Love Beyond the Grave

The winter sun shone brightly, and a biting wind howled from the distant north, filling the sky and earth with fine, dense white threads. The old man stood amidst the intricate white strands, his disheveled hair whipping wildly in the wind. His sharp gaze seemed to sever the threads of the wind as it pierced straight toward the city walls of Shuozhou Prefecture.

He Simu overheard Meng Wan whispering behind her with others, saying that Lin Huaide—the eldest uncle of the Lin family—had secretly provided the Snow-Treading Army with the timing of Danzhi's grain shipments, only to be betrayed and exposed to the Danzhi forces.

The old man shouted loudly, "Jun'er, has the grain arrived?"

"It... it has..."

"Is there enough to eat?"

Lin Jun's eyes reddened, and he pressed his lips together without answering.

What counted as enough? Twenty-some days' worth of provisions in exchange for the lives of over twenty members of Lin Huaide's family—was that enough or not?

"Can you still hold on?" Lin Huaide's voice, neither sorrowful nor joyful, cut through the biting wind to reach the city walls, leaving those who heard it with a sense of bleak uncertainty about the future.

The Danzhi soldiers standing beside Lin Huaide laughed, as if waiting for the Great Liang soldiers in the isolated city to waver.

Receiving no response, Lin Huaide fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly, "Jun'er, do you remember your grandfather? When he was alive, you were his favorite among all his grandchildren."

"Your great-grandfather was a soldier under General Wu Nan. He died in battle at Yunzhou and never returned. At that time, your grandfather had just been born. Your great-grandmother stubbornly refused to flee south of the Guan River and raised your grandfather in Shuozhou. It was your grandfather who built the foundation of the Lin family, paving the way for me, your father, and the Lin family of Shuozhou today. All these years, we've flattered and appeased the Huqi people for the sake of business and the Lin family. But you must remember how our ancestors died—they died protecting us. Your grandfather once said that if the day ever came when Great Liang could cross the Guan River and drive the Huqi people out of the Central Plains, the Lin family, though mere merchants, would spare no effort to assist, even at the cost of ten thousand deaths."

The Danzhi soldiers sensed the shift in Lin Huaide's words and yanked him back, slapping him to make him speak properly. But Lin Huaide only glared coldly and said sternly, "Jun'er, listen well! Even if you can't hold on, you must keep holding on!"

"I came to see you today to tell you this—your uncle is going to report to your grandfather, to tell him that the Lin family has not failed its duty, that Jun'er has not failed his duty!"

"One day, the rivers and mountains will be restored, and prosperity will return as before!"

Lin Jun stared blankly at the scene below the walls. His eyes widened, reddened to the extreme, yet no tears fell. Violent emotions churned in his gaze, as if threatening to tear his very soul from his body. From below the walls came piercing screams and wails. The blood of the Lin family stained the frost-covered earth as Lin Huaide collapsed into the spreading pool of crimson, his throat slit by a blade, yet his face bore a frozen smile.

In those murky, aged eyes, there seemed to be pride—and mockery.

Lin Jun began to tremble uncontrollably. He no longer rushed toward the battlements but instead leaned against the wall, slowly bending over. His slender fingers shook like cicada wings as he slowly covered his eyes.

He curled up like a cocoon, not making a single sound.

All twenty-three members of Lin Huaide's household were slaughtered beneath the walls of Shuozhou Prefecture.

Chen Ying clung to the battlements, staring dumbly at the one-sided massacre below. He Simu reached out to cover his eyes and pulled him back from the edge.Chen Ying didn’t struggle, only whispering, “My father was killed the same way.”

Unarmed, slaughtered like livestock.

Surprisingly, this time, Chen Ying didn’t cry.

He Simu watched as Soul Fire lanterns rose from beneath the city walls, vanishing into the sky under the dazzling sunlight. Having witnessed countless lives and deaths, she knew nothing she could say would be appropriate now. She could only offer comfort by gently squeezing Chen Ying’s shoulder.

Life is fleeting, merely a blink of a hundred years. The entanglement and obsession with life and death remain ultimately incomprehensible.

Yet, perhaps there’s no need to comprehend it.

If humans held no obsessions, life would likely be devoid of meaning.

After returning to the Lin residence, Lin Jun didn’t eat anything for the rest of the day. He sat silently in the pavilion of the courtyard, from midday until sunset, until the dead of night.

The steward tried to persuade him several times, but Lin Jun refused to move. It wasn’t until Duan Xu visited the Lin residence late at night and walked straight to Lin Jun that he finally snapped out of his daze, standing up in surprise.

Duan Xu, dressed in a simple round-collared robe, bowed to Lin Jun and said, “Boss Lin, Shunxi is ashamed to face the Lin family.”

