"Alive?! You must be joking!" someone exclaimed.

I looked with surprise at the crowd surrounding me, dressed in some pseudo-historical Asian outfits. The faces of men and women expressed genuine shock and disbelief. Some of them didn't even try to hide their anger. I wonder where I ended up? The last thing I remember is the alarm signal wailing in the virt-capsule and excruciating pain. And this palace - it clearly doesn't look like a hospital or a game simulation.

"My lord, perhaps it would be more merciful to finish him off," an old man with thin mustaches suddenly bowed before the man on the throne. The latter cast an appraising glance at me. A herd of goosebumps ran down my spine, and I finally realized that I had been lying on the floor all this time.

"It would be more merciful to send you into retirement," slipped out of my mouth. It was hard to stand up. Standing straight was even harder, but some inner feeling literally screamed - if I show weakness, they'll kill me immediately.

"Kai Shen," the man on the throne looked me straight in the eyes. "I see your insolence remains with you. Curious."

"This is impossible! Only one in a thousand can survive after the destruction of Qi cultivation, and to preserve the mind as well - it's simply unthinkable!" suddenly stepped forward an old man with hair white as the moon. "Clan Leader Kao Shen, this scoundrel is known for his malicious nature and has surely used some trick!"

"Father, kill him!" a boy of about sixteen couldn't hold back. "He stole the technique of the clan elders!"

"And go against the will of Heaven?" he looked at the boy as if he were an idiot. "No, the punishment has been carried out. Kai Shen has lost his cultivation and all his techniques. From this day on, he is forbidden access to the clan library until he atones for his sins. That is enough."

"Atone?! How can that be?!" someone shouted, but Kao Shen paid no attention to it. He waved his hand imperiously, and I was surrounded by two servants. For a second, it seemed to me that my eyes were seeing double from the pain, and then I realized. The guys were twins.

"My lord, you should leave," one of them whispered.

I didn't argue. It was already difficult for me to just stand, and with each second, my condition was only getting worse. The world before my eyes narrowed to a single point. I managed to leave the hall on my own, but as soon as the door slammed shut behind me, my strength finally left me. The world dimmed, and I felt strong arms catching my senseless body and carrying me somewhere.

I woke up completely broken from a ray of sunlight shining directly into my eye. Next to the huge bed sat a pair of yesterday's servants in the lotus position.

"My lord," one of them nodded to me as soon as I stirred. "I'm glad you've awakened."

"How long was I asleep?"

"Three days," he answered. "Your father asked to inform you that you will be sent to the Frosty Ridge sect in two weeks."

"Why?"

"To join it," he said as if it was something obvious. "Such is the order of the clan leader."

"Well, if it's the leader's order," I agreed compliantly.

Meanwhile, complete confusion was brewing in my head. And the reason for it all was the mirror I noticed, or rather - the reflection in it. A young boy of about fourteen with a mane of black hair was looking at me from it. And what was most surprising - that boy was me. I took this fact somewhat too phlegmatically. Big deal - reborn. But what happened next made me suddenly jump out of bed.

[Unpacking archive completed.]

[Augmented reality system installed.]

[Interface adjustment completed.]

Wait, am I still in a game? But how is that possible? For the next five minutes, I tried to call up the menu, tried to apply all the emergency exit methods I could remember. The results - my guard-servants started to look at me strangely.

Well, I should acknowledge the obvious. I'm not in a game. Alas, with all the development of the entertainment industry, this level of immersion in virtual reality is still very, very far away. I decided not to postpone the inevitable and opened the interface. There I was greeted by a small table, designed in a minimalist style.

[Name: Kai Shen]

[Qi Reserve: 0]

[Rank: Mortal]

[Techniques: None]

[Talents:

Blood of the Shen Clan - fire techniques are 50% stronger. Special interactions with fire are available.

Tempering by Flame - your body and spirit have been tempered by the fire element. All your physical characteristics are significantly increased. Worldly filth cannot defile the flame spirit.]

Qi? Seems like something from a quasi-Chinese setting. I'm not too familiar with such things. I think there's also something related to Heaven, flying jade swords, and pills of all sorts and kinds.

"And what will I be doing in that sect?" I asked, having calmed down.

"Cultivating, of course. Perhaps you didn't understand this, my lord, but by some miracle, your spirit root not only didn't burn from the anger of the elders but even became a bit stronger. Although you've lost all techniques and even memories of them, your ability to develop has only strengthened," he answered, for some reason giving me a low bow. "Besides, the leader ordered us to follow you for these two weeks to avoid... Incidents."

"Incidents? So that my relatives don't kill me, right?" I grinned, remembering the crowd. Although I didn't remember any of them, their facial expressions spoke for themselves. And some even spoke out loud, not shy at all.

"Your perceptiveness is astounding," he either mocked or praised me.

"What are your names anyway," I sighed. A strange feeling of excitement was rising inside. Why is that?

"You don't remember?" the second one asked with surprise. These two looked at each other and nodded.

"You can call me Cho, and my brother Sho, my lord. The leader warned that your memory might be... fragmented. After all, they burned out all your memories related to cultivation, and that's a huge part of your life."

"Speak plainly, the leader said that I might be a vegetable remembering a couple of phrases."

"Crude. But fair. We are glad that his assumption turned out to be not quite accurate," he bowed again. Not quite accurate? This guy is definitely mocking me.

"And this cultivation of yours, what is it anyway?"

"I think it will be easier to show than to tell," they looked at each other.

The next moment, a fireball appeared next to Cho. One. Two. I lost count at ten, and they kept coming. Moreover, at some point, they started circling around the room, and this sorcerer kept creating new balls, risking starting a fire. The temperature in the room was rapidly rising, and at some point, my consciousness was cut by a strange feeling. As if besides the fire, there was something else in the room, but the feeling disappeared as soon as the fireballs vanished.

"And you can also do this," Sho grinned, and two fire ribbons flew from his hands, immediately turning into huge Asian dragons. The monsters didn't even think about disappearing, circling under the high ceiling, and again I seemed to feel a strange power in these fiery creatures. Could this be Qi?

At some point, Sho got tired of entertaining me, and the dragons scattered into sparks, which immediately absorbed into the sorcerer's body.

And to be honest, I was surprised. There wasn't a hint of fatigue on the guys' faces, and the ease with which they did all this was amazing. And something told me - they were far from unique. There were probably hundreds of such sorcerers walking around the palace. Hell, I used to be among them myself.

"And what do you, as my guards, advise me?" I asked, already guessing what they would answer.

"To stay in your chambers," Cho replied. As expected.

I didn't respond. After all, he's right. Instead, I automatically opened a small door, behind which I found a wardrobe, and started dressing. I did it quickly and skillfully, apparently muscle memory kicking in. And then, making sure I looked decent, I went to the exit of the chambers.

"My lord?" Sho asked perplexedly.

"I want to take a walk," I replied.

Perhaps I was acting like an idiot, but some inner feeling told me that I couldn't hide. I had to show everyone that I was alive and not afraid of anyone. Otherwise, I might not live to see the departure to this unclear Frosty Ridge.

"Don't go far," he said gloomily.

Contrary to fears, no one attacked me as soon as I left the room. Rather the opposite, all the people I met bowed respectfully and gave way. And I pretended not to hear the curses sent behind my back. Yeah, they loved me here, what can I say.