Chapter 3: Until One of Us Dies
In this life, Lin Zijing would fight Mo Ruxuan until one of them died.
Perhaps fate had favored him with a chance to begin again. He did not yet know whether this was dream or reality, but either way, he intended to avenge himself before dying at thirty.
Counting carefully, he had roughly fourteen years.
Ten would be enough.
He had never planned to live long, and this body was beyond saving. For now, however, he needed to conceal that truth from everyone around him.
A-Yi worked efficiently, so Lin Zijing trusted him with the arrangements.
Lin Zijing lay lazily on a reclining chair in the courtyard, warm sunlight spilling across his face. He savored the present stillness and the pulse of life inside him.
Events from his previous life flickered through his mind like scenes beneath a revolving lantern.
He had been reborn only a few days ago, yet that earlier life already seemed very far away.
At this moment, he truly wanted to release his hatred and spend the remaining years of his life in peace.
He thought of all the people who had died for him: Aunt An, Bu Yan, Bu Yu, and A-Yi.
There was also a girl named Gu Nian who had saved and protected him.
Back then, he was cursed by everyone, hunted by pursuing soldiers, and reduced to a prisoner who fought dogs for scraps of food.
Gu Nian's words had remained carved into his memory.
"Big Brother, there's food here. I'll give it to you."
He had been delirious with hunger. Before he could even reach out, he collapsed.
At first, Lin Zijing remained deeply suspicious while living with her. More than half a month passed before he realized she had no intention of harming him.
"Thank you," he finally said.
Gu Nian stared in surprise. "Oh! You can talk? I thought you were mute."
The days that followed were peaceful. The more peaceful they became, the more afraid Lin Zijing felt. He feared implicating this kind child.
"I'm leaving."
"Why? You have nowhere else to go. Where could you possibly go?"
"I..." He hesitated. "My name is Lin Zijing. You know who that is, don't you? I'll only bring disaster upon you, so I must leave. You can turn me over to the authorities and claim the reward. I'll go willingly. Consider it repayment for the months you've cared for me."
"I know you're Lin Zijing."
He wanted to demand why she had saved him if she knew.
She continued, "You're Anjing's great hero. You probably don't remember, but years ago you rescued me from among the prisoners of war."
At the words great hero, helplessness and hatred flooded his heart.
Gu Nian did not surrender him.
Their good days lasted only a little longer before villagers discovered Lin Zijing.
Someone informed on Gu Nian, and she was arrested as a suspected accomplice.
"Brother, whatever happens, don't come out. Run!"
At first Lin Zijing obeyed her warning. He wanted to give up. He had never desired a life spent fleeing. Death was only death.
Then Gu Nian called one last time.
"Brother, don't let everything I did be wasted. You have to live if you want revenge."
Those words carried Lin Zijing through half a month.
But when he heard that Gu Nian was being tortured, he could endure no more.
He risked everything and went to the government office, willingly allowing himself to be captured.
The instant he finally saw Gu Nian, they embraced.
Warm blood splashed across his face.
A violent ringing filled his ears, and for that moment he could hear nothing.
The sun blazed overhead.
That day's light had been painfully bright. Birds beat their wings in the sky, straining to fly.
One second, Gu Nian had been alive.
The next, she was a warm corpse.
Every detail of the past remained vivid. Even the warmth felt as though it had touched him only yesterday.
Lin Zijing lay there for most of the day before Aunt An appeared.
"Oh, my young master! The wind is rising. Hurry inside."
Only then did he return from his memories.
In this life, he needed to find Gu Nian as soon as possible.
The earlier killing had already attracted attention. If he caused another commotion while searching for someone, others would notice.
The royal family did not dare act openly, but he could not know what they might do in secret.
The problem made his head ache.
At Aunt An's urging, he went inside and found her still standing.
"Sit down, Aunt An. Why are you standing?"
"Young Master, that... wouldn't be proper."
His previous life had changed Lin Zijing greatly. Aunt An could tell that he was different now, though she knew he was still her young master.
