Chapter One: Reborn Ten Years Ago

Legend has it that when a person dies, the scenes of their life flow past their eyes like a river. She never believed it before, but now, Wei Zi was convinced.

She saw her entire life unfold from the perspective of an observer: her childhood wrapped in love, a gentle mother, an always busy father—a happiness so bright, yet so fleeting. At ten, her mother died, the family fortune seized by her father. She faced turmoil at home. At fourteen, her grandfather died of heartbreak; just a year later, her father's mistress entered the house, bringing two daughters bearing his blood, both older than herself.

It was only then she realized everything had been her father's conspiracy, a web of lies.

At sixteen, just as Wei Zi was about to come of age and claim her rightful inheritance, she was set up, raped, and disfigured. If not for her awakening to the mysterious body, she would never have survived that year.

Then followed a decade as a mercenary; she lived with relentless strength, all for the day she would kill those people, avenge herself—revenge was her only purpose.

Yet, in the end, she died. Her entire existence was steeped in hatred, her efforts fruitless, no matter how hard she tried, nothing ever changed.

Wei Zi closed her heavy eyes, bitter and unwilling.

If only there were another chance...

...

"Wei Zi, Wei Zi, wake up! Don't scare me!" A soft, urgent voice sounded at her ear, the gentle shake rousing the dizzy Wei Zi from her stupor.

She opened her eyes; the glaring sun blinded her, and she turned her head to avoid it. The scent beside her—tinged with tobacco and sweat—brought her abruptly to full consciousness.

"She's awake, she's awake!" Another voice, a boy's, cracked with the peculiar tone of adolescence, echoed from above, his chest vibrating right next to her ear. She could easily guess it was the person holding her.

Wei Zi realized she was surrounded by three youthful faces. In that instant, she felt as if she were dreaming.

How could these three appear together before her?

Page (1/3)

Anxious Zhou Xiaoya, relieved Wang Ling, and Jin Xue'er, whose concern was only superficial and whose actual annoyance was barely concealed.

And they were ten years younger than she remembered them—how could that be possible!

Wei Zi looked at Zhou Xiaoya, her heart aching dully. This must be a dream, otherwise how could Zhou Xiaoya be here? She had been gone for ten years, her memory of her faded into mist.

Even after a decade of mercenary hardship, Wei Zi’s cold, hardened heart softened. Her eyes grew hazy, but not a single tear fell. Her eyes had been dry for too long.

"Whew! Wei Zi, you scared me to death. Are you alright? Can you stand?" Zhou Xiaoya helped Wei Zi sit up. The sensation—that was no dream.

How could it be? Was she not dreaming? Had she not died?

"Honestly, Miss, you’re too delicate. It’s only a bit hot and you fainted!" Jin Xue'er curled her lip, her gaze full of disdain and annoyance that Wang Ling’s attention was now entirely on Wei Zi.

"That's not true, Wei Zi’s always been healthy! Ah! Could it be the awakening serum? She fainted right after the injection—what a coincidence! Could it have triggered an abnormal reaction?" Zhou Xiaoya cried out in worry.

Listening to Zhou Xiaoya’s defense and Jin Xue'er's scorn, Wei Zi suddenly found the scene strikingly familiar.

Wang Ling, Zhou Xiaoya, Jin Xue'er, fainting, awakening serum—

In a flash, it was as if someone struck her head with force; memories surged up.

This was the scene after she graduated from the junior academy at sixteen!

Wei Zi’s face changed sharply. She touched the beautiful pale blue crystal communicator at her waist. Now, it seemed so fragile—only the pampered youths living in the secure Imperial Capital would use such things.

Her trembling fingers unlocked the communicator, checking the date, and shivered from head to toe.

Year 356, June 18th, Huatian Calendar!

Yes—this wasn’t year 366. She had truly returned, back to ten years ago.

Quickly, she activated the communicator’s projection. Her own face reflected in the air.

Page (2/3)

On the image, a fair-skinned girl appeared, her black hair cascading to her waist, crisp bangs framing her face, two gem-like eyes embedded in a palm-sized visage. The perfect curve needed no adornment; her eyes, dark as ink, now glistened with excitement, veiled in mist, making her even more striking, the light in her gaze shimmering like ripples on water.

She touched her cheek; her skin was as delicate as a baby’s, creamy and soft, impossible not to love.

A straight nose, soft pink lips.

All together, the features formed a standard of absolute beauty.

This was her face—the peerless beauty she lost after sixteen!

She stared dumbly at the projection until a mocking voice nearby broke the trance: "Wei Zi, are you really that vain? It’s just fainting, and Wang Ling is holding you—are you afraid you’ll ruin your looks? Look how nervous you are!"

"Xue’er, don’t say that. Wei Zi might have other things on her mind," Wang Ling interjected, unable to bear Jin Xue'er’s harshness, though his gaze was odd; Wei Zi’s actions had indeed been strange.

But Wei Zi didn’t retort. Instead, she burst out laughing.

"Not disfigured? I’m not disfigured!" Wei Zi spoke with a hint of madness. Sixteen had brought her so much pain.

"Wei Zi, don’t scare me—what’s wrong?" Zhou Xiaoya hugged her tightly, anxious.

Wei Zi recovered from her delirium, looked at Zhou Xiaoya, and her eyes softened.

She was back—how wonderful! This lifetime, she would let no regrets remain.

Including... Zhou Xiaoya.

In her previous life—let’s call it that—at sixteen, after the mandated awakening serum injection by Huatian law, she fainted outside due to the rapid awakening. And on that very day, Zhou Xiaoya was wounded by a mutant beast; only half her body was recovered. Her beautiful youth was cruelly cut short.

"Let’s go back and check, Wei Zi," Zhou Xiaoya said, biting her soft lip, her eyes full of concern.

"I’m alright, Xiaoya!" Wei Zi grasped Zhou Xiaoya’s hand and stood up herself, an undercurrent flashing in her gaze. In her last life, it was precisely because of this—Zhou Xiaoya, worried, returned with her to the awakening lab. Unexpectedly, several wild beasts, insufficiently sedated, escaped their cages. Zhou Xiaoya pushed her out of harm’s way, only to be pierced through by a beast, thrown to the ground, her head shattered beneath their trampling. That scene haunted Wei Zi in her weakest moments, a nightmare that invaded her soul.

This time, she would never make the same mistake again. She would reclaim everything.