Chapter 1, The Fallen Prince

Mo Wuji hesitated for a moment, smiled, and said, "Perhaps it is not completely good yet, as I have forgotten many things. But I will no longer be like before, dreaming the kind of foolish dreams that only an idiot would dream."

Nineteen years ago, the ruler of Beiqin County, Mo Xinghe's grandfather Mo Tiancheng, went to the capital of Chengyu Kingdom, Riaozhou, and has since disappeared without a trace. Naturally, Beiqin County cannot be without a ruler, but the ruler of a county must have the recognition of the sovereign of the lordly state.

Mo Wuji glanced at the setting sun that had fallen from the treetops in the distance, unsure whether he was reminded of the previous Mo Xinghe or lamenting his own fate, and sighed, "Let us return..."

Aside from a scar on her face, Yan Er's complexion is pale, her hair is sparse and yellow, and she completely lacks the vitality typical of a youthful girl. It is evident that this is a result of malnutrition

Then... the voice of Yan'er trembled, as if she wanted to say something but did not dare to speak it out.

"Young Master, are you feeling much better now?" The girl named Yan, holding a bamboo basket, excitedly grasped Mo Wuji's hand and her tear-filled eyes, along with her trembling fingers that had turned pale, conveyed to Mo Wuji just how overwhelmed with emotion she was at that moment

The gaze of the girl in the purple dress also fell upon Murong Fu, her eyes revealing a complex expression, containing both sympathy and a hint of barely perceptible disappointment. A few other young and handsome men and women seemed to have exchanged a few words about him, and then they gradually walked away while laughing.

Your Majesty, it is already dark..." Seeing that Mo Wuji had not spoken for a long time, Yan'er, who was standing beside him, cautiously spoke again.

He patted the back of Yan Er's hand and smiled, "Your Majesty, I have already done it and found it rather meaningless. There is no need to come tomorrow. Instead, let us think about how to survive tomorrow."

A severe headache prevented him from continuing to think, and a jumble of information filled Mo Wuji's mind. It took him a full hour or two to finally understand what was going on

Is this a game of the emperor holding court? Why does this scene feel so familiar?

"I don't even know what kind of world this is..." After walking silently for several minutes, Mo Wuji muttered to himself.

There is definitely a problem with this

This is not the Song Dynasty, nor has he been reborn into the body of Murong Fu

This is not even Earth; the place he is in is the capital of Chengyu Kingdom, Raozhou. His original identity was that of a prince from a vassal state called Beiqin, named Mo Xinghe. The reason his father gave him the name Mo Xinghe is that Chengyu Kingdom is a vassal state under the Xinghan Empire, and this name is entirely inspired by a longing for the Xinghan Empire.

Just as Mo Wuji was filled with uncertainty, he suddenly heard the girl beside him softly say, "Everyone has been very good. Since there are no more candies today, we will stop playing here. Remember to come back to play tomorrow."

After speaking, he wanted to stand up and brush off the dust from his body. Sitting cross-legged on the ground for a long time had made his legs somewhat numb, but fortunately, the smoke beside him timely supported him.

In the future, living together with Yan'er will ultimately require an explanation

A faintly mournful cry startled Mo Wuji awake. He raised his head and just in time saw a solitary crow flying overhead, which quickly vanished along with that piercing cry.

Yan'er suddenly dropped the bamboo basket in her hands, kneeling on the ground with a 'thud', tears streaming down like a fountain, her hands clasped together as she murmured to herself in the distance.

Mo Wuji shook his head and said, "Yan'er, do not call me Your Majesty anymore, just call me by my name."

Mo Wuji was greatly alarmed, for this was exactly the same as the fate of Murong Fu in the novel. In his quest to restore his country, Murong Fu ultimately went mad, while his childhood sweetheart, the beautiful cousin Wang Yuyan, ran off with someone else. In the end, only a maid, A Bi, remained by his side. The scene before him was reminiscent of Murong Fu's despair as he lost hope in restoring his country, with A Bi calling many children to play the childish games of state restoration with Mo Wuji.

Mo Wuji feared that he would reveal his true intentions, so he simply stated that he had not yet fully recovered

The inheritance, which was originally quite simple, unexpectedly faced numerous obstacles. Mo Xinghe's parents spent countless fortunes and endured more than a decade of hardship, yet they still could not inherit the position of the ruler of Beiqin County.

It is still not right, Mo Wuji shivered. The Mo family is at least a princely family; even if Mo Xinghe's father was unable to inherit the title of prince, he should not have died in poverty and illness in Raozhou. Wouldn't he have left Raozhou to return home first? Or is it that there is no one from the Northern Qin princely state to come and provide protection or financial support?

If Mo Tiancheng had not suddenly disappeared, he could have directly passed the throne to his descendants and then reported to the lordship of his domain before retiring. Now that Mo Tiancheng is missing and has not had the chance to pass on the throne, the next heir to the throne of Beiqin County must personally go to the lordship, where the lord of that domain must acknowledge him in person

Why did my soul traverse? What was I doing before this?

