Chapter 1
A drop of blood, drawn from a pricked fingertip, fell into the Blood Essence Pearl. Its pale red hue instantly deepened, swirling agitatedly with the addition of Chi Lin’s blood.
Chi Lin watched the changes within the pearl, uncertainty furrowing her brow.
Coughing, the Imperial Preceptor reached out to place the pearl into the Empress’s mouth.
“Allow me,” Chi Lin said, taking the pearl. She approached the ice coffin. The chill air struck her already numb face. It was cold, but the Empress’s body was colder still.
Gently pinching the Empress’s jaw, she opened her lips and slowly inserted the Blood Essence Pearl.
The pearl’s light was swallowed the moment the Empress’s lips closed. Gradually, color returned to her pale face. Chi Lin’s breath quickened.
Her Empress looked as if she were merely sleeping.
Chi Lin sat beside the ice coffin, gazing intently at the Empress.
This was their first reunion since their wedding night, and it was a meeting across the divide between life and death.
“Your Majesty,” the Imperial Preceptor said, “allow me to bandage your wound.”
Chi Lin flexed her fingers. “It’s just a small injury.”
The Imperial Preceptor glanced at her blood-soaked back and sighed. “I’m referring to Your Majesty’s other wound…”
Only then did Chi Lin register the pain.
She had expended half her life force just to return.
Chi Lin had been the Empress’s companion since the Empress was a princess. Similar in age, they met at the Imperial Academy and grew close during their studies at Taihua Palace. Two years after the Princess ascended the throne, she made Chi Lin her Empress.
Chi Lin was the first Empress to a female ruler since the founding of the dynasty. Yet, on their wedding night, she was accused of a crime, and her entire family was exiled.
Though soldiers escorted them, such a calamity befalling the Empress’s family was unprecedented.
Nearing Yizhou, Chi Lin received news of the Empress’s sudden death and a coup in the capital. She had always suspected foul play in her exile, and her suspicions were confirmed.
Disregarding everything, Chi Lin fought her way back to the capital.
The coup was in full swing. The capital was leaderless, with only a handful of loyal ministers desperately clinging to power.
Skilled in both literary and martial arts, and a seasoned warrior, Chi Lin infiltrated the Imperial Palace and found the Imperial Preceptor.
The Preceptor and the remaining ministers had endured for days, still unaware of the true mastermind behind the Empress’s murder. The apparent enemies were not the true enemies; the power-hungry culprit remained hidden.
Upon seeing Chi Lin, the Imperial Preceptor was astonished. “Your Majesty! How did you return?”
Hearing the address “Your Majesty,” Chi Lin’s suspicions solidified. Looking at the once magnificent palace, now stained with the fear and bloodshed, she gave a bitter smile.
“I should have known,” she said. “Her Majesty exiled me to protect my family.”
The Preceptor and the ministers prostrated themselves, weeping. “Her Majesty’s sacrifice is a testament to her devotion!”
“There’s no need to ask Heaven,” Chi Lin murmured, “I understand. But…”
But with internal and external strife, and the fall of the Empresss, what would become of Dayuan?
The Preceptor led her to the Empress.
The Empress’s body was preserved in an ice coffin within a secret passage in the palace.
From the moment she stepped into the empty passage, Chi Lin felt her blood turn to ice.
Seeing the Empress in the ice coffin, she had the fleeting illusion that the Empress would sit up and smile at her, just as she had countless times in the past.
But the Empress remained still.
“Her Majesty has passed. This is the truth.”
Chi Lin sensed something more in the Preceptor’s words.
“Her Majesty has been deceased for days,” she said, “yet there has been no official announcement, though rumors run rampant. Does the Preceptor have another plan?”
The Preceptor coughed incessantly. Already past seventy, with a head of silver hair, he seemed to have aged another ten years. He hadn’t even bothered to clean the stains on his robes.
He approached her, his eyes bloodshot.
“Indeed, I have a plan. General Chen has sent a secret message, dispatching 100,000 elite troops from Yubei to provide urgent support. This army is our last hope; we must strike decisively!”
