第1章 大干重生,我的神秘金手指

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Great Qian Dynasty, Verdant Grain County.

At dawn, the rising sun broke through the clouds, scattering morning light like shattered gold across the streets and alleys. The entire Verdant Grain County gradually awakened beneath the faint light of day.

Wisps of white steam curled up from the bamboo steamers at roadside breakfast stalls.

On the bluestone streets, vendors called out and carriages rumbled past, their sounds intertwining with the riverside pavilions and babbling water to paint a vivid picture of a bustling morning market.

Yet within a grand residence in the eastern corner of the county town, the scene was entirely different.

Outside the eastern main courtyard, a group of servants stood in tense silence, their faces filled with alarm.

At the center of the crowd, a young man in white lay rigidly on the ground. His eyes were shut tight, his face swollen and bluish, his lips stained with an eerie shade of purple, while his limbs twitched uncontrollably from time to time.

Beside him stood an elderly man with snow-white hair and beard. Though advanced in years, he stood straight and looked full of vigor.

His fingertips rested lightly on the young man's wrist as he checked his pulse. His face was grave, and he did not speak.

At the old man's side, a richly dressed middle-aged couple stared fixedly at the young man.

The woman clenched a brocade handkerchief so tightly that her fingertips turned white, while the man's brows were knotted, his eyes unable to conceal his anxiety and concern.

Doctor Yun bent down and gently lifted the young man's tightly shut eyelids with his withered fingers. His eyes were bloodshot and dull, devoid of the slightest spark of life.

He then lightly pinched the young man's jaw and examined his lips and tongue. A faint, fishy and bitter odor lingered between his teeth.

Drawing back his hand, Doctor Yun lowered his eyes in thought for a moment before slowly straightening up, his brows still tightly furrowed.

Seeing this, the Liu couple behind him could no longer restrain themselves and hurried forward.

Liu Wangzhou suppressed the panic churning in his heart and did his best to steady his voice. "Doctor Yun, how is my son?"

Though Madam Liu said nothing, her body was already trembling slightly. Her eyes clung desperately to the young man, and her anxiety seemed ready to spill over.

Doctor Yun looked up at them. His tone was slow and solemn, but every word was clear. "Master Liu, your son has been poisoned."

"Poisoned?"

Madam Liu cried out and staggered, nearly unable to stay on her feet. Her hand tightened sharply around the brocade handkerchief, her knuckles turning white.

"That is correct. And it is lead-mercury poisoning."

Doctor Yun's tone was certain, without the slightest hesitation:

"The poison has accumulated in his organs and is burning through his blood and vital energy. That is why his face is swollen, his lips are purple, and his limbs are convulsing. If treatment is delayed any longer, I fear it will damage his very foundation."

"Then my son still..."

Madam Liu's voice shook beyond recognition. The rest of her words caught in her throat, impossible to finish, as tears instantly welled up in her eyes.

Liu Wangzhou's heart sank. No longer caring about dignity or composure, he grabbed Doctor Yun's wrist, his voice urgent and pleading:

"Doctor Yun, please, you must save my son's life! So long as you can save him, I, Wangzhou, am willing to spend every last bit of my Household's wealth, and I will never forget your great kindness!"

The surrounding servants did not even dare breathe loudly. Only the faint sounds of the young man's occasional convulsions and everyone's suppressed breathing remained in the courtyard.

"Rest assured, Master Liu. Your son's symptoms are still mild. I will prescribe several costly medicines, and after a month of recuperation, the young master will recover completely."

Doctor Yun did not speak loudly, but his certainty eased Liu Wangzhou's frantic heart somewhat.

Liu Wangzhou cupped his hands in thanks and said earnestly, "Then I must thank Doctor Yun."

"Liu Fu, go to the accounts office and withdraw three hundred taels of silver for Doctor Yun."

After the two had left, Liu Wangzhou's gaze fell upon his son.

Only after a long while did he turn around. His eyes instantly sharpened, his face darkened, and his voice carried a chilling edge:

"Investigate! When was the young master poisoned? I want to see who dared lay hands on Liu Wangzhou's son!"

His voice was not loud, yet it seemed like thunder exploding in the hearts of the servants. They hunched their backs and hurried out.

Once the servants had dispersed, Liu Wangzhou pointed at the maid beside his wife and ordered:

"Chunyan, you and the others, carry the young master inside."

Madam Liu watched her son being taken away, her body trembling as tears streamed endlessly down her face.

A strong hand settled on Madam Liu's shoulder and drew her into an embrace, patting her back as Liu Wangzhou said firmly:

"Do not worry, my dear. Yunche will be fine."

"He is my only son. If anything happens to Yunche, how am I supposed to go on living..."

As she spoke, Madam Liu gently wiped away her tears with her handkerchief.

Liu Wangzhou said nothing. He merely held his wife and continued patting her comfortingly.

Three days later.

Liu Yunche slowly opened his eyes. What greeted him was an antique, old-fashioned room.

An ornate pearwood bed faced a half-open lattice window, through which a portion of the courtyard came into view.

In the courtyard, branches of ancient trees swayed in the breeze, casting fragmented patterns of light and shadow across the room's green brick floor. The scene was quiet and peaceful.

Liu Yunche moved his fingertips and felt weak and sore all over. His head was still somewhat muddled, but he was far clearer than he had been while unconscious.

He looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar furnishings around him—the carved tables and chairs, the plain curtains, the ancient ornaments set in the corner—and a wave of disorientation rose within him.

Forcing himself to gather his strength, he raised a hand, intending to lift the covers and struggle out of bed.

That slight movement instantly woke the young woman keeping watch beside the bed.

The young woman wore a light green cloth dress and had her hair tied in twin buns. She had been dozing with her head resting beside the bed, but at the sound, she abruptly looked up. When she saw that the person in bed had opened his eyes, her own eyes lit up with joy and lingering fear.

