Chapter Four: The Broken Soul

This era’s China was a closed-off nation; most of the major capitalist countries in the world had virtually no diplomatic relations with it. The main conduit connecting China to the outside world was Hong Kong. China’s engagement with the capitalist world would not return to normal until the 1980s, and even relations between China and Japan would not be restored until 1972. Ties with the old-guard socialist power, the Soviet Union, had long been severed, and the relationship between China and the Soviet Union was nearing the brink of armed conflict—the Battle of Zhenbao Island was about to erupt. If Wei Hua wished to study abroad, he would have to seek another way.

Now that Wei Hua had returned to normal, his education became the Wei family’s top priority. Although he was already ten years old, Wei Hua had never attended school before his recovery and could not recognize a single character. He now had no choice but to enter first grade. To have a soul like his own thrown in with a group of seven- or eight-year-old children was a blow to his spirits. In September 1970, Wei Hua began attending the village elementary school, becoming classmates with children two or three years his junior. For a time, he was the laughingstock of the school.

September was still a rainy season. During this time, Wei Hua’s “madness” acted up once again—at least, that’s what outsiders believed. Once the thunderstorms ended, the only energy Wei Hua could collect came from sunlight. Thus, each day he pretended to be mischievous, forcing the teacher to send him out of the classroom so he could more conveniently gather the energy his biocomputer required.

Wei Hua’s antics did not draw much attention from the Wei family. Even when his eldest sister was called in by the teacher a few times, the sisters of the Wei family were unconcerned about whether Wei Hua would amount to anything. What mattered to them was whether Wei Hua could grow up to continue the family line. Thus, they paid little heed to his performance at school.

The year 1970 quickly passed. After a summer of gathering electrical energy from storms and a winter of collecting solar power, Wei Hua made small progress in repairing the core of his biocomputer. With 20% of the core restored, one night the familiar voice of the biocomputer sounded in his mind:

“Core repair at 20% complete. Beginning fusion with unknown substance.”

Wei Hua had grown accustomed to the biocomputer’s voice and had experienced this before, so he paid it little mind. But before long, a violent headache erupted in his skull, as if his head would burst. The biocomputer’s voice rang out again:

“Unknown energy explosion! Host in danger! Warning! Warning! Unknown energy explosion! Host in danger! Host safety level: maximum. Host entering protection protocol!”

At the same time, a blue radiance appeared around Wei Hua’s body, just as it had before. The pain was so intense that Wei Hua could barely hang on, let alone pay attention to what the biocomputer was saying. He had no idea how much time passed before the pain finally subsided, and the biocomputer’s voice resumed:

“Unknown energy depleted! Scanning host... Host undamaged. Host’s brain region forcefully opened by unknown energy; degree of opening: 40%. Host’s body requires further modification. Core has acquired new information; organizing now. Energy collection protocol to continue. Core hibernation protocol to continue.”

The next morning, Wei Hua awoke feeling fundamentally changed. Though nothing seemed different outwardly, he knew these changes were real: even before opening his eyes, he was aware of what his seventh and eighth sisters were doing in the next room. To verify this, he called both sisters into his room. The words “spiritual sense” and “abilities” sprang into his mind.

When he was a writer, Wei Hua had often described the benefits of spiritual sense and other powers. Now that he possessed them himself, he was overjoyed; these gifts could only help his plans, never hinder them.

That night, the biocomputer provided further information, explaining the reason for his newfound abilities. A remnant of the Immortal Emperor Xuan Yi’s soul had entered Wei Hua’s mind along with the biocomputer. However, as it was only a single wisp of soul and the biocomputer obstructed its influence, Xuan Yi was unable to seize control of Wei Hua’s body and thus lost his last hope of survival. As a proud Immortal Emperor, Xuan Yi refused to fade away in Wei Hua’s sea of consciousness. He chose to help Wei Hua instead—he forcefully infused his own spiritual power into Wei Hua, bestowed all his knowledge upon the biocomputer, and then allowed his soul to dissipate entirely from this world. Though just a remnant, it was still the soul of a top-tier Immortal Emperor; as a result, 40% of Wei Hua’s brain region was opened. However, this also left a hidden danger: if Wei Hua’s body was not strengthened, it would soon be destroyed by the overwhelming spiritual power now within him.

The biocomputer, combining Xuan Yi’s cultivation techniques, quickly simulated a method for strengthening Wei Hua’s body with electrical energy. This was essential, as Wei Hua’s body would require continuous reinforcement.

Time flew by, and soon it was May 1971. Wei Hua had been in this world for a year, during which he had undergone immense changes. He had adapted to life here and meticulously planned out his future. Now, he was steadily preparing according to his designs. With his sisters’ careful care, Wei Hua experienced a growth spurt, reaching 150 centimeters tall—by all appearances, he did not look like an eleven-year-old child at all.