I am bored.
Or should I say I'm more empty than bored?
And that's extremely weird, considering what my adoring mother has told me. And she is not wrong. If one were to view the world of Gang Ho, there is nothing more fictitious than being bored, since there would be incidents transpiring every now and then.
But to me, everything seems uninteresting. It's almost as if I know how this world is going to end and doesn't care if it's going to flip out in the future.
This is coming from someone who lived for four years.
Plus twenty-one if you take into account my previous life.
Though the idea of reincarnation might be strange to some, including my past self, this seems pretty well-known around here. At least, that's what I read.
According to the book, the Shaolin Temple which follows the principles of Buddism believes in a life after death. As one of the greatest sects in the Gang Ho, there isn't a need for them to lie so openly.
Well, in a world that solely focuses on martial art as their greatest strength, splitting mountains and terrains in half, reincarnation doesn't seem that kind of a big deal.
But if I had to be a little more honest, it is indeed a strange concept. For me, who belonged to a far away distant place, I'm no longer sure if it exists, if there was something like this phenomenon, then maybe everybody could have died a hopeful death. Thinking that all of those who sacrificed themselves for the world could be born again, would have made it a little easier on their part.
Though there are monsters and war happening every now and then in the Jianghu, it's still more peaceful than the time I was a Hunter.
Back on E-739, in the world that I came from, hunting was a profession by birth. It wouldn't be an understatement to say that was the job that almost everyone, if not all, had about.
And I was one of those people.
It's been a while so I don't remember much and neither do I wish to remember. The only thing that my mind can picture when I think about my previous life are hordes of people and monsters surrounding me and yelling. Some were asking me to save them, while others were asking me to die.
And then there was me thinking that I was tired.
Maybe it was the tiredness, or maybe it was my will to no longer be part of the world. Or maybe it was some greater being responding to my inner thoughts.
On May 19, 20XX, I died a peaceful death. To elaborate a bit, I died in my sleep.
When I woke up once again, I had been reincarnated as Doha, the second youngest son of the Tang family.
Or should I say I was born as a person who had already seen the end of the world?
It may not seem very realistic but Doha had already lived once, at least before I took over his body. He had lived for thirty-seven years in the era of war before he regressed back in time somehow, miraculously. But due to some reason, he died upon returning and at the same time, my soul entered him, which gave me a terrible migraine at birth, if I may add.
Memories of his life in the past and future entered my consciousness not allowing me to sleep peacefully for days.
The world Doha saw in the future was the end for the orthodox and unorthodox factions and GangHo in itself.
His story was very brutal, just like how mine passed in my previous life.
Doha was born with a weak constitution in the Tang clan, which specialized in poison. He had inherited it from his mother, who had passed away a few years after giving him birth.
The Tang clan was one of the Nine Great Sects within the Gang Ho, and being born with a weak constitution is one of the worst things to happen to a future martial artist. Forget martial art, just walking around coughing up blood every few seconds, would eventually lead to death.
But eventually, he found a solution to this, which is meant to happen seven years into the future when he is around nineteen years old, around the same time he was sent away from the Tang clan to the wilderness.
Until that day, he is meant to suffer constant abuse from the people around him.
Though Doha is known as the black sheep and disgrace of the Tang clan, Doha in the future will eventually become a martial artist with enough popularity and a member of a future group called Mirae.
But that's in the future. If my calculations are right, it had taken him around twelve years to become a proper martial artist after fixing his weak constitution. And another six years of battle with the Demonic Cult, where he loses one of his arms and finally dies on the battlefield.
He had regretted his life a lot. And it wouldn't be an understatement to say he despised his birth.
Though he eventually gets acknowledged, he still loses his life with half-fulfilled accomplishments. He wished to do so many things before he died, including becoming a Sword Saint.
If he had started out young with a solid foundation, maybe becoming a Sword Saint would have been possible. But by the time he had started, it was already too late.
Maybe that will of his brought him back to the past.
The will to surpass everyone else and bring peace to Gang Ho so that no one would suffer.
But little did he know that I, the person who has taken over his body and not his will, have zilch interest in these things.
