Chapter 34 Pay with Your Life

Chapter 34: A Life for a Life

"But I remember you," Zhu Shinian said, looking at him. "The moment I saw you, I remembered who you are."

"Six years ago, at the hospital in District Twenty-Six, we met. The hospital was shabby, and you were dressed so elegantly, with such a refined demeanor... you really didn't belong there."

Ning Ye was stunned. He had indeed been to District Twenty-Six, but who was this person? Why...

He was Gu Zhen's lover. Was he trying to threaten Ning Ye with some old scandal of his own to make Gu Zhen and Jiang Huaiyan separate?

"When my brother died from a medical accident, you were generous enough to have your secretary give me a lot of money."

"...You still seem to be thinking that because things like this happen often, you can't recall which specific incident this is, can you?"

Ning Ye's eyes contracted in fear. He didn't dare to nod or shake his head rashly, nor could he afford not to respond. He could only look at Zhu Shinian pleadingly, hoping he would remove the handkerchief stuffed in his mouth so he could beg for mercy.

He could give him anything—money, power. Anything.

As long as he didn't kill him, Ning Ye could offer this ordinary low-level officer things he could never earn in a lifetime.

But no matter how much he struggled, Zhu Shinian paid him no attention.

"Back then, I asked you whether your son was eventually saved. You answered that he was."

At that time, Zhu Shinian was utterly devastated, and hearing that answer provided a small measure of comfort.

The priests of the World Guidance Church always said that good people would be rewarded, if not in this life, then in the next.

"But your son wasn't actually sick and in urgent need of blood, was he?"

Ning Ye seemed to finally remember something, nodding in sheer terror.

That day at the hospital, besides Zhu Shinian and his grandmother, there were also several regular blood sellers and vagrants from District Twenty-Six.

He clearly heard one of them ask the head blood dealer if their blood couldn't be used for that noble lady. The head blood dealer shook his head.

But Zhu Shinian was almost certain that Zhu Cheng's blood type was by no means rare. There was no particular reason for this certainty—it was because Zhu Shinian had once caught him selling blood.

Around the time of the college entrance exams, Zhu Cheng somehow had money. Every day when Zhu Shinian came home, there would be fish or meat on the table, sometimes even milk at night.

At first, Zhu Shinian didn't suspect anything. After all, although their father had died early, their mother had worked as a maid in the Fourth District, and his brother had dropped out of school early to earn money. Surely there was some savings.

He just told his grandmother not to go out of her way to prepare such good food for the exams and to keep things as usual.

But one day, a schoolmate ran into Zhu Shinian and mentioned in passing that he had seen his brother selling blood to a blood dealer.

Zhu Shinian asked if it was the first time. The classmate replied that he had indeed seen it two or three times.

Zhu Shinian immediately took leave to find him. Zhu Cheng had just stepped off a bus when he saw Zhu Shinian and his face instantly changed.

He forced himself to remain calm and explained something about how donating blood was good for health, that his blood type was O, a universal donor that many people could use, and that it was a good deed.

Zhu Shinian wouldn't listen to his explanation. They had a huge fight, and he said that if he ever caught him doing it again, he would drop out of school and work construction with him.

"Xiao Nian, I know what I'm doing. I definitely wouldn't do anything harmful to my health. I want to spend more time with you and Grandma. That classmate of yours was just talking nonsense—I've only been three times..."

There was still some beef left from the last time. Zhu Shinian didn't eat a single bite and forced Zhu Cheng to eat it all.

Zhu Shinian had a stubborn temper, and Zhu Cheng didn't dare go against him. Besides, everyone in this area knew each other; it was impossible not to get caught doing something like this.

So Zhu Cheng had no choice but to give up the idea.

After Zhu Shinian enrolled in the Capital First Military Academy, he received a monthly stipend, which greatly improved their family's financial situation.

But his grandmother's condition suddenly worsened.

Grandmother herself didn't think much of it. Life and death were natural; everyone had their fate. Living to sixty in District Twenty-Six was already a ripe old age.

