Traveling Back to the Wilderness (穿回蛮荒当神棍)

Chapter 01: Traveling Back to the Wilderness

The cold wind howled, and the sky was shrouded in gray gloom. The sun's rays struggled to penetrate the thick clouds, leaving the people of the Dharma-ending age deprived of sunny days for a long time.

Everywhere one looked, there were ruins and decay. Once magnificent high-rise buildings now stood with peeling outer walls, resembling sinister monsters opening their mouths, instilling a sense of unease.

Yet, the hurried crowds on the streets seemed indifferent, neither looking up at the sky nor paying attention to the dilapidated structures. Among them, Yu Su emerged from the library, holding a thick book of spells in his hands. He stood at the library's entrance, gazing at the sky for an extended moment.

Behind him lay the city's largest library, once bustling with people and brightly lit. Now, only an elderly gatekeeper and himself, the 'fool' who would come to read books at this time, remained.

In this Dharma-ending era, the magical orb on the library's rooftop that once illuminated the entire city had long been extinguished, rendering even the most talented individuals useless.

Being born in such desperate times was Yu Su's greatest regret. He couldn't fathom why he persisted in coming to the library to read about spells when the knowledge was scarcely worth a few coins in the present.

Perhaps it was because the fiery passion in his heart refused to be extinguished, even amid the dwindling spiritual energy of the Dharma-ending era.

Countless times, he had daydreamed about what it would be like if he could practice spells one day.

The lazy gatekeeper lazily shifted his posture and leaned against the gate, noticing the longing and ambition that inadvertently revealed themselves on Yu Su's face. He couldn't help but let out a mocking laugh.

"What are you looking at? Even if you gaze at the world's spiritual energy, it won't recover even the slightest bit. No matter how talented you are, you're just a useless person. With the current state of the world, even the most gifted individuals are reduced to cripples. If the spiritual energy were still present, even the most useless of people could live to be a hundred years old. I wouldn't have to worry about barely making it to sixty. But I consider myself lucky, unlike you youngsters. Who knows if you'll even live to be sixty; you might die before fifty."

The old man's words were malicious, but they held some truth. Since the depletion of spiritual energy, not only had the aura vanished, but all kinds of resources had also been depleted. The harsh living environment became increasingly unsuitable for human survival, leading to premature aging.

Yu Su's eyes reflected sorrow and helplessness. This was a reality he could no longer change.

Suppressing his yearning, he adjusted his collar and joined the numb crowd, clutching the book of spells, heading towards home.

Perhaps burdened by heavy thoughts, Yu Su failed to notice the commotion around him, oblivious to the screams of the crowd.

It wasn't until a falling wall crashed upon his head that he reacted, but it was already too late.

With a loud bang, countless screams echoed around him.

***

Yu Su only had time to think one thought: the old gatekeeper was too much of a jinx.

***

Yu Su opened his eyes again, and the first thing he saw was the thatched yellow roof, the rough and uncarved beams, and then the dilapidated rammed earth wall, where the surface layer of soil had peeled off, revealing an uneven surface with some grass roots mixed in. It was very eco-friendly and primitive.

As his vision cleared, he realized he was lying on a wooden board, serving as his bed—hard and uncomfortable.

Confused, he turned his head and met a pair of dark eyes, startling him.

"You are..."

Before he could finish speaking, a flood of memories rushed into his mind, accompanied by the sensation of pain in his body.

Yu Su was astonished to discover that he was no longer in the Dharma-ending era. His soul had somehow entered the body of a young man from the primitive era, also named Yu Su!

The original owner was a villager from a place called Yu Family Village in the primitive era. Their family was small, with the mother having passed away, leaving only him, his father, and his younger brother.

His father was a foolish cripple, and his younger brother was the child currently watching him. He appeared to have symptoms of autism, rarely spoke, and was introverted. He was also physically frail, as if the slightest gust of wind could blow him away.

To support his father and younger brother, the original owner worked tirelessly from dawn to dusk, but due to his frailty, he could only do a limited amount of work, just enough to keep the family from starving.

One day ago, the original owner of this body fell from the mountains and lost consciousness. He was carried back home, injured and feverish all night, and unfortunately, he did not survive. Now, Yu Su has taken his place.

Yu Su let out a long breath and then said to his younger brother, Yu Zhou, who was by the bedside, "Go and get me a bowl of water."

Yu Zhou got up without saying a word and went to fetch the water. His thin and frail figure didn't match his age, and seeing him like this, it was hard not to shed tears.

Yu Su placed his hand on his chest, accepting the fact that he had become this world's Yu Su. He would take good care of his family on Yu Su's behalf.

As he solidified this thought, a strange suffocating feeling in his chest dissipated into thin air.

Yu Su was surprised but soon understood that it might have been a trace of consciousness left by the original owner. Now that the original owner had left, Yu Su was the real Yu Su.

"Water." Yu Zhou returned with a chipped bowl and silently uttered the word, his dark eyes holding a trace of worry.

Yu Su understood, raised his hand, and gently rubbed his head before taking the somewhat murky water in the bowl and drinking it all in one gulp.

Yu Zhou watched quietly, but when Yu Su had rubbed his head just now, a faint glimmer appeared in his calm, unchildlike dark eyes.