She hurriedly rose and stepped forward, gently supporting Liu Yunche's arm with one hand, afraid that too much movement would aggravate his condition. Her tone was urgent yet gentle:

"Young Master, you are finally awake! Your body has not recovered yet, and the remaining poison has not been cleared. Doctor Yun repeatedly instructed that you must rest in bed. You must not get up carelessly."

Chunyan carefully helped Liu Yunche back onto the bed and attentively tucked the brocade quilt around him, her movements exceptionally gentle.

Once she made sure he was lying steadily, the joy on her face could no longer be hidden. She immediately stood up and said:

"Young Master, please wait here. I'll go inform Master and Madam right away. They have watched over you for three days and have not had a moment of peaceful rest, day or night!"

With that, she quietly withdrew from the inner chamber. The moment she crossed the threshold, she could no longer suppress her delight and hurried toward the front courtyard, calling loudly:

"Master, Madam! Young Master is awake! Young Master has finally awakened!"

The room returned to silence, with only the rustling wind outside the window remaining.

Leaning against the soft pillow, Liu Yunche raised a hand to rub his throbbing brow. The instant he closed his eyes, two utterly different lifetimes of memories fused completely in his mind without the slightest discord.

In his previous life, he had been nothing more than an ordinary man, struggling tirelessly to make a living until he finally died suddenly at his desk from exhaustion.

Fortunately, a wisp of his remnant soul had not perished. Crossing time and space, it had reincarnated into this unfamiliar Great Qian Dynasty, where he became Liu Yunche, the only son of the Liu Household in Verdant Grain County.

However, all reincarnated people were bound by the mystery of the womb, their memories of past lives completely sealed away. For sixteen years, he had lived with a gentle and frail disposition.

Muddled and ignorant, he knew nothing of his previous life.

Yet who could have expected that the lead-mercury poison would turn misfortune into fortune? It had forcibly broken through the seal of the mystery of the womb, fully awakening all the memories of his previous life and revealing the events of both lifetimes to him.

As the two sets of memories merged, Liu Yunche's personality also began to change. His former gentleness and frailty vanished completely.

His fingertips lightly rubbed the edge of the brocade quilt. The haze of his recent awakening faded from his eyes, leaving only a calmness and coldness that did not belong to this young body.

The original owner of this body had been gentle by nature and had never made enemies, yet he had suffered such an unprovoked attempt on his life. He did not know who had committed this vile deed.

In his previous life, he had suffered for the sake of survival and ultimately died suddenly. Now that he had been given another life and had even fortuitously broken through the mystery of the womb, he would never again allow himself to be at another's mercy.

Having sorted through all his thoughts, Liu Yunche slowly opened his eyes. His gaze calmly swept across the room, and a plan had already formed in his heart:

First, he would recuperate in peace. Then, he would slowly uncover the truth behind this poisoning and establish himself securely in this foreign world.

Just then, the sound of a door opening came from downstairs. A moment later, Liu Wangzhou and his wife hurried in.

Seeing Liu Yunche on the bed, his face pale, his eyes visibly bloodshot, and traces of purple still lingering on his lips, Madam Liu's eyes were full of heartache.

She hurried forward, sat beside the bed, and took Liu Yunche's hand. "Son, focus on recovering. Your father and I will handle everything."

Liu Wangzhou nodded. "Yunche, your father is here. I have already given the orders. I believe we will find the one who poisoned you before long."

"Once we find the one who poisoned you, no matter who it is, Mother will avenge you," Madam Liu said bitterly, a flash of coldness passing through her eyes.

Madam Liu had always been gentle and had never argued with anyone. This was the first time Liu Yunche had seen her like this.

"Father, Mother..." Liu Yunche looked at his parents. Memories from the past sixteen years surged into his mind, every little detail filled with their love and care.

"That Doctor Yun truly lives up to his reputation. After just a few prescriptions, Yunche has already improved considerably," Liu Wangzhou said with emotion.

Madam Liu agreed. "If that is so, Master should give him some additional silver."

Liu Yunche turned to look at his father, Liu Wangzhou, with a trace of doubt in his voice. "Doctor Yun? There does not seem to be anyone of that name in Verdant Grain County."

"That is right. Doctor Yun came from the prefectural city. It is said that he grew tired of the endless disputes there and chose to return to Verdant Grain County to retire."

Liu Yunche understood, and the subject was dropped.

After that, Liu Yunche chatted with his parents. They spoke of recent amusing stories, of which martial arts school in Verdant Grain County had risen to prominence, and which Household's disciples showed exceptional talent.

Half an hour later, Liu Wangzhou and Madam Liu left together, reminding Liu Yunche to rest properly.

Chunyan followed them out as well, softly closing the door behind her and keeping watch outside.

For a time, the room fell completely silent. Liu Yunche lay in bed without closing his eyes to meditate, staring intently at the lower-left corner of his vision.

There was a small rectangular frame there, marked with grooves.

The patterns surrounding the frame were ancient and natural, giving off an air of mystery.

Liu Yunche had noticed this strange object as soon as he awoke, but at the time, he had assumed it was simply an aftereffect of his weak mental state after waking.

But now, after so much time had passed, the object was still there. It was likely his golden finger.

While chatting with his family earlier, he had tested it as well. Other than himself, no one could see the strange object at the corner of his vision.

Only then did Liu Yunche finally feel at ease. Filled with curiosity, he carefully examined the object.

Its base was pitch-black, while golden lines adorned its surroundings.

There were three grooves on it. Liu Yunche guessed that they were meant to hold something.

He focused all his attention on the equipment slot, and a message suddenly emerged, sinking deep into Liu Yunche's mind.