Gang Ho is like water. Smaller streams that form rivers are the lower sects, the rivers that merge to form seas are the Five Great Families and the greater seas that form oceans are the Nine Great Sects. The land that engulfs these rivers, seas and oceans is the Murim Alliance. A light streak within this peaceful cohabitation is brought about by the Demonic Sect, which rather than forming a treaty with the land, decides to capture it instead.
Rising above this flow of water would be Sages and Sword Saints that pour their everything into sustaining Gang Ho from the evil.
But are the Orthodox or the Justice Factions any different from the Demonic Cult?
Behind closed doors, everything that happens within the Families and Sects is never to be looked down upon.
The minute you think you are happy to be part of the orthodox faction is the moment you realize that you have fallen so deep into the pits of corruption.
I don't have any interest to be part of such a two-faced environment.
Even the silliest incident turns into war. And every small mistake gets you courting death.
Stepping into Gang Ho is like asking for early death. I died once and I have no desire to die again so soon.
So I'm going to rest easy and hang on like every other kid with a golden spoon in their mouth.
But, really.
"These arms are so tiny," I sighed, looking at my two tiny arms. I do realize I'm four, but still, isn't it too much? I can't even reach the apple they brought for me, then why did they even bring it? And if they had, they should have kept it next to me.
Though I know the reason why, since Doha is treated as an invisible child within the Tang family due to his inability to learn martial arts. Still, a child is a child, isn't it? How dare they treat someone as powerful as me this way?
I used to be a Catastrophic Class Hunter, the top within the Hunter world. There wasn't a single person who treated me this poorly.
From the dust-ridden room to the tattered bed sheets to worn-out clothes and spiderwebs hanging in the ceiling, this is more of an abandoned attic than a room. Now I think I know why Doha's health worsened over the years. The bare minimum is to at least give a good facility to a growing child who is sick.
And not just any child, but the second youngest son of the Tang family.
"It can't be helped," I sighed again. I seemed to sigh a lot ever since I got reincarnated.
Though I did say that I didn't wish to be part of Gang Ho, this is really getting on my nerves. If my status was raised, maybe they would treat me better than the present.
But in all honesty, I am feeling nothing nor do I feel like doing anything.
In my previous life, I didn't have any time to rest since I was always running around, eradicating dungeons and the Parasites within them. For a Legendary Class dungeon, around ten S ranks would do the job. But for me someone like me, who had a Catastrophic Class as their base, it was way easier since I had the strength of at least ten Legendary Class Hunters combined.
Because of that, I was always in the spotlight. People needed more from me and asked for more as well. They didn't give me a single second to rest. I was sixteen when I awakened and since then, I haven't known what comfort felt like. Expectations are one thing, but the burdensome reality of doing everything for people without giving myself an ounce of self-love; I was tired.
Maybe that's why I'm hesitant into having a name for myself.
This kind of treatment was very commonly given to F class Hunters as well. And I had lived a life of unfairness before being awakened as well.
"Well, it's all in the past anyway."
I said out loud, staring at the ceiling where a small spider crawled. It nearly made it to one corner of the room, but for some reason, it fell on my bed, which made me lose the last remaining brain cell of patience.
"Shit that past."
I sighed again and facepalmed myself thinking, 'What the actual du-'
---Creak.
I stared wide-eyed at the door, as someone struggled to come in.
"Oh my, my cute son is awake!"
Shit. Shit. Shit.
A woman, dressed in light pastel-coloured hanbok came in, with a bright smile on her face. She had her tan skin complimenting her dark hair, which seemed to flow down in waves below her shoulders. Her black pearl-like iris seemed to glint with pure affection for the child in front of her, as she approached me slowly clasping her hands together.
"Hoho~~ my cuteee son!" She said, hugging me so tightly that I could hardly breathe.
Affection, my ass.
This is suffocation, at its finest.
"Did you miss your mother? Did you? I know you did, goo goo~~" She rubbed her cheeks on mine, and I wished I were dead instead. Why gods of heavens, why? Why am I to suffer such a fate?
"U-uh m-mother-" I said, struggling to get air. "I-I c-can't b-breathusagusguae-"
I croaked as she pulled me in even more. Forget the room and the treatment, she was going to kill me before I could even live past four.
