Chapter 156

A reincarnator with memories of past lives.

That is the biggest secret I, Sima Mantian, hold, one I’ve never told anyone.

The secret I was most reluctant to reveal to my parents.

For a moment, the thought of brushing it off crossed my mind… but I decided against it.

I must have already had some conviction to speak of the secret of being a reincarnator.

And I really didn’t want to do it either.

If I got caught, then so be it. I didn’t want to lie on top of it.

With nervous eyes, I swallowed my saliva and looked at my father in front of me.

“Since when did you notice?”

“Should I say I noticed? I felt something strange since you started talking at the age of three.”

“Huh? Three? When I was a baby?”

At my father’s calm response, my eyes blinked.

“A small, round little guy chattering in languages I never taught you, languages from foreign lands I’ve never heard or seen. Of course, I would feel something was off.”

A faint smile appeared on Sima Bu’s lips.

“I definitely noticed when you were five or six years old.”

At first, I thought you were just a peculiar child.

But with Sima Bu’s keen observation and deep thinking.

After various investigations, he concluded that Mantian had memories of a past life.

I was speechless, my throat blocked.

‘He noticed that early on…?’

No, but thinking about it, I started behaving properly after I grew a bit older.

When I was a child…

I frowned and recalled my childhood.

A warm memory of my father lifting me high up comes to mind.

[Wooooooh! It feels like I’m flying in the sky! Humans look like bugs from up here!]

…Let’s stop thinking about that.

Maybe because I was a child, my mind was also childish.

I think I had a tendency to act out a bit.

And I didn’t really hide much either.

…I thought it didn’t matter if I got caught.

Sima Bu and Jang Chunhwa, my father and mother.

Even as a reincarnator, I never thought of them as not my real parents.

Because I received so much love.

But I couldn’t guarantee that they felt the same.

They might think a ghost has taken over their child’s body.

So maybe that’s why…

I didn’t reveal the secret myself, but I didn’t hide it outright either.

The relationship between my parents and me…

Is different from the relationships I’ve formed with Guhae, Yeomhwa, Soso, Poong Ran, Wolhwa, Master Wang Miaoyang, and Jang Sam-i.

It’s a parent-child relationship, after all.

If they think of me as a monster, a stranger, then it’s over.

It’s complicated to explain…

Perhaps I had a mix of not wanting to be found out by my parents and the uncomfortable feeling of deceiving them.

Frankly, the thought of ‘If I’m going to be found out someday, then let it be and get it over with.’

Or-

The childish wish that even if they know I’m a reincarnator, they’ll still love me as their child.

It’s a coexistence of foolish indulgence.

“…Does mother know too?”

“We haven’t talked about it separately, but she’s a smart woman, so she must have noticed to some extent.”

At my question, my father answered in a calm voice.

Both of them knew all along? At this point, it’s not even a secret.

…But why bring it up now?

That was the question.

Silence filled the room.

As if reading Mantian’s thoughts, Sima Bu spoke first.

“Cheon-ah, borrowing a Buddhist term, the world is called the Three Thousand Worlds. In that vast world, you were born as our son.”

A soft tone echoed in the room.

“You are the fruit of my and Chunhwa’s love.”

Sima Bu went to the window, let the breeze in, and looked up at the sky.

The day Mantian was born.

He recalled holding his tiny newborn son in his arms.

“Whether you’re a cripple or a reincarnator with past life memories, you are my son.”

The trash leader of the Evil Faction.

Even though he became a man like Sima Lun, whom he despised in his childhood.

He still decided to protect the child in his arms.

“…Also, upon further investigation, reincarnation isn’t common, but it’s not unheard of either.”

There were records like a child in the Tang Dynasty era who spoke in an old man’s tone and told stories from the Han Dynasty era in great detail.

…Well, my case is different from what my father investigated.

But there was no need to add more confusion.

I nodded at my father’s words.

And honestly, the period of worry felt foolish in the face of such warm responses, and I wasn’t sure what to say.

“Uh… well… thank you, father.”

It was slightly embarrassing. Of course, the gratitude was genuine.

“I thought you were all grown up.”

Seeing his son embarrassed, Sima Bu smiled and lightly patted Mantian’s shoulder.

“Cheon-ah, the reason I brought this up suddenly… is because I want you to know. When we return to the main house, many things will be revealed to you.”

The secrets of the Sima Family and Mantian’s inauguration as the young master.

Many things will happen.

After making a slightly bitter expression that wouldn’t be noticed.

“…But one thing is certain, Chunhwa and I love you.”

He left the room with the gentle face of a father.

“I must have said too much at once. Get some rest.”

I watched my father’s retreating back, unable to say anything.

How should I take this situation?

My head was just a mess.

“……….”

I lay on the bed for quite a while, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Knock- knock-.

And then the door was knocked on by another visitor.

I was about to send them away because my head was a mess.

“Brother, it’s me. I brought you some food.”

At the sound of Yeomhwa’s voice, I got up from the bed and opened the door.

Yeomhwa, holding a tray with a bowl of porridge, spoke to Mantian in a soft yet firm voice.

“Brother, you can’t go to sleep right after bathing. You haven’t even had lunch yet.”

