I Am Your Natural Enemy

Or rather, when something happens, there’s a sense of déjà vu—he’s gone through this before, or perhaps, he’s already witnessed it once, and now it’s happening again.

Some say, this is just a kind of false memory, or other explanations that sound mysterious but unclear.

But Wen Yan believes that these fake memories, things not actually recorded by memory, no matter how powerful, couldn’t possibly be this strong.

Everything else can be explained away, except that title.

There’s only one explanation for that.

He has truly been through it.

He truly did something.

He took out his phone, intending to check in the Scorching Sun Department’s database to see if any information was related to this.

But then, he stopped.

If he went searching for certain records, or tried to access things requiring permission, there’d be a record of it.

After nightfall, Wen Yan fell asleep, entered the dream, and came into the Water Monarch’s dreamscape.

He noticed that lately, whenever he slept, he would always easily find himself in the Water Monarch’s dream.

Does the Water Monarch stay asleep all day long?

Or maybe, as the elders of Fuyu Mountain said before, in this stage, the Water Monarch really isn’t supposed to awaken?

Tonight, Wen Yan didn’t dwell on this any further.

Seeing the Water Monarch in the dream, drinking and chewing on a wine jar, Wen Yan thought maybe he should bring the Water Monarch more wine.

He drifted over, knit his brows, and got straight to the point.

”Water Monarch, I have something troubling me, and I really can’t find anyone else to ask. You’re knowledgeable and experienced—could you help me out?”

The Water Monarch curled his lips, a hint of disdain at the corner of his mouth.

If Wen Yan hadn’t just gotten here, mocking him like this, the Water Monarch would surely have sent Wen Yan back right away.

”I’ve been suppressed here for thousands of years, what would I know? As you put it, I can’t even read.”

”No need to say that, I really mean it. I genuinely came to ask you, Water Monarch. I’m very troubled—I don’t even dare to look things up rashly, or it’ll leave a trace. The only place I can think of that won’t leave a record, that’s also knowledgeable, is here with you.”

”Hahaha...” The Water Monarch laughed twice, and seeing that Wen Yan really did seem to be seeking advice, his mood improved noticeably: ”Go ahead and ask.”

”Water Monarch, are there ever times when you feel, even though you’ve never experienced something, you just know for sure that you must have? ”

”Hm?” The Water Monarch’s smile faded: ”Tell me in detail.”

”Today, I realized something—there’s an event I’ve clearly never gone through, yet I’m so certain I must have. It’s like...”

The Water Monarch’s gaze shone golden, and he finished the words Wen Yan couldn’t say yet.

”It’s like, you just know—that flower you’ll see tomorrow, one you’ve never seen before, is actually highly poisonous.”

”That’s about it.” Wen Yan nodded, though it didn’t feel quite right, but close enough: ”Water Monarch, do you know what this feeling is?”

The Water Monarch was silent for a long while, then suddenly asked,

”Do you know of the Divine Farmer?”

”Of course, everyone does.”

”Yu once told me a story, about the Divine Farmer.”

Wen Yan listened quietly, as the Water Monarch seemed to search for the right words.

”Back then, the Divine Land wasn’t what it is now.

Your people, then, mostly relied on gathering and hunting as the main source of food.

But not everything could be eaten.

Many people died of poisoning; many ate the wrong things and died of illness.

The Divine Farmer began to roam across mountains and wilderness, personally picking and tasting all manner of things.

Afterward, he recorded for each thing he tasted himself whether it was poisonous, its flavor, and its properties.

What reactions people would have after eating, he wrote them all down.

Actually, he wasn’t as miraculous as later legends claim—his stomach wasn’t transparent, able to discern everything.

He was so knowledgeable only because he personally tried them all.

Over and over again, he died from all kinds of poisonous things.

Especially those deaths that came fast, ending the suffering quickly.

Sometimes, he would fall gravely ill, tormented for months before dying in agony.

So, he understood better than anyone, every single process and change that came after taking something.”

When the Water Monarch spoke of this, even he was moved, and there was respect in his tone.

Wen Yan’s eyes were full of shock as well—he’d never heard this version before.

The Water Monarch recalled, saying,

”Yu told me many things, but there aren’t many I remember clearly.

But the Divine Farmer—or rather, the Flame Emperor—is the one I remember best.

From start to finish, the Flame Emperor wasn’t really some great powerhouse.

He had a unique ability—whenever he died from eating something,

he would return to the moment right before he ate it.

In your people’s eyes, the Divine Farmer roamed the great mountains and rivers, cataloguing the hundreds of herbs.

He seemed magical—just by seeing and discovering, he could make precise records.

In truth, he’d already tasted them all, already died again and again.

No one knew.

After him, deaths and illnesses from eating the wrong things plummeted.

The population quickly grew; the tribes became stronger.

Your people came to occupy a corner of the Divine Land and started growing ever larger.

There aren’t many I truly respect, but in my heart, he’s truly a hero.”

When he finished, the Water Monarch sighed a little.

”It’s a pity—there will never be anyone like that again.”