Chapter 1587 IF Scenario: What if Shen Tang woke up earlier (Part 1)

A great struggle for power ensued, with numerous heroes rising up.

Warlords of all ranks fought fiercely and were locked in a protracted and intractable conflict.

Unbeknownst to everyone, an army quietly emerged. Its ruler, Ji Sunshi, of unknown origin, befriended heroes from all directions and raised his banner on the banks of the Miao River. Hearing of his uprising, many friends came to his aid. In just two short years, he had built a formidable force. Initially, neighboring warlords disregarded him, until many commoners left their homes to join him. Only then did they realize this man could not be allowed to live. They rallied allies, intending to nip him in the bud, and dispatched numerous scouts.

Ji Sunshi ordered people to strengthen patrols.

On this day, they actually caught a suspicious-looking fellow.

"Torture this kind of person if you can, and if you can't get anything out of him, chop him up and feed him to the dogs." Qin You was so angry when he heard that a strange spy had been captured and he had to be pulled out of bed in the middle of the night to make decisions. He was so grumpy that he said, "Do you have to consult me ​​about such a trivial matter?"

"General Qin, this spy has an unusual appearance."

"What's so special about it? Does it have three eyes or four breasts?"

Qin You, grumbling and cursing, was led to see the spy. He was immediately stunned, suspecting that the patrolling officers were blind and had arrested their lord, who had sneaked out, as a spy. Upon closer inspection, he noticed subtle differences.

"Who are you? Who sent you?"

Qin You suppressed his morning grumpiness, and his expression instantly became serious.

A series of conspiracies flashed through his mind; he suspected some bastard was deliberately trying to annoy him, preparing a scene of a fake lord. The person before him looked far too much like his lord, Ji Sunyin—they were practically identical. With his hands and feet bound and his mouth gagged with coarse cloth, unable to speak, Gong Xiyu almost cursed his father. However, since he and Ji Sunyin shared the same father, he could only suppress his anger.

Qin You freed his mouth: "Speak!"

Gong Xiyu said, "Tell Ji Sunyin to come out and see me!"

Qin You laughed in anger.

If this man weren't still useful, he would have been beheaded the moment he showed disrespect to his lord: "How dare you barbarians offend your lord? Tell me who's behind this, or don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Gong Xiyu: "..."

When Ji Sunyin arrived after hearing the news, his younger brother's pent-up anger had already reached its peak, and in one swift move, it slapped him across the face. If Ji Sunyin hadn't dodged in time, the slap would have twisted his face: "Ayu, what are you doing?"

Qin You: "...Is he really the lord's twin brother?"

Ji Sunyin smiled and said, "Yes, he is my younger brother."

They are twin brothers after all, how could they hold a grudge overnight?

The unpleasantness between Ji Sunyin and her younger brother before her defection had vanished, leaving only worry in her heart and eyes: "Why did Ayu come here? Has something happened in the clan's territory?"

Shouldn't Ayu be learning from the High Priest right now?

Gong Xiyu said, "I've come to see you."

Ji Sunyin's expression was no longer relaxed.

"Looking for me? To take me back?"

"The High Priest said that if you want to leave, then leave. Even if you are kept by your body, you cannot keep your heart. Sooner or later, you will cause a great disaster. What use is it to bring you back? I am here to ask you if you have revealed any information about the tribe's territory?"

Ji Sunyin said, "Of course not."

Even Qin You, one of his subordinates, was learning for the first time that he had a twin brother; everyone else only knew that he came from a minor clan.

Gong Xiyu, however, did not believe it: "Really?"

"Of course it's true, why would I reveal the whereabouts of my people?"

During the period of food and clothing shortages, they dared not go back to ask for help, and even when they fell seriously ill, they dared not ask the high priest for help. Fortunately, they all pulled through.

Gong Xiyu's expression turned suspicious.

"Stop being mute, just tell me what happened!"

Ji Sunyin's temperament was noticeably more radical.

Gong Xiyu then recounted the events: "Not long ago, a group of tomb raiders infiltrated the clan's territory, breaking the defensive barrier without even alerting the High Priest. The clan only realized outsiders had infiltrated when the sacrificial offerings were being changed daily..."

The offerings had been moved.

Only leftovers remained on the offering table.

The most important coffin in the clan has disappeared.

Ji Sunyin gasped after hearing this.

Having been selected as one of the high priest candidates since childhood, he knew better than anyone how important that coffin was—far more serious than desecrating an ancestral grave. No wonder Gong Xiyu left the clan territory to question him; it turned out he suspected that Gong Xiyu had let something slip.

He said earnestly, "Ayu, it wasn't me."

Despite his disappointment at not being able to become the next High Priest, his love and respect for the gods only grew stronger, especially after years of wandering the mortal world and witnessing too many horrific scenes of hell on earth. He longed for divine guidance to illuminate the path to survival.