As soon as the door opened, Yeomhwa checked Mantian’s complexion.

She didn’t know what was going on, but it seemed like he had heard something complicated from Sima Bu.

A determined light shone in Yeomhwa’s red eyes.

She didn’t know the details, but as a wife and younger sister, she had to support her brother.

“I made chicken porridge since you might not have an appetite. Please eat a little for your health.”

“…Thank you, I’ll eat it.”

When my younger sister went through the trouble of making porridge, it was hard to refuse.

I reached out to take the tray.

But Yeomhwa smiled and, avoiding Mantian’s hand, gracefully stepped into the room.

“I’ll feed you myself.”

She placed the tray on the table and scooped a spoonful of chicken porridge, blowing on it.

“Feeding my brother a meal made with love is a younger sister’s privilege. It’s even written in the Zoroastrian scriptures.”

“Uh… really?”

At my question, Yeomhwa blushed and puffed her cheeks slightly, muttering.

“If you’re thinking of asking again, even I would be a little upset.”

At that cute, lovable pout.

“I can’t upset my precious younger sister.”

I felt at ease. I smiled and quietly approached the table to sit down.

Yeah, let’s not think too hard.

I’m a ridiculously blessed guy. Whether I’m a reincarnator or a cripple, it doesn’t matter.

I have a family that loves me. Parents, a younger sister.

…Well, the love with my younger sister is a bit different from familial love.

But the fact that I’m loved and that I love remains unchanged.

So I looked at the lovely younger sister in front of me. This time, I decided to reveal the secret to my family myself.

“Yeomhwa, actually, I’m… not from this world, but there’s a different aspect…”

“Yes~ yes~ other world, three worlds, let’s eat first!”

And I was quickly subdued by Yeomhwa, who smiled brightly and shoved a spoon into my mouth.

Maybe because of her usual quirky behavior?

Yeomhwa was too used to Mantian’s antics.

Anyway, the warm, savory porridge spread in my mouth.

“How does it taste?”

“Mmm~ gulp. …It’s delicious.”

As the food went down my throat to my stomach, I realized how hungry I was.

I ate the porridge Yeomhwa fed me like a baby bird.

And Yeomhwa happily watched that scene.

Objectively speaking, he’s not a handsome man whose face alone brings joy, but it doesn’t get old.

I want to stay by my brother’s side forever.

“Here~ brother~ say ah~.”

We joked around, whispered affection, and spent time together.

Boosting Mantian’s spirits.

‧

‧

‧

And in Mantian’s inner world.

A black haze-like being with white cracks all over its body.

The spirit of the Dog Chasing Stick Technique, Tagujang.

The memory fragment of the Heavenly Demon (天魔) wearing the form sighed.

“A reincarnator with past life memories.”

From a certain perspective, it’s not entirely wrong…

“But it caused unnecessary misunderstandings.”

He looked down at the heavily cracked, limping right leg.

He felt sorry for his partner… Mantian.

Because neither the past life memories nor the curse on the right leg truly belonged to Mantian.

***

Martial Alliance Leader’s Office.

“Huh? …What’s this?”

After finishing paperwork, Jaro picked up the ‘Soul Flight and Spirit Scatter Technique’ martial arts application form Mantian left behind and read it again.

A movement technique with rapid rotations that could cause spatial distortion.

Not bad, rather quite useful, but still, there’s too much unnecessary stuff to learn.

It’s not a martial art suitable for the advancement of later generations.

“…But if that guy grows older and refines it, it could become quite decent.”

With a faint smile, Jaro stored the document in a separate drawer, and old memories surfaced in his mind.

“Come to think of it, there’s a strange resemblance.”

Of course, it’s just the vibe. The appearance and personality are somewhat similar but different.

Probably because of the spinning martial art, ‘that guy’ came to mind.

The Heavenly Demon (天魔) who disappeared eighteen years ago.

Old masters fear even mentioning him, remembering him as just a terrifying demon.

But from Jaro’s perspective, who fought and even conversed with him, he was a peculiar guy.

A man with the dignity of a grandmaster of the martial world, yet sometimes acted like a reckless monkey.

The scene of the Heavenly Demon toying with the Wudang Sect Leader is vivid in his mind.

“Detderoge~ detderoge~ Is the title of Taishan Beidou just for show? Show some strength!”

“Guh…!!”

He spun around the Wudang Sect Leader and beat him senseless.

Later, when fighting the Heavenly Demon, I asked what language he was speaking.

“Barbarian language… Champierre or something?”

At the time, I thought he was teasing me.

But seeing that even foolish disciples occasionally use it, it seems it was a real language I just didn’t know about.

“…The world is both vast and small.”

Jaro took out a cigarette from his pocket, put it in his mouth, and took a deep drag.

Half-closing his eyes, he looked out the window.

Meeting Master Confucius, the days of independence, fighting the Heavenly Demon, restoring the Martial Alliance, disappointing juniors.

Cute, proud disciples…

Namgung Seon… Unmu Yong…

The deceased disciple and the missing disciple.

It seems that as you get older, you reminisce about the past. Recalling the past you can’t return to.