“Damn it all, where the hell have I been sent? Wasn’t I just cultivating in this kid’s mental sea? How did I suddenly replace his physical body? Where is his own soul?”
Lin Hong opened his eyes, immediately falling into a state of bewilderment as he voiced his questions.
His perception had changed.
It was no longer the cold, hollow void of a spirit form where all five senses were stripped away.
Instead, there was a warm sense of fullness that could only come from a healthy body of flesh and blood.
‘What is going on?’
Lin Hong was stunned.
He tried to shift his gaze and look around.
The room appeared to be a bedroom, exceptionally spacious and furnished with luxurious, sophisticated decor.
It had clearly been arranged with great care, exuding an air of tranquility and wealth.
At the moment, he was lying down on a soft bed.
Opposite him stood a magnificent, floor-length vanity mirror.
Its polished surface was crystal clear, reflecting the scene before it.
A youth, roughly fourteen or fifteen years old, with black hair and blue eyes, stared back.
His handsome features were currently clouded with confusion and suspicion as he locked eyes with the Lin Hong outside the glass.
This left him even more baffled.
This wasn’t him; it was his host.
Previously, he had been residing within this youth’s mental sea to cultivate.
Now, what was this supposed to be?
He had suddenly been promoted to the main role?
For no rhyme or reason, he had taken the boy’s place?
Lin Hong rolled out of bed and walked barefoot to the window.
He looked at the scenery outside and reached out with his senses.
From the smallest details like the architecture and plants to the grand scale of the energy fluctuations between heaven and earth, everything was utterly foreign to him.
This was because he did not belong to this world or this universe.
He was an outsider from beyond the domain.
Lin Hong frowned and immediately turned back to the bed.
He sat down cross-legged and sank his consciousness into the body.
His invisible mental energy was powerful.
It transformed into countless trickling streams that circulated through the physical body in an instant.
He confirmed that he had not been attacked or damaged.
Before this, Lin Hong had existed solely as a spiritual entity.
He had been residing in this youth’s mental sea since the boy’s birth, meditatively recovering for about ten years.
Over such a long period, his mental cultivation had recovered considerably.
He had originally been only one year away from accumulating enough mental energy to use a secret technique to reshape his own body.
He never expected to encounter such a bizarre situation.
This bedroom, and even the mansion outside, should be the youth’s home.
Lin Hong could sense that it was shrouded and protected by layers of barrier-like structures.
This made him even more suspicious.
Just what had happened?
‘Hmm?!’
Suddenly, he knit his brows, sensing a strange change occurring!
Within this body’s mind, streams of unfamiliar information surfaced without warning and began to surge!
It felt like… a person’s memories being activated at this very moment.
‘Could these be this youth’s memories?’
This realization made Lin Hong’s frown deepen.
If he was receiving these memories, it meant the original youth’s soul had dissipated.
Otherwise, he would not be able to inherit them.
But how did this happen?
Lin Hong was certain it had nothing to do with him.
He had lived in the boy’s mental sea for over ten years without any conflict, and the youth had never even known he existed.
Was it an outside attack specifically targeting the soul? But…
Doubts filled Lin Hong’s mind as he puzzled over the possibilities.
At the same time, he continued to mobilize his mental energy, carefully flipping through and organizing the streams of information.
He hoped to find some clues and gain a preliminary understanding of this world through these memories.
The youth’s name was Evan Wayne, the biological son of Duke Wayne, one of the five great dukes of the Kingdom of Aurelian.
The naming format, with the surname after the given name, was something Lin Hong had never seen before.
Similarly, the style of the country and the people’s names was entirely foreign.
Furthermore, he gained knowledge of terms like magic, combat aura, churches, and sacrificial rites — concepts he had never heard of.
They served as a constant reminder that he was indeed in a completely alien world.
As he continued to read, Lin Hong slowly sensed that something was off, and his expression shifted.
These memories were eerily organized!
At first glance, they seemed chaotic, but when he actually touched them with his mental strength, he found them exceptionally clear.
It was as if they had been tidied up!
They clearly carried the youth’s life over the past ten or so years, perfectly arranged so that he didn’t even need to piece them together.
What made him even more wary was that, aside from the youth’s memories, there was another piece of unfamiliar information in the mental sea.
