Chapter 3

‘Hmm... Suddenly being told to refine my attire... What’s going on?’

After meeting my father at the Sojang Pavilion and greeting him, he left, leaving only the words that I should refine my attire and wait in my quarters. It’s been two hours since I started waiting.

As Jowoo, I could only struggle to stay awake and wait aimlessly.

After about half an hour, footsteps finally approached. Judging by the heavy steps, it must be my father.

Creak-

Jowoon entered, sliding open the door of the quarters. In his hands was a box-like object.

“Father.”

As his son stood up to greet him, Jowoon stopped him.

“Sit down as you are.”

“Yes.”

Jowoon walked silently and knelt opposite his son.

“What’s this all of a sudden? Why are you doing this?”

As Jowoo hastily knelt in response, Jowoon began to speak. His face was filled with solemnity and determination.

“I don’t know when this item was passed down in our family. I suspect it might be the personal item of Master Jomangdeok, but that too is just a guess by our ancestors, and it’s not certain. However, the only thing passed down is the ancestral words that this should be given to the heir of the family who represents the era. And today, I have decided to pass it on to you.”

Jowoon then respectfully placed the box on the floor with both hands.

“You are the one who has raised our family. You are the right person to lead our generation.”

“Ah, Father. Why are you saying such disheartening things? It’s all because of Father...”

Jowoon cut off Jowoo’s words.

“I, Jowoon, the 22nd descendant of the Jo family, hereby declare! My second son, Hui, shall represent the family and receive the Yitian Xueyu (Blood Jade of Righteousness and Heaven)!”

Wait a moment.

This scene seems very familiar.

Of course, there wasn’t such a grand speech, but it’s definitely a scene I experienced once in the Republic of Korea.

My father, dressed in formal attire, knelt opposite me and put a red jade necklace around my neck.

Jowoo glanced at Jowoon, who was solemnly offering the box, and then carefully opened it.

“Ah!”

A red jade as red as blood.

Although it wasn’t in the form of a necklace, it was undoubtedly the red jade I had worn. Since I had never taken it off since my early twenties in the modern era, I couldn’t have mistaken it.

“Always carry it with you until you pass it on to the next generation. This is your duty as the heir who has received the Yitian Xueyu.”

“...”

Jowoo couldn’t believe it.

‘So this Yitian Xueyu is like a family treasure... If this was our family’s heirloom, then... did I come from a distant ancestor’s body?’

At that moment,

-Isn’t it? This aura... This descendant has already gone through the Yitian Jie (Heavenly Tribulation of Righteousness). Isn’t that right, Grandfather?

-It’s definitely the aura of Yitian. With this level of aura, he must already be a Zunzhe (Venerable One), isn’t he?

-Right! He’s a Venerable One! There’s no doubt about it!

-Oh! What a marvel!

-Is this possible? How can a Venerable One actually be reborn in this life? If he went through the Yitian Jie, he should have been trapped in the Blood Jade!

Suddenly, numerous voices came from the Blood Jade, making Jowoo jump.

“Ah, Mother!”

Jowoon looked at him with a puzzled face.

“Why are you doing this?”

Jowoo pointed at the red jade and took a step back.

“T, the red jade is t, talking...!”

-Oh? Can you hear our words?

-Can you sense us?

-What a surprise! Does this mean you can communicate with this young descendant?

-Haha! A prodigy. He’s a prodigy.

It wasn’t a hallucination.

Though it wasn’t a real sound transmitted through sound waves, it was definitely a voice heard in his mind.

“...I once had a strange dream while looking at the red jade. It’s not an ordinary object, so always keep your mind pure.”

“Yes? Yes.”

By now, his father had already left the quarters.

Jowoo stared at the red jade for a long time, unable to believe it, and the voice spoke again.

But it wasn’t the same voice he had been hearing.

-Be quiet.

A powerful presence, as if shaking his soul!

With those words, all the murmurs subsided.

-What is your name?

This wasn’t a hallucination.

It was an extraordinary event, but he had no choice but to accept it.

Jowoo swallowed and said,

“My name is Jowoo.”

-...

The Yitian Xueyu remained silent for a while.

He wanted it to continue speaking, but as it remained silent, Jowoo broke the silence.

“...Is it okay if you speak more freely?”

-...

After a long silence, a voice finally came from the Yitian Xueyu.

