The unluckiest number. 

Xiao Jiu opened his eyes with a gasp.

Weirdly refreshed and able to take a deep breath without feeling his chest hurt with the effort. It had been half a century since that had been possible. Bewildered, Xiao Jiu tried to sit. Hissing in pain as he was forced to stay in his place, there was a long cut running down his right leg, going from his knee to his ankle.

It was red and it burned at the touch.

There's no way Xiao Jiu doesn't know where he is. More importantly, he knows *when* he is.

This is the day he and Er-ge were supposed to run away together.

"Fuck." The word leaves his lips with sentiment. "Is this—Could it be real?"

Could he have really traveled back in time?

His hand trembles as he pulls the bandages covering his wrist apart. A single lotus is sitting proudly against his pale skin, shining in the same shade of baby pink it had when he was actually ten.

Ye Beiyuan was alive.

Xiao Jiu had been given a second chance to save him.

'This time things are going to be different.' Xiao Jiu vows, black eyes shining with fierce determination. 'This time it will be Yummeng Yang who will go extinct.'

But for that, there are a lot of things that need to happen first— Starting with the recreation of one of the most painful moments in Xiao Jiu's life, the beginning of his absolute hate and resentment against Ye Beiyuan.

The moment that would lead their love story to become a tragedy.

Knock, knock.

Knock, knock, knock.

Knock.

The hand that hits the wood is hesitant, afraid of making too much noise. It's the hand of a ten-year-old that has his head full of dreams and hopes. It's all so funny in retrospect; the code, the hidden message, the secretive smiles.

This was a Ye Beiyuan that loved him.

This was the Er-ge for who Xiao Jiu would relieve all the pain and sorrow with a shit-eating smile.

"Er-ge." Xiao Jiu whispers, pressing one of his hands against the wall. And knocking thrice in quick succession. "I'm here, Er-ge."

"A-Jiu." Ye Beiyuan has never been good at hiding his true emotions, his relief is so palpable it makes Xiao Jiu cringe in second-hand embarrassment. "What happened? Why weren't you on the agreed spot?"

Xiao Jiu wants to laugh, bitter amusement licking at his ribs. He had never forgotten that Ye Beiyuan had come back for him once and Xiao Jiu was stupid enough to believe his beloved Er-ge would continue to do so.

"My leg is broken." Xiao Jiu repeats the lie, the words coming out of his mouth without permission. "I cannot go with you, Er-ge."

A pause.

"Then, I will stay. We can always try another time."

Both of them knew this wasn't the case. Escaping now would be the only chance they would have, before a noble family bought them and turned them into slaves, chaining them permanently to the ground and stealing their chance to fly among the clouds.

"No." Xiao Jiu barks venomously. Even at his worst, he would never be as cruel as to wish that on Ye Beiyuan. Taking a deep breath, he tried again: "No, Er-ge. You must go now. B-Become a cultivator and return for me?"

The words taste like rotten fruit on his tongue. Yet, he kept his voice as soft as possible without allowing it to shake.

The last thing he wanted was to burst into tears and ruin everything.

"A-Jiu…" Ye Beiyuan sounds like he's also fighting tears. "Yes, yes. Of course, I will become a cultivator and return to you. I— I will come back, you hear me? No matter what, I will come back for you."

Lies, lies, lies.

"I will wait for you." Xiao Jiu repeated his stupid younger-self promise as his mouth was filled with the metallic taste of blood. "No matter what, I'll wait for you, Er-ge."

"Until fate brings us together, A-Jiu…" Ye Beiyuan breathed the ritual words, then added a quick: "I love you."

Xiao Jiu drowned his own goodbye, he would not say those words back. Never. Because Ye Beiyuan didn't deserve his love and Xiao Jiu would never let him forget it no matter how long both of them lived.

In one life, Xiao Jiu had cried long and silent as this soulmate walked away.

In this one, Xiao Jiu had better things to do than act like a helpless maiden whose lover had just died. He had a war to win and a sect to burn down to the very last member. But before he could do all that, he had to get his shit together.

Using resentment to heal yourself was more trouble than what it was worth.

Xiao Jiu had few options, though.

He cannot take revenge on his enemies while prostrated on a bed. Well, not anymore in any case. Not when his ghosts are not by his side, may even still be alive, or not even born in the first place.

Thus, old-fashioned revenge it was.

