Chapter One: A Successful Person

Right now, I must first get myself a decent set of gear, then head to Ye City in style to become a successful person—Eric Bennett muttered to himself after receiving new clothes and shoes.

He was far from successful at the moment. The outfit in his hands, to put it nicely, was called a newbie set; to put it bluntly, it was beggar’s clothes—being a servant in the Cao household, is that really any different from being a beggar?

He had never imagined he would become a servant in the Cao household.

As the sole heir of a family of archaeologists for seven generations, he had been entrusted with the highest-level mission to oversee the most secretive archaeological excavation in the country at Ye City. He accidentally discovered the jade coffin of a female cultivator, a descendant of the Yellow Emperor. The moment he saw the jade coffin, his entire worldview was nearly overturned and rebuilt. He knew this discovery might not be the last of its kind, but it was certainly unprecedented. If made public, it would shock the world and rewrite Darwin’s theory of evolution, even the history of human civilization...

But before he could announce anything, the mysterious jade coffin transported him to the eighth year of Jian’an, where he possessed the body of a servant. They say when God closes a window for you, He’ll probably slam your head in it too—and that’s exactly what happened. When God closed the window of his life, He also managed to damage the servant’s head in the process.

The servant’s head was covered in blood, barely clinging to life. Just as the people of the Cao household were about to bury him, he woke up. Seeing him suddenly open his eyes, those people screamed even louder than he did.

Once both sides realized what was happening, he did his best to convince them that he could still be saved. They gave up on burying him alive and brought him back to the Cao household.

After lying on the cold, hard bed for more than half a month, he was finally able to get up and move around, and he figured out the situation around him.

His name was Eric Bennett, and he currently lived in Xudu—the most peaceful place in the world at the moment. He seemed to have no family and had only recently been sold to the Cao household as a servant. His master was William Clark, and Eric Bennett was no stranger to William Clark—Cao Cao’s cousin, practically brothers-in-arms. Anyone who’s read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms would know this.

Eric Bennett’s knowledge of history was naturally extensive, but it seemed that William Clark was not in Xudu at the moment. The history books only record major events, so of course they wouldn’t note down the exact times William Clark ate, drank, or relieved himself. After a bit of calculation, Eric Bennett figured his master was probably with his master’s master—Cao Cao himself—possibly planning the attack on Ye City.

While lying in bed, Eric Bennett started making plans: as soon as Cao Cao and his men took Ye City, he’d rush in ahead of everyone else. In times of war, real estate was worthless. The local tycoons in Ye City might not want to be friends with him, but they’d definitely be afraid of the chaos and eager to sell off their properties. Little did they know that Ye City would soon undergo massive expansion, replacing Xudu as the political and economic center of Wei, with property prices skyrocketing. If he seized the opportunity, he might be able to make a huge profit, get listed on the stock market, and reach the pinnacle of life.

I don’t want to be a servant. I don’t want to be cannon fodder. I want to be a successful person.

As Eric Bennett was lost in his wild thoughts, just about to change out of his not-so-successful tattered shoes, he heard the door open and someone called out, “Eric Bennett, are you alright?”

Looking up, Eric Bennett recognized the person as Brian Carter, his roommate. The Cao household was large and prosperous, and the servants were treated much better than beggars—they had food and shelter. He and Brian Carter shared a wooden room, and Brian Carter was quite loyal. Over the past few days, Brian Carter had taken good care of him.

From Brian Carter, Eric Bennett learned that Brian Carter was three years older than him, which also let him deduce his own age.

Brian Carter claimed he was not yet twenty, but Eric Bennett looked at his face—flat enough to be used as a washboard—and suspected the guy was pretending to be younger than he was. He was definitely no oppa, more like a burnt rice crust.

Seeing Eric Bennett staring blankly at him, Brian Carter walked over and laughed, “You really are lucky to be alive. But what exactly happened to you outside the city? How did you come back with your head covered in blood and nearly die?”

Eric Bennett wanted to know the answer to that himself, but he was just as clueless about this body’s past—he was still missing a piece of the puzzle. He could only reply vaguely, “I... don’t remember anything.”

“I know you’re pretty ambitious,” Brian Carter clearly understood Eric Bennett better than Eric Bennett did himself, and whispered, “Are you thinking of getting into the Cao family’s business too?”

Eric Bennett was a bit surprised, but then Brian Carter continued, “But that business is all about risking your life. We can’t do it. Isn’t it better to just be a servant? Honestly, being a servant in the Cao household isn’t bad at all. We have status and position. In this city of Xudu, who would dare look down on us?”

What a hopeless slacker with no ambition!