Chapter 69 If You Kill Someone, Shouldn’t You Pay With Your Life?…

Chapter 69: Shouldn't Murderers Pay with Their Lives?

The original author of *Revenge Chronicle* personally recounted the story's sequel, but A-Chan felt nothing but disappointment—it was utterly uninspired.

The one consumed by hatred had long since turned to dust; the one who sought vengeance for him would soon vanish from this world, while the murderer still lived.

"You should know that even if you don't leave this body, you won't last much longer," A-Chan told Song Yan.

"I know... I know. I had always planned to depart before his body gave out. I'm just too full of resentment. I spent so much time, devised so many methods, yet the laws of man never touched them." Song Yan's voice was laced with grief and helpless indignation. "Song Yu clearly said that the laws of Great Xia would punish all who did wrong."

A-Chan fell silent, and even Chen Hui, who had been listening quietly, couldn't help but sigh.

Both Song Yu and the Song Yan before them were intelligent and talented, yet they failed to grasp the nature of power—how many would willingly serve as slaves, or even sacrifice their lives, for it.

The justice Song Yan sought, the laws of Great Xia could not provide.

The laws were not flawed, nor were they. It was simply that their hearts were too pure.

A-Chan mused that perhaps the human world had always been this sullied. Otherwise, why did she constantly encounter such matters?

Perhaps having confided all his secrets to A-Chan, Song Yan spoke without reservation, recounting the day's events.

He told A-Chan, "I heard the Duke of Song and Song Xi had been released, so I went to the Duke's residence to gather information. My power is meager—I could barely control a rat to sneak inside.

"I waited a long time before overhearing their conversation. If not for that, I might never have learned the truth about why Song Yu was cast out."

"The truth?" A-Chan's heart skipped a beat. Wasn't everything already clear? What more could there be?

If there was one lingering question, it was: who had truly swapped the Duke's legitimate and illegitimate sons in the first place?

The one who took the blame claimed responsibility, but the common folk believed it must have been the Duke's stepmother, as she and her son were the ultimate beneficiaries.

So... who was it?

"Was it... the Duke of Song?" A-Chan suddenly asked.

Song Yan must have had his suspicions, but the truth had clearly caught him off guard. It was someone no one had suspected, which left only the Duke himself.

What kind of father would swap his two sons and then cast one out of the household?

Song Yan's lips twisted, but he couldn't manage a smile.

"It was him."

"Why?" A-Chan couldn't comprehend. Neither could Song Yan, who had heard the Duke utter those words himself.

Weren't humans supposed to value their offspring above all else? Was there something inherently wrong with Song Yu?

Song Yan gazed into the darkness beyond the lantern's glow, recalling everything he had seen and heard through the rat in the Duke's residence.

When Song Xi returned, the Duke personally welcomed him at the gate. There was no estrangement between them, despite Song Yu's death.

The Duke took Song Xi to his study. He was a lover of paintings, and the walls were adorned with many masterpieces.

In the past, Song Yan would have been overjoyed to see them, but then his attention was solely on the father and son.

He heard the Duke tell Song Xi that if not for Song Xi's reckless decision—sending Song Chengliang's adopted son to kill Song Yu—none of this would have happened. Fortunately, Song Chengliang had taken the blame, preventing the situation from escalating.

Song Xi then admitted his fault, saying it was all his doing. He had learned of his true origins suddenly and found it hard to accept, fearing the Duke would discover it and return his rightful status and position to Song Yu, which was why he had acted wrongly.

The Duke showed no reaction to his son's words.

At the time, Song Yan found the father and son both hypocritical and cold-blooded. Song Xi's "mistake," so lightly dismissed, was commissioning the murder of his own brother, whose identity he had usurped.

And the Duke, knowing his legitimate son had been harmed by his illegitimate son, showed not a trace of sorrow or grief.

He had thought witnessing their ugly faces firsthand was revolting enough—but it didn't end there.

