What the hell is licking my face? Could it be that I'm not dead? Guo Jianjun didn't put any stock in notions of the Underworld or the like; his first thought was simply that he had survived. He struggled to pry open his heavy eyelids; bright sunlight filtered through the branches overhead, blindingly intense.
He really wasn't dead! That was the thought that struck him the moment his eyes opened, as a large, red tongue waved back and forth right before his face. His eyes darted around, and there—right in front of him—was a dog's head: a big yellow dog.
Seeing that he had woken up, the dog began to bound about excitedly, appearing absolutely thrilled.
Guo Jianjun paused for a moment in bewilderment, but was immediately struck by how terribly weak his body felt. He struggled to prop himself up with his hands; yet before he could fully sit upright, his arms gave way, and he collapsed back down with a thud. *Damn it!* This was starvation. Guo Jianjun had undergone wilderness survival training during his military service years ago, so he was all too familiar with this sensation; however, his physical weakness had now reached such an extreme level that he was teetering on the brink of death. He began to panic slightly—he had just managed to survive his ordeal with the government, only to end up starving to death right here?
*Damn it!* How long have I been asleep? How could I have become this famished? Guo Jianjun knew full well that his current physical state indicated his vital signs had reached a critically dangerous threshold. If only he had a bowl of sugar water—that would allow him to quickly recover at least some of his physical strength. But given his current circumstances, that was obviously out of the question.
What should he do? He certainly couldn't just sit there and wait to die! He needed to eat—and fast. He scanned his surroundings, racking his brain until it nearly burst, yet he couldn't come up with a single viable solution. Seeing that he had stopped moving again, the big yellow dog trotted over, panting heavily.
*Wait—I've got it! Dog blood is a powerful tonic!* It was exactly what he needed to restore his physical strength. With a target now identified, Guo Jianjun prepared to make his move; staying alive was more important than anything else. His hands groped across the ground until his fingers closed around a stone.
Judging by the dog's demeanor, it seemed to be quite familiar with him—though Guo Jianjun certainly didn't recognize the animal. A piece of old wisdom flashed through his mind: when striking a dog, aim for the nose—it's a guaranteed hit. It was a technique he had plenty of experience with. His hand slowly reached out to encircle the dog's neck. The big yellow dog showed not a shred of wariness; in fact, it seemed quite happy, wagging its tail with gusto.
"Awooo... awooo..." Suddenly, the big yellow dog let out a piercing shriek. The strength Guo Jianjun had been gathering for so long—channeled entirely into the stone clutched in his hand—had just erupted against the dog's nose, pinned beneath his arm. Drained of all energy, he collapsed. After breaking free, the big yellow dog thrashed about for a good while before slowly slumping to the ground, its breath fading away. Its eyes remained fixed in a dead stare upon the man before it, as if unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Guo Jianjun rested for a moment, then scrambled desperately toward the carcass, wrapping his arms around the dog's neck and biting down furiously. He no longer cared how wretched the dog hair felt in his mouth; he simply bit down with all his might until he tore open the dog's neck. A warm, slightly salty, and distinctly gamey liquid flooded his mouth; gulp after gulp, he swallowed it down into his stomach.
Letting out a satisfied burp, Guo Jianjun breathed a sigh of relief. He rolled onto his side and rested his head upon the corpse of the big yellow dog. Not long after the blood reached his stomach, a surge of intense heat began to course through every limb and bone of his body. He knew then that it was working. Lying there, Guo Jianjun pondered just how he had ended up in this situation, waiting quietly for his physical strength to return.
The scene of his execution flashed vividly before his eyes—it felt as though he had been struck by lightning, though clearly, thanks to sheer luck, the bolt hadn't killed him. But how on earth had he ended up *here*? The executioners had no reason to simply let him go. Just the day before his sentencing, agents from a certain state agency had told him in no uncertain terms that he was a dead man this time around; otherwise, they explained, they would have no way to answer to the international community.
