18

Throughout the night, Lin Kai sat there in silence under the stars. By the time the morning bell tolled, he quietly stood up, took the chair back inside his room, and headed for the clearing to start his daily chores. Despite not sleeping a wink, he didn't feel tired or sluggish. In fact, he felt perfectly fine. He knew it was his newly gained skill preventing any discomfort. Still, he wondered if he could go on like this forever without sleep.

It took him a bit longer than usual to reach the clearing. When he finally arrived, he was greeted by the same familiar scene: the old man sitting in the middle with his eyes closed, while a group of workers toiled away, chopping the Iron Bamboo in the distance.

Lin Kai picked up an axe and was about to head to his usual spot when a voice stopped him.

"Are you feeling okay?"

Startled, Lin Kai turned to see the old man watching him closely, his eyes now open and scanning Lin Kai from head to toe.

"Hm... thanks to the healing pill," Lin Kai replied, keeping his tone polite as he carefully observed the old man. Ever since the middle-aged man in charge had left, this old man had taken his place. It had been over a week, and yet this was the first time he had spoken directly to Lin Kai.

The old man gave a slight nod, then said thoughtfully, "Take a few more days off. There's going to be a family competition at the end of next week. Go and help out at the main family halls."

Lin Kai was caught off guard by the sudden suggestion.

"You don't need to come here anymore to chop bamboo. Someone will inform you of your new duties," the old man added, his voice firm yet calm. With that, he closed his eyes again, signaling that the conversation was over.

"..."

Lin Kai stood there, speechless. He hadn't expected the old man to make a decision like that for him. But after thinking about it, he sighed, deciding not to argue. Bowing slightly, he put down the axe and headed back to his room.

Back in his room, Lin Kai collapsed onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. There was nothing to do now but wait.

---------------

Four days passed in the blink of an eye. It was now the servants' day off, but Lin Kai remained in his room, silently lost in thought. His smaller wounds had completely healed, leaving only his half-healed leg, which had begun to scab. From what he could tell, by the end of the next week, his leg would be fully recovered too.

*Knock, knock, knock...

Lin Kai was jolted from his thoughts by a sudden knock at the door.

"Bo Qin?" he muttered to himself, standing up and stretching his stiff body. Over the past few days, Bo Qin had come by daily to check on him, sometimes bringing fresh bandages, other times meals. They'd chat a bit about Bo Qin's day, and then he'd leave, only to repeat the routine the next day.

"He's early..." Lin Kai mumbled. It wasn't the usual time for Bo Qin to stop by, but Lin Kai figured he might be early because it was their day off.

"You're here—" Lin Kai began to greet as he opened the door, but the words died in his throat.

Instead of Bo Qin, there stood a burly man in his early thirties, his hands clasped behind his back. He looked at Lin Kai with a stern expression.

"Lin Kai?" the man asked in a deep, gruff voice.

"That's me," Lin Kai replied, still confused as to who this man was and why he was there.

"Good. You've been assigned to the main hall. Follow me, please," the man said curtly before turning on his heel and walking away, not waiting for Lin Kai to respond.

"Main hall?" Lin Kai muttered to himself before remembering the little conversation with the old man. The old man from the clearing had mentioned something about new duties, but Lin Kai hadn't expected it to happen on their day off.

"Coming," Lin Kai called out, quickly closing the door behind him and following the man. Though he was still unsure what his new duties would be, a sense of relief washed over him. At least he wouldn't be stuck in his room all day.

In the past few days, Lin Kai had tried to wander around, but he had been stopped by the guards, who informed him that servants could only roam freely on their day off. The rest of the time, they had to remain either in their work area or their rooms.

Now that someone had come to fetch him, Lin Kai was more than happy to leave his room.

It didn't take long for the two of them to reach their destination. As they approached, Lin Kai found himself speechless. He had seen the main hall of the Ji family from afar, standing on the mound, but this was the first time he had been up close. The buildings were nothing short of magnificent, each adorned with exquisite wood carvings and artistic details that took his breath away.

The stone paths were wide and perfectly even, unlike the rough, dirt-filled paths around the servants' quarters. Wildflowers bloomed between the buildings, adding a touch of natural beauty. In front of each building, wooden lamps stood tall, amplifying the elegance of the surroundings.

For a brief moment, Lin Kai felt like he had stepped into a picturesque village from his previous life.

"We're almost there," the man's voice broke Lin Kai from his daze. After navigating a few more twists and turns, they finally arrived at their destination.

In front of him was a large, empty field with perfectly cubical white stones arranged in a large circular platform. Nearby, piles of Iron Bamboo were being picked up and placed in the ground by other workers who were setting up seating arrangements.

