"I see. Thank you for telling me, Star of Destruction," the general said quietly. Xue Xinyu sighed, pushing forward. "Your men want you back. It's obvious, even if they haven't spoken the words."

The general bowed his head, lost in thought. After a long pause, he spoke again. "If you were in my place, Star of Destruction, what would you do?"

Xue Xinyu almost laughed out loud. If he were in the general's place, he'd probably die from the sheer tedium or frustration. But he had gotten good at pretending to be wise.

"I have a disciple," Xue Xinyu began, already cringing inside at how sentimental this sounded. He hated admitting just how much Liang Zhiguan meant to him. "I would go to the depths of hell to ensure his safety."

He finished, watching the general carefully for a response.

"How can someone like you be so sentimental, Star of Destruction?" the general asked, a hint of surprise in his tone.

Xue Xinyu's eye twitched. Weren't you the sentimental one here? he fumed silently. I'm just trying to keep my cool, and you're calling me out? He took a deep breath and forced on his best "wise master" expression.

"And how can a general like you find it so hard to make a decision?" Xue Xinyu countered smoothly.

"My soldiers mean everything to me. They've stood by me, even at the cost of their lives," the general replied as they rode further from the city.

"If they mean that much, then this shouldn't be a difficult choice," Xue Xinyu remarked, his voice steady but pointed.

The general hesitated. "If that's what you think," he finally said, dropping the overused "Star of Destruction" at last.

Xue Xinyu leapt off his horse, halting the procession. Extending his hand toward the general, he spoke with quiet authority. "Then let me help you fulfill the wish you've settled on."

The tension reached a breaking point as the general's trembling hand stretched toward Xue Xinyu's. Just as their fingers brushed, the air shattered with the unmistakable whistle of arrows. Xue Xinyu's instincts kicked in before his mind could fully process the danger.

With a sharp sidestep, he narrowly dodged the deadly projectiles, feeling the rush of air against his skin as they sliced past. In the chaos, his hand shot out, snatching one of the arrows mid-flight. But triumph quickly gave way to agony as searing pain ripped through his arm like molten fire.

Gasping, Xue Xinyu dropped the arrow, eyes locking onto its distinctive design. He knew that pattern all too well—it was unmistakably the kind of arrow used by Zhao Lian's harem, even by Zhao Lian himself.

How could one of those arrows have hit me here? His thoughts raced, but before he could unravel the mystery, a vice-like grip seized his throat.

The world jolted, reality warping as though it had been ripped apart. In the blink of an eye, Xue Xinyu found himself sprawled on the floor of a dimly lit chamber, one that sent a chill down his spine. This place—it was Zhao Lian's quarters from the original book.

WHAT? How in the hell is Zhao Lian here? First, I'm stuck solving the general's mess, and now the actual Zhao Lian shows up? Is this a joke?

"Xiao," came Zhao Lian's growl, dripping with rage. The sheer force of his voice reverberated through the room, amplifying the tension. His eyes, burning with fury, locked onto Xue Xinyu's, the weight of unspoken accusations hanging in the air. The raw intensity made Xue Xinyu's confusion mirror Zhao Lian's, both caught in this impossible moment.

This can't be happening.

Xue Xinyu gasped for air as Zhao Lian's hand tightened around his throat, his vision blurring at the edges. His thoughts raced—he wasn't sure if fighting back would worsen the situation or if it was his only shot at survival.

Through sheer willpower, Xue Xinyu maintained eye contact with Zhao Lian, each second stretching into an eternity under the weight of his cold, murderous stare.

He looks just like him, Xue Xinyu thought, heart pounding in his chest. In Zhao Lian's burning gaze, he saw flashes of Liang Zhiguan—the same intensity, the same fire. And for the first time, Xue Xinyu hesitated.

Then, as abruptly as it had begun, the pressure on Xue Xinyu's throat released, leaving him gasping for air like a drowning man breaking the surface. His chest heaved with the effort, blood on his lips as he coughed and sputtered in the aftermath of the ordeal.

Through the haze of pain, Zhao Lian's voice cut through, shaky and uncertain. "Shizun?" he murmured, disbelief and confusion seeping into his tone.

YES, I'M YOUR FUCKING SHIZUN! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO STRANGLE ME? Xue Xinyu cursed inwardly, the anger simmering beneath his outward calm.

Coughing up more blood, Xue Xinyu struggled to sit up as Zhao Lian stepped back. To his surprise, Zhao Lian rushed forward, hurriedly wiping away the blood with a tissue.

First you strangle me, and now you're playing nurse? Make up your mind! Xue Xinyu thought, his frustration only intensifying.

Nothing about this made sense. Zhao Lian wasn't supposed to be here. This wasn't in the book... how did we get to this point?

