The Method of Extending Lifespan [Thanks to Alliance Leader "Lian Feng Kong Yi" for the Reward]

A luxurious carriage rolled slowly through the streets of Chang'an.

Li Nuo sat inside the carriage. Before they reached the county office, he lifted the curtain and observed everything outside.

This truly was a place resembling ancient Huaxia. As the carriage traveled along, Li Nuo looked through the window. Whether it was the pedestrians' clothing and appearance or the style of the buildings lining the streets, everything brimmed with ancient charm, without a trace of modern technology.

A moment later, Li Nuo lowered the curtain and returned his gaze to the carriage interior.

Opposite him sat a cold woman, holding a longsword in her arms. Her eyes occasionally drifted toward Li Nuo, but she said nothing.

Under her sweeping gaze, Li Nuo felt as though he were sitting on pins and needles. Danger seemed written all over this woman. Even now, he had yet to receive an apology for that kick she had given him.

Fortunately, in the next moment, the carriage slowly stopped amid a cry of "Whoa!" Steward Wu lifted the carriage curtain and said with a smile, "Young Master, Young Madam, we have arrived at the county office."

Li Nuo felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted and immediately jumped out of the carriage.

The two bailiffs standing guard outside the county office had been chatting. When they saw a carriage with three cloud patterns embroidered on its curtain stop before the office gates, the older constable's eyelid twitched. Three distinct cloud patterns meant that the carriage's owner held a Principal Third Rank official position. One had to know that even the Magistrate of Chang'an was merely a Fifth Rank official.

What wind was blowing through the county office today? What great deity had it carried here?

He did not dare slight them. Bent at the waist, he hurried over in a small run and asked respectfully, "Greetings, honored guests. Is there anything this humble subordinate may do for you?"

Chang'an County Office.

Inside the Court Hall.

The Magistrate of Chang'an was hearing a theft case. Just as the two suspects each insisted on their own version of events, leaving him unable to distinguish truth from falsehood and thoroughly vexed, a constable rushed in from outside the Court Hall and whispered into his ear, "My lord, people from the Minister of Justice's Mansion have arrived..."

"Who has arrived?!"

Upon hearing the four words "Minister of Justice," the Magistrate of Chang'an forgot all about the case he was hearing. His muddled mind instantly cleared, and he rose blankly from his chair. His thigh struck the corner of the desk, yet he did not even notice. Fine sweat immediately appeared on his forehead, while only the four words "Minister of Justice" echoed through his mind.

Then, memories from his entire life began flashing rapidly before him.

Other than secretly visiting a brothel a few days ago, he should not have committed any offenses lately. Though the court did not encourage officials to frequent prostitutes, it had never explicitly forbidden it. Besides, something as trivial as visiting prostitutes should not have alarmed the Court of Judicial Review...

Within a few breaths, the fine sweat on his forehead had turned into bean-sized drops of cold sweat.

The words "Minister of Justice" truly made Chang'an's officials tremble at the mere mention of them. An official one rank higher could crush those below him to death. The Minister of Justice not only outranked him by a full four ranks, but also truly held the lifelines of officials like them in his hands.

Though it was the height of summer, the Court Hall was terrifyingly cold.

He remembered clearly that his predecessor—the previous Magistrate of Chang'an—had died at the hands of the Minister of Justice...

Why had he come looking for him today?

Could it be because of this morning's case? Damn it, damn it! They must have been dissatisfied with the judgment in that case. This was the end!

He had merely felt sorry for that girl and, in a moment of softheartedness, deliberately muddled the charges against her to spare her life. Now, instead, he had brought great trouble upon himself.

Sage of Confucianism above, let the various masters show their divine power. Losing his official hat would be one thing; he only hoped that wolf would show mercy and leave him a path to survival...

Alas, that was probably impossible. That wolf was famous for eating people without even spitting out the bones. He likely would not survive. He wondered whether his family would be allowed to keep a few lives. For the sake of their shared Confucian school lineage, he hoped that man would spare his wife and children...

He could no longer spare a thought for the case. Taking three steps as two, he hurried outside. His heart churned with extreme unease, yet he still had to force an incomparably brilliant smile onto his face. "Your distinguished arrival honors this humble office. I failed to welcome you from afar; forgive me, forgive me..."

Steward Wu smiled. "You are too courteous, my lord. This is my Young Master, and this is the Young Madam..."

Li Nuo looked at the official before him, dressed in a light crimson official robe and bowing and scraping with a placating smile. For a moment, he found it hard to adapt.

The Magistrate of Chang'an was, in later generations, nominally equivalent in rank to the head of a core district in the capital. Li Nuo had been nothing more than a minor clerk; he had never even had the chance to meet an official of this rank, much less have a leader of this rank bow and scrape before him.

Before Li Nuo could speak, the Magistrate of Chang'an said solemnly, "That damned assassin was outrageously bold, daring to assassinate Young Master. Rest assured, Young Master, this official will certainly punish her severely and give you an explanation..."

Li Nuo waved his hand. "There is no need for that. Magistrate, simply judge her according to the law, however the law requires."

Having recovered some of his composure, the Magistrate of Chang'an gave Li Nuo a surprised look. Rumor said that the Minister of Justice's son was a fool, yet this was his first time seeing him. The young man was handsome and elegant, with clear, spirited eyes. No matter how he looked at him, he did not seem like a fool.

Moreover, it seemed the other party had not come to make trouble for him?

Unable to tell whether there was some hidden meaning in Li Nuo's words, he probed, "How does Young Master wish her sentenced? Immediate execution?"

