Chapter 5 – The Importance of a Name
The young man had a problem, one that became more dire the further he travelled through the city.
He needed a name.
The old man beside him had taken to calling him ‘Young Master,’ but the young man would eventually need to provide a name. But, what if the body he reincarnated in already had a name, one that was well known?
This body hadn’t come with any memories, and he had tried hard to remember his old one from his past life. But nothing came to him; he was a complete blank.
‘Shouldn’t I be provided with a name and this body’s memories! This isn’t how being Isekai’d is supposed to go!’ He complained internally, all while showing an unbothered outer appearance.
He had even taken to searching his body and clothing for any hints, a single letter or symbol that could provide the answer. But his attire, though finely crafted, offered no clues. His robes were high-quality and embroidered with some patterns resembling clouds on the sleeves, but they didn’t have anything else on them.
Even his underwear lacked a name scrawled on the inside!
The only thing he had was a gold ring on his right pinky finger, a thin band that was completely bare and nondescript. He had tried to take it off to have a look on the inside, but the thing was jammed onto his finger and he couldn’t pry it off without taking his skin with it.
He clenched his fists in frustration at his situation. Thankfully, his hands were covered by his sleeves, so no one knew the internal struggle he was having. On the surface, he looked calm, cool and assured.
But inside, he was freaking out!
This was his new life, his opportunity to enjoy the things that were denied to him in the past! How could he adventure, cultivate and chase jade-like beauties if he didn’t have a name!
‘Well, I suppose I could always make one up.’ The young man thought to himself, realizing that was probably the only path forward he had.
The only issue was that names seemed to be pretty important in cultivation novels. The ones he read all had characters with names that matched their looks or personality, and the really important ones had families with members who didn’t take kindly to people pretending to be one of them.
It also didn’t help that he couldn’t remember the names of anyone from those novels!
The Young Man was about to turn and ask the Chief his name, and possibly get some ideas to create his own, when the old man spoke first.
“Young Master, we’re here. This old man wishes you great fortune!”
They had stepped into a large town square with grey stone paving stones where hundreds of people were seated in orderly rows. Each individual sat cross-legged on a woven mat, cradling a small, translucent orb in their hands.
The entire place was silent as a tomb, and at the front of the ground was an old man in blue robes trimmed with white and a long, grey beard that flowed down to his chest. The Elder was observing the assembly with a serene demeanour as he stood with his hands behind his back.
As the young man entered the courtyard, most of the people gathered turned to look at him. The calm atmosphere, which had deepened into stunned silence upon his arrival, was suddenly broken by the clatter of shattering glass.
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Half a dozen or more orbs had slipped from astonished hands, striking the stone floor with loud cracking sounds.
The young man winced slightly at the sound, and a flicker of concern crossed his face.
‘I hope those weren’t expensive.’ The young man thought as he looked down at one of the shattered orbs.
‘He couldn’t be blamed for that, right?’
The Elder’s eyes, which had been scanning the crowd, immediately focused on the source of the commotion. His expression suddenly looked astonished, and a flicker of excitement appeared on his otherwise severe face.
The Elder hurried off the dais he was standing on and rushed toward them eagerly.
‘Oh no, not another one!’ The young man screamed internally and was already preparing to flee. Why do old men have such an interest in him? Where are all the beauties instead?!
What kind of world was this!
Page Break
The source of the commotion turned out to be caused by the entrance of a young man whose presence disrupted the entire testing ceremony.
The youth’s appearance was striking, with features belonging to an immortal, eyes that were wise and warm, and an aura of innate grace that made his every move mesmerizing. He bore no signs of cultivation, and no Qi stirred around him, which indicated a complete absence of cultivation training.
But the Elder’s instincts sensed something extraordinary.
In the cultivation world, physical beauty amongst mortals often hinted at exceptional aptitude and a latent potential that awaited awakening. It wasn’t the only indicator, but it was the easiest aspect to spot, and the connection was too high to ignore.
This young man’s flawless appearance suggested a natural alignment with the Dao, a convergence of form and potential.
A sudden clatter echoed through the courtyard as several candidates, distracted by the newcomer’s arrival, dropped their orbs. The Elder’s eyes narrowed, not in reprimand, but in contemplation.
If he could bring this prodigy into the sect, the rewards would be substantial. A Foundation Establishment Pill could be his, a treasure that could elevate his own cultivation and extend his lifespan by hundreds of years.
The Elder felt a rare surge of excitement at the prospect, and he couldn’t help but eagerly rush toward him. As he neared, he saw that another person was by the young man’s side, an elder from one of the outlying villages.
“Greetings, Immortal Elder. This old man has been requested to guide the Young Master to this ceremony.” The Chief stated, bowing so deeply that his head was parallel to the ground.
The Elder nodded, and his mind was already envisioning the possibilities.
“Good, great, excellent! I apologize that I was not at the city gates to greet you, but I wasn’t aware of your arrival. Which family’s virtuous son are you? What is your name?” The Elder asked, keen to divine what connections the young man had so that he would be sure not to offend the wrong party.
As he asked, the Elder’s penetrating gaze ran over the youth’s clothing and hands, looking for any identification tokens or indicators of his backing. His clothes were exceptionally well-made and had a hint of Qi, but lacked any Clan symbol.
It wasn’t until he saw the gold ring on the young man’s hand that the Elder found what he was looking for. Although he was only at the 10th level of Qi Condensation, the Elder had enough Spiritual Sense to ‘see’ the ring more clearly.
There were levels of restrictions on the item that surpassed the Elder’s abilities by significant amounts, and the Elder would have suffered a backlash if he attempted to pry deeper into its secrets.
But it was enough to let him know that this was no ordinary youth.
Page Break
‘Dammit, here it is.’ The young man thought as he heard the Elder ask him for his name.
He still hadn’t had a chance to make one up, and he didn’t have a clue what kind of names this world had!
Worse, the Elder’s eyes were scanning his body, lingering for a moment on his right hand, and the young man had to resist the urge to flee.
All the young man wanted was to be surrounded by beautiful women, and he thought a cultivation sect would offer him that chance. Instead, it was one old man after another.
Would the entire Tranquil Mountain Sect be old men staring at his body and face?!
He pushed aside those thoughts, and the nightmarish image of rows of old men staring eagerly at his new body’s appearance, and tried to think of a name.
‘Think! Think! Think! It needs to be a good name. Shit, why can’t I think of anything!’ The young man screamed internally. He was coming up blank.
Too much time was passing, and he could see the Elder’s gaze leave his body and return to looking at his face. There wasn’t any time left; he needed a name!
“My name is…” He said calmly, with no trace of the turmoil he was feeling inside.
It was then that the heavens themselves delivered him a gift. He didn’t know where it came from, and frankly, he didn’t care. A name bubbled its way up from the depths of his mind, and he latched onto it desperately.
“My name is Jun De.”
