The apartment was small, old, and dimly lit. The corridor smelled faintly of laundry detergent and fried food from the neighbors downstairs. The air inside was warmer—almost suffocatingly warm compared to the cold void Fu Lin had lived in for a thousand years.
Yet that warmth felt… unfamiliar.
Almost frightening.
Fu Lin stepped out of his shoes and into the narrow living room.
The peeling wallpaper, the dented refrigerator, the secondhand sofa with its faded blue covers—
Everything was exactly as he remembered.
Exactly as he had ignored.
The Emperor of Ten Thousand Tribulations stood silently at the threshold of a home he had once taken for granted.
"Lin'er? Are you hungry? I can heat up dinner—"
His mother's voice broke through the haze.
Fu Lin blinked slowly.
He turned to face her.
Her hair was tied messily, strands sticking to her forehead with sweat. Her apron was worn, the string fraying. Her slippers were thin; her feet must hurt. Her eyes held exhaustion deeper than any spiritual trial.
Yet when she looked at him…
She smiled.
Not the forced smile of a world-tier ruler.
Not the respectful smile of a subordinate.
Not the fearful smile of an enemy.
But the gentle, worn, helpless, motherly smile he had forgotten.
Fu Lin's chest tightened.
He didn't show it on his face.
His expression remained calm, almost cold, but softer than before.
"I'm fine," he said. "You can sit. I'll help later."
His mother froze.
"…Help? You?"
Fu Lin nodded.
"Yes."
She blinked. Once. Twice.
Then she frowned suspiciously.
"Did you get in trouble again?"
Fu Lin: "…"
In the past, this would have been true—he was always causing problems, fighting, skipping school, begging for money.
But now…
"No. I simply wish to help."
His mother squinted at him like he was some alien creature.
"You… sure you're my son?"
Fu Lin almost answered with the simple truth:
I am no longer the one you knew.
But he stopped.
He simply bowed his head slightly.
A gesture no emperor would give.
A gesture only a son should give.
"I am sure."
His mother softened instantly.
Her shoulders relaxed.
"…Well. Good. It's nice to see you acting human for once."
Fu Lin: "…"
He accepted the insult silently.
After all, it was true.
A loud "bang!" came from the hallway.
"WHO ATE MY SNACKS?!"
Fu Lin turned his head in time to see a girl storm out of the shared bedroom.
Fu Yu—his second sister.
Twenty years old.
Hot-tempered.
Always fighting debt collectors because of him in the past.
Her hair was tied into a high messy ponytail, and she wore an oversized T-shirt with a cartoon cat. She was pretty—
He had never noticed that before.
Her eyes met his.
She froze.
"Eh? Lin? Why are you home?"
Fu Lin opened his mouth—
Before he could answer, she waved her hand dismissively.
"No, wait, don't tell me. You definitely skipped class. Again."
Fu Lin: "…"
His mother: "Don't scold your brother. He's being strangely well-behaved today."
Fu Yu looked him up and down.
"…Weird. Creepy. Suspicious."
She walked up to him and poked his cheek.
Fu Lin didn't move.
Nor did he react.
Fu Yu blinked.
"…Who are you? And what did you do to my useless little brother?"
Fu Lin: "…"
He blinked slowly.
"I am still me."
Fu Yu narrowed her eyes further.
"…You sound like a robot."
Fu Lin: "…"
His mother laughed.
"Hahaha! Just accept that he's… uh… changed."
Fu Yu groaned dramatically and flopped onto the sofa.
"Whatever. As long as you didn't cause trouble today."
Fu Lin stood silently.
She had no idea.
No one did.
In his previous life, she died because she borrowed money for him…
Because he begged and pressured her…
Because he ran from responsibility.
Fu Yu had always been loud, hot-tempered, violent even… but she was also the sister who protected him, fed him, shielded him.
He looked at her now, sprawled lazily on the sofa, complaining about snacks, and his eyelids lowered.
Softness flickered in his eyes—brief, like a dying ember.
"…Sister," he said quietly.
Fu Yu sat up instantly.
"…What did you call me?"
Fu Lin tilted his head.
"…Sister?"
Fu Yu stared at him like he was a mythical creature.
"I think I'm hallucinating! MOM! He called me 'sister'!"
His mother laughed again.
Fu Lin remained expressionless.
But inside—
I never called you that before. Not sincerely. In this life… I will.
The front door clicked.
Soft footsteps approached.
A tall young woman entered, her long hair slightly damp from the rain outside. She wore a cheap office uniform, sleeves rolled up, carrying a plastic bag of discounted groceries.
Fu Mei—his eldest sister.
Twenty-one years old.
Left university to work full-time because of him.
Died in a car accident after working overtime for money he demanded.
In his past life, she smiled at him even when exhausted.
Now—
She saw Fu Lin standing in the living room.
Her eyes widened.
"Lin? You're back early?"
He nodded.
"Yes."
She walked over and placed her hand on his forehead.
"You're not sick, right?"
Fu Lin didn't move.
"No."
"…Then what's with this new behavior?"
Fu Mei tilted her head, observing his posture, his calm aura, his unnaturally straight back, and the emotionless yet peaceful expression on his face.
"You're… different."
His voice didn't tremble.
"I simply changed."
Fu Yu leaned over the sofa dramatically.
"TOLD YOU! He's a robot now!"
Their mother sighed.
"Lin'er is acting more mature. Don't scare him."
Fu Lin: "…"
Eldest sister Fu Mei smiled warmly.
"Well, mature is good. I'm glad."
Fu Lin felt something twist inside his chest.
