Encounter Li Jinbao

When Li Jinshui woke up, sunlight was already spilling across the bed through the window lattice.

He squinted, adjusting to the light, then looked down into his arms—Yun Niang was still asleep, her long, raven-black hair spread across the pillow, her breathing as soft as a cat's.

He didn't move, just lay there, savoring this rare moment of tranquility.

A soft bed, a warm quilt, a beautiful woman.

Three months ago, he was still hauling corpses.

Now—

A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

It was worth it.

Yun Niang seemed to sense something; her eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes. Seeing Li Jinshui staring at her, her face flushed slightly, and she shrank back into the quilt.

"Soldier... you're awake..."

Li Jinshui reached out and pinched her cheek. "Awake."

Blushing, Yun Niang nuzzled into his chest like a spoiled cat.

Li Jinshui let her nuzzle for a moment before sitting up to put on his clothes.

Yun Niang hurriedly climbed up to help him dress and fasten his belt, her movements practiced and gentle. Li Jinshui allowed her to serve him, occasionally looking down at her, his gaze lingering on her form.

Once dressed, he fished a small piece of silver, about two taels, from his robe and pressed it into Yun Niang's hand.

Yun Niang froze, her eyes instantly turning red, her voice trembling. "Soldier, this... this is too much..."

Li Jinshui waved a hand. "Take it. I'll look for you again next time."

Yun Niang gripped the silver tightly and nodded vigorously.

Li Jinshui turned to leave, but at the door, he looked back—Yun Niang was standing by the bed, sunlight bathing her, her brows arched, smiling beautifully.

He smiled back and pushed the door open to step out.

Downstairs, Qin Lie and the others were already there, gathered around a table for breakfast. Seeing Li Jinshui come down, Zhao Tieniu winked and teased, "Squad Leader Li, how was last night?"

Li Jinshui walked over, plopped into a seat, picked up a steamed bun, and took a bite. "Pretty good."

The group roared with laughter.

"That Yun Niang is the star of Gentle Haven; ordinary folks can't even get a booking!" Qin Lie patted his shoulder. "You're a lucky bastard!"

Li Jinshui chewed his bun, offering no reply, just a faint smile.

The meat filling was succulent and full of juice, tasting better than anything he had eaten in the last three months.

After breakfast, the group left Gentle Haven.

The sun was already high, and the streets were bustling with people, far livelier than the night before. As they walked, they maintained their usual swagger, and pedestrians hurried to get out of their way.

"Where are we eating for lunch?" Zhao Tieniu rubbed his belly. "Breakfast didn't fill me up."

"All you ever think about is food!" Zhou Tai scolded him, but couldn't help asking Qin Lie, "Brother Qin, any plans for lunch?"

Qin Lie thought for a moment. "We've already eaten at Drunken Immortal Restaurant; let's try somewhere else today. I know a place called Gathering Worthies Restaurant. The food is decent, and it's not far from here."

"Let's go!"

Gathering Worthies Restaurant was in the east of the city. It was also a three-story building, and while not as grand as Drunken Immortal Restaurant, it was still respectable.

As the group entered, a waiter hurried over. Seeing their military tokens, his face instantly blossomed into a wide grin. "Officers, please, head upstairs! We have private rooms on the second floor!"

Once on the second floor, they found a large table by the window. The waiter quickly brought tea and snacks, then handed over the menu.

Qin Lie took it, glanced at it, and slapped it onto the table. "Bring us everything you're famous for—pick the expensive stuff—and bring two jars of your best wine!"

"Right away!" the waiter replied and hurried off.

Li Jinshui leaned against the window, looking down at the street scene.

People were coming and going, buying and selling, haggling—it was noisy and vibrant. His gaze swept over the crowd, watching aimlessly.

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed.

At the street corner, a constable in a black uniform was standing there, talking to a vegetable vendor. The constable was tall and thin with a fair complexion, and a wooden plaque hung from his waist, engraved with the character "Constable."

Li Jinshui stared at that face, his hand involuntarily tightening around his teacup.

Li Jinbao.

His dear cousin.

Three months later, that face hadn't changed a bit; he still wore that same smug, hypocritical expression. He stood there, gesturing at the vegetable vendor, talking about something, his face twisted into that smile that made Li Jinshui sick.

"Squad Leader Li?" Qin Lie's voice pulled him back. "What are you looking at?"

Li Jinshui withdrew his gaze, his face already calm, even carrying a hint of a smile. "Nothing, just looking around."

The food and wine arrived quickly, filling the table. Braised pork knuckle, steamed sea bass, braised prawns, spiced beef, roasted lamb chops, and two large jars of wine.

