Junior Brother Pays Respect to You: Chapter 3 - Return to the Past
Chapter 3: Return to the Past
When Qin Zheng opened his eyes, he found himself lying in a long-missed bedroom.
A faint fragrance filled the air, and turning his head, he could see a half-open carved lattice window with a splendid view of blooming flowers outside.
The scent at the tip of his nose seemed to come either from outside or from something within the room.
This was the first time in twenty years, since being expelled from his sect, that he had awakened anywhere other than in his mountain cave.
Beneath him was a soft, carved wooden bed, covered by a brocade quilt, and the room was adorned with refined decorations.
It seemed the scroll had truly worked.
Qin Zheng had written the first time point on the scroll as the period before he went to Mount Yujing.
Rather than trying to mend relations with his junior brother Qin Su, what Qin Zheng truly wished was that he had never gone to Mount Yujing at all.
He had been too young back then and no longer remembered why he had been sent to the mountain.
Regardless, he wanted to stop himself from ever joining the Tianque Sect. Qin Zheng felt he was better suited to the pleasures of the mortal world.
Even if he was now trapped here, it was still a life without worry over food or clothing—far better than suffering in that cave with an ageless body.
Qin Zheng got out of bed.
From the moment he opened his eyes, he had felt something strange.
Only after lifting the quilt and sitting up did he realize what it was.
Looking at his short arms and legs, Qin Zheng finally recalled that the scroll had said only the soul would travel back.
His soul had returned to his body from the past.
Based on the time he had written, Qin Zheng guessed he was now about two years old.
Because he had become small again, everything around him looked especially large.
Qin Zheng wobbled as he stood up from the bed and walked to its edge. Seeing that the bed was about the same height as himself, his little face unknowingly frowned.
After staring at the edge of the bed for a while, he suddenly turned to look at the thick quilt. A sly smile crept across his lips.
He walked over to the bed, struggled to bunch up the quilt, and pushed it toward the edge until it fell to the floor.
Clapping his hands in satisfaction at the now raised floor level, he went back to the edge, arms swaying, preparing to jump down.
Creak—
Just then, the door—previously closed—was pushed open by a maidservant.
Seeing the child standing at the edge of the bed, she was overjoyed and immediately turned to run out while shouting, “Princess! The young prince is awake!”
Qin Zheng, already unsteady on his feet, was startled by the sudden appearance of someone and slipped, falling off the bed.
Luckily, the quilt cushioned his fall and he wasn’t hurt.
Qin Zheng had only a few fragmented memories of where he was born. After descending the mountain and investigating, he had learned that his father was a prince, and he himself was originally the heir to the royal household.
This discovery made it even harder for him to understand why he had been sent to the Tianque Sect at such a young age.
His master had only ever said he was picked up at the foot of the mountain.
Getting up from the floor, Qin Zheng happened to glance at the dressing table beside him. The babyish face reflected in the mirror filled him with disdain.
A moment later, a beautiful woman was brought in by the maid.
Seeing Qin Zheng, she hurried over and scooped him up in her arms, asking with concern, “Zheng'er, are you hurt?”
The sudden embrace stunned Qin Zheng.
As someone who had never liked physical closeness, he surprisingly didn’t feel repulsed this time.
Still, being a fifty-year-old man in a child’s body made this a bit awkward.
“No,” Qin Zheng replied. Not being familiar with how two-year-olds spoke, he decided it was best to speak as little as possible to avoid trouble.
“Daoist Wei didn’t lie to me after all. Zheng'er is finally awake. If you had slept any longer, I wouldn’t have known what to do,” his mother said.
Qin Zheng stared dazedly at the beautiful woman holding him.
Is this... my mother?
Suddenly, he felt a droplet fall on his face and looked up.
He realized his mother was silently weeping.
She quickly wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and carried Qin Zheng out of the room.
Held in his mother’s arms, Qin Zheng was carried through complex corridors and into a grand hall.
At the head of the hall sat a stern-faced man.
At a glance, Qin Zheng knew this was his father—because his adult face resembled this man’s very closely.
In front of his father stood a young man in white Daoist robes, who seemed to be trying to persuade him.
When Qin Zheng was brought into the hall, both men turned their eyes to him.
“Zheng'er is really awake!” his father exclaimed in surprise.
His mother silently nodded.
The robed Daoist took the opportunity to advise, “Your Highness, Your Grace, you must decide soon. The young prince has now awakened twice. If he falls asleep again, his life may come to an end.”
“It is fated that the young prince must walk this path.”
Hearing the Daoist’s words, Qin Zheng guessed he must have suffered from a serious illness.
Could this be the reason I was sent to the Tianque Sect?
Qin Zheng couldn’t speak out against going to the mountain now, so he simply turned and clung tightly to his mother.
He could feel her crying again.
Silence fell over the hall; none of the three adults spoke.
Finally, his father sighed heavily and said, “Wei Feiluan, I order you to escort Zheng'er to Mount Yujing tomorrow without delay. You must ensure his life is preserved.”
“Yes, Your Highness!” the Daoist replied.
Their conversation left Qin Zheng a little frustrated.