In his previous life, she always said "I'm glad" after every injury, every hardship, every sacrifice she made for him.
But he never once said "thank you."
He had no right to.
Not then.
But now…
"…Sister," he said softly.
Fu Mei froze.
Fu Yu choked on her snack.
Their mother dropped a spoon.
Fu Mei blinked repeatedly.
"…Lin… you called me sister?"
"Yes."
"…Are you… okay?"
Fu Lin paused.
Then he bowed his head slightly again—
A gesture so rare from him that even his emperor self resisted it instinctively.
"I am sorry… for the trouble I caused in the past."
Fu Yu bolted upright.
"WHAT?! HE APOLOGIZED?!"
Fu Mei's eyes filled with warmth.
Slowly, she reached out and gently touched his hair—
Something she used to do when he was small.
"You're growing up," she whispered.
Fu Lin's eyes closed.
Just a moment.
Just long enough to feel that warmth again.
The warmth he lost for a thousand years.
A small voice echoed from the bedroom.
"…Big brother?"
Fu Lin stiffened.
He turned.
A small girl peeked out, holding a stuffed rabbit missing one eye.
Fu Ling'er.
His youngest sister.
The sister who, in his past life, jumped off a skyscraper because debt collectors cornered her.
The memory stabbed his soul.
Fu Lin slowly crouched down to her height.
The emperor who slaughtered worlds knelt before a little girl.
"Ling'er."
Her eyes widened and sparkled.
"Big brother… you came home!"
She ran forward and hugged him tightly.
Her tiny arms couldn't even wrap around his torso.
Fu Lin froze.
Not because he didn't know what to do.
But because the last time he saw her alive… she was falling.
Now she was warm.
Soft.
Alive.
His cold heart cracked.
"…Mm."
He gently placed his hand on her head.
Warm.
Real.
Alive.
"Do you miss me?" she asked, tilting her head up at him.
Fu Lin's lips parted.
He almost said "yes."
But the emperor inside him wouldn't allow such vulnerability to surface.
He controlled himself.
"I am here now," he answered instead.
Ling'er beamed.
"That's the same! You're back!"
Fu Lin could not argue.
The family sat together at the tiny table.
Fu Lin had not eaten mortal food in centuries.
Yet now, as he picked up chopsticks, he found the simple dishes almost… sacred.
Rice.
Vegetables.
A bit of meat—too little for four people, but they made do.
Fu Lin noticed instantly.
They didn't have enough.
His mother placed the biggest meat portion on his bowl.
"Eat more. You're growing."
Fu Lin felt a strange tightness in his throat.
In his past life, he had taken and taken and taken—
Now, she still offered.
I don't deserve this.
But he accepted it gently.
"…Thank you."
Fu Yu dropped her chopsticks again.
Fu Mei stared.
His mother looked worried again.
"Are you sure you aren't sick?"
Fu Lin: "…"
Ling'er giggled.
"Big brother is polite now!"
Fu Lin paused.
Then—
He raised his head.
His voice calm.
Cold.
Yet steady.
"I will take care of everyone from now on."
His mother blinked.
Fu Yu choked on her tea.
Fu Mei stared at him with widening eyes.
Ling'er clapped her hands.
"Yay! Big brother will protect us!"
Fu Lin nodded once.
"…Yes."
Night Falls
The family soon went to rest.
Fu Lin stayed awake.
He stood at the small kitchen window, watching the dark street below.
The van was still there.
The same debt collectors who destroyed their lives in the past timeline.
They were watching the apartment.
Fu Lin's eyes turned cold.
Not angry.
Just cold.
So fate repeats the same pattern.
Since I interfered early, they are moving early too.
He stepped away from the window.
Ling'er slept in the bedroom with Fu Mei.
Fu Yu slept in the living room.
His mother slept in the master room.
Fu Lin stepped outside quietly, closing the door behind him.
The night wind brushed his hair.
Cherry blossoms drifted through the air from a nearby tree.
The Emperor walked down the stairs.
Step by step.
His presence alone chilled the entire apartment building.
Four men exited the van.
One cracked his knuckles.
Another held a baseball bat.
The third smirked while smoking.
The last one—clearly the leader—laughed when he saw Fu Lin stepping toward them.
"Well, well, kid's finally out."
"Heh, saves us the trouble of knocking."
"Oi brat, your mom owes—"
Fu Lin walked past them.
They froze.
He didn't even look at them.
His voice was emotionless.
"You dared appear in front of my family."
He stopped walking.
Turned his head slightly.
Golden eyes glowed under the streetlamp.
"Leave."
One of the men scoffed.
"Huh? You threatening us?"
Fu Lin didn't answer.
He simply stepped forward and vanished.
The men blinked—
"What the—?"
BOOM.
The next moment, the leader's bat snapped in half.
"W-WHAT?!"
CRACK!
The second man flew into the van door, denting it.
"W-Who the hell is this monster?!"
The third swung at him—
Fu Lin caught his wrist with two fingers.
The man screamed as his wrist shattered.
The last tried to run—
Fu Lin appeared behind him silently.
A gentle tap to the neck.
The man collapsed instantly.
All four lay unconscious on the cold pavement.
Fu Lin adjusted his sleeve calmly.
No dust.
No blood.
No evidence of effort.
He wasn't breathing heavily.
His heartbeat hadn't even increased.
He stepped over the bodies and whispered:
"I have returned.
And this life…
No one will harm them."
He walked back inside, closing the door gently behind him.
His mother would never know.
His sisters would never know.
But the world—
The world would soon learn what it meant when an emperor protected something.