Chapter 1: I traveled through time, but I am not the protagonist

“Xiao Feng, Meridian Opening Triple Layer.”

A loud voice, tinged with regret, resounded from the high platform, echoing in everyone's ears. As soon as the voice fell, the crowd below stirred, with curses, mockery, and expressions of regret rising in a continuous stream.

“Is this the ‘Genius’? Meridian Opening Triple Layer? That’s truly hilarious.”

“Cultivating for so many years and still only Meridian Opening Triple Layer, truly a disgrace to the Family.”

“If you ask me, he should be kicked out of the Xiao Family. He’s a good-for-nothing, unworthy of being a Xiao Family member!”

“Sigh, I really don’t understand why the Genius who once made a name for himself in Tianling City would fall so low.”

“Who knows? Maybe he did too many bad deeds and is now facing retribution…”

On the high platform, the striking characters flashing on the test stele deeply stung the Young Master’s heart.

The Young Master’s hand tightened slightly, but then quickly loosened again, a trace of self-mockery escaping from the corner of his mouth. Amidst the jeers of the crowd, he slowly turned and walked off the stage.

…

“The fall of a Genius? Goodness, isn’t this exactly the template for a trash-to-treasure protagonist?”

Below the stage, Lin Xuan’s expression brightened as he looked at the downcast Xiao Feng on the stage. He couldn’t help but think of the plot of trash-to-treasure novels from his previous life, and a cry of surprise escaped his heart!

Lin Xuan was no ordinary person; he had a secret unknown to others. He was a Transmigrator, and like many other Transmigrators, he was sent to this world by a large truck.

However, Lin Xuan was quite special. When others underwent Rebirth or Transmigration, weren’t they all incredibly impressive, possessing a Golden Finger, a Divine Rank Cultivation Technique in their left hand, and a Heaven-Defying Divine Artifact in their right, soaring to the sky and standing shoulder to shoulder with the sun?

But Lin Xuan, it could be said, was utterly penniless. Divine Artifacts, Cultivation Techniques, Golden Fingers—he had none of them. He even struggled with three meals a day, truly a common laborer, an ordinary person by fate!

Lin Xuan looked around, seeing the mocking faces of the crowd below, and couldn’t help but chuckle to himself:

“What a sight it would be if these people saw Xiao Feng rise again later. Forget it, it has nothing to do with me. I should first solve today’s meal problem…”

Lin Xuan suppressed the surprise in his heart, then squeezed out of the crowd and walked outside. He knew that Xiao Feng would definitely rise again later, but this had little to do with him.

In his Peak, he had not flattered him, and in his decline, he had not mocked him. Even knowing that Xiao Feng would rise again in the future, Lin Xuan had no intention of actively trying to befriend or curry favor with him.

After all, the other party had only lost his talent, he wasn't an idiot. Approaching him inexplicably would only invite suspicion and bring trouble…

After leaving the city, Lin Xuan headed towards the mountains. He needed to check his hunting traps, after all, he wasn't like Xiao Feng, who had a Clan Chief father to rely on and didn't have to worry about three meals a day.

Since his Rebirth, he had never seen his parents. He only had a grandmother who raised him, but his grandmother also passed away two years ago. Now, he was all alone, a solitary figure.

Facing the mountain mist, Lin Xuan moved through the forest with practiced ease, checking the traps he had set earlier. Soon, he had several prey in his hands.

“Good thing I watched a lot of survival shows before, otherwise I really wouldn’t have survived…” Lin Xuan mumbled, his hands moving quickly as he reset the last trap, then headed down the mountain.

However, just as he was about to descend the mountain, a small iron piece buried in the soil caught his attention.

He dug out the iron piece, carefully cleaned the dirt off it, and a silvery gleam emerged from it, so bright it made one squint.

“Hmph, it’s not rusted. I didn’t bring a knife, so this will be perfect for processing the prey.”

The iron piece was very thin, made of unknown Materials, and had no rust on it. But Lin Xuan didn’t think it was any kind of treasure. After all, for so many years, he hadn’t even won a “try again” prize, so finding treasure out in the wild was not within his scope of thought.

Taking the iron piece to the river, Lin Xuan skinned and gutted his prey. After cleaning them, he hummed a tune and built a bonfire, placing a freshly processed wild chicken on the coals to roast. Soon, a fragrant aroma wafted through the forest.

“It’s ready, time to eat!”