"I—I'm sorry, Shizun," Zhao Lian stammered, his voice trembling with a sincerity that cut through the tense atmosphere. His eyes, wide with remorse, locked onto Xue Xinyu's. "I thought you were that damned Xiao," he spat, venom lacing his words at the mention of the name.

The silence that followed was thick, broken only by the harsh rasp of Xue Xinyu's breathing as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. Damn, that hurt.

"Shizun, I really am sorry!" Zhao Lian's voice cracked, the desperation in his words echoing in the dimly lit room.

"Stop acting like you're my Liang Zhiguan," Xue Xinyu snapped without thinking. Zhao Lian's eyes widened at the comparison, the words clearly striking deeper than intended.

Xue Xinyu hadn't meant to be so harsh, but his frustration boiled over. Zhao Lian wasn't Liang Zhiguan. He might resemble him in many ways, but Zhao Lian could never be his Zhiguan again.

Standing up, Xue Xinyu dusted himself off, ready to leave this nightmare behind. All he wanted now was to escape and collapse into bed, away from the chaos of this bizarre situation.

"I'm sorry..." Zhao Lian's voice wavered, a crack in his usual cold demeanor. The vulnerability caught Xue Xinyu off guard, and for a fleeting moment, guilt crept in.

Maybe I didn't need to be this harsh, Xue Xinyu thought. But right now, all he could focus on was getting out.

"I thought you were dead. I couldn't have known it was you," Zhao Lian's voice trembled, the weight of his confession hanging in the air.

"Your Xue Xinyu is dead," Xue Xinyu replied softly, his tone hesitant. He stepped toward Zhao Lian, wiping away the tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

Zhao Lian looked back at him, a swirl of confusion and curiosity clouding his gaze. "Then who are you?"

Man, why does he have to be so curious? Xue Xinyu groaned inwardly. Couldn't we just leave it at that?

"I am Xue Xinyu, just not the one you knew," he said, his voice carrying a touch of mystery. He couldn't exactly spill the truth about his transmigration—Zhao Lian would either think he was insane or, worse, kill him on the spot.

"But... you're supposed to be dead," Zhao Lian stammered, disbelief shaking his voice.

Xue Xinyu scratched his head, trying to find the right words. "It's too early for my death," he answered cryptically, pausing for dramatic effect before adding, "hypothetically speaking." Even thinking about it sent a shiver down his spine.

Great. Slap a 'Game Over' sign on my forehead and call it a day. One wrong move and I'll be six feet under faster than you can say 'plot twist.' Xue Xinyu mentally sighed, imagining the dramatic music and the dreaded 'Press F to Pay Respects' flashing across some cosmic screen.

As he stood there, he couldn't help but think about the precariousness of his situation. The storyline was careening off the rails, and with Zhao Lian's sudden appearance—original flavor Zhao Lian, no less—it felt like death was lurking around every corner. Who knew what awaited him after he left this bizarre scene?

"I don't really understand," Zhao Lian admitted, his confusion written plainly across his face. "So you're not from my world?" he asked, his brows furrowed in frustration.

"You could say that," Xue Xinyu replied cryptically, keeping his explanation vague on purpose.

"In my world, my fate is much worse," Xue Xinyu added, his tone heavy with unspoken burdens.

Suddenly, Zhao Lian's next words blindsided Xue Xinyu. His proposal was so unexpected that Xue Xinyu shot him a wide-eyed look, utterly bewildered. "Can't you come with me...?"

WHY THE HELL WOULD I LET YOU COME WITH ME? DO I LOOK LIKE I HAVE A DEATH WISH? he cursed inwardly, struggling to maintain his composure.

"You can't, Zhao Lian. You have to stay in your world with your lovers, don't you?" Xue Xinyu reasoned, trying to steer him back to his reality. But before he could finish, Zhao Lian's hand clutched his chest, his face twisting in apparent pain.

"Sh-shizun..." Zhao Lian's voice quivered as he stumbled forward. Alarmed, Xue Xinyu rushed to catch him, his expression softening with concern. "What's happening?" he asked, his tone genuinely worried.

Before Zhao Lian could answer, the world around them twisted, reality blurring as if someone had yanked the rug out from under them. Xue Xinyu's last sight was Zhao Lian's hand reaching for him before everything went dark.

When he came to, the general was looming over him again. "Are you alright? You suddenly passed out, Star of Destruction," the general said, his tone almost... casual.

YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!

Oh, great, Xue Xinyu groaned mentally, blinking up at the general in disbelief. So now this guy thinks I just decided to take a little nap in the middle of all this? Sure, because passing out is clearly my favorite way to spend time.

What's next? A pillow and a bedtime story? Maybe an undead choir serenading me with a lullaby?