Li Nuo did not understand Great Xia's laws in this world, but under normal circumstances, the death penalty would not be imposed so rashly.

This magistrate was probably trying to curry favor with him.

Li Nuo shook his head. "Sentence her according to the law."

Seeing him say this, the Magistrate of Chang'an's heart stirred. After some thought, he tested him again. "According to the Great Xia Codex, 'If, in a fight, one uses a weapon to strike or shoot at another but fails to hit, one shall receive one hundred strokes of flogging. If the blade causes injury—the term blade referring to metal or iron weapons, regardless of size, capable of killing a person—one shall receive two years' imprisonment...' Therefore, this official sentenced her to two years' imprisonment. Is Young Master satisfied with this sentence? If not, this subordinate can still amend it..."

Li Nuo had studied ancient laws and was familiar with such wording. This statute roughly meant that using a weapon to harm someone warranted one hundred strokes of flogging even if the victim was not struck, while if a wound was inflicted, regardless of the weapon's size, the minimum sentence was two years in prison.

According to the Great Xia Codex, the Female Assassin's actions fell under the latter category. She was to spend two years in prison.

In later generations, if it were treated as attempted murder, her sentence would probably have been even longer.

But that was not the point.

The point was...

Two years.

The Female Assassin had been sentenced to two years, and Li Nuo's lifespan had increased by exactly two days. Could there be some connection between them?

This was only Li Nuo's initial guess. Next, he intended to verify it.

After some thought, Li Nuo smiled and said, "I only suffered superficial injuries. Isn't two years of imprisonment a little too severe...? How about releasing her instead?"

Steward Wu said nothing to this. The cold woman glanced sideways at Li Nuo, but she too remained silent.

The Magistrate of Chang'an gave him a surprised look. The Minister of Justice is known throughout the court for being ruthless and merciless, yet he actually produced such a kindhearted son. If it had been any other descendant of the powerful, what was a two-year imprisonment sentence? The Female Assassin certainly would not have escaped death, and before dying, she would surely have suffered a round of inhuman torture.

Then he smiled and said, "Young Master is kind and benevolent. Although Great Xia law stipulates that injuring another with a blade warrants two years' imprisonment, if the injured party declines to pursue the matter, the offender may also be released without guilt. This subordinate will amend it at once."

The affairs of the Minister of Justice's Mansion were naturally more important than the case he was currently trying. The Magistrate of Chang'an had someone retrieve the already closed case file, find the page containing the judgment, and rewrite it.

Li Nuo watched the numbers on the Code of Law without blinking.

When the Magistrate of Chang'an wrote that the Female Assassin was to be released without guilt, then signed and stamped it, Li Nuo's vision blurred.

Name: Li Nuo.

Lifespan: Three days.

His lifespan returned to three days, and the Code of Law could no longer be opened.

Li Nuo's chest rose and fell slightly, his breathing a little hurried.

The increase in his lifespan truly was related to the judgment in this case!

As for the exact numerical relationship between the two, that required further verification.

Having amended the judgment, the Magistrate of Chang'an was about to have someone bring out the Female Assassin when anger appeared on Li Nuo's face. "Forget it. Releasing her would be letting her off too easily. Sentence her to one year instead..."

The Magistrate of Chang'an was speechless inside, but still said, "As Young Master wishes..."

With that, he changed to a fresh judgment sheet and continued writing.

Name: Li Nuo.

Lifespan: Four days.

When the Female Assassin's sentence became one year, Li Nuo's lifespan became four days.

And when she had been sentenced to two years, Li Nuo's lifespan had been five days.

It seemed that for every additional year she was sentenced, Li Nuo could live one more day.

After rewriting the judgment, signing it, and stamping it, the Magistrate of Chang'an asked with a smile, "Young Master, is this acceptable now?"

Li Nuo said, "One year or two years is not enough to dispel the hatred in my heart. Sentence her to three years..."

The Magistrate of Chang'an took a deep breath and forced out a smile. "That is possible, but according to the law, the crime of injuring another carries at most two years' imprisonment. If she is sentenced to three years, the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review may not approve it..."

Li Nuo said, "It's fine. You just write the sentence..."

As he watched the Magistrate of Chang'an amend the sentence to three years, Li Nuo discovered that his lifespan had returned to three days.

It seemed that the Code of Law would only grant him lifespan according to the laws currently in force. The Female Assassin's crime could warrant no more than two years. Once the sentence exceeded the legal maximum, the judgment became invalid, and Li Nuo gained no benefit at all.

Afterward, he tried half a year, one and a half years, two and a half years... even the death penalty. In the end, he found that the death penalty and a two-and-a-half-year sentence were invalid; one and a half years increased his lifespan by one day, while half a year added nothing. It seemed that fractions beyond a full year were discarded...

The Magistrate of Chang'an rubbed his aching wrist and forced himself to maintain a smile as he asked Li Nuo, "Young Master, is it acceptable now?"

Li Nuo said apologetically, "Let's follow the Great Xia Codex and sentence her to two years after all. I have truly troubled Lord Pei..."

At this moment, the rage in the Magistrate of Chang'an's heart had reached its limit.

Sentence her, revise it, sentence her, revise it...

So this playboy had come to the county office just to toy with him?

He was still the capital's magistrate, a dignified Principal Fifth Rank official. Did this brat really think he feared the Minister of Justice?

Well, he truly did fear him.

Very much.

The smile on the Magistrate of Chang'an's face remained as radiant as ever. "It is nothing. This subordinate will simply write it once more. What a trifling matter..."

[PS: During the New Book period, updates are tentatively set at two chapters every day at noon. Additional chapters for Alliance Leaders will be posted after the book goes premium.]