Two and a half hours later, the roasted chicken was sizzling with oil, golden and crispy. Lin Xuan took it off the fire and was about to start eating, but then there was a movement from the forest nearby. Soon, a Young Master emerged from it.

Lin Xuan looked at the newcomer and was slightly startled, because the person was none other than Xiao Feng, the Young Lord of the Xiao Family whom he had seen at the testing ground that morning!

However, at this moment, Xiao Feng had shed all traces of his former dejection and gloom. His face was beaming with a smile, and he looked refreshed and invigorated, as if the desolate figure from the morning was a completely different person.

“Xiao Feng, Young Master Xiao, what a coincidence.” Lin Xuan greeted the newcomer with a smile.

“You, you know me? That’s right, who doesn’t know the name of Tianling City’s number one good-for-nothing…” Xiao Feng was first startled when Lin Xuan greeted him, opening his mouth with some confusion. But before Lin Xuan could speak, he started to mock himself again.

“Want to eat some together?” Lin Xuan didn’t dwell on the topic but instead raised the roasted chicken in his hand, inviting Xiao Feng.

Although Lin Xuan and Xiao Feng didn’t know each other before, and he had no intention of deliberately approaching him, as a child of Huaxia, hospitality was a virtue deeply ingrained in his upbringing.

Xiao Feng looked at Lin Xuan’s calm eyes and sincere expression, and couldn’t help but be startled again. Ever since he became a good-for-nothing, people’s eyes held a hint of disdain and mockery when they looked at him. Even if it wasn’t too obvious, he could feel it clearly.

But the Young Master before him now did not have such eyes.

“Then I won’t be polite.” Xiao Feng grinned, then sat down by the bonfire.

Seeing this, Lin Xuan also smiled. He then took the iron piece from the side, cut the roasted chicken in half, and handed one half to Xiao Feng.

However, at this moment, Xiao Feng did not take the roasted chicken, but instead stared blankly at the iron piece in Lin Xuan’s hand.

“What are you looking at?” Lin Xuan strangely waved the roasted chicken in front of Xiao Feng’s eyes, then looked at the iron piece in his hand, a hint of confusion arising in his heart. Could this iron piece be more appealing than his roasted chicken?

“I picked it up from the ground. If you want it, just take it.” Lin Xuan tossed the iron piece over, then picked up his roasted chicken and started gnawing on it, no longer paying attention to Xiao Feng.

Xiao Feng took the iron piece and examined it carefully, then an excited expression appeared on his face: “This iron piece of yours is no ordinary item. If I’m not mistaken, a Cultivation Technique should be recorded inside.”

“Oh.” Lin Xuan responded blandly, then once again focused his attention on the roasted chicken.

Looking at Lin Xuan’s calm reaction, several question marks appeared above Xiao Feng’s head: “Don’t you have anything to say?”

“A Cultivation Technique is a Cultivation Technique. Since it’s already in my hand, it won’t run away. The roasted chicken won’t taste good when it gets cold,” Lin Xuan said while eating, his expression calm, without much ripple.

If I gain it, it is my fortune; if I lose it, it is my fate. If he could obtain a good Cultivation Technique, Lin Xuan would naturally be very happy, but if he couldn't, he wouldn't care too much…

“You truly are extraordinary.” Hearing this, Xiao Feng couldn’t help but give a thumbs up, feeling that what the other party said actually made some sense.

Looking at Lin Xuan, who was focused on eating chicken, Xiao Feng finally said nothing, and also took a bite of the roasted chicken. However, this one bite made his eyes light up, and he began to feast with great relish.

“How can eating meat be without wine? Come, let’s have some.” While eating, Xiao Feng suddenly took out two jars of wine from his ring.

“Excellent, we must have some.” Lin Xuan’s eyes immediately lit up. He didn’t stand on ceremony, picked up a jar, and started drinking with Xiao Feng.

Soon, only a pile of bones, two empty wine jars, and two well-fed and well-drunk people remained.

“The taste is really good, excellent craftsmanship…” Xiao Feng said, still savoring the flavor.

“It’s just practice makes perfect, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning…” Lin Xuan waved his hand, saying that if it weren’t for the lack of seasonings from his previous life, he could have roasted it even better.

“By the way, I still don’t know your name.” Xiao Feng didn’t continue the conversation on that topic and instead asked for his name.

“Lin Xuan.” Lin Xuan replied with a faint smile. From then on, the two of them could be considered acquainted.