"Proper or not, sit. In my heart, you're family."
Forced to take a seat, Aunt An said, "Young Master, you've become much more mature. Are you truly unwilling to marry?"
"Marry?"
Lin Zijing sank into thought, left elbow propped on the table and hand beneath his chin. Then inspiration flashed.
"I have a solution! Aunt An, I thought carefully about what you said. You're right."
"Is there a young woman you favor?"
"There is. She looks sweet and obedient, with double eyelids and large eyes. She should be lively and spirited, but capable of quiet too."
"Young Master, what sort of woman are you asking me to find?" Aunt An sighed. "Where could anyone find such a girl? Don't use this as another excuse to avoid marriage."
Lin Zijing felt slightly guilty.
It would be a fraudulent marriage search, but it was the fastest and most suitable way to find Gu Nian. Once he located her, he could simply announce that none of the candidates had caught his eye.
Two objectives accomplished at once.
Aunt An began searching the very next day, and new candidates came to meet him daily.
"What about this one, Young Master?"
After more than half a month of meetings, Lin Zijing still could not distinguish beautiful women from plain ones. Everyone looked roughly alike to him.
Were they ugly? Not exactly. Were they beautiful? Perhaps not.
No matter how astonished others appeared, he could see that every woman possessed her own kind of beauty. He did not want to judge them as beautiful or ugly.
The truth was simply that he could not tell the difference—and did not wish to try.
Lin Zijing wasted a great deal of time meeting dozens of women without finding Gu Nian.
At last, he abandoned the method.
He distinctly remembered Gu Nian saying, during the time they lived together, that she had been in the capital.
Had he remembered incorrectly?
There was no point tormenting himself further. Mo Ruxuan had probably almost recovered from his wounds. Lin Zijing could no longer sit and wait.
Before Mo Ruxuan returned, the arrangements Lin Zijing entrusted to A-Yi were nearly complete.
A-Yi also brought bad news.
"Young Master, the army's funds are running short. Word came from the frontier that there isn't enough grain. Without money, the border forces..."
A-Yi did not finish.
Lin Zijing had lived through this in his previous life. Even so, anger made his hands tremble.
"A-Yi, use money from the residence to cover the shortage for now. I'll find another solution."
Before Lin Zijing could solve the problem, the vice minister of the Court of Judicial Review arrived at his door.
Song Wenjia, courtesy name Wuwang.
Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.
"The Court of Judicial Review is investigating a case. General Lin, a recent murder has been connected to your servant A-Yi. Please have the man from your residence accompany us."
A company of imperial guards stood behind Song Wenjia.
Lin Zijing had not expected the royal family to come after him so soon. He had not even begun dealing with them yet.
The Court of Judicial Review's punishments were notoriously cruel. If A-Yi entered that place, he would emerge half dead.
Lin Zijing could not let them take him.
"What is the meaning of this, Vice Minister Song? Surely you need evidence before making an arrest."
"Evidence? We have witnesses. Does General Lin intend to shelter a criminal?"
"Witnesses?" Lin Zijing gave a soft, contemptuous laugh. "If any person you drag off the street can serve as a witness, then framing someone from my residence must be effortless for you."
He approached Song Wenjia and spoke beside his ear.
"Vice Minister, accusations require evidence. Return with complete and convincing proof. Then it will not be too late to arrest someone from my household."
On the final words, Lin Zijing turned his back. Their gazes met for an instant before he walked inside.
"Someone see our guests out."
Song Wenjia had come to make an arrest, only to be outmaneuvered.
He finally raised a hand and withdrew.
Outside the gates, one of his men approached and whispered, "This Lin Yi'an is far too arrogant. Vice Minister, why didn't we simply seize the suspect?"
"Lin Yi'an's position is extraordinary. Do you believe 'general' is his only title? He is hailed as the God of War. Do you imagine he is easy to provoke?"
Song Wenjia pinched the bridge of his nose and said no more.