When faced with overwhelming odds, the clever mortal learns to bend like bamboo rather than stand rigid like oak. Flexibility, not force, ensures survival.
—Master Lin Feng, Scale of Heaven and Earth
Xiulan drifted into consciousness, enveloped by silk sheets and the subtle aroma of sandalwood incense. Every muscle protested as she pushed herself upright. Clean white bandages wrapped her injuries, and a light chemise replaced her heavy robe.
The ornate furniture and jade decorations surrounding her belonged in an honored guest chamber, not the modest servant quarters she typically occupied. This doesn’t make sense... unless...
The mory of confronting her sisters before the gathered officials surfaced. Lord Lin’s thunderous reaction. Of course—appearances mattered more than anything.
Her improved treatnt served his face, not her comfort. It left a bitter taste.
How long will this last? Madam Zhang and her daughters wouldn’t let the slight pass. She was sure they’d already be plotting their revenge.
A golden bell-pull cord hung beside the bed, its purpose clear. Xiulan tugged it, sending a gentle chi echoing through the room.
The silence shattered as two junior servants burst through the door. Their unfamiliar faces bead with eager attention.
"Miss Lin! You’re awake!" The first servant bowed deeply. "Do you need water? Tea perhaps?"
"Should we fetch the physician?" The second servant stepped forward. "Or would you prefer to break your fast first?"
Xiulan blinked at the rapid-fire questions. "I... water would be fine."
The door creaked again as another maid entered, carrying fresh linens. Sothing about her struck Xiulan—the way she moved, the slight tilt of her head. mory stirred like ripples in still water.
"i Chen?" The na slipped from Xiulan’s lips.
The maid greeted her with a smile. "Miss Xiulan?"
"Could I speak with i Chen alone?" Xiulan addressed the other servants.
The two exchanged surprised glances, but nodded. "Of course, Miss Lin." They shuffled out, closing the door behind them.
"Miss Xiulan, are you feeling well?" i Chen clutched the linens to her chest. "You seem... different."
"Do you know what happened?" Xiulan adjusted herself against the pillows.
"Yes, Miss." i Chen set the linens aside. "But please, don’t provoke Madam Zhang or your sisters further. They’ll seek revenge."
"I know that all too well." Xiulan traced the edge of her bandage. "But what choice did I have? They tried to eliminate . I just defended myself."
i Chen’s hand flew to her mouth. "Surely they didn’t try to... to..." The words died in her throat.
Xiulan reached out to pat i Chen’s arm. "Can I trust you?"
"Of course!" i Chen straightened. "You’ve always shown kindness. You’re my friend, Miss Xiulan."
The embrace ca naturally as she pulled i Chen close. "Thank you for being here."
A strange disconnect washed over Xiulan. The mories of Li i clashed with her current reality. Was it right to leverage Xiulan’s relationships like this? But these mories, this body, this life—they belonged to her now, too.
Right? It was all so very confusing. But no matter what, she felt warmth toward i Chen and Zhang Wei, so what was wrong with that?
i Chen pulled back and pressed her forehead against Xiulan’s. "Are you truly well? You seem disoriented."
"Just shaken." Xiulan attempted a weak laugh. "I need to know what’s happened since I lost consciousness. How long was I asleep?"
"Two days, Miss. Doctor Jin visited daily to treat you. He predicted you’d wake soon."
Two days. Xiulan’s mind raced through calculations. Tomorrow marked the last day of Madam Zhang’s banquet. Ti pressed against her like a physical weight.
"What date is it?" Xiulan gripped the silk sheets tighter.
i Chen frowned. "The fifteenth day of March, Miss Xiulan."
Spring. She had guessed right, before. The cherry blossoms visible through the window seed to confirm it as well.
"And the year?"
"Kingdom Chronicle Year 885." i Chen sat down on the side of the bed.
Xiulan blinked rapidly. The words echoed in her mind, refusing to make sense. "Kingdom Chronicle Year?"
"Miss Xiulan, are you well?" i Chen reached toward her forehead.
"Where..." Xiulan swallowed hard. "Where exactly are we?"
"In Lord Lin’s manor, of course. In Blackre city."
"Yes, but Blackre is part of...?"
"The Ducal Province of Aeris." i Chen wrung her hands. "In the Kingdom of Arinthia. Should I fetch Doctor Jin Wei? You seem unwell."
Each na struck like a physical blow.
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Kingdom Chronicle Year. Aeris. Arinthia. The familiar terms belonged to Li i’s mories, not Xiulan’s. They were nas from Phoenix Kingdom Chronicles —the ga she’d loaded just before stepping out for that fatal drink. The ga she’d spent countless hours playing whenever she had free ti.
The throbbing in her head intensified as two sets of mories warred within her mind. The modern world of Li i clashed violently against the dieval reality of Lin Xiulan.
What the absolute fuck? The coincidence stretched beyond belief. Phoenix Kingdom Chronicles had sohow beco her reality—or she’d lost her mind completely.
"Miss? Miss?" i Chen shook Xiulan’s shoulder. "You’re scaring ."
Xiulan patted i Chen’s arm and exhaled slowly. "I apologize for worrying you. The confusion from waking up... it’s passing now." She managed a small smile. "I’m just grateful you’re here with ."
