NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 3: Feng Rui
Feng Rui jumped to his feet and carefully assessed his surroundings, ready to fight at any moment.
He was accustomed to this feeling of always being on high alert, always in survival mode. And he loved the feeling, it was like he was actually alive and well.
Just like when he used to play the game, every time he logs in, he can never guarantee that there won't be a zombie or traitor nearby after reaching an advanced level.
However, this time, his condition was at its worst, his body felt like it was made of rocks, his heart was aching, and he was dizzy. He had a hard time breathing and focusing his sight.
Currently, he was in a room, so he moved anything he could find to block the door and the window, before finally giving in to the headache that threatened to split his skull.
He crouched down, clutching his head. He had never felt this much pain in the game, it felt like his brain was melting, and his body was stabbed by thousands of needles
Thousands of memories and actions fused with his spirit, forcing him to become someone else, acquiring new muscle memory.
An illegitimate son of the general.
He was fortunate to have the Physique of Eternal Wind, which granted him the General's name and entry into the Han family, but his mother wasn't so lucky. Without a noble bloodline, a prestigious family, or a healthy womb to offer, the General never gave her a second look.
Soon, they told him she died of an illness, but the original Feng Rui knew that it was highly likely his father's wife or one of his concubines was behind her death.
But what could a weak child do? He swore to train until he became the best. In this world, only the strong had the right to speak — and that's exactly what he would do.
Unfortunately, after a sparring match, his younger brother "accidentally" destroyed his cultivation, reducing him to a useless being in the eyes of everyone. On the surface, he apologized, and his "mother" sent him "legendary medicines" to help him, but from a more experienced perspective, they were just diluted elixirs with fancy packaging.
It was all on purpose.
And despite the servants addressing him as "Young Master Feng," everyone wondered why they hadn't expelled him when the General realized he couldn't cultivate… In the end, his rank in the household was the lowest, and several times, he was intimidated by stronger family members.
Moreover, for better or worse, this world differed from the one he knew in the game. According to his memories, there were no zombies, no demons, and although cultivators lived a long time, they weren't immortal… The cultivation levels also seemed different… The divine energy to cultivate was very… weak and impure. Additionally, elemental beings and even dragons were almost extinct… So, was he still in the game? Was this a new version? Or was it simply all a product of his imagination, and—
Ow!
Feng Rui groaned after pinching himself.
He was definitely not dreaming unless his brain was simulating the pain as a reaction to his actions and… damn. Feng Rui was really losing his mind this time.
Originally, the helmet was part of a 100% immersive game that operated entirely within the individual's mind. It allowed them to live in another world without moving a muscle, but with clear time limitations to prevent illness or harm to basic physiological needs.
But his brain had suffered several malfunctions, as he knew.
So it wouldn't be surprising if he was living in an illusion created by his mind during the last moments before his death.
"Ugh, I don't know."
"Young Master Feng!" Just in time, a servant knocked on his door.
"Should we open it or not?"
He didn't dare hurry, although the pain had subsided, he still felt weak.
"Young Master Feng?"
As he tried to get up, the pain shot through his body, even worse.
A familiar energy seemed to burn his soul.
It was unbearable.
"Young Master Feng?!" The servant realized and attempted to open the door, only to discover with terror that the way was blocked.
"Young Master Feng, I'm coming in, my apologies!" With a single strike, the door was flung open, and everything piled against it crashed to the floor.
Feng Rui staggered and vomited blood before losing consciousness.
The last thing he saw was the servant's smile as he continued shouting.
"A trap?" was his last rational thought before plunging into darkness.
...
Currently, he was on the Shenhua Continent (The Land of Divine Legends), within the Minghua Kingdom (Brilliant Glory), which bordered the Tianyu Empire (Heaven and Universe) to the north and the Yuanling Sacred Land (Primordial Spirit) to the south.
In other words, he had no idea where he was.
And the memories he had… were useless.
He had taken advantage of the fact that he couldn't get out of bed and that his body was in unbearable pain to review, organize, and classify the information from his memories.
First, he was poisoned. He didn't know how, who, or when, but these symptoms were definitely from poisoning. Also, from the pain he'd felt earlier, he might have been about to receive the "blessing of the soul," giving him the chance to form a contracted guardian spirit, which could either be a weapon or a beast… but he had a feeling this was going to be one of those "exceptional cases."