But if treatment was possible, how could the family bear to just go home and wait for death? Besides, both Zhu Shinian and his brother had lost their parents; their grandmother was their only remaining family.

During military training, there was little free time, but whenever there was a holiday or extra assignments, Zhu Shinian seized every opportunity to earn money. During the Spring Festival break, he was always the last to leave the school.

That day, Zhu Shinian took a train ride that took dozens of hours back to District Twenty-Six, but his brother wasn't at the station to pick him up.

When he rushed to the hospital, he only saw hurried doctors and nurses and the red light above the operating room door.

People told him in a flurry that there had been a medical accident during blood collection. His brother had too much blood drawn. The kind-hearted noble lady had paid the hospital fees in advance, and they were now trying to save him.

Zhu Shinian immediately punched the familiar blood dealer. Hospital security quickly separated them.

His grandmother grabbed his hand, telling him to stop fighting. Her hands were ice cold, as if she might faint at any moment.

From the operating room, they wheeled out a body covered in a white sheet. His grandmother collapsed from exhaustion on the spot.

Zhu Shinian lifted a corner of the sheet and saw his brother's hand, shriveled from excessive blood loss.

On that hand was still the wristwatch Zhu Shinian had bought him with his scholarship.

The fatigue and dizziness from the train ride that took dozens of hours surged back, and Zhu Shinian fainted as well.

"My condolences."

"Be strong."

"You still have your grandmother to take care of. Pull yourself together."

Everyone he met said the same thing. Zhu Shinian nodded mechanically to each one, replying, "I will."

"Here's a check for one hundred thousand silver coins," the elegantly dressed, distinguished omega said, quickly signing the check. "I'm very sorry about your brother. No one wanted this to happen. I know you probably hate me now and don't want to see me, but I still feel I should offer some compensation."

"Take it," the secretary beside him urged. "Your family is short on money, isn't it?"

"...Not enough?" The secretary frowned slightly at Zhu Shinian. "One hundred thousand is already a lot. It's not like we wanted your brother dead. If you don't want it, file a claim with the hospital yourself."

"Thank you, madam. Yes, yes, we'll take it. The child is young; he might be too shocked to speak." The neighbor aunt who had just arrived quickly reached out, took the check, and stuffed it into Zhu Shinian's pocket. "We're country folk... how do we cash this?"

"Just take it to the bank; they'll handle it for you," the omega replied calmly. "I've already arranged the funeral home for you. Once again, I apologize for what happened to the deceased."

"...Madam," Zhu Shinian said after a long silence, his voice hoarse, "was your family member saved?"

Zhu Shinian remembered that Ning Ye seemed to pause for a moment before answering.

"He was saved."

What was Ning Ye thinking about during those two or three seconds of hesitation? Zhu Shinian looked at the trembling man before him now, wondering. Was he thinking that he was so easy to fool, or that people from District Twenty-Six were so cheap—one hundred thousand silver coins could buy the groveling servility of a young man whose brother had been killed by him?

"My brother's blood type wasn't rare. There were plenty of people there. You only wanted his blood."

"Someone told me that you wanted to draw his blood to extract pheromones, to raise your son—whose grade was so low it couldn't even be measured—to a C-level. Is that true?"

Ning Ye's Adam's apple bobbed violently, and then he nodded.

So that's what happened.

Zhu Shinian closed his eyes, then quickly opened them again, pressed on as calmly as he could.

"The pheromones that match are very rare. That day, my brother didn't actually die. You took him away, didn’t you? The medical accident was a lie. You wouldn't have let such a rare blood source have a medical accident like that."

Even before Ning Ye nodded, Zhu Shinian could tell from his expression that Tao Juan was telling the truth.

"What happened after that? That fire was also set to silence him? Afraid others would find out that Jiang Huaiyan was a worthless waste whose rating couldn't even be determined? Afraid others would know that the Jiang family, who run the Ren'ai Hospital, used a living person as Jiang Huaiyan's blood bank?"

