In the desolate Wasteland, Captain Zhào awaited his next ordeal. As he stood in anticipation, the very fabric of the space around him shifted and transformed. He found himself thrust into a scene from seven years past, watching his younger self on the eve of the Lunar New Year. His younger self was eagerly buying a toy for his nephew and sweets for his sister, his entire being radiating pure happiness and excitement at the prospect of seeing her. His Father stood beside him, remarking, "How much are you going to purchase? Do you plan to empty your entire allowance in one go?" The younger Zhào looked back at his father, who was himself holding three times the number of gifts, and retorted, "Look who's talking!" His father cleared his throat, "[Ahem] I-I am merely acquiring these for my daughter and my grandson. I am certain he will adore reading these books." He wore a proud smile, gazing fondly at the presents he had gathered. The present Captain Zhào observed them, recalling the cherished memory and chuckling to himself. The sun had settled below the horizon and the night was growing progressively darker and deeper. Captain Zhào and his father were just about to reach Lín Wèi's house.
The present Captain Zhào arrived before them and witnessed the horrifying silhouette of someone setting Lín Wèi's house ablaze. He sprinted as fast as humanly possible and desperately tried to extinguish the flames, but all he could manage was to shed tears that were utterly useless against the inferno. He screamed desperately for the neighbors, for any help at all, but no one could hear his phantom cries. He rushed to his younger self and tried to seize his arm, and that was the precise moment he realized the devastating truth: he was merely a spectator, forced to rewatch his own past. He screamed until his lungs felt shredded. He could not even halt the relentless flow of his tears. He punched the unyielding ground, grinding his teeth, yelling in utter futility.
The location changed abruptly. His guardian appeared and called out to him, "Did you finally see it?"
Captain Zhào erupted with fury towards the Rooster and attempted to assault it by launching his entire body at the creature. The Rooster halted him with an immovable force. "So, you did not truly see it, then?" it inquired. He roared back, "WHAT ARE YOU SPEAKING OF? I SAW EVERYTHING, YOU BASTARD! YOU MADE ME WATCH MY SISTER BURN ALIVE.. [Sobbing uncontrollably] I...I....Just wanted... to..to see.. her one more time.. why?.. why did this have to happen?.....ahhhhh...."
[Rooster]: "Lín Zhào (林钊), Son of Lín Wén (林文), Your father named you 'Martial Endeavor' (钊), and yet, you are chickening out now? What a profound shame; this is not what your sister ever wanted for you."
Lín Zhào's mind was completely barricaded by the torturous vision of his sister burning while he could do nothing but drown in regret and tears. "Tell..me.. what must I do?" His voice was utterly hollow, hopeless, and dead. All he desired now was a vengeful reckoning for his sister.
[Rooster]: "You believed you had solved the mystery of your sister's death? Think more deeply and discover the truth for yourself. Now, go back."
As it finished the sentence, Lín Zhào jolted awake from his sleep. [Panting heavily..] "What was that? Was it all merely a dream?" He noticed the cold tears streaming down his face, shed from his subconscious. He wiped them away and began to meticulously retrace the events he had witnessed just before his sister's house was set on fire. "Who? Just who held such vengeance against her to murder her? Whose silhouette was that?" His brain was inundated with a torrent of unanswered questions.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
The day broke. He went straight to his father. "Father, I believe the one who killed Sister is still alive." Scribe Lín Wén (林文) immediately focused his entire mind, giving his son his full attention and urging him to continue. "It was not Jiǔ Tù who killed her. I dreamed of the event from that day, and I saw a silhouette that did not match his description. There is a significant chance that the true killer still walks free." Scribe Lín Wén began to ponder the grim possibilities after hearing the entire story from his son. "You may be right, Zhào. We never uncovered a single piece of information about the bastard who killed her. We must investigate this matter on our own. The King does not need to be informed of this."
Jian Zhi entered at that very moment and demanded, "What is it that I do not need to know, Mr. Wén? Hm?" His icy, cold voice startled both of them. Scribe Lín Wén replied, [Smiling awkwardly] "It is nothing of importance, Your Majesty. It is merely a personal family matter. Nothing more."
Jian Zhi nodded his head in a show of agreement, choosing to trust his words for the moment. "Captain Zhào, do you possess any knowledge regarding The Celestial Path of Inner Conquest (天道内征 - Tiāndào Nèi Zhēng)? What about you, Mr. Wén? Does either of you know of it?" Both of them began to wonder what it could be. Captain Zhào asked, "May I inquire where you learned of this, Your Majesty?" Jian Zhi handed over the book he had retrieved from the basement room to Captain Zhào. He took his time to read it, and his eyes widened in shock when he found the words describing the dream journey he had experienced the previous night. "Your Majesty, I believe I have already entered my Xīnyù. It is called The Silent Frost-Forest (寂霜林 - Jí Shuāng Lín). The Rooster informed me that it is my guide and stated that I must improve myself from the inside out. It showed me the inner trauma that haunts me. This path must be true." Jian Zhi began to think deeply and muttered to himself, "So the knowledge within this book is indeed authentic. According to its writings, there is a definitive way to reach this state."
Jian Zhi replied, "Very well, Captain Zhào, when do you intend to journey to your Xīnyù again?"
Captain Zhào's expression hardened with fierce determination, "I do not care if I gain my Hún Guāng or not. But I am going back there, no matter the cost." Seeing his unwavering resolve, Jian Zhi felt a wave of impression and proceeded to the main hall to address the problems of the kingdom's people.
While Jian Zhi was reading the complaints and requests of the populace, he noticed that Scribe Wén was discreetly hiding a scroll and taking it with him, moving with extreme caution. Jian Zhi stopped him, "Mr. Wén, what are you concealing from me?"
Scribe Wén realized he could hide it no longer and decided to let his King know the truth. "Your Majesty, it is a scroll containing the records of my personal investigation into my daughter's family murder from seven years ago. I believed it did not require your attention, and thus I decided to keep it private. You have my most sincere apologies." Jian Zhi replied, "I can understand your paternal feelings. Next time, simply inform me. And please, let me know whenever you require my assistance. By the way, what is your full name? With everything that has been happening, I have not had the opportunity to ask you until now." Scribe Wén replied, "It is Lín Wén (林文), Your Majesty."
Jian Zhi said, "I see. You must take care of yourself and your investigation." He allowed him to depart. But the name echoed incessantly in his mind. "Lín Wén? Lín Wén? Lín? Could he possibly be a relative of Lin Wei? But she told me she had no family left alive? Who else could it be?" Jian Zhi kept ruminating on it until he finally reached a startling conclusion. "Lin? Lin Wei? Mother's name was also Lin Wei. Could it be that she was trying to reveal her family to me on that day? I must ask him directly." Jian Zhi rose from his throne with sudden purpose and walked straight to find Scribe Wén, hoping to finally discover an answer to one of the looming possibilities he now assumed. Will he at last uncover the truth?
