I Am Me, Real and True, Without a Past Life

The mission issued by the stronghold this time was quite unusual. It bore some resemblance to the tale of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, though in truth, only the character dynamics were somewhat similar. The goal of these mission-takers was to safeguard "Zhu Yingtai" so that she would not be killed by "Ma Wencai." At the same time, they were to locate Ma Wencai. The reason Qi Yuan drew an analogy between this "love triangle" and Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai was that in this story, Ma Wencai was a horse demon. Upon entering the game world, the very first thing Qi Yuan did was arrest "Zhu Yingtai." To save trouble, he simply knocked her out cold and bagged her. Of course, Qi Yuan remained a very kind soul who cared deeply about his captive's feelings, never forcing anyone to do anything against their will. So before knocking out "Zhu Yingtai"—whose real name was Wang Yuanyu—he thoughtfully produced several cloth sacks and asked her what color she preferred. One could say he was exceedingly democratic and considerate. In the end, once Wang Yuanyu picked a black burlap sack, Qi Yuan took the unconscious girl and dashed thousands of li. Slaughter, slaughter, slaughter—he practically purged this world clean of demons. Only after wiping out the demons did Qi Yuan head to the final stronghold, the Horse Demon Den. The Horse Demon Den was naturally no match for him and was wiped out entirely. As for the demon clan of "Ma Wencai"—whose real name was Ma Longhun—Qi Yuan exterminated their entire household. The only regret was that Ma Longhun had vanished without a trace. To find Ma Longhun, Qi Yuan pursued two avenues at once. First, he had someone impersonate him to establish the Demon Suppressing Court and scour the lands for Ma Longhun. On the other hand, Qi Yuan secretly hired people to bury Ma Longhun's family under the name of the Sacred Reason Sect. The Sacred Reason Sect was a modest religious society. This sect advocated coexistence between humans and demons, preaching natural harmony. Well... most of its members were human. Back when the great war between humans and demons raged and humanity was on the decline, the sect had preached that humans should abandon resistance so they could live in peace with the demon race. After the Sacred Reason Sect buried Ma Longhun's family, Qi Yuan used special channels to apply for the position of gravekeeper at this cemetery. He sat here solely to wait for Ma Longhun to come pay respects to his demon kin and parents. Unfortunately, three years had passed, and Ma Longhun remained completely missing. The Demon Suppressing Court had turned up no trace of him either. "Exterminating someone's entire clan really is technical work. I even prepared such a solid walkthrough before coming, yet I still couldn't find one person," Qi Yuan sighed with emotion. Just then, faint footsteps approached from nearby. "Sir, it's time to eat." Wang Yuanyu wore a wide-sleeved azure silk robe, with a white jade belt tied at her waist embroidered with a peculiar bird. Looking higher, her head was draped in a black burlap sack with only openings for her eyes and mouth; from a distance, no one could make out her features. This black sack was also a product of Qi Yuan's magnanimity and consideration for a fair lady—he had specially asked her what color she liked before covering her. Qi Yuan had done this to protect Wang Yuanyu's safety, and also out of fear that her presence might frighten Ma Longhun away. Carrying three dishes, Wang Yuanyu set them before Qi Yuan. A faint aroma wafted up, but the plates were filled with all manner of bizarre foods. They were stir-fried aged cicadas, deep-fried dung beetles, and steamed caterpillars. Looking at these dishes, Qi Yuan wore a helpless expression. "Are you a bird? Why do you cook insect feasts every single day?" Wang Yuanyu replied reluctantly, "They suit your status quite well." "Sigh, I only confined you for your own good." Qi Yuan began guilt-tripping her. As someone from Blue Star, Qi Yuan was thoroughly adept at moral kidnapping. *I'm doing this for your own good.* *You're so rich, why don't you donate more?* Wang Yuanyu's gaze turned complicated. "Why did you knock me out and bring me here?" She too was utterly baffled. Several years ago, she had gone on a spring outing with her close friends, only to run into an eccentric. That eccentric had been Qi Yuan. Back then, Qi Yuan had held over a dozen sacks in his hands and asked which one she preferred. Though she had found it utterly bizarre, she had picked one anyway. Then, she had been knocked unconscious. By the time she awoke, she was already in this graveyard. "I was entrusted by an old acquaintance to protect you," Qi Yuan said gently. "The outside world is too dangerous. Once your safety is guaranteed, I will let you go." Wang Yuanyu glanced at him, her expression shifting several times before she quietly took her leave without another word. Roughly a quarter of an hour later, Wang Yuanyu returned to her bamboo cottage. The cottage stood deep within the cemetery. The moment she stepped inside, a streak of light flickered, and a shadowy figure emerged. Seeing the shadow, Wang Yuanyu remained unfazed. "Wang Niang, did you find anything out?" The dark figure was an old woman with a sharp mouth that