The memory of Zhu Zigui, the King of Huai, surged in Ren Ye's mind. Yet, it was a fragmented blur, lacking clear pictures or detailed life experiences—more like a muddled self-description or an inner monologue. The memories spoke in vague, abstract terms, not the fleshed-out recollections of a person's existence.
Ren Ye blinked slowly, staring at his reflection in the bronze mirror. His thoughts struggled to piece together the meaning of what was unfolding. "I am King Huai… the uncle mentioned in the memory should be the emperor… and my father was the previous prince?" A faint sense of confusion gripped him. "And this emperor, he's been searching for someone 'forgiven by heaven?' What a joke… What does he want with me?" He couldn't help but snort at the absurdity of it all.
The original owner, Zhu Zigui, was nothing more than a useless fool, his life an endless parade of trivial pursuits. From the "self-reported memory," it was clear he wasn't even a gentleman—only interested in women and utterly useless in any meaningful way. Worse yet, he'd been placed under house arrest by the imperial court, treated as little more than a caged bird.
As Ren Ye mulled over these grim thoughts, a sudden, cold voice broke the silence.
[Open the mysterious inheritance mission—Act 1, "Shadow Son"]
[Story Introduction: The battle for the throne of the Daqian Dynasty has concluded. Zhu Zigui, the son of a gentleman, inherits the throne of King Huai, though he is now under house arrest by the imperial court. Emperor Daqian is cautious and suspicious by nature, and yet, he did not execute you. Instead, he sent ten secret sons to infiltrate King Huai's mansion, acting as his eyes and ears. The true motives behind this are unclear.
Ten Shadows: Played by ten players, they currently belong to the Imperial Court and Wallgrass factions.
Your identity card is: King Huai, who belongs solely to the King Huai camp.
[Identity Card Trait "King's Order": You can sway two players to defect from their camp to join yours, but they must swear allegiance and be charmed by your personality.
Token Props:
Imperial Pen: A relic left by the founding emperor of Daqian, given to you by your father before his death. The pen is engraved with: "Lift the pen, and wave a thousand years; I've painted mountains and rivers since taking the stage." The royal pen is currently dust-covered, lacking any supernatural abilities. There are whispers that the old emperor used this pen to write a secret edict, kept in the palace by your father.Zhenguo Sword: A treasured artifact of the Daqian Dynasty. It was in your father's possession, but after his death, it roared for three days, and its brilliance faded. It now lies dormant, like any ordinary sword. Legends say the Zhenguo Sword only recognizes those with special luck.]
Current Mission 1: Survive for 72 hours.
Current Mission 2: Find a way to restore the royal pen to its former glory and uncover the secret edict left by the old emperor.
Current Mission 3: The emperor seeks someone "forgiven by heaven." Protect your identity to avoid being destroyed, while also uncovering the true identities of the hidden sons. Every discovery of a dark son's identity brings great reward.
Special Rules: In this world, players can kill each other and capture other players' tokens.
Special Reminder: The emperor is paranoid and quick to act on suspicion. If anything unusual happens in Huaiwang Mansion, it could lead to the death of everyone involved… Everyone will die!
Countdown to leaving: 71:57:32
Blessing of the Star Scar Gate: The vassal kings who have been cut since ancient times are miserable, I hope you are an exception...
The cold voice gradually dissipated, leaving Ren Ye standing in a quiet stillness. His dull eyes regained their spark, a subtle thrill rising within him.
So this is it. The Stargate mission Huang Wei mentioned...
With his mind briefly steadied, Ren Ye began to pace slowly around the dormitory, thoughts clicking into place. It was a role-playing legacy mission, where not just he, but ten other players would be drawn into factional confrontations, each with their own hidden agendas.
The game's setup is clear: Ten players, a struggle for power. Factions at war...
He sighed. And here I am, playing the second-generation Huaiwang, a total disaster. Incapable, no allies, no brains.
His camp? A lone faction. Ten against one... it's a cruel start.
Difficult. So difficult.
The thought of it filled him with anxiety. His strategy had to be solid if he was to survive—Task two says the royal pen must be restored to its supernatural state. That's the key to increasing my hand. I need to find that secret edict from the old emperor...
Task three? Dealing with shadows in the palace? Later. Right now, I need to lie low. Hold on, and don't show my hand too soon...
Ren Ye walked in a slow circle, his mind still racing as he tried to assess his surroundings, to familiarize himself with every detail of the dormitory.
Then, suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps broke his concentration.
He turned, spotting a servant girl racing toward him, her face etched with panic. She collapsed to her knees, trembling as she cried, "It's a big deal, Your Highness!"
Ren Ye's gaze sharpened, the memory of the servant girl Lian'er flickering to life in his mind. The recollection of her was automatic, but as soon as it came, it felt strange.
I've slept with this woman...
But the memory was disjointed—A dark, stormy night. Zhu Zigui, drunk, dragging her to bed...
Wait a minute.
Ren Ye paused, confusion gripping him. Why don't I have any specific details of that night?