Chapter 3: A New Beginning and Lingering Shadows

Lei Yin’s had been a life marked by both ordinariness and misfortune. Yet, Lu Yuan detected no lingering resentment or defiance within Lei Yin’s memories.

Lei Yin had once scaled the pinnacle of life, boasting a thriving career and a beautiful girlfriend.

His anger and unwillingness had vanished the moment death claimed him. Instead, his final thoughts were consumed by worry for his young apprentice, wondering how she would survive alone.

As this segment of memory fully integrated, the unsettling sensation gradually receded. Lu Yuan fell into a thoughtful silence.

Numerous discrepancies riddled these memories. Why had a supposedly infallible formula suddenly failed? Why had a previously validated potion abruptly manifested so many issues?

The reason for his girlfriend’s departure remained ambiguous, and from where had the virulent poison within Lei Yin’s body originated?

Faced with such a multitude of questions, Lu Yuan could only offer a wry, bitter smile.

“Since I have borrowed your body to live this life anew, then these myriad karmic threads shall naturally be resolved by my hand, in your stead.”

Lu Yuan rose from the bed, offering a profound bow towards the spot where Lei Yin had drawn his last breath.

With that single, reverent bow, an invisible shackle within Lu Yuan’s mind instantly dissolved. A profound lightness enveloped him, accompanied by a sensation of clarity resonating from his very soul.

Lei Yin, the original inhabitant of this otherworld, had finally released his last vestiges of obsession and attachment, allowing them to fully dissipate.

****

“Uncle Lei Yin! Dinner is ready!” A small girl entered, carrying a tiny wooden bowl.

A tantalizing aroma of cooked food wafted in alongside her.

“Merlin…?” Lu Yuan inquired tentatively.

“Hmm?” The young girl responded with a puzzled hum, then placed the wooden bowl on the table. “What’s wrong, Uncle? Aren’t you going to eat?”

It seemed the young girl was indeed named Merlin. Lu Yuan had merely been verifying the accuracy of the information he’d gleaned from Lei Yin’s memories.

The young girl, Merlin, was originally a child from a distant branch of Lei Yin’s family. After her family met with tragedy, leaving her orphaned, she had been fostered in a monastery.

It was only a few months ago that she had come to seek refuge with Lei Yin. Lei Yin had been quite fond of his young apprentice, his concern for her persisting even after his death.

As Lu Yuan ate the vegetable and salted pork porridge the young girl had prepared, the girl herself simply slipped off her shoes and clambered onto his bed.

Lu Yuan frowned, tapping the table. “That’s my bed.”

The young girl rolled her eyes. “But these sheets and bedding are all mine, Uncle. If I don’t sleep here, am I supposed to sleep on the floor?”

She sat cross-legged on the bed, her voice soft and childish. Her slender frame was clad in a white dress, beneath which were white stockings.

Her tiny feet, barely the size of Lu Yuan’s palm, playfully tapped against the bed frame.

Lu Yuan found himself momentarily speechless, truly unable to formulate a rebuttal. There were no clean spare sheets left in the house.

With the cold, rainy weather outside, he certainly couldn’t leave the young girl to sleep on the bare floor without any covers.

“Heh-choo~” The young girl pulled the bedding over herself, burying her face in it to take a small sniff, her eyes narrowing into delightful crescent moons.

Lu Yuan noticed several distinct red marks on her hands. “Your hands… what happened to them?”

“They got chafed by the rope when I dragged you back inside. It’s nothing serious.” She waved a dismissive hand. “Of course, it would be even better if you didn’t run off everywhere, Uncle.”

“…”

Lu Yuan remained silent, lifting the bowl and draining its contents in one swift gulp.

“Uncle.” The young girl burrowed into the furthest corner of the bed, her head peeking out from beneath the covers. “If you’re still feeling unwell, just take some of the tranquilizers you used to concoct. Don’t do such foolish things again; that kind of woman simply isn’t worth it.”

“…”

Lu Yuan offered no reply, merely placing the empty bowl back onto the table in silence.

“If you’re finished eating, just take the bowl to the kitchen. You can leave it on the dining table; I’ll wash it tomorrow morning.”

“…” Lu Yuan’s expression darkened as he picked up the bowl and exited the room.

The young girl’s voice drifted from behind him. “Remember to close the door when you go to sleep later, Uncle. Good night then.”

By the time Lu Yuan returned to the room, the young girl had already succumbed to a deep, peaceful slumber.

Gazing upon the young girl’s utterly defenseless sleeping face, Lu Yuan found himself caught between amusement and exasperation.

‘This girl, does she possess no sense of caution whatsoever?’

The child’s sleeping face was utterly serene and endearing.

Even merely observing her in such stillness stirred a profound, heartfelt desire to protect and cherish her.

Within Lei Yin’s memories, the girl had arrived here utterly tattered, resembling a grimy stray cat. Orphaned in childhood, she had lived a life of dependence under others’ care.

What exactly compelled a ten-year-old child to journey thousands of miles, making such a arduous trek to this place, Lu Yuan had no way of knowing.

However, from scattered fragments within Lei Yin’s memories, he could infer a few possibilities.

Thus, the tranquil sleeping face the young girl now displayed was sweet enough to stir a pang of tenderness in one’s heart.

Perhaps this very sweetness was why the deceased Lei Yin had cherished her so deeply.

Lu Yuan was a man of few words, rarely engaging in social interaction.

He was even less adept at knowing how to interact with a young girl like Merlin.

‘However, since she’s already asleep, perhaps this is for the best.’

Lu Yuan exited the room, gently closing the door behind him.

Earlier, to avoid arousing suspicion in the young girl, he had meticulously wiped away his blood. Now that she was resting, it was finally time to address the poison coursing through his own veins.