Chapter One: The Master of Cliffhangers

Yunji Town lay to the east of Mount Dawu, named for the wisps of mist that often rolled down from the green mountains and gathered here. Each early spring, gentle breezes caressed the face, willow floss danced in the air, and the faint morning haze would shroud the town, making it seem like a fairyland. Travelers passing through by day would marvel at the beauty, but for the local townsfolk, this was nothing unusual.

Yet whenever anyone passed by the main westward road of town, their eyes would inevitably stray toward a small courtyard off to the side. As expected, a cluster of youngsters—half-grown boys and girls—had gathered on the stone steps before the gate, all crowding around a handsome youth, listening intently to his tale.

This was Yu Ge, telling another story.

Half a month ago, Yu Ge had caught a chill. After waking from his fever, he had—over the past several days—begun spinning stories no one knew where he’d heard. The tales were certainly strange enough, but it was their content and, above all, their endings that invariably made the townsfolk shake their heads and laugh.

“And so, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven drew a golden staff from his ear, gave it a shake, and it grew as thick as a bowl. With a single swing, he smashed open the Southern Heavenly Gate and stormed into the Hall of Divine Majesty. There, he shouted for the Jade Emperor to move out and hand the heavenly palace over to him. And just then, the Jade Emperor shot him a glare—”

“And then?” a child piped up urgently, his voice clear and eager.

“And then, the Great Sage was crushed to death by his own staff.”

“…”

“…”

The children, who had been picturing the Great Sage rampaging through the heavens, fell utterly silent, minds blank with disbelief. It was as if their very souls had suffered a crushing blow. Even Erwa from next door, who had been sniffling away, suddenly froze, his snot suspended midair and glistening in the sunlight.

A hush fell over the group.

In this peculiar atmosphere, a toddler in split pants, eyes still bleary with sleep, suddenly felt his bladder tighten.

And then he wet himself.

At that moment, the crowd of children erupted.

“How could the Great Sage die when he’s so powerful?”

“He would never die! Yu Ge, you’re just a storyteller—you don’t really know the Great Sage at all…”

“Waaah, the Great Sage can’t die…”

“He died again! I’m never listening to your stories again!”

The children burst out in protest. Faces flushed and cheeks puffed, they argued, demanding a different ending. The younger ones, their dreams of a hero dashed, teared up, some even on the verge of crying outright.

“Well, dead is dead,” Yu Ge replied, his face as impassive as a mountain in the face of this tragic scene. Any sense of guilt had long since been devoured by the proverbial dog.

The half-grown children wore their disappointment openly—some red-faced, some pouting, some with red-rimmed eyes—and quickly scattered. In the blink of an eye, the steps were deserted.

Yu Ge was not surprised.

Today marked the tenth day since he’d awakened in this world. Eight days ago, he’d begun telling stories, and by now he’d told six, five of which all ended in some peculiar death.

Xiao Yan wrote a blood-signed letter to break off a betrothal, accidentally bit an artery, and bled out.

Tang San, reborn in the womb, was strangled by his umbilical cord in his confusion.

Ye Fan went to climb Mount Tai, only to be struck by the lid of an ancient bronze coffin.

Zhang Xiaofan suffered a brain hemorrhage after being choked.

Li Xiaoyao, just before reaching the Island of Immortals, was killed by his own good looks.

Watching the children storm off, red-eyed and indignant, Yu Ge couldn’t help but feel a little powerless—though perhaps merciless too. He even felt the urge to crack open a bottle of Assam milk tea from ’82.

Once alone on the steps, Yu Ge closed his eyes. His consciousness sank inward, touching a dim star in a boundless sea of darkness.

Achievement Unlocked: [Cliffhanger Fiend]

Requirement: Compose or tell five stories that leave at least five people indignant and frustrated by the abrupt ending. Progress: 5/5.

Reward: Unknown. Claimable.

Seeing the new “claimable” status in the reward column, Yu Ge sighed. At last, his first achievement was complete—no easy feat.

