Chapter 3

The night was as still as water, and the sounds of insects and ants outside the window were clearly audible. Occasionally, the clear and crisp call of a nightingale could be heard. The moon was bright and its soft light filtered through the window lattice, gently caressing Gao Yuan's face. Gao Yuan had been awake for a long time but was unwilling to open his eyes. His mind was still preoccupied with everything that had happened during the day.

What's going on with me? Is this a dream? He raised his hand and pinched his thigh hard. The pain was real, piercing through his heart. It seemed that this was not a dream but a real event that had happened to him.

From the bed, he could hear snoring. Turning his head, he saw a young man lying on a straw mat on the ground, illuminated by the moonlight. He couldn't be more than twenty years old. What terrified Gao Yuan was the man's clothing, and the attire of the people he had seen when he regained consciousness earlier. It was as if he were in the scene of a historical drama, and he himself had become a prop in their performance.

This was definitely not the era he belonged to. Even if he had been rescued, he should have been in a hospital room with white walls, soft lighting, and pretty nurses in uniforms, not in this situation.

Where am I? Gao Yuan's head throbbed with pain. He reached up and touched his head, which was wrapped in thick bandages. He pressed on the bandages a few times and immediately understood the nature of his injury. His fingers felt an irregular, open wound, as if he had been hit by a brick.

He felt a strong discomfort in his chest and abdomen. Moving his hand down, he found, as expected, that his chest and abdomen were also wrapped in bandages. Pulling back the thin blanket covering him, he supported himself on the bed and slowly sat up, leaning against the headboard. He slowly untied the tightly wrapped bandages, and a strong smell of traditional Chinese medicine filled his nose. He gently wiped away the medicinal paste on the wound, revealing a shocking injury. Looking at the wound, Gao Yuan swallowed hard. He had been shot, and not just once, but the wound he saw was clearly a knife wound. He had been shot multiple times, but now he only saw one wound.

Even though Gao Yuan's will had been tempered like steel through years of life-and-death battles, he was still frightened in that moment. His hand fell limply to the side of the bed, making a dull thud.

The young man sleeping on the ground was extremely alert. As soon as he heard the sound, he sprang up from the ground. Seeing Gao Yuan sitting up in bed with a dazed look, he exclaimed, "Heaven! Master, what are you doing? Why did you untie the bandages?" He quickly rushed to the bed and reached for the scattered bandages.

Gao Yuan stared blankly at the unfamiliar face, allowing him to carefully rewrap the bandages. After a while, he finally asked, "Who are you?"

The young man was taken aback and looked up at Gao Yuan, "Master, what's wrong? Don't you recognize me?"

"Who are you?" Gao Yuan repeated.

"Master, I'm Zhang Yi, the attendant of Lord Lu." Zhang Yi was also confused because he could see from Gao Yuan's eyes that the master really didn't recognize him.

"Who is Lord Lu? Who is Lord Lu?" Gao Yuan asked blankly, wondering what had happened. Why was everything in chaos?

"Master, you don't even remember Lord Lu?" Zhang Yi stopped his work and looked at Gao Yuan in disbelief.

Gao Yuan shook his head and touched his head, muttering, "I don't remember, I don't remember anything."

Looking at the bandages on Gao Yuan's head, Zhang Yi said nervously, "Master, it must be because your head was injured. You should rest well, and perhaps in a few days, you'll be fine."

Gao Yuan shook his head. He knew it wasn't for that reason.

"Are you called Zhang Yi?"

"Yes, Master."

"Who is Lord Lu? Where am I? Who am I?" Gao Yuan stared at Zhang Yi and asked.

"Master!" Zhang Yi realized the situation was serious, as if the master had amnesia. "You are Gao Yuan, and this is Fufeng City. Lord Lu is the county magistrate of Fufeng County and your uncle. Lord Lu and your family are close friends!"

"Am I Gao Yuan?"

"Yes, you are Gao Yuan, from Fufeng. You are eighteen years old this year, and you have grown up in Fufeng City all your life!"

Gao Yuan blinked, almost fainting. He was almost thirty, but in the blink of an eye, he was back to being eighteen?

"Is my family just me?" he continued to ask.

Zhang Yi now confirmed that the master indeed remembered nothing. He thought this was no small matter and decided to inform Lord Lu as soon as possible.

"Yes, Master, your parents passed away long ago, and Lord Lu has been taking care of you all these years!" Zhang Yi said.

I am no longer myself! Gao Yuan finally came to a conclusion. He tightly clenched his hands, his nails digging into his flesh, and his hands trembled slightly. If it weren't for the strong will he had developed through years of life-and-death battles, he would have gone mad.

"Zhang Yi, what year is it?" he asked a crucial question.