-Your ability to hear our voices means your soul’s rank is on par with ours, the Venerable Ones. However, why can’t I see any connection to you?

The concepts of soul rank and Venerable Ones were completely new to Jowoo.

“Connection? What do you mean...?”

-After being chosen by the Yitian Xueyu and receiving its grace, one should gain a great ability. In return, they must be connected to the Blood Jade, a bond that will return their soul to the Blood Jade when their life ends. But I can’t see any such bond in you.

“...Grace from the Blood Jade? Gain an ability?”

-Yes. Normally, one should have received some ability. There’s no other way to explain your soul’s rank, which is on par with a Venerable One.

Well?

He had always worn it around his neck, but had he ever received a great ability?

Definitely not.

“What kind of ability are you talking about?”

-It would depend on what you desired. If you desired martial talent, you would have received a body that could merge with heaven and earth. If you desired literary talent, you would have gained a Heavenly Brain to achieve the upper Dantian. If you aspired to be an emperor, you would have gained the Heart Eye to read the minds of all people. If you sought the Dao, you would have received a sudden enlightenment to become a great seeker of the Dao.

Heavenly Brain, Heart Eye, sudden enlightenment.

These were all superpowers that only appeared in ancient legends or books. If he had such abilities, he wouldn’t have lived such a hard life.

Jowoo, who had never experienced any of these, felt a deep sense of frustration.

“...I have definitely not received such grace.”

-What?

He hadn’t received any ability, but there was one strange thing that had happened to him.

Being reborn in the past and living someone else’s life. However, for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to speak about it freely.

He didn’t know why, but it felt awkward to say.

Was it a vague fear of the unknown?

He didn’t even know if these beings were friendly or hostile.

A voice came from the Yitian Xueyu again.

-Drink! Don’t hide it. You must have taken something from the Yitian Xueyu! There’s no other way to explain your soul’s rank!

“...”

If his rebirth was due to the abilities of the necklace his father gave him, then what they said might be true.

But he couldn’t be sure.

He just found himself as Jowoo.

Was it because of the necklace?

He had doubts.

A necklace containing countless souls?

That alone was unrealistic, and yet, their words had a certain credibility.

The question was whether he should tell them about his rebirth.

Jowoo decided to take a risk.

“To be honest, I have experienced something strange. However, I’m not sure if it was due to the Yitian Xueyu. It’s also a secret of my life... I’m just afraid.”

A casual probe.

The Yitian Xueyu responded quickly.

-You don’t trust us, do you? We are your distant ancestors. You are just a beloved descendant to us, nothing more, nothing less. Moreover, we exist only as souls and have no ability or will to influence the material world. How could we harm you?

It was a command filled with boundless gentleness and benevolence.

Jowoo felt a deep emotion welling up in his heart.

“...Are you really my ancestors?”

-Yes. The Yitian Xueyu is passed down only to the direct lineage of the Jo family. Aren’t you the heir of the Jo family in your era? Why would we have any ill will towards you...

Jowoo bit his lip, pondering deeply, and finally bowed his head in resignation.

“I have been reborn...”

-Reborn?

-That can’t be!

-Jo, Master...

The murmurs of the souls were quite intense.

Rebirth (還生).

Or regression (回歸).

This was not something the dark-skinned descendant should experience.

Moreover, it was a secret closely tied to the true reason why they had dedicated their souls to the Yitian Xueyu.

-How could you...!

A soul with the most powerful resonance appeared again.

-Haha! Hahahaha...!

It was a laugh that seemed to wring out all emotions.

Jowoo felt all these emotions so vividly that they caused him pain.

Surprise, shock, despair, anger!

-In the end, heaven did not grant me the power to defy it! I will remain a mere rogue for eternity... Hahaha! Sima! Your victory! Hahaha!

The intense emotions were transmitted directly to him, and Jowoo had to hold his head and endure the pain for a long time.

After about an hour, when the pain finally subsided, no more voices were heard.

“...Ancestors?”

No matter how much he called, only silence greeted him. Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Jowoo put the Yitian Xueyu in his pocket.

“...What a bolt from the blue...”

Jowoo instinctively realized that the fragments of knowledge that occasionally surfaced in his mind were somehow related to them.

He felt that he wouldn’t be able to sleep for a long time tonight.

C