Chapter 1
The ruler of Great Liang was notorious for his volatile temper and unpredictable moods; the Jin Tai massacre shocked the entire nation.
Everyone in the court wondered why the Imperial Astrologer did not advise His Majesty to reconsider, especially since the Emperor had always followed Master Xie’s counsel without question.
In truth, Xie Yubo could not even offer advice, as he was completely cut off from any outside information.
Due to his merits overshadowing the throne, he had been imprisoned by the tyrant in the Imperial Astrologer’s residence for a full six months.
Because of his extraordinary brilliance and ability to perceive heavenly secrets, he was unquestionably regarded as a sage by the people of the Great Liang Dynasty, his status subtly surpassing even that of the Emperor.
On the third day of the seventh lunar month, Xie Yubo submitted a memorial requesting an audience with the Emperor, which was rejected.
The following day, he submitted another memorial, only to be rejected once again.
It was not until the old eunuch arrived bearing the imperial edict that Xie Yubo learned the truth: two months prior, the Northern Rong had invaded the borders, precisely as the tyrant emperor had hoped. The monarch had immediately led the campaign in person, displaying a reckless fervor for war.
Xie Yubo’s brows knitted tightly together. He sensed that the people of Liang were about to face a catastrophic disaster, yet he remained unable to meet with the tyrant to discuss countermeasures.
The Sovereign, having listened to the slander of petty men, had imprisoned him within the Grand Preceptor’s residence. Any bond between ruler and minister had been eroded over these past six months; even the most virtuous minister would be driven to rebellion under such pressure.
Yet Xie Yubo thought: if the tyrant lacks benevolence, what sin have the common people committed to deserve such devastation?
On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, Great Liang’s most distinguished Imperial Astrologer passed away prematurely, leaving behind a letter foretelling natural disasters and bequeathing his entire fortune—totaling two hundred thousand taels of gold—to aid disaster relief.
In the month that followed, everything unfolded exactly as predicted in the letter.
Great Liang weathered earthquakes, floods, and plagues with narrow escapes, after which… the emperor died suddenly.
His younger brother ascended the throne and ordered the court historians to record Xie Yubo’s deeds generously, ensuring his name would endure through the ages.
The common people, barely recovering from the calamity, finally realized that their Imperial Astrologer had perished, consumed by backlash after forcibly altering the Mandate of Heaven. Consequently, households across the land voluntarily hung white silk ribbons to mourn him.
..
Longgan City, atop Lirong Tower, the second-tallest building in the city.
“Yes, keep moving forward; there’s a step right there. Yubo, I can see you. Just one more step—”
The voice from the phone coaxed gently, guiding the young man in the white suit step by step up the three-tiered iron scaffolding, then urging him to stride over the rooftop railing—only for his foot to meet empty air.
In a flash, the white-clad young man’s previously unfocused eyes suddenly sharpened; in that instant, the soul had changed. Xie Yubo, the Imperial Astrologer of Great Liang, opened his Heavenly Eye, clearly perceiving his surroundings, and amidst the rapid descent, he grabbed hold of an exterior pipe.
Exerting tremendous effort to climb back from the edge of the rooftop, Xie Yubo sustained a long gash on his right hand.
Something had just slipped from his grasp. Lowering his gaze, Xie Yubo looked down upon a bustling thoroughfare teeming with bizarre, dazzling sights, where countless iron behemoths rumbled past, rendering the ground below utterly indistinct.
Xie Yubo focused intently for a moment before withdrawing his gaze, slowly sorting through his current situation.
From the glossy surface of the rooftop’s circular light, he saw a face identical to his own—young and pale. The differences lay in the short bangs covering the forehead and the outlandish attire. If he hadn’t opened his Heavenly Eye, relying solely on this body’s physical vision, he would see nothing at all—he was blind.
As a charlatan with impeccable professional ethics, Xie Yubo quickly accepted the premise of soul transmigration.
Everything around him indicated that a failed suicide by jumping had just occurred here.
A faint chill gleamed in Xie Yubo’s eyes. He didn’t know what the original occupant of this body had been thinking, but this was absolutely a murder attempt. He didn’t even need to cast a divination to deduce it—
The original body seemed prepared for an important gathering, dressed in immaculate white robes. Yet that iron staircase, abruptly appearing on the rooftop, stood just high enough to surpass the railing. Step by step, the original body ascended, only to misstep on the final tread and fall.