He heard the Duke tell Song Xi, "I have always prioritized you over the years. Why would you think I would abandon you for a discarded son?"

Song Xi seemed surprised, asking what he meant by "discarded."

Only then did the Duke finally reveal the truth—a truth even his own son, raised by his side, hadn't known.

He said that from the day Song Yu and Song Xi were born, he had already chosen the heir to the Duke's residence: Song Xi, and only Song Xi.

There had never been a mix-up, nor any subordinate acting on their own initiative. All of it had been the Duke's decision.

Later, the father and son spoke at length, and the fragments of truth Song Yan had once overheard finally pieced together completely.

How malicious could a person be? Song Yan had traveled from Jizhou to the capital, encountering many evildoers—crude and despicable—but none could compare to the Duke.

In that moment, Song Yan witnessed the most loathsome person in the world, yet that person could still self-righteously declare that everything he did was for the prosperity of the family.

Song Yu had been swapped at birth by the Duke's command.

Song Yu's repeated failures in the imperial examinations over the years were also at the Duke's behest.

Though the Duke had disowned this son, he never stopped monitoring Song Yu, preventing him from rising to prominence or having an opportunity to appear in the capital.

His only fatherly affection for Song Yu was probably allowing him to live. But that meager affection couldn't outweigh Song Xi's importance in his heart.

Mired in recent memories, it took Song Yan a while to regain his composure.

He told A-Chan, "The Duke told Song Xi that everything he did was for the family. Song Xi was born with exceptional bone structure, while Song Yu's meridians were obstructed and he couldn't cultivate. So the Duke made the decision to swap the two sons.

"Because the heir to the Duke's residence couldn't be a useless invalid who couldn't cultivate."

A-Chan asked, "Then why send Song Yu away? Couldn't the Duke's residence support two sons?"

Song Yan fell silent; he didn't know either.

Then Chen Hui spoke: "Because of his baseness."

She told them, "The Duke wronged Song Yu. How could he bear to keep him in his sight? Of course, he'd want to never see this son again, so he wouldn't be reminded of the vile things he had done."

A-Chan felt she might never fully understand humans, just as she could never comprehend the Duke's actions.

Previously, the person who confessed had used this very reasoning. At the time, she found it utterly absurd. Yet now, with the truth spoken by the Duke himself, those words turned out to be the truth.

Song Yan said, "After Song Xi had Song Yu killed, the Duke already knew who the culprit was. The people who cleaned up the mess for Song Xi were all sent by him."

Song Yan couldn't continue.

In that moment, he was grateful that Song Yu had died without ever knowing what kind of man his biological father truly was.

"Is this why you're so resentful?" A-Chan asked suddenly.

"Yes. Even though I'm not human, even though this has nothing to do with me... I just can't accept it. The one I was created for should have had a brilliant life, but it was ruined by two shameless individuals. And they were even his own kin."

Song Yan let out a long sigh, his voice growing softer as he spoke: "It's a pity I'm so powerless. Just controlling a single mouse caused me a backlash. It seems... I should go be with Song Yu now... It's regrettable that I couldn't get justice for him."

"What kind of justice do you want?" A-Chan asked.

This Ink Spirit before her was born because of Song Yu, his fleeting existence ending before it truly began. Even during his time "alive," he lived entirely for Song Yu.

This wasn't pitiful, but it still made her feel a sense of regret.

A-Chan's question made Song Yan pause: "What kind of justice?"

Song Yan thought carefully for a long time. The justice he had once pursued was the justice Song Yu had upheld. But Song Yu was already dead, and the justice he sought had never been achieved.

Song Yan murmured: "Miss Ji, shouldn't those who kill pay with their lives?"

"Yes, the fairest thing in this world is the saying that killers must pay with their lives." A-Chan's clear gaze rested on Song Yan for a long time before she finally said, "I might be able to let you briefly wield some power that isn't originally yours. Then you could leave this body and do what you wish. Would you like to try?"

