Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared - Chapter 40 - The Route of the Maze

Anton is a great-grandfather. He is living quite a happy life, despite his advanced age and declining health… until a group of cultivator bandits moves into the area. The nearby guardians of the area, the Order of Ninety-Nine Stars, are unable to track them down as they continue to ravage nearby towns. During one desperate winter Anton is out on a hunt when his family- his entire village- is killed or taken as slaves by the bandits. He lacks the strength to fight them, and he wasn’t even present for their arrival to die with his loved ones. At the pit of his despair, he wonders if he ever had any chance to change things. What could he even do? He cannot even pull his best bow, and his eyesight is failing. If he had been a cultivator… perhaps there might have been a chance, but he was decades- perhaps even most of his life- too late.Participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge (2022)Notes on cultivation levels:There are five general stages of cultivation, though the fifth is extremely rare. Each cultivation style might have their own name for the stages.1. Body Tempering2. Spirit Building/ occasionally System Creation (Ninety-Nine Stars)3. Constellation Formation (Ninety-Nine Stars)4. Life Transformation/Galaxy Construction (Ninety-Nine Stars)5. Ascension

After failing to transmigrate to a proper cultivation world, Lin Zhengran woke up to find himself as a little kid… in kindergarten.With no other choice, he decides to fool the system by pretending to cultivate.[Today, you encountered a fairy descending the mountain. You must find a way to obtain the Pure Yang Elixir in her hand.]Lin Zhengran looked at the milk candy in his childhood friend’s hand.“Give me the candy. Do you need to go to the restroom? I’ll call the teacher for you.”The little girl, confused and innocent, handed the candy to Lin Zhengran.“Here’s the candy…”[Congratulations! Without lifting a blade or striking a blow, you successfully obtained the Pure Yang Elixir from the fairy!]

I put all the warning tags to give myself creative freedom, but the story isn't filled with excessive gore or swearing.This is my first time writing other than for school projects. The gender-bender tag is only for the beginning because I wanted to try writing from a female's perspective and needed an excuse for why my MC reads a little tomboyish. The gender-bender fades into the background over the first few chapters; please don't let the tag keep you from trying out my story.Synopsis:Second chances are rarely earned and even rarer given. Follow a new life in a new world where anything is possible. Our MC wakes up, stuck as a baby, needing to decide how she will live her new life. Let's see what future she can forge when hard work rewards her with status points and skill levels.Author's Note: I'm currently slowly going back and rewriting my earlier chapters, so if you're starting to read this for the first time, try not to be alarmed if the quality suddenly goes down after reading a few chapters. I started writing this story almost three years ago, and I think I've improved as a writer since then. I appreciate your understanding; enjoy.

Her grandfather was the emperor’s respected teacher, with disciples all over the world.

Her mother was well-read in poetry since childhood and was the most talented woman in the previous dynasty.

Her father started from nothing and gained the emperor’s favor, rising to Minister of Personnel.

Li Mingwei was an unrivaled noblewoman in the capital city.

A mistaken marriage let her see through worldly affairs. She fled the hustle and bustle and returned to live in her countryside residence, choosing a different kind of life.

By the side of the blue stone road, that person had stood still for a long time. He held an umbrella and reached out a hand to her.