Chapter Nine: Unaware of What Year This Night Belongs To

“Oh? What an interesting soul, to have actually turned the Void Devourer upon itself… But what a pity, the mind has already faded. In another few decades, no matter how tenacious your soul, you’ll still face utter annihilation. Enough, enough. I’ll lend you a hand. If fate allows, you may come to the Azure Ox Academy of the natural world someday; then I shall permit you a century of instruction in the Way…”

…

Houses nestled among half-encircling hills, a gentle river flowing by. Here and there, wisps of smoke curled lazily skyward—a picturesque pastoral scene. Summer, the incessant chirping of cicadas. In the distance, the laughter of children floated on the air…

Ugly girl, ugly girl, ugly beyond compare.
A silly little brother, foolish and slow.
A wretched life, with no mother or father.

…

Seven or eight children, ranging from five or six to perhaps eleven or twelve, sang cheerfully as they chased a young girl round and round. They were too young to understand the pain their words could cause.

The girl struggled to carry a bucket of water, her frame painfully thin, her clothes patched over and over again. Though the song was cruel, she gave no retort. Now and then, she wiped her sweat hurriedly, head bowed low.

The river lay at the village’s entrance; her home stood at the far end. Every trip for water meant crossing the whole village.

She trudged on with difficulty, the children trailing delightedly behind. Sometimes a grown-up would appear, scolding the children loudly. But the children never scattered—instead, they made faces, and the adults ended up laughing too. Perhaps this was the only amusement in this dull, impoverished village.

“Ugly girl, how’s the mute boy? Why did he have to provoke Chief Sun? Now look, your prime fields have been taken away for two poor plots…”

The girl lifted her head. Her features were fine, but a large scar marred her left cheek, giving her an alarming appearance at first glance. She answered firmly, “It was Chief Sun who went too far. My brother only acted for my sake…”

“Enough, enough. Who is Chief Sun? He’s an important man. Who cares for the likes of you—poor and penniless nobodies.”

She lowered her head, picked up the bucket, and kept walking. She understood—these people didn’t care; they only spoke to her to pass the idle afternoon.

“Look at that! The wretched girl walks off before we finish talking. In such a hurry to be reborn?”

Someone else chimed in, “Exactly. Chief Sun was merciful this time, just a beating. Next time, you might not be so lucky…”

…

The girl hurried along, as if afraid their words might catch up with her. After a while, the children, growing bored, scattered like startled birds.

She pushed open the door—a door so battered it barely resembled a door at all—set down the bucket, and sat heavily on the floor, unable to hold back her tears. She was only seventeen, after all.

Two years ago, things had been different. Her family was once the most respected in the village. Her father was a master carpenter who had long ago secured the best fields. He was also a well-regarded chief—a tall man with a hearty laugh who could lift both her and her brother to his shoulders at once.

Her mother was known for her delicious cooking and was the best healer for miles around. Back then, everyone who saw their family would give a thumbs-up and praise them as good people.

But everything changed when the black flag appeared. No one knew why the notorious Black Cloud Bandits came to their remote village. Her father led the resistance—and died for it. Her mother perished soon after. The girl herself survived a slashing wound, while her brother, traumatized, lost the power of speech. The village’s chief, once her father, was replaced by their neighbor, a troublemaker from the next village, Sun Er, who became the new chief for miles around.

Over time, people forgot the goodness of the previous chief. All that remained was a sister scarred and “ugly,” a brother called an idiot, and the resentment they’d earned from Chief Sun. The villagers, who once greeted them with smiles, now turned cold and scornful.

The girl cried for a long time, until her tears were spent. Slowly, she straightened up. She had to be strong—she still had her brother to care for.

Drying her tears, she reached for the bucket to pour the water, when suddenly a hand reached out.

“Let me,” came a voice, hoarse and strange.

“No need. I can do it… Shoowa, you can talk again!” At that, her tears started anew.

Whether called Mute Boy or Fool, neither was his true name. He had once been Xie Huanshu—a name that did not belong in this humble village. But that no longer mattered. Now, he was Wu Yue.

After entering the void, Wu Yue had detonated the nuclear bomb. After that, consciousness vanished. Who knows how long he drifted—just a soul, a faint spark in the boundless universe, without thought or will. Until one day, he encountered a monster: a massive eye surrounded by tentacles. Faced with this creature, even his numbed spirit was seized by terror—he would die! But he did not wish to die… He struggled desperately.

Who knows how much time passed, but then a voice rang out—clear and melodious as an ancient bell—promising him, if fate allowed, a place at the Azure Ox Academy…

Looking into the reflection in the water bucket, Wu Yue saw a frail, undersized body clothed in rags, mended countless times, and a face utterly foreign.

Had he transmigrated again, or seized another’s body? It had been a month since Wu Yue awoke in this body. He was slowly adapting to the local speech, reminiscent of the language of the Primordial World.

He looked at his hand—pale, thin, no ring. The great crystal in his mind was gone; the shackles were broken. No more golden finger, no more divine wish scroll—how absurd it all seemed now.

With a thought, he could sense every breeze and stir within a hundred miles. With a wish, vitality surged to him as he pleased.

This new life was nothing like the last.

“Shoowa, now that you’re well, that’s all that matters. Tonight, I’ll make you something good to eat, something delicious.” The strong-willed girl could no longer hold back her tears, trying in vain to wipe them away. It was good to have a man in the house—the Xie family line would not be cut off. Only with hope does life have meaning.

Looking at this girl, barely sixteen or seventeen, Wu Yue’s heart suddenly ached.

“Is this the will of the body’s former owner?”

“Rest assured, I will care for your sister and avenge you…”

He picked up the bucket and said softly, “From now on, you have me.”

But it was still only midday—would they skip lunch?

“Ugly girl! Ugly girl! Come help, quickly!” A woman’s call rang out from half a mile away. “Girl, hurry up! Or you won’t get a single coin!”

“Oh! Aunt Xue needs my help today!” the girl exclaimed, as if suddenly remembering.

“I remember now—your name is Xie Huanling?”

She acknowledged with a quiet hum, then hurried off. After a few steps, she turned back with a smile, saying, “Shoowa, go rest inside. When you’re strong again, I’ll find you a good wife.”

Wu Yue’s mind drifted to a woman, perhaps called Liu Anxin.

But who could say what year it was now, or where she might be.

And suddenly, tears streamed down his face.