1

Deep within the mountains, nestled within a valley surrounded by lush forests, lies a small town known as Qingyun. It is situated near a flowing river that divides the town into two sections. On one side, there are numerous small shops and stalls, selling various goods ranging from herbs and spices to weapons and armor. On the other side, there are quaint homes and gardens, with narrow winding paths leading through them.

The river that flows through the town is the lifeblood of Qingyun. It provides water for irrigation and sustenance for the townsfolk. A network of small canals and aqueducts distribute the water throughout the town, allowing crops to flourish even in the driest seasons.

The town is surrounded by rolling hills and mountains, with the tallest peak in the distance visible from most parts of Qingyun. The air is crisp and fresh, and the scent of flowers and herbs is carried on the breeze.

As the humid air of Qingyun thickly clings to the skin and makes the clothes stick, the figure of a lone person could be seen walking towards a small wooden hut situated in the middle of a garden.

The hut is made of rough-hewn wooden planks that have been weathered by the elements. The door is slightly ajar, and a faint light flickers from within.

Inside the hut, the air is even more oppressive. The walls are lined with shelves that are stacked with various books and trinkets. In the center of the room, there is a low table with a few scrolls and a brush and inkstone. A small bed is tucked away in the corner, and there is a pot of tea brewing on a small stove.

At this moment, inside the small hut, the figure of a young boy in his late teens was sitting at the table with his brows furrowed in concentration, scribbling something on a piece of paper with the brush. he was wearing a long robe that covers most of his body, and his long hair was tied back in a ponytail.

The boy had a small and slight build, with narrow shoulders and a delicate frame. His skin was pale, almost translucent, and his eyes were big and round, giving him a somewhat doe-eyed appearance. His hair was a soft brown color and styled in a neat and tidy fashion, falling just above his shoulders.

The boy's facial features were delicate, with a small nose and thin lips. He had a high forehead and a pointed chin, which gave him an intellectual appearance. His hands were slender and his fingers long, making them perfect for holding a pen or brush. Despite his frail appearance, there was a quiet strength in his gaze, hinting at a keen intelligence and inner resolve.

"Not like this."

With a frown, the brush in his hand stopped. Looking at the words on the paper, there was an expression of helplessness on his face.

"Still not working." After hesitating a few times, the boy finally shook his head before placing the brush on the table and closing his eyes.

Sitting in his position for a while, he opened his eyes with a desolate sigh. At this moment, there were a variety of emotions on his face, ranging from helplessness to acceptance. If not for the sound of boiling tea, he might have perhaps fallen asleep.

Standing up, he stretched his body. After all, it was easy for arms and legs to go numb after sitting in the same position for a long time.

Coming to the stove, he grabbed the wooden handle of the pot before pouring the boiling tea into a small cup; after that, he walked back to his position before sitting down and sipping slowly.

The mist from the hot tea slowly raised above, making the scenery in front of him a bit hazy. And as the scenery got hazier and hazier, the boy slowly found himself lost in his train of thought.

"Can not believe it's been a week already. And I have no clue what to do next."

Murmuring to himself in a soft voice, the boy thoughts of the events that lead him here.

He didn't know how, but a week ago he found himself inexplicable in another body, in another world. At first, his initial reaction was that of panic as he struggled to come to terms with reality. But with each passing minute, he slowly began to adapt to his new identity.

"Just some fragmented memories. The working and semantic memories seem fine, but I can't recall anything else."

"Also, what was I even doing before coming here? And how the hell did I end up here?"

Cursing for a moment, he tried his best to recall things from his previous life. But the only thing he remembered was getting a phone call before everything went black and he somehow ended up here.

"What was the call about?" With furrowed brows, he tried hard to recall, but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't remember it.

"Forget it. Even if I keep on thinking, nothing is going to change." He lost count of the times he had recalled these memories again and again.

Massaging his forehead for a while, he then put down the cup as his gaze fell upon the paper in front of him.

"And this thing is still not working." Looking at the paper in front of him for a while, he cursed in a low voice before scrapping it and throwing it away. The small pile that was formed on the other side of the room was enough to tell the onlookers that this wasn't the first time he had done so.

Taking a deep breath he laid a new paper in front of him on the table before picking up the brush.

Pausing for a moment, he hesitated slightly. But this hesitation vanished as soon as it appeared. He then raised his hand as the pen slowly began to write new words on the paper.

