The gentle summer wind whispered through the Purple Spirit Mansion's Outer Grounds, sending dancing shadows across the courtyard. At its western edge, a modest stone altar stood in quiet repose, surrounded in a half-circle by a few dozen white-robed men and women.
Among them sat a gorgeous young woman, drawing more attention than the altar itself. The gentle breeze tugged at her long, inky-black hair as she gazed wistfully at the sky with beautiful orbs of red that shone brighter than the stars above. Her gaze drifted down to the altar. She blinked at the painting of a young man propped on the altar, so life-like it felt he might wink back at her.
Around her, men and women dressed in white sat, whispering in hushed tones, their gazes flickering towards her every so often.
'Two glances of pity, three glares of envy and twenty-seven leers of naked desire. Awesome! Totally feeling the support here, guys!' she thought sarcastically, rolling her eyes. A mischievous corner of her mind, brimming with schadenfreude, whispered to her; it is just one of the amazing perks of being a Jade Beauty in a world of cultivation…
'Xiao Hong, ah Xiao Hong, you sure lived it up, but left behind such a mess for me to deal with,' she silently cursed her predecessor, squashing any twinge of guilt.
Tucking a stray lock behind her ear, she let her mind wander half a day back: when 'he' suddenly woke up as Xiao Hong.
***
It was a fine evening in the Purple Spirit Mansion's City's Residential Area. The pleasant twitter of birds weaving into the light wind and cicadas chirped as dusk draped the courtyards in crimson - until the shriek of a banshee tore through the peace and quiet. Birds exploded into hasty flight and squirrels into a frantic dash for their lives - only to skitter back when they realised it was just their flatmate who'd gone crazy and not the world ending.
She had been acting a little crazy the past few days; muttering unintelligibly, pacing around the courtyard and biting her fingernails with such vigour it was a wonder she had any left. Now, it seems she'd finally snapped?
Inside the small two-storey courtyard house.
A girl bolted upright on her Cultivation Mat, as though her spine had been replaced with Sun Wukong's Ruyi Jingu Bang.
Indeed. The origin of the shriek was this very lass. And at this moment, she, or rather the soul currently occupying the body, found itself in a strange situation.
The girl brought a trembling hand up to her eyes. Her eyes widened into saucers.
Instead of the somewhat stubby fingers attached to a large, tanned and hairy extremity, the soul found instead a fair, dainty and distinctly feminine little oddity. Fingers, so delicate they might as well be glass sculptures, extended from the smooth and slender palm. The twilight of the dusk diffused through the webbing between those fingers, lending them a hint of fragility.
'T-this isn't a dream. I've.. I've really transmigrated.' She gaped as the revelation rang through her like a gong struck by an overly enthusiastic Monk.
A shiver ran down her spine. She staggered to her feet, hips swaying awkwardly. "Whoa!" One wrong move sent her ankle buckling; she scrambled to steady herself, knees quivering.
Every movement exaggerated the foreign, unsettling weight now pressing against her chest. Involuntarily, her hand jumped to her chest, only to recoil at a sensation wholly unfamiliar. Divine softness confirmed~! A rogue, completely inappropriate corner of her brain cackled in demented gaiety.
'And, and,' Wind seemed to drift past the hollow void between her legs - one she'd never known before. A cold dread seemed to settle in her newly oversized chest.
'I've transmigrated as a girl, too!'
Several moments later, her face scrunched up into a scowl! She thrust a delicate fist to the vast, uncaring sky, screaming, "Dammit, give me back my little brother!"
… Silence
The Heavens did not deign to respond.
Feeling a dull ache spreading through her shoulder, she gritted her teeth. From the delicate fist rose a lone and vulgar middle finger - a gesture that was very unbecoming of a young lady!
She spat with enough venom to poison a city: "Fuck you, Heavens!"
Yet, she received no response.