Five years ago, a fire broke out in a lakeside villa south of the capital. The firefighters arrived in time, and only one Jiang family servant was burned to death. Young Master Jiang Huaiyan also suffered some burns and was hospitalized.

Just like any news that had nothing to do with him, Zhu Shinian had dismissed it back then and closed the article to continue studying.

So that was when he and his brother were truly parted forever.

He pressed the knife closer to Ning Ye's warm neck. "Lord Ning, answer me."

Ning Ye started trembling. He struggled violently, making incoherent noises, as if begging Zhu Shinian, saying there were extenuating circumstances.

Zhu Shinian felt pity for him, but what about his own brother?

So his teacher hadn't lied to him after all.

In that hospital back then, his brother hadn't actually died.

He died in that fire the Jiang family set to cover their tracks, after Jiang Huaiyan had successfully undergone a second differentiation into a normal C-grade alpha.

He could have saved his brother. If only he had known sooner, if only he had gone to find him earlier...

"Alright, I have no more questions."

Ning Ye should have breathed a sigh of relief at surviving the ordeal, but seeing the young man's red-rimmed eyes, he only felt more terrified.

Don't be afraid, Ning Ye told himself. Zhu Shinian said he would kill if lied to. He must just be after the truth to use as blackmail.

Money, power, or even Jiang Huaiyan's marriage—he could pay any price. As long as Zhu Shinian was smart, he wouldn't kill him.

The next second, Zhu Shinian drove the knife all the way into his chest.

He could feel the blade tear through the thick clothing, cut through his skin, and then slowly pass through his internal organs.

In this day and age, even a soldier like Zhu Shinian rarely used a knife to kill.

Even when he had to use bladed weapons, he preferred long knives or cleavers—the greater the reach, the more control he had.

But as he stabbed Ning Ye through the heart, a strange feeling surged inside Zhu Shinian.

He only realized it belatedly—it was the thrill of killing his enemy with his own hands.

Ning Ye's body slowly slid down.

"I don't recall ever saying I wouldn't kill you for telling the truth." Zhu Shinian said, meeting his shocked, terrified eyes.

Only then did he notice the warmth on his face—probably a few drops of Ning Ye's blood that had splattered there. Zhu Shinian wiped his face with disgust.

Ning Ye's blood felt dirty. No matter how much he wiped, his face still felt filthy. Zhu Shinian rubbed hard at his skin in front of the wardrobe mirror until it started to sting.

The door hinge gave a faint creak, and the door was pushed open from outside.

Zhu Shinian didn't bother turning around to see who it was. Whoever it was, it didn't matter. He had killed the governor of the Second District. Where could he run?

There was no way out unscathed. Trading his cheap life for His Excellency Governor Ning Ye's—it was a pretty good deal.

Death was the fairest thing. His brother, who spent his whole life carrying bricks on construction sites, died a miserable death. And the governor, born into privilege and living a dignified life, died just as pathetically.

Jiang Huaiyan stood at the door, not moving forward immediately.

He seemed to have been standing there for a long time, staring coldly at Zhu Shinian and his father sprawled on the floor.

The light fell, clearly revealing the expression on his face.

Zhu Shinian didn't know how long Jiang Huaiyan had been there. It sent a chill down his spine.

Had Jiang Huaiyan been standing outside the door the whole time, listening to his confrontation with Ning Ye, and then just sat back and watched him kill him?

Ning Ye wasn't dead yet. His unsupported body slumped sideways, the rise and fall of his chest so faint it was almost unnoticeable.

In his final moments, he watched his son witness his death with such an indifferent expression. His eyes shifted toward Jiang Huaiyan, then back to Zhu Shinian.

His life force was like a leaking balloon, already deflated to almost nothing.

Zhu Shinian met his resentful gaze and watched him finally breathe his last.

Jiang Huaiyan stood there eerily, his gaze quietly lowered. He neither called for help nor moved to save him.

Zhu Shinian didn't know why he reacted this way, but he had no curiosity left to explore.

What should Jiang Huaiyan's reaction be? Zhu Shinian couldn't be bothered to think about it anymore.

