Chapter 5 — Han Yen's Rebirth

Knowing that I wished to travel to Ung Chau to practice medicine and aid the common folk, Qin Mingnan insisted on accompanying me. Before our departure, I sold all of my wedding dowry to exchange it for much-needed plague remedies. These betrothal gifts were originally sent to me by Su Dinh after he had returned to the capital, carefully arranged by his own men. Back when we dissolved our marriage, I had left the dowry behind, expecting my parents to retrieve it. Yet, they despised me for bringing shame upon the family name, going so far as to sever all ties and refuse to accept these belongings. In the end, Mingyue, Qin Mingnan, and I set out for Ung Chau with a caravan heavily laden with medicinal herbs. Su Dinh proved to be a thoroughly dedicated imperial commissioner, ensuring that the horrifying tragedies of my past life were not repeated. Thanks to prompt disaster relief, coupled with Su Dinh’s unyielding methods and harsh punishments for corrupt officials attempting to line their pockets with relief funds, the situation in Ung Chau gradually stabilized. Three months later, the imperial court concluded its relief efforts. By then, Qin Mingnan and I had exhausted our entire supply of medicine and prepared to return to the capital. Along the journey back, Mingyue hesitated for a long while before tentatively probing:

"Young Miss, why do we not return to the capital together with Young Master Su? If not for his care these past few months, how could we have journeyed with such peace and safety?"

I furrowed my brow. "What are you implying?" Mingyue faltered, speaking as if it were the most natural thing in the world:

"Is the Young Miss not still testing Young Master Su? Have you not yet come to terms with this matter?"

I let out a sigh. I had no idea what erroneous signals I had inadvertently emitted to make Mingyue firmly believe that my affections for Su Dinh still lingered. Throughout the past few months, she had secretly tried to play matchmaker between us time and again. Unwilling to waste any more breath, I simply feigned sleep. Seeing this, Mingyue had no choice but to swallow her words and fall silent. Though I closed my eyes and pretended to be lost in slumber, my mind was a chaotic tangle of a hundred racing thoughts, revolving endlessly around a single person—Su Dinh.

No sooner had I praised Ung Chau for its newfound peace than reality brutally shattered my words. Mingyue, Qin Mingnan, and I were suddenly ambushed and surrounded by a band of ruthless mountain bandits. Their leader, brandishing a heavy broadsword, swept a leering, malicious gaze across Mingyue and me before letting out a harsh, grating laugh:

"These two wenches look rather delicate and pretty. We shall drag them back to be our chieftain's wife!"

I darted a sharp look at Qin Mingnan, signaling him. One could not possibly wander the rivers and lakes without making adequate preparations. He always carried potent poisons specifically intended to deal with scoundrels of this exact caliber. However, our calculations fell short this time. Two fists could never match four hands; outnumbered by over a dozen foes, even after dropping a few, there remained seven or eight ferocious brigands brandishing naked blades before us. We fled deep into the dense forest, but the sound of footsteps pursued us relentlessly, clinging to our backs like clinging shadows. Qin Mingnan made an instantaneous decision:

"This won't do! If we keep this up, we will all die sooner or later! Scatter and run, quickly!"

Without a moment of hesitation, Mingyue and I immediately split into three different directions. I chose the eastern imperial highway, running for my life with every ounce of strength I possessed. My chest felt as though it were about to burst, and my legs felt entirely detached from my body. Suddenly, a rush of freezing wind grazed the back of my neck! Pure instinct made me duck and dodge; the very next second, a massive broadsword swept over the top of my head and slammed deep into the earth. I tumbled backward, landing hard with my heart hammering wildly against my ribs. The bandit leader flashed yellow, decaying teeth as he grinned hideously:

"Run! Why aren't you running anymore?!"

Secretly, I grabbed a handful of mud and dirt, waiting for him to step just a fraction closer so I could hurl it straight into his eyes. But alas, akin to a hawk plunging upon its prey, he guessed my intentions with a single glance. He swung his broadsword upward, the chilling glare of the blade flashing before my eyes:

"You refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! Let me see how you plan to run once I chop off your legs!"

The heavy blade swept downward with an overwhelming, bone-chilling killing intent! I tried to evade, but my body was completely drained of strength; I could not move an inch! At that exact critical juncture, a sharp whistle tore through the air.

"Whoosh!"

An arrow pierced directly through the bandit leader's chest, blood erupting as he crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. I lifted my head, and the person who had loosed the arrow was none other than—Su Dinh! He wore no official robes, clad instead in simple rustic cloth, holding a bow as he stood astride a single horse upon the highway. The moment he caught sight of me, he spurred his mount forward:

"Han Yen, are you alright? Were you injured anywhere?"

"I am fine!" I hurriedly pointed toward the deep forest. "Go save Mingyue and Qin Mingnan quickly! We split up while running!"

Su Dinh spoke in a deep, reassuring voice: "Do not be afraid. Mount the horse, I will take you to find them." He supported me up onto the horse's back and immediately urged the steed forward. Only then did it dawn on me to question him:

"Su Dinh, why are you here? Wasn't the imperial commissioner's entourage scheduled to leave Ung Chau three days ago?"

Tightening the reins, Su Dinh replied:

"My journey to Ung Chau was ostensibly for disaster relief, but in truth, I also carried a secret imperial edict to investigate the embezzlement of military funds in this region.

