Chapter 1290
Chapter 1290 - 1276: Legend
1,335 words
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7 min read
When the Big Shots were concerned about the fate of their country and their people, how many paid attention to the lives of the ordinary Mortals below the Cloud Realm?
Su Daqiu was one of them, a laborer from the Long Hand Clan, who had too many children at home to feed, so he had to start working at a young age to make a living.
Incidentally, his name is simply the combination of "crisp cake" and "big ball"... Many locals’ names are quite casual, especially when the parents are not very cultured.
He, like his brothers and many other multi-child Long Hand Clan families, naturally started to fend for themselves at an early age.
Even among the Long Hand Clan, Su Daqiu, who was quite talented, was a tall and strong man with long arms and legs..... naturally, without any chance for education, he took up manual labor, which didn’t have a high entry barrier.
Now, as a member of the Iron Stick Gang, a spontaneous organization of laborers in Salt City, his best skill was probably using various Tools to move heavy objects, working without laziness or complaint.
"... Hah, hah, I can’t do this anymore." This time, carrying a bathtub, he could only make it to the third floor before he couldn’t go any further.
As time passed, the once skilled "stick" felt increasingly powerless.
By rights, he should still be in his prime..... but the long-term arduous work, coupled with the harsh local environment, undoubtedly expedited his decline.
The only consolation was that, having been in the job for four or five years, he hadn’t fallen ill or injured like his colleagues... he considered that lucky, but when the stairs that used to be easy to climb became a struggle, Su Daqiu knew that his time was probably up, too.
Perhaps, like the other clan members, he should take the few coins in his purse, buy some Seeds and some fishing gear, and go "retire" to a village around the city to make a living.
But his "self-control" was also quite ordinary.
"I... If I have no work, I can’t pay off debts, and I won’t have anything to eat...."
The life of these "laborers" is incredibly hard, but in their eyes, they earn many times more than in the villages, bringing back a few dozen coins could make them the richest person in the village.... For them, money comes too easily, and therefore, it is not so precious.
In the city, there are too many temptations, even without indulging in excessive spending habits, the laborers’ own "little gambling for pleasure" is not necessarily small.
𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
Like his fellow laborers, Su Daqiu had not only no savings but also a lot of debt.
The debts were not huge, but to him, they were always weighing down on him.... he couldn’t stop working, nor could he afford to fall sick or get injured, as he had seen enough of misfortunes.
He was just a Mortal, a cog in the urban workforce, with nothing but physical strength to offer, and now, with his accumulating injuries, he feared he was not far from being completely unable to do manual labor.
In fact, he might not be "sick", it’s just that he didn’t dare to seek medical help, and now he was becoming weaker and weaker, with no strength throughout his body.
This time, after several attempts, he barely finished his work and earned those few coins..... this time, he didn’t gamble or drink; he had to seriously consider his future.
"If it really comes to it, I’ll go see a Witch Doctor for some medicine..."
That night, utterly exhausted, he started to run a fever, and the little money he had was truly not enough for the Witch Doctor, who found it insufficient.
When delirious with fever, he vaguely realized that he might not make it through this time..... even if he were lucky enough to survive, his future was practically nonexistent without the ability to work.
Perhaps, this was his fate, some things were set in stone from the moment of birth.
Perhaps, this was just the normal "discarding of a useless screw"..... its service life reached its point, and it was time to end.
But at this moment, his fellow laborers brought him a rumor...
"Have you heard? They say that if you lie in a wooden boat floating on the sea at the time when the Southern Lion constellation intersects with the White Bird constellation, and make a wish to a Lamp Flower while offering your own flesh, you can become a real Superhuman Extraordinary..."
Recently, a new legend had emerged among the Civilian populace of Salt City.
But this sounded utterly unreliable, and based on past experience, reporting it as a cult would be the right thing to do.
However, at this moment, Su Daqiu was already delirious with fever.
"Boat.....?"
At Laborer Su’s home, there was a pile of "junk" that others had discarded, and occasionally he would take his small boat out for a spin around the area... but there were no more fish to be found.
Living by the sea as he did, he got to work without hesitation.
"Lamp Flowers, flesh... Bring a small knife..."
The bewildered man set out to sea without really knowing why, and on this very night, two constellations appeared in the starry sky, perfectly overlapping each other.
He had thought it was just another rumor, but inexplicably, he saw several small boats outside the pier... It seemed that there were quite a few who believed in this "rumor."
With a little more information, he followed the instructions from the rumors, praying to the Lamp Flower and wishing upon it, before offering up three cups of his own blood as a symbol of his life.
"So it was fake after all... I... am too weak to even be angry now..."
Su Daqiu felt some regret, thinking he must have been confused, but before he knew it, his dilapidated little boat was shrouded in mist.
Su Daqiu was a bit frightened and uneasy, as he could no longer find the way... But when he saw the clear water beneath the boat, excitement inexplicably surged within him.
Even he knew that there were no clean seas near Salt City.
"Where is this..."
Suddenly, the mist dissipated, revealing a real piece of land.
He went ashore, walked forward without thinking, and then saw a deep well.
Next to it stood an eerie wooden sign, inscribed with human text. Somehow, though Su Daqiu was illiterate, he recognized the words.
"One year of lifespan in exchange for a chance to become Extraordinary."
It was a deal that seemed to be with Evil Gods, but in that moment, Su Daqiu’s face was beaming with joy...
"Just one year, huh..."
Dreams and mist would eventually fade, and when the confused Su Daqiu awoke again, he found himself back on the boat, drifting at sea.
At some point, the boat had struck the shore, and the clamor of people’s voices finally jolted him awake.
Finding himself bathed in the warm sunshine, he woke up completely, and since he was alive again, today was another day of labor.
"Did you, did you make it?"
The incessant inquiries from the strangers crowding around him left him a bit perplexed.
A burly man dressed as a porter had gotten right in his face, bombarding him with questions.
"Make what..."
Seeing the large face squeezing closer, Su Daqiu got somewhat alarmed and instinctively gave a hard shove.
The burly man, a Giant man who was visibly stronger than Su Daqiu, was sent flying by that single-handed push.
"I didn’t even use much force... Ah, this legend is true, I’ve become Superhuman..."
Suddenly feeling strong all over, Su Daqiu’s face broke into a wide grin.
"...How many items can I move in one go, and how much will I earn!"
— End of Chapter 1290 —