"Of course," Song Yan answered without hesitation.

"But after borrowing this power, you might..." A-Chan suddenly stopped mid-sentence. "It seems you were already nearing your end anyway."

A smile appeared on Song Yan's face: "So no matter what price I have to pay, it's a net gain for me. My luck has truly been good—first meeting Mr. Wen, and now you."

"Mr. Wen helped you?" A-Chan asked curiously.

Song Yan nodded: "Like Song Yu, he's one of the most exceptional talents in this world. After interacting with him, my condition improved markedly. If I hadn't met him, I probably wouldn't have lasted this long."

"So to repay him, you made him lose several games of chess in a row?" A-Chan joked.

Song Yan's lips curved up: "Mr. Wen wouldn't mind. It's just a pity Song Yu is gone. If Mr. Wen had met him, they would have become bosom friends."

A-Chan glanced at Song Yan and said: "Mr. Wen considers you a kindred spirit too."

Song Yan paused momentarily before smiling.

"Is the inkstone you reside in still with you?" A-Chan asked again.

"It's at my home. Do you need it?"

"Yes." A-Chan nodded. "Tomorrow morning, have Hui Niang take you to retrieve it. For the next few days, you'll need to stay here with me."

"I hope I won't be disturbing Miss Ji."

"Not in the least."

That night, Song Yan stayed at A-Chan's home.

After nightfall, the capital was far from tranquil. Someone tried summoning their ancestors' spirits at home but ended up inviting a malignant spirit that possessed them and killed several people before being destroyed by Bright Mirror Bureau Guards.

Another attempted to use ghosts for revenge, setting up an array to summon a night parade of a hundred demons. But before the array was complete, the Bright Mirror Bureau broke down their door, and the entire family was arrested.

These varied facets of human life were probably difficult for A-Chan to fully comprehend. Just past midnight, this year's Ghost Festival passed without serious incident. The Bright Mirror Bureau Guards, having worked ceaselessly all day, reassembled and returned to their headquarters.

As Bai Xiuming rode past A-Chan's residence on horseback, he turned to glance at the new plaque hanging on the gate.

Jiang Kai followed his superior's gaze: "Sir, what are you looking at?"

"Excellent penmanship."

"Huh?"

Bai Xiuming ignored him and spurred his horse onward. Jiang Kai scratched his head and followed.

That night, A-Chan slept deeply.

When she woke the next morning, Chen Hui had already returned with Song Yan after fetching his possessions—not just the inkstone he inhabited, but also his usual calligraphy implements and personal effects.

After breakfast, A-Chan opened the box Song Yan had brought. Inside lay an unremarkable inkstone, though closer inspection revealed numerous hairline fractures. If the inkstone shattered, Song Yan would cease to exist entirely from this world.

Sitting across from A-Chan, Song Yan showed no nervousness as she examined the inkstone from all angles, merely asking curiously: "Miss Ji, how exactly will you grant me power that isn't mine?"

A-Chan placed the inkstone back in the box and asked: "Do you know about mountain gods?"

"I've heard of them. Though called gods, they're likely mountain deities—well-disposed toward humans, which is why people worship them."

A-Chan nodded: "Worship begets supernatural power, but it comes from external sources. Without worship, the power fades. What I'll do for you is similar."

"But one person's worship wouldn't be enough, right?"

"Of course not. So I'll employ certain methods to... appropriate a measure of power from elsewhere and give it to you."

"Where exactly?" Song Yan sensed A-Chan was contemplating something perilous.

"My ancestors, naturally." A-Chan grinned slyly. "I just made offerings to them yesterday. Our unilateral communion went quite well—I'm sure they'll gladly help with this minor boon."

Though her ancestors couldn't speak, she'd offered incense for them all day. Given such devoted worship, surely they'd hardly begrudge her, right?

While Song Yan doubted her ancestors would be so generous, A-Chan seemed supremely self-assured, making him all the more curious.