'Once upon a time, there was a man by the name of Lee. When he was a kid, he got a ring with a soul in it. The soul in the ring was of an expert who taught him many things. Slowly by slowly, he got stronger. And as he fought more and more people, his power grew endlessly. In the end, he became a God and left the world.

The End.'

As he finished writing, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the middle of his eyebrows. After a brief moment, he felt like the world around him was spinning and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a dark space with a small vortex that was spinning slowly.

In the middle of the vortex was a small book. The appearance of the book was extremely ordinary. One that anyone can find inside a bookstore.

"Come on."

Swallowing nervously, the boy looked at the book with great expectations.

Just a day after he came to this world, he somehow arrived in this place when he was trying hard to recall some memories.

At first, he was scared out of his wits. After all, never in his life before had he seen something so extraordinary. Just the mere sight of the vortex was breathtaking.

He tried moving towards the vortex, but to his amazement, he didn't seem to have a body. However, as soon as the thought of going forward appeared, he found himself close to the vortex.

The vortex which was the size of a small human child shot out a ray of light toward him.

And that light was the exact reason he had been trying to write non-stop.

From the light, he understood what the function of this book was.

He can write a story and receive rewards from the story. But there were certain conditions for it.

The first condition was that the word limit must be less than two thousand words.

The second condition was that the story should be written in a natural way.

At first, he was ecstatic after learning about the functions. After all, he had read countless novels in his previous life. He can just summarize some of them, and wouldn't he become a God?

But, alas! As a wise man once said, "Reality is often disappointing."

His expectations were through the roof, but nothing that he wrote seemed to work. By now he had perhaps written more than a hundred different stories in brief summary, and if those weren't enough, he even wrote the first chapter of some novels and even the first arc in brief summary and yet, nothing happened. If not for the book inside his mind, he might have questioned his own sanity.

Thinking about it, he shook his head and looked nervously at the book in front of him. Perhaps, it might work this time.

After waiting for more than fifteen minutes, the boy let out a sigh full of disappointment as he closed his eyes.

"As expected." Opening his eyes back to the real world, he shook his head before crumbling the paper and throwing it in the garbage can placed near his desk. At this moment, the garbage can was almost full, filled to the brim with papers each having something written on them. This along with the small pile on the other side of the room made his already small room even more congested.

"It's just getting more and more troublesome." Feeling exhausted he gathered his thoughts once again.

Arranging the scattered memories of the previous body owner, he focused on some of the major points.

The name of the previous owner was Lin Kai, a member of the Lin family. Other than the fact that his father was the current patriarch of the Lin family, there wasn't anything special about him.

Even the title of the son of the current patriarch has no value as his supposed father has more than ten children from four wives.

His childhood was plain and dull. After giving birth to him, his mother passed away. Growing up all alone in the sheltered home, there weren't many things that he knew or had knowledge of. And even if there were, the current Lin Kai wasn't fortunate enough to receive those memories.

The only memories he inherited were his name, some basic information, relations, and people.

"You have really put me in a tough spot."

Looking at the paper that was hanging on the wall with "Exam" written on it, he smiled wryly. He knew the previous body owner was preparing for an exam, but what it was, he had no clue. From the parched scrolls placed around him that focus on various schemes and plans for people, he could only guess it must be something like an imperial exam.

"I need to gather more knowledge." After his arrival into this new world, he found the book in his mind. Since then, his sole focus has been placed on it. During this entire week, other than eating out in the dining hall, he didn't go anywhere else.

Now that he has failed continuously, the only thing he could do was either to try again or go out for a walk.

"Naah..." Looking at the bin full of papers along with the small pile on the corner, he was in no mood to write again for the time being. Even if he wanted to write, he was stuck in a loop. Since nothing seemed to be working, he might as well walk around. Maybe it might help him somehow.

Making up his mind, he stood up and took a step outside of his hut. He finally decided to gather more information that might be of help.

Taking a step out of the hut, he took a deep breath.

"Well, at least the air is much better here."

"And the scenery is beautiful too."

Admiring the mountains in the distance, he nodded his head, but before he was even able to decide his next destination, a loud chime of a bell interrupted his train of thought.

"Clang."

"Clang."

"Clang."

.

.

.

"Huh?" Narrowing his eyes, Lin Kai thought for a moment. In the Lin family, the toll of the bell was sounded only to summon the direct members of the Lin family.

"Now what?" With a frown, he thought for a moment before deciding to go. Even if he decided to stay here, there would be someone coming to invite him. So, instead of making a scene, it would be much better to go and see what the fuss is all about.