Why would someone want revenge?

Even if we take a step back and say that he would consider the safety of his people, he would also be concerned about the safety of his clan.

Gong Xiyu reluctantly believed it.

However, he didn't travel all this way just to ask this question; he had an even more important instruction.

Gong Xiyu took out a token from his pocket.

Ji Sunyin originally possessed one, which allowed him to freely enter the clan's territory without alerting the defensive barrier. He left it behind when he left the clan, signifying his determination never to return. Now, his younger brother, Gong Xiyu, has brought it with him.

"What's the meaning?"

Ji Sunyin's heart pounded like a drum. Years ago, he had acted impulsively, leaving his clan and relatives behind, and he had regretted it somewhat. But there was no turning back now that the arrow had been released.

Gong Xiyu: "The High Priest has issued an order. If you still consider yourself to be of the Gongxi clan, remember to go back and listen to the decree."

Ji Sunyin held the keepsake that still carried her younger brother's warmth.

After a long silence, he shook his head: "I can't go back."

Gong Xiyu: "Why?"

Ji Sunyin: "I can't abandon the people under my rule. They believe in my bold words, they believe that I can save them and their parents, wives and children, and save their children. I can't abandon them for my own sake. Ayu, you go back by yourself."

"It's not like you can't come out once you go back."

Ji Sunyin: "???"

Gong Xiyu: "Those thieves disturbed the spirit in the coffin, which by a twist of fate caused Her Highness to awaken. The High Priest summoned the clansmen back to discuss this matter. Her Highness descended to earth not to play around, but naturally for the believers, the people, and all living beings. We, the Gongxi clan, as her attendants and believers, should be guided by her and help her achieve her goal. She will also show us the true path!"

Ji Sunyin's eyes suddenly widened.

Qin You: "..."

He had a bad feeling.

The lord has paused the expansion of territory and needs to go back for a meeting.

He was alright, but someone else's face was so gloomy it looked like they could kill... no, kill a god. Qin You secretly glanced at Wei Lou, who seemed unmoved but was actually crushing the fan handle into powder, and silently looked away. From the moment their lord announced the so-called "good news," he had keenly noticed that their strategist was in a bad mood.

Once Ji Sunyin made up his mind, it was never easy for him to change it.

He left enough troops to guard the stronghold, and only took a few trusted followers with him to return to the clan territory with Gong Xiyu.

"Are you alright?"

In her dazed state, Shen Tang felt someone push her.

The other person's voice still sounded somewhat like a sob.

After some time, a cacophony of chattering arose all around.

Shen Tang raised her hand to rub her eyelids, then used her other hand to prop herself up and sit up, causing a collective gasp from those around her. She forced her eyes open weakly, and the world before her seemed to have had its veil removed, transforming from a matte finish to high-definition tempered glass.

Where am I?

Her head, which felt like it was about to explode, made her gasp.

I feel like something hit my head.

Last night, I wasn't reviewing official documents... what were they again? No, wait, I think I was drinking with someone last night? That doesn't seem right either... who was I drinking with? The third brother, the eldest brother, or the editor? Wasn't the editor calling to urge me to finish the manuscript? Why was he drinking with me?

Countless chaotic thoughts filled Shen Tang's mind.

For a moment, she couldn't figure out what was going on.

It's also possible that he has amnesia.

The more I think about it, the more my mind feels like it's going to explode.

She abruptly stopped reminiscing and focused her attention on the scene before her. She stood up warily, brushed the dirt off her hands, and stared directly at the strange crowd surrounding her. The group was dressed primarily in white, green, blue, and brown, their clothing resembling an ancient style.

Shen Tang: [...]

Has she time-traveled yet again?

No, why did she say it was yet another time travel?

Shen Tang raised her hand to her head, enduring the intermittent throbbing pain, and instinctively stepped back in a defensive stance. At this moment, the white-haired woman at the head of the crowd was escorted forward and performed a strange bow, speaking in an unfamiliar accent, yet strangely, Shen Tang could understand her. The white-haired woman's eyes were devout and focused: "The believer, Ji Mobai, respectfully welcomes Your Highness's awakening."

The others followed suit.

Shen Tang's mind went blank. Looking utterly bewildered, he poked himself with his index finger and asked the woman, "Your Highness? Who? Me?"

Ji Mo Bai: "Of course it's you."

Shen Tang: "But I have no recollection of any of you."

Although she sensed no malice from this group, Shen Tang remained vigilant. She had inexplicably lost all her memories and inexplicably appeared in a completely unfamiliar place, surrounded by a group of strangers calling her "Your Highness."

No, this is too weird.

Who knows what his relationship was with these people before he lost his memory?

