Chapter 107: Slave Beginnings, Remnants of the Scarlet Hill of the Golden Crow Mountain - Ah? The Wives I Abandoned Turned Out to Be Real

Chapter 107: Slave Beginnings, Remnants of the Scarlet Hill of the Golden Crow Mountain [Your talent this time is 'True Solar Flame.'] [Would you like to use the idle mode?] “No!” [Detected a virtual reality opportunity, would you like to use it?] “Use it!” Upon choosing to use the opportunity, Su Mo's vision suddenly turned pitch black, and his consciousness faded into chaos... … Su Mo had no idea how long he had been asleep. When he awoke, he found himself transformed into a newborn with golden-red hair. He was born as a Caucasian remnant of the Scarlet Hill of the Golden Crow Mountain in the city of Yi — this was his identity in this life. Opening his eyes, Su Mo saw people around him with robust builds, fiery red hair, and bodies covered in tattoos. They were his people, yet his own golden-red hair sharply distinguished him from them. Upon seeing Su Mo’s golden-red hair, a sense of despair lit up in the eyes of the Scarlet Hill remnants around him. Before long, a withered, elderly matron, full of wrinkles, approached. Su Mo’s eyes, bright and lively, darted around inquisitively. He didn’t know the status of this elder among the people. Unlike the others, the old woman’s gaze held not disappointment, but rather a deep sadness when she looked at Su Mo. She retrieved a jar of crimson dye from somewhere and began applying it to Su Mo’s hair. In no time, the dye had masked his golden-red locks, blending his hair color to match the fiery red of those around him. Seeing Su Mo so calm, neither crying nor fussing, the old woman playfully tapped his little bottom. Prompted by the stimulation, Su Mo burst into tears. The others laughed heartily. The remnants of the Scarlet Hill of the Golden Crow Mountain did not carry surnames, so Su Mo was simply named Mo. Everyone called him Mo. Initially, Su Mo behaved quite well. As he became more familiar with his environment, his actions grew increasingly bold. Before his first birthday, his world was limited to a small room. His days were spent nursing and crawling around. With limited child-rearing knowledge, Su Mo remembered advertisements from Earth claiming more crawling was beneficial for a child’s health. Being an adult soul in a child’s body meant he caused far less trouble than other children, making him rather easy to care for in the eyes of his parents. Via his parents’ conversations, Su Mo learned their residence was in the slave district of the city of Yi. Years ago, after the great Yi defeated their guardians, the mythical Golden Crows, the Scarlet Hill folk were wholly subjugated as slaves to the people of Yi. The superior quality of their forged weapons and armor granted the Scarlet Hill folk a dedicated living space in the city, despite their enslaved status. Due to distinct appearances, intermarriage was strictly confined within their community, with no potential for union with outsiders. After turning one, Su Mo could walk, extending his range beyond the confines of the room to the yard, where he occasionally observed his kin in the process of forging. Possibly owing to the inherent talents of the Scarlet Hill folk, Su Mo found himself absorbing the skills of blacksmithing as he watched. Days passed, and Su Mo, often idle, would run here and there, strengthening himself. To defy the heavens and change his fate, he had to start small, right from cradle. To avoid revealing cognitive anomalies, even when Su Mo learned to speak, he refrained from doing so in front of his parents. This continued until he was five, by which time his parents, worried he might be mute, summoned the Scarlet Hill’s witch. The witch was the very crone who dyed Su Mo’s hair at his birth. Called ‘wi’ or ‘wu,’ she was someone who could commune with deities. When she arrived, all respected her as the Great Wu. With her presence, Su Mo felt anxious, fearing exposure. However, upon eye contact, the great Wu seemed to discover nothing amiss, simply reassuring his parents that silence was a blessing. Speaking might bring disaster. Hearing this, Su Mo’s parents ceased worrying whether or not their child could speak. In their minds, the Great Wu’s words held the weight of divine decree. Word of Su Mo’s presumed mutism quickly spread throughout the village, inciting other children to mock and bully him in groups. Despite this, Su Mo’s physique was notably stronger than theirs, and he often sent his bullies scurrying away. Angry parents repeatedly confronted Su Mo’s parents, who secretly took pride yet apologized sincerely. His prowess earned Su Mo the title of leader among children. Somehow, the days of his youth seemed to fly by, with his innate talent for solar flames remaining dormant. Soon enough, Su Mo reached sixteen. Standing at 6'1", handsome and robust, Su Mo was on the brink of adulthood. The coming-of-age ceremony for the Scarlet Hill folk arrived that same year. The ceremony was notoriously brutal. It required participants to retrieve a heated bronze plaque bearing their family insignia from the forge and brand it onto their chest. Those with a high concentration of Scarlet Hill blood might unlock the ability to control flames during the ceremony. This