After avenging his brother, he looked at Jiang Huaiyan with a hollow, dazed gaze.

Once, the person he admired most was Jiang Huaiyan.

Because of what happened with Gu Zhen, the person he felt most guilty toward was also Jiang Huaiyan.

He used to think, how could there be someone as good as Jiang Huaiyan? Born into nobility yet close to commoners, honest and upright after years in politics. He had done so many good deeds for the people, even surpassing the former Tao Juan of the Empire.

But now, at this moment, what was there for Zhu Shinian not to get?

Looking back now, those acts of kindness, those indulgences, those seemingly gentle sympathies—all became blurred and ambiguous.

Jiang Huaiyan was good to commoners because one commoner—actually, many commoners—had died because of him. As a person with a conscience, he felt uneasy, guilty.

Jiang Huaiyan treated him with leniency and kindness, never getting angry even when his fiancé was taken from him, all because the commoner who died was his own brother.

"......Are you going to kill me too?" Jiang Huaiyan unexpectedly asked in a low voice.

Zhu Shinian looked at him, not answering right away, as if he was actually thinking it over.

It was Ning Ye who brought his brother from the 26th District to the capital, but in the end, he did it for Jiang Huaiyan.

Jiang Huaiyan was the one who benefited. If not for him, Ning Ye wouldn't have gone after his brother, and his brother wouldn't have died.

Besides... Jiang Huaiyan was highly capable, one of the few in the Empire who actually did their job properly.

War was about to break out. If he killed Jiang Huaiyan, the Imperial Council would be leaderless. That would be good for his teacher and the others...

"Are you going to kill me?" Jiang Huaiyan asked again.

Zhu Shinian's hand, gripping the knife, trembled slightly.

Jiang Huaiyan.

It seemed... he really couldn't bring himself to drive the blade into Jiang Huaiyan's heart.

"That fire... you were there too," Zhu Shinian said slowly, as if searching for a reason to justify his own soft-heartedness. "I heard you were injured too, and hospitalized for a long time."

"You weren't the one who killed my brother. A life for a life—I won't kill you."

"... I won't kill you." Zhu Shinian repeated softly.

"Take me to the police station," Zhu Shinian said. "I'll turn myself in."

Jiang Huaiyan didn't answer immediately, simply looked down at Ning Ye's body on the floor, as if lost in thought.

"The dead civilian alpha..." Jiang Huaiyan finally looked up at Zhu Shinian, his tone much calmer than Zhu Shinian had expected. "Was that your brother?"

"Is it worth throwing away your whole life for someone who's already dead?"

Zhu Shinian looked at him, saying nothing.

Whether it was worth it, whether it was foolish—it was hard to put into words.

If it were a friend of Zhu Shinian who had gone through the same thing, he would indeed think that friend was being foolish, that they shouldn't leave their grandmother behind, shouldn't throw away their promising future. He would think that if their loved ones were watching from heaven, they would want them to live well.

But to know the wrong and not avenge it, to just watch the one who killed his brother live freely and without restraint, reveling in the privileges the Empire granted to nobles, being respectfully called "Governor" by everyone who passed by...

Zhu Shinian couldn't accept it.

He felt guilty toward his grandmother, for leaving her to live alone in this world for some years.

But no choice was ever perfect, especially for people like them.

Just having a choice was already more than enough.

"Don't you still have family? Are they all taken care of?"

Zhu Shinian remained silent.

Jiang Huaiyan finally stepped closer.

His footsteps were light, yet strikingly clear in the silent room.

He reached out and took hold of Zhu Shinian's hand that was holding the knife—a hand that was trembling slightly.

It was a pale hand with distinct knuckles, now stained with a bit of blood. The dried blood had turned a brownish red, giving off an unpleasant rusty smell.

"Relax a little. Your hand is shaking," Jiang Huaiyan said.

He held Zhu Shinian's hand in his left, carefully wiping it clean with his right—from the knuckles, to the web of the thumb, to between the fingers—until all traces of blood were gone.

Author's note: