Most human beings in this world have their hearts positioned slightly to the left of the center of the chest. As long as the heart is struck, death can be instantaneous.
However, there is also a very small minority of people whose hearts are displaced, growing on the right side instead. In everyday life, this difference usually carries no particular significance and rarely affects anything at all.
But in this world, it became the reason Qian Jinye was unable to kill Lu Xiao with a single strike.
“Lu Xiao!”
Qian Jinye rushed forward and caught him in his arms. Lu Xiao’s vitality was rapidly slipping away. Although the blade had not pierced his heart earlier, the wound had still caused him to lose far too much blood.
Now that he had been stabbed straight through the heart by Lu Xiao himself, there was probably not much time left.
The tentacle behind him had gone limp as well, drooping weakly, as if it knew its host was at the end of his life and could no longer be bothered to struggle or consume any more vitality.
“Lu Xiao, hold on. Pearl powder, pearl powder, I remember it’s here somewhere.”
Lu Xiao pressed down on Qian Jinye’s hand, stopping him from continuing to search. Weakly, he shook his head at Qian Jinye.
“Don’t look anymore, Jinye. Even if you save me and bring me back, there’s no guarantee we can defeat it. You’ve seen it yourself, I’m no longer in control of myself. If you keep me alive, I’ll only become a ticking time bomb.”
Qian Jinye didn’t understand what a “ticking time bomb” meant at all. He was still frantically searching for the pearl powder, large tears falling onto Lu Xiao’s face, hot at first, then gradually turning cold.
The pearl powder had long been hidden away by Qian Shengke. He knew very well that Qian Jinye was someone who would soften his heart. Lu Xiao absolutely could not be kept alive. They didn’t know why Lu Xiao had become like this and the simplest solution was to let Lu Xiao, the host, die.
“Lu Xiao… sob… I already told you to live. Where do you think you’re going, trying to die like this?”
With great effort, Lu Xiao raised his hand and wiped away the tears on Qian Jinye’s cheek. He could no longer speak. His vitality was almost completely exhausted; he was dissipating.
“I’ll come find you again… if there’s another life. Brother…”
There was no such thing as another life. This lifetime of Lu Xiao had come to an end. The only hope was that Lu Xiao in the next spacetime would be strong enough to lead them out. After all, he knew more than anyone else. There was no reason they wouldn’t be able to escape.
Qian Jinye’s crying gradually blurred and faded in Lu Xiao’s ears. The icy sensation brought on by excessive blood loss could no longer be felt. Lu Xiao lost consciousness.
“Hey, Xiao. What are you spacing out for? I’m asking you, do you want to have breakfast with your big brother or not?”
Lu Xiao suddenly lifted his head. A sense of unreality surged toward him like a tidal wave. The person speaking was clearly Li Xianguan. Wasn’t he supposed to be staying in the Qian family’s kitchen? Why was he here?
No, what about Lu Xiao himself? Shouldn’t he be dead? How could he still have consciousness? Could it be that the so called life flashing before your eyes moment could feel this real?
He glanced around. This was the dining table at Mingzhu Courtyard. The simple porridge and side dishes in front of him looked overwhelmingly familiar.
The sense of déjà vu was far too strong. Lu Xiao finally remembered why everything felt so familiar. Wasn’t this the breakfast before their departure? A bad premonition rose in Lu Xiao’s heart.
Had he gone through it all again? Rewound? Reborn? But hadn’t Lu Xiao been transmitting messages to the next Lu Xiao through cracks in spacetime? How could rebirth allow for transmission…
Or perhaps he had been wrong from the very beginning. The possibility was slim, Lu Xiao wouldn’t deceive himself. That left only one explanation: the Lu Xiao of this spacetime was special.
He reached into his pocket. The so called letter left behind by Lu Xiao was still there. Distracted, he took a sip of porridge, scalded himself and choked, coughing as he sat on the chair.
“Oh my, Xiao, what’s going on? How can you be so absent minded drinking porridge? It was just ladled out and still piping hot. How did you just shove it straight into your mouth?”
