Chapter 3 — Han Yen's Rebirth

Together with Ming Yue, each carrying a small bundle, we stepped out through the grand gates of the Su manor. The very moment my feet crossed the threshold, it felt as though a burden of a thousand pounds had instantly lifted from my shoulders, and an indescribable sense of relief washed over me. Suddenly, a cold, sneering laugh echoed from a dark corner:

Han Yan, leaving me makes you this happy?

I turned my head to find the silhouette of Su Ting. He gazed at me, his deep eyes carrying a heavy weight, his voice profoundly low:

In the past, you always hovered around me with such devoted infatuation. Could all of that truly have been a lie?

A sharp pang squeezed my heart. In my past life, the affection I harbored for him was undoubtedly genuine. Yet, no matter how deep love may run, it can never withstand seven years of cold indifference. Furthermore, our child had also died prematurely within the confines of that suffocating marriage. My sincere heart had been ground down into utter exhaustion over those past seven years. With complete composure, I replied:

Su Ting, today marks the absolute end between you and us. I only have this one sentence to say to you—in both my past life and this present one, I have never owed you anything, nor do I owe anything to Liu Jiang Yue. As for whether her father is truly upright and honest or not, you are entirely free to investigate it yourself.

With those words, I signaled Ming Yue and walked away.

If you regret this later, you can come looking for me.

I did not look back, nor did I harbor any desire to gaze upon him even for a single second longer. I could not fathom why Su Ting had waited for me at the entrance, nor could I understand why he had uttered such words. But I knew one thing with absolute certainty: I would never turn back, and I would certainly never regret my choice.

07

Green trees wrap around the rustic village, while emerald mountains lean against the outer walls of the town. Outside the eaves, the lingering spring rain had just ceased. I sat by the window in the humble thatched cottage, leisurely reading poetry. The elegant phrasing within the book matched the serene scenery before my eyes harmoniously. Ever since Su Ting and I parted ways through a formal divorce, my parents had flown into a rage, rebuking me as an unfilial daughter who had stained the honor of the family name, refusing to let me ever step foot into our ancestral home again. Consequently, Ming Yue and I packed up and moved into this secluded small courtyard deep within the mountains, seeking peace and stability in the absolute wilderness. Half a month drifted by in the blink of an eye, and my life had become wonderfully free, unrestrained, and refreshingly tranquil. Once every five days, I would descend to the nearby village to practice medicine and save lives, relying on the exceptional medical skills imparted to me by Tan Ming Nan in my past life, which quickly earned me the profound respect of the local folk. Today, taking advantage of the idle hours, I opened a collection of poetry, pretending to leisurely appreciate its verses. On the surface, I appeared as calm as still water, but deep inside, my thoughts were already as tangled as a mess of hemp. In my previous life, Tan Ming Nan had once mentioned that precisely around this time of year, he would travel to the capital and stay in this very village for a few days. I had deliberately chosen this location to settle down precisely so I could engineer our very first reunion. Tan Ming Nan—he was a wandering physician who roamed the vast world, possessing miraculous medical skills that could bring the dead back to life, and he had rescued countless souls from the jaws of death. He looked upon worldly wealth and high status with absolute disdain, dedicating his life to practicing medicine for the salvation of humanity. Every single word of praise the world had to offer could rightfully be used to laud him. It was only a pity that he never lingered long in any single place, his whereabouts constantly shifting, forcing me to remain stationed right here and wait for him to cross paths with me of his own accord. In the past, he held deep affection for me, harboring a singular desire to drag me out of the muddy quagmire of the Su manor. Yet, trapped by the rigid concept of chastity preached by my parents, I would rather die than consent to a divorce. Driven by my stubborn foolishness, I even conceived Su Ting’s flesh and blood. In the end, our relationship could only ever halt at the boundaries of strict propriety, keeping a distance as clear and separate as the waters of two non-intersecting rivers. He once promised to protect me for the rest of my days. Simply to spare me from gossip and harsh criticism, he even allowed me to address him as an older brother. Right up until the moment I was about to go into labor, only to be violently shoved to the ground by Liu Jiang Yue, suffering severe trauma and facing a perilous childbirth. Tan Ming Nan desperately fought his way into the Su manor, managing to save both my life and the infant from the brink of death. Meanwhile, Liu Jiang Yue seized the opportune moment to frame us, falsely accusing me of illicitly consorting with him. Seized by a blind fury and utterly devoid of reason, Su Ting shattered one of his arms with a heavy blow before having his guards cruelly toss him out of the estate. From that moment onward, I was placed under strict house arrest within the rear courtyard, utterly barred from stepping outside. From then on, no news of him ever reached my ears. Three years later, my young child fell into the lotus pond and drowned, prompting me to acquire a flask of deadly poison so that Liu Jiang Yue and I could perish together on the same day. Awakened to a second chance at life, I resolved to mend our fractured fate. In my previous existence, I had been far too cowardly, incapable of shattering the iron shackles of tradition, and could only imprison myself within a lifetime of endless suffering. In this lifetime, I would bravely pursue true love. My heart fluttered wildly like a startled fawn, anxiously awaiting the appearance of Tan Ming Nan. Suddenly, a chaotic commotion erupted from outside:

Terrible news! Lady healer, your maid ran into fierce mountain bandits and sustained heavy injuries! Hurry up and go save her!

