Three Philosophical Questions for Travelers

Hai Wen shook his head and said, "You think that's why I saved you?"

"Is not it?"

"No."

"What is that for?" She blinked, "I have nothing else to give you."

"I didn't save you for anything, but for my own integrity... Ah, you'd better take a bath first. I swear I won't do anything to you." He called the servants to get the tub and hot water , and then Isrit said, "You are so beautiful, I really want to see what you look like when you are clean."

The naked girl facing hundreds of eyes suddenly blushed at this moment, "Yes, my lord." She lowered her head and said.

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Chapter 3: The One Who Died Once

Chapter 3: The One Who Died Once

Not only Isriette had to take a bath, but Haven also had to take a bath.He is a clean and civilized person, but the old Haven is an ancient man with a depraved life. In the past, Judge Haven didn't take a bath for ten days and half a month, that is, he washed his face or sprayed some perfume occasionally.He reeked of rotting flesh, and he felt himself fainting.

So he ordered his servants to boil several barrels of water, then set up the tubs in another room, and went in by himself.He was used to things like showers and shampoo, and now it was hard to wash himself off with a bar of coarse soap in the barrel.He washed for almost two hours, so that he was still soaking in the water when Estelle next door finished.Afterwards he sat in front of a mirror and trimmed his beard and hair.He shaved off the messy stubble first, then stroked his nearly bald hair and sighed.It would be better not to keep this bit of hair, so he simply shaved it off.

Sitting in front of the mirror, he felt the ugliness of this body even more.His face is haggard, his body is thin and weak, and he looks as old as 30 years old when he is less than 50 years old.I need to work out badly, he thought. There's nothing I can do with this sick body.

After tidying himself up thoroughly, he put on a neat brown tights and white underwear.Putting on a gentleman's top hat, black laces, and leather gloves, he threw away the smelly high-waisted leather boots he was wearing, and put on leggings and hard leather shoes that were more comfortable for walking.As he straightened his back in front of the mirror, he felt like he was finally in person.

He loosened his tie and walked out the door.

Yisruite was waiting for him at the door. At this moment, Yisruite was also fully dressed. She changed into a simple and elegant dress, and draped her long black hair behind her shoulders.She looked fragile, her hands and feet were as thin as a dead branch, but after putting on new clothes, she exuded an air of refinement. Her appearance reminded Hai Wen of the simple and elegant white clothes in classical oil paintings. A girl playing a harp.

After seeing Haven, Isrit tightened her body, "You...you look a lot different, more like a man." She whispered.

"Thank you." He replied politely, "Now, should we go to eat first or find a place to rest?"

Estherite looked puzzled, obviously she didn't know what the judge was going to do. "What do you mean by eating?" She asked carefully.

"Literally, I think you're hungry. You probably haven't eaten in prison, have you?"

She nodded, "Other prisoners said that they should keep their intestines clean before being cut in half, otherwise...it will be ugly."

Haiwen gritted his teeth hard, "Then let's go and eat."

He brought Yisrit to the restaurant.The dining room in Haiwen’s house is larger than the entire house of ordinary people. He is not only the judge here, but also has his own farm and more than 20 tenant farmers; the dining room has a long table that can accommodate [-] people to eat at the same time; Gold and silver utensils and flowers that change every seven days, portraits of ancient heroes and expensive silk textile paintings are hung on the walls.Islet sat stiffly at the front of the chair, looking around uneasily.On the other side, Haven ordered the servants to prepare meals.

It's dinner time now, ordinary people eat two meals a day, but rich people can eat three meals a day plus an afternoon tea.At this time, his servants will prepare dinner in advance.Today's dinner includes fresh steak, fish pie, lemon cake, mushroom soup and sweet and sour wine from the south.He and Islet sat face to face on both sides of the long table, and they both ate the same food.

Haiwen picked up the cutlery and said, "Please have dinner, miss."

Isrit nodded silently, and also picked up the knife and fork.She was very clumsy with the knife and fork, and the steak was a bit old, so she cut it with great effort.When Haven was considering whether to help her, Estherite slipped her hand and dropped the knife to the ground.Her face was flushed with embarrassment, and she hurried to pick it up, but Hai Wen said, "I'll ask someone to get you a new one—someone, bring another set of tableware!"

When the new tableware was placed in front of Isrit, she whispered thanks to Haven.But after that, she didn't dare to touch the knife and fork anymore.

