183 Reincarnation

Bizarre didn’t even begin to describe my situation. And that was saying a lot about me, considering the number of strange, questionable, and outright metaphysical things I’d stumbled into over the years.

At first, there was only darkness, thick and pulsing, like being wrapped in velvet soaked in ink. Then came pain. Sharp, visceral pain. My entire skull felt like it was being forced through the neck of a wine bottle. Pressure squeezed me from all sides, demanding I move, exit, be born.

And then came the light.

Blinding at first, sterile and harsh, it pierced my eyelids like needles. Slowly, shapes took form. A middle-aged woman with rolled-up sleeves and steady hands carried me like a parcel she had just signed for. Her mouth moved, but all I heard was a dull ringing. I wanted to speak, to ask what was going on, but the only thing that left my lips was a horrid, squalling wail.

“WAAAAAH!”

The cry burst out of me with such raw intensity that I might have scared myself, had I been capable of anything beyond flailing my stubby limbs and howling. There was no controlling it. It was pure instinct, as though my very soul demanded the world know I had arrived.

I was nothing, but miserable and confused.

“He’s beautiful,” the woman said to someone just out of my vision.

A man’s voice, warm but uncertain, answered, “A boy.”

Then another voice, calm and professional, probably the midwife, asked, “What shall be the boy’s name?”

That question snapped my attention into focus. Summoning every bit of strength in my floppy newborn neck, I looked downward. The awkward maneuver took more effort than any martial technique I knew.

Sure enough, there it was, dangling freely.

A willy.

So, a boy, huh?

Thank you for not screwing with me, fate.

I stared at willy for a moment, curious and mildly amused. I tried to twitch it just to confirm I still had dominion over my body, but even my most basic motor functions seemed offline. My arms felt like overcooked noodles. From turning and shifting to blinking with purpose, everything required immense concentration.

“Da Wei,” the mother murmured, breathless. “Let’s name him Da Wei.”

The father repeated, voice firmer this time, “His name will be Da Wei.”

That stopped me cold. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Of all the names in the world, they picked Da Wei.

It wasn’t the name I’d been born with in my previous life, but it was the name I had used most recently. The odds of it being chosen at random were laughable.

I tried to laugh, but instead, ore crying came out.

"WAAAAAH!"

So this was reincarnation?

Possession didn’t seem likely. I definitely wasn’t piggybacking inside someone else’s head or soul, so reincarnation made the most sense. Then again, if I was Da Wei again, reborn with my memories intact, didn’t that make me a transmigrator too?

Reincarnated? Check.

Transmigrated? Apparently.

Possibly possessed someone at some point? Maybe.

My memory was a little fuzzy on that one.

Fate was clearly having a field day with me.

I tried taking a deep breath. Or at least attempted to through my tiny nostrils.

Slowly, I closed my eyes and focused inward. I searched for the massive wellspring of mana, the divine warmth of my Paladin Legacy. Once, I had wielded mystical power with a thought and summoned holy light with a whisper. Maybe some fragment of that strength remained. At the very least, I wanted to sense the power of this new world.

But there was nothing.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Shit, I got nerfed.

It was empty and hollow, like reaching into a familiar drawer and finding it bare. My Divine Sense didn’t respond, nor could I feel the comforting pulse of ambient power in the air. My Paladin Legacy was also gone, spent exactly as I had suspected in those final fading moments. I wasn’t starting at level one.

Instead, I was starting at zero.

A shadow fell across my face, and I looked up. Mother was weeping softly now. It was not from sorrow but something far more primal. Joy, perhaps. Relief. She pressed me gently against her chest and, without waiting for my permission, guided me to nurse. There was a brief flash of mortification, but I buried it quickly. This was normal. I was hungry. I needed milk. No point being dramatic about it.

Then her arms suddenly trembled.

She clutched me tighter, and a sharp cry escaped her lips.

“There’s... there’s a second coming!”

Wait... what?

Without warning, my father plucked me from her arms, panic flashing across his face.

“What do you mean, another? What’s happening?”

The midwife was already springing into action.

The room swayed as my father cradled me against his chest. Behind him, chaos unfolded. My mother groaned, then screamed as she braced herself once more.

The midwife’s voice rang out moments later.

“It’s a girl! There are twins!”

I blinked slowly, watching from the crook of my father’s arm with detached bewilderment. I had been reborn. That alone was unbelievable. But now I had a sister? Who? What?

“What shall be the girl’s name?” the midwife asked as she cradled the swaddled newborn.

