Ding Dong: You have a new short message, please check it.
"Hello, esteemed new sword bearer, Comrade Guhan, with the People's ID: 360103298311112461785419. Congratulations on successfully synchronizing with the Heavenly Ancient Sword-level sword maiden, Qingpin, with the ID: 10010, and becoming an Ancient Sword-level sword bearer."
"Congratulations, Comrade Guhan, you have entered the citizen registry, with the Citizen ID: 666103298311112461785419. Your People's ID: 360103298311112461785419 is now invalid. The system has automatically processed the change for you. If you have any other questions, please visit the Sword Bearer Service Center for assistance."
"Congratulations, Comrade Guhan, you have entered the Sword Bearer Committee registry, with the Sword Committee ID: 888103298311112461785419. Your Citizen ID: 666103298311112461785419 is now invalid. The system has automatically processed the change for you. If you have any other questions, please visit the Sword Bearer Service Center for assistance."
"Congratulations, Sword Bearer Guhan, your information has been stored by the Sword Committee. You have automatically obtained the status of a Junior Member of the Sword Bearer Committee. All benefits and obligations of sword bearers have been activated. Please visit the Sword Bearer Service Center in three days to collect your new personal terminal."
"Congratulations, Sword Bearer Guhan, you have automatically obtained the right to live in the core area of Yuzhang City. The system has automatically allocated housing for you. Your new home is located in the Sanqing Mountain Community, Building 15, Block B, Room 601. Within the next 24 hours, our service personnel will visit your original residence to help you move your belongings. Please wait at home."
"Congratulations, Sword Bearer Guhan, you have become an Ancient Sword-level sword bearer and have been automatically allocated three citizen qualification certificates. You can upgrade three people to citizens and move them into the core area of the Sanqing Mountain Community, Building 15, Block B, Room 601, to enjoy safer living conditions and a more convenient lifestyle."
Just as Guhan returned home, he was overwhelmed by a series of messages, making his head buzz and causing a severe headache!
But in this world, countless people spend their entire lives pursuing such a series of messages, much like a new author a thousand years ago striving for the elusive contract notification in their author backend email.
(PS: Inspired by personal experience, the author's first three novels didn't even get 100 clicks, and a contract was naturally out of the question. The first successfully contracted novel was too explicit and was banned, the next novel lacked momentum and was not recognized by readers, and was voluntarily discontinued by the author... and then this one. But you can rest assured, because many people have promised to support the author to the end, this book will definitely be completed.)
"Have I finally succeeded?" Guhan set the messages to loop infinitely, then let his body fall onto the floor, and hot tears began to roll down his cheeks. After twelve years of anticipation, his life had finally become reality at this moment.
Strangely, when he learned his sword element value had broken 100; when he entered the Sword Pavilion to choose a sword maiden; when he entered the Sword Burial Ground to seize the Yixian Sword; when he found Qingpin and successfully synchronized with her; Guhan felt no particular emotion, no desire to laugh, cry, shed tears, or celebrate.
But when he returned to the small apartment where he had lived for twelve years; when he saw the photos of his parents and sister hanging on the wall; when he saw the hundreds of books stacked to the ceiling in his room; when he saw the schedule charts covering every inch of the walls; when he saw the plastic sword hanging on the door; Guhan cried. At this moment, he truly felt that his twelve-year dream had suddenly come true.
"Are you crying?" A pair of bare feet, with ten toes like white sugar beans, appeared in Guhan's field of vision. A slightly plump little bottom sat on Guhan's chest, and small, delicate hands, like jade, drew circles on his face, soaking his entire face with the tears streaming from his eyes.
"Why are you crying? Are you unhappy? Is it because of Qingpin?" Qingpin asked, wide-eyed.
"It's not Qingpin's fault!" Guhan held Qingpin's small hands with his large ones, pressing them firmly to his face. "I'm just saying goodbye to the past. The me of today is not the me of the past. I've freed a little bit of myself."
"Is that so!" Qingpin shook Guhan's head forcefully. "Qingpin is hungry, Qingpin wants to eat."
"Wait, I'll make you some spicy and sour potato strips!" Guhan lifted Qingpin's slender waist and gently placed her on the floor. In his refrigerator, besides instant noodles, there were only potatoes and peppers.
Spicy and sour potato strips were the only dish Guhan knew how to make, as it was the only dish he learned as a child. Determined to become a great chef like his father, he spent a whole week learning from his mother. He didn't have time to learn a second dish... At that time, Guhan was unexpectedly clumsy.
"Ding Dong, you have a new communication request. Your friend, Song Hama, is requesting a connection. Do you want to connect?"
Guhan, who was slicing potato strips in the kitchen, quickly answered the call.