Apparently, the Heavens were too busy doing awesome, celestial things to even dignify her with a single thunderclap. It simply could not be bothered to respond to her pathetic, nonsensical actions.
She let her arm flop to the side helplessly. What else could she do?
Then her eyes lit up. Mh! She was a transmigrator, right? Naturally, she must have a System! That seems to be the standard nowadays, right? Every Main Character and their mother had one these days. Her mind raced, pulling from decades of... extensive research into questionable online novels; especially System novels - those were her favourite.
She might not get a "Supreme Heavenly Divine Infinite Super Immortal Demon God System", but a "Supreme Heavenly God System" was enough.
She was quite humble, after all!
"Um, hello? System…?" she whispered into the silence.
No glowing interface popped up. No chipper, disembodied voice of a System Genie. A painful minute ticked by, annotated only by the sound of her nervous breathing and the distinct lack of anything System-related.
"Er, then, Status Panel…?" Nothing.
"Erm, Character Screen…? Still no dice.
"Player Card? Heavenly Book?! Cheat Menu?!
"Anything?!"
Nothing. The silence seemed to mock her every attempt.
She flopped back down on her Cultivation Mat like a wet mop, "What the hell did I even expect? For some random omnipotent being to pop up and grant me three wishes to dominate the world and build a harem?"
Liars! The lot of them!
"Alright, no system." As a human who prided herself on adaptability, she threw aside the expectation of a convenient explanation. "What else do I have?" Taking a deep breath, she slowly let it go, trying her hardest not to cringe at the way her chest misbehaved.
After a short moment, it clicked - herself, of course! Her predecessor's memories, to be precise. This was the basic package most transmigrators received.
Fortunately, it seemed this transmigrator's starter package was not denied to her.
Almost as soon as she tried, she realised she could recall two distinct sets of memories. One was familiar, immediate - over two decades of a life lived on a world called Earth. Images flashed in rapid succession: the hum of a decent car; the sterile white walls of an office; the strange lump in his throat after friends conveniently forgot to invite him out; a well-paying job where colleagues gave him a wide berth; an apartment, well decorated but so, so empty…
Then, terror and a slow, slow darkness encroaching from all sides…
But it was the other set of memories that piqued her interest. These were the memories of a girl named Xiao Hong, who had lived almost nineteen years in this strange world. They weren't readily accessible. Sifting through them required a conscious effort, like browsing in the library for a book.
Slowly sifting through these memories, she came to a general understanding.
Her eyes snapped open, a guttural curse tore through the courtyard, almost triggering the second mass exodus of the day, "Of all things, why the fuck was I reincarnated as a Jade Beauty?!"
***
"Junior Sister Xiao, it is your turn." The gentle whisper of a young woman by her side brought her out of the painful reminiscence.
"Ah, Senior Sister. Forgive me, I let my mind wander," she said apologetically.
"It's okay, Junior Sister, I understand. It must be devastating to lose a close friend like this." The Senior Sister held her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze as if to comfort her, "He would be heartbroken to see you so."
Xiao Hong smiled, although it seemed a little melancholic. The Senior Sister's heart ached. She stood up, pulling her into a tight hug. She held her for several moments before whispering, "Be strong, Junior Sister Xiao."
She nodded and slowly made her way to the altar, her expression exuding a poignancy. Seeing the young woman so devastated, the surrounding people felt their hearts weighed down.
"Ha… It's unbearable to see her in such grief," someone whispered, "I wish there was something I could do to cheer her up…"
"Indeed, what wouldn't I do to make her smile just a little?" Another voice replied. "It would make my day."
Another disciple spoke, envy nearly coloured his face green, "Lin Fan was truly blessed to have a beauty like Junior Sister Xiao care for him so much."
"Damned Lin Fan! How dare he die?!" An idiot spoke up.
"Uhh…"
"My heart clenches every time I look at her…"
"Oh, you cultivate a strong Body Refining skill, huh?"
"Huh? What?"
