Chapter 0316: The Transaction of the Past, The Protagonist’s Special Treatment

In the 102nd year of Jian’an, the Imperial Advisor passed away on a snowy day, plunging the entire nation into mourning.

The following year, the emperor announced his abdication, passing the throne to the Crown Prince. The retired emperor traveled across the lands, and when he reached Yi Province, he gazed upon the Dujiangyan Irrigation System. He saw how the people had diverted the heavenly waters to irrigate countless fertile fields. The statue of the Imperial Advisor stood atop Yu Ji Mountain, its face featureless, symbolizing—humanity.

The Dujiangyan Irrigation System was not the achievement of the Imperial Advisor alone; it was the result of the hard work of the people of Yi Province and the support from all directions.

“Second Brother, what is so good about ordinary people?” Xie Jinyu once asked Xie Chengze.

“I don’t know,” Xie Chengze answered honestly.

“Then why do you protect them, Second Brother?”

“Because I was once one of them.”

Thus, he wanted to protect the people, to protect himself.

The retired emperor traveled the world for ten years, witnessing the prosperous era the Imperial Advisor had hoped for. Eventually, he took his own life with a sword before the Imperial Advisor’s tomb, at the age of fifty-three.

“Shen Yuan, you promised me.”

In a secret chamber of the Imperial Academy.

The aged Shen Yuan heard Xie Jinyu’s words echoing in his ears.

Shen Yuan had once made a deal with Xie Jinyu: if Shen Yuan was willing, before his death, to plunge the Jian’an Sword into his own heart and offer all his blood as a sacrifice on the altar array in the secret chamber, Xie Jinyu would allow Shen Yuan to reside in Cheng Huan Palace and stay by Xie Chengze’s side to prolong his life.

Shen Yuan agreed.

And now, it was time to fulfill the promise.

But…

Shen Yuan examined the altar array. This was his first time entering the secret chamber, and he couldn’t help but wonder if Xie Jinyu’s demands were related to how Xie Jinyu had been able to be reborn.

Or perhaps, it wasn’t just people being reborn.

Maybe the entire world was being reborn as well.

This Jian’an Sword…

It was the most indestructible sword in the world, with no one ever able to break its blade. Xie Chengze had been pierced through the heart by it, and Shen Yuan himself had also been pierced by it. Had Xie Jinyu died in the same way, only to be reborn through a blood sacrifice?

These heavy doubts stirred unease in Shen Yuan’s heart, and he couldn’t help but glance at the Heavenly Decree.

“What secrets does this world hold?”

“Zhang Yuheng.” Shen Yuan called to Zhang Yuheng at the door. “Open the Heavenly Decree. I want to see what is written inside.”

Zhang Yuheng entered, hesitating slightly, his eyes conveying a message: This isn’t appropriate.

“I am already a dying man,” Shen Yuan shook his head with a smile. “What is there to fear?”

Zhang Yuheng thought it made sense, so he walked to the altar and opened the Heavenly Decree.

The Heavenly Decree did not resist, indicating its consent to be opened. Zhang Yuheng completely let go of his mental reservations, picked up the Heavenly Decree, and brought it to Shen Yuan.

The front pages were still blank, but starting from the middle, it began to prophesy the great disasters and calamities of past years. Finally, Zhang Yuheng flipped to the page containing the Heavenly Decree about Xie Chengze.

“Chengze born under Cheng Huan Palace, a blessed star descends with abundant auspicious light. Wisdom enlightens all living beings at the cost of his lifespan, returning to the dream of reincarnation at forty.”

So…

The prophecy had long foretold your short life.

No wonder Emperor Jian never hoped for you to govern diligently.

“What about the next page?” Shen Yuan pointed to the following page of the Heavenly Decree. “Keep turning.”

Zhang Yuheng made self-invented hand gestures while attempting to turn the page of the celestial book: “The next page won’t turn… Huh?”

This time, Zhang Yuheng easily opened the next page.

Both of them looked, and their eyes trembled slightly. “This…!”

“So that’s how it is…”

Shen Yuan finally understood why Xie Jinyu had insisted he pierce his heart with the Jian’an Sword, using all his blood to activate the array. It was because both the Jian’an Sword and the array served as mediums to restart the world. As a main character of the storybook “The Powerful Minister,” anyone whose heart was pierced by the Jian’an Sword and died would be reborn once the array was activated through blood sacrifice!

Zhang Yuheng: “Are we… actually characters in a book? Or has the Heavenly Decree prophesied our fates and whimsically likened our experiences to a book?”

Zhang Yuheng frowned slightly but soon relaxed. “It’s quite interesting, actually. If possible, I’d really like to see what kind of book this is and whether our destinies truly align with those in the novel.”

Shen Yuan chuckled. “Naturally, they differ. In the storybook, you never appeared in the imperial court, Su Qinghe wasn’t the head of the Imperial Academy, and Jian’an never developed into the prosperous era it is today.”

All because Xie Chengze had come.

Everything had changed.

“There are many more storybooks here!” Zhang Yuheng flipped to the last page and found it filled with titles. “The Powerful Minister” was nestled among them, and following it…

“Ah, there’s one here called ‘Chen Huang’—could it refer to the founding emperor of Chenlong Kingdom from twelve hundred years ago? I heard he had Long Yang’s Preference…”

“Then the titles before ‘The Powerful Minister’… might they be biographies of future figures?”

Hearing this, Shen Yuan was momentarily stunned, then smiled faintly.

He said softly, “Each age brings forth new talents.”

But if this blood array were activated…

The world, which should have continued progressing forward, would restart, and Xie Jinyu and he would be reborn again.

What about Xie Chengze?

Since his heart hadn’t been pierced by the Jian’an Sword, would he be reborn?

Xie Jinyu was no careless man—he likely knew a way to bring Xie Chengze back, but…

Shen Yuan knew that what Xie Chengze yearned for most was his original family and his original world.

Even after living in this foreign world for twenty-four years, he had never given up on returning home.

“My apologies, Crown Prince.”He had no right to deprive the emergence of future generations, nor did he wish to drag Xie Chengze, who had finally returned home, back to this world.”

Consider it repayment for his past life’s loyal service that ended with that fatal sword strike. Crown Prince, this subject… must break his promise.

“Ah! There’s another line here!” Zhang Yuheng nudged Shen Yuan, pointing to the tiny characters in the lower right corner of the Heavenly Decree’s back cover and signing.

“Activate array with blood sacrifice, touch the Heavenly Decree, traverse to another world, borrow a corpse to return the soul.—Special privilege for protagonists?”

“Dimension travel carries risks, caution is advised. If no corpse shares your name, loved ones will weep in vain.”

Shen Yuan’s heart stirred.

Could he… go to Xie Chengze’s world?

“The risks are too great,” Zhang Yuheng signed. “And what if there’s no corpse with the same name? What if that other world has no Imperial Advisor…”

“I’m willing to gamble.Just like that bright, snow-clear youth from their first meeting, who was willing to bet that he remained true to his original intention and was worthy of his integrity.

As blood spread across the array, Shen Yuan closed his eyes and tightly clutched a silver tassel earring in his palm.

Your Highness, this subject misses you.

Every year, every day, every hour, every moment.