Lu Xiao felt dazed. It had been a long time since he’d eaten something so hot and fresh. In an instant, his eyes welled up with tears. He blew on it lightly and took another bite, warm and comforting.
The porridge slid down his esophagus and into his stomach. The warmth pressed close to his heart, radiating heat. His heart thumped steadily, vividly, giving Lu Xiao an overwhelming sense of unreality.
Not long ago, he had personally driven a dagger into his own heart yet now he was sitting here peacefully, drinking porridge. The sense of dissonance was too intense.
Outside the window, carts and horses bustled noisily. Street vendors shouted their wares, one after another. Pedestrians streamed toward the main road, eager to join the excitement.
Customers argued with merchants. Parents joked and laughed with their children. Ordinary, safe lives, free from danger.
It was the kind of human warmth Lu Xiao hadn’t felt in a very long time. For ordinary people, firewood, rice, oil and salt were mundane necessities but for someone like Lu Xiao, who had spent so long on edge among monsters,
It felt like another lifetime. Like heaven itself.
“Why are you acting so silly right after waking up?” Li Xianguan said with concern, waving his hand in front of Lu Xiao’s face. Lu Xiao suddenly grabbed Li Xianguan’s hand.
He hadn’t yet shaken off his vigilance. Seeing Li Xianguan’s hand, he instinctively thought he was about to be attacked. The faint, eerie green in his eyes almost slipped through. His grip tightened, making Li Xianguan frown in pain.
“I was just checking on you, why are you getting angry?” Li Xianguan said helplessly. “I know, you don’t get along with that emperor and don’t want to go, right? It’s fine. Once we finish this job, we’ll leave. Who cares about that emperor.”
Li Xianguan was still treating Lu Xiao like a child, coaxing him gently. Lu Xiao slowly released his grip. Only then did he realize he’d used too much force, Li Xianguan’s hand was covered in red marks, even bearing faint bruises from where Lu Xiao had grabbed him.
Instinctively, Lu Xiao reached for the pearl powder, only to grab at empty air. That was when he remembered he was no longer at the Qian residence. The pearl powder was gone, though ordinary wound medicine was still available.
“Brother Xianguan, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I’m just a bit resistant to this mission. Here’s some wound medicine, apply it quickly and have Yue’er bandage it for you. I used too much strength.”
Lu Xiao’s thoughts still weren’t really on Li Xianguan but subconsciously, he had already slipped back into Lu Xiao’s role. They were both Lu Xiao yet his state of mind was completely different from before.
After hearing Lu Xiao say that, Li Xianguan didn’t know what to say. This kid had struck so fiercely yet spoke so softly. Like a small cat baring its claws, scratching hurt but without real malice.
That said… since when did this kid have so much strength? Wasn’t he the type who couldn’t lift or carry anything? How could he leave bruises on Li Xianguan’s hand?
“It’s fine. This little injury doesn’t matter. No need to alarm Yue’er. Eat up quickly, if it gets cold, it won’t taste good.”
“Is there anything you need me to do?”
Chen Yue’er arrived, just like in the previous life. At this point, Lu Xiao could basically be certain, he had truly gone back but why? Could it be… that Reversion Pearl?
The two of them exchanged a few words but Lu Xiao didn’t hear a single sentence. The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Why couldn’t the other Lu Xiaos go back? Because this wasn’t rebirth at all.
This was regression.
So Lu Xiao was still that same Lu Xiao, he had not taken over the body of his former self.
That meant the Reversion Pearl. It had to still be inside his body now.
As if responding to his speculation, Lu Xiao suddenly felt a faint itch on his back. He snapped fully awake at once and pressed a hand against his back.
Ancestors above, please don’t come out. Lu Xiao prayed silently in his heart. The tentacle seemed to give him face this time, it really did stop moving, allowing Lu Xiao to finish his meal in peace.
By then, Chen Yue’er had already finished bandaging Li Xianguan. Looking at Lu Xiao, she felt that something was indeed off. He kept spacing out even while eating and looked overly suspicious of everything. He kept covering his back, as though something were hidden there.
