During the final moments of his life, something unexpected happened; time seemed to have stopped.
"Do you want another chance with a different family? I have a deal for you," Long Tian heard a mechanical voice in his head, which made him unable to determine the gender of the speaker. While he could only hear a plain, cold voice, his mind calmed down unnaturally, and he was able to think clearly.
'Everything about this seems shady!' Long Tian thought in his mind before replying.
"I want to....."
...
Time seemed to start turning again as every being in existence resumed their actions. Except for extremely powerful beings, no one even knew that something happened.
The boy did not respond to the voice echoing in his mind as his consciousness drifted off while his body became still and fell back on the bed. In his mind, only a few words left:
'Mother, I am sorry! I couldn't be a good son.'
[ Inside Soaring Heaven Sect ]
"What happened Ruo'er, why are you crying suddenly? Did something happen?" The old man who was standing beside a petite girl holding a sword asked with a voice full of concern as he hugged his granddaughter.
"Crying?" The beautiful girl with sun-kissed skin asked in a puzzled tone. Hearing the old man's question, she seemed to feel something on her face and she moved her hand to touch her wet cheeks. Suddenly, tears started dripping like a broken dam, and a flood of negative emotions filled her heart, causing her to cry out loud.
"Ah, Hick* grandpa, I suddenly feel bad, brother Tian. I miss him…I feel he is going far away," as her voice sounded lower with each word, it drowned in her sorrow as she lost consciousness.
"What happened to you, kid? This much of a reaction from her is deeply concerning considering her bloodline. Stay safe, kid. If something happens to my little Ruo, nothing will keep you safe from me."
The eyes of the old man turned pitch black without any trace of light or any color within them, and his body also started to get covered in black mist. His sharp words echoed in the room as he placed the girl on her bed.
[ Long Family Mansion ]
Xin Yan was preparing the medicinal bowl for her son. As she picked it up in her hand and moved towards his room, the feeling she had for the past few days suddenly vanished, surprising her. But then it hit her—a sharp pain in her chest as if someone had gouged her heart out.
The bowl in her hand dropped as she rushed to her son's room. She opened the door of the room and saw her son was awake and he was sitting up on the bed.
"Long Tian!"
She walked to his side and hugged him tight as tears dripped down her.
"Tian, are you alright? Do you feel any pain?"
—- X Back to The Present X —-
Noah looked at the woman in front of him who looked like her whole world collapsed, the look pained his heart. Her eyes seemed to lose their light when she heard the next sentence.
"Because of the poison, he died on this bed and I took over his body. I don't know how it happened."
After telling her everything, Noah waited for her to process the information and react to it.
...
[ Primal Dawn City ]
The city was filled with excitement and gossip, all centered around the recent selection ceremony held at the bustling city hall. The news spread like wildfire the second everyone went back.
Only a selected few people were selected from a common background while the rest were from the clans.
Amidst the discussions, one particular story stood out prominently—the tale of the young boy who had displayed remarkable courage by standing up for his mother.
His act of bravery earned the respect of some people while there were those who considered his actions foolish.
They knew that going against a sect was not something a commoner should be thinking of doing. According to them, the boy brought doom upon the family.
Along with this conversation, a rumor also began to circulate, catching everyone's interest.
"Did you hear that Young Miss of the Xiao Clan cheated on her fiance?"
"Which girl?!!!" Someone asked in shock as if not believing the news. It was indeed difficult for some people considering how good her reputation among the people was, but the evidence was irrefutable.
"The Xiao family's young miss!! She was engaged to the heir of the Long family, right? Well, now there's a rumor going around that she's suspected of having an affair with the son of the sect master,"
"Lower your voice! Are you trying to get yourself killed? Don't speak so recklessly out in the open. There are too many prying eyes around. And do you really think the Xiao family would let anyone defame them openly like this?"
A man sitting beside him on the table stopped him from speaking any further, attempting to make his companion realize the potential consequences of his words. He was worried about his own safety, thinking he might get killed as they were sitting at the same table.
"Who do they think they are? I'm merely sharing what I overheard during the ceremony. Did you notice how pale that girl's face turned when the sect master's son referred to her as his future wife? Even the elders of the sect remained silent, offering no clarification. I feel sorry for the boy from the Long family. He might not be the most skilled cultivator, but I remember him as a well-mannered kid. I saw him playing with a dark-skinned little girl when they were children,"
Ignoring the warning, the man continued to speak out loud, showing how fearless he was.
"Let's go, this drunkard wants to die, and he will take us along with him."
Hearing those words, people started to leave the shop in a hurry.
Some people around him who stayed continued to quietly enjoy their meals while discreetly listening to his words.
The man went on sharing his thoughts about the ceremony as he kept on drinking, unaware that a cloaked figure was passing nearby.
The curves of the figure hidden under the cloak suggested it was a female. She turned to the guard who followed behind her in the shadows and spoke with a cold tone:
"Make him disappear. Since he shows no fear in speaking against me, he must face the consequences."
With those words, the figure entered an alleyway. The guard bowed and discreetly arranged for someone to monitor the man, all while continuing to protect the cloaked figure.