Time flowed on, winding and turning, until finally, the day of his birth had arrived.
After a round of squeezing and pressure, Yun Chuan was finally forced out of his mother's womb. The moment his tiny body touched the cold air of the outside world—his eyes still unopened—a heart-wrenching cry pierced his ears:
"Sanmei! Don't leave me!!!"
That gravelly, agonized voice sent a jolt through Yun Chuan's whole being.
In that instant, his still-developing brain kicked into overdrive.
'Wait a minute—that voice, that name—how could I not recognize it?'
As someone who'd read the original *Soul Land* novels inside and out, he immediately realized who that wailing man was.
'No way… Does that mean I'm the twin brother of Tang San, one who didn't even exist in the original story?!'
He was stunned at first. But soon, excitement took over.
'Not bad. Not bad at all! I get to ride through the main plot with a hack-class big bro? Just follow the storyline, hug that golden thigh, and win without breaking a sweat. This is what they call lying flat for victory, baby!'
But that hope didn't last long.
Because the very next thing Yun Chuan felt… was his newborn body being violently tossed into the air!
Someone grabbed him—then someone else snatched him away. Like a tug-of-war with a football, his tiny form was flung back and forth between two factions. Before he could even process what was happening, a loud explosion rocked the air…
And everything descended into chaos.
Then came the chilling voice of a man, weak but still clear:
"This infant… He's the child of Tang Hao and that hundred-thousand-year soul beast. Take him back. He might be useful in the future..."
Blood drained from Yun Chuan's thoughts.
'Dammit. I'm screwed—I thought I'd hit the jackpot, but I'm already in the villain's hands right out of the womb! Wuhun Hall?! That's like being born straight into the Cobra hideout if you're a G.I. Joe! They hate my parents to the bone! I'm either getting dissected for research or turned into fodder for some insane scheme!'
'This is bad—real bad!'
'How… How did things turn out like this?!'
'First time getting isekai'd into my favorite story, and I even got a cheat code powerful enough to rule the world… My life should've been an epic of glory, with beauties on my arm and enemies flattening at my feet!'
'So why... why did the opening act throw me into the enemy's net?!'
'This isn't how the plot's supposed to go!!'
In that wave of despair, Yun Chuan—still only minutes old—finally shut down. Though he had the mind of an adult, his newborn body couldn't handle the stress. The exhaustion hit like a truck, and he drifted off into a heavy sleep.
…
When he woke up again, he found himself lying in a soft, cozy crib.
Though his eyes couldn't open fully yet, he tried his best to scan his surroundings. To his surprise, he wasn't dumped in a dirty storage room or ritual chamber, let alone gutted alive. In fact, the environment was quite... pleasant.
'Huh. This isn't half bad, actually.'
In hindsight, his earlier despair might've been a bit overdramatic. He realized now that killing him right away would've made no strategic sense.
After all, he was just a baby—even if his identity screamed "enemy's child," he was still an untapped tool.
A living hostage. A piece to use against Tang Hao. Or better yet—raise him, mold him, brainwash him into a weapon that would eventually turn on his own father.
When you thought about it, there were dozens of twisted plans they could work with.
Killing him outright? Wasteful.
Now that he had calmed down and assessed the situation, Yun Chuan exhaled a long breath of relief.
'At least I'm alive. That's a hell of a lot better than being a tragic background character who dies in chapter one. With my cheat-code physique, if I can just bide my time and survive, I'll bounce back! No way I'm going to become the most miserable isekai protagonist in history!'
Just as he started to relax, a wave of weakness swept through his tiny limbs. His stomach let out a loud gurgle—it had been growling for who-knowns-how-long. Actually… no. He hadn't eaten a single thing since he was born. Not even mommy's first drop of milk. All he got was a royal game of "toss the newborn" by a group of grown-ups.
'Damn it, I'm starving!'
"WAHHHHHHHHHH!!"
With no other way to act, Yun Chuan did what all babies did best—he screamed like his life depended on it.
Moments later, a rush of footsteps echoed outside the door. Then, with a creak, the door burst open and a beautiful young woman in her early twenties rushed inside.
"Gulp."
Baby Yun Chuan couldn't help but swallow his saliva. She was… big. Too big.
And as the woman approached with urgency, an unmistakable scent of fresh milk wafted through the air—rich, thick, and sweet.
'Ah. A nursing mother, huh?'
"There, there~ Don't cry, little one…"
The woman's voice was warm and gentle. She carefully lifted Yun Chuan into her arms and rocked him softly. Once satisfied he was settling down, she casually unfastened her neckline…
Faced with the sacred source of life mere inches away, Yun Chuan blinked slowly, breathing in that potent aroma. Then he thought solemnly:
'I'm digging in. Don't judge me.'
He latched on.
He was just too hungry. He hadn't had a single drop since birth and had been tossed around like a football. The only reason he hadn't died from the trauma was thanks to those sixty points of physical constitution he apparently had. Any regular baby would've been done for long ago—at best suffering permanent brain damage.
But as that warm stream of milk flooded down his throat, Yun Chuan felt like he'd ascended to heaven. His mind turned fuzzy, eyes rolled back slightly. He gave up thinking altogether and simply let instinct take the reins—feed until full.
*BURP!*
He let out a satisfied belch not long after.
The young woman feeding him chuckled, mildly exasperated but clearly charmed. Her lips curled unconsciously into a warm, doting smile. Just like a mother would for her own child, she gently rocked him in her arms again, helping him drift into another deep, peaceful slumber.
…
The days that followed were surprisingly comfortable for Yun Chuan.
For someone technically classified as a hostage or a captive in Wuhun Hall, he was being treated more like a young master than a prisoner. No cold attic. No spoiled scraps of food. No bitter suffering.
Instead, he had a personal wet nurse devoted to his care, round-the-clock attention, and even healing-type soul masters visiting regularly to check that his health and constitution were in top shape.
It was downright luxurious.
Yun Chuan knew exactly what this meant. He owed this cushy life to none other than his "cheap dad," Tang Hao.
After all, if Wuhun Hall wanted to use him against Tang Hao, then they absolutely couldn't afford to let him die. Whether as a bargaining chip, a sleeper agent, or an emotional weapon—his survival had strategic value.
They'd never neglect him.
'Still… what's their long-term plan for me?'
'If it's just brainwashing and training me into an anti-Tang Hao weapon, then that's actually pretty easy to deal with. I've got a grown man's mind in here—it's gonna take more than a few bedtime stories and slogans to turn me into a loyal Wuhun Hall dog.'
No.
He'd play along.
He'd act obedient, act like their perfect little soldier.
Then one day, when Tang San led his friends to storm Wuhun Hall…
Boom!
He'd flip sides on the spot, reveal his true identity, and rush into Tang San's arms.
Maybe they'd cry a little. Maybe he'd get a dramatic redemption arc as the long-lost brother cruelly torn away by fate.
He would naturally "switch sides" and stand with justice. Join Tang San and the others in taking down the wicked Wuhun Hall.
'Now, that's a script I can work with!'
The only worry?
What if Wuhun Hall didn't follow the plot?
If they decided to go crazy or throw him into some secret project from hell, then his "perfect plan" might crash hard.
The future was still uncertain.
But for now… he was alive.
And he'd make damn sure he stayed that way.
**(End of Chapter)**