The night wind pierced my bones, carrying the scent of dry earth and thick despair through the narrow alleys of Qingxi City. In the corner of a rickety hut with holes in its thatched roof, a young man in his teens sat hugging his knees. His name was Ye Tian. His clothes were covered in patches, his face was dull with soot, and his eyes were sunken from lack of sleep. However, his gaze that night was not empty. There was a dangerous glint of determination behind his dark pupils.

In the dark corner of the room, a soft groan could be heard.

"Big brother... It's cold... Xiao Mei's stomach hurts..."

Ye Tian turned quickly. His heart felt like it was being sliced ​​open by a knife as he saw the small figure lying on the worn straw mat. Xiao Mei, his seven-year-old sister, looked so frail. Her face was deathly pale, her lips were dry and chapped, and her body was constantly shivering. Their village had been in the throes of a severe famine due to crop failure for three days, and for three days, not a single grain of rice had passed through Xiao Mei's throat. The district capital was indifferent. The officials continued to feast, while the common people died like flies on the side of the road.

Ye Tian stood up. The burning hunger in his stomach instantly vanished, replaced by a surge of anger and immense responsibility. As an older brother, he would not let his sister starve to death. Not tonight.

"Wait here, Xiao Mei," Ye Tian whispered, gently stroking her sister's head. "Gege will return with rice. Gege promises."

Xiao Mei could only nod weakly, her dull eyes staring at her sister's back as it slowly disappeared behind the creaking wooden door.

Ye Tian had only one target that night: Merchant Zhou's residence.

Merchant Zhou was the richest man in the city. While the common people foraged for tree roots for food, Zhou's granaries overflowed with rice, wheat, and dried meat from the accumulated tribute. His residence was surrounded by high, black stone walls and guarded by ruthless mercenaries. For a commoner, infiltrating it would be tantamount to suicide. But for Ye Tian, ​​this directionless life was also a pending death.

With cat-like steps, Ye Tian navigated the shadows of the night. He had been observing the residence for the past few days. There was a spot on the back wall where a large willow tree was leaning inward.

Using his agility, accustomed to manual labor, Ye Tian quickly climbed the tree. His movements were silent. Once he reached the highest branch, he gently leaped over the parapet and dropped down into the quiet inner courtyard. The faint aroma of freshly cooked rice wafted from afar, making Ye Tian's mouth water, but he quickly shook his head to regain his composure.

He crept toward the large wooden structure in the western corner—the rice barn.

Luckily for Ye Tian, ​​the night guards seemed to have let their guard down after drinking several cups of wine. The small door beside the barn was only held open by a thick wooden peg. Carefully, Ye Tian slid the peg open until the door opened wide enough for his slender frame.

As soon as he stepped inside, Ye Tian's eyes widened. Sacks of rice as tall as giants were neatly lined up. This was heaven amidst a hell of hunger. Wasting no time, Ye Tian took out an empty hemp sack that he had tied around his waist. He ripped open the bottom of one of the sacks, and pure white grains of rice poured out like molten gems.

He wasn't greedy. He knew carrying a full sack would only slow him down. He only filled the hemp sack halfway—enough to make warm porridge for Xiao Mei for the next week. After tying the ends of the sack tightly and slinging it over his shoulder, Ye Tian turned to leave.

Cringe.

Ye Tian's footsteps froze. At the doorway of the granary, a burly soldier stood holding a torch. The firelight illuminated Ye Tian's stiff face and the rice sack on his shoulder.

"Hey! Little rat! How dare you steal from Lord Zhou's residence!" the soldier shouted, his booming voice shattering the silence of the night.

"Damn it!" Ye Tian cursed inwardly.

Without a second thought, Ye Tian lunged forward. Before the soldier could draw his sword, Ye Tian threw a handful of uncooked rice straight at his eyes. The soldier groaned in pain, staggering backward while rubbing his eyes. Ye Tian took advantage of the gap to dart out of the barn like a hurricane.

"Thief! There's a thief in the west barn! Capture him alive!" A chorus of shouts rang out. The alarm bell began to ring loudly.

Merchant Zhou's residence instantly became chaotic. Torches were lit, illuminating the previously pitch-dark courtyard. Dozens of soldiers, swords drawn, began pursuing Ye Tian.

Spotting a pile of wooden crates near the wall of the residence, Ye Tian leaped onto them with the last of his strength. From the top of the crates, he made a desperate leap and managed to grab hold of the edge of the main building's tiled roof. With a swift sweep of his legs, he pulled himself up.

Clang! Clang!

Several tiles shattered and fell as Ye Tian scrambled to the roof. Below, soldiers gathered, pointing furiously at him.

"Coward! Get down!" the chief soldier shouted from below. "Shoot him! Don't let that rat escape!"

Several soldiers immediately readied their bows and arrows. Hearing the whistling of arrows ripping through the night air, Ye Tian was forced to keep moving, jumping from one tiled roof to another. The night wind blew fiercely, buffeting his face and making his starving body sway slightly. The half-bag of rice on his shoulder felt heavier, but his grip didn't loosen in the slightest. This rice was his little brother's lifeline.

Ye Tian continued running up the steep, tiled path, crossing the border of Merchant Zhou's house and leaping onto the rooftops of the townspeople's houses. However, the soldiers below refused to give up. They pursued him through the streets, keeping their torchlights locked.

Finally, Ye Tian reached the top of the tallest rooftop—the roof of an old watchtower that bordered Qingxi Town Square.

Before him was nothing but emptiness. The distance to the next building's rooftop was too great for a mere mortal to jump, and below, dozens of Merchant Zhou's soldiers had already surrounded the plaza, blocking all descents. Cold sweat beaded on Ye Tian's forehead. His breath came in short gasps, his chest heaving with tension.

He was utterly desperate. Surrendering meant death or a lifetime of disability at Merchant Zhou's hands, and it meant Xiao Mei would also starve to death alone in their hut.

Ye Tian stared at the bag of rice in his hand, then up at the night sky. "Is this the end of my journey?" he whispered, lamenting his unjust fate as a weak mortal.

However, just as the despair reached its peak, something unimaginable happened in the sky above the town square.