skill would accompany and aid them throughout their forging lives. Yet, it was ages since any of the Scarlet Hill descendants had awakened such power. The Great Wu foretold that the gods were sending a gift to their people. When Su Mo personally withdrew the plaque from the furnace, excruciating pain overwhelmed him as the molten bronze seared his flesh, releasing a succulent aroma. Bearing the agony, a searing sound echoed as Su Mo pressed the plaque against his chest. Its imprint altered the muscle beneath, seizing his nerves. After a minute, Su Mo flung the plaque aside. An engraved emblem now adorned his chest, resembling a three-legged Golden Crow poised for flight. Boom! Suddenly, a blazing pain erupted across his chest as a gold-red flame emerged from the tattoo, which seemed to pulse with vitality. Following a resounding cry, the flame vanished, leaving his healed chest and hand unburnt, marked only by the Golden Crow inscription. Simultaneously, Su Mo’s hair shifted from its artificial red to its original golden-red glow. Everyone present at the ceremony stood in shock before prostrating before Su Mo. “King!” Su Mo remained standing, bewildered by his sudden elevation. The Great Wu appeared unsurprised by this outcome, watching Su Mo with mournful eyes. “You were born in the wrong era.” Upon uttering these words, the Great Wu placed her protective charm over Su Mo’s neck. It was a crimson-gold feather. Bound with a red string, it radiated a warm, glowing light. Su Mo was puzzled by the Great Wu’s unexpected gesture. Soon, clarity came as the witch doctors of Yi city arrived with soldiers, drawn by the commotion within the Scarlet Hill community. Upon seeing Su Mo’s golden-red hair, a hint of dread flickered in their eyes, and they promptly ordered the guard to bind him with heavy chains. For Su Mo, this was his first time shackled, and the weight was immense. The chains exuded an icy chill, suppressing his newly awakened True Solar Flame. Yet, the amulet around his neck emanated a comforting warmth, shielding him from the cold. Dragging his chains, Su Mo staggered to the palace of Yi. It was his first sighting of this grand palace. Enormous steps posed a strenuous challenge to his ascent. For a moment, Su Mo regretted his choice. Despite his extraordinary talent, beginning as a slave meant enduring his share of hardships. In future, unless assured of a fortunate identity and talent, he vowed never to personally partake again! Regret was momentary, and curiosity about this ancient world teeming with mysteries returned. Having committed, he decided to participate until the end. After all, death here bore no real loss. As these thoughts crossed Su Mo’s mind, he found himself within the grand hall of the palace. Perched on his throne, the Great Yi regarded him with skepticism and confusion. At that moment, one of the Yi ministers approached Su Mo, marveling at his striking golden-red hair with audible astonishment. “I never expected a royal bloodline to emerge from among the Scarlet Hill people,” one minister exclaimed. “It's fortunate we confined them within Yi all those years ago; otherwise, who knows what trouble they might have caused,” another added, receiving murmurs of agreement from the surrounding officials. “Indeed, who could have foreseen that the Scarlet Hill folk would establish a connection with the sun once more?” reverberated through the chamber as Su Mo’s presence dominated the conversation. Amidst the discussions, a witch doctor approached the Great Yi and whispered, “Your Majesty, recently the Nine-Headed Beast has been ravaging the lands of the northern Di, consuming many lives. It not only devours people but its nine heads spew water and fire, destroying numerous homes.” “You must use the Mystic Ice Arrows to slay it.” The Great Yi nodded at this suggestion. “How many Mystic Ice Arrows do we have left?” “None,” admitted the witch doctor, shaking their head. “Additionally, representatives from the Moonwheel Peak report that the forge has lost its ability to smelt ice iron.” “But if we direct this newly discovered royal bloodline of the Scarlet Hill to the forge, it can still be used to smelt ice iron.” On hearing this, the Great Yi nodded in agreement. “Then send him to the Moonwheel Peak. Forge ten Mystic Ice Arrows as quickly as possible and send them over,” the Great Yi commanded. “Have we located the Queen Mother of the West? I seek the elixir of immortality; once I have it, I believe Chang'e will not refuse me.” The witch doctor hesitated but ultimately did not refuse. “Not yet, but we are close.” “Don't brush me off with vague assurances! I demand certainty!” “Yes, Your Majesty,” the witch doctor bowed. … Listening to the exchange with eyes closed, Su Mo felt an overwhelming sense of powerlessness seep into his soul. His fate seemed to be dangling by a thread controlled by others. Yet alongside this despair, a sense of relief emerged. He silently thanked the heavens this wasn’t the Shang Dynasty; otherwise, they might have been discussing how to divide up his royal blood over a feast. Suddenly, the chains around his neck tightened. Opening his eyes, he saw soldiers who had brought him there begin to lead him out of the hall. Su Mo had no idea what awaited him next. (End of chapter)