Jessica Bolton held his head as if deep in thought, then suddenly cried out in pain, claiming he couldn’t remember anything. John Adams simply thought he was beyond saving, and his face immediately showed deep sorrow. In his heart, Jessica Bolton cursed those imperial physicians as nothing but incompetents, unable to even recognize the “amnesia” so common in novels and movies. But then again, it was no wonder, given how backward medical knowledge was in this era.

“Zixin, my son, just the other day you displayed great might, replacing beams in the Feiyun Pavilion and intimidating the ministers—how is it that today you are so gravely ill! Even the imperial physicians are at a loss…” John Adams looked at his “son,” who no longer recognized his own kin, and sighed mournfully.

The two wives of Prince Shou, Lady Jiang and Lady Yang, hurriedly knelt and blamed themselves for negligence. The maids and physicians prostrated themselves on the ground, not daring to move. When Jessica Bolton suddenly heard the name “Zixin,” he was startled: “‘Zixing’? Am I… is my name Zixing?”

Seeing Prince Shou react, John Adams quickly said, “My son, have you remembered something?”

“I remember a little. I think that’s my name.” What a coincidence, Jessica Bolton thought to himself, this makes things easier—his name was apparently exactly the same, so he might as well admit it.

“That’s wonderful! Do you remember anything else?” John Adams and the two women were overjoyed to hear he recalled his name, unaware that this “Zixing” was not the original “Zixin.”

“I only remember my own name. Thinking about anything else gives me a headache.” Jessica Bolton feigned hesitation and asked, “Are you my father?”

“Of course! Xin’er, I am your father!” Although his son did not address him as “Imperial Father” according to etiquette, this “father” sounded even more intimate, making John Adams feel a special closeness.

“Father, why can’t I suddenly remember anything?” Jessica Bolton seized the opportunity to ask.

“Could it be that my son has been possessed by evil spirits?” John Adams mused, “It’s a pity that Grand Preceptor William Clark is away leading troops against the rebels. Otherwise, with his status as a disciple of the Jie Sect, his many connections with capable people, and his knowledge of mystical arts, he would surely be able to cure you.”

William Clark! Jie Sect! Having been especially fond of supernatural novels since his student days, Jessica Bolton finally realized what it meant to be this “Prince Shou”—he was actually the infamous tyrant of Chinese history, King Zhou of Shang, Di Xin! What shocked him even more was that, judging from John Adams’s words, this world was likely not just the Shang dynasty as recorded in history books, but much closer to the supernatural world of the classic novel “Investiture of the Gods”!

Although Jessica Bolton was not yet certain of this, he was wary of causing complications and being exposed by some capable person, so he quickly said, “Father, when I heard my name just now, I felt a special sense of familiarity. Could someone slowly tell me about my past, or let me meet some familiar people? Maybe that will help me remember.”

John Adams nodded and said, “Since the imperial physicians are useless and Grand Preceptor Wen has not returned, this is all we can do for now.”

In the days that followed, Jessica Bolton naturally went everywhere searching for his “lost memories.” Combining his knowledge of “Investiture of the Gods” and Shang dynasty history, he finally figured out the situation of this Prince Shou and began to get acquainted with everyone. Even if he made mistakes in conversation, he could always use “amnesia” as an excuse. Upon hearing that Prince Shou was recovering well, John Adams’s worries vanished, though he had no idea that his original son had already been replaced.

In the blink of an eye, more than a month passed. Prince Shou’s “illness” had basically recovered; except for some memories that had not fully returned, he was no different from an ordinary person. In fact, he even seemed like a changed man—gone was his former arrogance, replaced by calmness, prudence, quick wit, and a courteous, humble manner. The Son of Heaven, John Adams, was both surprised and delighted by the news, secretly thinking that the spirit of the sage-ancestor Cheng Tang must be watching over them.

While Jessica Bolton cautiously adapted to his surroundings, he finally confirmed that he had arrived in a supernatural world based on the Shang dynasty of China, most likely a strange parallel universe, through a process similar to reincarnation. In this world, some fictional characters and mystical arts from “Investiture of the Gods” truly existed.

This “reincarnation” was extremely bizarre. Prince Shou seemed to be Jessica Bolton’s projection in this parallel universe—their appearances and builds were almost identical. Two people who should never have overlapped were somehow merged by an incredible force. Their bodies fused perfectly, but their vastly different souls could not blend. As the saying goes, “two tigers cannot share one mountain”—both sides fought for control of the body, unconsciously rejecting and struggling against each other. In the end, survival of the fittest prevailed, and the “existence” of Jessica Bolton signaled the disappearance of the original Prince Shou’s consciousness.

Thanks to the highly advanced technology of the twenty-fourth century, many once-incurable diseases had been overcome by scientists, and humanity’s physical condition had greatly improved. The average lifespan had reached 250 years, and both physical and mental states were far beyond what ancient people could imagine. After this strange “reincarnation,” Jessica Bolton felt that not only had his bodily functions and mental state not declined, but they had actually become even stronger. In particular, his physical strength had inexplicably increased dozens of times, far surpassing human limits—no wonder John Adams said that Prince Shou had performed the feat of “replacing beams and pillars” in the Feiyun Pavilion the other day. This was precisely the result of the perfect fusion between Jessica Bolton and Prince Shou’s body.