Chapter 5. Recovery Speed Beyond Imagination

Fang Xiang wanted to die with his grandson.

No one in the family tried to stop him. No one appeared even as he took the poison. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that everyone had lost their minds.

‘What about my parents?’

Wouldn't parents come to see their sick child?

Hou Gong shook his head inwardly.

‘That’s unlikely. They must have already passed away.’

Perhaps the death of his parents drove Fang Xiang to such extremes?

The moment this thought crossed his mind, Hou Gong dismissed it.

He didn't need to understand the circumstances.

What mattered was how he ended up in this body.

Suddenly, Jian Cheng's words came to mind.

- Hou Gong... Even you cannot last forever. In the darkness, I saw... Whether it was a delusion... or a dream... I saw you lose everything...

And then he said something else... Yes.

- I saw you become weak, like a blade of grass... I wish it were so. I wish that were your destruction...

It turned out to be just as he said.

Weak, frail, and losing everything.

It didn't feel good at all.

‘If Jian Cheng had laid out a mat, it would have been incredible.’

Did he glimpse a fragment of the future while being consumed by the demonic influence? Or was it just a delusion? In the end, it was as Jian Cheng said. He lost everything, even his plumpness...

‘Well, I can start over.’

He would soon find out the cause.

For now, he needed to gather information and focus on recovering his body.

Then, Hou Gong realized he had forgotten something important.

‘Oh no! I haven’t eaten anything yet.’

All he had consumed were the poison and a small amount of water.

It was late at night, and it was time to satisfy his hunger. He tried to sit up, thinking he could manage it with some effort, and opened his eyes.

“Ah!”

Hou Gong flinched as he opened his eyes.

Someone's face was right in front of him.

It was too close, about a foot away, and the sudden proximity startled both of them.

The other person was more shocked.

“Kyaa!”

She let out a shrill scream and stumbled backward.

She was a young woman, small in stature but pretty, and he had never seen her before.

“S-Sorry, Young Master. There was something on your chin, so I was trying to remove it...”

The woman composed herself and sought forgiveness.

Hou Gong frowned inwardly, not because of her actions or her plea for forgiveness, but because of the reality of the situation.

How could he not have noticed someone so close in the same room, especially when he could hear her breathing?

In the past, he could have identified the type of insect crawling a hundred feet away, counted its legs, and even determined if one of its legs was injured or just slow. Now, he had no such sensory abilities.

“Your face is too close. Do you have poor eyesight?”

“No, I’m sorry, Young Master.”

The woman seemed at a loss.

Considering her attire as a maid, Hou Gong used a casual tone.

“What’s your name?”

“My name?”

“Yes.”

“Um... Young Master, did the poison affect your mind?”

“Huh?”

Her words were surprising.

Hou Gong examined her closely.

It wasn’t just her tone that was strange.

She was dressed as a maid, but her body was well-proportioned, and her eyes held a sharp light, indicating she had martial arts training.

“Hmm, it’s not just that. I seem to be a mess. I’ve even lost my memory.”

“Really?”

“Do you not have a name?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. My name is Song Hua.”

Hou Gong smiled and tried to sit up.

His left side was partially paralyzed, making it difficult. As he struggled, Song Hua quickly helped him.

“Song Hua.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“My stomach feels empty. Bring me some porridge. We can talk while I eat...”

“Huh?”

Song Hua’s eyes widened.

Her reaction was so intense that Hou Gong couldn’t finish his sentence.

Was the idea of eating so shocking?

But he quickly understood.

‘Of course, Fang Xiang wouldn’t have thought about eating. If he had eaten properly, his condition wouldn’t be like this.’

Hou Gong smiled warmly.

“Don’t be alarmed. From now on...”

“Why are you doing this, Young Master?”

“Haha, there’s no need to worry.”

“This isn’t right!”

Song Hua’s eyes turned fierce.

“Huh?”

“Why do you want to eat?”

At first, he thought he had misheard, but her eyes confirmed she had heard correctly.

“To regain my strength?”

“Yes.”

“To do what with your strength?”

“To... live, of course.”

“No, you’re trying to regain your strength to die. You’re trying to recover so you can die again. You’re only anxious because you lack the strength to die, right?”

Fire flashed in Song Hua’s eyes.

If he insisted on eating, she seemed ready to strike.

‘So, this is what Fang Xiang had to deal with.’

For a maid to be this extreme.

Of course, she didn’t seem normal either.

Did she not think about dying without eating? She should have made sure he ate and was guarded.

“Are you my fiancée or something?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“If you were, I would have tried to break the engagement. It’s a trend these days.”

“You’re joking. Everyone is exhausted because of you, Young Master. The head of the family, the young master, and all of us. We’re even considering dying together. And now you want to eat?”

Hou Gong tilted his head and spoke.

“What should I do, then?”

“You need to live with passion. Pursue your goals, eat well, sleep well, laugh, feel moved, and have hope.”

“That’s true. I’ll start by eating well.”

“No, I can’t believe it.”