The main entourage departed, but I remained behind to investigate in secret. Today, I originally intended to scout the western garrison of Ung Chau, never expecting I would run into you." Sharing the horse with me, his breath brushed closely against my ear, carrying a faint warmth. I tilted my head slightly to evade it, feeling a sudden, inexplicable awkwardness in my heart. Ever since my past life, it had been an extremely long time since we had been this close.

We traced the footprints left upon the ground, following the trail meticulously. Yet regrettably, despite searching from dawn until dusk, we found neither the shadow of Mingyue nor Qin Mingnan, nor any trace of the bandits whatsoever. As night fell, Su Dinh kindled a campfire, and the two of us sat before its crackling warmth. He remained silent for a long while before speaking abruptly:

"Before leaving the capital, I ordered Liu Jiangyue to move out of the Su estate."

I raised my gaze slightly to look at him. He continued:

"I purchased a small residence for her and told her—find a decent, honest man to marry."

"Why are you telling me these things?"

"Han Yen, when I married you back then, it was indeed not out of true affection. Yet I never harbored the intent to torment or take vengeance upon you. I merely wished to draw close to you, using you to unearth evidence proving the innocence of Liu Jiangyue's father. But I never anticipated that the deeper I investigated, the more I would discover that he was indeed guilty. Han Yen, I owe you an apology."

His brows knitted tightly together as he sincerely bowed his head in remorse. For reasons unknown, the figure of the man before me now gradually merged with the ruthless, merciless Su Dinh of my past life. In that former life, when I discovered that it was Liu Jiangyue who had covertly driven away the maidservant and cruelly tossed a painted rattle into the garden pond, luring my three-year-old child down to retrieve it and plunging him to his death, Su Dinh had likewise furrowed his brows, fixing me with a gaze brimming with entreaty and guilt:

"Han Yen, I am sorry. Jiangyue was wounded by assassins while saving me, causing her to miscarry, and from then on she could never become a mother. She holds a life-saving grace over me; I cannot simply repay it with ingratitude. I have already ordered her sent to a remote nunnery to live out her days in solitude. Can you not let her go? Han Yen, I am sorry. I beg of you."

It was precisely at that moment that my heart truly died to him. On what grounds? On what grounds could she murder my child yet continue to live on? Even if it meant death, even if it meant perishing together, I would exact vengeance for my child! A boundless, towering hatred, akin to a ferocious tidal wave, submerged my soul entirely.

"Do not speak apologies to me!"

"I will never forgive you! Even if I die, I will never forgive you!"

I stared at him with unyielding stubbornness, tears falling continuously like pearls from a snapped string. I had foolishly imagined that I could let go of the grievances of the past life. I had foolishly believed I could calmly face him. I had foolishly thought I had long since forgotten him. But the stark truth was—I could not. Su Dinh, the man I had once carved into the very marrow of my bones, was precisely the monster who had torn me to shreds, leaving my soul riddled with jagged wounds.

I vented my madness entirely, while he stared at me, his gaze panicked and utterly at a loss.

"Han Yen, do not be like this. If you are still angry, here—take this riding crop and beat me. Beat me as much as you please."

Yet I knew he would never comprehend the depths of my agony and burning fury. Because the memories of that past life belonged to me alone. I wanted to blame him, yet in this lifetime, he had not yet committed those bone-deep, ruthless atrocities. The atmosphere plunged into a stifling deadlock. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps drifted in from afar. Glancing toward the source of the noise, we saw a middle-aged man of about forty, his posture hunched, his face bearing a servile, obsequious expression.

"Respected officials, I am merely a villager from nearby. Earlier today I entered the woods to hunt rabbits, but unfortunately lost my way. Now that night has fallen, might I borrow your campfire to warm myself for a while?"

Seeing how pitiful he appeared, I nodded in agreement. Su Dinh even shared a portion of his dry rations with the stranger. Yet unexpectedly, the moment the man sat down, I was suddenly struck by a wave of dizziness, my mind spinning violently as every ounce of strength drained rapidly from my limbs. Not good! I fought desperately to steady myself, only to notice that Su Dinh's eyes were already growing hazy and his consciousness was slipping into a blur. At that instant, the middle-aged man broke into a sinister, malicious grin:

"So that you may die with a clear understanding of why:

I am the supreme chieftain of the Black Ox Stronghold! The wretch you killed earlier was none other than my sworn second brother! When you reach the netherworld, remember to tell King Yama that it was I who sent you on your way!"

With that, he drew a gleaming dagger and lunged straight toward me! In that fraction of a second, Su Dinh hurled himself forward, shielding me with his own body!

"Thud!"

The dagger plunged deep into his shoulder, fresh blood spurting out in a violent rush! The searing agony shocked Su Dinh back to a momentary state of lucidity! He wrenched the blade free, spinning around to engage the bandit in hand-to-hand combat! Though every limb in my body felt utterly powerless, I refused to become a dead weight! I shoved my hand directly into the blazing campfire, deliberately letting the fierce flames sear my flesh. The excruciating bite of the fire wrung a sharp cry from my lips, snapping my wandering consciousness back to stark reality! I forced my gaze toward Su Dinh, seeing that he and the bandit had already locked in a desperate, empty-handed struggle.