“Brother Lu Xiao, what’s wrong? Is the food not to your liking? Or is your back uncomfortable? I keep seeing you scratch your back, do you want me to take a look?”
Chen Yue’er’s words startled Lu Xiao so badly that his whole body jolted. Although Lu Xiao had never seen his own back, he knew it without doubt, once someone saw his back, they would be utterly shocked.
There was an eye on Lu Xiao’s back, one that could transform into a tentacle. It was the same tentacle from before, only now it had learned to hide itself, disguising itself as an eye. Its color was the same as when Lu Xiao’s mental state deteriorated, a deep, ghostly green.
Terrifying. Fear inducing. One glance was enough to tell it was an evil thing, something that absolutely should not exist on a human body. If Chen Yue’er were to see it, Lu Xiao had no idea how he could possibly explain it.
“No, no, no need. I didn’t sleep well last night, so my back hurts a bit. Haha, the food is really good. I was just half asleep earlier, now I’m fully awake. No need to look. I’m a grown man, after all. Brother Xianguan might get jealous later.”
“Huh? Me? I wouldn’t!”
“Hahaha, forget it, Yue’er. I’ll be heading out soon anyway. Hey, how about this, Brother Xianguan, why don’t you accompany Yue’er on her trip? I suddenly realized I can go by myself.”
Lu Xiao hurriedly cut Li Xianguan off, afraid he might say something else. If it were possible to physically shut Li Xianguan up right now, Lu Xiao absolutely wouldn’t allow him to speak another word.
He froze for a moment. Why had he thought about physically shutting Li Xianguan up? He had always believed in solving things with intelligence, not force. He had never been someone with the strength to restrain even a chicken, how could he think like that?
A chill crept through Lu Xiao. His mind had already been altered without him realizing it. Subtly, imperceptibly. He didn’t dare imagine what kind of monster he would become if the Reversion Pearl wasn’t removed from his body.
How was he any different now from those monsters who tried their best to imitate human emotions?
The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became. Lu Xiao hastily shoveled a few mouthfuls of porridge into his mouth, not touching the side dishes at all, just drinking the thin gruel. Then he remembered that he might not have anything to eat later. After informing the steward, he asked for a few more buns and siu mai.
Oh, it felt a bit dry. Better add a bowl of wonton soup as well.
Li Xianguan and Chen Yue’er stared at Lu Xiao in astonishment as he ate nonstop, stuffing himself until the piled high food disappeared into his stomach. Thankfully, although Mingzhu Courtyard was poor, it could still afford food.
Otherwise, with the way Lu Xiao was eating, an ordinary household would have been cleaned out long ago.
“Xiao, are you really okay going by yourself? I feel like you’re acting strange today. Eating this much, won’t it upset your stomach?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m really fine, brother. You go on your way. It’s just the Qian household, old acquaintances. Ah, I mean, I’ve researched it for a long time.”
No matter how one looked at him, he didn’t seem fine at all.
“Brother Lu Xiao… is it because of that painting from yesterday?”
Lu Xiao’s eyes suddenly lit up. It was as if he had grabbed hold of a lifesaving straw. He immediately followed along with Chen Yue’er’s words.
“Yes, yes, that’s it! Wow, it scared me to death. Luckily it was burned. Look at how timid I am, sorry to make you laugh, Yue’er.”
The two across from him looked at Lu Xiao with doubt, exchanging a glance. They told him to be careful. Chen Yue’er was in a hurry to leave and didn’t have time to eat breakfast. She had already been delayed by Lu Xiao, so she grabbed Li Xianguan and left.
Lu Xiao watched them go with a smile. Only after he was sure they were gone did he open his eyes.
His pitch black pupils were clearly tinged with green, like a venomous snake’s gaze fixed straight ahead. He still couldn’t escape it and yet he had to learn how to coexist with it.
The eye on his back rolled its pupil, as though mocking him. As for what it said, only Lu Xiao could hear it.
“Shut up.”
