Ke YongAn yawned, feeling mysteriously sleepy. Her feet dragged against the ground, her limbs feeling weak. She was sure she caught a cold.
Ke YongAn was an ordinary 13-year-old chinese girl living an ordinary life. Her two parents were gone to work, so Ke YongAn had to notify them via her cellphone. However, it seemed her parents did not have their cell phone with them at the time, so even after waiting several minutes, Ke YongAn found no reply.
Lying on her bed, Ke YongAn felt extreme discomfort and gradually became thirsty. So she dragged herself from the bed with the world spinning and shakily poured a cup of water in the kitchen. Tilting her head and opening her parched lips, the water ran down Ke YongAn's throat. Satisfied, she slowly made her way back to her room.
But just as she made it beside her bed, she collapsed suddenly in a kneeling position. Her vision was blurring and growing black, a sign that she would soon lose consciousness. The cup slipped from her hand and tumbled to the floor. Strangely, she felt suffocation. It wasn't like those times when her friends embraced her too tightly and she had trouble breathing.
No air, no air, need to breathe...
But there was nothing she could do when her limbs were weak to numbness and her consciousness was about to fade.
Am I going to die here?
Ke YongAn did not think about how ridiculous it was to die of suffocation from an illness, or wonder what kind of illness it was. Tears of sentiment pooled from her eyes.
I don't want to die yet...
After all, she was still young, a tender sprout just 13 years in of life. Even though she held the sentence, "If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen" in her heart, when faced with death, it was different.
Just like every other death, memories flashed through her mind, as if time was in suspension for these last few moments.
"Oh? Wow, what do we have here?~" A cheerful chirp sounded out, the voice like bell chimes.
Ke YongAn weakly tilted her eyes upward and took hold of a hazy and blurred silhouette of a girl her age. I'm hallucinating now...She thought, attempting a bitter chuckle.
"Hey hey, since you're about to die, how about lending me your body?"
huh? What kind of question is this?
"I promise that I'll look after your body. Also, I can ask my dad to take care of you after death. Sound good?"
Excuse me, I just want a peaceful death. Shoo, shoo, what the heck are you talking about?
"Alright~ Thanks in advance!"
Wait, wait, what are you-
It felt as though all thoughts suddenly was detached as Ke YongAn's spirit floated from the body. When she emotionlessly looked down, her body(on the bed) had regained breathing. Without looking back, Ke YongAn's spirit floated through the ceiling and up into the sky, where if one took a look around, one could see thousands of ghosts swirling up from distant houses.
It seemed there was a calling of some sort that summoned all the ghosts into a tide. This tide was made up entirely of ghosts, easily reaching a million. However, just as Ke YongAn began moving, she felt a suction force.
Because Ke YongAn was now a spirit without sentient, she struggled fiercely, but could not escape. A golden light bathed on her spirit body, causing ease to spread through her being. Clarity returned to her eyes, and she looked at the surroundings with bewilderment. But before she could process anything, Ke YongAn was whisked away and dumped into a palace.
The Palace hall was grand, easily three times the size of a soccer field. The pillars resembled divine beasts, each one life-like. The ground was marble, while the walls were decorated with beautiful calligraphy and paintings. Everything screamed, ANCIENT CHINESE PALACE
Therefore, although extremely confused, Ke YongAn instinctively looked upon the tallest platform to see a majestic image of a person sitting upon a throne with the crown beads draped over his face to obscure.
"My daughter," The voice was calm, but it seemed as though a lightning bolt had been hammered onto Ke YongAn's body, causing pressure that made her kneel.
Who???? Ke YongAn was sure she was the only other person in this grand hall. So who was he talking about?
As if answering Ke YongAn's question, he flicked his sleeve that caused some mysterious force to spring up and bring Ke YongAn closer. Underneath the crown Ke YongAn could see the face of a handsome man in his thirties. His face had been stern, but seemed to soften up when his gaze landed on her.
"Ah, Xing'er, stop playing around and focus on your studies. The Examination for the Heaven Dao Academy will begin in autumn."
These two sentences sent Ke YongAn into deep contemplation. What is the Heaven Dao Academy, and who is Xing'er? His daughter I guess. Is this related to that girl I heard before I died?
The feeling of death was still fresh, but it did not feel horrible like the tales. After death, it seemed Ke YongAn became a lot calmer.
"I am not your daughter. You've mistaken me for someone else." Ke YongAn spoke evenly. However, that man's expression did not change. He only sighed and spoke,
"You have used this trick a few times already. Do you think your father can be fooled the third time?"
"Seriously, I am not Xing'er or whoever. My name is Ke YongAn."
That man was not listening though, just smilingly gently in amusement.
"Alright then, tell me about this Xing'er." Defeated, Ke YongAn sighed. However, it was at that very moment that the face changed.
He looked her up and down slowly, before Ke YongAn felt as though her soul was being pierced through. Ke YongAn felt pain when she glanced up at the space between his brows, where she was positive it was a third eye like in those XianXia and XuanHuan novels.
He stood up suddenly from his throne with a serious expression.
"Who are you?"
Uhun, and only now you notice. Although, Ke YongAn did not dare say these words out loud at this man.
"I am Ke YongAn."
"That is a lie. How else would you have her appearance?" He suddenly paused, noticing something.
Ke YongAn was in disbelief. Her appearance was her own? However, she let a few breathes of silence sink in before she spoke again.
"Sir, I am speaking the truth."'
But once again, the man wasn't listening. He just sat back down and was silent in contemplation.
Moments of silence ticked by.
"Ah, yes. My daughter would have never acted the way you did. Ke YongAn, was it? My daughter is very mischievous. It would take a least a few months to locate her in the countless other worlds, and by then it would be too late." He seemed to be half muttering and half speaking.
He coughed into his hand.
"I declare by the name of Imperial God that you shall take the place of the crown princess, Huang Xing until she returns, to act as her second image."
Huh????
However, Ke YongAn was unable to process this before her spirit body was whisked away. She arrived in a garden that could strike awe with one look, but her mind was occupied. Her spirit body sat down cross-legged and her brows were furrowed.
What had she gone through the past few hours? Death, and then it seemed it was not the end. A question floated above all other thoughts.
Is this considered reincarnation?