"Come, come, let's drink!" Qin Lie raised his bowl. "To celebrate Squad Leader Li's promotion!"

The group raised their bowls and downed the contents in one gulp.

After three rounds of drinks and five courses of food, the atmosphere grew increasingly boisterous.

Zhao Tieniu drank until his face was flushed, slinging an arm around Zhou Tai's shoulder to boast, "Let me tell you, that day I killed five Di People all by myself! Five! The way I swung my blade, it was whistling with the wind!"

Zhou Tai rolled his eyes. "Cut the crap. I saw you nearly get hacked to death by a Di soldier; it was Corporal Li who saved your life."

"Bullshit! I was just luring the enemy deep!"

The two began to bicker, and the rest of the group burst into laughter.

Li Jinshui laughed as well, drinking as he did so, his gaze sweeping toward the window from time to time—at the street corner, Li Jinbao was already gone.

He withdrew his gaze and continued to drink.

After a while longer, Zhao Tieniu was thoroughly plastered and began to act out. He stood up, swaying across the room with his wine bowl held high, shouting nonsense about "killing Di People" and "earning great merit."

"Tieniu, sit down!" Qin Lie shouted at him.

Zhao Tieniu didn't listen. He stumbled over to a table where a few commoners were sitting, slammed his hand down on the table, and barked, "You lot! Drink with me!"

The men turned pale with fright, waving their hands repeatedly. "Sir, military sir, we don't know how to drink..."

"You don't know how?" Zhao Tieniu's eyes widened. "Looking down on me?"

He grabbed one of the men by the collar and hauled him up. The man trembled so violently he couldn't even speak.

"Tieniu!" Qin Lie stood up. "Stop making a scene!"

Zhao Tieniu finally let go. The man fell to the ground and scrambled away, crawling and stumbling.

Zhao Tieniu roared with laughter and turned to walk back, but his footing was unsteady, and he knocked over a nearby table. Bowls and plates shattered across the floor, splashing soup everywhere.

The customers in the shop stood up one after another; some paid their tabs and left, while others hid in the corners.

Li Jinshui sat by the window, holding his wine bowl, watching the scene unfold.

No one dared to step forward.

No one dared to speak.

Those customers and the shop assistants could only watch from afar, their eyes filled with fear, disgust, and helplessness, but not a single person dared to stand up and say a word of protest.

He recalled what Qin Lie had said last night—

"In North-Rejecting City, we are the masters."

So, this was what it felt like to be a master.

Li Jinshui had no intention of intervening, because he was waiting—waiting for someone. Heh!

The commotion in the shop finally alerted the proprietor. A middle-aged man in silk robes ran out from the back, his face turning green at the sight of the wreckage and the still-drunken Zhao Tieniu.

But he didn't dare approach, instead hiding behind the counter, pacing in a frantic panic.

A shop assistant leaned in and whispered something. The proprietor nodded repeatedly, fished a piece of silver from his robes, and shoved it into the assistant's hand. The assistant bolted out the door.

Li Jinshui witnessed this.

He didn't move, simply continuing to drink.

He knew what the assistant had gone to do.

To fetch the constables.

He also knew who would be coming.

Sure enough, not long after, the sound of footsteps echoed from the stairwell.

A constable in a black uniform ran up, shouting as he approached, "Who is causing trouble? Who is causing trouble?"

Then he saw Qin Lie and the others, and he saw the tokens of the corporals.

His face turned white in an instant.

Li Jinshui held his wine bowl, watching that familiar face, the corners of his mouth slowly curling upward.

Li Jinbao.

His dear cousin.

Three months had passed, and he was still the same—bullying the weak and fearing the strong, a man who swayed with the wind.

Li Jinbao stood at the top of the stairs, unable to advance or retreat. He clearly recognized these men as military corporals and knew he couldn't afford to offend them, but he couldn't just leave either—the proprietor had paid him, and he had to provide an answer.

"T-this... military sir..." he said, bracing himself. "Look, this is a small business. Have some mercy..."

Zhao Tieniu was just looking for someone to vent his frustration on. Seeing a constable arrive, his eyes lit up. He walked over and slapped a hand onto the man's shoulder. "Who are you? Trying to manage me?"

Li Jinbao staggered from the blow but didn't dare show anger, keeping a smile plastered on his face. "Sir, I am a city constable. Please... please restrain yourself a little, don't make it hard for me..."

"Hard for you?" Zhao Tieniu glared. "Then don't do the job!"