looked somewhat like a bird's beak. "Young Miss, the identity of this gravekeeper is likely... a bloodline practitioner from the Yellow Springs World." "The Yellow Springs World?" Wang Yuanyu asked in surprise. It was the first time she had ever heard the name. "To avert Dawn's Toll, the Martial Lords of the Origin Land joined forces to pull fated individuals from the Land of the End into the Yellow Springs World to carry out tasks. "Their task is likely to protect you, Young Miss. "That is why he brought you to his side. "Right now, undercurrents surge through this Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll, and the Origin Land is fraught with perils. You might as well remain here, Young Miss. Once the Master regains his strength, it will not be too late to return," Wang Niang said briskly. On the surface, Wang Yuanyu appeared to be an ordinary inhabitant within the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll, but in truth, she carried the bloodline of a mighty Martial Lord from the Origin Land. Wang Niang had come from the Origin Land specifically to shelter her. "Understood." Wang Yuanyu nodded. With Wang Niang beside her, her past memories were constantly awakening. "Young Miss, this subordinate has located Tu Kongming. He is terribly worried about your safety. Should I bring him to see you?" Wang Niang asked. This Tu Kongming was the Liang Shanbo in Qi Yuan's eyes. He had been Wang Yuanyu's classmate and peer, and had relentlessly pursued her. Wang Yuanyu paused upon hearing the name. Seeing her hesitation, Wang Niang pressed on, "Like you, Tu Kongming is one of the only two people in this realm who possess the direct bloodline of a Martial Lord, granting him entry to the Origin Land. "He is worth associating with. All others are merely false." Within the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll, all things were false. Only Wang Yuanyu and Tu Kongming were real, permitted to enter the Origin Land. Wang Yuanyu knit her brows. "I never imagined he would also possess a Martial Lord's direct bloodline. "What about Qi Yuan? As a bloodline practitioner, can he enter the Origin Land?" A wary look flashed through Wang Niang's eyes, and she replied, "Among bloodline practitioners, a handful who possess direct bloodlines are permitted to behold the Origin Land. "The vast majority are ordinary mortals. Qi Yuan bears no Martial Lord imprint upon him, so he cannot enter the Origin Land. "Even if taken as a servant, it would likely be impossible." A trace of disappointment crossed Wang Yuanyu's eyes. She understood as well: aside from direct bloodlines like them, anyone who failed to become a Martial Lord—even a Martial King—could never enter the Origin Land. In the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll, failing to become a Martial Lord meant remaining an illusion forever, unable to turn falsehood into reality and step into the Origin Land. "Speaking of which, that Lord of the Demon Suppressing Court who slaughtered all the demons in this realm possesses quite extraordinary talent. "With that level of strength, he must have already been branded with an imprint by a Martial Lord and could be brought into the Origin Land. "However, he likely belongs to another Martial Lord, so he cannot be taken as a servant." Wang Niang was in the Martial King realm, which was why she spoke of the Demon Suppressing Court's master with pride rather than fear. After all, she hailed from the Origin Land and had learned martial techniques at the Martial Lord level. A native Martial King of the Demon Suppressing Court was fragile and insignificant in her eyes. "What a pity," Wang Yuanyu remarked casually, unsure whether she was lamenting Qi Yuan or the court master. "Young Miss, we are currently isolated and weak, and we must borrow outside strength. "Tu Kongming would make a formidable ally. This old servant advises that you maintain good relations with him. "According to our deductions, he ought to be the Child of Destiny for this Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll," Wang Niang urged once more. "Will... Mr. Qi object to him coming here?" Wang Yuanyu asked with hesitation. Wang Niang paused, then countered, "Young Miss, why bother with the feelings of a lowborn bloodline practitioner? "This realm belongs to our direct bloodlines, to the Martial Lords. "Those lowborn bloodline practitioners are mere drops of blood. They don't even qualify to enter the real world." The Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll was a fabricated world. The real world was, naturally, the Origin Land. "Wang Niang, do not say such things. He sheltered me, after all, and is my benefactor. "Regarding Tu Kongming, I will personally ask for his opinion." Wang Yuanyu's voice carried a hint of anger and an unmistakable air of authority. Wang Niang immediately lowered her head, her body trembling faintly. Clearly, though her cultivation surpassed Wang Yuanyu's, the pressure of bloodline hierarchy remained absolute. *** Seven days later, a drizzle fell softly. Sitting in the pavilion, Wang Yuanyu stared blankly at Qi Yuan outside. Strange, bizarre sounds drifted over, though Wang Yuanyu had long since grown accustomed to them. "You have consumed 100 drops of demon essence blood, gaining 100 days of cultivation." "You have consumed 1,000 drops of demon essence blood, gaining 1,000 