"This is where the competition will be held," the man explained, answering Lin Kai's unspoken question.

"Since you're not a warrior, you won't be doing any heavy lifting. Your task is to assist with the seating arrangements," he added, giving Lin Kai a few more instructions before turning to leave.

Lin Kai watched him go, then looked around, still fascinated by everything. It was the first time he had seen so many warriors gathered in one place, working together. The ease with which they lifted the heavy stones and Iron Bamboo made it clear just how vast the difference in strength between him and them really was.

Taking a deep breath, he picked up the place from where he needed to start his work, took a step forward, and got busy...

------------

While Lin Kai was busy with his work, a different scene was unfolding within one of the Ji family's manor houses. In a secluded backyard, a young man paced back and forth, his brows furrowed in deep thought. Standing beside him was a woman dressed in white, a jade token at her waist marking her as the head maid.

"You... You should reconsider this. If the master finds out..." the maid stammered, her eyes darting around nervously. She seemed scared, as though she expected the master to suddenly appear out of nowhere, just like the last time.

"iF MaSTer fINds OuT..." The young man twisted his face into a mocking expression, imitating her voice in a high-pitched, exaggerated tone as if making fun of her worries.

"Relax. Nothing's going to happen. We're not doing anything forbidden." His voice carried a hint of scorn, clearly annoyed by the maid's suggestion.

Patting his clothes in a casual manner, the man added, "Stay here and take care of the house. I'm going for a walk." He flashed a grin, while the maid almost fell to her knees in desperation.

"Please reconsider," she pleaded, her voice filled with genuine fear, eyes brimming with unshed tears. "You're still grounded. If the master finds out you left again, he'll be furious!" There was a trembling urgency in her words as if she could already picture the consequences.

But no matter how much she begged, the man simply ignored her, chuckling under his breath.

"Relax," he said again, this time raising his right hand to touch the metal wristband on his wrist. As his fingers pressed against the center of the band, his figure began to blur. In an instant, he transformed into the image of a grumpy, middle-aged man.

"How's this?" he asked, turning around to face the maid with a smug grin. "No one will recognize me now, right?"

"But... But..." The maid still couldn't shake her worry, even though she had seen him change his appearance before. The fear of what the master would do if he found out weighed heavily on her mind.

"Forget it," the man muttered, shaking his head in disappointment. He turned and walked away, leaving the maid standing there, helpless and struggling to think of something to stop him. But no matter how hard she thought, she just couldn't come up with an idea.

---------

The man wandered through the manor grounds for a while, clearly enjoying his newfound freedom. Every once in a while, he would stop for a moment, admire the scenery around him, whistle a few times, and then walk again.

"Should I go to the clearing?" he asked himself as he strolled aimlessly. He couldn't help but think back to his last visit there. Meeting that young boy had been the most amusing thing that had happened to him since arriving in town. The memory of the boy jumping in fright, trying to contain his anger, brought a wicked smile to his face.

Before he realized it, the man found himself standing at the large field where preparations for the upcoming competition were underway. Workers were busy setting up seating and moving bamboo and stones into place.

"Tch... Still clinging to these old traditions, even here?" he muttered with disdain, watching the scene unfold. There was clear scorn in his voice as he looked at the workers.

"Can't let go of the past, huh?" His eyes wandered lazily over the people working until they landed on a familiar face. A boy was picking up bamboo chairs and moving them around the field.

"That kid..." It took him a moment to recognize the face, but when it clicked, a wide grin stretched across his face. He almost burst out laughing.

"Perfect," he whispered excitedly. Turning around, he quickly found a quiet, hidden spot. Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, he touched his wristband again. This time, his appearance shifted into that of a young boy around sixteen years old.

"Much better," he muttered, admiring his new look. Smiling mischievously, he made his way back to the field, walking directly up to the familiar face.

"Hello." With a smile, he patted the boy on his shoulder and greeted him with a smile.

"Umm...!?" Lin Kai who was in a trance while moving those chairs suddenly seemed to have woken up. Feeling the pat on his shoulder, he turned around and looked at the smiling stranger standing in front of him. 

"Hello." As soon as the boy greeted him, a shiver ran down Lin Kai's spine as an ominous feeling crept in. He didn't know why, but he felt like he had seen this bastard before—somewhere.

Frowning, Lin Kai searched his memory, trying to recall where he had encountered this boy. But even after searching in his memories for a long time, when he was unable to come up with his identity, he just gave up and nodded in response.

"Hello..." Lin Kai replied, his voice uncertain, but polite. At the moment, even in his wildest dreams, Lin Kai couldn't have imagined just how far-reaching the consequences of this seemingly innocent interaction would be.