Cao Yi smiled slightly, releasing his pale hand as the flower stone plate flew up on its own.
"Bloom."
The originally unremarkable flower suddenly emitted a dazzling red light, dyeing the room and even the courtyard in a mesmerizing red.
"Master Yi, Master Gao, see you again in two thousand years."
A drifting voice echoed.
Yi Xiaochuan and Gao Yao instantly lost consciousness.
"This is the first scene."
The ethereal voice continued.
...
"Xiaochuan, Xiaochuan..."
Yi Xiaochuan heard someone calling him. He raised his head and saw Gao Yao in ancient clothing. Dazed, he wondered why Gao Yao was dressed like that.
Suddenly, memories flooded in. He remembered that he had traveled to ancient times and experienced much, from becoming sworn brothers with Xiang Yu to encounters with Lü Su, the Great Wall, Tu An Kingdom, and now.
He had just cured Yu Shu's illness with the help of the divine doctor Cui Wenzi and met Gao Yao, the head chef in the palace.
They were in the imperial kitchen.
Gao Yao had just informed him that Liu Bang had caused their predicament, turning him into a eunuch.
Feeling a small pang of sympathy for Gao Yao, Yi Xiaochuan skeptically replied, "Are you sure it was Liu Bang who pushed us into the fire pit?"
"I didn't believe it at first, but after becoming head chef and gaining power, I had people investigate. It's definitely true," Gao Yao insisted.
"I still can't believe it. I have a brotherly bond with him; you only met him once without any grievance. Besides, he doesn't seem like someone who would do such a thing," Yi Xiaochuan said innocently.
"Don't be naive. Here, no one talks about loyalty or truth. I've suffered, and I've realized that to avoid being bullied, you must rise up. I remember everyone who has wronged me. One day, when I have power, I'll take them down one by one. Liu Bang is first, and the second is the one who castrated me."
Gao Yao said with a serious expression.
Yi Xiaochuan was taken aback by Gao Yao's drastic change. He quickly reassured him, "Old Gao, don't be like this. Don't act impulsively. I know you've been through a lot, but I advise you not to focus on revenge. That will only bring you more pain."
"You're wrong, Xiaochuan. I don't have time to worry about minor details. I only want to climb higher and take down anyone in my way. I remember every person who bullied me. When I gain power, I'll definitely kill them all—starting with Liu Bang and then the one who castrated me."
Gao Yao's expression was icy.
Yi Xiaochuan wanted to say more but suddenly lost consciousness.
...
"Xiaochuan, Xiaochuan..."
Lying on the table, Yi Xiaochuan hazily heard someone calling him. He lifted his head to see Gao Yao.
Just as he was about to speak, another memory surged in. He remembered curing Yu Shu, now the beautiful concubine of the Qin dynasty, with Cui Wenzi's help, and since then, he couldn't see her anymore. He felt life was meaningless, like a walking corpse, and spent his days getting drunk in taverns.
"Xiaochuan, is this yours?"
Sitting nearby, Gao Yao smiled as he pulled out a pulley.
"You... where did you get that?" Yi Xiaochuan's expression stiffened, a storm of emotions surging inside him.
Previously, when he asked Cui Wenzi to save Yu Shu, Cui Wenzi requested a luminous pearl, so he made a pulley to steal it from the palace, forgetting to take it with him when he left.
"You know, to help you out, I blamed it all on the five guards. Some were executed, others tortured..." Gao Yao said, looking as if he deserved gratitude.
"Five lives... five lives lost because of me..." Yi Xiaochuan murmured, filled with guilt.
"We're people of great ambitions; why should we sweat the small stuff? I need to use the restroom."
Gao Yao stood up and left.
Watching Gao Yao's back, Yi Xiaochuan thought, "In the past, you were a timid kitchen master, just someone who liked petty gains, but now you've become so sinister and ruthless."
"And Cui Wenzi, if he hadn't asked for the pearl, those five wouldn't have died. It's all his fault... all his fault..."
A wave of dizziness hit, and Yi Xiaochuan lost consciousness again.
...
"Xiaochuan, Xiaochuan..."
Feeling annoyed, Yi Xiaochuan wondered why Gao Yao kept calling him.
He looked up to see Gao Yao kneeling excitedly behind a table filled with dishes.