Not right

Mo Xinghe's parents ultimately passed away in Raozhou City. Mo Xinghe inherited his father Mo Guangyuan's obsession, determined to inherit the Northern Qin principality. However, with the death of Mo Xinghe's parents, the Mo family's connections in Raozhou were exhausted. The young Mo Xinghe struggled for several years without success, and upon learning that the Northern Qin principality had been taken by the ruler of Chengyu, he completely lost his sanity, ultimately being reborn by Mo Wuji.

The Northern Qin County, where he originally belonged, is under the jurisdiction of the Lordship of Chengyu, which in turn is affiliated with the Xinghan Empire

Mo Wuji also learned who the woman in the purple dress he had seen before was. The woman in the purple dress is named Wen Manzhu, and her father is a marquis in the Chengyu Kingdom, a close friend of Mo Xinghe's parents. When Mo Xinghe's parents first arrived in the Chengyu Kingdom, they held a certain status and position. Therefore, the two families maintained a very close relationship, and Mo Xinghe and Wen Manzhu can be considered childhood sweethearts. Although no betrothal was formally arranged, it was generally accepted that the two would be together when they grew up.

Upon thinking of this, Mo Wuji felt a sharp pain in his heart. He finally recalled that after he had developed the elixir for opening the meridians, his beloved, Xia Ruoyin, had stabbed him in the back. ... The thought of Xia Ruoyin's betrayal filled Mo Wuji's body and mind with sorrow ...

This young girl is certainly not A Bi, but is instead named Yan Er. She is the only person who has consistently stayed by his side, and her status is merely that of a maid. It can be said that if it were not for Yan Er, he would not have been able to wait for Mo Wuji to be reborn; the original Mo Xinghe would have been dead for an unknown length of time.

Where am I? Mo Wuji suddenly felt something strange. It seemed that he was sitting on a newly piled low grave mound, and in front of him were seven or eight children kneeling in disarray. A girl dressed in a blue floral dress was standing beside him, carrying a bamboo basket.

Supported by Yan'er, Mo Wuji slowly walked out of the sparse woods, while also organizing the few remaining thoughts in his mind

He saw the astonished gaze of Yan'er, and with no mood for any explanation, could only sigh once more, "Let us dismiss the court..."

Two drops of tears fell onto the back of Mo Wuji's hand resting on his knee. Mo Wuji raised his head and saw a sorrowful face marked by a scar. The tearful girl appeared to be younger than his current body.

As the opportunity for the Mo family to inherit the principality vanished, Mo Xinghe's parents passed away, and ultimately, Mo Xinghe went mad. The Wen family forgot about Mo Xinghe. As she grew up, Wen Manzhu also gradually distanced herself from Mo Xinghe, turning instead to associate with other young masters from prominent families

Seeing Mo Wuji raise his head to look at her, Yan'er gently wiped her slightly reddened eyes and said, "Your Majesty, can we conclude the court session now?"

"Your Majesty, what did you just say?" Yan'er, not having understood Mo Wuji's words, quickly asked.

"Long live our king, farewell our king, come again tomorrow to eat candy..." After a chaotic exchange of words among the children, they all dispersed.

How vast this place is, Mo Xinghe has no concept in his memory. He only knows that the Xinghan Empire is not the only empire, and that each empire has many lord states, each of which has many principality states under it

Mo Wuji lowered his head to look at the yellow earth mound beneath him, feeling not only sorrow for Yan'er but also for the person who had once been here. This childish game required Yan'er to gain such acknowledgment of retreat every time she took him away.

Mo Wuji suddenly thought of a terrifying possibility: could it be that after my death, I would be resurrected and truly reborn in the body of Murong Fu? Does this world really have occurrences of soul transference?

It is precisely for this reason that Mo Xinghe's parents brought the newly born Mo Xinghe to Raozhou, one to investigate the whereabouts of Mo Tiancheng, and the other for Mo Xinghe's father, Mo Guangyuan, to seek the recognition of the Lord of Chengyu and inherit the throne of the Northern Qin Kingdom.

However, Mo Wuji soon cast aside such sighs; the one who should truly sigh is himself. He does not know whether to feel fortunate that he was so treacherously plotted against yet survived, or to lament that the one who plotted against him is his most important lover, or to mourn that he can never return to Earth

Mo Wuji's gaze fell upon a few young and handsome men and women walking not far away. When his eyes landed on the woman in the purple dress, he momentarily forgot his own situation, his heart filled only with astonishment at the presence of such a beauty

Mo Wuji naturally understood Yan'er’s meaning; she wanted to ask him if he would still come to play this children's game tomorrow, yet she feared that bringing it up might trigger a relapse for him during the morning court session