What? You're a notorious bandit? What a coincidence, me too!

Lin Chang'an sat in the courtyard smoking.

His yard was quite large, next to wasteland. The front yard was empty and no house was built, only the back yard had a two-story house built, which was built for him with money borrowed from his third uncle.

In his past life, he was a hoodlum when he was young. He had a job at the Second Machinery Factory, but he only worked sporadically. Whenever he had a little money, he would either drink it all or gamble it away.

However, he was good at sweet-talking girls, and Fang Qingzhu, after listening to his sweet words, ended up in bed with him without really understanding what was going on.

He had to thank his third uncle for getting married.

The third uncle felt sorry for his eldest nephew and, fearing that his elder brother would lose his lineage, borrowed his savings to build him a house.

Including this marriage with Fang Qingzhu, it was all arranged by Uncle San, who even paid for most of the bride price.

Lin Chang'an sighed deeply. Heaven had been kind to him, allowing him to live a second life, and he would definitely live it to the fullest.

Walk the right path and make big money!

To ensure Fang Qingzhu and her child have a good life, we must also repay the kindness shown to our third uncle.

But determination alone isn't enough. Going back to factory work? That meager salary wouldn't even support him; he looked down on it.

Setting up a street stall to do small business? It's hard work and tiring, and you might not even make money.

Then he suddenly had an idea.

He remembered that in a few years, mobile phones would become ubiquitous, and mobile phone stores on every street corner would be making a fortune; it was a real opportunity.

The idea gave him a jolt, but he quickly lost his enthusiasm.

Opening a shop requires renting a storefront, purchasing goods, and decorating, all of which cost money and require connections.

His third uncle had little money left, and he hadn't even bought Fang Qingzhu's three gold items yet. Where would he get the start-up capital?

He irritably threw down his cigarette butt, reached into his pocket, and his fingertips touched a cold chain.

Upon taking it out, I saw that it was an antique-style necklace. The chain was dark like sandalwood and had a faint pine resin scent. It was neither gold nor silver.

How come he didn't notice it when he was touching the cigarette? Where did this chain come from?

Upon closer inspection by the moonlight, the pendant was a dark green gemstone the size of a fingernail, with a strange character engraved on its surface.

Lin Chang'an was not highly educated, but he vaguely felt that the character was "法" (law/law), and there was a faint golden light flowing in the gemstone.

"What is this thing? It looks quite valuable."

Lin Chang'an muttered to himself, his thumb rubbing against the gemstone. A warm, burning sensation suddenly surged through him, instantly spreading from his fingertips throughout his body.

"hiss!"

His hand trembled, and the necklace fell to the ground.

Looking down again, the character "法" on the gemstone turned into a wisp of light and disappeared, and the gemstone became completely transparent, as if it were burning lamp oil inside.

Even more strangely, a string of numbers suddenly appeared in the corner of his vision: 157:48:36.

Immediately afterwards, a string of semi-transparent golden characters appeared, floating before my eyes like a rubbing of a Buddhist scripture, lingering there.

【"Bodhi Pure Karma Contract"】

[Practitioner of Pure Land Practice: Lin Chang'an]

Having been given a second chance at life, the traveler actively chose to "abandon evil and embrace good, embarking on a new life," aligning with the Buddhist truth of "turning back is the shore," thus triggering this connection.

If one regrets their decision midway and embarks on the "evil path," the contract will be automatically terminated, and after the remaining lifespan countdown ends, the soul will perish without any chance of reincarnation.

【Records of Pure Karma for Practitioners】

Remaining lifespan: 157:48:33 (Bound by karma, lifespan shortened, will fall into hell when the countdown ends.)

Merit Points: 0 (The foundation for eliminating negative karma and accumulating merit; it can offset karmic obstacles, prolong life, and unlock supernatural powers)

Karmic Retribution Value: 168 (Quantification of past life misdeeds.)

Note: 1000 merit points = 1000 hours of lifespan = 1 point of karmic obstacle purification.

Purgatory of Karmic Depletion

Completing karmic purification tasks earns merit points, which can purify karmic obstacles and extend lifespan.

Accumulating 1000 merits unlocks the "Merit Treasury," which can be exchanged for Buddhist items, supernatural powers, and good karma.

Failure to complete the mission or committing further killing will trigger "karmic backlash," accelerating the depletion of lifespan (3 hours of lifespan will be deducted every hour).

What the hell is this?

Lin Chang'an rubbed his eyes. The golden words were still floating in front of him, as if they were projected directly into his eyes. No matter how he looked away, they kept following him.

He glanced at the numbers in the upper right corner. The numbers had now changed to 157:45:21, and the seconds at the end were still ticking down second by second, making his eyelids twitch along with them.

"The Bodhi Pure Karma Contract?"

He muttered the tongue-twisting name, scratching the back of his head, full of doubt, "So, my rebirth is because of this?"

I thought God had opened his eyes and given me a second chance at life, but it turns out He came here to atone for my sins!

He picked up the necklace from the ground, brought it close to his eyes, and the gemstone seemed to be burning with lamp oil, occasionally flashing and jumping.

Is this an illusion?

Lin Chang'an slapped himself hard across the face; it stung, so it seemed to be true.

He looked at the countdown: 157 hours, which meant he had about six and a half days left to live.

Fuck!

Lin Chang'an swore, and his heart sank instantly.

Her wedding was in two weeks, but she wouldn't live to see it.

As an atheist, he didn't want to believe in this.

But since I've been reborn, what is impossible?

His gaze swept over the golden words, which mentioned that accepting missions could increase lifespan.

There was a flashing swastika icon in the lower right corner. As soon as his eyes focused on it, the text in front of him immediately changed.

A new window popped up, the gold lettering exuding an undeniable air of authority.

[Currently available quest: Subdue Yang Xinghai, a serial killer spanning four provinces]

Mission objective: Subdue the villain Yang Xinghai within 2 hours and prevent him from committing further killings (the villain has already taken 58 lives and will soon break his killing habit, becoming addicted to killing).

[Character Clues]

Physical characteristics: Male, height 1.60-1.67 meters, medium to thin, pigeon-toed gait, Yuzhou accent.

Signs: Wearing an old gray-black jacket, smelling of sweat and rust.

Tracking: The thugs have entered Haicheng and prefer low-rent housing/abandoned factories in the suburbs.

Preferences: Nocturnal, targeting remote rural households, and fond of following women walking alone late at night.

Difficulty of redemption: A (The villain has committed many murders and has already entered the rudiments of the "Asura Path")

Karma Elimination Reward: 1400 Merit Points (extends lifespan by 1400 hours ≈ 58 days, automatically eliminates 1.4 points of karmic obstacles.)

Lin Chang'an was so engrossed in the task description that he forgot to smoke until the ash burned his fingers, bringing him back to his senses.

"Damn! There really is a mission?"

He stared at the words "serial killer in four provinces," his brows furrowing slightly.

How could he not know this name?

In his past life, he was a notorious figure who shocked the entire nation. It was reported in the news that he killed a total of 68 people! That's more than the sins he committed in his past life!

"Damn it, even more ruthless than I was back then!" Lin Chang'an spat, but a fierce glint appeared in his eyes.

He only has 6 days left to live. If he does this job, he will get 1400 merit points, which is equivalent to 58 days of lifespan, or about two months. That will be enough for him to get married and give Fang Qingzhu an explanation.

"Let's do it!"

You're a villain, but I'm a fucking thug! Let's see who's tougher!