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Great Gan Dynasty, Verdant Grain County.
At dawn, the rising sun broke through the clouds. Morning light spilled like scattered gold across the streets, and all of Verdant Grain County gradually stirred beneath the pale sky.
White steam curled from the bamboo steamers at a roadside breakfast stall.
On the bluestone-paved road, vendors called out over the rattle of carts and horses. Riverside pavilions and murmuring water completed a lively portrait of morning in the marketplace.
But inside a large residence in the eastern corner of the county seat, the scene was entirely different.
Outside the eastern courtyard, a crowd of servants stood holding their breath, their faces stricken.
At their center, a boy in white lay rigid on the ground. His eyes were shut, his face swollen and tinged blue, and his lips bore an eerie purple stain. His limbs twitched uncontrollably from time to time.
Beside him stood an old man with snow-white hair and beard. Though advanced in years, he stood straight and looked full of vigor.
He rested his fingertips lightly on the boy's pulse, his expression grave. He said nothing.
Next to the old man, a richly dressed middle-aged couple stared at the boy.
The woman clutched a silk handkerchief so tightly her fingers strained. The man's brows knotted together, his eyes brimming with anxiety and worry.
Doctor Yun bent down and gently lifted the boy's closed eyelids with his thin fingers. His eyes were dull and dark with pooled redness, without the slightest spark.
He then pinched the boy's jaw to examine his lips and tongue. A faint, metallic tang lingered around his mouth.
Doctor Yun drew back his hand and pondered for a moment before slowly straightening. His brows remained tightly furrowed.
At the sight, the Liu couple behind him could no longer hold back. They hurried forward.
Suppressing the panic surging through him, Liu Wangzhou tried to steady his voice. "Doctor Yun, how is my son?"
Though Mother Liu said nothing, her body trembled. Her eyes stayed fixed on the boy, her distress plain to see.
Doctor Yun looked up at them. His tone was measured, every word clear. "Master Liu, your son has been poisoned."
"Poisoned?"
Mother Liu's voice broke. She staggered and nearly lost her footing, tightening her grip on the handkerchief until her knuckles turned white.
"Yes. Lead and mercury poisoning."
Doctor Yun sounded certain, without a trace of hesitation.
"The poison has accumulated in his organs and is eating into his blood and vitality. That's why his face is swollen, his lips are purple, and his limbs are twitching. Delay any longer, and I fear it will damage him at his core."
"Then can my son still..."
Mother Liu's voice shook too badly to finish. The rest caught in her throat, and tears welled up at once.
Liu Wangzhou's heart sank. Abandoning all thought of composure, he seized Doctor Yun's wrist and pleaded urgently.
"Doctor Yun, please save my son! If you can bring him back, I'll spare no expense, and I'll never forget your kindness!"
The servants hardly dared breathe. Only the faint sound of the boy's occasional twitching and everyone's stifled breaths remained in the courtyard.
"Rest assured, Master Liu. Your son's symptoms are still mild. I'll prescribe several costly medicines, and after a month of recuperation, he'll be back to himself."
Doctor Yun spoke softly, but the certainty in his voice eased Liu Wangzhou's frantic heart a little.
Liu Wangzhou cupped his hands in thanks. "Then you have my deepest gratitude, Doctor Yun."
"Liu Fu, collect three hundred taels of silver from the accounts office and give them to Doctor Yun."
Once the two had gone, Liu Wangzhou turned his gaze to his son.
After a long while, he turned around. His eyes sharpened, his face darkened, and a chill entered his voice.
"Investigate! Find out when the young master was poisoned. I want to see who dared lay a hand on Liu Wangzhou's son!"
He had not spoken loudly, yet his words struck the servants like thunder. Hunched over, they filed out.
When they had dispersed, Liu Wangzhou pointed to the maid beside his wife and ordered,
"Chunyan, you and the others carry the young master inside."
Mother Liu watched her son, trembling as tears streamed down her face.
A strong hand settled on her shoulder and drew her into an embrace. Liu Wangzhou patted her back, his voice firm.
"Don't worry. Yunche will be all right."
"He's my only son. If anything happens to Yunche, how am I supposed to go on..."
Mother Liu dabbed her tears with her handkerchief.
Liu Wangzhou said nothing. He simply held his wife and kept patting her back to comfort her.
Three days later.
Liu Yunche slowly opened his eyes to a room of old-world elegance.
His carved rosewood bed faced a half-open lattice window. Beyond it lay a courtyard.
Branches of an ancient tree swayed in the breeze, casting flecks of light and shadow across the room's green bricks. Everything was quiet and peaceful.
Liu Yunche moved his fingers. His whole body felt sore and weak, and his head was still somewhat foggy, but he was far clearer than he had been while unconscious.
He looked around at furnishings both familiar and strange: carved tables and chairs, plain curtains, and antique ornaments in the corner. A dazed feeling rose within him.
Summoning his strength, he reached to throw back the quilt and struggled to get out of bed.
That slight movement instantly woke the girl keeping watch beside him.
