Chapter 1: The Rainy Night
On a pitch-black rainy night, a young man dressed in simple black casual clothes sat inside a dilapidated old house. The walls were riddled with holes, and raindrops pattered relentlessly onto the floor. The wooden planks creaked and groaned underfoot with every slight movement.
In his hands, he fiddled with an old, beat-up computer that most people would have long discarded. It was hard to imagine anyone still living in such miserable conditions.
Suddenly, rhythmic "pa pa pa" sounds came from the computer speakers. Anyone familiar with games would instantly recognize it — he was playing the currently popular Naruto Online, a massive multiplayer online game filled with countless items, dungeons, characters, systems, equipment, and more. The sheer variety was dazzling.
The slovenly young man's name was Ye Zang. At 23 years old, he had once been a decent university student. But after his parents died in a tragic car accident and he was betrayed by a group of so-called friends at school, he now lived alone in this rundown place.
When the doctors declared his parents beyond saving, it felt as if a knife had sliced deep into his heart — again and again. Thousands of invisible blades tore his chest into a bloody mess. In his mind, he cursed the heavens relentlessly: "You damned sky… I swear I will destroy you." "If you refuse to open your eyes, then I'll make sure you never can again."
His body trembled violently as he clenched his fists, venting the overwhelming rage and grief.
Eventually, Ye Zang calmed down. He knew the dead could not be brought back to life, and destroying the heavens was nothing more than a childish fantasy. He seemed to have matured overnight.
After seeing his parents one last time and whispering everything he had held in his heart, he walked to the payment counter. An elderly man stood there. Though he appeared frail and on the verge of death, his eyes were sharp and piercing, as if they could see through everything. It was clear this old man was no ordinary person.
The elder noticed Ye Zang and quickly approached. Bowing slightly with a guilty expression, he said, "Young man, I'm truly sorry for what happened to your parents. Is there anything I can do for you?"
"What's done is done. There's nothing left to salvage," Ye Zang replied calmly. Seeing the old man lower himself like this, he felt too embarrassed to argue.
"I still feel terrible about it. Besides covering all the medical expenses, I'll give you one million yuan as compensation for your emotional distress. It should help support your living expenses moving forward," the elder offered sincerely.
"The medical bills are your responsibility, but you can keep the money. I can still support myself," Ye Zang answered casually.
The old man looked at him with clear admiration. In today's world, few young people could refuse such a large sum of money so easily.
Then, with a solemn expression, the elder reached into his pocket and pulled out an extremely ordinary-looking stone. He handed it to Ye Zang.
"This stone was obtained from a highly cultivated Taoist master. It has accompanied me for many years and witnessed countless events. Today, I'm giving it to you."
Although the stone looked completely plain, Ye Zang felt an inexplicable sense of connection to it — as if it belonged with him. Almost subconsciously, he stepped forward and took it into his hand.
The moment his skin touched the stone, a warm, comforting sensation spread throughout his entire body. He felt relaxed and incredibly at ease.
The old man's eyes flashed with a strange light upon seeing this. "Take good care of it," he said gently.
"I will," Ye Zang replied indifferently before turning and leaving the hospital.
"Xuan Lao, why did you give the sacred artifact to him?" A cold female voice suddenly spoke beside the elder.
"Hehe… because this has always been his destiny," Xuan Lao replied with a gratified smile.
"Oh? How do you know?"
"Because fate has chosen him. This is an inescapable destiny…"
As the two figures gradually faded away, it was as if they had never been there at all.
Back in his rundown room, Ye Zang muttered while controlling the mouse, "Naruto Online is actually pretty good. The plot follows the original Naruto series, and the system is well-designed…"
He was a die-hard Naruto fan, spending most of his days either watching the anime or playing the game.
"Ugh, I'm thirsty." He stood up, poured himself a glass of water, and walked back to the computer desk, sipping slowly.
Suddenly, a deafening thunderclap roared outside, startling him so badly that the glass slipped from his hand and crashed onto the keyboard.
"Damn it! What kind of shitty weather is this? Why am I so unlucky today?"
As he frantically wiped the keyboard with paper, the storm grew even fiercer — lightning flashed and thunder boomed nonstop.
The frustration in Ye Zang's heart surged. "You thieving heavens! You've already taken everything from me — my parents, my life! And now you're still bullying me? Is scaring people the only thing you're good at?!"
BOOM—
A bolt of lightning struck down violently. Ye Zang's body convulsed from the electric shock.
"How… unlucky…" he thought bitterly.
His body slowly slumped forward. "Heh… Thieving heavens… If I don't die today, I will definitely settle this score with you."
"Is this… the end?" Ye Zang's consciousness faded as he slowly closed his eyes.
At that moment, the ordinary stone beside him suddenly emitted a mysterious glow, enveloping his body. A faint illusory figure appeared and spoke softly:
"Your life is not over. Your true destiny has only just begun… I will be waiting for you."
The phantom vanished, and so did Ye Zang.