"Of course, Miss Xiulan." i Chen straightened the bedding. "Doctor Jin left specific instructions for when you woke."
"Oh?" Xiulan shifted against the pillows.
"Yes. He insisted you get cleaned up and start with a light soup to rebuild your strength."
A growl from Xiulan’s stomach punctuated the suggestion. "That sounds perfect. Could you inform the other maids to notify Doctor Jin?" She smoothed the silk sheets. "And perhaps arrange for that soup?"
"Right away!" i Chen bead. "Should I help you wash and dress?"
"Please." Xiulan swung her legs over the bed’s edge. The prospect of food awakened a fierce hunger she hadn’t noticed before.
i Chen darted from the room with quick steps. She returned monts later and guided Xiulan through ornate wooden doors into an adjoining washroom. Steam rose from a large wooden tub, and the scent of jasmine oils perfud the air.
Red crystals glowed at the bottom of the tub, their warm light rippling through the clear water. Firestones. Of course.
This isn’t just historical China—it’s Phoenix Kingdom Chronicles.
The realization sparked through her mind like lightning. The ga’s complex system of magic and cultivation existed here, layered beneath the mundane world she’d witnessed so far. Her family’s wealth ant access to basic magical items like firestones and spirit stones, though they lived firmly in the mortal realm.
Cultivation. The word echoed in her thoughts with new significance. The ga’s progression system wasn’t just virtual anymore—it was almost certainly real.
The thought left her feeling tipsy. Superpowers could be achieved here!
"Let help you, Miss Xiulan." i Chen stepped forward with practiced ease.
The familiar routine flowed naturally as i Chen unwrapped the bandages and then helped remove her chemise. Fresh scabs marked Xiulan’s ankle where the skin had torn.
"Did Doctor Jin ntion if I could subrge it?" Xiulan pointed to her injured foot.
"He said it should be fine now." i Chen retrieved a small ceramic jar from a nearby shelf. "The risk of infection has passed. He left this ointnt for your ankle and head."
"Thank you for taking care of ." Xiulan slipped into the wooden tub.
Heat enveloped her body, the temperature hovering just below what was bearable.
Warm water cascaded down Xiulan’s back as i Chen worked with gentle, practiced motions. The soft cloth swept across her skin, washing away days of sweat and worry. Steam rose from the firestone-heated bath, carrying the subtle scent of jasmine oil through the air.
i Chen humd softly while tidying the scattered bandages and gathering fresh towels. The quiet dosticity created a peaceful bubble, allowing Xiulan’s thoughts to drift and settle.
A mortal noble’s daughter in Blackre County.
The title felt both foreign and familiar. Blackre ranked among the poorest counties in Arinthia, despite—or perhaps because of—its position within the Dukedom of Aeris. The sparse resources and constant political maneuvering left little room for advancent for mortals or immortals.
That would be both a problem and a blessing. Getting what she needed would be harder, but there would be fewer eyes watching her. Certainly less scary ones.
The bath’s heat seeped into her muscles, but couldn’t wash away the cold reality of her situation. Her own family sought her death. Even now, Madam Zhang plotted revenge while her sisters nursed their wounds and bruised pride.
Mortals die here. Often. The knowledge surfaced from Li i’s countless hours of gaplay. NPCs—no, people now—perished from monster attacks, political sches, or simple accidents. Life held little value beyond the walls of major cities and noble estates.
The date nagged at her. Kingdom Chronicle Year 885. Five years before the ga’s starting point. Before the fall of Arinthia. Before the monsters erged in full force.
Before everything changed.
In the ga, players had rebuilt from ruins, developed powers, and forged new destinies. But now? The kingdom stood intact. The cataclysm remained a future echo, a disaster that hadn’t yet struck.
I know what’s coming. The thought sent ripples through the bathwater as she shifted. But can I change it?
Xiulan slid deeper into the bath until the warm water touched her chin. The Phoenix Princess still lived. The royal family remained whole. No armies gathered at the borders. No monsters prowled the wilderness. The invasion existed only in her mories of a ga not yet played out in her new reality.
She subrged until only her nose broke the surface, watching ripples spread across the water. Five years stretched before her like an open road. Five years to prepare for catastrophe.
Five years to change fate itself. Was she being lodramatic? Maybe it ca from her Xiulan side?
Xiulan, do you want to save the world?
There was no response, not that she had expected one.
The water dripped from her nose as she surfaced with a frown. Her current position at the bottom of her family’s social ladder presented an imdiate obstacle. The Lin family barely registered as minor nobility, and her status as a second daughter placed her even lower.
Worse still, her body lacked the strength and skill of a cultivator. No mystical energy coursed through her ridians. No supernatural abilities waited at her fingertips. Not yet.
"Status," she whispered experintally. Nothing happened. "Inventory?" Silence answered. "System?"
The familiar ga interfaces remained stubbornly absent. No helpful nus appeared. No statistical readouts materialized, and there were no quest markers to point the way forward.
Steam swirled around her face as uncertainty crept into her thoughts. The ga knowledge stored in her mind offered strategic value, but implentation required resources she didn’t possess. Her college and retail experience wouldn’t help her fight monsters or cultivate magical powers.
A chill ran through her despite the bath’s warmth. This wasn’t a ga anymore. No save points. No respawns. Just the raw reality of a world on the brink of chaos.
She was going to need to get started, and quick.
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