Dressed in a pale green cloth skirt with her hair in two buns, she had been dozing against the bedside. At the sound, she raised her head. When she saw him awake, her eyes lit up with joy and lingering fear.
She hurried over and gently supported Liu Yunche's arm, afraid a sudden movement might strain him. Her voice was urgent but tender.
"Young master, you're finally awake! You haven't recovered yet, and there's still poison in your body. Doctor Yun told us again and again that you must rest in bed. You mustn't get up without good reason."
Chunyan carefully helped Liu Yunche back onto the bed and tucked the brocade quilt around him with a gentle touch.
Once she was sure he was settled, she could no longer hide her delight. She rose at once.
"Please wait here, young master. I'll tell the master and mistress! They've watched over you for three days and haven't had a proper rest, day or night!"
With that, she slipped quietly out of the inner room. The moment she crossed the threshold, she could no longer contain her joy and called loudly as she hurried toward the front courtyard.
"Master! Mistress! The young master is awake! He's finally awake!"
Quiet returned to the room. Only the wind rustled outside the window.
Propped against a soft pillow, Liu Yunche rubbed his aching brow. The instant he closed his eyes, the memories of two utterly different lives merged seamlessly in his mind.
In his previous life, he had been an ordinary man who worked himself to the bone to make a living. In the end, utterly exhausted in body and mind, he had died suddenly at his desk.
Fortunately, a wisp of his soul had survived. Crossing time and space, it had been reincarnated in the unfamiliar Great Gan Dynasty as Liu Yunche, the only son of the Liu Household in Verdant Grain County.
But those who were reincarnated were bound by the mystery of the womb, their past-life memories sealed away. For sixteen years, he had lived as a meek, frail boy.
He had drifted through life knowing nothing of his former existence.
Who would have thought that the lead and mercury poison would prove a blessing in disguise? It had forcibly broken the seal of the mystery of the womb, awakening every memory of his past life and laying bare both lifetimes.
As the two sets of memories merged, Liu Yunche's temperament changed too. His former meekness and frailty vanished.
His fingertips brushed the edge of the brocade quilt. The haze of waking faded from his eyes, leaving a calm, cold gaze at odds with his youthful body.
The boy he had been was gentle and had never made an enemy, yet someone had tried to kill him for no apparent reason. He had no idea who had struck from the shadows.
In his previous life, the struggle to survive had ended with his sudden death. Given another life and a chance to break free of the mystery of the womb, he would never again let others lead him like a lamb to slaughter.
Once he had sorted through his thoughts, Liu Yunche opened his eyes and calmly surveyed the room. He already had a plan.
First, he would focus on recovering. Then he would slowly uncover the truth behind the attempted poisoning and establish himself securely in this other world.
Just then, a door opened downstairs. A moment later, Liu Wangzhou and his wife hurried in.
At the sight of Liu Yunche's pale face, bloodshot eyes, and the faint purple still lingering at the corners of his mouth, Mother Liu's eyes filled with heartache.
She hurried to the bed, sat beside him, and took his hand. "Son, just focus on getting better. Your father and I will take care of everything."
Liu Wangzhou nodded. "Yunche, your father is here for you. I've already given orders to investigate. We should find whoever poisoned you soon."
"And once we do, no matter who it is, I'll avenge you," Mother Liu said fiercely, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
Mother Liu had always been gentle and had never quarreled with anyone. This was the first time Liu Yunche had seen her like this.
"Father, Mother..." Liu Yunche looked at his parents. Memories from sixteen years surged through him, every little moment filled with their love and care.
"Doctor Yun truly is as skilled as they say. Just a few prescriptions, and Yunche is already much better," Liu Wangzhou said with a sigh.
Mother Liu nodded. "In that case, husband, we ought to give him some more silver."
Liu Yunche turned to his father, a hint of puzzlement in his voice. "Doctor Yun? I don't recall anyone by that name in Verdant Grain County."
"That's right. Doctor Yun came from Prefecture City. They say he grew tired of its endless feuds and chose to return to Verdant Grain County to retire."
Liu Yunche understood, and the subject passed.
After that, his parents chatted with him about recent stories and curious happenings, including which martial arts school in Verdant Grain County was gaining renown and whose disciples showed exceptional talent.
Half an hour later, they left together, reminding Liu Yunche to rest and recover.
Chunyan went out as well, closing the door softly behind her and keeping watch outside.
The room fell completely silent. Liu Yunche lay in bed without closing his eyes to meditate. Instead, he stared at the lower left corner of his vision.
There floated a small rectangular frame with recesses in it.
Its patterns looked ancient and natural, lending it an air of mystery.
Liu Yunche had noticed it as soon as he woke, but at the time he had taken it for a lingering effect of his grogginess.
Yet so much time had passed, and it was still there. Surely this was his golden finger.
While chatting with his family, he had tested it. No one else could see the strange thing at the edge of his vision.
Only then did Liu Yunche feel completely at ease. Curious, he examined it closely.
The frame was deep black, with gold tracing its edges.
It had three recesses. Liu Yunche guessed something was meant to fit into them.
He focused all his attention on the Equipment Slot. A piece of information suddenly surfaced deep within his mind.
Before you continue