It's the 4th job I was fired from. Though, getting fired wasn't really anything new to me.

Xin city.

I thought this place was it. Thought that it was fate. My mom even named me after this city. All this time, I dreamed of coming here. To our glorious capital.

Though, city Xin and me Xin seem two worlds apart.

I came here because I didn't want to give up on life yet. And I was desperate for money.

Back in Shanghou, my hometown - more like a small village, we didn't really have any large universities to get a decent degree. So, I had to come here.

"All the jobs are there," they said. "Xin is the best place for a human to live. Jobs, money. Everybody seems to have an easy-going life in that city. It's the capital of our country for a reason!"

But only after coming here was I able to figure out that this place is not in any way *easygoing.* That was all pure bullshit by my aunts and neighbors.

But, ever since I came here, the world has begun to look harsher than before.

The Macdonalds only gave me night shifts, and I had classes at night. I asked the manager for a morning shift - and his reply was:

"You're fired. We already have too many replacements for you, anyways."

The same goes for the textile shop I worked in.

And then, it was the Ramen shop. The woman at the counter, who I even liked, looked me in the eyes that fine Monday, only to say:

"I'm sorry… But Mr. Long wants you gone."

Now here I am, walking across the bridge of Xin city. A jobless, 20-year-old, ugly-ass beanpole.

I walk along the pavement of the bridge, passing a few giggling couples that remind me of my eternal virginity. My face turns darker as I am reminded of it.

Finally, I come to a halt. Leaning against the railing of the bridge, I sigh. My chest aches and I want to cry. But - I don't want to give up yet. Just - not yet.

The Jade river runs right below the bridge. The water is as clear as day. It reflects the starry night sky above me.

I gaze at the still waters. I see my own reflection. Suddenly, the ripples form the image of someone else… the only face I know which is similar to my ugly face. My Dad's.

"We're bound to be losers," Dad's voice reverberates in my mind. I sigh again.

"Nope, I've survived two years of college in Xin, dad. I'm going to prove you wrong," I object.

Of course, I wasn't just going to give up like my Mom gave up on my dad. Well, my situation is probably not as bad as hers, anyway.

I continue to gaze at the water. I see the reflection of the Moon. A freezing chill comes over my body, and the ache in my chest is no more.

"Hmm~ so it's true that this river washes one's sorrows away," I murmur to myself.

Then, I turn around to take my leave.

Suddenly, the sound of screeching tires whistles in my ears. The couple on the other side of the bridge screams. Two cars crash into one another before me.

My legs freeze. My heart beats fast, and the sudden chill I felt earlier envelops my entire body.

Suddenly, the headlights of another vehicle flash, blinding me completely.

I lift my arms to cover, but it's pointless. There was no way I could defend this.

I feel the car thrashing against my body. I close my eyes. A pain erupts all over my body, and I open my eyes again.

I'm in the air. The car's still against my stomach, pushing me through the air. Blood gushes out of my mouth in mid-air.

Splash!

Before I know it, I'm drowning in the Jade river. The crystal-clear water gets clouded with my blood.

My body sinks deeper and deeper into the river.

'This is the way I die?' I wonder.

I feel my conscience fading away. Blood's running out of my body. I am going to die any minute now.

But to think that I was going to die like this.

'I wonder if my father was right… we are bound to be losers –' My conscience fades away.

///

Pitch-black darkness. It's all I can perceive. I can't put together any words now. I'm just a mind floating to the next world, I guess.

To be honest, I never believed that there would be an afterlife.

Or am I being sent to Hell? Have I actually done something so wrong before? I wonder.

Then, the chill that enveloped me whole from earlier. I feel like it's crawling up my body once more. But how could that be possible?

'Aren't I dead already?' I think. There was no way I would still have a body intact.

"AH~"

Suddenly, I hear a woman's cry.

My eyes deliberately open again. Bubbles of water rush forth, and I figure that I am underwater, just like when I died.

'Wait – I didn't die?' I begin to wonder, and my heart beats fast from the excitement.

Suddenly, two hands plunge into the water. Completely pale, smooth hands that give off a radiant otherworldly glow.

The hands that will save me. The hands of God itself.

I wiggle to grab the helping hand, but my arms aren't moving as before. I am suddenly feeling as if my arms have become shorter. Weaker.

Then, the smooth fingers of these silky hands grasp my entire body and lift me with such brute strength. These hands – this strength, the size of the fingers. It wasn't a human's!

