Dan Xiaoya hesitated whether to go back to him or not. Now was a good opportunity to ditch him, but something didn’t feel right. Here, only he and she were from the same world. Remembering the previous cruel war, she decided to take him along. At least they shared the same path and a common goal – no one would want to stay in this savage, war-torn era. With this thought, she quickly walked back to the restaurant.
Dan Xiaoya was followed by Shen Zhonglei, who looked more robust and handsome. The beautiful man and woman walking together drew the attention of others as they moved down the street. They arrived at an inn and rented two upper rooms, settling in. Dan Xiaoya thought she would get a good night’s sleep and plan their return the next day.
Hu Yannan sat alone, drinking sorrowfully, his face filled with deep emotion and pain. Glass after glass of alcohol was poured into his stomach, bringing deeper self-reproach. Slightly drunk, he stared blankly at his wine cup, which reflected the image of a beautiful and gentle woman smiling at him tenderly. Hu Yannan looked at her in the cup, his eyes filled with reluctance, love, and immense guilt. He whispered, “Sisi, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He then downed the drink in one gulp.
When he raised his eyes again, they were filled with deep hatred – a hatred so profound it chilled one to the bone. This intense hatred was a mark he could never erase in his lifetime. Hu Yannan’s bloodthirsty eyes stared intently ahead. He didn’t even notice the shattered wine glass fragments piercing his hand. Blood dripped from his fist onto the table, forming a small stream.
Liu Sisi was Hu Yannan’s most cherished person and his master’s only daughter. His master had entrusted Sisi to Hu Yannan before dying. Hu Yannan had promised to take good care of her, to never let her suffer. He was a man who valued promises and truly loved Sisi, so he married her. They lived happily together, and Sisi became pregnant with his child. Just as they thought their happiness would be eternal, tragedy struck.
On a night covered in dark clouds, darkness consumed everything like a demon.
Several black-clothed men silently infiltrated the general’s residence, moving with familiarity that suggested careful preparation. They knew exactly when the guards changed shifts and where the defenses were weakest.
The black-clothed men quietly entered Hu Yannan’s bedroom. Suddenly, the room was brightly illuminated. Torches revealed every corner, exposing the intruders who immediately engaged with the suddenly appearing guards. Hu Yannan stood quietly, gently holding his beloved wife, watching everything unfold.
After a difficult battle, the black-clothed men were finally captured. At the moment Hu Yannan relaxed his guard, a flying dagger shot from the wall directly towards him. When Hu Yannan noticed, it was too late to dodge. At that critical moment, Sisi fearlessly threw herself in front of him, shouting, “South Brother! Be careful! Ah!” Tragically, the dart struck her fatal point.
Hu Yannan caught her falling body, unable to believe the sight of his wife’s instantly pale face. “Sisi!” he called out low. Sisi weakly grabbed his hand, placing it on her swollen belly, wanting to say something. She opened her mouth but no words came out. Her eyes lost their light, her hand dropping. A single tear rolled down her eye, falling on Hu Yannan’s arm, instantly burning a thousand wounds in his heart.
“Died with grievances!” Hu Yannan collapsed, holding Sisi tightly, howling to the sky.
His heartbreaking cry made even listeners weep. From that moment, he lived only for revenge. His handsome face never showed a genuine smile again. Sisi had taken his happiness, leaving him with only hatred and an empty shell of a body. Avenging Sisi and his unborn son became his sole reason for living.
After sleepless investigation, Hu Yannan discovered the culprits were assassins sent by the Crown Prince of Manyi Nation. He prepared to lead troops in retaliation but was stopped by an imperial decree. The current Emperor, hearing of Hu Yannan’s loss in An City, believed Manyi Nation was most suspicious. To prevent war and protect citizens, he issued an order: General Hu Yannan was forbidden from attacking Manyi Nation and could only defend An City from external threats.
“Imperial commands cannot be disobeyed,” Hu Yannan reluctantly withdrew his attack plans. He remained stationed in An City, watching Manyi Nation vigilantly, waiting for the opportunity to completely destroy them and avenge his wife and child.
After breakfast, Dan Xiaoya called Shen Zhonglei to her room. She looked at Shen Zhonglei and said solemnly, “There’s something I need to explain to you.”
Shen Zhonglei nodded. “Go ahead!”
“We don’t belong here, we belong to another place. We arrived here inexplicably.”
“It’s okay, we’ll return eventually.”
“I hope so too, but I must tell you. We don’t belong to this time and space, but to another. When the earthquake happened, we jumped into the crevice, and when we woke up, we were on that grassland. We need to find a way back. Let’s go to that grassland today and investigate.”
Shen Zhonglei frowned in confusion. “What do you mean by time and space?”
Shan Xiaoya struggled to explain to Shen Zhonglei how they arrived here. After numerous questions, Shen Zhonglei finally believed her words. He said firmly, “I don’t like it here. We must find a way back.”
The two arrived at the grassland where they had awakened. They could see the pale stone protruding from the center of the grassland. Shan Xiaoya and Shen Zhonglei circled the stone but found nothing unusual. But why did they cross over? Shan Xiaoya frowned, looking into the distance.
Suddenly, a dark unidentified object caught Shan Xiaoya’s attention. Without thinking, she ran towards the mysterious object. Shen Zhonglei followed.
Upon approaching, they discovered a person wearing a black night garment, motionless and curled up, with an arrow piercing his back. The blood flowing from the arrow had already coagulated.
“Are you dead?” Shan Xiaoya said while forcefully kicking his shoulder to check if he was dead.
The black-clad man rolled over from her kick, facing Shan Xiaoya and Shen Zhonglei. Seeing his appearance, Shan Xiaoya was stunned. How could he look exactly like Shen Zhonglei? She looked again at Shen Zhonglei beside her. They were like they were cast from the same mold, not a millimeter different.
Shen Zhonglei looked at the familiar face before him, frowning. Uncertainly, he asked Shan Xiaoya, “Xiaoya, do I know him? He seems so familiar.”
Before Shan Xiaoya could speak, the person on the ground stirred. “Hmm!” Shan Xiaoya signaled Shen Zhonglei, who understood and helped the man up, letting him lean on his shoulder. “Hey! Wake up! How are you?”
The black-clad man barely opened his eyes. When he saw the people before him, he was momentarily stunned, his eyes showing joy, conflict, and many fleeting emotions. Finally, it seemed he made an important decision. His gaze became steady, and he said almost pleadingly, “I am dying. Before my death, I hope you can agree to one thing.” His now-cold hands gripped Shen Zhonglei’s hand tightly.
Shen Zhonglei looked at him questioningly. “Tell me. I’ll try!”
“I am the emperor of Manyi Country. Misled by slanderous words, I attacked Jin Ri Country and was defeated. I was unfortunately killed by the treacherous prime minister Liu Demin.”
I hope that after my death, you can take over my country in the name of ‘Lian’, provide a way out for my people, and take revenge on the prime minister by strengthening Manyi Country.”
Shen Zhonglei looked troubled. “But I’m not from here, I’m afraid I can’t…”
Before he could finish, Shan Xiaoya asked, “Does your country have world-transcending masters? Like enlightened monks who can see through everything?”
