AFMD : Chapter 15

In the southeastern coastal regions, there were frequent uprisings by bandits. Huo Du, stationed in the southeast, gained a reputation as a war god among the coastal people. It had been two years since he last returned.

 

No matter how much pressure the capital exerted, Huo Du remained unmoved: After getting married, he should establish his career.

 

What kind of marriage was this? There were plenty of eligible women in the capital. Why did he tie himself to a dead widower?

 

Huo’s wife wept bitterly, regretting… she shouldn’t have interfered in the first place! The Princess Consort remained firm in her stance. Upon learning of the regret of Huo’s wife for stopping the two, she was utterly contemptuous. Gradually, the two families ceased to communicate.

 

General Huo, on the other hand, took it all in stride. A man’s ambition lay in venturing far and wide, achieving success, and this was only natural.

 

There were many islands in the southeastern coastal regions, and the bandits were endless. Their ambitions were unquenchable, and they refused to submit even after repeated defeats. This headache for the court continued until Huo Du was stationed there for a year, after which the situation began to improve.

 

On this day, Huo Du captured another group of bandits. Disguised as ordinary civilians, they infiltrated Yunquan City, planning to attack unarmed civilians at night. However, they suffered heavy losses at Huo Du’s hands and dared not confront him directly, venting their anger on the city’s inhabitants.

 

The captured bandits revealed that there were still three accomplices in the city. Huo Du led his troops to search every inn.

 

Despite the constant movement of soldiers outside, the lives of the city’s inhabitants remained unaffected, showing no signs of panic.

 

As long as Huo Du was there, they feared nothing.

 

Meanwhile, Song Jin continued his business of buying and selling goods across the country. He inexplicably found himself in this place, with no memory of anything except for a hundred silver coins. He had nothing to identify himself with. From being clueless upon his arrival, he now knew what was needed in any part of the Great Zhao Empire just by pointing to a location on the map.

 

This time, he arrived at the southernmost part of Great Zhao. Friends in the business advised him not to come, warning him about the malaria-infested swamps and the lack of development compared to the Central Plains. But Song Jin had a strange feeling that he would find something there.

 

Delayed on the way, he arrived late. There was only one room left in the inn, and Song Jin, not being particular, decided to share it with someone.

 

The area was prone to typhoons from early summer to late autumn, and with the bandits causing trouble, wooden houses were susceptible to dampness. Most of the inns and residences were made of stone.

 

It was Song Jin’s first time staying in a stone house, and it felt somewhat novel. He had a feeling of familiarity, as if he had been here before, but he had spent the past two years traveling in the north, so this inexplicable familiarity confused him.

 

Song Jin pretended to doze off with his eyes closed, vaguely feeling that his roommate, called Fu Lao Si, was behaving strangely.

 

Not only was he clutching a long strip of cloth, but he also pretended to be asleep even though he clearly wasn’t.

 

Recalling the shape of the cloth, Song Jin suddenly realized that it resembled a long knife more and more!

 

Connecting it to the commotion outside earlier in the day, Song Jin broke out in a cold sweat!

 

He dared not move, immediately wanting to hide under the bed!

 

Just then, when Fu Lao Si saw that Song Jin was apparently asleep, he quietly got up and withdrew a gleaming machete from the cloth bundle.

 

The moonlight outside reflected on the blade, casting an eerie white light across the sleeping figure on the bed.

 

“Clang!”

 

Before the machete could strike, Song Jin displayed the most agile reaction of his life, rolling off the bed onto the floor. Fu Lao Si’s first strike missed the vital points, so he hurriedly crouched down and delivered another blow.

 

Song Jin struggled to survive between the blades, finally rolling under the bed in the nick of time.

 

In the blink of an eye, just as Song Jin was unsure whether to beg for mercy or offer money to spare his life, the door of the room was suddenly smashed open, and a tall figure appeared in the night like a deity, engaging in a fierce struggle with Fu Lao Si.

 

Fu Lao Si was skilled in martial arts, but Huo Du couldn’t fully utilize his skills in the confined space of the room, fearing to injure the guests. So, he lured Fu Lao Si outside.

 

Something rolled out of the general’s armor with a crisp and agile sound, as if polished jade colliding. It bounced and tumbled into Song Jin’s hands.

 

Song Jin picked it up and felt the intricate patterns on it in the darkness. It seemed to be a bracelet, still warm from the person’s touch.

 

He was momentarily stunned, and the room suddenly brightened. It turned out that a soldier had lit a candle and was asking the guests about their safety one by one.

 

“Fu Lao Si has already been subdued. Young master, are you okay?”

 

Emerging from under the bed, Song Jin straightened his clothes. “I’m fine, thanks to this brother.”

 

In the dim light of the candle, Song Jin clearly saw the patterns on the bracelet. 

 

It was so familiar that it was dazzling.

 

“Ah! This belongs to the general!” The soldier hastily snatched it back. Soldiers in their camp had more or less seen General Huo gazing at a pair of bracelets sentimentally. Losing them would be a huge problem!

 

“That person just now was the general…”

 

Seeing Song Jin’s dumbfounded expression, the soldier suddenly felt a duty to protect his general from romantic entanglements.

 

“The general is already married.” Although his wife had passed away, the convoluted and bizarre love story between them meant there was no chance for anyone else to marry their general.

 

Taking the bracelet, the soldier left, leaving Song Jin in a daze.

 

He rolled up his tattered sleeves and found a similar mark on the inside of his left wrist.