"I mean, your heart must be really strong, right? Just look at how you're staring - a normal heart would've shrivelled into a grape by now!"
"Pfft. Right, right! I doubt he even blinked!"
"What kind of lame…"
"..."
"..."
What they didn't know was that the object of their pity, Xiao Hong, didn't really feel much for Lin Fan. 'She' hardly knew him, after all.
As she approached the altar, her eyes fell on the nearly photographic painting of the young man her predecessor had used as a shield. She muttered, "Lin Fan, huh?" Her stomach twisted in guilt - he'd risked much to shield Xiao Hong, only for some otherworldly soul to casually slip in.
It wasn't her fault, Xiao Hong knew that, but the guilt remained, nonetheless.
"You protected Xiao Hong with your life, but I took over her life. So, I suppose that would make me an enemy.
"But your beloved Xiao Hong? She left me with a mess the size of Mount fucking Tai! That would make me her enemy.
"So, let's call it even, yeah?
"May our karma burn away with this," she crouched, planting an unignited incense stick among many others into the soil under the painting. "Hope you find peace, buddy."
Then, after a short while, she returned to her seat.
"Ah. Her Karmic Entrustment was less than a minute and a half. That means they weren't Dao Companions," a young man whispered in excitement. The people surrounding him twitched their mouths violently. Buddy, that is what you were paying attention to?! Then, a moment later, their eyes sparkled. He isn't wrong, though…
Even Xiao Hong, who had just seated herself, was struck speechless. Then regret filled her. 'Should I have stayed a bit more? This "Dao Companion" might have been useful…'
***
A few hours later, dawn finally broke. As sunrise spilled gold across the altar, the crowd stood up and bowed together, and the planted incense sticks ignited.
A solemn voice intoned:
"May your Body, born of this Earth, return to it, seeding a thousand lives.
"May your Soul, unbound from the mortal coil, find Eternal Rest and the deepest Serenity.
"May your True Spirit, freed from the chains of Karma, find a bountiful Reincarnation."
The crowd repeated after him in a low murmur, "May your Body, born of this Earth…"
As Xiao Hong watched the thin tendrils of smoke curling upwards into the sky, a familiar warmth quietly enveloped her hand. The unknown Senior Sister offered her a comforting smile. Xiao Hong quickly turned away, afraid that she would give away her complete lack of grief and focused on the rising smoke.
Suddenly, a thought struck. Her eyes sparkled curiously, 'I wonder, though. What brought about the existence of this custom? How much of it is true?
'And if the 'True Spirit' bounces to a new body... What the heck happened to Xiao Hong's? Did she reincarnate? Or did my Earth-spirit just elbow it out of the way? Is her spirit floating around, giving me the stink eye?'
She really wanted - and needed - to know! Especially since it pertained to her status as a transmigrator.
In a world where a high-level Cultivator could literally rip your soul out of your body, she dared not dismiss the most outlandish of ideas.
Soon, the incense sticks all burned out, and disciples began to disperse slowly. Xiao Hong, wearing a carefully maintained façade of mourning, moved gracefully out of the courtyard.
Many "kind" onlookers lingered, slowing down to 'accompany' her, all with super 'pure' intentions.
But Xiao Hong's actual thoughts on their 'care' were completely different!
'Dammit, dammit, dammit! Why are these people moving so slowly?! Get lost already! I'm tired of this graceful, float-walk, alright?' she cursed, grit teeth hidden behind her sorrowful facade, 'Even if I am stuck in the body of a girl now, I don't wanna suffer like this - I wanna walk normally, for fuck's sake!'
It was already hard enough not to walk like she had bowling balls dangling between her legs! On top of that, she had to conceal that she was, in fact, a body‑snatcher from this parade of 'well-wishers'.
She could only pray to the Heavens that she did not faceplant into the ground, trying to… just walk.
Just then, a familiar warmth enveloped her hand.