Lin Jun immediately shook his head and helped Duan Xu up, saying, “General Duan, there’s no need for self-reproach… All men must die. My uncle, he…”

He seemed unable to continue. Duan Xu sighed and added, “I heard your father passed away early, and your uncle took great care of you, like a father would. The words he spoke beneath the city walls today were also to spare you grief. I imagine he couldn’t bear to see you so despondent.”

Lin Jun was older than Duan Xu, who always addressed him respectfully with “you.” Lin Jun declined the formality, but Duan Xu insisted, “I know the Lin family has suffered greatly, and your heart is heavy with sorrow. Yet, I must ask for your help with a matter of great importance. I hope you will agree.”

Lin Jun was taken aback and asked, “What matter?”

“Regarding the spy in the army, I have suspicions about someone and would like your help to confirm it.”

“Who?”

“Han Lingqiu.”

Lin Jun stared at Duan Xu in disbelief, as if unable to accept that Han Lingqiu could be involved. “General, what evidence do you have?”

“Lady He’s ambush, the burning of provisions, the encirclement during the grain raid, the betrayal of the Lin family—each incident is connected to him. During the grain raid, the Hú Qì People ordered that Han Lingqiu not be harmed. Han Lingqiu originally came from Danzhi, claiming amnesia, yet there are many inconsistencies.”

“Amnesia?” Lin Jun exclaimed.

“I suspect he’s concealing his true martial prowess, so I arranged a competition to test his real skills. I’ve heard you, Boss Lin, are also a martial enthusiast and have several highly skilled guests in your household. Could you ask them to come and spar with Han Lingqiu?”

Lin Jun nodded solemnly and bowed to Duan Xu. “Leave this matter to me. I will not fail your trust.”

Duan Xu patted Lin Jun’s shoulder. “Boss Lin, you are not only the pride of the Lin family but also a pillar of Great Liang.”

After leaving the Lin residence, Duan Xu went straight to find Han Lingqiu. He called over Han Lingqiu, who was on patrol, and said, “Whatever suspicions you may have about me, I am now your general, and you must obey my orders.”

Han Lingqiu lowered his eyes. “Yes, General. What are your orders?”

“You’ve been hiding your true strength, haven’t you? You haven’t fully displayed your martial skills.” Duan Xu cut straight to the point.Han Lingqiu was taken aback and about to speak when Duan Xu waved his hand to stop him, saying directly, "In the martial arts competition a few days from now, I need you to win all your matches, but still conceal your true strength. Don't reveal it unless absolutely necessary."

This strange request left Han Lingqiu momentarily stunned. After a pause, he asked, "General, how did you know I—"

"This is my order. You only need to say 'yes.'"

Han Lingqiu fell silent for a moment before lowering his head and replying, "Yes."

Duan Xu chuckled softly and said, "There's one more thing I need to tell you. Remember it well."

By the time the moon hung high in the sky, Duan Xu finally emerged from the military camp. As usual, he walked alone with a lantern in hand, strolling down the cold, moonlit streets. Red lanterns and silk ribbons had already been hung on both sides of the road, and new couplets adorned the doors. The entire city was joyfully preparing for the New Year.

They didn’t yet know that the city’s provisions would last only another month, nor of the endless black tents beyond the walls, nor of the Lin family’s twenty-three members who had shed their blood beneath the city today. This peace—even happiness—felt both astonishing and eerie.

And the one concealing these truths walked calmly down the bustling street, lantern in hand.

"Are you there?" he asked.

The surroundings were quiet for a moment before a pair of lotus-colored cloud boots silently stepped onto the ground beside him.

The Ghost King Lamp at He Simu’s waist flickered with intermittent blue light as she remarked casually, "All arranged?"

"Mm. You already know?"

"Most of it, I’d guess."

"Let’s see how much you can guess by the end of this game."

He Simu turned to look at the young man beside her. His clear eyes held depths like a thousand-foot cold pool, fathomless. For someone whose life spanned barely a century, and who had only lived twenty years so far, to already have such eyes...

She asked, "Little General, how old are you? Aren’t you tired?"

Duan Xu’s gaze flickered. He tilted his head slightly to look at He Simu, smiling without a word.

The New Year’s martial arts competition commenced as scheduled on the morning of New Year’s Eve. He Simu, as the Diviner of the Snow-Treading Army, was invited to the training grounds and seated beside Duan Xu. Duan Xu had also invited Lin Jun, who took the seat on his other side.

Duan Xu did not participate in the competition, nor did he allow the martial arts enthusiast Wu Shengliu to join. Wu Shengliu, thoroughly displeased by this, sat with his arms crossed and a cold expression, silently drinking.

After several rounds of drawn matches, Han Lingqiu unsurprisingly advanced to the finals, having defeated all opponents in his path. His reputation in previous military competitions was formidable—his only loss had been to Wu Shengliu.