Cough! Cough!

I cough out the water as a radiant blue light dazzles above me. Amidst all this, a baby cries.

I tried to yell, but my attempt was unsuccessful. The baby's wailing continues.

And amidst all this, I catch the sight of the Moon. I try to raise my hands towards the sky, and my hand comes into my line of sight.

'WHA –'

'This is not my hand! It's a – a baby's hand!'

It all hits me right at that moment. Indeed, I had actually died. And now – I was reincarnated as a baby on the other side. Suddenly, the being that lifted me from the waters pulls me even closer, and her face covers the Moon above me.

My cough seizes. My wail stops. And – I see her face.

Blue glittering eyes, silver hair dropping down to her naked breasts. Her lips are bright silver.

The mere sight of her seizes me from movement. I'm lost in her eyes.

"Ah~ finally… You're born, my prince," she exhales, trying to catch a breath. She is definitely not speaking Chinese, but I understand her well somehow.

"My little Xin."

I have no idea what is going on here. But - from the situation, I grasp a clue. She called me "My prince" and "My little Xin." It meant that I was named "Xin" in this life, and this is possibly – my new mother.

"Mwah~" she raises me and kisses me on the cheek.

"Your eyes are beautiful, baby boy," she says, gazing directly into my eyes.

'I can say the same for you,' I say inwardly.

She smiles at me with eyes filled with tears. Her smile looks gentle, soft, and kind. However, even on her face, it is written that she does not belong in the human world. Her beauty is divine.

"Mmm~ let me gaze into your beautiful eyes and see our future," the woman says, sitting on a rock in the flowing river.

I take a moment to perceive my surroundings. We're somewhere that looks pretty similar to a forest, with thick vegetation all around. And below me, crystal-clear water is streaming down. Water this clear means only one thing.

"The Jade River."

"Hey, kiddo… here, look into Mommy's eyes and see what your future is like," the woman holds my cheek with her cold fingers and turns it towards her eyes.

'My future?' I was confused. 'Foretelling?'

Suddenly, her eyes spark with a radiant blue, and images of a pale young handsome man flash in her pupils. It feels like a fast-forwarded movie displayed in her eyes.

Suddenly, the mother bites her lip, and her cheeks turn red.

"I – god, you naughty little boy."

My face turns pale. 'What?? What'll happen??' I try to scream out, and the baby cries out.

"Bai Xin, my Moon Prince, the son of the Moon Goddess, you shall be a fine young man. Well, now let's be more specific about who you'll become."

I gaze at her intently, waiting for her to continue.

"...after all, you are my son. I can see it now.

My little love, many women will fall for you down the line. One day, even I shall fall for you because of your naughtiness. And…." she stops midway and blushes. "Anyhow!"

"Your journey might be hard – but power is not something you can get by sitting around all day.

I know you shall be a fine Prince, a worthy one. And you shall be a fine warrior.

After all, you are the future of Xian and the one thing that can save this world from its cruel fate.

But… It's a shame that I cannot be there with you to see you grow, my prince. But do not worry, your Mommy will come visit you at every Full moon, no matter what. I wish I could always be there with you, but I cannot, Xin. So I will send you to a new mother. Even if she is not your real mother, treat Chao Mei well, dear."

The mother kisses me once again after finishing her foretelling.

The shock still keeps me frozen. The shock from her saying, "Many women shall fall for you."

It was unbelievable. And for whatever reason, inside the baby's mind, I am grinning.

'After all, father… I may not end up being a loser,' I say to myself.

The mother keeps me on some sort of wooden platform, almost like a small boat. It sways from side to side because of the water. I wonder what she is doing.

Then, the woman peeks back into the boat and smiles at me again.

"Honey, take care of yourself. I shall see you soon, my little prince," she says, shoving the wooden boat forward. The boat pulls forth, and I feel it floating down the river.

'Damn… is this Goodbye from her?' I wonder. 'I hope to see her face again.'

Above me, there is the starry night sky. This all feels like a dream, but all these bumps the wooden boat is having make me reconsider my opinion.

And gradually, my eyes feel swollen.

Before I know it, I fall asleep.

//Author's Note//

Here begins the first volume of Reincarnated as the Moon King!

Leave a power stone if you need more chapters and want this book to continue! I hope you enjoy the stuff I wrote! Plus, leave a comment and a review. It makes my day.