He felt a sense of déjà vu that was difficult to forget.
Ugh.
The problem was that he didn't have the materials, the physique, nor the cultivation to accept the contract.
If it was a strong spirit, which it obviously would be, it would end up killing him during the process.
Would his family give him the necessary supplies? He doubted it.
It was obvious they wanted him dead.
Moreover, since he was three years old and had arrived, he had never left the General's household, and he had even forgotten what the capital city looked like. So, he was isolated, cut off from everyone and everything.
Without a maternal family, without support, without strength, without connections…
He was weak.
And to top it all off…
"Sob.. sob.. my poor grandson, who was it that turned you into this waste?"
An old man with white hair cried, his fierce and terrifying appearance contrasting with his sobs.
And if that wasn't strange enough…
He may not have cultivation, but the chilling sensation this old man radiated, the faint white aura surrounding him, and the energy he emitted were more than enough proof.
He was a ghost.
Why him?
Ghosts fed off people's life force, causing illness, ruin, and misfortune just by existing.
They had to be exorcised before they became demons and brought death to those nearby, or before someone with impure methods gave them a vessel, turning them into a ghoul…
As if the zombies weren't enough…
In any case, it was unheard of unless a soul seal and a ghost-trapping matrix had been installed in the household—an ancient and forbidden technique by the righteous sects in the past.
The original Feng Rui had no idea that his loving, and probably only, family member who truly cared for him was dead.
Ah, why was everything getting so complicated? Was it because he was just an NPC? Was that why they gave him such a ridiculous setup? His greatest fear was ending up as cannon fodder, unable to rely on plot armor since he wasn't the protagonist!
"Aaah, it's my fault for only raising those two good-for-nothings. It's my fault that your father has such a cold, emotionless heart; an ice block would be better than him! I should have listened to your grandmother, sob, sob..."
He didn't move, silently praying in his heart that the ghost would leave... What would happen to him if it found out that his soul had been replaced? Would it possess him as well? Or was he protected as an NPC? No, that was impossible. As an NPC, he would probably have a tragic ending.
However, as if his pleas were heard, the door opened, and two servants entered with an old man with white hair. By the bitter smell of herbs, Feng Rui deduced that either it was poison to finish him off, or medicine to kill him more slowly.
There was no way they were going to save him with that great bloody aura and killing intent directed at him. At least, his new body wasn't that useless and could be sensitive to these life-and-death issues.
Tsk, his condition was advanced, and only a merciful doctor with a legendary silver needle technique could save him.
Without cultivation, he couldn't withstand life-saving elixirs or pills, and he doubted he could get his hands on any treasures considering his current situation…
Though, he could always try to steal one...
Feng Rui frowned, thinking deeply. Maybe he could sneak out and explore the General's mansion, or at least check the rotation of the guards...
"Is Young Master Feng awake?"
He didn't respond.
One of the servants approached to help him uncover his arm so the doctor could check it carefully.
The old man felt his pulse and nodded.
"Three days, at most," he announced.
Da*n.
Three days to die, or to recover? He wasn't naive enough to think it was the latter
Feng Rui gathered all his willpower to keep from moving a muscle, keeping his breathing steady.
"Give him the medicine."
Swallow or spit it out?
One of the servants leaned down and helped him lift his head to swallow the medicine. At that moment, Feng Rui "woke up" and started coughing like crazy.
He knew very well that if he was going to die anyway, he might as well take a little risk.
He sprang up like a spring and dashed toward the window, catching everyone by surprise.
He jumped into the garden and, despite the pain, decided to go all in.
"Grandfather, grandfather!" he called desperately.
In his memories, his grandfather had never let him down. He would disappear when others were present, and the original character never doubted his circumstances, thinking that he was just a shy, antisocial old man. But now, Feng Rui understood everything.
"Little Feng, what are you doing? Come back now and take your medicine!" the old man scolded, appearing out of nowhere.
Feng Rui gritted his teeth to endure the pain and kept running, feeling a crowd of people behind him.
"Grandfather, you don't understand! I'm poisoned! My condition is not simple, ah!"