Chapter 7: The Mission

Wang Keyue's mind was flooded by the so-called mission guide provided by the system, which was essentially a summary introducing the background of the mission world. The mission world was the Great Qin Dynasty, though, of course, this Great Qin was not the same as the Qin Dynasty from her original world.

At the end of the Great Qin, the country was fractured among warlords who waged constant wars, land annexation grew ever more intense, and powerful landlords maintained their own private armies. The corruption within the imperial court was rampant, with the empress’s relatives and eunuchs interfering in government affairs, and the court itself powerless to manage the regional forces. The common people suffered greatly, their lives mired in misery and destitution, with countless refugees dying along the roads...

The body Wang Keyue was about to inhabit lay at this moment in a remote mountain village to the northwest of Yongzhou in the Great Qin. She was sprawled on a surface made of withered branches and leaves, eyes tightly shut, a ragged strip of cloth wrapped around her head, still stained with fresh, seeping blood.

This secluded mountain village occupied a precarious position—raided constantly by Qiang and Hu tribes to the north, and sandwiched between two feuding warlord states. Domestic strife was a constant as the warlords clashed, bringing endless suffering to the land.

Wang Keyue slowly regained consciousness, but the memories surging in her mind left her in such pain that she could barely open her eyes.

The original owner of this body was named Wang Yue’er, the eldest legitimate daughter of the main branch of the Dingyuan Marquis’s household. Because her father, the mighty General Dingyuan, had achieved too much military glory, the emperor grew wary. Thus, after a defeat early this year in a campaign against the Hu-Qiang tribes, the emperor seized upon it as a pretext to confiscate the family’s property, demote them to slave status, execute the male members, and exile the women to the bitter, frigid lands of the northwest.

There were more than a hundred women in the Dingyuan Marquis’s household. Escorted by government officers, they had already been on the road for six or seven days, covering an estimated two hundred kilometers from the capital of the Great Qin. It would likely take another ten days to reach the frontier where they were to be exiled.

Just the day before, while passing a cliff, the original Wang Yue’er had fallen trying to save her young cousin, rolling down the escarpment in a stroke of misfortune.

Fortunately, the cliff was neither high nor steep. Wang Yue’er escaped without broken limbs, but had remained unconscious ever since.

A full day had passed in this comatose state, and it was at this moment that Wang Keyue’s soul was forcibly inserted into Wang Yue’er’s body by the system.

“Attention, Host: the beginner’s main quest has been issued. The system requires you to establish a region or county with a population of approximately fifty thousand within two years. For every increase of ten thousand beyond that, the gold reward will be doubled!

The system’s gold coins can be used in the main program’s spatial marketplace to purchase necessary supplies. Newcomers enjoy a twenty percent discount and free use of the marketplace’s spatial storage for one year.”

The voice of System 9538 sounded in her mind, but Wang Keyue, holding her spinning head, was too dazed to respond.

What?! Fifty thousand people! And a time limit of two years? Was this a joke?

Surveying the ragged, emaciated group of refugees before her, Wang Keyue felt her head pound with dread.

How was she, a mere thirteen-year-old girl—exiled as the daughter of a disgraced official—supposed to survive, let alone thrive, in a chaotic era that valued men over women?

Not only did the system demand that she survive, it also wanted her to lead a team and achieve the impossible! What had she done to deserve this?

“Host, the newcomer’s gift pack has arrived. Please claim it!” The electronic voice of 9538 reminded her.

A jolt ran through Wang Keyue. The starter pack—she needed that desperately! Accept, accept!

“Good. The host has received the newcomer’s gift pack. The pack contains: a personal fifty-square-meter folding space for one year, with the option to renew after; one thousand catties each of sweet potatoes, potatoes, wheat, corn, and soybeans—edible or for planting; a basic medicine kit including anesthetics, anti-inflammatories, and hemostatics; two hundred basic cold weapons—swords, knives, spears, etc.; and two thousand sets each of camouflage clothing, rubber-soled cloth shoes, and cotton quilts. All materials have been stored in your space and may be retrieved at any time,” System 9538 reported.

The more she listened, the more satisfied Wang Keyue became. This starter pack was excellent—practical, tangible goods that would make a real difference. With these supplies, her earlier worries eased somewhat. At the very least, she would not starve for the moment.

“Yue’er, child, are you feeling any better?” An old woman’s voice sounded beside Wang Keyue’s ear.