He grabbed Li Jinbao by the collar and hoisted him into the air.

Li Jinbao's feet left the ground, his face turning beet red, yet he was still smiling. "Sir... sir, please calm your anger..."

Li Jinshui watched this, his wine bowl swaying gently in his hand.

He stood up and walked over.

"Tieniu, let him down."

Zhao Tieniu froze for a moment before obediently loosening his grip. Li Jinbao tumbled to the ground, scrambled up in a disheveled mess, and looked up—the sight of that face left him completely paralyzed.

Li Jinshui stood before him, looking down from above.

Their eyes met.

Li Jinbao's mouth opened and closed, opened and closed, until he finally managed to squeeze out a single sentence: "Jin... Jinshui?"

Li Jinshui smiled.

It was a gentle, kind smile, like one would give an old friend not seen in years.

"Cousin," he said, "long time no see."

Li Jinbao's face turned deathly pale.

He instinctively took a step back, bumping into the railing.

"How... how are you..." his voice trembled, "how are you here?"

Li Jinshui maintained that same gentle smile: "I am a Decurion of the Third Battalion now; why wouldn't I be here?"

Decurion.

The word struck like a blade, piercing Li Jinbao's heart.

He stared at the token hanging from Li Jinshui's waist, at the six characters "Decurion Li Jinshui" engraved upon it, and stood frozen as if struck by lightning.

Qin Lie walked over, looking from Li Jinshui to Li Jinbao: "Decurion Li, you know him?"

Li Jinshui nodded, his smile appearing harmless: "My cousin. My own cousin."

Qin Lie's eyes lit up: "Oh, that's perfect! Come, come! Since you're family, sit down and have a few drinks!"

Before Li Jinbao could decline, Zhao Tieniu and Zhou Tai had already grabbed him by either side and shoved him into a seat at the table.

"Drink! You must drink!" Zhao Tieniu cracked open a jar of wine, poured a large bowl, and shoved it in front of Li Jinbao.

Li Jinbao looked at the bowl, then at Li Jinshui, forcing a smile that looked worse than crying: "Jin... Jinshui, brother isn't much of a drinker..."

Li Jinshui raised his own bowl and gestured toward him: "Cousin, we haven't seen each other in so long, we must have a drink. Come, I toast you."

His smile was so sincere, so kind.

Li Jinbao had no choice but to pick up the bowl and take a trembling sip.

"Finish it," Li Jinshui said, his smile never wavering.

Li Jinbao gritted his teeth and downed the entire bowl.

"Good!" Zhao Tieniu clapped, "Another bowl!"

Another bowl.

And another.

After seven or eight bowls, Li Jinbao's face was flushed red, and his eyes had begun to glaze over.

"Jin... Jinshui..." his tongue was thick, "Brother... brother is sorry... that business back then... it wasn't brother's idea... it was the Clan Head... it was the Clan Head..."

Li Jinshui watched him, his smile unchanged.

"Cousin, what are you saying? We are family; there is no such thing as being sorry or not."

He raised his bowl and toasted him again.

Li Jinbao drank it, then collapsed onto the table, gasping for air, unable to hold himself up.

Li Jinshui stood up, walked to his side, leaned down, and whispered into his ear.

His voice was as light as a falling leaf:

"Cousin, do you remember? That day you told me that if I wanted to blame anyone, I should blame myself for not being born into a better womb."

Li Jinbao's entire body stiffened.

"I remember," Li Jinshui straightened up and patted his shoulder, "I have always remembered."

He turned and signaled to Qin Lie and the others.

Qin Lie understood instantly; he stood up and slapped the back of Li Jinbao's head: "You constable, you were quite talkative just a moment ago, weren't you? Why aren't you talking now?"

Zhao Tieniu caught on as well and stepped in with a kick: "That'll teach you to meddle in my business!"

Zhou Tai was even more ruthless, slamming a fist directly into Li Jinbao's face.

"Ow! Stop! Don't hit me!" Li Jinbao curled into a ball, shielding his head and screaming.

But the three men had grown addicted to the violence, their fists and feet raining down like a storm.

Li Jinshui stood to the side, not lifting a finger.

He simply watched.

After a while, he walked over slowly and crouched down.

"Cousin," he called out softly.

Li Jinbao lifted his head with great difficulty, his face covered in blood, his eyes filled with terror.

Li Jinshui reached out to smooth his messy hair, his movements as gentle as if he were tending to a loved one.

Then he leaned close to Li Jinbao's ear, speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"Do you know? For these past three months, I have thought of you every single day."