Another memory surged in, and he recalled that today Gao Yao had been granted the name Zhao Gao by the Qin Emperor, appointed as the Director of the Chariot Bureau, and was celebrating with a feast.
"Try my secret braised pork."
Gao Yao lifted a piece of braised pork with chopsticks, placing it on the iron plate in front of Yi Xiaochuan with a big smile.
"I don't want to eat."
Yi Xiaochuan felt upset thinking about Gao Yao becoming a treacherous minister.
"Then let's drink."
An hour later, both were reeking of alcohol.
"Come on, drink."
"I don't want to drink this. You're happy, right? I'm not happy. We came to the Qin dynasty as fallen brothers, hoping to return to modern times one day. But you've forgotten... you've forgotten everything! I'm scared my friend will one day become... become that Zhao Gao!"
Yi Xiaochuan suddenly grew furious.
He completely forgot how he used to drown his sorrows in taverns because he couldn't see Yu Shu.
Gao Yao was also angry. "You think you're better than me? You can criticize me now!"
"What if I do?"
"You criticizing me means you brought me here. Do you know how much suffering I've endured? I'm broken; I'm worthless. You're amazing; everyone loves you. What a pathetic place this is. I want to climb higher and higher. I want to be Zhao Gao! I won't let anyone bully me anymore. I can't take it anymore. I want to be Zhao Gao, the highest Zhao Gao, second only to one and above ten thousand!"
Just as Yi Xiaochuan was about to speak, he lost consciousness again.
When he woke up this time, he had gone through a lot, constantly clashing with Gao Yao until they ended up in mutual destruction two thousand years later.
In the room, the red light faded, and the flower stone plate lay quietly on the ground.
Yi Xiaochuan and Gao Yao awakened simultaneously.
"Bastard!"
Gao Yao's first reaction was to charge at Yi Xiaochuan.
"I'll kill you!"
Yi Xiaochuan charged back.
Just as their bodies were about to collide, a table stood between them.
"Calm down, gentlemen," Cao Yi said.
Both Yi Xiaochuan and Gao Yao snorted in unison and stepped back.
"Who do you think was at fault?" Cao Yi asked.
"He."
"He."
Neither admitted their fault.
"Just now, you each lived your own life. Next is a life exchange. Who's right and who's wrong can only be discerned by truly understanding each other's lives."
Cao Yi manipulated the flower stone plate again, and the red light blossomed once more.
Gao Yao and Yi Xiaochuan lost consciousness again.
...
The weather was cold, pouring rain, and Yi Xiaochuan, covered in wounds, crawled painfully.
He had traveled but found himself in a strange place, with no identity. Mistaken for a thief, he was captured for hard labor, often beaten. One day, unable to endure it any longer, he escaped. He fled, often beaten in the countryside, starving, feeling cold and pain.
Suddenly, he lost consciousness.
...
"Eat."
A voice said.
Yi Xiaochuan opened his eyes to find himself tightly bound.
An old eunuch stood before him.
Memories flooded in, and he remembered that he and Gao Yao sought Liu Bang, only to inexplicably become palace slaves, thinking they could escape this fate by becoming head chefs. He had volunteered, but instead, he was tied up by the old eunuch and his minions.
"Hurry and eat."
The old eunuch handed him a peeled egg.
"I don't want to eat."
After days of eating eggs, Yi Xiaochuan had grown tired of them.
"Don't act ungratefully; eat."
The old eunuch's expression darkened as he raised his hand for a slap and forced the egg into his mouth.
"Cough, cough... I'll eat, I'll eat..."
Yi Xiaochuan couldn't resist any longer and complied.
"They're ready to be castrated; pull down his pants."
The old eunuch suddenly said.
"What are you doing? I'm here to be the head chef!"
"Of course, a head chef needs to be castrated."
The old eunuch finished speaking and took out a knife.
"No!"
Yi Xiaochuan let out a heart-wrenching scream and then fainted.
The old eunuch showed no mercy, quickly removing two bloody little fleshballs and tossing them into a small earthen jar nearby.
"Rest for two months, and then you can be sent to the palace."
The old eunuch left.
Uncertain how long later, Yi Xiaochuan awoke in pain, realizing he was missing two parts, his face pale as death. A wave of dizziness hit, and he fainted again.