"Do you want me to cut it for you?" Haiwen said.

"No..." She blushed even more. "I'm sorry, my lord. I haven't eaten with a knife and fork. I don't have a knife and fork at home."

"Then what do you eat?"

"By hand." She blushed, "dry bread and vegetable soup, these don't need tableware."

"What about the meat?"

"Haven't eaten in years," she whispered.

"Then you shouldn't miss this time." Haven brought the steak in front of her and cut it for her.Estelle stared at him and asked, "My lord, what's going on with all this?"

"Yeah, what's going on?" Haiwen focused on the steak in front of him without raising his head, "I also want to know what's going on. Sigh, it's a long story. Where do you start?"

Estelle took a sip of the fruit wine, then raised her brows slightly, and took another big sip. "My lord, why did you save me? Why did you treat me so well?" she asked.

"For my conscience, Miss Estherite."

She put down her glass and said, "Conscience? Your Honor, you..." She hesitated to speak.Her surprised expression seemed to say: You also have a conscience?

Haven looked at her and said, "Yes, I know what you're thinking. In the past, Haven Ambside was a man who committed all kinds of crimes. He raped women, accepted bribes, and did whatever he wanted with his power. But today sitting in your seat The Haven Ambleside in front of you is not the unscrupulous judge you know. Miss Isrit, I can only tell you so much, you just need to know that 'I am willing to save you'. .” After saying this, he handed the cut steak to Estherite, and the steak had been cut into very small pieces for easy eating.

Estelle stared blankly at the steak, she was silent for a while, and then said: "My lord, please forgive my rudeness. But I still want to know about you."

"why?"

"Because only in this way can I repay you." She said solemnly, "If you saved me out of conscience and not out of other ulterior secrets, then I must repay you. You have your integrity, and so do I. .I can't give you much, but I think I can help you."

Her eyes were so firm, Haiwen felt more and more that the girl in front of her was not simple.

I have to make up a reason to lie to her, he thought to himself, I can't tell her that I am a modern person from time travel.

Well, now I will make up a reason to lie to her, and just get away with it.So I can keep pretending forever.

He looked out the window—unfamiliar buildings towered under the gray sky, strange streets flowed with foul-smelling sewage, and children in coarse cloth shouted in unfamiliar languages.He looked around and saw an unnamed gray-black bird flying across the sky.The things in front of him were specious, and he couldn't find any trace of the old world.Everything in the past disappeared, and he realized that he was the strangest stranger in the world, like a monster in human skin who blended into the crowd.No one understands him, and he does not understand others.

For a moment a feeling of sadness and loneliness overwhelmed him-he was trapped on this isolated island composed of two thousand strangers.The images in the judge's memory are played like a movie, and he is just a spectator.

He hasn't spoken to anyone in the past few days, he talks to himself in the mirror every day, and he's going to drive himself crazy.People are social animals, and Haiwen is also a human being. He wants to find his own kind, to find someone he can trust.

But... if I tell her everything, will she betray me?Will these ignorant people treat me like a devil and burn me to death?He stared again at the young girl in front of him—Isrit, who guarded her loyalty with her life, and seemed to be more noble than any woman I knew before.If I tell her the truth, will she keep my secret?

It didn't happen to him—nor did anyone else.

Haven is caught in a conflict.On the one hand, he was eager to find someone to talk to, and on the other hand, he was worried that this matter would cause him trouble.After thinking for a while, he said:

"Do you really want to know about me?"

"Yes, my lord." She said firmly.

Why does she have to know about this?Haven was a little puzzled.

"It's not impossible, but before that, I must know your three secrets." Haiwen raised three fingers, "Trust is relative, Isrit, if you can tell me your three secrets, then I'll tell you too."

The girl was stunned. She blushed, raised three fingers, and asked, "Three? This...too many."

Chapter 4: The one who died once

Chapter 4: The one who died once

Haven said to her: "Isrit, my secret is of great importance, and it even concerns my safety, so I must ask for more bargaining chips."

"Then... okay." She pursed her lower lip, her brows were slightly tangled, "I'll try, but my secret... may not satisfy you."

"I just want your honesty."

"Yes, my lord."

She pondered for a while, and said: "I have learned about witches, and I know a little bit of herbal medicine. But... I... I can't tell you who my teacher is, and I can't betray her."