This clearly wasn’t part of the boy’s memories.
It was like an external spiritual imprint that had been bestowed upon the youth’s mind.
Lin Hong turned serious.
He treated it with gravity, extending his mental strength to enter the imprint and read the information within.
Knock, knock, knock.
Suddenly, the sound of knocking echoed!
“Who is it?”
Lin Hong snapped back to reality and spoke.
Although he had learned the language of this world through Evan’s memories, he wasn’t quite used to it yet, making his pronunciation a bit stiff.
A young girl’s voice came through, respectful and submissive.
“Good day, Young Master. Are you awake?”
As the voice sounded, a piece of information automatically surfaced in his mind.
The person outside was named Isha, the personal maid of the original Evan.
“…It’s Isha. I’m awake,” Lin Hong said.
He stood up and checked the mirror first to ensure he didn’t look unusual before opening the bedroom door.
A young woman stood at the entrance.
She wore a black and white dress, her flaxen hair was neatly done, and her pale green eyes were clear.
She was quite pretty and carried herself with modest grace.
Seeing the youth open the door, Isha performed a slight curtsy, executing a standard gesture of etiquette.
“Pardon the interruption, Young Master,” she said softly.
“The Eldest Miss requests your presence in her study immediately.”
The Eldest Miss?
The moment that title reached his ears, Lin Hong involuntarily shivered.
It wasn’t his intention; it was a lingering instinctive reaction from the body.
Simultaneously, the relevant information surfaced.
She was the original host’s twin sister.
“My sister is looking for me? Right now?”
Lin Hong asked while processing the information.
“Yes. She said that if you were awake, you should go over at once.”
Isha folded her hands over her stomach and answered warmly, her posture obedient.
“…”
Lin Hong didn’t answer immediately.
He quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind.
To be honest, he really wanted to refuse.
He had only just taken over this body, and his movements felt stiff and sluggish.
He needed time to acclimate.
In this state, he was worried that facing the original host’s direct blood relative would cause him to slip up and be exposed as an imposter.
Unfortunately, it seemed difficult to refuse.
According to Evan’s memories, this sister was usually serious and cold.
She wouldn’t summon him without a good reason; there must be something important.
“Then I’ll trouble you to lead the way.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Lin Hong regretted them.
He still hadn’t fully stepped into the role of a young master.
Was his phrasing too polite?
It felt inappropriate.
Sure enough, a flash of surprise flitted through Isha’s eyes, though she quickly masked it.
She shook her head gently.
“It is my duty. Please follow me, Young Master.”
With that, she turned to lead the way.
Lin Hong followed her out into the long corridor.
It was a magnificent mansion with exquisite furnishings and high, arched ceilings.
Lin Hong followed Isha through several corridors before finally stopping in front of a wooden door.
It looked like a study.
The door was heavy, carved with intricate and beautiful patterns.
He could sense faint energy fluctuations circulating on the door’s surface, like some kind of formation.
However, Lin Hong could feel that these fluctuations were entirely different from any formations he had ever seen.
‘Is this magic?’
Isha stopped before the door and turned around, her posture humble.
“Young Master, the Eldest Miss is waiting for you. You may go inside. I shall take my leave now.”
“Mhm, go ahead.”
Lin Hong nodded and watched her leave before raising his hand to knock.
“Come in,” a voice called from inside.
It was pleasant, if somewhat cool and melodic.
He pushed the door open.
The first thing that caught his eye was a large mahogany desk covered in a mountain of parchment scrolls and various documents.
A young woman sat behind the desk, buried in this sea of paperwork.
The quill in her hand was moving rapidly as she reviewed files.
She was indeed very busy.
She was in the flower of her youth, with long, pitch-black hair as smooth as silk that nearly reached her waist, accentuating her skin, which was as fair and translucent as jade.
Her features were incredibly delicate, coming together into a face that was near perfection.
She bore a sixty to seventy percent resemblance to Evan, but she appeared colder.
Dressed in a sharp, dark dress, she looked capable and upright.
This was Lovella Wayne, Evan’s twin sister and the acting head of the household.
However, to Lin Hong’s surprise, Lovella wasn’t alone in the study.
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