His opponent in the finals was the martial artist Master Song, whom Lin Jun had invited. Master Song matched Han Lingqiu in stature—broad-shouldered, thick-waisted, and powerfully built. In earlier rounds, he had effortlessly defeated his opponents, proving his exceptional skill.

The two bowed to each other in the arena, and as the drum sounded, they assumed their stances and began their duel. Duan Xu narrowed his eyes slightly, while Lin Jun leaned forward anxiously. He Simu, meanwhile, idly cracked melon seeds with Chen Ying, occasionally glancing at the match.

Both fighters were highly skilled, exchanging blows without yielding. Their figures darted across the training grounds, stirring up dust, and after several rounds, neither had gained the upper hand.According to Duan Xu, if Han Lingqiu had once been a death warrior of Heaven Knows, his skills should surpass those of Hero Song. Currently, he was strictly following Duan Xu's orders without revealing too much, but at this level, he likely couldn't defeat Hero Song.

He Simu cracked melon seeds, thinking to herself that Duan Xu had truly given Lin and Han a difficult task—probing while concealing, yet still needing to win on both fronts.

The situation was deadlocked, with Han Lingqiu and Hero Song locked in a stalemate after several rounds. Lin Jun frowned as he watched for a long while before turning to Duan Xu and saying, "At this rate, we still won’t see Han Xiaowei’s true strength. I heard Hero Song mention a martial arts tradition in the jianghu where combatants blindfold themselves—it’s said to best reveal an opponent’s skill."

Duan Xu paused mid-sip of tea, then smiled and said, "Very well. Since there’s no clear winner now, let’s proceed this way."

He summoned Meng Wan and announced the revised rules.

On the training ground, Han Lingqiu visibly stiffened. He raised his eyes hesitantly toward Duan Xu, who returned his gaze impassively. Under the clear sky, their eyes locked—one filled with doubt and unease, the other unreadable. After a long moment, Han Lingqiu lowered his head, seemingly lost in thought. He let out what might have been a sigh, then took the black cloth handed to him by a soldier and tied it firmly over his eyes.

This was clearly a form of combat none had witnessed before, and the spectators around the training ground watched with keen interest as the two blindfolded men faced off.

Once Han Lingqiu’s eyes were covered, the air around him shifted subtly. He Simu noticed the same faint ripples and distortions in the wind around him as she had seen during Duan Xu’s match with Wu Shengliu. When he charged at Hero Song, his speed more than doubled, yet his precision remained flawless—as if he had grown a third eye.

Though blindfolded duels were supposedly a jianghu tradition, Hero Song was clearly less accustomed to them than Han Lingqiu. His speed and accuracy dipped slightly, and his strikes carried hesitation. Amid the swirling dust, Han Lingqiu feinted a few moves before landing a precise punch to Hero Song’s chest. As the latter staggered back, Han Lingqiu closed the distance in a few steps, seized his arm, pivoted, and slammed him to the ground—then unerringly locked a hand around Hero Song’s throat.

Swift. Precise. No flourishes—just lethality.

He Simu set down her melon seeds, thinking Hero Song’s ribs were likely shattered, one nearly piercing his heart.

Blindfolded, Han Lingqiu fought with near-fatal ruthlessness, far more vicious than before.

Such acute perception and devastating offensive power could only be honed through the most brutal training.

The gong sounded from the field, and a soldier shouted, "Han Xiaowei wins!"

Han Lingqiu stood silently, removed the blindfold, and bowed to Hero Song. "My apologies," he said.

The audience erupted in shock. The first to leap up was Wu Shengliu, eyes wide as he exclaimed, "Brother Han—how? Since when was he this strong? Why would he hide something like this?"

Amid the murmurs of admiration, Duan Xu set down his teacup and rose leisurely from his seat.He leisurely walked to the edge of the training ground and said loudly, "Gentlemen, during our time stationed in Shuozhou Prefecture, we've faced one incident after another—the attack on the welcoming carriage of Jiao Zhanhou, the burning of provisions, the ambush by Danzhi during the grain seizure, and the betrayal of the Lin family's main branch. Each of these events proves there's a Danzhi spy among us. Today, I can finally confirm who this spy is—someone undoubtedly connected to every incident mentioned."

Duan Xu's gaze fell upon Han Lingqiu. Han Lingqiu silently returned his stare, clenching his fists without speaking.

Yet Duan Xu merely smiled leisurely before turning to Lin Jun beside him.

"Boss Lin, what do you say? Or should I ask you—where have you hidden the real Lin Jun ever since we took control of the prefecture city?"

Author's note: Countdown to Duan Xu's identity reveal! Still a few chapters to go.