"Master, this is the ninth year of the Zhaoping era of the Great Yan Dynasty!" Zhang Yi thought the master must have been confused from the injury. Lord Lu would be heartbroken if he knew.

The ninth year of the Zhaoping era of the Great Yan Dynasty! Gao Yuan groaned inwardly. What the hell was this? Even if he had somehow traveled back in time due to some unknown reason, there was no such era in history! He rolled his eyes and fainted again.

"Master, Master!" Seeing Gao Yuan faint again, Zhang Yi panicked.

When Gao Yuan regained consciousness again, it was already bright outside, and the sun was shining brightly. However, Gao Yuan's heart was filled with gloom. Lord Lu, who had appeared the previous night, was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at him with concern, while Doctor Qiu stood beside him with his head bowed.

"Gao Yuan, you're awake? This morning, Zhang Yi came to find me. Well, Doctor Qiu, what's going on? Why can't Gao Yuan remember anything?" The middle-aged man turned to Doctor Qiu and asked.

"Lord, cases like Gao Yuan's, although rare, are not unheard of. Medical records state..."

"Enough, don't give me all that. I just want to know the reason and whether he can recover," Lord Lu rudely interrupted the doctor's attempt to cite medical texts.

"Yes, yes, Lord. Gao Yuan's condition is likely due to a severe head injury, which has damaged his brain, causing him to forget some things. However, it's unusual for him to forget everything so completely."

"Is there any possibility of recovery?"

"Well, well, recovery is possible, but it will take a long time. Perhaps, perhaps..."

Hearing Doctor Qiu's hesitant words, Lord Lu's heart sank. Doctor Qiu was the best doctor in Fufeng City and even had a reputation in the entire Liaoxi Prefecture. If even he couldn't be certain, Gao Yuan's condition was indeed troublesome.

Standing up, he paced back and forth in the room, then looked at Gao Yuan again, "Doctor, it seems that Gao Yuan has only forgotten some past events, but his intelligence doesn't seem to be affected."

"Yes, Lord, that's what puzzles me as well," Doctor Qiu nodded repeatedly.

"Good, good, it's better to forget!" Lord Lu suddenly smiled and walked to the bed, looking at Gao Yuan, "Gao Yuan, it's fine to forget the past. Zhang Yi will tell you. Just remember, I am Lu Hong, your father's sworn brother. Your parents passed away early, so I am your closest relative."

Gao Yuan nodded. After this coma, he seemed to have understood a lot and accepted his fate. This Lu Hong, who claimed to be his uncle, was the county magistrate of Fufeng County, a significant official in the county, either the second or third in command. It seemed that in this second life, he had a good backing.

"Yes, Uncle Lu, I remember, you are my closest relative."

"Very good!" Lu Hong patted Gao Yuan's shoulder in satisfaction, "Rest well. You are eighteen now and can't wander around like before. When you recover, I'll arrange something for you to do. You should start doing something. Your father was a hero, and you shouldn't tarnish his reputation."

"Thank you, Uncle!" Gao Yuan quickly said.

"Family doesn't need to be so formal." Lu Hong waved his hand, "I have some business at the office. Since you're fine, I'll go back. If you need anything, ask Zhang Yi. He has been with me and knows all about you and your family."

"Yes, Uncle."

Seeing that Gao Yuan looked well, Lu Hong nodded in satisfaction and turned to Doctor Qiu, "Doctor Qiu, your skills are truly remarkable. I'll set up a banquet to thank you."

"I dare not, I dare not! I don't deserve the credit!" Doctor Qiu bowed, but he breathed a sigh of relief. Last night, Lord Lu had threatened to drive him out of Fufeng City, but now his attitude had changed. Fortunately, Gao Yuan was strong and had somehow survived such severe injuries. From his appearance, it was clear that his life was out of danger.

"Zhang Xiao!" After Lu Hong left, Doctor Qiu straightened up, "I've prescribed some more medicine for Young Master Gao. These two are for internal use, one dose boiled three times, to be taken three times a day. These two are for external use. Crush them and mix with warm water to form a paste."

Zhang Yi took the prescriptions, "Thank you, Doctor Qiu."

"Don't thank me, don't thank me. I hope Young Master Gao recovers soon, or Lord Lu won't spare me!" Doctor Qiu shook his head, "Zhang Xiao, remember to change the external medicine daily."

"Of course, I won't forget!" Zhang Yi smiled, "How could I forget?"

Doctor Qiu nodded, picked up his medical bag, and was about to leave when two people entered the room. "Doctor Qiu, good day!" The first person was the young girl, Jing'er, who had been by Gao Yuan's bedside the previous night, followed by her young brother, who was about ten years old, bouncing along. Unlike Jing'er, who looked worried, he seemed carefree.