✦ ✧ ✦
Nycreth
[Translator]
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ChaptersChapter 1 · The beginning of the tragedyChapter 2 · Don’t forgetChapter 3 · Look at it directlyChapter 4 · Whom are you trying to seduce?Chapter 5 · TeaseChapter 6 · Sleeping in the same bedChapter 7 · Internal locksChapter 8 · Tampering The rules…Chapter 9 · Black LotusChapter 10 · FledglingChapter 11 · There are no horses in the stable.Chapter 12 · Water-oil separationChapter 13 · The cost of backtrackingChapter 14 · It got biggerChapter 15 · Was it a mouse?Chapter 16 · Too fieryChapter 17 · Administer medicineChapter 18 · Tracing the PearlChapter 19 · A KissChapter 20 · Ge, Kiss meChapter 21 · Ten Thousand Deaths Without RegretChapter 22 · Endless CorridorChapter 23 · CowardChapter 24 · GoodbyeChapter 25 · Back toChapter 26 · It’s is me, Not MeChapter 27 · VictimChapter 28 · Crossed CupsChapter 29 · IntuitionChapter 30 · ChangeChapter 31 · DifferentChapter 32 · ErrorChapter 33 · Mind Your Own BusinessChapter 34 · WanderingChapter 35 · EmbraceChapter 36 · LoveChapter 37 · UnrestrainedChapter 38 · Asking Over a DrinkChapter 39 · As BeforeChapter 40 · SatiatedChapter 41 · A Change in the WindsChapter 42 · A’SuChapter 43 · Welcoming the BrideChapter 44 · GossipChapter 45 · WeaknessChapter 46 · Wedding NightChapter 47 · Brother QingChapter 48 · FadingChapter 49 · Lying LowChapter 50 · CaressChapter 51 · OnceChapter 52 · The Hidden PassageChapter 53 · MotherChapter 54 · FlawlessChapter 55 · ProphecyChapter 56 · EtherealChapter 57 · DecipheringChapter 58 · The TrapChapter 59 · Stone StatueChapter 60 · ChessChapter 61 · AssassinsChapter 62 · The National Preceptor?Chapter 63 · Please return my belongings to me.Chapter 64 · I’m not that desperate.Chapter 65 · No wayChapter 66 · No turning backChapter 67 · I told you, get out of the wayChapter 68 · Still became a monsterChapter 69 · Let’s end thisChapter 70 · Why do you look so much like him?Chapter 71 · One wanted to kill, two stopped himChapter 72 · Unless, the people at Mingzhu Academy are keeping it from himChapter 73 · FraudChapter 74 · Don’t look back, Lu XiaoChapter 75 · It’s coldChapter 76 · Kill MeChapter 77 · We are even marriedChapter 78 · Gege… I Love YouChapter 79 · “It” had arrivedChapter 80 · Wake Up!Chapter 81 · How Nostalgic….Chapter 82 · You already Promised meChapter 83 · Their TerritoryChapter 84 · Jokes were JokesChapter 85 · What you dream was realChapter 86 · Did you cry?Chapter 87 · What’s wrong, young Master?Chapter 88 · No, I only ever said it to youChapter 89 · Honey, Please let me go.Chapter 90 · What are you pretending to be, a gentleman?Chapter 91 · It’s just a shoddy trick to fool people, but I like it anywayChapter 92 · Ge, I did it voluntarily, it’s no useChapter 93 · You little BratChapter 94 · Gege~ please have mercyChapter 95 · Hearing Lu Xiao come in, he patted the seat next to himChapter 96 · Stop fooling around, let me kiss youChapter 97 · “I want…” “Want what?”Chapter 98 · Gege, watch closely how I get youChapter 99 · Little Eleven, how about we talk to ‘it’ first?Chapter 100 · Had it gone mad?Chapter 101 · I will make my decisionChapter 102 · Tsk, how indecentChapter 103 · You are the creator of my original worldChapter 104 · The world is not your toy, go back to where you came fromChapter 105 · He was a boy with snow-white hair and a handsome faceChapter 106 · Haven’t seen you for a long timeChapter 107 · TYRBL Extra: 1Chapter 108 · TYRBL Extra: 2Chapter 109 · TYRBL Extra: 3Chapter 110 · TYRBL Extra: 4