Chapter 3. Younger. And Thinner

Zhuge Hui walked slowly. There was no need to hurry. After all, if she said she had prepared a delicious meal, he would surely laugh and get up.

However, when she reached the entrance of the leader's chamber, Zhuge Hui frowned. Even before she opened the door, a strong scent of blood hit her. She immediately pushed the door open and entered.

The scene inside the bedroom was gruesome.

The leader's large, sprawled body was surrounded by congealed dark red blood. A blood-stained dagger lay by the pillow. Zhuge Hui slowly surveyed the entire room. She checked the window, the walls, the ceiling, and the door she had entered through. There were no signs of external intrusion.

Only then did Zhuge Hui regain her composure.

"I can understand why the maid was shocked. The Great Breath Holding Technique. Uncle, you've gone too far today."

The Great Breath Holding Technique.

It was an advanced skill that could stop breathing and heartbeats for a certain period and even make the body appear lifeless. The idea that he would use such a technique just to pretend to be dead was beyond words.

"Uncle, get up now."

Zhuge Hui knelt by the pillow and looked down.

Suddenly, she was horrified and fell backward, retreating continuously. Her eyes widened, and her breath was cut off, making her gasp.

The wound on the neck was deep, and the flesh torn by the knife was blackened. Blood was still oozing from the wound.

"Uncle, this can't be. This can't be. Why, why does it have to be this way...?"

Her sobs were so loud and sorrowful that people gathered, but she didn't even notice.

***

The alliance was plunged into chaos.

The leader was dead.

The greatest warrior in the world was dead.

The death of a martial god, unparalleled in ancient and modern times.

But the shock and confusion were not just because of the death.

There were no signs of external intrusion.

Among the outsiders staying in the alliance, none had the ability to assassinate the leader. In fact, this was not even a matter of discussion. Who, whether from the outside or inside, could kill the leader?

The leader was a being whose victory could not be guaranteed even by a god. Moreover, it was impossible to fake suicide.

Poisoning was not even considered.

Not only was no poison found in the leader's body, but even if there was a poison that evaporated after death, it would be meaningless.

The leader was immune to all poisons.

He once said that if it could enhance the flavor, he would recommend adding poison. He even mentioned that the poison from the Green Mist Sect, which could kill a thousand people with a single drop, was the best seasoning.

He said it had a unique, tingling taste.

There were no witnesses to this death.

The leader did not have any guards around his quarters.

The reason was who would protect whom.

No one could argue with this.

If an opponent could penetrate the alliance's defenses and approach, the guards or protectors would be unable to handle it. The leader would have to protect them, not the other way around.

Suicide was out of the question.

Wasn't this the leader who looked forward to what dishes he would eat every day?

Two weeks ago, he visited the Green Forest Manor to taste the beef raised by the Green Forest.

The Green Forest King cooked the meat by the leader's side.

The leader praised, "Why do you cook so well, you rascal?" The Green Forest King was delighted like a puppy.

Thus, the mystery remained.

An immortal had died, and the greatest warrior in the world was found dead in a place where death was impossible.

And it was a suicide.

Yet, this was reality.

***

But Hou Gong was alive.

His body had just changed.

On the night someone joyfully slit his throat, Hou Gong lay in a certain place and noticed the changes in his body.

'What is this body? Ah, is breathing this difficult?'

Even lying in bed, he could sense several changes.

His new body was a mess, and this place was not the alliance.

First, the softness of the bed was different.

The feel of the blanket was unfamiliar, and the air was heavy.

His body felt cumbersome, and he couldn't breathe well.

In an unfamiliar place, not the alliance, he found himself in an unfamiliar body.

He managed to get up and step out of bed.

Looking in the mirror, he saw a weak young man and pouted.

'Younger. And thinner.'

He couldn't be entirely happy. It wasn't his face from when he was young.

It wasn't a dream.

He didn't need to deliberate. Just a few steps from the bed to the mirror left him breathless. To be precise, his legs almost gave out with the first step. If it were a dream, he would have woken up by then.

Was this one of those popular reincarnation jokes?

Zhuge Hui had once picked up such a joke somewhere.

- If you reincarnate, which time would you want to return to?

When asked if he would remember his past life, Zhuge Hui blinked, not having thought that far. Regardless, the current situation was not reincarnation. No matter how many times he looked, it wasn't his face. Even if he had lost weight, there was no resemblance.

Possession?

There was no one else in his body.

Reincarnation?

Or was it hell?

It couldn't be hell. A bed in hell?

Was it another world? Or what era was it?

He still didn't know.

He was getting annoyed.

It could be a divine prank or a cosmic joke.

He couldn't praise it.

How dare someone change his life without his consent? His original body was so attractive...

'Damn...'

Looking in the mirror made him even angrier.

This new body had a skeletal face.

