Bully 017

Why was Lin Yanqing here?

Lin Yanqing also recognized him: "Nian'an! Long time no see!"

Nian'an looked her up and down. This former young lady had actually taken on the appearance of a fierce female warrior. Her delicate face also bore scars, clearly having suffered much hardship.

But the next moment, he felt a chill in his abdomen. He looked down, his face full of disbelief.

A pair of scissors had been plunged into his stomach, and the person holding them was none other than Lin Yanqing.

"I despise ruffians, I hate tyrants, I want everyone in the world to have justice... but I've realized something now. What I despise even more are those who betray me."

Lin Yanqing's face was now twisted terribly, even somewhat deranged.

People nearby screamed, the cries attracting the inspecting rebel soldiers, who immediately rushed over.

Lin Yanqing was arrested, while Nian'an, due to his tenacious vitality, was somehow saved.

However, his identity was also exposed. The rebel army locked him in a prison cell, saying they would decide his fate after investigating further.

Nian'an breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't really done anything excessively wrong, after all. Well, a bright future still existed.

He was just fantasizing about how to adapt to the new dynasty when someone patted him on the shoulder from behind. Nian'an instinctively turned around.

"So it really is you, you little brat." A terrifying face.

Nian'an was puzzled: "Do we know each other?"

That person looked left and right: "He says he doesn't know me anymore, hahahaha." He pointed to a scar on his face. "Your father and his lot did this. Remember? You and your father set a trap for us, and then we were driven out of the western suburbs."

The face of that ruffian from Nian'an's memory gradually overlapped with the person before him.

Fear also crept onto his face.

"Old Huang, take this money back. Tell the Teacher we don't need funds here right now." A man wearing armor pushed the banknotes back.

Huang Weixing scoffed: "The Teacher already said someone with your character would definitely pretend to be prosperous while actually suffering. He asked me to bring you a message."

"What message?"

"It's easier to conquer an empire than to rule one. Do you think governing a country doesn't require money?" Huang Weixing pushed all the money over. "This is the last time I'm coming."

"Why?"

Huang Weixing spread his hands: "Why what?"

"Aren't you running the lottery anymore?"

Huang Weixing nodded: "No. The Teacher said you're not allowed to run it either."

"Hmm. What about the Dream Moon House?"

"The Teacher said to convert them all into vocational training schools, to cultivate talents like us."

"You really have no shame."

"...Goodbye."

Nian'an was indeed released, but his arm was bent unnaturally, and he walked with a limp. Those people had been extremely brutal, and the jailer hadn't intervened. Nian'an cursed incessantly under his breath.

He cursed the ruffians who beat him, cursed Fang Zhiyi, then after cursing Fang Zhiyi, he cursed Master Lin, cursed Magistrate Hu, and finally cursed Lin Yanqing.

Basically, he didn't curse himself at all.

But when he inquired about news of Fang Zhiyi, his whole world turned upside down. Fang Zhiyi was revered by the new dynasty as "the Teacher," and everything he had done was revealed.

On the surface, he colluded with officials and acted without restraint, but in reality, he had provided much support to the rebel army. The silver he embezzled from officials was used to aid many common people. The rest was basically consistent with his guesses.

Fang Zhiyi had fooled them all.

Many claimed to be Fang Zhiyi's disciples, but officially there were only three: Xu Bing, who was in charge of the new dynasty's finances; Huang Weixing, responsible for rectifying the administration; and the current Emperor himself.

But Fang Zhiyi had long since disappeared.

They had all searched for him, but to no avail.

Chen Huaimin controlled the intelligence network. The new Emperor wanted Liu Acai to become a prefect, but Liu Acai repeatedly refused, eventually returning to the western suburbs to live as a wealthy man.

Some claimed to have seen Fang Zhiyi, but no one knew for sure if it was really him.

He just vanished like that, leaving only a single line in the history books:

"Made monumental contributions to the establishment of the new dynasty."

Due to his disability, Nian'an ultimately had to beg to survive. But one day, because he was deemed an eyesore, a squad of soldiers took him away. Nian'an was initially terrified. He now realized he had misjudged that foster father—not because of whether Fang Zhiyi was a good person, but because he understood just how formidable Fang Zhiyi's methods were.

Yes, he didn't realize he was wrong; he realized he was afraid.

Fortunately, the other party didn't seem intent on holding a grudge against him.

Or so he thought.

News of Nian'an's placement reached Chen Huaimin's ears. Chen Huaimin merely pondered briefly before deciding: "Perfect, I'll find you a companion."

Thus, Nian'an was placed in a remote settlement, and the person placed with him was none other than Lin Yanqing.

When the two met again, one was terrified, the other fierce.

Lin Yanqing had thought she was doomed, but then the new Emperor issued a general pardon, and she was released. However, she was utterly without purpose. Nian'an was gone, and Fang Zhiyi was someone she dared not provoke.

Who would have thought she would meet Nian'an again today.

She revealed a cruel smile. The contrast of falling from heaven to earth had made her fearful; being humiliated had made her cold-blooded; hatred and jealousy had twisted her into this distorted state.

Nian'an's screams echoed to the heavens, until the patrolling soldiers came to warn them impatiently.

Nian'an also sensed something was off. The place they lived in often had people patrolling outside. Even if he tried to escape, he would be caught and brought back.

So, when facing Lin Yanqing again, he began to fight back. Their curses would last from morning until afternoon. The soldiers patrolling outside had long received instructions; they just listened for entertainment, wondering who these two had offended.

And so, Nian'an and Lin Yanqing detested the sight of each other, yet could do nothing about it. Every day was either quarreling or fighting. Ironically, both were tough as nails, living to a ripe old age before finally dying together.

An aged Fang Zhiyi sat before a tombstone, reaching out to touch the name carved on it.

"No way. After going full circle, did I end up overthrowing myself?"

Little Hei corrected him: "You can't really say that. After all, he wasn't the emperor." It puffed out its chest. "Besides, even without you, this Wei Wu dynasty would have collapsed eventually, just a matter of time. You merely accelerated the process."

"...It's hard for me to imagine these two worlds are actually the same one." He suddenly thought of something. "So that means... there are quite a few people with the same names?"

Little Hei nodded: "Otherwise, you and I would have been ambushed and killed by them long ago."

Fang Zhiyi chuckled, coughing as he stood up, addressing the tombstone: "We stood on different sides. I'm sorry. You understand, as an ordinary commoner, looking at this incurably sick dynasty, what one could do wasn't just remove the festering sores, but perform a complete blood transfusion."

The tombstone offered no reply.

Little Hei complained, "You're pretty shameless too. What 'ordinary commoner'? Could an ordinary commoner do the things you did?"

Fang Zhiyi and it bickered as they gradually walked away.

The tombstone was inscribed: "Tomb of Duke An, Fang Zhiyi"