The Blindfolded Emperor: I Only Wanted a Quiet Life

Chapter 2 A Dead Man's Fate

Jasper stood motionless in the middle of the dusty training arena. The world around him felt distant, as though he were watching it through a layer of fog. His head pounded with every heartbeat while the last fragments of another person's memories slowly settled into place.

On either side of him, two robed attendants held his arms to keep him from collapsing.

"Young Master, breathe," the older man said as he tightened his grip. "Can you hear me?"

Jasper barely noticed him. His thoughts were a tangled mess. Who am I now?

Almost as if answering his question, the memories began to fall into place. Jasper Stoneheart. Third son of the Stoneheart Family. A noble household within the Australis Kingdom on the vast Star Sky Continent.

The Stonehearts weren't the strongest family in the kingdom, but they weren't weak either. Their influence came from years of careful alliances and connections with powerful families. They had enough strength to protect themselves, but not enough to stand above everyone else.

The original Jasper had lived a comfortable life with fine clothes, good food, and a private courtyard. Yet none of it mattered. His two older brothers were celebrated as geniuses, while he struggled with even the most basic cultivation. His progress was painfully slow, and every comparison made the gap between them wider. To the elders, he was little more than an embarrassment.

Jasper quietly sorted through the flood of memories until one detail made his heart skip a beat.

Australis Kingdom, Star Sky Continent and stoneheart Family.

His breathing stopped. Those names… he knew them. Not because of these memories, but because he had read them. His stomach twisted.

No… Please don't tell me…

He knew this world. It wasn't just another cultivation realm. It was the setting of the web novel Path of the Heavenly Sword Emperor. He had read every chapter, every arc, and every major battle. And if his memory was right, the Stoneheart Family didn't survive very long.

Jasper himself wasn't some hidden genius waiting to shine. He was a minor character—a name that appeared only long enough to die during the first major conflict.

A cold chill ran down his back. Seriously…? I escaped one nightmare just to walk into another.

"Young Master!" The older attendant's worried voice finally pulled him back to reality. A gentle hand rested on his shoulder. "You don't look well."

Jasper blinked and slowly focused on the man standing before him. He looked to be in his late fifties, with silver beginning to creep through his neatly tied black hair. His grey robes were plain but spotless, and genuine concern filled his eyes.

"You struck your head rather badly," the man said softly. "Are you feeling dizzy?"

Jasper forced himself to stay calm. He couldn't let them think something was wrong. "I'm… alright." Even his own voice surprised him. It sounded much younger than he remembered. He cleared his throat. "My memory feels a little hazy." He looked between the two attendants. "Who are you again?"

The question drained every bit of color from the older man's face. His eyes widened in horror. Beside him, the younger attendant nearly dropped to his knees.

"Young Master!" The older man hurried closer and began checking Jasper's head with shaking hands. "Oh no… This is terrible. Truly terrible."

The younger attendant threw himself onto the stone floor. "Forgive us, Young Master!" His forehead struck the ground with a loud thud. "We failed to protect you! Please punish us!"

Jasper stared at him, then at the older servant who was still desperately searching his scalp for an injury. For a brief moment, he almost laughed. The panic on their faces felt strangely real.

"Enough." He gently caught the older man's wrists before they could tug out any more of his hair. "I'm fine. My head hurts, and my thoughts are a little mixed up. That's all."

The older servant froze, then let out a long breath. "Thank the heavens… I thought—" He shook his head before bowing deeply. "My name is Chris, Young Master. I've served the Stoneheart Family for twenty years." He gestured toward the younger man. "This is my nephew, Victor. We are your personal attendants."

*Chris… Victor…* As soon as he heard the names, the memories connected. He knew them.

"Right." Jasper nodded. "Victor, you can stand."

"Y-Yes, Young Master!" Victor scrambled to his feet so quickly that he nearly tripped over himself.

Chris still looked uneasy. "Young Master… Do you remember what happened today?"

Jasper closed his eyes. Slowly, the memories resurfaced. Today had been nothing more than a routine training session. 

The entrance examination for the Azure Sky Sect was approaching, and it was one of the few respected sects the original Jasper had any chance of joining—unlike his two older brothers, who had already caught the attention of far stronger sects.

Then the visitors arrived. Deen River, the young master of the River Family, and standing beside him… Marlene Azure.

The moment Jasper remembered her name, a faint warmth stirred inside his chest. It wasn't his feeling. It belonged to the original owner of this body. 

The boy had admired her from afar for years. He had never spoken to her or confessed. He had simply watched from a distance whenever their families crossed paths.

Deen knew that, and he enjoyed using it against him.

The memory unfolded clearly. Deen had walked into the training grounds with a smug smile. "Jasper!" He laughed as though greeting an old friend. "Since Lady Marlene is here, why don't you show us what the third young master of the Stonehearts can do?"

Everyone knew it wasn't an invitation. It was humiliation. Deen's cultivation was far above Jasper's, so there was no chance of winning. But with Marlene watching, the original Jasper couldn't bring himself to refuse.

The fight was over before it truly began. Every swing of his sword missed. Every attack was effortlessly avoided. The spectators laughed. Then, after playing with him long enough, Deen swept his legs out from under him. Jasper crashed backward, and the back of his head slammed against the stone.

The last thing he heard was Deen's mocking voice. "So this is the famous Stoneheart Family? What a disappointment."

As for Marlene… she never said a word. The only thing the original Jasper remembered was the soft sound of her footsteps fading into the distance.

His body survived the fall, but his spirit didn't. Years of being ignored, compared, and told he would never be enough finally became too much. The humiliation was the final straw. His heart gave out.

And in the next moment, another soul opened its eyes inside his body.

Jasper slowly looked across the empty training grounds. The panic that had filled him moments ago gradually settled. The original Jasper was gone. There was nothing he could do to change that. But he was still alive. He had survived betrayal and losing everything before.

And now… he refused to die a second time.

If this story expected Jasper Stoneheart to become another forgotten corpse, then the story would have to change.