"Junior Sister," the Senior Sister gently squeezed her hand, "Stay strong. A person like Senior Brother Lin must have moved on to a better life."
'Ahh…' Xiao Hong's irritation evaporated faster than a snowflake tossed into a blazing furnace. Holding hands with a pretty Senior Sister was a fantastic feeling!
Noticing Xiao Hong's shoulders relax, pity again welled in the Senior Sister, drawing her closer in a comforting hug.
'Aiya, so soft~!' Xiao Hong exclaimed inwardly, a light pink colouring her cheeks. This feeling was even better. It was super-mega-fantabulous! It took a monumental exertion of willpower not to snuggle even deeper into the Senior Sister's embrace. Even she was shocked that she could muster such immense willpower!
A short while later, Xiao Hong finally reached her home. She reluctantly left the Senior Sister's embrace and bid her farewell, reassuring her that she was just fine and that she just needed some time alone.
"Ugh, what a chore that was!" Xiao Hong groaned as she securely shut the door behind her, the mask of grief dropping instantly.
Sure, cuddling a pretty Senior Sister was fantastic, but she also had to be extra careful not to give anything away. In such proximity, who knew if her strange gait might give away something?
She had to concentrate part of her mind on trying to walk like a girl, a part to carefully maintain the facade of grief, and another part to carefully savour the embrace of the Senior Sister. The mental gymnastics required were utterly exhausting!
It was the second weirdest feeling she had experienced since her transmigration, which was saying a lot.
Flopping down on a recliner, she spread her legs out. A satisfied moan escaped her lips, "The good old-fashioned manspread is the Way." Who could survive the torture of sitting with knees demurely pressed together? It was just not compatible with her spiritual anatomy!
After a moment of comfortable sprawl, she glanced at the ceiling contemplatively. 'It has nearly been a whole day since my transmigration, huh?' A troubled groan escaped her throat, staring through the window at the azure sky, "Why a Jade Beauty, really?"
And not just any Jade Beauty. This was peak-tier. She was the deluxe, limited-edition, ultra-premium Jade Beauty model. Just the title she was unanimously 'awarded' by her Sect mates - The 'No.1 Beauty of the Outer Sect' - was enough to illustrate how pointlessly attractive she was.
Xiao Hong held her head, sensing the Headache Demon's malicious gaze.
Being outrageously attractive sounded nice, but this was the world of cultivation, where "Might makes right" wasn't just a saying; it was carved into the landscape in blood and framed with bones. Without power or status, it didn't take a genius to imagine the consequences.
Clearly, the original Xiao Hong had grasped this reality all too well, judging by her panic when her trusty meat shield, Lin Fan, had kicked the bucket.
Ding dong.
The familiar chime of a doorbell - really just the Array Formation's alert mechanism translated by her mind - interrupted her thoughts.
Xiao Hong glanced towards the window and frowned, 'Who the hell is visiting so early in the morning?' Ideally, she wouldn't face anyone until she mastered the subtle art of walking without reminding herself she no longer possessed the Enlargeable Heavenly Jade Stick.
She shrugged internally. Just ignore it. They'd go away.
Unfortunately for her, this unwanted guest was a little persistent.
Ding Dong.
'Which fucking ill-mannered piece of shit is so inconsiderate, troubling a mourning lady?!' cursed the obviously-not-mourning girl, stomping over to the front door.
Simultaneously, she forcibly summoned tears to her eyes and then rubbed them with her sleeves, but not perfectly, leaving subtle streaks. She pinched her nose lightly until it reddened convincingly.
By the time she was at the door, she was the perfect, Oscar-winning incarnation of the stereotypical weak female lead mourning her lost lover.
Xiao Hong opened the door a crack, peeking out tentatively, her slightly reddened eyes wide. It was almost as if she was afraid they wouldn't notice her magnificent 'state of mourning.'
