It was Dad this time.
Yunhan must’ve told him my phone was working.
Smart move, passing the buck to Dad when he couldn’t handle it.
Nothing wrong with that. After talking to my brother, I pretty much got the picture.
I could keep digging, figure out the whole story, but why bother?
I was ready to cut ties with the past. Poking around would just stir up trouble. What’s the point?
Still, I answered. Not for anything big—just to tell him, face-to-face, that we were done. No more contact.
“Hey, uh, Yuehan,” Dad’s voice came through, rough and heavy, nothing like my heightened Visionary senses. It caught me off guard.
“Don’t choke on my name like it’s poison,” I said flatly. He didn’t pick it—I did. They went along with it, like humoring a crazy kid. Then they gave Yunhan a name close to mine.
I never got their logic. Maybe they just sucked at naming?
I could hear his deep, shaky breath after my jab. He’s gotten old.
“You think I want to call you that?” he said, voice strained. “I just want you home. There’s still a place for you here. You really think running off with that Bai Yu girl will make your life better?”
“How could an outsider compare to family?” he added, his tone heavy, like he was pleading through exhaustion.
I almost blurted out, “Yeah, she does.”
But my past life’s values stopped me. They did keep me alive this long. That’s something.
Alive is alive, sure, but there’s a difference between raising and caging. They fed me, but was it care or control?
It boiled down to one choice: break free or stay trapped.
Would a pig thank the farmer for the pen it escaped?
Me? Hell no.
I was out of the cage now. They were calling, begging me to come back, playing the family card. “Haven’t we taken care of you all these years?”
No neglect, sure. But I was not going back.
That was my conflict. I knew what I wanted, what was at stake. But my old life’s morals chained me down.
The irony? They owed any softness I’ve got to the obedient kid I was in my past life, not them.
I couldn’t choose clearly. I was stuck in the gray.
Did I reject them?
No idea.
I didn’t pick Witch School on purpose—it was an accident, a default choice. Now I was here, and there was no going back.
The academy chose for me.
So why stress? Just let it ride.
“Yeah, how could an outsider beat family?” I said, my tone lighter, almost agreeing. If they saw me as a real family member, as their son, no one could compare.
Mid-sentence, I noticed Bai Yu had replied to my message on the new phone.
I was a bit shocked—Bai Yu was that fast?
“Go ahead, report me. The Security Bureau? The academy? You don’t even know which one I’m from,” I shot back, unfazed. “Still hung up on Demonspawn’s 50,000 reward, huh?”
I wasn’t polite, but I kept fishing. I didn’t buy that he was this worked up over just 50,000.
“50,000? You think I care about that? He’s worth way more than that! You people know nothing!” he snapped.
“You’re just a normie. What do you know?” I said, pulling the phone away before his shouting felt like spit in my ear.
“A normie? So what? I’m his father! I know his worth better than your damn scam academy! Handing him over to you is a waste! Just wait—Demonspawn will come for you. You’ll regret this!”
I listened quietly, suddenly curious. How much was I worth to him?
Why didn’t I know I was such a big deal?
Did he figure out I was a reincarnator?
No way. Even if he did, how could he be sure?
And what would they want? My knowledge?
Please. My old world didn’t have a hint of transcendence. Tech was just modern—nothing worth stealing.
More importantly, since when was Demonspawn that powerful? Stronger than other academies, enough to snatch a student back?
What kind of logic was that?
Then I heard chaos on his end—shuffling, like someone was grabbing for the phone.
Moments later, a new voice came through the phone, sharp and unfamiliar.
It wasn’t Dad. This guy’s voice grated—harsh, awkward, like he struggled to speak.
“Listen up, I’m from Demonspawn School,” he said. “You stole our target. Hand him over, or this gets messy.”
“Demonspawn School trash?” I said, clocking who he was. I hadn’t expected him to be right there with them. This was getting interesting. “Why would I be scared of you?”
“Trash? You’ll regret calling me that,” he snapped. “Don’t underestimate how much Demonspawn values a born Psi-visioner. You want us coming after your academy with everything we’ve got?”
Translator's note: What do you guys think of family? I don't believe in blood and family either, just like Yuehan.