It has been several years I came to this world, to be exact 10 years, even though this world feels close and like a home to me, deep down I know, I lived somewhere that I have strongly believed to be my real home. Visuals of me living somewhere that is entirely different from here appear in my dreams, I have seen strange instruments through which people could communicate with each other, vehicles through which one can travel far and wide, I have personally seen some of my memories and what kind of person I am, but I was afraid to face that I am someone other than me..
Since young I am keen and intelligent unlike children of my age group, maybe because I have lived for second time, but I kept this secret with me in fear of others perceive me as someone mentally ill, who would believe some other world exists, if my parents know it will they accept me as the same as before?, what will they think if the child they loved was not what they thought he was , but some old guy impersonating their child.
But gradually I came to realization, so what does some dreams have to do with me, will they change me to be something other than me? no I am just myself, it is not important who I have been in the past, nor will it matter who I will be in future, all that matters is what I am doin in the present.
Even though it may seem like some enlightened thing coming out of someone like me, who is not some sage nor one who had experienced the world fully, I came to this conclusion, after seeing myself dying multiple times in my dream, it may come naturally to someone else if they experienced what I experienced too.
Although other things I have seen through my memory will not influence me for who I am, I have learned at least to be myself and give my best for this life, If not the chance to experience life a second time will be wasted on someone like me.
"Mu what are you thinking again ? are you lost in your thoughts again?" asked Shen Zhen, Shen Mu's eldest brother.
"Brother what are you dong here, aren't you at the academy , if father catches you that you are here skipping your classes again, it will not bode well for you."
"Don't worry Mu, today the academy elder has given holiday for the class for the rest of the day since he has some important work to do. Haven't you heard the blizzard tis year will be coming early so the elders in the family are busy discussing about the allocation of the resources, and counter measures for it."
"Brother since, you came early why don't you tell me tale of primordial ancestor Shi Zu?"
"Ha Ha brother , I don't know what you find so interesting about that story, even our old man nags too much about it, but since you asked I will tell you again anyways."
"At the beginning of our Gu world when there is only unending landmass, to the far sights one's naked eye can see, when beasts are roaming unhindered and heaven and earth is constantly overturned by extreme weather, the very first intelligent being capable of thinking came to life, as soon as he was born he was unlike us , he had strength to overturn seas and crush mountains, when he was hungry the beasts near him shiver in fear, he was mighty and unhindered where ever he went, but suddenly one day he met his opponent a beast so mighty that our ancestor was trampled under it. But it did not kill our primordial ancestor but laughed at him."
"Ha Ha Ha, Oh Shi Zu I heard of you from my fellow beasts in the surroundings , that you are someone with immense strength but I should have known better, rumors are always exaggerated, even if I want to eat you, you don't even fit in between my teeth."
"It laughed of and went it's way, but it is not that primordial ancestor is weak but rather the beast was too strong. Seeing he was miniscule compared to vast heaven and earth, Shi Zu had a desire in his heart to roam unhindered in the vast wilderness but who can say they will have strength to remain free and unhindered forever, but who is Shi Zu , he was not a puny being , he was born from vast heaven and earth itself with primordial strength, the realization did not quell his heart but made it more intense, thus a Gu was born from his heart. Shi Zu saw something hiding in his heart thus questioned it."
"Oh Gu what are you? why are you staying in my heart?"
"Oh Shi Zu I am Desire Gu, I was born from the intense desire in your heart , no being till now has a desire grand and vast such as yourself, how can I Desire Gu born from such lowly desires?"
"Then Oh Gu, then tell me how can you help me?"
"I can help you awaken your origin core, through the medium of which you can gain immense strength and fulfill you desire."
"Ha little Mu I think this should be enough for today."
"Yeah, right brother you were always busy these days, nowadays I heard brother was going out with someone, how about you say hi to sister-in-law on my behalf?"
Shen Zhen face reddened with embarrassment , he immediately left the room in hurry.
This world was not normal and did not adhere to any normal laws of physics, it was mystical, in this world lied Gu masters who can decimate hundreds of mortals with just their strength, there lived Gu which are mystical beings born from vast heaven and earth which can grant their users infinite possible powers one could only imagine.
He was born in Shen clan which was one of the many clans in Northern tundra plains, he knows just the continent is called Northern tundra but how vast it is no one knows just the Xue Gu(Snowy valley) their Shen clan was living in stretches for thousands of kilometers, most Gu masters have not even went out of Xue Gu valley , not to mention mortals if they step out the Shen clan they might not even survive for days , they might just turn into popsicle in the blizzard.
There are couple of other clans and even other variant men living with them in the valley, one of the variant men Frost men who are the descendants of Water men(mentioned in the legends of Shi Zu) are also one of the inhabitants living in the valley.
Frost men might be not well received by surrounding human clans in the valley but in the harsh climates of Northern Tundra region, these frost men have it easy, since the climate boosts them, what is worse is that uninvited blizzards that happen every once in a while is a like a blessing to them , that strengthens them , some surrounding clans even request their help to pass through the blizzard and give resources in return.
