Wei Jin strode through the darkened streets, his stern face betraying no hint of the storm raging within.
His robes fluttered in the cold wind, but he barely noticed.
The distant hum of the banquet hall faded with each hurried step he took, but the pain in his chest grew heavier, sharper, threatening to break him.
He loved Ru Shaonian. He loved her so deeply that even her indifference had not dulled his devotion.
For years, he had been content to bask in the shadow of her brilliance, convincing himself that her quiet respect was enough.
He had dreamed of a life where she would one day see him, truly see him, and find in him a love equal to his own.
But dreams were fragile things, easily shattered.
Wei Jin clenched his fists as he quickened his pace.
The soul within felt like it was being crushed slowly.
However, he is fine.
He already got rid of her.
So it's fine.
Even if it's a one sided divorce, Wei Jin knew that Ru Shaonian probably knows that he is serious.
However, there was this feeling that's still inside him.
What is this?
Suddenly, an unknown translucent screen would appear in front of him.
Ding!
The host is bound by fate, the host will always have a special feeling for the character named Ru Shaonian!
Wei Jin stared at the screen. He was familiar with this; somehow, he had seen it earlier, but his mind was currently too messy to grasp what it meant. Especially because of the message inside!
Is he bound?
To Ru Shaonian?
Is that why he feels this way?
Lost without her?
Suddenly, he felt weird; his soul seemed stirred, and he could feel something familiar—its presence faint but persistent.
His cultivation energy surged instinctively, trapping the familiar foreign entity in a cage of light.
Wei Jin came to a halt in an empty alley, his stern expression hardening.
"So, you're still here," Wei Jin said, his voice low and dangerous. He tightened his grip on the spiritual cage. The soul trembled under his pressure, its shape flickering like a dying flame.
"Wait! Don't kill me! Don't kill me!" the soul cried, its voice panicked.
Wei Jin's eyes blazed with fury. "Why shouldn't I?" he demanded, with his tone sounding like thunder.
"You invaded my body! You brought me this... this curse of knowledge! My life was peaceful before you. My heart was complete. Now look at me!" His voice cracked, and he felt the tears threatening to spill.
The soul quivered, its voice rising in desperation. "Because we are the same! You saw it, didn't you? When you devoured them… Bruh, my memories! My pain! My wife—she used me, made me a fool! Just like yours is making you a fool!"
Wei Jin staggered back as if struck. His spiritual cage flickered, and the soul pushed against its confines.
"Don't deny it," the soul pressed. "You saw everything. My wife, my life... my death! And now, look at you! You're nothing but a pawn in someone else's story, just like I was!"
Wei Jin's legs gave out, and he slumped against the cold wall of the alley.
Why is he so affected so much?
He shouldn't think of this!
Soon, he would remember the message.
Is that really it?
So divorcing is not enough?
Should he trust this old man?
His trembling hands covered his face as the memories came rushing back.
The old man's life had been ordinary but content.
They have the same name, Wei Jin.
On Earth, this other Wei Jin had been a loyal husband, a dependable provider.
For forty-three years, he had loved his wife, cherished her, and trusted her.
He had believed their life was one of quiet happiness—until his deathbed, when she confessed the truth. She had chosen him not out of love, but because he was safe. Reliable.
A man who would never stray, never challenge her ambitions.
He could even feel the pain the old soul Earthling Wei Jinwas feeling when his wife said that she has been faithful, and she never cheated. But she never loved him.
The betrayal had crushed him. And in his final moments, desperate and bitter, the old man's soul had clung to Wei Jin, the cultivator, and tried to seize his body.
But it wasn't just the old man's memories that had haunted Wei Jin.
It was the revelation that came with them. His life in this world—his role as Ru Shaonian's husband—was a cruel mirror of the old man's fate.
Wei Jin wasn't meant to be the hero of his story. He was nothing more than a stepping stone, a placeholder husband chosen not out of love but because he was safe, stable, and loyal.
His death was written in the stars—a necessary tragedy to pave the way for Ru Shaonian's reunion with her true love.
A sob escaped his lips, and he clutched his chest as if to stop the pain from tearing him apart. "Why?" he whispered, his voice barely audible. "Why did you show me this? Why did you ruin me?"
The soul trembled, its voice softening. "I didn't ruin you," it said. "I gave you the truth. Isn't it better to know than to live a lie?"
Wei Jin let out a bitter laugh. "Better? You think this is better? I would have given anything to remain ignorant. To live in blissful delusion, believing she loved me. Believing my life had meaning. Plus, even if I know, I cannot escape!"
He looked up at the night sky, his eyes hollow. The stars seemed so far away, so unattainable, much like the love he had always sought from Ru Shaonian.
"Fuck, why did I say those? Fate really bound my heart to her? What am I supposed to do now?" he muttered, more to himself than to the soul. "I've let her go. I've cut myself loose from her. But… what now? How do I get rid of her completely with fate binding me as a part of the story?"
The soul was silent for a moment before it spoke again, its voice tinged with sorrow. "I do have the answers but I'm not sure if you'll believe me," it admitted. "I was lost too. And I haven't tried it yet, that's why I wanna try it!"
Wei Jin scoffed, shaking his head. "What for? Rewrite my fate? My fate is to die forgotten, a minor character in someone else's story. How can I rewrite that? How? I am already bound in my fate!"
The soul hesitated. Obviously, he didn't have any idea what Wei Jin was talking about. "By choosing your own story," it said finally. "Don't let their script dictate your life. You've already taken the first step by divorcing her. Now, take the next. Find your own path. Your own purpose."
Wei Jin stared at the ground, his mind swirling with doubt and despair. But somewhere, deep within him, a tiny spark flickered.
It was faint, fragile, but it was there.
Slowly, he stood, his legs unsteady. He released the spiritual cage, letting the soul dissipate into the night. He didn't have the strength to destroy it, nor the will to carry it with him any longer.
"You are bullshiting me, go and perish on your own," he said, his voice hoarse.