Sure enough, Haiwen thought to himself, otherwise, how could she prepare poison to kill Master Charles?

"This counts as one." Haven said, "There are two more."

"I...I..." She twisted her lower lip with her fingers, her eyes flickering anxiously.After waiting for a while, she suddenly said, "I eat more than the average girl's home."

"Ah?" Hai Wen was stunned for a moment, "What is this?"

Isrit's fingers were all intertwined, and she lowered her head, as if she was confessing her sins in church. "Although I look very thin, but...but I don't know why, I have a good appetite, um, I don't know why! A normal girl eats one or half bread for a meal, but I..." She snapped Covering his face, he said in a nasal voice, "...but he can eat six."

Haven wanted to laugh but didn't dare to, for fear of hurting Estherite's self-esteem, "It's a good thing to be able to eat, the more you eat, the stronger you will be." He said.

"Please stop talking!" The girl lay on the table covering her face.

Haven continued: "There is one last one."

This time she was silent for a particularly long time.

After waiting for a while, Haiwen suddenly felt sympathetic to her, and thought to himself: Why don't I make things difficult for her.He was about to speak, but Estherite spoke first.

"My first period came earlier than the average girl, and..." She lowered her head, blushing to the point of bleeding, her expression was like a girl caught in a puppy love, "I started fantasizing about getting married when I was ten years old. The thing... and... I was thinking... wanting to have a healthy boy, I... I sometimes... at night..." Her voice became smaller and smaller, and she was almost crying at the end.

"Okay, that's enough." He didn't want to bully the little girl anymore, so he stopped.

Estelle nodded lightly, then stared at Haven.The smell of mushroom soup wafted through the room, and white grease condensed on the beef, and Hai Wen was also looking at her.

"Now it's my turn," he said. "My story is a bit outlandish, but I swear it's true."

"Israet nodded silently, "I'm all ears. ’ she said.

Hai Wen pondered a little, and said: "According to many myths and legends, after a person dies, the soul will not disappear, but will be reincarnated into a new person after losing memory. This is called reincarnation. Have you heard of it?"

"Isn't that a lie?" Estelle said.

"Mostly, but there are some really -- like me," Haven said.

"you?"

"Me." Hai Wen stood up holding the wine glass, he wandered restlessly at one end of the restaurant, thinking about how he should explain this matter to the other party.

"Not long ago, I was not Haven Ambleside. I had another name, Hai Liwen. My identity was not the current Mustang Town Judge. I lived in another distant country—or rather, Another world." Yes, another world, he couldn't help thinking of his former family and the familiar comfortable life when he said this.He took a sip of fruit wine.Very light and sour, distilled alcohol has not been invented in this place, and the winemaking technology in the Bay area is also very average, this wine is really not flavorful enough.

Estelle listened attentively without commenting.Haiwen continued: "Three days ago, my life ended. Logically speaking, I should go to heaven or go to hell, and then reincarnation, but what I experienced is completely different from the legend. Just a thought, I see I found myself in a darkened room. I became the Judge of Mustang, and I had his memory in my head, and I had a new name, Haven Ambleside; but also I had In the memory of my previous life, I am still the same as me in my previous life. Probably because the god of death is lazy, so I made this mistake."

"Thus, I have two identities, one is the evil judge, and the other is the familiar self in my previous life. Choose one of the two, of course I don't want to be a bad person - in this way, you can understand all this ? The one who saved you was not the judge, but me, a kind and stupid stranger."

She nodded, and then said: "My lord, I think this is incredible, I can't just... believe your story so easily... But..." She pondered, "But it's not impossible, because in history Similar things happened in the world. The legends of ancient gods enshrined by underground people come from other worlds. There is also the legendary Lich Hallitin. It is said that he came from 3000 years later. Your situation...is very similar." She nodded vigorously, "Well, it's not impossible."

Other outsiders?Haiwen thought to himself, that is to say, this kind of time travel is not a unique phenomenon?

"Let's eat first." He glanced at the solidified beef and said, "Do you need me to ask someone to heat it up?"

"No, it's okay." She scraped off the white grease with a knife and began to eat.

So Hai Wen also started to eat. In this world, the rich can eat meat, but the poor are not even qualified to hold a knife and fork.While eating, he began to think about the three questions at the beginning: Who am I?Where do I come from?Where am I going?