It seemed he had chosen a time too late. The decision had already been made before he could figure anything out.
That night, Qin Zheng was held in his mother’s arms as she cradled him the entire night.
The princess consort wept as she apologized to the child in her arms, repeating over and over the reason why she had to send him away, regardless of whether the two-year-old could understand.
Qin Zheng didn’t know how to comfort his mother. All he could do was lift his hand to wipe away her tears.
If he were truly a two-year-old, he might not have understood her words, but he now had the soul of a nearly fifty-year-old man.
He understood his mother’s explanation.
It seemed he had suddenly contracted a strange illness that caused him to fall into a coma repeatedly. According to that Daoist priest, Wei Feiluan, he could only wake up three times—after the third, he would pass into the afterlife.
To prevent the child from dying so young, they had no choice but to send him to Mount Yuqing in hopes of a slim chance at survival. Most importantly, Wei Feiluan claimed to have ties with the sect leader of the Tianque Sect and could ensure the child would be accepted.
However, once he left, who knew when they would see each other again?
For some reason, Qin Zheng felt there was something suspicious about this journey up the mountain.
There was an unshakable sense of having been manipulated, though he couldn’t pinpoint why.
He had already examined his own body and found himself perfectly healthy—not at all like someone sick.
Moreover, back on the mountain, his master had once taught him that some illnesses weren’t really illnesses, but curses or magical afflictions.
Anyone with a bit of magical ability could see through them. However, that had always been Qin Su’s job—he had only been a bystander.
The next morning, his mother dressed him in brand-new clothes. Watching her busily preparing, Qin Zheng couldn’t help but say, “Zheng’er doesn’t want to go.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the princess consort, who had been pretending to be strong, began to cry again.
She looked at him and choked out, “But Mother doesn’t want to see Zheng’er sick all the time either.”
Seeing his mother cry again because of what he said, Qin Zheng felt a pang of guilt.
Although torn inside, he said nothing more, allowing his red-eyed mother to finish dressing him and then carry him out of the room.
No one else was allowed to help during this process; the maids could only wait outside the door.
Qin Zheng was carried by his mother to the gates of the royal estate, where a lavish carriage was already waiting.
The white-robed Daoist from the day before stood in front of it.
Soon after, his father also arrived and took the child from the princess consort’s arms, carrying him to the Daoist.
His mother, watching this from behind, couldn’t help but shed tears again.
Qin Zheng was soon handed over to Wei Feiluan.
Perhaps it was because he had been in his mother’s arms for so long, but he felt a deep-rooted dislike for Wei Feiluan.
“Wei Qing, time is short. You should set off quickly,” said the prince.
“Yes.”
Just as Wei Feiluan was about to turn and leave, he paused and said, “Your Highness, Your Grace, don’t be too saddened. I’ve cast a divination: the princess consort will bear another healthy child within a year.”
“If the young prince recovers, he will surely return to visit.”
With that, Qin Zheng was carried into the waiting carriage.
At the sound of the whip, the carriage began to move.
Inside, Qin Zheng sat alone while Wei Feiluan drove the carriage.
A few bundles were stored inside.
Even someone as emotionally hardened as Qin Zheng couldn’t help but be moved by the deep love shown by his parents. Unknowingly, tears rolled down his cheeks.
He raised his hand to look at the tears on the back of it, and couldn’t help but scorn himself.
He hadn’t expected that becoming a child would also make his heart so fragile!
Though he had been taken from the estate, Qin Zheng wasn’t ready to give up before reaching the Tianque Sect.
If an opportunity arose, perhaps he could escape along the way.
The carriage was large and soft.
Because of his small body, Qin Zheng lay spread-eagled across the whole floor of it.
After all, he was still in a child’s body and eventually dozed off.
When he woke up, the carriage had already stopped.
Startled, Qin Zheng sat up and peeked out the window. The carriage was on a narrow forest path, and the sky was still bright—it seemed early.
Mount Yuqing was far from home; they couldn’t have arrived already.
So why had they stopped now? Could this be his chance?
He crept toward the door to see what the man was doing.
Suddenly, the carriage curtain lifted.
The Daoist Wei Feiluan climbed into the carriage, a smug smile on his face, as if his scheme had succeeded.
Qin Zheng found himself suddenly unable to move.
“Young Prince, forgive me,” Wei Feiluan said.
He grabbed Qin Zheng’s hand, and in his other hand, a bracelet-like object appeared out of thin air.
Wei Feiluan pried it open and clamped it onto Qin Zheng’s wrist.
As it closed, a white light glowed from the inner circle, wrapping around his wrist.
At the same time, a wave of searing pain surged through Qin Zheng’s body—it was impossible to tell where it came from.
He felt something inside him being forcibly drawn toward his wrist, trying to break through his skin.
The pain was so intense that he could no longer stay conscious; his mind was slipping away.
****
Qin Zheng had a dream. He dreamed that something golden, about three inches long and glowing, flew out of his body.
It was something he had never seen before.
Wei Feiluan, who had been guarding him closely, grabbed the object and flung it far from the carriage.
The moment it hit the ground, it vanished.
----------
If you like my translation, please support me by buying me a coffee:
0 comments: