Chapter 127: Past and Present Lives

Realizing he was not the chubby young man from reality, I hurriedly apologized for the mistaken identity.

The monk, Zhenyi, just laughed and said it was nothing, adding that I had a very familiar face and he must have seen me somewhere before. Not knowing how to respond, I followed him and Wang Liang to his meditation room, where we drank green tea and chatted briefly. Before I left, Monk Zhenyi asked me to leave behind a piece of calligraphy for their temple. I hadn't had much schooling, and my brushwork was usually as messy as a crab crawling, but because of his warm invitation—and the feeling that he wouldn't let me leave without it—I bit the bullet and wrote four large characters: "The Buddha's Light Shines Everywhere."

Looking at my work, Monk Zhenyi praised it repeatedly, claiming the characters were extraordinary, full of spirit, and free of amateurish stiffness—a rare treasure. I was so embarrassed I blushed. He then said he would have them carved into a plaque to hang in the main hall.

I assumed he was just being polite, likely out of respect for my family's noble status. After a bit more tea and talk, Wang Liang and I headed down the mountain. I knew I had to reach the Ju Kingdom capital; I had to find Ziyu. It wasn't easy to get here, and retrieving the Luoshui Ring was the main objective.

After I explained the situation, Wang Liang found me a carriage. It wasn't the kind of carriage one sees in later times, but a war chariot—two wheels, two horses in front, and two soldiers. I climbed aboard, said goodbye to Wang Liang, and the soldier who shared my father's name drove me straight toward the Ju capital.

I must say, the chariot was quite fast; within two hours, we arrived. The Ju Kingdom appeared much more solemn and majestic than what I remembered from history books. I recalled learning in my childhood that Ju was merely a small state, but looking at it now, that clearly wasn't the case.

Upon reaching the city gate, someone went in to report our arrival, and soon a large crowd came out to greet me. There were people on horseback and on foot, all treating me with great deference. Once inside, a man named Tianxing rushed over and hugged me. "General Zi, you've finally returned! We were all worried sick about you."

I remembered the name Tianxing; he was the guy who had entered the Ju King’s tomb with me. When I last saw him there, he had looked almost like a dried corpse, but now he appeared quite dashing and handsome.

"I'm back, I'm back," I replied vaguely, not knowing who Ziyi had actually been chasing.

"General, you were so heroic that day! You single-handedly killed seven of the Lu King’s deputy generals, and then went off to pursue his most formidable fighter, Zhao Yanshan. You’ve finally returned! I'll take you home now." As he spoke, Tianxing helped me onto the carriage and drove it himself. Within minutes, we stopped in front of a grand residence.

Damn! To think my past life was born into such a prominent family! This was incredible! Before I could process it, a throng of people poured out of the gate. In the center was a wealthy-looking elderly woman, perhaps in her fifties, who looked incredibly emotional. Supported by the crowd, she walked toward me, crying, "Yi'er, you've finally come home!"

So, this was my mother from my past life! Honestly, she looked nothing like my mother in the 21st century. But regardless of the resemblance, I had to accept her as my mother now.

She threw herself at me and hugged me. "You child, why did it take you so long to return?" I had to tell her I had gotten lost while chasing someone.

She then asked what happened to my hair. I told her it was too hot in the mountains and inconvenient, so I cut it off with my sword. She didn't dwell on it, taking my hand and leading me toward the house. I looked back at Tianxing, who signaled to me, "Let's go out for a drink once you're done."

***

I was led inside, and as the old lady asked me question after question, I made things up as I went, all the while feeling anxious. I wondered: now that I had traveled back, what happened to the "real" me? Was I him? Did we merge, or were we separate? If I was here, would I rewrite history? Good heavens! Time travel was truly no easy feat. I couldn't worry about it anymore—I’d just have to take it one step at a time.

After the old lady held my hand for a while, a young girl ran over, grinning. "Brother, you're finally back! Did you miss me?"

Looking at her, I almost cried. Finding her had been my ultimate goal. This must be Ziyu, my younger sister from two thousand years ago.

She had a round, fair face, eyes that seemed to speak, and even a pair of dimples. Her loose hair was tied with a red ribbon, and she was beautiful—no less so than Wang Ying or Wan'er. Perhaps such a comparison wasn't fair; the beauty of Wan'er and Wang Ying was that of refined noblewomen, while Ziyu’s was spirited and charming—a playful, vivid kind of beauty. In any case, I felt quite proud to have such a sister.

"Where have you been running off to? Not even coming to greet your brother when he returns?" I pinched her cheek and said with a smile.

"Bad brother, you're pinching me again!" Ziyu said, pinching my waist in return. Pinching me again? What was this? It seemed my past self often teased her. Well, it was inevitable; if you didn't tease such a beautiful and cute sister, who would you tease?

"I won't do it again, I won't," I said, quickly grabbing her hands. Despite my words, I felt a pang of loss. If I had a sister like this in reality, I would work hard to send her to the best schools. Unfortunately, I didn't.

"Bad brother, daring to bully me—I had some good news to tell you, but now I won't." Mentioning good news, I immediately thought of the Luoshui Ring. Could this girl know I had come to retrieve it?

"Tell me, brother wants to know what good news you have," I leaned in close.

"Ziyu, stop messing around. Your brother is tired. Yi'er, go bathe and change. Look at your clothes—if your father sees you like this, he'll scold you again," the old lady said with a mix of love and reproach.

"Yes, yes! I'll go bathe and change right now." It was true; my time travel had been miserable, and I hadn't even managed to bathe at the home of Wang Liang, who shared my father's name.

"Xiao'e, Xiaoying, go serve the young master." The old lady gestured to two maidservants. They bowed and walked off, one after the other.

I entered a room that was classically luxurious, featuring a large pool paved with quartz, already filled with water.

Xiaoying tested the temperature with her hand before coming toward me to help me undress. Her actions startled me. This wouldn't do! They looked to be only fifteen or sixteen—still just children. How could I let them undress me? "No, no, I can do it myself."

Xiaoying paused, but didn't say anything, turning to prepare soap and towels. Xiao'e stood to the side, holding some ornate-looking clothes.

"Are you two just going to stand there?" I asked, feeling awkward.

"General, is something wrong? Isn't this how it's always been? Xiao'e helps you bathe, and I help you dry off and dress," Xiaoying said.

Damn! I was so decadent two thousand years ago, having girls help me bathe. It was so inhumane. How could this be? They were just little girls; they would be shy. Even if they were used to it, I would be shy! "You two go out. I'll wash by myself," I said.

Hearing this, the two girls fell to their knees with a thud. "General, have we failed to serve you well? Please don't send us away; Grandmother will beat us to death if you do."

I sighed. It seemed women in feudal society truly had no status. I reached out and pulled them up. "You two go on out. It's not that you didn't serve me well; I'm just tired and want to lie in the pool and be quiet for a moment."

Hearing this, they wiped away their tears, smiled, and left.

As I lay in the bath, a voice came from outside: "Brother, are you finished yet?"

"Ziyu, I'm not done yet. You absolutely must not come in." Subconsciously, I used a towel to cover myself.

"What are you thinking? I'm not coming in! I just wanted to tell you that Sister Wan'er is here to see you, so make sure you wash up properly," Ziyu said with a giggle.

Only then did it hit me: since I had traveled back, I would certainly have to face a living, breathing Shangguan Wan'er! What would she be like in the flesh?