Crucially, Xie Yubo was blind. That staircase was stained with vivid, patchy rust, leaving a mark at the slightest touch. Without guidance, how could a blind person possibly locate the steps so precisely, climb them one by one, yet end up with not a single speck of rust on their clothes or hands?
Has the Heavenly Eye opened?
He was certain that he had been the only person on this rooftop from start to finish. Xie Yubo couldn’t fathom how the original body’s owner had been lured; could someone have transmitted a voice over a thousand li?
Hmm, the most pressing matter now is to attend to the call of nature.
Everything here felt unfamiliar to him, yet the principles of Feng Shui governing a building’s layout remained consistent across ancient and modern times. With a quick calculation using his fingers, he swiftly located the latrine.
The restroom was slightly different from what he had imagined. Guided by a bold spirit of exploration, Xie Yubo precisely positioned himself in front of a urinal. Just as he was about to figure out how to undo his clothes, a sudden haze clouded his vision, plunging him back into darkness.
Xie Yubo’s fingers, resting on his belt, froze.
Damn it! Overusing my eyes immediately after waking up, combined with my body’s weakness, has temporarily disabled my Heavenly Eye!
What is this cold metal buckle and belt? Why can’t I tear them apart?
Xie Yubo, with one hand injured, fumbled blindly for his belt with the other. Perhaps due to urgent physical needs combined with inner anxiety, he momentarily couldn’t figure out how to manage it.
Why would people here deliberately make relieving themselves so difficult? Aren’t they afraid of wetting their pants?
The Imperial Astrologer, renowned throughout his lifetime, now had numerous question marks popping above his head.
Footsteps approached from behind as two people entered. Xie Yubo opened his mouth slightly, the tips of his ears flushing crimson.
“Brother, I have a favor to ask…” Xie Yubo’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s hum.
The other man gave no response. Suspecting his voice had been too soft, Xie Yubo waved his injured hand. “Could you do me this kindness?”
Shang Yange quietly observed the young man before him for a moment; his gaze lingered on Xie’s vacant eyes and blood-dripping fingers, briefly tightening.
Though Xie Yubo had once accepted the worship of ten thousand people, this particular stare made him uneasy, as if someone had looked at him in exactly this way long ago.
Who could it be… Xie Yubo shook his head; having been confined for far too long, the former Imperial Astrologer couldn’t recall.
Just as Xie Yubo assumed he was unwilling to help, he felt a hand reaching toward him from the side. He murmured, “Thank you,” and immediately after, a crisp click echoed, followed by the loosening of his belt. Swiftly pressing down on his slipping trousers, he offered another quiet word of gratitude.
The attire in this world is truly peculiar—the outer pants are difficult to remove, and the undergarments are equally strange. Yet, as someone who had witnessed grand occasions in his past life, National Preceptor Xie strove to maintain an air of maturity and effortless elegance.
Suddenly, his shoulders were gently turned; Xie Yubo found himself passively rotated slightly to the left.
It wasn’t aligned.
“…” Xie Yubo’s cheeks burned crimson; this time, he was too embarrassed even to say thank you as he quickly finished relieving himself.
Having just arrived in this new life, parts of his own body he’d never even seen before were now exposed to a stranger’s gaze.
The man casually fastened his belt buckle back in place, washed his hands, and left, as though he had merely stepped into the restroom for a routine inspection.
From beginning to end, the other person hadn’t uttered a single word. Xie Yubo turned toward the door, guided by the sound of footsteps, and blinked hard in vain; he still couldn’t see. Having just transmigrated, his innate Heavenly Eye ability was not yet acclimated to this new world.
The blind Grand Preceptor, unable to see his benefactor, grew somewhat irritable. He himself hadn’t been startled; it was merely the Heavenly Eye being overly delicate!
Almost instinctively, he calculated this person’s identity with a flick of his fingers.
And then… he became even more irritable.
He couldn’t figure it out.
..
As soon as Assistant Lin Bei saw Shang Yange emerge, he immediately stepped forward to follow him, quickly composing his expression to mask the shock churning within.
Their notoriously aloof CEO—had he just helped a child urinate?
Shang Yange was universally acknowledged as a heaven-sent prodigy and a titan of industry. As his personal assistant, Lin Bei knew better than anyone that his boss’s temper was not merely bad; it was utterly capricious. Yet, Shang Yange always maintained impeccable control, never unleashing his fury upon others.