"Aww look at you~~ look at you trying to act cutee," she said, her eyes brimming with excitement. "Those cheeks, my heavens! Soo adorable~~!"
She proceeded to kiss me on the cheeks a few more times and I couldn't do anything other than comply. Tch, these damn cheeks of mine.
After she calmed down, and after I confirmed that I'm still breathing, she started laughing.
Has she finally gone crazy?
"My good heavens, even after all these years, my son is still the cutest!" She said, still laughing. "There is nobody in Gang Ho who could match those cheeks goo goo~~"
She came to kiss me again but I raised my palms in defiance. Any more than this is going to hurt my pride as an adult, than a kid. Though my body is only four years old, at heart I'm already past twenty. How dare she? How can someone so impudent touch the cheeks of someone as powerful as I---
"Oh. my. goodness," she blinked, her eyes twinkling. Oh no, this isn't it. Those eyes are dangerous. I have seen them more than a hundred times during my dungeon raids. I need to get out of here. This is an enemy terri--
"Uwaahhh look at him trying to hug me," she started sobbing, hugging me again. "My son has grown huk~ huk~ I can die in peace now huk~!"
Sighing, I waited until she calmed down again. When it looked like she finally did, I pulled myself away from her and waited crossed-armed.
There is no way she is here to torture me like this. There must be a reason why she left her chambers. Doha's mother, or now, my mother, also had a weak constitution like me. But since most of the women in Gang Ho are nurturers rather than martial artists, she was married off to the Tang family at an early age. Though it may not seem like it due to her personality, she is an excellent strategist.
But she retired. Or more like, people decided to retire her on their own accord instead, since her health had weakened over the years.
"There is a family dinner the day after tomorrow!" She said, smiling brightly. "And we got invited as well. Hoho~~ How great is that, my lovely son?"
Great, my second ass.
If my memory serves right, the family dinner is just a preface to sending the Tang family's potential heirs to the new martial academy that's going to be established within a month and a half. Since Doha didn't have the potential, he was already crossed off the list of kids to be sent to the academy.
If we attend the family dinner, which we have no choice but to attend, the other concubines and their children are going to humiliate me and my mother, which is a given.
At least that's what happened last time.
I don't care about who insults me, but insulting Doha's mother...
Doha hated attending that dinner. It was a memory he wished to erase for years. The guilt that tugged on him for so long, the memory of his mother trying to keep herself from crying, him being unable to speak up for her---he hated all of it.
It's sad.
But well, it has nothing to do with me.
"I had brought you new clothes!" She said, catching my shoulders. "Can you believe it? I had saved up enough for the both of us! My lovely son is going to meet his dad for the first time, how exciting is that? I made sure to buy darker shade clothes since--well, it doesn't matter! My son looks handsome in everything huhu~~!"
She winked twice, her cheerful voice reaching the roof.
"Uwaahh and I heard the other sisters are going to be there as well! I'm so excited to meet them!"
Tch, why is she so happy? Just because she is going to meet her husband who loves his other wives over her? Just because she could meet the other concubines? Just because she could get to dress me up? What is it?
There is nothing to be happy about. After tomorrow, she might finally get a reality check on how the tang family views her.
Yeah, right. This has nothing to do with me. I'm not Doha, so I wouldn't have to live in guilt. Evoking further flames in the family by standing up for her would only bring down my plans of having a peaceful life. Though I'm going to be thrown out later, I can still fix my weak constitution and just live a normal life than the life of a martial artist.
These are all just trials and this lady is one of them. And since she is an adult, she might know better as well. I'm sure she wouldn't blame her son for being weak. I mean, who blames their own son?
Yeah, this has nothing to do with me.
"...."
"My adorable son, what are you thinking so much?" She came in closer, half confused and tilting her head.
That's when I realized I had my fingers on my chin, and it looked like I was thinking.
"Are you sick? Oh no, your eyes look so down! That's right, I forgot that your medicine!" She panicked, looking around frantically for the medicine. "I think it's in the storeroom. Let me go bring it quickly! Wait for me, my sweet son!"
And just like that, she left running, leaving me alone feeling stupid in the room.
Yeah, this has nothing to do with me, my ass.