“Then I’ll starve.”

“What? You can’t starve. Why are you doing this?”

“...”

Hou Gong was stunned.

Whether he ate or starved, it was a problem.

This level of reaction suggested that not only the family but also the guards and maids were on the verge of madness.

‘How many times did this girl witness Fang Xiang’s suicide attempts?’

Given that Song Hua had martial arts training, she was likely a maid and a suicide prevention measure.

In that case, it was understandable that she was not in her right mind.

In this context, discussing whether to eat or not was meaningless.

Hou Gong quickly gave up.

“Song Hua, I have a question. Who is the current leader of the martial arts alliance?”

“Why do you want to know about the leader?”

Again, a sharp response.

Every question was met with a sharp answer.

“Why are you suddenly interested in the leader?”

“Tell me. With your pretty mouth.”

“Pretty... hmm...”

Song Hua pursed her lips.

She seemed unsure where to look and then spoke primly.

“Fine. The story of the leader is interesting, so I’ll tell you.”

“Oh, interesting?”

Since it was about himself, Hou Gong, the former leader of the martial arts alliance, perked up.

“It’s interesting. The leader of the martial arts alliance is... a pig. A very fat pig.”

“...”

“He’s so fat that he waddles when he walks. His cheeks are so chubby that his eyes are always half-closed. Ha ha, he claims to be the best in the world, but it’s laughable.”

“...”

“About half a year ago, he supposedly killed Jian Cheng. He spreads rumors and laughs about it. He just eats all day and talks about being the best in the world. Clearly, he’s in that position because of his power, not his martial arts. The fat leader’s name is...”

“Enough.”

Hou Gong quietly interrupted.

“Young Master, you don’t look well.”

“I’ve never felt well.”

“No, you look different from before. Why is that?”

“It’s because of you.”

“Me?”

“You’re a bad child.”

“What did I do?”

“To speak so ill of someone in front of them... or rather, since the person isn’t here, to speak so ill of them.”

“No, he’s really fat.”

“Tsk! Why do you keep saying he’s fat!”

Hou Gong scolded her.

“He has a good build.”

“It’s not that good.”

“No, it is. Anyway, he has a good build! As the leader of the martial arts alliance, he should be a fine and admirable person, working hard every day for the peace and order of the martial world. It’s disappointing that you judge people so freely just because you’re pretty.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want to hear it. How can plump people be so charming and attractive, and you don’t even know...”

“Really? Plump people? Do you really think so?”

“Of course.”

Song Hua’s expression changed subtly. She seemed dazed for a moment, then suddenly opened her eyes wide.

“So, Young Master, do you want to be plump?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll prepare the meal right away.”

“Hurry!”

As Song Hua left, Hou Gong shook his head.

‘Hmm... It seems the time is the same. So, did Fang Xiang and I swap bodies?’

If so, it meant Fang Xiang had taken over his body in the alliance.

‘Fang Xiang... Is he as shocked as I am? No... Ah...’

Hou Gong raised his hand and looked at it.

The numerous scars on his wrist.

A foreboding feeling crept over him.

‘No... Surely I didn’t die in my body... No, that can’t be. No matter what...’

***

Ten days passed quickly.

Hou Gong lay in bed, practicing his cultivation techniques.

He didn’t expect immediate results.

Given the weakness and frailty of this body, he could only gently massage his blood vessels and unblock his meridians. His goal was to bring his body from a vegetative state to a normal human level.

His recovery was fast.

He consistently took the medicine prescribed by the doctor and ate two bowls of porridge at each meal. As a result, the paralysis in his body almost disappeared, and the pain subsided.

During this time, he received the news about the alliance he had been waiting for.

It was late at night.

“Human affairs are unpredictable. For Young Master Fang to recover so quickly...”

“It’s astonishing. It shouldn’t be possible...”

The doctor and the head of the family, Fan Tian, were amazed by his bedside.

They were both pleased and worried.

Hou Gong pretended to be asleep and listened to their conversation.

“There’s no need to worry. Given that the young master is eating well and taking medicine, it seems the blood poison has turned into a blessing.”

“I fear hoping. This might be a temporary loss of memory. But if it’s as you say, it would be good. Human affairs are unpredictable.”

“Of course.”

“Honestly, who would have thought that the leader of the martial arts alliance, Hou Gong, would take his own life?”

“Exactly. It wasn’t the work of the Devil Sect or the Guiyun Sect. Who would have thought he would commit suicide? Even the best in the world has their own struggles. As they say, you can’t judge a person by their appearance...”

The doctor stopped and looked at the bed in surprise.

Fan Tian’s eyes also widened.

The young master, who had been asleep, suddenly moved and made a grinding sound.

“Head of the family, the young master is...”

“Hmm... It seems he’s having a bad dream.”

But how could they have guessed?

Hou Gong was the one in this bed.

While he had suspected that Fang Xiang might commit suicide after being reincarnated, the confirmation left him feeling utterly helpless. His head was pounding with rage.