As the Gu family was discussing and daydreaming about the future, Li Chen made his way to his small bedroom that was located in the basement.
As soon as he locked the door and sat on his small wooden stool. The husky voice of God of War sounded in his head.
"That is how you deal with those kinds of people!"
"But you just got us in trouble. I have nothing on my name and if they kick us out, we will be homeless"
"What is your story with that beautiful wife of yours? Her eyes only have hatred for you"
"Don't look at my wife like that!"
"I am inhabiting your body so I see whatever you see"
"Let's not talk about this for now, you will know everything eventually right?"
"But I still need you to brief me, I don't know how long it will take for our memories to merge"
Li Chen sighed inwardly and started narrating the sad story of his life from his first memories.
He knew it was time to share the darkest chapters of his life, a story that had haunted him for as long as he could remember.
"I never knew my parents," Li Chen began, his voice trembling with emotion. "My parents died when I was just two months old. All I have is a single faded photograph of them that my aunt showed me once. She was the only link to my father's family, but she never spoke much about them."
Li Chen's eyes glistened with unshed tears as he continued, "From the moment I can remember, life was a never-ending struggle. My mother's relatives, the ones who raised me, treated me like I was worthless. They reminded me every day that I was a burden, a reminder of my parents' untimely death."
He paused, taking a deep breath to steady himself, his hands clenched into fists. "I endured years of neglect and abuse," he admitted, his voice quivering. "They took away my self-esteem, my hope, and my belief in myself. I felt like garbage in my own home, and the pain was unbearable."
"One day, I couldn't take it anymore," he confessed, his voice breaking. "I ran away from that house of torment and found refuge in an orphanage. It was the only place I felt safe, even though it was far from perfect."
Tears finally spilled from Li Chen's eyes, and he wiped them away with the back of his hand. "I thought my life would change at the orphanage, but I carried the scars of my past with me," he said, his voice filled with a mixture of sadness and determination. "I never thought I'd escape the pain and humiliation that plagued my childhood."
As Li Chen shared his painful history with the God of War, he felt a strange sense of relief wash over him. It was as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and he knew that he was no longer alone in his struggle. Besides Old Madam Gu, he had never shared the story of his life with anyone else and now he was sharing it with a 2 thousand year old soul that occupied his body.
"So you have been nothing and no one from the day your parents died?" God of War asked with his tone changing slightly. As a God of War in an era that only knew bloodshed, he had never experienced love and he felt somehow connected to his host.
"Yes! And that is the story of my sad life… It got better a little when I met Old Madam Gu but after her death…" Li Chen paused and closed his eyes.
"So how in the hell did you become a live-in son-in-law? You know in my era this was the biggest disgrace to a man"
"That hasn't changed even after two thousand years… it is still a disgrace…" Li Chen took a deep breath before telling God of War of how he met Old Madam Gu to a point where he married into the Gu family.
"You are still a disgrace" God of War said with a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"I know, stop reminding me about it… Now tell me about you… Almighty God of War… What is your name for starters"
"I was born into an era of relentless bloodshed," he started, his voice distant as he recalled a time long gone. "My father was a brilliant war strategist, and my mother, a compassionate doctor. You see, my mother's choice to practice medicine was quite unusual back then, especially for a woman. Many protested, but they couldn't deny her skills, and they respected her for her family's reputation."
"My given name was Yang Rui," he continued. "I grew up witnessing the horrors of war from a young age. At fifteen, I took up arms and ventured onto the battlefield. Despite my youth, I quickly gained the respect of my comrades for my strategic mind and my unwavering determination."
As he spoke, the God of War's voice grew intense, reflecting the fire that had burned within him during those turbulent years. "By the time I was twenty," he continued, "I had earned the title of God of War. It was a name bestowed upon me by those who had seen me lead countless battles to victory."
"My father," he said, his voice tinged with regret, "he trained me relentlessly. He had lost his right leg in battle and had been unable to fulfill his own dreams. He saw in me the opportunity to achieve what he never could."