days of cultivation. Your cultivation has increased drastically." A thought struck her, and Wang Yuanyu walked over to ask, "Mr. Qi, may I ask you a question?" Qi Yuan opened his eyes from his cultivation and looked at Wang Yuanyu beneath the black sack. "I'm in a good mood today, so I'll answer one question for you, NPC." Indeed, he was in high spirits—by his calendar, today was his wedding anniversary with Xiao Jia and Canary. "If one day you suddenly discovered that this entire world is false, meticulously designed and constructed by someone else... what would you do?" Wang Yuanyu voiced her doubts. "Oh? You, an NPC, have finally awakened to the fact that this world is... fake? Not bad, not bad at all—you've made progress!" Qi Yuan looked upon her with newfound respect. Having played so many games, none of the NPCs had ever realized it was merely a game. Hearing this, Wang Yuanyu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She was of a Martial Lord's direct bloodline—she was real. Bloodline practitioners like Qi Yuan, along with everyone else inside the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll, were the illusions. "The world has always been false. In this universe, only I am real, along with... whoever I deem to be real," Qi Yuan said calmly, looking at Wang Yuanyu. "This has always been my guiding principle in life, and it works wonders. "Whenever I encounter a villain or enemy, I just tell them straight: 'Fiend, I can tell at a glance that you're no true person!'" Wang Yuanyu fell into deep thought at his words. Over the past several days, her past memories had continually resurfaced. She felt rather lost. In those past memories, she and Tu Kongming had been an immortal couple deeply in love, only to be pursued by a horse demon who had forcefully torn them apart and slaughtered them. Later, her ancestor and Tu Kongming's ancestor had placed their true spirits into the Mountains and Seas Picture Scroll in an attempt to revive them. As long as the three of them retraced their past path, they could truly turn falsehood into reality and be resurrected in the Origin Land. Yet... whenever she thought of Tu Kongming now, she felt nothing at all. Tu Kongming was certainly quite handsome, but compared to Mr. Qi, it was like putting an immortal next to a toad. Having grown used to Qi Yuan's strikingly handsome face, she could not muster the slightest shred of affection when picturing Tu Kongming. She had begun to wonder: had she truly loved Tu Kongming in her past life? "Mr. Qi, do you believe in your past life?" Wang Yuanyu asked again. Qi Yuan shook his head with utter conviction. "I am me—the me from the moment I gained consciousness. I have no past life." How could he possibly have a past life? He had transmigrated bodily, not spiritually. Besides, he checked his own stats every day, and his eyes provided clear, useful information: he was merely an ordinary transmigrator from Blue Star, without any illustrious background or legendary past incarnation. Wang Yuanyu paused, then asked, "I've awakened some memories of a past life. In those memories, I was in love with someone. "Yet now, when I see that person, my heart doesn't flutter at all. "Does this mean... I've had a change of heart?" She sounded somewhat distressed. Even with a face as handsome as Qi Yuan's right in front of her, her heart didn't flutter. So with Tu Kongming looking like... *that*, how on earth could her heart flutter for him? At that moment, Qi Yuan looked at her. "Do you have someone new in your heart?" "No." "If not, then it isn't a change of heart. It simply means... you never loved him in your past life either. Those memories are just fake," Qi Yuan said earnestly. Take Ning Tao, for instance: once she awakened her past memories, her love had surged instantly like a tidal wave. In Qi Yuan's view, true feelings would never fade even through the turning of eras and the passage of countless ages; if anything, they would only grow deeper. However, Qi Yuan considered such love exceedingly rare—and quite unrealistic. "Fake memories?" Wang Yuanyu froze. "Your distress right now boils down to one simple truth: you aren't strong enough. "As long as you are big enough, strong enough, omniscient and omnipotent, none of your troubles will matter anymore. "Young lady, seeing that you have decent talent, how about I gift you a grandma to help you cultivate?" Qi Yuan blinked. Wang Yuanyu's talent was indeed quite good. Moreover, Qi Yuan vaguely sensed that there was something extraordinary about her. Thus, he wondered whether he should plant his daughter's Divine Infant inside her. "Become strong?" Wang Yuanyu asked, puzzled. "Yes. As long as you are big and strong enough, nothing in this world is a problem," Qi Yuan said with all seriousness. "I can understand becoming strong, but... what do you mean by 'big enough'?" "Ah, that touches upon very profound cultivation insights. "For example, in the eyes of mortals, the pinnacle of power is omniscience and omnipotence. "I disagree. I believe it is... bigness. "As long as you are big enough, you are the strongest." "??" Wang Yuanyu looked utterly bewildered. Suddenly, Qi Yuan recalled a meme from Blue Star: "Bestie, show me what you're wearing underneath so I can avoid the bad outfit." After chatting about the cosmos and starry skies, wasn't it time to check out her legs?