Fu Yu stumbled and fell. When she got up, she found herself surrounded by swirling clouds of colorful stardust, with countless stars twinkling like the shimmering surface of water under the sunset.
As Fu Yu wondered where she could possibly be, a young woman’s voice suddenly echoed from an unknown direction: “Your name is Fu Yu.”
Fu Yu glanced around but saw nothing except the vast expanse of stars. “Who are you? How do you know my name? Where are you? And where is this place?”
The voice replied, “I am the spirit of the Fusheng Jade. This is the Realm of Fusheng, the repository of Qing Yao’s past, her desires, her hatred, her grievances, and her resentments. Since the day I came into existence alongside Qing Yao, you are the first person to enter here.”
“The spirit of the Fusheng Jade?” Fu Yu finally understood. So Qing Yao had always worn the jade at her waist. She recalled that day in the cave when she had returned with buns and unexpectedly encountered Qing Yao, who had almost struck her down with her sword. That time, Qing Yao had left and then returned to the cave, apparently to retrieve the jade pendant she wore.
The jade spirit said, “Since you’ve managed to enter, perhaps it’s a fortunate opportunity. Do you wish to leave? If you can help me with one task, I will let you go.”
“What task?”
“Plant a seed of love in Qing Yao’s past self.”
“What? What do you mean? What is Qing Yao’s past self? And what is this seed of love?” Despite Fu Yu’s extensive experience with fantasy dramas, she couldn’t quite grasp the jade spirit’s meaning. Didn’t Qing Yao cultivate the Path of Emotionlessness? Why would she need a seed of love?
The jade spirit explained, “As you know, Qing Yao follows the Path of Emotionlessness. Most believe that to achieve the Great Dao, one must sever all emotions and attachments. Yet they do not realize that the desires and obsessions rejected by this path, if not resolved and transcended, can coalesce into a spirit of desire. Few practitioners of the Path of Emotionlessness ever ascend because, at the critical moment of ascension, they are defeated by this spirit of desire.”
A spirit of desire? Fu Yu remembered what Xiao Mei had said about “Zhuo Yao.” “Has Qing Yao’s spirit of desire already formed?”
“Yes, and haven’t you already encountered it?”
Fu Yu exclaimed in surprise, “You know about that?”
The jade spirit chuckled. “Of course. I know everything. Qing Yao’s past resides within me.”
Fu Yu suddenly felt as if she were in an awkward, mortifying situation, like an actor meeting their audience face-to-face.
The jade spirit continued, “That was the first time Qing Yao’s spirit of desire emerged. Even Qing Yao herself was unaware of it. Do you know how it managed to break through her consciousness? The moment you appeared outside the cave, her spirit of desire caught your scent. To it, your aura is a fatal temptation, just as her scent is to you.”
Fu Yu understood now: she had been the trigger for Zhuo Yao’s appearance.
“Fu Yu, go now. Step into Qing Yao’s past and plant a seed of love within her.”
Bewildered, Fu Yu asked, “How do I plant it? What if I fail? Will you not let me leave then?”
The jade spirit replied calmly, “Of course not, not until you succeed. But I must warn you: if your spirit remains separated from your body for too long, your physical form will perish.”
Fu Yu felt utterly defeated. What choice did she have but to accept this quest? “What do I need to do?”
The Jade Spirit said, “I will allow you to enter Qing Yao’s past. You must make her fall in love with you. Since you are merely a strand of divine consciousness, once you enter this realm, you will descend into someone from the past and act in their stead. As for whom you will inhabit, that depends on your fate, perhaps destiny has already ordained it. Now, go.”
As soon as the Jade Spirit finished speaking, the surrounding stars shifted abruptly. Fu Yu felt a sudden emptiness beneath her, as if she were plummeting into an endless abyss. When she steadied herself again, she had no idea where she was.
She looked around. This time, it was no longer a starry night sky. The sun shone overhead, surrounded by green mountains and serene blue waters, clearly, she was in an unfamiliar wilderness.
Glancing down at herself, she noticed her clothes were no longer the ones she had been wearing. The fabric was pink brocade, embroidered with exquisite patterns, clearly high-quality attire. She ran her hands over herself from head to toe, hairpins with feathers, pearls, jade ornaments, tinkling pendants, just by touch, she could tell this outfit was expensive.
She hurried to the riverbank to look at her reflection in the water. Sure enough, the image staring back was that of a young lady from a wealthy family. But the face was still her own.
She had no idea whose body her consciousness had inhabited.
As she stood by the water lost in thought, a frantic cry suddenly came from behind her: “Princess! Princess!”
Fu Yu turned to see a young girl with twin buns rushing toward her, panting and excitedly exclaiming, “Princess, we caught it! We’re just waiting for you to deal with it now!”
Fu Yu was utterly bewildered. Princess? Good heavens, is my luck this good? I’ve actually landed in the body of a princess?
But what was happening now? Who was this girl? And what had they caught?
Still confused, Fu Yu obediently followed the young girl away from the riverbank and into a nearby bamboo grove.
Inside the grove, she saw a group of uniformly dressed men, resembling a squad of guards.
Upon seeing her, the guards bowed in unison: “Princess.”
Fu Yu stumbled in shock, nearly overwhelmed by the grandeur. Being a princess is truly impressive.
Heaven had treated her well. With this status, no matter where Qing Yao was in this realm, she could mobilize her attendants to search for her effortlessly. Moreover, with such a wealthy identity, pursuing Qing Yao would be much easier.
Behind the guards was a large pit. The young girl pointed toward it and led her over. “Princess, it’s inside.”
Fu Yu wondered if this princess had been hunting some wild game in the grove.
As she approached the pit and peered down, Fu Yu was startled.
It wasn’t a wild boar or bear inside, it was a person, and a woman at that.
The woman had her back to Fu Yu, her long hair cascading like a waterfall. She wore snow-white robes, now stained with mud from the fall, and dried bamboo leaves clung to her hair.
The young girl grinned and said, “Princess, look, she’s right there. Now she’s completely at your mercy, you can deal with her however you wish.”
Fu Yu remained baffled.
The young girl haughtily called out to the woman in the pit, “Turn around! Our princess is here.”
At her words, the woman in the pit slowly turned around.
Fu Yu stared intently. The woman had snow-white skin and pale lips. Though she possessed peach-blossom eyes, her gaze felt as cold and emotionless as winter’s deepest frost.
Fu Yu was stunned, her eyes nearly popping out of her head.
Th-this… Qing Yao?
Why would the princess capture Qing Yao?
Does she hold some grudge against Qing Yao?
Oh no, oh no… Could it be that my consciousness has ended up in the body of Qing Yao’s enemy?