Chapter 2: A New Awakening and a Troubled Past

When Lu Yuan’s eyes fluttered open once more, he found himself back on the familiar bed where he had first awakened.

The room remained the same familiar space, yet a noticeable change had occurred. The previously foul-smelling, worn-out bedding had been replaced with clean, soft, and invitingly warm sheets.

A gentle, faint fragrance now permeated the air.

The wine bottles and assorted clutter that had littered the bedside were gone. With them, the nauseating stench that had clung to the air had vanished entirely.

On the table, a candle flickered steadily, casting a soft, warm glow that brought a subtle comfort to the dim room.

Beyond the window, night had long descended, yet the relentless rain showed no sign of ceasing.

Enveloped in the clean room, wrapped snugly in the warm bedding, and listening to the steady patter of rain outside, Lu Yuan felt an unexpected sense of homecoming. A gentle warmth began to thaw the arid expanse of his heart.

****

A soft creak echoed.

The door creaked open gently, admitting a young girl. Dressed in a simple white frock, she appeared to be around eleven or twelve years old, radiating an undeniable cuteness.

Her long, snow-white hair and pale red eyes were certainly unusual. However, Lu Yuan had already encountered numerous residents with golden hair and blue eyes, even red hair with crimson eyes, or green hair with emerald eyes, during his time on the streets. Thus, he wasn’t overly astonished by her unique appearance.

“You’re awake?” the girl questioned, her brow furrowed in a slight frown. “Are you mad, uncle? Running around outside in this rain. Do you have any idea how much effort it took me to drag you back in?”

Lu Yuan, unable to comprehend the girl’s words, merely stared at her with a blank, bewildered expression.

“Your old clothes were completely drenched,” the girl declared, crossing her arms with a faint sigh. “I’ve already taken them all off for you.”

“Honestly, how many days had it been since you last changed? You absolutely reeked.”

When Lu Yuan offered no response, the girl raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong, uncle? Are you still feeling poorly?”

She clambered onto Lu Yuan’s bed, then reached out a small hand to feel his forehead. “You don’t have a fever, at least.”

Lu Yuan felt a flicker of awkwardness. From the girl, he caught a subtle, clean scent—the very same fragrance that emanated from the fresh bedding.

A soft rumble echoed.

Lu Yuan’s stomach let out a plaintive growl. He realized he hadn’t consumed anything since his perplexing awakening in this new world.

“Pfft,” the girl giggled, a smile blossoming on her face. “Hungry, are we? I’ll go whip something up for you.”

Light footsteps pattered away.

With quick, light steps, the girl made her way towards the kitchen.

Though Lu Yuan couldn’t decipher her words, he distinctly sensed the genuine kindness in her actions.

As he watched the girl’s busy form, Lu Yuan’s mind began to wander. He recalled his twelfth year, long before he had followed his Master into the immortal sect.

His own younger sister, then the same age as the girl before him, would diligently light fires and prepare meals each day for their parents and older brother who returned home late.

The entire family would gather around the table, chatting jovially. It was a simple, ordinary life, yet profoundly warm and comforting.

Yet, all those precious moments had dissolved into mere wisps of memory once Lu Yuan embarked upon the path of cultivation.

Cultivation transcended the passage of time. When he finally returned home, his parents were long gone. His younger sister had grown old and frail, and their ancestral hall was now filled with her grandchildren.

She gazed upon her elder brother, whom she had not seen for a full sixty years. Her hand, trembling slightly, reached out to touch Lu Yuan’s face, which still retained the youthful appearance of a twenty-five-year-old. For a long while, she remained utterly speechless.

‘Perhaps,’ he mused inwardly, ‘this is precisely what my Master meant by the destiny of cultivators.’

Lu Yuan shook his head, a bitter smile twisting his lips.

An ancient, heavy sigh gently reverberated through the room, creating a stark contrast with the youthful exuberance of the girl bustling in the kitchen.

‘I’ve been granted a new life, a fresh start,’ he thought, a sense of resolve settling within him. ‘What more is there for me to cling to? It’s time to begin anew.’

****

With his inner turmoil finally settling, Lu Yuan pushed himself up from the bed. He then noticed that he, too, was now dressed in clean garments.

‘The little girl must have changed them, right?’ he wondered. ‘How did such a small, slender girl manage to dress an adult? It must have taken her considerable effort.’

A faint smile touched Lu Yuan’s lips.

Then, that smile abruptly froze upon his face.

A sickening sweetness filled his throat, and he violently expelled a mouthful of thick, dark blood. Simultaneously, waves of overwhelming dizziness surged through his entire body.

“What is happening?” Lu Yuan muttered, raising a hand to press against his throbbing forehead. He noticed faint, almost imperceptible black threads interwoven within the bloodstains splattered across the floor.

‘This is poison,’ a chilling realization struck him.

A torrent of unfamiliar information suddenly erupted from the deepest recesses of his consciousness, forcefully inundating Lu Yuan’s mind as if by brutal force. It was a separate, alien memory, clearly belonging to the original owner of this body.

‘Body snatching?’

Lu Yuan’s brow furrowed. He swiftly assimilated the fragmented, incomplete memories that now flooded his mind.

The body’s previous owner was named Lei Yin, a pharmacist within this very town. He had achieved renown at a young age, earning himself a considerable reputation.

However, during the preparation of a potent concoction for a distinguished client, a critical error had occurred, almost precipitating a catastrophic event. From that point onward, the medicines Lei Yin formulated were plagued by a constant stream of issues, causing his once stellar reputation to plummet drastically. Even his most loyal, long-standing customers refused to purchase his remedies any longer.

Behind his back, many began to derisively refer to him as the ‘Poison Master.’

Eventually, even his girlfriend of four years abandoned him, sending his life spiraling into an abyss of despair.

Crushed by these successive blows, Lei Yin sought solace daily in the depths of alcohol. He continued this descent until, after an all-night drinking binge, he simply failed to awaken again.