The Name and the Buried Truth

Ling Xiao's hands trembled as he turned to the next sheet of paper. His heart pounded in his chest, filled with confusion and fear.

His father's handwriting was still there, but as he went further, each stroke seemed to become more hurried and rushed. Perhaps he wrote these lines in a time that was no longer long enough to think carefully.

"Jing Man."

The first line, simple yet like a thunderclap in Ling Xiao's head. He stared at those two words, his breath quickening.

Jing Man?

Who?

Who is it?

"That's your real name. The name your mother gave you."

Ling Xiao's mind went blank.

No. It's wrong. He is Ling Xiao. From childhood to adulthood, he has always carried this name, his grandmother always called him that, everyone in the village called him that. That name was all he had, all that belonged to him.

And this "Jing Man"... who is it?

He continued to read, but the more he read, the stiffer his body became.

"This name, Ling Xiao, was given to you by me, not your mother. Because that name, Jing Man... it holds too much pain, too many tears of blood. It shouldn't be a chain binding you to a past you never chose. I don't want you to live in the shadow of that fate, don't want you to shoulder what you shouldn't have to bear. I only hope you live as you have for so many years—steadfast in this world, with a home, a family, whether we are by your side or turned to ashes. Your mother and I will always watch over you, but what I desire is that when someone calls your name, they will call you Ling Xiao, not Jing Man.

This cave is not a prison, but to protect you. That day, your mother used all she had, sealing you, keeping you alive in a time of chaos. Without that seal, without those last drops of blood... perhaps you wouldn't be here."

"Your mother and I tried to hide you from this world, tried to let you live as a normal human. But fate is truly ironic, because if you're reading these lines, it means... the seal has completely disappeared.

Go. Leave this place."

The handwriting faded, some parts smudged as if water or blood had soaked into them.

At the bottom of the paper...

A dried bloodstain.

Ling Xiao shuddered, the paper in his hand trembling violently. He felt a cold wind blowing through him, tearing apart everything he had believed in.

No.

Impossible.

All of this...

It's just a joke, right?

—"No!"—

His scream echoed through the dark cave. The papers on the table were swept away, scattered on the ground, the words blurred amidst the dust.

He doesn't believe it!

He doesn't want to believe it!

Jing Man? Seal? Mother? Bloodshed?

These things don't belong to him.

He is just Ling Xiao. Just a child in this small village. He doesn't need any other past.

"I just want to find my grandmother..." he choked, his eyes red, his hands clenched into fists. "I just want to go home..."

He looked around, his eyes filled with confusion.

He has to find his grandmother.

He has to leave this place.

Surely, surely, she is still out there somewhere. Surely, he can return to his previous life... right?

Ling Xiao walked out of the cave, each step heavy as if dragging a rock on his chest. His mind felt empty, no longer knowing where to go or what to do.

Everything that had just happened was like an endless nightmare, but every time he tried to wake up, he only found himself sinking deeper into the darkness.

Where is his grandmother?

Where is the village?

Everything... has disappeared.

He kept walking, aimlessly, without a goal, until a familiar stream appeared before him.

The water still flowed, clear as ever, but this time, there was no one sitting by the stream with him, washing clothes or catching fish.

Ling Xiao knelt by the water's edge, looking at his reflection.

A gaunt face, dull eyes from exhaustion, cracked lips.

He suddenly felt strange.

His trembling hand touched the cold water, ripples spreading, distorting and shattering the reflection.

Ling Xiao gritted his teeth.

Jing Man.

His father said his name was Jing Man.

But... his grandmother called him Ling Xiao.

Why?

His grandmother never said anything about this name. Since he had memories, he had always been Ling Xiao. A simple, familiar name, associated with him for the past twelve years.

But now, suddenly another name appeared.

The name his mother gave him.

His mother?

Someone he doesn't even remember.

He doesn't understand.

Why did his grandmother call him Ling Xiao?

Why does the father he never met know him by that name?

Why was he sealed for three hundred years?

Why did everything he believed in collapse in just one day?

He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his skin until it bled, but he felt no pain.

He just wants to ask his grandmother.

Ask her... who he really is.