"One is his brother, and one is his fiance… why take his life?" the leader asks, voice sharp and icy.
Lu Kun steps forward, jaw tight. "Why do you all want to know that? He is my brother, yes… but he acts like a fool. He shirks all responsibility and dumps every burden onto me, yet he lives a happy, careless life. How can I ignore that?
Because of him… I have been ridiculed all my life. Only because he is my brother, only because he acts like a fool."
The leader shifts his gaze to Li Shixin, piercing and unforgiving. "And you? Why?"
"He was my fiance." Li Shixin says, voice cold, "but how can a fool like him be my fiance? How could I take him seriously?"
The leader erupts, rage echoing through the chamber. "Stupid! Foolish! Selfish! Dull! Motherfu*** rascals! I do not know how the two of you can survive in this world!"
"Do you know what you have done?" the leader continues, voice freezing the room.
"He is the one who saved our country with his brilliant ideas. Even the highest officials sought him out, yet he chose to live in peace. And you…. what have you done to repay him?"
His gaze pierces Lu Kun like daggers. "Your brother always keeps you safe. He left his portion of the family's properties to your name. He sacrificed for you, thought only of your future. Are you blind, are you truly that dumb?"
Then he turns to Li Shixin, eyes burning with red-hot fury. "And you, Miss Lin Shixin. He kept all local gangs in check so that no one could ever disturb you. Even those who merely walked near you would be spared. And you say he is a fool?"
The leader's voice drops lower, almost a growl. "What we will do to you… you cannot even imagine."
A man kneels, trembling. "Leader… please listen… before death, Lu Yan said something."
"What is it?"
"He… the young master… he pleaded for the Lu family and the Li family, especially his brother and fiance. They are young… he asked us to spare them," the man whispers.
The leader closes his eyes. A single tear slips down, hitting the floor. "Even in death… he thinks of them. Shame on you, ungrateful bastards."
Lu Kun and Li Shixin are frozen. Their bodies remain, but their souls feel hollow. Tears streak down their cheeks; no words, no thoughts can come. They are broken.
"Do as he said. Let these two families live free, and sever any ties with us," the leader commands before leaving the underground room.
At that moment, a scream echoes, cutting through the walls. The sound is raw, unbearable—like punishment descending from the depths of hell. It grows, intensifying, clawing at the ears of everyone present.
The next day, in the city center, a body hangs, torn and tortured beyond recognition. Every part of it screams agony. Blood drips like a dark waterfall onto the cobblestones below.
Lu Kun and Li Shixin watch, bile rising in their throats. Their stomachs churn violently. Their bodies shiver uncontrollably. Had it not been for Lu Yan's final wish… they would be the ones displayed here, broken and humiliated.
Suddenly, Lu Yan hears something.
"Somebody… help him… Please… somebody help my brother… I beg you… please, somebody save my brother…"
His ears strain, his body aches violently, but he cannot move. His eyes remain shut. Pain rips through him, burning from the inside out, searing into every nerve, every bone.
A small village. A narrow, empty street. A girl cries desperately for her injured brother ….. a boy who has always been simple-minded, innocent from birth. Her wails echo in the quiet night, desperate and pure.
Lu Yan strains to open his eyes. But he cannot. His body feels foreign, unfamiliar, yet every sensation is heightened. Every cell screams in agony.
Memories crash into him, sharp and disorienting. He recalls a life he no longer occupies …. the life of the man whose body he now inhabits. A headache splits his skull, forcing him to clutch it, to try and ground himself.
"Haaa… Am I really transmigrated?" he whispers through clenched teeth.
"How is this possible? Did I die… from a single stab? No… no… no… it can't be… how can I be dead? Why… why don't they give me proper care?"
His chest tightens. He refuses to accept it. He had everything….position, power, peace.
He had lived carefully, quietly. And yet, now… nothing.
Pain courses through him, but slowly, he begins to accept the truth.
"Ha… so I really transmigrate into this magical cultivation world," he mutters.
"Hmmm… my own indiscipline… my careless life… what a fool I am."
Hours pass. The girl's cries fade into distant whimpers. Lu Yan finally opens his eyes and takes in his surroundings.
A beautiful world greets him—blue skies stretching endlessly, trees with leaves that glitter in the sunlight, and buildings carved in intricate designs. Everything seems alive, vibrant, untouched.
On his right, he notices a girl in rags, her expression pitiful, body trembling. His own pain subsides, almost eighty percent gone, allowing him to stand.
He surveys the world, mind sharp despite the lingering agony. He recalls his previous life, the mistakes he made, the negligence that led to this punishment. He clenches his fists.
"Why am I so dumb?" he scolds himself aloud.
"How could I have fallen for such cheap tricks? Shame on me."
Despite having no power, position, or peace in this new world, he feels a spark of hope.
He is alive. That alone excites him. A plan begins to form….he will regain position, accumulate power, and build peace in the shadows, just as he did in his previous life.
This new world is vast, mysterious, and full of opportunity. Lu Yan's spirit, once beaten and broken, ignites with determination. He will not make the same mistakes. He will not allow negligence or foolishness to dictate his fate.
He inhales deeply, filling his lungs with the crisp, magical air. His pain lingers, a constant reminder of his past life's failings, but it fuels him instead of breaking him.
"Alive… I am alive," he whispers. "And I will make this life mine. Power… respect… peace… I will have it all… and no one will ever control my fate again."
With that, he waits at that place, the sun glinting off his eyes, full of unbroken ambition. The world before him is beautiful, dangerous, and alive.and for the first time, he feels the thrill of starting anew.
Lu Yan, once a fool in a simple life, now awakens as a soul reborn, ready to carve out his place in this magical cultivation world. His previous life's shadows haunt him, but they are no longer chains. They are fuel for a fire that will burn brighter than anyone in this world dares to imagine.