Hopefully once wouldn't be too hard on his body. Or if it were, hopefully generating a golden core would help heal the damage.

"There. And it won't even scar." Xiao Jiu nodded to himself, satisfied. "Now, where is the little shit that did this?"

Honestly, Xiao Jiu cannot remember his name. Or face. Now, don't look at him like that. It was just way too long ago for him to remember every little detail, ok? He lived far beyond a century!

[Hello, dear daughter!（＾3＾)]

The sound that left his lips was not a girly yell and anyone who disagrees is a lying liar who lies. Listen here, Xiao Jiu is a fearsome demonic cultivator! He causes others to yell in fights and not the other way around.

"What kind of heretic magic is this?!" Still, he feels like having a qi deviation even though he doesn't have a golden core as he stares at the floating ghostly-blue parchment.

He can't feel resentment coming from it but there was no way it wasn't demonic in nature.

[How cruel! You're so cruel, dear Xiao Jiu. This system is not demonic!]

It could read minds!

"How can you say you're no demonic, spirit? No benign being is capable of that." Xiao Jiu pointed reasonably, voice thick with skepticism. "Or do you claim to be a God?"

[No! The system wouldn't dare. But the system *is* a gift from the Heavens to you. The system is the reason you returned to this point in time! The system only wants to help ಥ╭╮ಥ Why don't you believe me, precious Xiao Jiu?]

"What have I ever done to receive a blessing from the heavens?" Xiao Jiu scoffed disdainfully. "No, this one is a sinner. You chose the wrong person to try and take advantage! Hear and tremble, spirit, for I am Xiao Jiu and will exorcise you!"

[⊃゜Д゜）⊃ Wait, wait, the system can prove it!]

Xiao Jiu's eyes narrowed, "Can you now?"

[Yes, yes! The system can!]

A judgmental eyebrow raised. Is that so? Then… "Prove it."

[Of course, dear Xiao Jiu! This system lives to serve. Shall we start with something that will make you happy? Let's see, let's see. What about the name of the pig who hurt you and the exact spot where you can find him, mmm? Would that please you, precious daughter?]

"Don't call me that." Xiao Jiu barked, dark eyes glinting menacingly. The sarcasm was so heavy it was a wonder he wasn't chocking around it, "But yes, spirit, that would please me."

[Downlading information.]

[Downlad completed.]

Xiao Jiu blinked as a puggy face appeared in his mind along with a… map? Huh. Well, that was certainly useful. If the information was true, that's it.

"Well see if you speak truthfully, spirit."

This was easy to corroborate, after all. And if the spirit was lying, well… The worst nightmare of a corrupt spirit is not a righteous cultivator for a very good reason.

[The system promises they're one-hundred percent honest!]

Xiao Jiu left the room with the same stealth a bulgar would; light as a feather's steps and graceful fingers.

His heart beat fast inside his chest and his breathing was slow and silent, eyes making the forms of the doors and furniture in the darkness with a lot of effort. Xiao Jiu inwardly cursed his lack of golden core as he had to rely too heavily on the map the spirit had granted him.

The little pig was resting far away from the other children. Same as him. Yet, his room was located on the other side of the orphanage. Undoubtedly, the midwives pretended to keep them apart so they wouldn't injure each other too bad this close to the sale.

Old cunts, all of them.

Opening the lock without making a mess takes him a few minutes and his fingers end up sore. He really misses being a cultivator. Heavens, how can normal people live like this? It's so dull.

The door creaks a little when it opens and Xiao Jiu grimaces.

He holds his breath for a moment; exhaling with relief when nothing happens. It seems the pig is a heavy sleeper.

He tiptoes until he's over the sleeping child, the face does spark a memory now that he can see it with his own eyes. It seems the spirit wasn't lying. Mmm, he would have to think it carefully once he's done.

But first…

The smile on his lips cannot be described as anything but "Evil."

(He would know, considering he had copied from his Shizun, and that man was evil incarnate. Rotting in life with the degree of resentment he held inside his body.)

"Wake up, Qi-ge." Xiao Jiu cooed, kicking the bastard hard enough to guarantee he would never be able to procreate.

Slapping a hand over the pig's mouth, shutting down any scream that could have followed. Feeling a sharp satisfaction when the pig's eyes grew big and recognition flashed through them.

"So you do remember little ol' me." The grin on his face grew. "Good. We have much to discuss, you and I. And I want you to know exactly why caused all the pain you're about to suffer."