Chapter Three: Revealing the Truth

As the dense fog dissipated, the neighborhood was once again filled with laughter, as though nothing had ever happened.

Hai Shi lay quietly on the bed, her body now nearly transparent, the edges blurred and indistinct.

Shen Lou tried to grasp Hai Shi’s hand, but his own hand passed straight through her body. Carefully, gently, he encircled her hand once more, as if it were still solid.

His face was suffused with memories as he began, “When we were children, he was always like this, never letting go of my hand no matter where we went—even when bruised and battered, he held on. But later, we both let go for a moment, and after that, we could never grasp each other’s hands again.”

Shen Lou turned and glanced at Obsidian, continuing, “I can sense Hai Shi’s presence in you. You must have dreamed of him by now. Since that’s the case, I’ll tell you everything.”

The Shen clan, a small tribe, managed to find its place among the Five Realms because of a unique technique passed down through generations. The first chief of the Shen clan had created the Nightmare Body himself.

Upon realizing the power of the Nightmare Body, he instructed the clan to follow his example, arranging the tribe into a formation to act as a medium for transmission to future generations.

Within the Shen clan, there was an unwritten rule. All the elders knew: to be an ordinary person among the Shen was a carefree existence. Wherever you went, the tribe would shelter you.

But if you were the young master, destined to be the next chief, it was as if you had committed countless sins in a previous life and were now paying the price.

The chief could never leave the tribe, not even a single step. His quarters sat at the heart of the formation, and he would spend his entire life as a living sacrifice to the formation. Even in death, his soul would be bound by chains, never to find release.

In the tribe, the chief’s lineage was always passed down to a single heir. Perhaps this was fate.

Hai Shi was the current young master of the Shen clan. Shen Lou, in fact, was adopted from a collateral line, intended to offer Hai Shi an escape: if Hai Shi refused the chief’s mantle, Shen Lou would take his place.

Unexpectedly, the two children who grew up together developed feelings they should not have. Shocked yet understanding their temperaments, Hai Shi’s father decided to influence Shen Lou.

Thus, there was that day when Shen Lou inadvertently witnessed the chief and the elders’ private discussion.

That day, Hai Shi was punished for skipping lessons, and Shen Lou wanted to plead with the chief on his behalf.

“Are you really going to do this?” Elder Gao stroked his beard, frowning.

The chief sighed deeply, “There’s no choice. As the young master, he’s been privileged since birth. This is his duty.”

“But he’s only fifteen!” Elder Yan exclaimed in disbelief.

The chief scoffed, “Fifteen? When I was fifteen, I was already on the battlefield, handling the clan’s affairs. He’s had enough pleasure.”

“But can you bear to imprison him in the tribe for life, make him a living sacrifice, never to be reborn? He’s your own son!” Elder Yan broke down.

“Since my ancestor created this tribe, this has been our fate, inescapable. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have left me—she simply couldn’t accept the fact that, in the end, she’d lose me.”

The person outside the door, upon hearing this, fled in panic.

Inside, the listeners sighed.

“Ah, is this really right? He’s just a child!” Elder Gao said in defeat.

“There’s no way around it. Hai Shi must be protected, but the Shen clan needs a leader. I can think of no better solution, so the child must bear this burden.” The chief spoke helplessly, closing his eyes as he pondered the situation, searching for alternatives. When he opened them, his expression was resolute; there truly was no other way.

Stumbling through what he had witnessed, Shen Lou ran back to his room, his mind in turmoil. Hai Shi, who always longed for the outside world—had he never really had a choice?

“Hey, why are you just getting back?” Hai Shi suddenly appeared, lighting the candle in the room and wrapping Shen Lou in a hug, rubbing his cold hands. “You didn’t even wear a coat; look how cold your hands are.”

Shen Lou allowed Hai Shi to pull him to the bed, unresponsive even as Hai Shi pinched his cheeks. Hai Shi laughed, “What’s wrong? I told you not to go, but you insisted. Did the old man scold you?”

Hai Shi wore a mischievous expression, but Shen Lou had no time for anger. He simply asked, “Do you want to see the outside world?”

Hai Shi froze, then nodded, instinctively tightening his hold on Shen Lou’s hand. “Of course. It’s my lifelong wish!”

“If you had to stay in the tribe all your life, would you be willing?”

“No, no, absolutely not. I couldn’t do it, not ever.”

Shen Lou’s lips curled slightly. Seeing Hai Shi’s pained expression, his own bitterness eased a little.

Hai Shi sensed there was something different about Shen Lou this day, but couldn’t place it. He tried to distract him with other matters, grinning foolishly, “Lou, can I kiss you?”

That smile and those words, the very picture of a rascal, made Shen Lou laugh and cry at once. He couldn’t help but want to tease this fool.

Shen Lou reached out, wrapping his arms around Hai Shi’s neck. “Fool, close your eyes. Today I’ll teach you something new—open your mouth…”

The room was warm and gentle; Shen Lou savored the comfort, letting himself sink into it. If only he could bully this fool for a lifetime—surely, that was all he ever wished for.

In the chief’s chamber.

The chief was copying a couplet, while Shen Lou waited quietly for him to finish the last stroke.

“I heard everything you said that day. Chief, you did it on purpose, didn’t you?” Clever as he was, upon calming down, Shen Lou saw through the coincidences—too many holes. He never believed in luck. Both his parents were gone, and the kindly chief took him in with no expectation of repayment. He realized he was just a substitute.

But fate is fickle; the substitute fell for the original, and Shen Lou’s heart turned icy cold.

The chief paused, then set down his brush calmly, unfazed by being exposed. “There’s no choice. Your fate is closest to Hai Shi’s among the clan. I couldn’t find anyone else suitable.”

“Is that so?” Shen Lou sneered.

The chief was unconcerned. “So, what do you think?”

Shen Lou answered in a low voice, “When Hai Shi comes of age, I’ll give you my answer. After all, I can’t sacrifice so much for someone unrelated to me.”

Unrelated? The chief did not dispute it. He proposed, “How about this—let’s make a bet. When Hai Shi comes of age, I’ll let him leave. If he chooses to stay, I’ll find another solution. If he leaves, you’ll stay and let me arrange everything.”

Shen Lou was startled, raising his head abruptly. After a moment, he replied, “Alright.”

On the day Hai Shi came of age, Shen Lou sent him off with a smile, waving until Hai Shi’s figure vanished from sight.

Outside the city gates, the sands stretched endlessly, the sea vast, the sky high. He wished his fool could soar free, never bound by these shackles.

And in the next life, may his fool be born into an ordinary family, love a simple person, and live a happy, peaceful life.

As for Shen Lou himself—he was destined never to have a next life.