in sight.

　　Andrew Bennett remembered he was searching for Tang and Song dynasty materials in the city library when everything suddenly went black. When he opened his eyes again, he saw this blue sky.

　　What a truly blue sky!

　　He turned his head—two burly men on the left; turned again—two burly men on the right. Four big men dressed in Tang dynasty clothing were holding him up, as if he were a sacrificial offering. All around, hundreds of men, women, and children in the same attire were watching him, their expressions tinged with fear.

　　Gray-brown coarse cloth clothing, with slits cut up to the hip—this was one of the Tang dynasty’s ways to distinguish commoners from officials and nobles: officials and nobles wore robes with low slits, while commoners’ clothing had very high slits.

　　Something’s not right here!

　　Andrew Bennett was a history enthusiast, specializing in Tang and Song history, especially the imperial examination system, and had studied it deeply. Most of his friends were fellow enthusiasts, and their favorite thing was to dress in ancient costumes to trick people, claiming they had traveled from some dynasty.

　　But there are hundreds of people here!

　　Such realistic costumes, and these extras who looked just like the real thing... how much would that cost?

　　Andrew Bennett was feeling uneasy. At this moment, someone on the left shouted, “Ping’an!”

　　A short, thin man was running over, shouting as he ran.

　　One of the big men beside him suddenly threw a punch.

　　Bang!

　　The short, thin man took a punch right in the face and hit the ground.

　　That blood was so real—Andrew Bennett could swear on his eyes, which could precisely judge a girl’s figure, that this punch was the real deal.

　　Damn!

　　Did I time travel?

　　The big man turned around, his expression grave, and said, “You have all been gathered here today because there is something important to discuss.”

　　Andrew Bennett blinked, still trying to make sense of his surroundings.

　　This was a village, surrounded by walls, and there was even a watchtower. Andrew Bennett, with his deep knowledge of Tang and Song history, could tell at a glance that this was a classic fortified manor.

　　A so-called fortified manor originated in the Jin dynasty, when Sima Yi’s useless descendants fought among themselves, bringing in the nomads and turning the north into a living hell. The great clans then gathered together, building fortified manors to defend against invasions.

　　These manors continued into the Tang dynasty.

　　This one clearly had some years behind it. If it were turned into a guesthouse or something, Andrew Bennett thought it would definitely go viral as a social media check-in spot.

　　“Andrew Bennett.”

　　This body was also called Andrew Bennett?

　　Andrew Bennett was stunned.

　　The big man said, “When he was born, Emperor Gaozu passed away, at exactly the same hour.”

　　“That’s just a coincidence!” Andrew Bennett couldn’t help but argue, “Surely more than one person was born when Emperor Gaozu died?”

　　The big man nodded, “At the time, we all thought it was just a coincidence.”

　　Good man!

　　After being given a “good guy card,” Andrew Bennett felt something was off.

　　Why make such a big scene? Are they going to sacrifice me to heaven?

　　Such ignorant behavior must not be allowed!

　　“Nine years ago, when he was five, his maternal family all passed away, leaving only his cousin David Clark...”

　　Everyone looked at the thin man who had just been knocked down by the big guy.

　　“Seven years ago, his paternal grandfather’s branch also passed away, leaving only his immediate family.”

　　This... was probably just another coincidence, right?

　　Andrew Bennett thought the original owner was just a bit unlucky.

　　“Then, four years ago, more and more bad things started happening in the village. The Jia family’s neighbors kept having problems: their dogs died, their chickens... In the middle of the night, the neighbor’s rooster would run onto the roof and crow, like it had seen a ghost. The family members kept getting sick, and eventually...”

　　The big man said with deep pain, “Eventually, the Jia family had no neighbors left.”

　　What the heck!

　　He actually scared all the neighbors into moving away?

　　Dogs dying, chickens flying—Andrew Bennett thought it was just acclimatization issues.

　　Yes, it must be acclimatization.

　　Andrew Bennett was starting to panic; this was really creeping him out.

　　“Andrew Bennett studied so much that he made his family poor, but made no progress at all. Four years ago, the village school teacher couldn’t stand it anymore and told him to stop wasting the family’s money and food, to quit studying and go home to farm.”

　　The original owner actually failed at studying and was persuaded to quit.

　　Andrew Bennett sighed inwardly. So what if he wasn’t good at studying? It’s not like he was eating your food—why make a fuss about it?

　　This big guy sure likes to talk!

　　“But just as he left the village school, the teacher got drunk and...” The big man’s eyes showed fear. “He fell into the river and drowned.”

　　A chill ran up Andrew Bennett’s spine, making him shiver all over.

　　Damn!

　　Was the original owner really... that badass?

　　The big man sighed, “Also four years ago, his parents died of an illness.”

　　A phrase was spinning in Andrew Bennett’s mind, about to burst out.

　　Star of Calamity!

　　No!

　　No!

　　Andrew Bennett was trying to think of the right word to describe the original owner’s fate...