At this moment, within the quiet confines of a private hospital ward, two nurses hurriedly rushed out of the room to consult the doctor in charge of the patient.
The clear blue sky stretched endlessly above, with golden sunlight streaming through the windows and falling gently upon the delicate figure of a beautiful, youthful girl—around seventeen years old—lying unconscious on the hospital bed.
Just two minutes earlier, the patient had shown signs of awakening during a routine check-up by a blonde-haired nurse. Startled and unprepared, the nurse had immediately alerted her colleague, and together they had gone in search of the attending physician also to inform the girl's family.
Back in the ward, tranquility lingered, broken only by the rhythmic beeping of a heart monitor.
The young girl on the bed fluttered her eyelashes, a soft but definite sign of regaining consciousness. Moments later, her eyes snapped open.
They were mesmerizing—brilliant blue pupils that shimmered like a slice of the sky itself, so captivating they seemed capable of pulling the heavens into them. Her once-clouded gaze gradually cleared as she took in her surroundings. She moved her neck slowly, examining the sterile white room, the IV drip in her left hand, and the monitor tracking her heartbeat.
There was no mistaking it—this was a hospital.
Interesting... it appears I've ended up in a weakened human body, she thought.
With calm composure, the girl sat upright. She reached over, carefully removed the IV needle from her left hand, and stepped out of the bed. Barefoot and graceful, she walked into the adjoining restroom.
Inside, she stood before the large mirror and gently raised her hands to her face, running her fingers over her skin, marveling at the delicate sensation of flesh—new and unfamiliar.
The reflection that greeted her was stunning. A young girl, no older than sixteen or seventeen, stared back. Her long, lustrous silver hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing her fair, unblemished face. Her sea-blue eyes sparkled beneath long lashes, accentuating a straight nose and pale rose-colored lips.
Who would have thought I'd possess such a beautiful body? she mused silently.
The girl in the mirror was no longer the original owner of the body, but the infamous and powerful entity from Hell known as Yama Steel—the only granddaughter of the King of Hell and guardian of the Gate of the Underworld.
Yama Steel had long grown weary of Hell's dull cuisine and lifeless environment. She had often declared her desire to escape to the human world to experience life, culture, and especially food. That opportunity had arrived far sooner than expected.
On the day she was set to guard the gates, she encountered the grieving soul of a young girl filled with overwhelming hatred and despair. Sensing an opportunity, Yama Steel struck a deal—she would take the girl's place in the living world to avenge her, in exchange for her body.
The deal had been successful.
And so, here she was—in the human world—inhabiting the body of a girl named Zhou Xue.
The original Zhou Xue had been a young lady of the Zhou family who had recently severed ties with them. During a heated argument in a shopping mall, she was pushed down a flight of stairs by Zhou Mu, the true daughter of the Zhou family. The dispute had begun with a simple question about Zhou Mu's last interaction with Zhou Xue's best friend, who had gone missing. Instead of receiving an answer, Zhou Xue was met with deadly violence.
The original Zhou Xue hadn't understood the reason behind Zhou Mu's agitation, but Yama Steel—now occupying her body—had centuries of experience reading the souls of the damned. She could see it clearly in the fragments of memory left behind: guilt, panic, and deception in Zhou Mu's eyes.
It was obvious—Zhou Mu knew something about the disappearance of Zhou Xue's best friend. And now, Yama Steel—reborn as Zhou Xue—would uncover the truth and exact justice.
Gazing at her reflection, Zhou Xue's eyes sharpened with resolve. She would fulfill the final wish of this body's original owner, and then she would pursue her true purpose: to live freely and taste everything life in the human realm had to offer.
During her time in Hell, Yama Steel had studied human culture extensively. She had consumed knowledge about food, entertainment, professions, and technology. Fascinated by the passion and vibrancy of human life, she had spent centuries preparing for this moment—mastering every known human discipline, becoming an unparalleled genius in secret.
Though the transition to this world had sealed much of her Hell energy, her soul space and her vast reserves of human currency remained intact. In Hell, physical bodies did not exist, so all power and knowledge were stored within the soul and could be gradually unlocked.
Each human world had its own form of currency. In this one, known as Blue Star, two main currencies existed: the blue coin and star cash. One thousand star cash equaled a single blue coin. A basic company worker earned between 100 and 200 star cash, while Ten blue coin could support an ordinary family for five years. The rich flaunted their wealth by possessing multiple blue coins.
As she accessed her soul space, Zhou Xue smiled faintly. The number displayed was staggering:
Human Currency: 99999999999999.999 HC
Her lips curled upward in satisfaction. This enormous fortune had been quietly amassed over a hundred years.
To put it into perspective, 1 HC was equivalent to 100 billion blue coins.
She no longer had to worry about survival or dependency. No arranged marriages from her grandfather. No political obligations. She could live freely and pursue her desires.
But first—she had a duty to the body she now possessed.
Zhou Xue stepped out of the restroom and returned to the hospital bed. Only a few minutes had passed, yet everything had changed. Her mind was now clear. She knew her priorities.
As she reached for the phone on the bedside table, hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway.
They stopped just outside her door.
A second later, the door burst open.
Zhou Xue calmly looked up—her gaze sharp and composed—as she prepared to meet the first of many uninvited guests.