"Ever since then, I preferred being called God of War."
"You haven't gotten to the part of your unresolved issues and how you died," Li Chen said.
"Well… My years of power obviously brought me thousands of enemies."
"I already figured that out… How did you die?"
"Obviously my enemies killed me"
"But why are you here then?"
"You see during my years of being feared and respected, I travelled a lot. And I met someone… A woman"
"You fell in love?" Li Chen was astonished because he couldn't imagine it.
"Love.. Hell no. What do you take me for?"
"Can you get to the point already"
"You see when you are powerful women throw themselves at you.. Obviously something that you wouldn't understand."
Li Chen coughed slightly in embarrassment.
"I met a woman and we did the thing but when I didn't want to marry her, she cast a spell at me."
"A spell!?" Li Chen couldn't contain his shock and he said the words directly with his mouth.
"You don't have to talk to me like that, I am in your head"
"I know… But can you explain the spell part?"
"You will know once our memories merge, for now that is all I can share"
"Fine… So what now?"
"I don't know either, I still have to figure out how to coexist with your soul while you do the same. But your body is too weak, that I can not accept. We will start training soon"
"Training… What type of training?"
"In my time, we had swords and martial arts, not sure if that is how you people fight in this era. But that is what I will be training your body with"
"Well people fight differently these days, and they now use guns instead of swords"
"Guns? What does that do?"
"You can kill someone who is metres away from you with it"
"That is cowardly. You are supposed to face a man head on"
Li Chen chuckled and said, "You still have a lot to learn in this era"
"Tell me about it" God of War's voice now carried a hint of excitement. He wanted to know about the era and Li Chen wasted no time and dived straight into it.
"Imagine," he began, "a small device called a cellphone. It's a magical gadget that fits in the palm of your hand. With it, you can talk to someone on the other side of the world as if they were right next to you. You can send messages, pictures, and even video calls. It's like having a piece of the future in your pocket."
He went on, "And then there are computers. These machines can perform complex calculations and store vast amounts of information. They're used for work, entertainment, and even for connecting with people from all over the globe. You can learn, create, and explore the world without ever leaving your room."
Li Chen's voice carried excitement as he described other technological wonders. "We have television," he said, "a box that brings moving images and sounds into your home. It's a window to the world, showing news, stories, and even live events as they happen. People watch it for entertainment and to stay informed."
His voice took on a more serious tone as he broached the topic of wealth and opportunity. "In this era," he explained, "people can use these technologies to become rich. There's something called the stock market, where you can buy and sell shares of companies. If you make the right decisions, you can make a lot of money."
Li Chen's attempt to describe the intricacies of the stock market to the God of War was met with a mixture of curiosity and bewilderment. He knew that explaining the complexities of modern finance would be a challenge, but he was determined to share as much as he could about the world.
With each revelation about the 21st century, Li Chen hoped to open a window for the God of War, showing him a world of endless possibilities and the boundless potential of human innovation and progress.
"Oh and we also travel in cars"
"What are those?"
"A simple thing that is in the shape of a large box, has wheels but doesn't need horses to move."
"How does it move then without horses?" God of War asked in confusion.
"You will know in due time. It would take me the whole day and night to explain the science behind it"
"Science? What is that"
"You see! I told you you wouldn't understand"
Li Chen spent hours having a conversation with the soul that now resided in his body and he felt like he had found a friend. Someone he could just talk to anytime. Someone who had no choice but to listen to him.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE:
If you have read till this far, thank you very much and I hope you are enjoying the story so far.
Just wanted to make you guys note this so you won't be confused.
Li Chen and God of War's conversation are written in a different font (italic) that is to make sure that you can tell the difference.
Just like how these two sentences are written.
If you are wondering about the memories part... I am sorry but you will have to continue reading but that time will come eventually.
Once again... Thank you the support!