For instance, earlier at the venue, Lin Bei had sensed Shang Yange’s sudden drop in mood when he announced he was going to the rooftop for some air. However, just one flight of stairs short of the roof, Shang Yange detoured into the restroom. Upon exiting, he turned back along the same path, acting as though he had never mentioned going to the rooftop at all.
“Schedule an appointment with Shen Chen immediately.” Shang Yange’s brows were tightly furrowed. The image of the young man in the restroom, frantically clutching his white suit jacket while blood from his wound smeared the hem into a gruesome crimson, still lingered vividly in his mind, plunging him into a mood worse than ever before.
“Understood.” The assistant proceeded to contact President Shang’s private physician.
“Inform the Xie family that Xie Yubo is here.”
Today marked the anniversary celebration of the Xie Group, attended by the entire Xie family, naturally including their youngest master, rumored to be mentally impaired and blind.
The assistant was somewhat surprised; he hadn’t noticed the young man’s eyes earlier, but judging by his behavior, he seemed neither blind nor mentally impaired, leading him to scoff at the rumors.
..
Xie Yubo waited in the restroom for a while. Although he had inherited no memories, based on the original host’s location and the texture of his clothing, he must have come from a wealthy or noble background.
He is blind, so his family would certainly not let him wander off; someone should come looking for him soon.
The word “home” felt distant and unfamiliar to Xie Yubo. He had revealed his fortune-telling talents early on; his parents treated him as a means of livelihood, making him pretend to be half-blind while reading fortunes for others. The entire family kept him under strict guard, fearing he might run away.
He later realized that such a place could hardly be called a “home.” After turning fourteen, he regarded the imperial court as his home, but by nineteen, he discovered he was mistaken again.
Xie Yubo’s eyes shifted slightly. Why not slip away before anyone noticed? With his abilities, he need never worry about going hungry.
Xie Yubo took a step, then suddenly remembered that the culprit who had instigated the original host’s suicide had not yet been found. To simply walk away would be akin to committing an unforgivable sin against heaven!
Just as he was pondering this, three or four people rushed into the area outside the restroom, anxiously calling his name.
His family has arrived! Xie Yubo knew nothing about the original host’s personality or how he interacted with his family. Moreover, having never experienced normal family relationships himself, he worried about being exposed and nervously pressed his lips together.
“You’re injured?!”
The bloodstains on her youngest son’s pristine white suit were so shocking that Mrs. Xie’s vision instantly blurred, and she nearly fainted, only to be caught by Mr. Xie.
“Mom, please don’t panic. Xiao Bo injured his left hand; the bleeding has already stopped.” After calming his mother, Xie Chenbo cautiously approached Xie Yubo.
“Xiao Bo, I’m your eldest brother, Xie Chenbo. May I take a look at your hand?”
Regaining her composure, Mrs. Xie hurried forward, speaking in a soft, gentle voice: “I’m your mother, Xue Jing. Xiao Bo, don’t be afraid. I’ll call Doctor Liu right away; the pain will soon be gone.”
Something’s off. Do close family members really need to state their names every single time they speak?
Xie Yubo was completely bewildered, but he couldn’t calculate his own fate—it was impossible to divine. He could only judge the situation based on their words.
Then, Xie Yubo noticed that whenever someone spoke to him, they would almost always introduce themselves first, using a careful yet practiced tone, as if talking to a fool.
The deep concern woven into their words was priceless, enough to stir envy in anyone. Xie Yubo felt his eyes sting with unshed tears—moved by such genuine familial love, yet weighed down by guilt for impersonating their kin. He clasped his hands behind his back. “Just a minor injury. Nothing serious.”
The air suddenly fell silent as Mrs. Xie abruptly embraced Xie Yubo with fervent emotion.
“You understand what Mom is saying! Jianming, Xiao Bo responded to me! I told you Xiao Bo is very smart…”
The person whose name was called was none other than the semi-retired Chairman Xie, Xie Yubo’s biological father. Upon hearing this, he choked up repeatedly, saying, “Good, good…”
Xie Yubo tentatively called out, “Mom—”
“Little Bo can call for Mom now; Mom is right here…”
Xie Yubo: “…”
I understand.
I am a fool.