Ten days ago at dusk, he’d first arrived in this world. Barely conscious, he’d wandered to the edge of town, only to be dragged back by Zhao Ziming, a supposed family friend of his parents who lived at the town gate. It was from Zhao’s words, his gradually returning memories, and the events that followed that Yu Ge learned how this town—and this world—were unlike his old one.

This world had monsters and demons—things that, in his previous life, belonged to the realm of fantasy. Though neither Yu Ge nor his predecessor had ever seen such beings, the way the townsfolk avoided the topic, their odd nighttime rituals, and the great stone stele at the town entrance warning everyone not to go out at night—everything hinted at deeper secrets.

It was then that Yu Ge discovered the endless star map in his mind, and the meaning of each faint star upon it.

Since triggering the first achievement-star on day one, he’d been looking for ways to unlock more. This “Cliffhanger Fiend” achievement seemed the easiest to complete—and he was desperate to know what reward it might bring. If nothing else, it could be the key to survival in this world.

After his first two stories failed to progress the achievement, he realized the requirement was not just to tell stories, but to infuriate the audience. Thus, he changed his storytelling style.

Sure enough, outrage followed, and the progress bar advanced.

The reward, hitherto a mystery, was now claimable. It was time to see what it was.

[Claim Reward]

A faint glow flickered from the star in his mind, and suddenly Yu Ge’s palm felt a chill—something cold and solid had appeared out of nowhere.

He looked down.

It was a black iron dagger. The sheath was jet-black, the hilt a dark blue. Drawn from its scabbard, it looked utterly ordinary.

[Black Iron Dagger]

Note: An ordinary dagger. When used to strike certain indescribable parts below the waist, special properties are activated.

What sort of property was this?

Yu Ge gave the dagger a puzzled glance, then eyed his own lower half in confusion.

As he absentmindedly angled the blade downward, the dagger suddenly jerked—accelerating out of his grasp as if possessed by some unnatural force.

It flew from his hand!

In that instant, Yu Ge’s scalp tingled with terror.

He pushed off with his left hand and shot backward, his seat scraping painfully across the stone steps, barely dodging the flashing blade as it plunged downward. The dagger sliced through the hem of his robe, struck the stone below, sent up a spray of sparks, and bounced away.

Yu Ge stared in shock at the dagger, now lying several steps away, cold sweat beading his brow.

For a long moment, all was silent.

Across the street, a townsman munching on a scallion pancake froze mid-bite, mouth hanging open as he stared at Yu Ge on the steps—remembering his own son’s lingering spring fever. He suddenly decided he couldn’t afford to be stingy with medicine—it was better to spend the money and get a proper cure. This spring chill was too frightening! More frightening than the demons outside town!

Yu Ge, too, was deeply unsettled.

This “special property”—when aimed toward certain indescribable regions below the waist, the dagger would accelerate with uncanny force, even without any added strength.

It was too bizarre.

He eyed the dagger warily, heart still pounding. After a moment’s hesitation, he circled around to approach it from behind, carefully picking it up by the hilt, keeping the blade pointed skyward, and slowly slid the dark scabbard over the blade—every movement imbued with a comically solemn sense of ritual.

Across the street, a woman and her daughter watched him.

“Mother, has Brother Yu been possessed by a demon?” the girl asked, eyes wide.

Her mother quickly shushed her, then shot Yu Ge a cautious look, whispering in a loud stage whisper she thought no one else could hear, “Hush, don’t say nonsense. His brains are just a bit muddled.”

Yu Ge’s body stiffened as he sheathed the dagger, a wave of nameless melancholy washing over him.

Those who live by day cannot fathom the darkness of night.

It was just an ordinary dagger—who could have guessed it would have such a peculiar, outrageous property?

Once the blade was safely sheathed and gripped by the jet-black scabbard, Yu Ge finally felt more at ease.

Yet, the moment his hand closed around the hilt, a strange and mysterious message surfaced once more from the depths of his mind.