Perhaps these people are enemies, taking advantage of her lack of memory to trick her, or perhaps she has transmigrated into a stranger's body and they have mistaken her for someone else... In any case, she stalls for time while subconsciously scanning her surroundings for a way to break through with force.

Ji Mo Bai: "That's normal."

Shen Tang: "..."

She didn't think there was anything wrong with this.

The strange things didn't stop there. Ji Mobai looked at her with a warm yet veiled gaze, inviting her to stay at their home for a few days. Shen Tang initially wanted to refuse—who knew if this was a trap?—but upon seeing the endless, towering mountains, she swallowed hard and suppressed the urge to refuse. If she refused, given her frail physique as a struggling artist, she would either starve to death on the way or become a prize for some wolves. It was better to take it one step at a time and feign compliance with these people for now.

Shen Tang nodded slightly.

Suddenly, this strange group of people raised their hands and burst into cheers. Even Ji Mobai, who was speaking, relaxed his brows and eyes, and his entire aura visibly eased. Surrounded by the enthusiastic crowd, Shen Tang was led, somewhat bewildered, to a low-key yet tasteful mansion.

This is Bai's home in Jimo.

The villagers slaughtered cattle and sheep, bringing over their best dishes.

The dishes were laid out side by side, roughly a hundred or so. Even if there were twenty more, Shen Tang couldn't possibly finish them all, let alone eat them all. Sitting in the main seat, she looked up and met a sea of ​​eager eyes. A cold sweat broke out on her back, and the story of the Peach Blossom Spring subconsciously flashed through her mind. Had she transmigrated into the body of a fisherman from Wuling? Was this the Peach Blossom Spring she had stumbled upon?

Shen Tang calmly picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks and took a small bite.

I mentally reviewed whether I had seen the scene of falling petals.

The food was not poisonous and tasted quite delicious.

"But the food doesn't suit His Highness's taste?"

Bai Jianchen of Jimo was very worried because he had a poor appetite.

Shen Tang: "No, I'm just not hungry right now."

She probed indirectly: "Tell me what happened."

After putting down their chopsticks, everyone showed disappointment and worry.

Ji Mo Bai: "This is a long story."

Their tribe had always kept their territory secret, rarely interacting with the outside world except for the tribespeople responsible for purchasing goods from outside and the women who went out to find seeds. Somehow, a group of tomb raiders carved a hole in the mountain wall and wandered around the caves in the mountain, accidentally sneaking into the tribe's territory.

These tomb raiders are incredibly audacious; they opened His Highness's coffin.

The patrol team discovered the situation and gave chase.

The petty thieves, cornered, abandoned the coffin and fled. The coffin fell to the ground, lost its balance, and the lid accidentally opened, causing Shen Tang to tumble out and hit her head. Heaven knows how panicked Ji Mo Bai was when she saw this; her world collapsed.

But as a blessing in disguise, Shen Tang woke up.

Shen Tang touched the back of his head.

Sure enough, I felt a bulge.

You can't feel it unless you touch it, but once you do, you feel a sudden, sharp pain all over the area.

Could this be the reason for her amnesia? Were these people who emptied their pockets to treat her not bad people? Had she misunderstood them? Once the swelling subsided, she would regain her memory and know what had happened.

Shen Tang felt relieved and stayed.

I met quite a few people during that time.

There are five women with the same surname Jimo as Jimo Bai. Jimo Bai is the eldest and the oldest member of this secluded clan. She is also the patriarch of the family, and her children and grandchildren all live together.

The rest of the clan members all share the surname Gongxi, and none of them have any other surnames.

The clan has less than two thousand members at most.

Shen Tang initially didn't want to interact with strangers, but these people seemed to be naturally outgoing. They held song parties during the day and bonfire dances at night, and regardless of age or gender, everyone addressed Shen Tang as "Your Highness" or "Holy Lord." After being called that so many times, Shen Tang became immune to it.

There's just one thing I'm not sure if I should say.

Don't you go to school?

"No homework?"

Shen Tang placed her hands under the child's armpits and hoisted him up.

The exquisitely beautiful little child, with tiny feet that barely touched the ground, asked in confusion, "Your Highness, what is homework?"

"This is the retribution that everyone has to suffer."

Little baby: "..."

Fortunately, the little child saw a savior.

"Grandma, hug me."

"Where is your mother?" Ji Mo Cong smiled as he rescued the little one from Shen Tang's grasp, and the child affectionately buried his face in her arms.

"Mom went out to see her lover."

Ji Mo Cong pinched the baby's nose.

“That’s your father.”

"That's what my uncle said."

Ji Mo Cong shook his head: "Your uncle is asking for trouble."

Shen Tang asked curiously, "Is this child your grandchild?"

"Um."

|ω`)