“But we still have no clue who the enemy is…”
“We may not know, but Her Majesty does.”
Chi Lin was taken aback. She instinctively looked towards the Empress.
“Before Her Majesty was murdered, she attempted to write a character. But she collapsed before finishing the stroke and never woke up.”
Chi Lin pondered this. “Her Majesty must have sensed something. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have sent me away from the capital, away from danger. But what use is it if she knows everything? She is already…”
The Preceptor whispered something in Chi Lin’s ear. It took her a moment to process it. She looked at him with disbelief.
“The Soul-Chasing Secret Art? To pursue Her Majesty into her next life and uncover the truth?”
The Preceptor produced the Blood Essence Pearl. “It contains Her Majesty’s blood. If we add your blood, I can perform the Soul-Chasing Secret Art and send your soul to Her Majesty’s next life. If you find Her Majesty’s reincarnation and awaken her past life memories, you can learn the culprit’s identity, turn the tide, and save Dayuan!”
“Wait…” Chi Lin felt as though she were listening to a fantastical tale. “Soul-Chasing? Next life? Have you ever used this Secret Art, Preceptor?”
The Preceptor was honest. “Never. This forbidden art was passed down from my master’s master. It goes against the natural order, and those who use it are cursed. My ancestor died from this curse. The price is too high, so it is only used as a last resort. But now, with the kingdom on the brink of collapse, I have no other choice.”
“You will die if you perform this ritual?”
“Yes. My life will be forfeit, and Your Majesty’s safety is not guaranteed. I cannot guarantee the ritual’s success, or whether your soul will reach Her Majesty’s next life and return safely. No one who witnessed the ritual has lived to tell the tale. This journey will be fraught with peril. You may not find Her Majesty and instead lose your own life!”
The Preceptor’s voice grew sharper, echoing in the empty passage.
Chi Lin, however, had calmed down. “But this is Dayuan’s only hope. Our last shred of hope.”
Without hesitation, Chi Lin drew a dagger from her waist and pricked her finger.
“I will find Her Majesty. Even the slightest chance is enough for me.”
Tears welled in the Preceptor’s eyes. He knelt and kowtowed repeatedly. “Your Majesty is the closest person to Her Majesty. Only you can find her and restore her memories!”
Chi Lin helped him up. “There’s no need for such formalities, Preceptor. I made up my mind when I decided to return. To the Yellow Springs or the Azure Heavens, I will follow Her Majesty. This is my duty as her wife and subject.”
The Preceptor seemed to have something to say, but swallowed it back down.
No one knew how far into the future Chi Lin would travel, or what kind of era she would find.
They didn’t know the name, gender, or appearance of the Empress’s reincarnation.
The Preceptor could only confirm one thing: “Even without her past life memories, the soul remains the same. Some of Her Majesty’s characteristics might be retained. There might even be an identifying mark. You will have to discern these yourself. Your Majesty is proficient in both literary and martial arts, the youngest general and scholar in our history, and incredibly intelligent. This task will not be beyond you.”
As he spoke, the red light of the Blood Essence Pearl enveloped the Empress’s body, then erupted in a blinding flash that pierced the passage and shot into the night sky.
Chi Lin was nearly blinded, but the Preceptor seemed unaffected.
The red light faded, and the Empress’s body grew dim once more.
The Preceptor led her to Kunling Lake in the Imperial Garden.
“The passage to Her Majesty’s next life has been opened,” the Preceptor said. “You should have seen the light of the ritual. Only you can see it. A new star has appeared in the sky, beside the moon. Only you can see it. This star will guide you. Every three months, it will align with the moon. When the star and moon overlap, you can jump into any large body of water to return.”
Chi Lin saw the unfamiliar star in the night sky.
It was almost the brightest star in the heavens, clearly visible even next to the moon.
“One more thing, Your Majesty. I am only sending your soul. You will inhabit another’s body. You cannot choose this body; you will only know its identity once you are inside. Finding someone’s reincarnation in a vast sea of people will not be easy. Fortunately, no matter how long you spend in that life, you will return to this moment. Time is on your side. Please be patient in your investigation.”
