Da Chu Kingdom, First Year of Jingren, March 27th, Beginning of Summer.
“Waaah…”
With a piercing cry, Song Shiyue came into the world.
“She’s born! She’s born!”
“Congratulations, Madam! My felicitations, Madam! It’s a very beautiful Qianjin.”
The midwife cleaned the newborn while offering auspicious words.
The beautiful woman on the bed said weakly, “Quick, bring her for me to see.”
The midwife swiftly swaddled the infant and brought her before the lovely lady.
The baby in the swaddling clothes had rosy, plump cheeks and was utterly adorable, clearly destined to grow into a great beauty.
The beautiful woman gazed at her with tender affection just as the baby opened one eye.
Song Shiyue had successfully reincarnated. She strained to open her eyes wide, trying to see her parents and living environment in this life.
Unfortunately, a newborn’s eyesight is poor, and her vision remained quite blurry.
She closed her eyes, let out a delicate yawn, and reopened them. In her hazy sight, she locked eyes with the beautiful woman who had leaned in close.
She seems quite beautiful and gentle—is she my new mother?
Song Shiyue stretched her lips forcefully in greeting.
“Ah! Madam, look—the young miss is smiling. She has a pleasant disposition.”
Hearing the voice, Song Shiyue tilted her head, attempting to see her surroundings clearly. Sadly, all she could make out was the midwife’s glittering golden hair bun. Within her blurred vision, everything appeared classically elegant.
Recalling that someone had just referred to her as Qianjin, Song Shiyue deduced that this was a prosperous household.
Her family in her previous life had also been well-off, and she had lived carefree until a viral cold led her to reincarnate anew.
The heavens must have heard her parents’ wishes, allowing her to be reborn into another wealthy family to continue a life of comfort.
Satisfied, Song Shiyue curled her lips, eviting even more doting from the beautiful woman.
“My little darling is so clever.”
Just then, a young woman’s voice said, “Madam, the master is waiting anxiously outside. He bid this servant to bring the young miss out for everyone to see.”
“Go ahead!” The madam’s voice was laced with exhaustion and weakness.
The newborn Song Shiyue was picked up by a pretty maid, and a strange fragrance wafted past her nose.
Before she could meet her biological father, she succumbed to drowsiness and instantly fell asleep.
When she opened her eyes again, Song Shiyue had woken from hunger. She opened one eye to find herself in pitch darkness, held in a man’s arms.
A voice sounded beside her, “Freckle Face, just leave her here!”
“No! The master ordered her to be dumped deep in the mountains, preferably to be eaten by wolves.”
Song Shiyue strained to open her eyes wide, trying to see the man holding her. Hazily, what came into view was a large mole with black hairs growing from it.
What’s going on? Wasn’t I being taken to meet my father? How did I end up here?
Song Shiyue opened her mouth to ask, but what emerged was an earth-shattering cry.
In the dead of night, the sudden wail startled the man holding her, causing him to stumble forward violently.
“Freckle Face, are you alright?”
The servant beside him quickly steadied the pockmarked man, preventing Song Shiyue from being flung away.
Rustling sounds came from the woods nearby, making both men tremble with fear.
“Freckle Face, my legs are weak. Let’s hurry back.”
The speaker’s teeth chattered, his voice shaking.
Freckle Face looked down and found Song Shiyue staring at him with both eyes.
“Mother of mercy!”
Freckle Face was badly startled and immediately threw Song Shiyue to the ground. Despite the thick grass cushioning her fall, Song Shiyue was jolted so severely she nearly suffered a concussion.
“Every grievance has its source, every debt its debtor. Young lady, please don’t blame us brothers. It’s all because of your unfortunate fate.”
“That’s right, that’s right! If you must blame anyone, blame Ru Furen. She’s the one who harmed you. This has nothing to do with us brothers.”
Freckle Face shot him a sidelong glance. “Don’t speak nonsense.”
“Brother Freckle, if the young lady really dies, I don’t want her vengeful spirit coming after me.”
Another rustling sound echoed through the forest.
Too terrified to stay any longer, Freckle Face and his companion turned and fled.
Song Shiyue was furious! Whom had she offended to be harmed like this upon arriving in this world?
Her angry shouts turned into an infant’s cries, sounding eerily terrifying in the empty mountain forest, making the two men scramble down the hill in panic.
After an unknown length of time, footsteps approached.
Nearly hoarse from crying, Song Shiyue sobbed intermittently: Please, someone, come save me!
A dusty-looking, seemingly mad Taoist appeared before her.
…
Time holds no meaning in the mountains, where winters pass unnoticed.
In the blink of an eye, fifteen years had passed since Song Shiyue arrived in this alternate world of Da Chu Kingdom. She lay lazily on a tree branch, utterly bored.
…
The scorching noon sun blazed overhead.
On the rugged mountain path, a speeding carriage suddenly appeared, startling birds from the roadside woods and sending small animals scattering from their shady resting spots.
The carriage had no driver, and fresh blood gushed from a wound on the bay horse’s hindquarters.
Song Shiyue lazily opened her eyes just in time to see the carriage careening wildly along the mountain path.
The carriage swayed violently from side to side before crashing into a protruding boulder and completely falling apart. The bay horse also collapsed, unable to rise.
A man in luxurious robes tumbled out from the wrecked carriage onto the ground.
There was actually someone? She swiftly flipped down from the tree and rushed over.
The man had multiple wounds all over his body, particularly a deep gash on his inner left thigh where the flesh was torn open, revealing bone. Checking his breath, she concluded, “No pulse. What an ill-fated soul.”
Scanning the man, Song Shiyue spotted a crystal-clear jade pendant hanging from his waist and unceremoniously took it. Her eyes then caught the jade thumb ring on his thumb, which she promptly pulled off.
“Sir! Every grievance has its source, every debt its debtor. Whoever harmed you, go seek them out. Consider these possessions your burial expenses.”
She rummaged through the man’s clothes and found two exquisitely crafted money pouches. One contained over a dozen gold leaves, the other held a stack of silver notes along with some loose silver.
“Young master, considering you died a meaningful death, this lady will give you a proper burial.”
Counting the gold and silver notes, Song Shiyue couldn’t help but break into a money-grubbing smile.
Suddenly, a weak male voice spoke up, “Miss, I haven’t breathed my last yet. I’m afraid you won’t be able to profit from this death.”
“Good heavens! A corpse coming back to life?”
Song Shiyue was startled by the sudden voice.
Steadying herself, she reached out again to check the man’s pulse. “He’s actually revived!”
He must have been knocked unconscious from the fall earlier. She pressed several xue points to stop the bleeding, then with a flip of her hand, slipped a pill into the man’s mouth.
“This medicine of mine is a miraculous cure worth ten thousand gold. Consider yourself lucky I’m giving it to you, thanks to those gold and silver notes.”
The man was powerless to resist. The pill dissolved instantly upon entering his mouth, a cooling sensation gradually seeping into his internal organs, soothing the fiery pain in his viscera.
It was truly a top-grade medicine. In these desolate mountains and wild forests, what kind of person would carry such excellent medicine with them?
A sense of vigilance rose within him, but before the man could ask any questions, he fainted due to his severe injuries, causing Song Shiyue to miss the murderous intent in his eyes.
The commotion from nearby reminded Song Shiyue that someone was approaching. It was unclear whether they were coming to rescue the man or to kill him.
To ensure the man’s rescue without causing trouble for the mountain villagers, Song Shiyue walked to the side and pushed the shattered carriage off the cliff, creating the illusion that he had fallen.
Effortlessly hoisting the man over his shoulder, he strode swiftly into the forest.