Chapter Seventeen: Only Magic Can Defeat Magic!

You carry a desperate heart, determined to get to the bottom of it, even if this time you end up crushed by these corrupt officials—you are not afraid. After all, your life can restart; the forbidden slide that no one dares to touch means nothing to you. Since you can begin anew, why suffer this nonsense? Which reset player is so cowardly? Damn it, let’s go all out!

You dare to touch the slide others won’t. You dare to report the crimes others fear to expose. You dare to challenge the vested interests that no one wants to confront.

Strike first, report later—imperial authority permits this. This is the confidence the simulator gives you: stubbornness above all.

To strengthen your position, you add layers of credibility: a commendation from the Shaanbei prefect, claims of significant influence in the Shaanbei literary circle, representing “all Shaanbei students” in your own name, expanding your personal cause into a collective one.

You cover yourself with as many tiger skins as possible, hoping to intimidate the provincial governor enough to take you seriously.

Yet, you still underestimate the resistance...

“The brat is spouting nonsense! Get lost, get lost!”

The guards are startled by your boldness, but once you mention investigating the provincial exam and accusing the Xi’an prefecture and Shaanbei officials of colluding with criminals, their faces darken instantly.

After a stern rebuke, faced with the gleam of their cold blades, you can only retreat bitterly—not because you fear death, but because dying by their hands would be meaningless; it wouldn’t splash blood onto the governor’s face as you wish.

Clearly, these guards know something. This shatters your last shred of hope.

“The provincial governor is their shield!”

A chill runs through your heart. What can you do now? What options remain?

In this harsh reality, you are merely a five-year-old child. Your status as a top scholar and a few articles may impress ordinary people, but to a powerful provincial official, it’s not enough to earn genuine respect.

What should you do? Continue chasing an elusive justice? Or quietly retreat back to your hometown in Shaanbei?

You don’t know...

Ding! Lost in the darkness of reality, confused about your future, you choose: (?). Please devise your own strategy!

“Devise my own strategy?” Zhou Liang stroked his chin.

“Looks like I really don’t know what to do…”

It’s normal. After all, Zhou Liang is just a newbie who crossed over a few years ago. His abilities haven’t matured yet, so he can’t compare to his older self.

Or rather, the progress “Zhou Liang” has made so far is mostly thanks to the simulator. Without it, he wouldn’t have come this far. Now, he must rely on his original self to carry him forward...

“But… I don’t really have a better plan.”

Zhou Liang sighed. A clever housewife can’t cook without rice. Right now, “the other me” only has the scholar status and some minor fame—no trump cards.

In this situation, even the old self wouldn’t help!

“Only one way forward…”

Zhou Liang frowned.

His advice was to focus on development first. If possible, he hoped the other self would return home to study hard, then plan again when he could pass the provincial exam on his own—just as his master said, one can’t always be targeted. Eventually, success will come.

But the bandits wouldn’t allow that...

“Bandits…”

Zhou Liang was troubled.

Going home now would be the best choice, but “Li Laiheng” and his gang demanded that he pass the provincial exam this year and assassinate the Shaanxi provincial governor. Otherwise, they would kill his entire family!

This completely blocked Zhou Liang’s retreat.

“Going back means death, continuing to report means death, and death is meaningless…”

With wolves in front and tigers behind, where is the chance for survival?

Wolves... tigers...

“Wait!”

Zhou Liang suddenly had a strange expression.

“Am I thinking about this the wrong way? Why must I survive?”

Isn’t the simulator meant for dying multiple times? Why am I so afraid to die?

Even the simulated “Zhou Liang” knows that with the reset cheat, he need not care about life—he should just do whatever he wants! That’s the story he should have!

Zhou Liang suddenly realized:

“Right… When has this kid ever cared about staying alive? He’s died plenty of times. Generally, if he can survive, he won’t seek death—but now he’s been pushed to the brink. He’s ready to die.”

“To him, he no longer seeks a way out. What he wants is a glorious death, one that’s thrilling and unfettered...”

Now that makes sense!

Once the thought of death arises, the world suddenly feels vast!

With his mind cleared, Zhou Liang immediately thought of a plan that suited his desire:

“Wolves ahead, tigers behind... then I’ll make the tiger swallow the wolf!”

“I’ll die for sure, but you won’t get to live!”

Bandits, provincial governor, Xi’an prefect, and the cutting master, the greedy county magistrate, and the ambiguous stance of the Shaanbei prefect—maybe the latter is innocent, but as the saying goes, when an avalanche falls, no snowflake is innocent. After so many years as a Ming official, it’s impossible for him to be entirely clean.

Then let it be divine justice!

Kill! Kill! Kill!

(The Western King: Good kid! Finally, it’s my turn!)

(The Old Patriarch: Laughs...)

Zhou Liang made up his mind, recalled some details carefully, and began writing his strategy:

Ding! You choose: (Go under the Bell Tower and shout loudly, “I know where the bandit Li’s eldest grandson is!” Then wait for some special people… When they arrive, report that the Shaanxi provincial governor and the Xi’an and Shaanbei prefects collude with bandits, betraying the divine emperor and the Ming dynasty… Finally, assist them in capturing Li Laiheng and others in Mizhi County. The rest is their responsibility…)

As all this information flooded into your mind, you froze... because none of this should have come from your own thoughts—it must have been transmitted by someone else...

A cold shiver ran down your spine: Could there be a mysterious invisible hand watching your every move?

But then you relaxed: It doesn’t matter! As the saying goes, too many lice don’t itch. You have so many invisible hands around you that one more backstage manipulator is nothing... Besides, this one is helping you solve problems, so it must be a friend for now.

Of course, what matters most is to rely on this “Black Hand” to make all your enemies fly!

Black Hand!

You laugh out loud, then pass through the bustling city of Xi’an, heading straight for the towering Bell Tower.

The Bell Tower is one of the most prominent landmarks in Xi’an, said to have been built during the Hongwu era, serving as a punctual timekeeper.

You arrive near its base, surrounded by passersby and guarded soldiers. Though you don’t know why the “Black Hand” told you to come here to call people, nor who these special people are, once you decide to trust him, you will not waver.

So, you shout loudly in public: “I know where the bandit Li’s eldest grandson is!”

Your shout stuns the crowd.

Worried that your target might not hear, you shout several more times.

Finally, several figures dash toward you at a speed that shocks ordinary people.

You focus and are dumbfounded. These people are indeed special: dressed in splendid brocade, long swords at their waists, tall and imposing, radiating an awe-inspiring presence.

Their faces are stern; they neither show surprise at your age nor waste words, just coldly say, “Tell us everything you know.”

At that moment, your heart settles. No longer can the provincial governor, prefects, county magistrates, or bandits crush you.

As the saying goes: only magic can defeat magic, only power can suppress power. The strongest enforcers of Ming authority stand before you now.

They are darkness itself, yet darkness can bring you relative light...

In this deadly gamble, you have already won!