 

It seemed like, in a moment of crisis, someone had deeply embedded the bracelet into his flesh, leaving behind a mark with some profound meaning.

It’s said that on that day, when Madam Huo discovered the bracelet on Song Jin, it exposed the relationship between Huo Du and him. Madam Huo was at a loss, not daring to discuss it with General Huo. He was her only son, and Mr. Huo was unpredictable; if something unexpected were to happen…

Madam Huo just wanted Huo Du to come to his senses on his own and sever ties with Song Jin. But despite waiting, Huo Du unexpectedly went off to battle. The family servants mixed up two letters, intending to send one to the countryside for Song Jin, but it ended up in Madam Huo’s hands.

In the letter, Huo Du earnestly expressed his longing to return and marry Song Jin. His words were bold and sincere, leaving Madam Huo both anxious and embarrassed.

It turned out that Huo Du’s expedition was to seek the emperor’s permission… No! She had to stop this before Huo Du returned!

Madam Huo went to discuss with the Eldest Princess. Although the princess looked kind-hearted, she remained firm. She feigned illness and sent for Song Jin to return to the mansion, preparing to deal with him once and for all.

Song Jin was alone and unsupported in the capital, relying on the Eldest Princess’s mansion for survival. Instead of being grateful, he dared to seduce his own nephew!

The Eldest Princess coldly scolded Song Jin and gave him a cup of poisoned wine.

Madam Huo hesitated, but after a few rebukes from the Eldest Princess, she decided, “If you’re soft-hearted, just leave. I’ll handle the matter of this shameless debauchee at the Eldest Princess’s mansion. It’s not worth worrying about.”

Both of them pinned the blame on Song Jin, without questioning the reasons behind his actions.

As Song Jin was held down by two big men, the poisoned wine was about to be forcibly poured down his throat, when Madam Huo returned.

She held a letter that had just been opened, intercepted from the family servant’s hands.

In the letter, Huo Du suddenly became sincere, expressing deep affection for Song Jin. It was this letter that made Madam Huo think, perhaps, Huo Du truly loved Song Jin.

General Huo had only married Madam Huo his whole life, never having concubines or mistresses, and had only one son. This was the consistent style of the Huo family. Once they set their hearts on someone, it was for a lifetime.

Empathizing with her son, Madam Huo was moved by a sense of pity and wanted to let Song Jin off the hook.

But Song Jin, no matter who he was, a man or anyone else, happened to be Huo Du’s aunt by marriage! In a city as large as the capital, there were so many watchful eyes! Madam Huo couldn’t just stand by and watch Huo Du and Song Jin commit incest, becoming a laughingstock and enduring a lifetime of ridicule.

Song Jin could keep his life, but he had to forget about Huo Du.

Madam Huo sent someone to erase Song Jin’s memory, and had two servants take him out of the city in all directions, as far away from the capital as possible. After completing this task, the servants didn’t need to return to report their whereabouts.

When making someone disappear, all possible avenues must be completely cut off.

Huo Du’s reaction exceeded everyone’s expectations.

It’s been two years since he left for the coast.

Madam Huo regretted it. Since she had already been blamed, if Song Jin were here, could Huo Du return to the capital?

Madam Huo secretly sent someone to find Song Jin. She didn’t dare tell Huo Du. Compared to searching for someone who might be dead or alive, she might never find him in her lifetime. She would rather have Huo Du stay on the coast than return to the capital. This matter was also known to the Eldest Princess, causing the first rift between the mother and daughter.

…

Song Jin woke up drenched in cold sweat from the dream again. In the dream, he was sneaking behind everyone’s back, pressing the pattern of a bracelet onto his arm with all his might until it bled, desperately carving a permanent seal. Then the bracelet was snatched away, and after that, everything became fuzzy.

Song Jin had always thought these were memories left by the original owner… But everything in the dream felt so familiar, as if he had experienced it himself. The feeling of panic, sorrow, and eagerness to leave behind some kind of mark, like someone who died with regrets and refused to drink the soup of forgetfulness from Meng Po, still had attachments in the mortal world, preferring to carry memories into the afterlife. Just thinking about it made his soul tremble, as if someone was hitting his head with a hammer, forcing him to remember.

Outside, he didn’t know when a gale had started, wailing like ghosts and howling like wolves, as if the roof was about to be blown off.

By Song Jin’s estimate, it was at least the upper limit of a strong typhoon.

He didn’t dare to go out, but gradually felt the urge to urinate.

And there was no chamber pot!

Urgent as he was, relieving himself anywhere was clearly not something a modern civilized person would do.

After listening to the wind outside for a while, Song Jin felt a bit relieved and opened the door a crack, crouching to go outside.

Little did he know, the wind had just paused for a moment, and it blew even harder in the next gust.

As soon as Song Jin stepped out, a strong airflow lifted him up, sweeping him directly down from the guesthouse built on the slope.

From a height, thin, clothes fluttering.

Song Jin didn’t have time to react at all. Like autumn leaves swept by the wind, within a few seconds, his mind was only filled with the gruesome image of his imminent death.

This was inappropriate! He shouldn’t have come to the coast!

Just as he was about to hit the ground, he suddenly fell into a broad embrace, the hard armor causing his internal organs to ache.

Song Jin: ???

Huo Du, who was urging the soldiers and civilians to repair the roof and happened to catch him: ?!!!

The heavens must have opened their eyes and blown his wife back?!

Author’s note: Dangerous action, do not imitate.