The Beggar Boy’s Secret

It was at the entrance of a bustling inn that Ye Jue stumbled upon the hidden quest. A young beggar child was soliciting alms there.

Typically, such establishments would unceremoniously usher away beggars. Yet, Ye Jue observed the inn’s waiter seemed unusually conflicted, refraining from outright expulsion. Ultimately, the child departed without creating any disturbance.

Approaching, Ye Jue discreetly pressed some silver into the waiter’s hand.

“Who was that child? It seemed you weren’t particularly keen on driving him off.”

The waiter swiftly pocketed the silver, his demeanor instantly shifting to one of deference. “Esteemed guest, you’ve certainly asked the right person. That boy was once our innkeeper’s son.

However, the innkeeper somehow learned that the child was not his biological son. He was absolutely furious and immediately cast the boy out.

That child always treated us waiters kindly, so even though the boss ordered us to beat him if we saw him, we usually just persuade him to leave.”

As he finished speaking, the waiter seemed to realize he had revealed too much. He waved his hand dismissively. “That’s all I can tell you. If you wish to find the child, you’ll find him on Street 259.” With that, the waiter promptly retreated inside.

Lin Shenyue, having overheard the conversation, felt a surge of sympathy. But then, she immediately paused, startled by her own reaction.

In her previous life, witnessing such a situation would indeed evoke a degree of sympathy, and she might even have donated some spare change. However, she had never been one to feel such profound empathy simply from hearing a story.

‘Could the original owner’s emotions still linger within me?’ Lin Shenyue felt a profound sense of bewilderment. She truly didn’t know what to do. If the original Lin Shenyue hadn’t died, wouldn’t she be a cuckoo usurping a dove’s nest?

Ye Jue didn’t understand why Lin Shenyue had suddenly fallen into such a dazed state. Yet, seeing her troubled expression, he knew it wasn’t the time to let her wallow in her thoughts. Therefore, he directly interrupted her internal struggle.

“Yue’er, what’s wrong?”

Lin Shenyue snapped back to reality, though a trace of confusion still clouded her features. “Tell me, if one person’s body is occupied by another, where does the original person go?”

Ye Jue’s expression subtly shifted. If these words were spoken to anyone else, they would undoubtedly dismiss it as a mere philosophical musing. However, coming from Lin Shenyue, Ye Jue certainly couldn’t view it as a simple question.

Moreover, he suspected Lin Shenyue’s confusion stemmed from this very reason, making him doubt she was merely asking out of curiosity. Yet, Ye Jue couldn’t confirm anything himself, so he could only speculate internally.

Outwardly, he offered a reassuring thought: “The original person must have gone into the body of the one who occupied theirs.”

Lin Shenyue paused, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. She then recalled that before her transmigration, she had instantly died from an electric shock, her body likely remaining intact. If that were truly the case, the original Lin Shenyue might indeed have ended up in her previous body.

Watching Lin Shenyue lost in thought, Ye Jue’s doubts intensified. He felt that his own existence as an anomaly in this world was already a sign that something was amiss. The idea of another such anomaly felt almost unreal to him.

Unaware of Ye Jue’s growing suspicions, Lin Shenyue’s mood instantly brightened after reaching her conclusion. She then asked, “Are we going to find that person now?”

Ye Jue nodded, temporarily pushing his misgivings aside. He was quite familiar with Vermilion Bird City; Street 259 was part of a slum area. Even in a bustling metropolis like Vermilion Bird City, slums were numerous and not confined to a single district, existing in various corners of the city.

Lin Shenyue followed Ye Jue to Street 259. The squalid environment immediately made her frown.

Ye Jue, who had anticipated this, sighed after a quick glance around. “In truth, such conditions exist not only in games but also, albeit rarely, in reality.”

Lin Shenyue recalled what she had seen and heard in her previous life. Though not entirely identical to this world, the general essence remained the same. She could only follow Ye Jue silently, enduring the oppressive atmosphere around them.

Ye Jue seemed to realize something. The intensity of environmental odors was also linked to pain tolerance, and Lin Shenyue appeared to be enduring more than he had initially expected. Finally, Ye Jue spoke.

“You should wait for me outside. I’ll go in first to find the person, then I’ll come back for you.”

Lin Shenyue could no longer tolerate the stench. She simply nodded and retreated outside.