Ming Yue was injured?! Just moments ago, after the rain had cleared, Ming Yue had remarked that the wild mountain greens were exceptionally clean and fresh, expressing a wish to gather some to make pastries for me. Who could have imagined that vicious thugs would be roaming the mountains today! Without a moment's hesitation, I hoisted my medicine box onto my back and sprinted rapidly in the direction pointed out by the terrified messenger. Yet, the man was too frightened of the bandits to accompany me back. Left with no other choice, I dashed into the kitchen, grabbed a heavy kitchen knife, and tucked it into my belt for self-defense. However, when I finally arrived at the scene with the blade in hand, the sight that met my eyes left me utterly frozen in absolute shock. There lay Su Ting, his entire body drenched in blood, unconscious and slumped heavily against the trunk of a large tree. Beside him, Ming Yue was weeping bitterly while desperately attempting to bandage his wounds, her expression a portrait of sheer panic. And the person currently applying acupuncture needles to staunch Su Ting's bleeding was none other than Tan Ming Nan! In the span of a single heartbeat, I had no earthly idea how to react, standing stock-still with the knife gripped tightly in my grip, looking entirely foolish. I imagined that my appearance at that exact moment must have been comical to the extreme. Because when Tan Ming Nan turned his head to look at me, his eyes widened to the size of copper bells, and his mouth gaped open wide enough to easily swallow a duck egg. Oh heavens! Our very first reunion after all these years, and I had to manifest holding a murderous kitchen knife with a fierce expression! This was truly... beyond unacceptable! I watched as Tan Ming Nan snapped his jaw shut, swallowed hard with a loud gulp, and spoke in a trembling, jittery voice:

Young lady... let us talk calmly about whatever is on your mind... could you perhaps... put the knife down first?

08

Tan Ming Nan hoisted Su Ting onto his back and carried him down the mountain. Fortunately, Ming Yue had only suffered minor scratches and bruises, posing no serious danger to her health. Once we returned to the safety of the small courtyard, we settled Su Ting into the guest chamber. Taking advantage of the moment while Tan Ming Nan was busy examining and treating him, I turned to Ming Yue and demanded:

What on earth happened out there?

Ming Yue patted her chest, her soul still recovering from the severe fright:

It almost scared the wits right out of this servant! When I was roaming the deep woods gathering wild greens, I suddenly heard the fierce clashing of swords and blades. Driven by curiosity, I quietly crept closer to follow the sounds, only to discover that the young master—ah, no, the Su young master—was being hunted down and ruthlessly pursued by a pair of men dressed entirely in black!

At that moment, this servant was so terrified I didn't dare make a sound, but one of the men in black caught sight of me and suddenly slashed his blade straight in my direction! I bolted away as fast as my legs could carry me, but he chased right at my heels. Just as I was about to be struck down by the sword, the Su young master suddenly lunged forward and saved my life!

And what happened after that?

After that, the honorable physician currently inside the room suddenly appeared! He hurled a pouch of medicinal powder directly at the assassins, causing them to instantly cough up blood and drop dead on the spot!

Dead? Every single one of them? Are you certain?

Ming Yue nodded vigorously like a pecking chicken:

Wiped out completely! The Su young master was terrified they might not be thoroughly dead, so he dragged every single one of their bodies and tossed them down the steep mountain ravine. Even if they didn't die from the poison, their bones would certainly be shattered to pieces by the fall!

And then?

After that, the Su young master passed out from exhaustion, and whatever transpired next, my lady already knows clearly.

I could not help the heavy wave of suspicion rising within me—why on earth was Su Ting being hunted down by assassins? In my past life, this event had never occurred. Who in the world was the mastermind lurking behind those killers? Once I finished brewing the medicinal decoction, I carried the bowl into the bedchamber. By this time, Su Ting had regained consciousness. Catching sight of me, his body stiffened slightly: Han Yan, why are you here?

Ever since our divorce, I have continuously lived right here.

I placed the medicinal bowl on the table before him. He let out a bitter, self-deprecating chuckle, raising his bandaged hands to silently signal that he was completely incapable of holding the bowl himself. I turned my gaze toward Tan Ming Nan, who immediately waved his hands and shook his head vigorously:

I am merely a physician, skilled only in prescribing herbs, not in feeding patients!

Ming Yue chimed in eagerly: Allow this servant to assist! I glanced down at her freshly bandaged arm, letting out a helpless sigh:

Never mind, let me handle it.