But the surrounding clans are always vary towards them, after all how could one raise a fierce tiger under their own eyes that too with their own resources, so once in while the surrounding cans organize a alliance to jointly suppress these frost men, so the situation in Xue Gu valley is always in a deadlock.
Shen clan is one of the major clans in the Xue Gu valley with thousands of Gu masters under them, even having two rank 5 Gu masters, and ten rank 4 Gu masters.
His father is a rank 3 Gu master so they are doing well in the clan, but he has ten other children beside him and Shen Zhen, the clan encourages Gu masters to have multiple children so new blood can be bought into the clan, every year due to the blizzards huge amount of Gu masters die protecting the clan, if you don't have good amount of new blood to replace them the clan will soon see a decline in couple of decades, everyone don't have the aptitude to become Gu masters, even if clan mass produces rank 1 or rank 2 Gu masters , what about rank 3 or rank 4 and 5 , they are the backbone of the clan, without sufficient seeds how can they choose who have the aptitude to become rank 3 or rank 4 and allocate resources to nurture them?
His mother has passed away some years ago when he was six, due to multiple child births her body became weak, and couldn't resist epidemic that spread in Xue Gu valley that year, even though healing Gu masters of various clans came together and deduced the medicine, it was already too late, and her body gave in, he was weeping for days to come, his younger siblings were even more pitiful.
He could remember her shaking hands touching his father Shen Bo who was also weeping continuously at the time, she said with large difficulty to keep her kids safe, and she was regretful to not see some of her kids growing up, she looked at her kids one last time and died with a smile on her face.
Shen Bo was walking through the streets of Shen clan sighing in his mind, he has 12 children but his earnings and allowance by the clan are not enough for his own cultivation, how can they sufficient for all of his kids, although he loved them dearly, after having his first son Shen Gui his joy of having kids died down gradually, and being human he could not love all his kids equally he was not a saint, he was biased towards Shen Gui even though Shen Gui was only a D grade talent he gave major resources to him, though some of his kids have awakened C and D grade talent, some other resources he gave to his children who have C or D grade talent, as for E grade they can only dream , but not get any, now his first son Gui who was 28 has already has kids and his oldest one was already 12 and awakened his origin core this year and had a B-grade aptitude, his son Gui though was heavily supported by him with resources could only become a rank 2 with his E-grade talent, but his grandson Shen Ren has B-grade aptitude, he has a chance to become rank-4. What did that mean? he has chance to become a elder , there were only ten elders in Shen clan with immense authority, even though there were many rank-4 talents emerging every year with a clan the size of Shen clan, it was nigh impossible for them to rank-4 if not Shen can would be overflowing with rank-4 Gu masters.
But who would not want it, even if it was only a chance , humans can do anything for their desire, he thought-"Wasn't desire what drives us forward, if the great Shi Zu did not have the desire for strength , would his variant men descendants procreate and live till now, would Gu cultivation exist today ,compared to him I am an ant, but an ant also has desire, I just want my grandson to become rank-4 and raise our family status, is it too much?"
But his other children are already dissatisfied with him being bias towards Shen Gui, but they could only swallow their emotions, how can they question him ,they are too afraid, after all in this world strength is the ultimate.
Actually when Shen Bo's wife was still alive, the situation was still under control, and she used to give him advice not to overly give his resources only to Shen Gui, but after her death , no one was there to control Shen Bo and dissuade him, so the situation has gotten much out of control, Shen Bo second eldest son Shen Kui and third eldest daughter Shen Qing who had C-grade aptitude are already highly disappointed with him.
So Shen Bo has much of a headache now, if he now gives even those resources Shen Ren, he doesn't know what his other children will do, supposedly speaking according to rules of Shen clan once some turns 15 they are considered adult and parents no longer need to support them, so he can not do so, in fact if he uses his resources for himself, it is not much of problem with his kids, but since he was giving resources to Shen Gui he has to give them too.
By basic human nature it was like-"Since he was getting the resources why can't we too?"
But now he was supporting his grandson too? he still has younger kids who haven't yet turned twelve what about them? It was okay to not give resources to his elder kids, but how can he neglect his children but favour his grand kids now?
Shen Bo could only sigh and go with his decision , although his other children will be disappointed, what is that disappointment compared to a rank-4 elder?
thinking of it Shen Bo could only smile to himself , a future rank-4 , his grandson, Shen Bo was dreaming the respect people would give him- "You see that old man he is the grandfather of elder Shen Ren", "Wow friend, your grandson now is already a elder, hope you don't forget us."
The foundation is not yet built but Shen Bao was already dreaming of the house that is not built. People often dream about the result that they have not achieved rather than focusing the work they have to do now, having a goal is not the problem here, but now dreaming about it too much when it is not there yet can cause some serious consequences.
Shen Bo's heart became firmer and resolute thinking about it and decided to give all his resources to his grandson Shen Ren ...