Behind the door was a young man with black hair and eyes and a face as generic as they come. She had serious doubts she would even remember his face after he turned the other way. She sniffled slightly, her eyes flickering to the hilt of a Flying Sword strapped to his back. She asked meekly, "H-How may I help you, Senior Brother?"
The young man did not reply. He just... gaped.
A moment of awkward silence later.
"S-Senior Brother?" she repeated, slightly louder this time.
"Ah!" The man jumped slightly, breaking out of his reverie. His face reddened slightly before he cleared his throat, "Ahem. Junior Sister Xiao, I am here to notify you that your grace period is coming to an end. You will be assigned a compulsory task within half a year."
He handed over an intricately carved piece of Jade. "This is your Qi Imprint Token. Please imprint a strand of your Qi and hand it over to the Internal Affairs Hall within a month."
"Ah, yes. I understand." She was taken aback before nodding to indicate her understanding. The original had expected this. "Is that all?" she asked as she took the Qi Imprint Token.
"Additionally, I am here to deliver an invitation on behalf of Senior Brother Mo - he is hosting a friendly banquet for the Cohort of the Year of 1580. It will be on the first day of the month after the next."
He took out a beautifully decorated envelope from his sleeve and presented it to her.
"A banquet? What for? And will everyone from the Cohort attend?" Xiao Hong reached out to take the envelope, her heart skipping a beat. This 'Senior Brother Mo' was exactly the kind of person the original Xiao Hong had sought protection from.
"It is expected that mostly Third Stage Sky Spirit Senior Disciples will be attending," the man replied.
Xiao Hong's hand froze. An icy hand seemed to grab her heart, digging its chilly fingernails in. Her head snapped towards the young man, only to see his eyes almost brimming with pity.
"I-i-is that true?" Her voice quivered slightly.
The man nodded, despite the redundant question.
"I see…" she whispered.
"Since I have delivered the invitation, I shall take my leave," the man cupped his fist in a respectful salute and left quickly. He did not want anything to do with this situation.
Xiao Hong did not respond, too preoccupied with her thoughts.
Back inside, she shut the door behind her. She clenched her jaw. 'Of course, these damned bastards would attack like sharks smelling blood the moment the shark-cage named 'Lin Fan' disappeared.'
She leaned on the door, staring at the beautifully decorated invitation. This piece of paper did not mean anything; she could just ignore the invitation with the excuse of secluded cultivation or something. No, it was the intent behind the invitation that was the problem.
"Invitation to a banquet, my foot! It's practically a stamp emblazoned with 'private property of Senior Brother Mo'!" she cursed, throwing the invitation away as hard as she could. It fluttered uselessly to the floor.
How was she so sure? Simple. This was a banquet for hotshots - Third Stage Sky Spirit Disciples who had gathered together to rub elbows and form cliques. Who the fuck invites a mere lower Second Stage: Earthen Origin nobody like her to such an event?
Is it not just to subtly mark territory? Like: See this chick? She's mine, hands off.
"Damned Young Masters and their Jade Beauty fetishes! Is it too much to ask for basic human decency in this world?" she snarled, kicking the wall.
Back in her Cultivation room, she paced around it, "What should I do…?" The arrival of this invitation made it very clear that the bastard surnamed Mo had set his sights on her.
Rather than anger or frustration, the emotion that currently dominated her mind was… fear.
Her heart turned cold imagining what could happen if she truly fell into the hands of that Senior Brother Mo and he took his liberties with her. Even back on Earth, which had a society with half-decent morality, there were cases so horrific, it chilled her blood. In this savage world, where laws may not even be written on paper, she could barely conceive the atrocities that unchecked cultivators, drunk on their power, could commit.
And the worst part? She had no power to resist.
"No." She stopped in place and clenched her fist. "I have to do something about this." Forget about Young Masters, even the idea of being in a relationship with a man was utterly repulsive. She would bash her head into tofu and die.
She needed a plan, and fast.
***