You can also change the way of asking: Why did I travel through time?What am I going to do when I travel across time?

He asked Isrit: "The ancient god and Lich Hallitin of the underground people, what did they do in history?"

"They have all prevented this world from being destroyed once, my lord." Isrit put down the knife and fork, and said, "The ancient gods of the underground teamed up with the wizards to create cold-resistant wheat and plague antidote, thus helping people hundreds of years ago to survive. After seven years of severe winters and great plagues, Hallitin used magic to help humans defeat the invincible dragon, and sealed the ancient dragon king on the remote Dragon Island—of course, these are legends, and I don’t agree with them. know the truth."

So, do I also have this kind of mission?His heart grew heavier.

At this moment, his servant rushed in and shouted loudly: "Your Honor! The young master of the Charles family has come and said he wants to settle accounts with you! We can't stop him!" Just after saying this, Hai Wen I heard the sound of footsteps, and then there was a shout downstairs: "Ambside, come out!"

Haiwen lifted up the tablecloth and said to Estelle, "You hide under the table first."

"Yes, my lord." She said and hid in.

A man with red head and swollen face rushed in and shouted: "Haven Ambleside! I need you to give me an explanation!"

This man is the young master of the Charles family, and like his father, he is a bully.He wore an expensive red satin robe, with gold ornaments on his hands and neck, combed a shiny moustache, and on his head a purple tall hat with gold trim and oiled feathers.Haiwen changed into the flattering tone of the judge from before, and said, "Oh! Master Charles, why are you here? I'm having dinner, do you want to..."

"You shit judge!" Charles grabbed a plate off the table and threw it on the floor, spilling the fish pie all over the floor. "What's the matter with you? Where's the bitch? I didn't mean you to chop her into pieces." Two halves?"

"Uh..." He was thinking quickly in his mind, and at this moment he had a quick wit, and said, "Oh, Master Charles, please be calm. I promised you that the girl must die, but not now, I I still want to use it for two days to execute her." He tried his best to play the despicable judge, but his expression was stiff and his speech was not smooth, "You... ah, look at how beautiful she is! I saw her in the execution ground When it was time... it was too hard! I just wanted to get her back to play for two days, and then kill her. If you die early, you will die, and if you die late, you will die. Don't worry, I won't treat that little bitch badly these days "Haven licked his lips with his tongue, "I will entertain her with some new ways to play."

Master Charles looked at him with disgust, and said, "Don't blame me for not warning you, this bitch killed my father! If you die by her hands..."

Haiwen recalled the memory of the judge, and said something that he would never say before: "Don't worry, I will take her hands and feet off and fuck her hard."

Charles was delighted to hear this, and he laughed profligately, and then said: "Do your own thing, Your Honor! As I said in advance, if you let her go, I will not spare you. Three days I want to see her dead body soon." He said and poked Haven's chest with his elbow.Then he laughed and left the room, until he was far away, Haiwen could still hear him and others laughing and cursing.

Seeing that guy left, Haiwen resumed his previous serious expression, and then said: "Please come out, Miss Estherite. The words I said before were so offensive, I really have no choice but to do so."

Estelle crawled out from under the table and said, "Are you really planning to save me?" She stared at the fish pies on the ground and said.

"Really. I'll arrange for someone to take you away..." Seeing Isrit picking up the fish pie on the ground, he couldn't help saying, "That thing is already dirty. If you want to eat it, I can ask someone to give it to you." You make new ones."

"No, my lord. You can eat it even if it's dirty. It's meat." She symbolically blew on the dirt on it, and arranged the fish pie on a plate. The meat that comes out of the stomach will also be eaten."

There is this joke in his memory, he really saw a hungry beggar licking the vomit on the ground.At this time, he couldn't help saying: "What if I can make every poor person eat meat? Will you support me?"

Isrit gave him a chest salute, and then said: "Then you are the benefactor of the whole town, and everyone is willing to do anything for you."

It shouldn't be difficult...but it won't be easy either. "You can go tonight, leave this small town, I will give you enough travel expenses, after that...you can only ask for luck."

Estelle looked into his eyes with sincerity, "My lord, I heard what Master Charles said to you - what will you do if I leave?"

"I said you were tortured to death by me."

"He won't rest until he sees a dead body."

"I'll just find a felon to fool around."