It looked like he had lived on water alone for a year.

His body was barely clinging to his bones.

There was no firmness or muscle.

Not to mention, his sunken eyes and hollow cheeks were bad enough, but his wrists were even worse. They were so delicate and thin that they seemed to break at the slightest touch, with many scars from knives.

There were knife marks on his neck as well.

The furniture in the room was elegant and high-class, indicating a wealthy household, but why did he look like this, and what were all the self-harm scars?

'Hmm?'

Hou Gong's thoughts were interrupted by footsteps.

They were getting closer. For a moment, Hou Gong pondered.

'Should I pretend to be asleep? Or should I face them?'

He didn't have much time to think.

Or rather, he had no choice.

To pretend to be asleep, he would need to quickly get back to bed, but with his current leg condition, he would surely fall halfway.

The footsteps stopped at the door.

Then the door opened.

A white-haired old man entered.

Tall and thin,

with a long white beard reaching his chest.

His complexion was dark and gaunt.

The most distinctive feature was the two moles on his forehead.

'Moles?'

Hou Gong wasn't questioning why there were two moles on the forehead. He knew this old man.

Fan Tian, the head of the Heavenly Flower Library.

Hou Gong had met the old man about 4 or 5 years ago.

Although he looked different from his healthy appearance back then, it was definitely Fan Tian. The moles made his appearance strangely handsome.

One thing was clear.

It was the same era, not the past or future, but the present.

'Is this the work of the Heavenly Flower Library?'

The Heavenly Flower Library.

A talented family and one of the three great libraries in Central Plains.

Expert in ancient documents and artifacts, the head Fan Tian's knowledge was so profound that it made contemporary scholars look foolish.

"You're awake, my child. That's good."

"..."

Hou Gong almost widened his eyes in surprise.

Originally, it should have been:

- Leader, are you surprised?

And the response:

- Not really. But an explanation of this situation seems necessary.

But "my child"?

Fan Tian didn't know about the reincarnation. He thought it was his grandson.

There was no pretense in his sad eyes. The air in the room became heavy as he entered.

'Sad eyes at dawn...'

It was incomprehensible.

Hou Gong knew what to do in such a situation.

He remained silent.

"Your wish has become my wish. Come here."

Fan Tian gestured as he sat on the bed.

Hou Gong hesitated for a moment but then took a step.

With the first step, his knees buckled, and he stumbled awkwardly. After a few steps, he was out of breath. He finally sat next to Fan Tian.

"Swallow this."

It was a small pill.

Hou Gong looked at the pill and then at his wrists. There were many scars from knife cuts.

What kind of pill was it?

Given his poor condition, it was likely a medicinal pill to nourish his body.

But it probably wasn't.

Considering the self-harm scars, Fan Tian's sad eyes, and the promise to grant a wish, it was likely a poison.

The weight of it being poison was unavoidable.

"Is it poison?"

There was no answer.

Instead, Fan Tian frowned.

"..."

"..."

They only exchanged glances.

Hou Gong bitterly moistened his lips.

'This is a dilemma.'

The real issue wasn't whether it was poison or not.

It was the tone. The tone he just used wasn't something a grandson would use with his grandfather.

"Ah... Is it poison?"

He compromised with a shorter question.

The response was also short.

"Swallow it."

It seemed Fan Tian didn't care about the tone anymore.

His silence implied it was poison.

Fan Tian indifferently handed the poison.

Hou Gong had no intention of taking it.

"Before that, I have a question..."

"If you're asking if you'll die immediately, don't worry."

He knew that. It would be a potent poison.

"Who is the current leader of the alliance?"

Hou Gong wanted to confirm. Was Fan Tian involved in the reincarnation, and was it the same era?

"What are you talking about?"

Fan Tian growled.

"This is important."

"Shut up!"

"??"

"Struggling to die and wishing for death every day, and now you're asking who the leader of the alliance is! Is death not enough for you? How far do you intend to humiliate this old man?"

Fan Tian's eyes blazed.

Hou Gong calmed himself.

Further conversation was impossible in this situation. He needed to calm him down first.

"I don't know what this body has been through, but... I don't want to die. Please leave for now. We can talk calmly when it's light. Ahem."

Hou Gong stood up from his seated position.

He directed his gaze toward the door, indicating he wanted him to leave.

What had happened?

Why had the original owner of this body struggled to die, and why had the old man given up on his grandson? It was hard to understand immediately.

'Time will tell...'

Hou Gong's thoughts were cut off.

"This brat!"

Fan Tian lunged at him.

Hou Gong instinctively raised his hand to strike a pressure point.

Just a pressure point. It should have been easy.

But reality was harsh.

The pressure point strike didn't work.

In fact, his arm didn't even move.

By the time Hou Gong remembered his weak condition, he was already pinned under Fan Tian.

"Ugh..."