"Hey, what's up? I'm busy cooking! If you have something to say, say it quickly!"
"Hey, it's rare for you to cook! Not eating instant noodles anymore?" Song Hama was surprised. "Never mind, that's not important. I'm asking you, did you receive all the identity change messages from BAT? I received seven in a row!"
"I'll receive them eventually. If you're calling about this, I'll hang up. Qingpin is waiting for me to cook."
"Ah, you're lucky!" Song Hama sighed. "Your Qingpin is small, so her appetite must be small. My Zhiyun Tie ate all the food my parents prepared and was still only one-third full. I had to buy takeout for her."
Hearing this, Guhan recalled Zhiyun Tie's massive size, which would likely require the food of ten people to satisfy her.
"Hey, Acid Ice Stick, we're such good friends, so I'll be straightforward. Didn't you receive three citizen slots? Can you give one to me?"
It turned out this was the main purpose of Song Hama's call, to ask Guhan for one of his three citizen slots.
In this world, humans are divided into three levels: People, Citizens, and Nobles. Compared to People, Citizens enjoy more material allocation, more personal freedom, safer living conditions, and greater political rights. One could say that becoming a Citizen is the lifelong dream of every Person, much like the ancient commoners aspiring to become scholars.
Generally, there are only two ways for People to become Citizens. The first is to make a significant contribution to human society, a concept that is very broad and complex to calculate, making it an extremely difficult path. Ninety-nine point nine nine percent of people struggle their entire lives and never meet the contribution requirements to become a Citizen.
Compared to the first method, the second method is much simpler: receiving a citizen slot, or a citizen qualification certificate, from someone else. While such certificates are occasionally awarded for other reasons, ninety percent of them are automatically given by the council when a person becomes a sword bearer.
This certificate is essentially a reward for sword bearers, to encourage them to fight for humanity. Typically, these three certificates are used by sword bearers to bring their parents, siblings, and loved ones into the safer core area, ensuring that even if they die in battle, their loved ones with citizen status can live a peaceful life.
Song Hama's parents were both alive, and he had a pair of adorable younger siblings, making his family life much happier than Guhan's, and often a source of deep jealousy for Guhan.
But now, a problem arose. Song Hama had four family members he needed to bring into the core area, but he only had three slots. With no other choice, Song Hama had to ask Guhan, who was alone, for help.
"Sure!" Guhan agreed without hesitation. "I'll transfer one of my certificate keys to you later."
"Thank you, Guhan. Without you, I really wouldn't know what to do. Should I leave Xiao Long or Xiao Tu behind... I..."
"Xiao Long and Xiao Tu are my younger siblings too. I wouldn't leave them in the city either..." Guhan couldn't help but recall Song Hama's two younger siblings. To be honest, he had no fondness for Song Hama's sister, but his brother was very cute.
"Hey, one more question. What do you plan to do with your remaining two slots?" Song Hama asked hesitantly, knowing that the three slots were more than Guhan needed.
"I don't know, I'll keep them..." Guhan replied quietly. "Why are you asking? Did you find a girlfriend and need another slot?"
"No, no... how could I..." Song Hama quickly denied it, then hesitated before continuing. "It's like this, my mother's good friend's husband died in the line of duty. She is alone with her daughter. My mother is worried about her living in the city, so she wants to bring her into the core area."
"Song Hama, I'll be blunt!" Guhan finally finished slicing the potato strips. "I'm happy to give a slot to Xiao Long and Xiao Tu. But your mother's friend has nothing to do with me. Don't ask me about this again."
"No, Acid Ice Stick, you misunderstood. I, Song Hama, wouldn't ask you for the remaining two slots. But my mother's friend has saved some money. She can buy the slots from you for a price!"
"Buy my slots!" Guhan hesitated. "How much is she willing to pay?"
In Yuzhang City, there are sword bearers like Guhan whose families have fewer than three members. They secretly sell their citizen slots to others in exchange for a large sum of money to enhance their own strength. However, the number of new sword bearers born each day is small, and even fewer have spare slots to sell. Therefore, in the black market, such citizen slots are always expensive, with many buyers and few sellers, making them highly sought after but hard to obtain.
"I checked, and the current market price for a slot is 600,000. My aunt can barely gather 1,000,000... I know, Guhan, you'll take a loss, but please consider..."
"I understand!" Guhan interrupted Song Hama. "I'll sell it to her for 1,000,000, but I want to meet the woman. I want to know if she's worth my slot!"
"Ha ha ha, rest assured, she's definitely worth it! Definitely worth it!" Song Hama laughed three times, relieved. "In three days, we'll go to the Sword Committee to complete the procedures. We can meet then!"
"Alright... I'll hang up." Guhan ended the call. Sigh, distracted, the potato strips were all as thick as fingers.