He paused, his voice dropping even lower, as light as a breeze drifting up from hell:

"I thought of your smile that day, thought of the words you said, and thought of how you sold me into the Death Squad Camp."

Li Jinbao trembled all over, his teeth chattering uncontrollably.

Li Jinshui patted his face, stood up, and took a step back.

Then he nodded at Qin Lie and the others.

Qin Lie and his men struck even harder.

Li Jinshui stood to the side, watching Li Jinbao roll on the ground and scream, that gentle smile never leaving his face.

But that smile only reached his lips; it never reached his eyes.

His eyes were like two bottomless wells, the water within them dark and murky, revealing nothing.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Li Jinbao lay motionless on the ground, possessing only enough strength to groan.

Qin Lie kicked him: "Playing dead?"

Li Jinbao let out a grunt but did not move.

"That's enough," Li Jinshui said. "That should do."

Only then did Qin Lie pull back his foot and spit: "Bad luck!"

Li Jinshui walked over to Li Jinbao, crouched down, and reached out to lift his chin.

That face was already swollen beyond recognition, his eyes narrowed into slits, blood still trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Li Jinshui looked at him and smiled.

It was a sincere, warm smile, like a younger brother looking at his own older brother.

"Cousin," he said, "go back and tell the clan leader that I am doing well, and tell him not to worry."

He paused, his voice dropping even lower:

"In a few days, I will return to visit you all."

He let go, stood up, and turned to walk away.

Reaching the top of the stairs, he looked back once—

Li Jinbao was still sprawled on the ground like a dead dog.

He withdrew his gaze and strode down the stairs.

Behind him, Qin Lie and the others followed, laughing and cursing.

"Satisfying! Damn, that was satisfying!"

"That grandson didn't look like a good egg from the start; beating him was the right thing to do!"

"Squad Leader Li, how did your cousin end up like that? He looks like a total coward!"

Li Jinshui walked at the very front, saying nothing.

Stepping out of the Gathering Worthies Restaurant, the sunlight felt warm upon his body.

He lifted his head, squinting at the sky.

The sky was very blue, the clouds very white.

He remembered three months ago, that broken-down carriage, that pitch-black night, and those words: "If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for not being born into a better life."

He remembered just now, Li Jinbao sprawled on the ground, that face swollen beyond recognition, those eyes filled with terror.

He smiled.

That smile was different from the one before.

The previous smile was for others to see.

This smile was for himself.

He withdrew his gaze and continued walking forward.

"Let's go, back to camp!"

Behind him, Qin Lie and the others caught up.

The sunlight stretched their shadows out long.

People on the street avoided them from afar, as if dodging wild beasts.

Li Jinshui walked at the very front, the token at his waist glinting in the sunlight.

The corners of his mouth remained curled in a smile.

That smile held satisfaction, gratification, and just a hint of—

Unfinished business.

This was only the beginning.

Li Jinshui immediately turned to the few people behind him and said, "You all head back first! I forgot to buy some things for my subordinates."

"Alright, then we'll head back first."

"As expected of Centurion Li, it's no wonder so many people are willing to follow you."

Li Jinshui watched their backs slowly disappear, a savage grin spreading across his face.

The hunting hour had arrived.

Night had fallen, the perfect opportunity for murder and arson.

Li Jinshui emerged, creeping toward the branch family of the Li Clan.

After Li Jinshui's parents died back then, the branch family had frantically kicked them while they were down; the Li Jinshui of that time had not yet transmigrated over.

The pitiful, helpless little Jinshui had wanted to become a servant for another noble family to support himself, but he was intercepted and besieged by the Li branch family, who had no grudge against him, claiming that a dignified member of the Li Clan could not serve others, while they frantically obstructed and framed him.

Today, I, Li Jinshui, shall annihilate this entire branch family; I will make your Clan Head and the others fall into eternal panic.

Li Jinshui snuck into the large house where the Li branch family lived together, slipped into the first room, and shattered the occupant's throat. The victim couldn't make a sound, staring in sheer terror at the familiar face before him.

Li Jinshui smiled and said, "Are you surprised?"

With a swift stroke of his blade, he hacked the man into a human torso, tossing him onto the ground to crawl.

Next, in the following rooms, Li Jinshui took them out one by one—men, women, old, and young, everyone got their share; earthworms were sliced vertically, eggs were crushed, and roosters were torn in half.

Soon, the dozens of members of the Li Clan's branch family had all been quietly slaughtered by Li Jinshui.

Li Jinshui stood in the courtyard, laughing savagely, "My dear Clan Head and cousin, fall into eternal fear."

Hehehehehe!!!