After mulling it over, one plausible theory emerged. Some "brother" from the underworld must have raided the execution grounds to save him—a move requiring immense guts and audacity. *Damn it, though!* he thought. *If you're going to save a guy, see it through to the end! Why the hell did you dump me out here? What kind of sick joke is this? You nearly left me to starve to death!* Still, the debt of gratitude he now owed was massive. *No matter,* he told himself. *The important thing is that I'm alive. I've still got hundreds of millions stashed away in a Swiss bank account; I'll find a way to repay this favor someday.* *Sigh.* *This is no place to linger. I need to find a safe place to hide—and fast.* He clenched his fists; although his full strength had yet to return, he felt he had enough energy to walk. Swaying unsteadily, he rose to his feet. *Where on earth am I?* Guo Jianjun wondered. He scanned his surroundings and instantly froze in astonishment. Directly ahead of the woods—neither too close nor too far—stood an ancient city wall. He could faintly make out people entering and exiting the city gate; strangely, some were even riding horses. He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Are they filming a movie? Did I somehow end up at the Hengdian World Studios? I wonder which 'brother' from the underworld pulled this off—managing to drag me all the way out here? And is it even safe?"
Plagued by a string of questions, the weakened Guo Jianjun slowly made his way out of the woods. He hadn't gone far when, while leaning against a tree to rest, he heard a rustling sound behind him. He turned to look and saw an old woodcutter emerging from the trees, carrying a load of firewood on his shoulder pole. Guo Jianjun gave a wry chuckle to himself; *The makeup effects are actually pretty convincing—it really must be a movie shoot.*
The old woodcutter paid no mind to the figure standing ahead of him and continued walking with his load. As he passed by Guo Jianjun, he glanced up; but no sooner had he walked past than he came to a sudden, jarring halt. The pole slipped from his shoulder and clattered to the ground as he spun around, staring at Guo Jianjun with a look of sheer, delighted surprise.
"Crap! This old geezer looks like he recognizes me. Could a nationwide wanted bulletin have been issued?" Guo Jianjun was startled, but in a split second, ruthlessness surged within him. *I'll have to kill him to silence him,* he thought grimly. *Otherwise, given my current physical state, there's no way I'd be able to escape.*
However, the old woodcutter, his face beaming with joy, called out to Guo Jianjun: "Young Master Yue! Is that really you? What happened? Where have you been all this time? Master Yue has people searching high and low for you!"
"Heh heh! Trying to pull a 'mistaken identity' act? This old bastard definitely has ulterior motives. He actually thinks he can play games with *me*? Does he take me for some greenhorn rookie fresh off the streets? Well, then he'd better not blame me for getting rough!" Guo Jianjun sneered as he watched the woodcutter approach, slowly clenching his fists. The old woodcutter called out enthusiastically, "Young Master Yue! Come back with me at once! Master Yue is worried sick!"
"The old geezer is actually putting on quite a convincing act—he really lives up to his reputation as a performer. And he actually has the audacity to call me 'Young Master Yue'!" As Guo Jianjun watched the man approach, a murderous intent suddenly flared within him. But just then, a thunderous boom erupted inside his head; the title "Young Master Yue" swirled dizzyingly through his mind, and his entire body went limp as he collapsed to the ground.
...
While unconscious, the entire history of "Young Master Yue"—his past and present—played out continuously in Guo Jianjun's mind like a movie reel. When Guo Jianjun finally opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on a soft, plush bed. Standing before him was a young woman with her hair styled in the traditional braids of a maidservant; she looked incredibly familiar—so familiar, in fact, that Guo Jianjun could instantly call out her name.
Upon seeing that Guo Jianjun had woken up, the young woman cried out in delighted surprise, "Master! Madam! The Young Master has woken up!" She shouted the news as she dashed out of the room.
*Damn it!* That voice was familiar, too. Guo Jianjun felt like weeping. He was no fool; piecing together the chain of events—combined with the new memories that had suddenly flooded his mind—he realized he was facing a truly preposterous situation. It was the kind of thing he had read about countless times in online novels... Guo Jianjun really *had* died. He had transmigrated. If he wasn't mistaken, his name was now Yue Qianchou. And this place was, presumably, the residence of Yue Changgui—the wealthiest merchant in Swallow City.
"Chou'er!" Before she even appeared in the doorway, a woman's voice drifted in from outside. The sound of hurried footsteps followed close behind.
*That's my mother's voice.* Guo Jianjun recognized her instantly just by the sound alone; the image of a gentle, benevolent woman formed in his mind—an image that matched perfectly with the noble lady who now rushed to his bedside. Standing beside her was a stout, middle-aged man who was gazing at him with deep concern.
*That's my old man.* With that final shred of doubt dispelled from his mind, Guo Jianjun was left utterly speechless. His gaze—searching yet vacant—swept over the crowd gathered around the bedside before coming to rest on one of the young men among them. If Guo Jianjun was not mistaken, this man was his cousin. As a particular scene flashed through his mind, Guo Jianjun narrowed his eyes slightly, a glint of cold steel flashing within them.