The Preceptor’s words seemed rehearsed, as if he had anticipated Chi Lin’s return.
Whatever his intentions, Chi Lin was ready.
She looked at the icy surface of the lake in the dead of winter, took a deep breath, and jumped in without hesitation.
The ripples on the lake quickly subsided, leaving only the Preceptor.
He prostrated himself for a long time, then kowtowed, his wide eyes filled with blood.
“Only you can return from this abyss,” he murmured. “The fate of our century-old dynasty, the lives of countless people… I entrust them all to you…”
A bolt of lightning struck from the sky, hitting the Preceptor directly.
He turned to ash, kneeling by Kunling Lake, never to move again.
.
The lake was colder than Chi Lin had imagined.
She hugged herself tightly, sinking deeper.
The lake seemed bottomless, yet she felt no suffocation. Instead, she began to breathe.
Not with her nose, but with every inch of her skin.
A light emanated from the depths of the lake. Chi Lin’s spirits lifted, and she swam towards it.
The moment she touched the light, she felt herself falling, the scenery around her completely transformed.
She was suspended in mid-air, about to plummet. She reached out and grabbed something, regaining her balance.
“She’s there! After her!”
Besides the whistling wind, she heard shouts and the clash of weapons.
She found herself in a dense forest, clinging to a thick branch.
The sounds of pursuit grew closer. She could almost smell the metallic scent of blood and steel.
Planting her feet on the trunk, she pushed off the branch, not stopping to examine the body she now inhabited. Survival was paramount!
With that push, she soared through the air, landing precisely on a thicker branch.
She kicked off again, launching herself into the canopy. The view suddenly opened up.
She hadn’t realized she could jump so high. The forest stretched below her, a sea of green under the moonlight.
In the distance, city lights twinkled beneath a huge, orange-yellow moon.
The moon was so large it startled her. She had seen countless moons, but none as bright and immense as this.
And the buildings in the distance… they seemed strangely familiar.
Could it be that she hadn’t traveled very far into the future?
The assassins pursued relentlessly, and Chi Lin darted through the forest.
This body was even more agile than her own, its movements incredibly swift.
Three figures emerged, blocking her path. Chi Lin had no choice but to fight.
Wielding twin blades, she slashed through the air, leaving trails of light.
Each strike was fluid and powerful. She realized she had inhabited the body of a martial arts expert, holding her own against nearly ten opponents!
But every time she struck an enemy, strange symbols appeared, puzzling her.
Chi Lin fought with increasing excitement, reveling in the power of this body.
She kicked the last assassin, perhaps a little too hard, and felt a twinge in her ankle.
The assassin scrambled away. Ignoring the pain, she gave chase, wanting answers. She grabbed the assassin by the scruff of the neck.
The assassin turned, about to launch a hidden weapon. Chi Lin anticipated it, dodging the projectile and punching the assassin in the face.
“Who sent you to kill me?! Speak!”
“What the f*ck… my eye!”
The assassin didn’t speak, but Chi Lin heard a sudden, jarring voice.
A sharp pain throbbed in her temple, as if something had been ripped from her brow.
The scenery around her shifted abruptly.
The forest, buildings, giant moon, and assassins vanished. Before her stood a man in his early twenties, clutching his eye, his face contorted in pain. His hair was cut in a strange, short style. His clothes were thin and shabby, one sleeve seemingly torn, exposing his forearm.
Chi Lin was still gripping his collar. Around them, numerous people dressed similarly stared at her with fear, slowly edging closer.
One of them whispered, “Miss, let’s talk this out. Don’t fight in the internet cafe.”
Whispers filled the air:
“Did she lose it playing games…?”
“Another one who can’t tell the difference between VR and reality. She’s gone crazy.”
Chi Lin looked around. She was in a large room filled with rows of tables with large glass screens. Bright lights flashed within the screens, as if tiny people were trapped inside.
Sliding chairs, short-haired men, women with long, flowing hair and bare legs, and even people whose gender she couldn’t immediately discern…
Chi Lin had arrived in a very strange era.
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