C1 Rebirth

My head throbbed, and my throat was parched.

The unpleasant stench of alcohol still hung in my nostrils, making me feel nauseous and uncomfortable.

"Mom, he's awake."

In a daze.

A frightened child's voice rang in my ears.

Lin Luo slowly lifted his heavy eyelids to see a frail little girl in worn clothes dart away from his view, taking refuge behind a young woman with a lovely face.

Before him was a small, dark, and damp room that felt cramped.

Lin Luo's mind raced, and he abruptly sat up.

"Am I... still alive?"

"Is this... Earth?"

It seemed impossible to Lin Luo. He distinctly remembered being obliterated by the Nine Heavenly Divine Thunder during his tribulation. How could he have suddenly returned to Earth?

Looking at his reflection, he was unkempt, his spirit flagging, and his eyes, bloodshot and filled with a sense of defeat, betrayed his disarray.

Is this... how I looked 300 years ago?

Could it be that I've been reborn?

Lin Luo was astounded.

He never imagined that, after failing his tribulation, he would be fortunate enough to be reborn on Earth!

"Mom, he's not going to hit me, is he?"

The little girl nearby clung to the young woman's hand, her eyes filled with fear as she gazed at Lin Luo on the bed.

"Don't worry, Xiao isn't scared. Mommy's here."

The young woman bent down to gently pat the little girl, soothing her before she approached the bed with a bowl of steaming ginger soup, her legs shaking slightly.

"Have some ginger soup."

Lin Luo snapped out of his astonishment at being reborn, and upon seeing the young woman before him, he felt a lump in his throat, and his eyes welled up with tears.

The woman was his long-lost wife, Xiao Qingli.

And the timid six-year-old girl who wouldn't dare to look at Lin Luo was his daughter, Lin Xiao.

"Qingli?"

"Xiao Xiao?"

"Is it really you? Is it truly you?"

Reunited with his family after so many years, Lin Luo was overwhelmed with emotion, his face streaming with tears. He could hardly believe that this moment was real.

He reached out to caress his wife's cheek, but she instinctively flinched, her expression tinged with nervousness.

Lin Luo was so overwhelmed with the joy of their long-awaited reunion that he failed to notice his wife's deliberate efforts to maintain a distance from him.

He rose to his feet, eager to exchange pleasantries with his wife and daughter, whom he hadn't seen in many years.

However, when Xiao Qingli caught sight of Lin Luo's movement, terror washed over her face. She reflexively shielded herself with her arms and pleaded:

"Please, please don't hit me anymore..."

"Hit you?"

Lin Luo halted abruptly, taken aback.

Seeing his wife covered in bruises and his daughter, Lin Xiao, cowering fearfully behind her, clarity struck him. The horrendous memories of his past life flooded his mind like a relentless tide.

In his former life, Lin Luo was undeniably despicable.

After marrying Xiao Qingli, he squandered his days in drunken stupors and, influenced by a childhood friend with a cruel streak, gradually succumbed to a gambling addiction.

Whenever Lin Luo lost money, he would take out his frustrations on his wife in drunken rages, showing no mercy.

Even after the birth of his daughter Lin Xiao, he showed no signs of reform; his behavior only worsened.

Eventually, he secretly borrowed money at exorbitant interest rates for his gambling addiction.

It wasn't until he had gambled away everything and his family was in ruins that Lin Luo began to come to his senses.

But by then, it was already too late...

Having lost everything, he was left with nothing but guilt and remorse for his family, leading him to throw himself into the raging river.

As he neared death, the Immortal Lord Bei Mu happened to pass by, rescuing him and taking him from Earth to a secret realm in the universe to cultivate.

While Lin Luo had wasted his life on Earth, in the secret realm, he made astonishing progress. In a mere three hundred years, he ascended to the position of Tribulation Transcender Immortal Venerable, earning the title of the greatest emperor of all time.

Yet, during his final tribulation before ascending, his guilt towards his wife and daughter, along with a lifetime of innumerable regrets, allowed the heart demon tribulation to overcome him, and he perished in the heavenly tribulation.

"Since fate has granted me a second chance at life, I vow not to repeat my past mistakes. I will never disappoint my family again!" Lin Luo pledged with a resolute glint in his eyes.

Regaining his composure, he longed to embrace his wife and daughter, whom he hadn't seen in over three hundred years. But as he stepped forward, Xiao Qingli reacted with alarm, pulling Lin Xiao back with her and eyeing Lin Luo warily.

Lin Luo's heart plummeted as he saw the fear in his wife and daughter's eyes, their reluctance to come near him. Had the bond with his family truly deteriorated to such a degree?

With a heavy heart, Lin Luo yearned to mend the relationship with his wife and daughter, but the list of apologies was overwhelming; he didn't know where to begin. After struggling for words, he managed to utter just one sentence, "Sorry..."

Yet, Lin Luo's apology only made Xiao Qingli's face contort with distress as painful memories flooded her thoughts. She glared at him, her eyes reddening with anger, and shouted, "Lin Luo! Are you here to ask me for money to gamble again? Do you realize you've gambled away all our family's money?"

Realizing Xiao Qingli had misunderstood, Lin Luo hastened to clarify, "No, Qingli, you've got it wrong. I'm not asking for money."

"Rest assured, I will overcome my gambling and drinking problems. I promise to provide a better life for you and Xiao Xiao."

Xiao Qingli's face twisted into a wry smile, her eyes brimming with disappointment as she heard Lin Luo's assurances. "Lin Luo, how many times will you lie to me? You always say you'll change, but when have you ever truly followed through?"

"No, I really haven't lied—"

"Enough!" Lin Luo desperately wanted to explain, but his relentless deceit had already extinguished the warmth in Xiao Qingli's heart.

"Lin Luo, Xiao Xiao's tuition is due soon. You have three days to come up with the money. If you fail, I will take Xiao Xiao and leave this home—and you—forever."

Lin Luo was taken aback by her ultimatum. He didn't doubt Xiao Qingli's sincerity; he knew that she meant every word she said.

As the thought crossed his mind, Lin Luo quickly reassured Xiao Qingli, "Qingli, don't worry. I'll definitely raise the money for Xiao's tuition. I won't let you down again!" With that, he donned his coat and stepped out the door.

...

Strolling down the street that was both familiar and oddly foreign, Lin Luo's gaze was vacant as he pondered how to secure the funds for Xiao's education. Amidst his quandary, a loud hawker's call pierced the air: "Fine Qing Dynasty porcelain, the very pieces used by Empress Dowager Cixi, don't miss out!" Snapping back to reality, Lin Luo realized he had unwittingly entered the Antique Market. Surrounded by a treasure trove of artifacts, an idea suddenly sparked in Lin Luo's mind.

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