“Da Ji,” my father replied without hesitation.

Mother, still catching her breath, gave a small nod.

“Da Ji,” she echoed softly. “It’s a good name.”

And just like that, our family of four was complete.

Time moved quickly after that, as it always does when viewed through the limited perspective of a child.

In the blink of an eye or perhaps a thousand blinks, four years passed since I entered this strange new world, wailing like a banshee and struggling to understand my rebirth.

During that time, I learned far more than anyone expected of a toddler, though I took care to appear only slightly above average. Drawing too much attention could be dangerous, especially in a place where the unusual was not always welcomed.

Our home was a modest hut on the edge of a sleepy village nestled between forested ridges. The people here lived simple lives as hunters, foragers, and herbalists.

My father, Da Jin, was a skilled tracker and bowman known for returning with game even when others came back empty-handed. My mother, Lin Wei, tended the village’s sick with her knowledge of roots, herbs, and medicinal powders.

Among the villagers, we lived comfortably, because of father's skills. We were not exactly wealthy, but not poor enough to worry tomorrow's food. We had dried meat hanging over the hearth, fresh herbs in the basket every few days, and warm blankets that didn’t smell of mildew.

That was more than many could claim, and I was content with it.

Culturally, this place bore an uncanny resemblance to the Hollowed World from one of my past lives, particularly in its reverence for nature, respect for elders, and belief in omens. However, it lacked the sophistication, technology, and, most importantly, the artifacts of the Grand Ascension Empire.

In the Hollowed World, even commoners might own a lamp powered by low-tier spirit stones or a broom that swept itself. Here, I hadn't seen so much as a talisman with a flicker of energy. If this world possessed cultivation, it was buried deep, hidden from the eyes of ordinary people.

One afternoon, while Mother ground dried lotus petals into powder for a poultice, I decided to risk another round of subtle probing.

“Mom,” I asked, watching the mortar and pestle move through her strong hands, “have you ever heard of the Grand Ascension Empire?”

She glanced at me, her brow furrowing.

“You mean the Empire?”

“A different one,” I clarified, trying to sound as innocently curious as a four-year-old could. “There’s only one Empire, right? It’s called the Grand Ascension Empire?”

The shift in her expression was immediate. Her mouth tightened, and she set the pestle down with a little more force than necessary.

“Be careful what you say, Wei. I know you’re smart, but if you don’t want the Empire to mark you as seditious, you should keep thoughts like that to yourself. You know what seditious means, right?”

I nodded and lowered my eyes.

“Yes, Mom.”

That should have been enough, but curiosity refused to let me rest.

“How about the Martial Alliance? Or the Heavenly Temple? Or the Union?” I paused. “Are there places like that?”

She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she watched me in silence while I helped strip leaves from stalks and drop them into a clay bowl, doing my best to look harmless.

“What’s gotten into you lately, Wei?” she finally asked. “You keep asking about strange things. Immortals, cultivators, qi... and now the Martial Alliance? What even is a Heavenly Temple? What's the Union? You reading dreams now?”

I lowered my shoulders slightly, carefully masking my disappointment. That confirmed it. This world lacked the foundational concepts that had governed my previous reality. Or, if they existed, they were hidden so well that even my practical and knowledgeable mother had never heard of them.

“You’re not going to be a martial artist,” she said, her tone brooking no argument.

“Yes, Mom,” I replied, dragging the words out just enough to sound reluctantly obedient.

Satisfied, she picked up the pestle and resumed grinding.

“Now go find your sister and play. I have work to do.”

I slipped off my seat and headed for the doorway, but her voice stopped me again.

“Little Wei.”

That tone told me a proclamation was coming.

“You’re going to become either a hunter or an herbalist. Do you understand?”

I turned halfway and considered my options. I could nod and comply, or I could push back just enough to stay in character. Summoning every ounce of childish mischief I could muster, I flashed a grin. “I’m going to learn music, do painting, and become an all-around rock and roller in the future!”

Then I bolted.

“What even is a rock and roller? A miner?” asked the confused mother.

Her exasperated sigh chased me out the door as I ran down the packed-earth path laughing.

Da Ji was probably by the creek again, catching frogs or tormenting ants with twigs. I'd find her eventually. Yet even as I played the role of a carefree village child, the questions never stopped swirling in my mind.

If this wasn't the Hollowed World, if there were no sects, no divine cultivators, and no artifacts humming with spirit energy...?

Then what was this world?

And why had I been reborn into it?