Light played with my mind.
Sound played with my mind.
Scent played with my mind.
Touch played with my mind.
Scenes played out and ended and they showed me things.
There was wonder in them, some I enjoyed, others I despised, and yet when I opened my eyes and light-flooded them I could no longer ignore them.
A strange ceiling appeared to me. Red, colorful, made of wood alongside silk curtains showed me the truth.
I was no longer on Earth, or I could be and some asshole kidnaped me, made me remember strange dreams and truths, and deposited me somewhere in Asia if I consider the architecture before my eyes.
Moments passed as I just laid in a soft bed, without moving a muscle. If I did and saw what I denied subconsciously, the last nail would be hammered into me and that last excuse would vanish.
More moments passed as I tried to muster the courage needed to finally accept the truth but would ultimately not happen as the sound of footsteps reached me.
From the right side, I could hear them. To my ears, they sounded light so they either belonged to a child or an adult in need of more food in their belly.
When they finally reached the room I had been laying in, I heard the sound of a door opening. With my eyes closed, I heard the person shuffle around a bit but soon after it left.
Opening my eyes, I knew there was no running away anymore. Raising my right hand I brought it before my eyes.
Small, white, delicate, and in much need of some muscle.
Even in that Dream, it was weird. At first, there was a dichotomy of perception shifting from an adult mind and body to a child's, but it was also in those moments that it was the most obvious.
I was no longer a man in his twenties but a small little girl of 13 years of age.
Looking at the hand closer, one could immediately see that this hand was smooth, beyond smooth as if this hand had not carried anything heavy at all its whole life.
It was the hand of a sheltered little princess in her daddy's eye.
I have become a sheltered little princess in her daddy's eye.
Raising my other hand, more of the same appeared. Gulping sounds came from my neck as I stimulated my vocal cord and when I finally opened my mouth to realize my thoughts all that came out was a SIGH.
" I truly did incarnate into a girl. " Was what my mind wanted to say but what came out sounded much different than what my mind was used to.
It sounded in a much higher tone than I was used to.
" Yup, no longer can it be denied. Even my voice is telling me the truth. " I said for myself to get rid of any doubt that this was a dream.
" Ok, no more brooding, it's time to wake up and walk this body. " Closing my eyes for a second, I tried my best to flex the muscles in my body.
From my stomach to my back, then to my hands, and finally to my legs. Everything responded as it should, at least to the degree I was familiar with this little girly body.
Flexing my stomach and back I raised myself halfway up. Thin blankets fell from me as I did.
Next, I flexed from left to right and felt no problem.
Pulling away the rest of the blankets from my body I saw my body in full form. It was clad in what I could barely recognize as antique Chinese-style pajamas made of pale blue colored silk with a floral background around the stomach.
Taking my gaze away from it shifted my attention to the other thing that caught my eyes. There were small bumps on my chest. Flexing my shoulders and arms this and that way I tried to feel them out. " Maybe it's because they are very small but... they feel no different from the man-boobs in my previous body. "
After that confirmation, my courage found an outlet and I touched them with my forefingers first.
I was gentle with the first touch, afraid that it would pop the next second like a balloon. And when it didn't, some more finger touchy-touchy experiments went on. " Maybe a tad bit softer than my man-boobs. Probably more from an absence of any labor done than with them truly being female assets, right now. "
Done with that part my fingers twitched as they went down. It was there that I would find the undeniable proof, after all my current body could be some kind of effeminate boy taking hormonal drugs.
And then the final moment came, the flat of my palm touched the flatness where a bump should be. Touching myself a bit more there, the final nail touched down. Taking a deep breath for a second and the next I released it
" Phu. Ok, no way those plains and ridges belonged to a girly boy. "
With no more excuses, I shifted my lower body from the bed to the wooden floor. Once my feet touched the ground and I flexed my toes for a bit before I stood up. Once I was upright, I flexed my back and hips in opposite directions and it was at that moment that I felt something twirl behind me.
A thought popped and I touched the top of my head with both hands and grabbed the silky feel that was my hair. Once all of it was in one hand I pulled it to the front. " Oh, my, that is some long hair. " Placing it back where it belonged, I touched it behind me. " Yup, close to my hips. "
"Wonder what I should do with it? " Being a man I never had long hair and in the few years where I tried to experiment, the longest it ever reached was one finger. After that, it became a pain to take care of it, so I made it go away.
" I don't think a simple haircut will help me here. Umm, if my past knowledge is of any indication, then hair of this length in any culture is usually a sign of wealth and, and, and… " As that thought came to me I looked around in greater detail.
From the bed, I had been on moments ago to the colorful blankets. From the furniture, where even my untrained eye saw expensive wood and the details carved into them to the silk pajamas I wore. " I could probably ignore the silk since it wasn't that expensive in my previous life but if this is truly a new world then… did I hit the jackpot, by any chance. "
" I think it's best if I go outside and confirm it. " Identifying the door took me a few seconds but once I saw it, there, it was where I went. Touching the door made out of one big piece of wood, I pulled at the handle but the door didn't budge. I tried it one more time without success when a suspicion came to me. This time I pushed instead and voila, they opened.
A few steps more I passed through the door and I found my confirmation. " Jackpot indeed. "
The room I had been in was attached to a one-floor mansion. There was lots of wood, lots of stone designed for the pleasure of sight, a paved stone road leading directly away from this door to what looked like an archway, and a wall that connected this part of the mansion to the rest.
" I have only ever seen this style of architecture on TV dramas but now that I see it in person I must say it's quite the sight. " Walking down the few steps that elevated this place from the ground I soon reached the arch separating me from this mansion.
As I walked I noticed my heart start beating harder and with every step it became louder and louder. Placing my right hand on my chest, it was easy to notice that it wasn't just my heart that was in overdrive but my lungs too.
" Why is my body reacting like this? Never mind, it's probably just excitement that found an outlet. Let's explore more. " Ignoring my heart I soon passed the archway and saw more of the mansion made out of wood with lots of stone and distinct red roof tiles that are usually seen on such buildings.
Exploring a bit more I finally saw some people. Once they saw me I just nodded and went on. Soon I reached a small garden lake and small islands with interconnected bridges. " Jackpot, Jackpot. "
As I hurried closer to the garden lake, my heart sped up. Soon enough I could feel the heartbeat in my head banging so loudly that it was only then that I noticed something wrong.
At first, I ignored it because it wasn't an unfamiliar sight to me.
In my previous life, it happened a lot whenever I rested too much on my computer chair and stood up suddenly. It was the phenomenon of a lack of oxygenated blood in the brain.
The first sign of it is blackness in your vision, the second sign is loss of balance, third sign, well the third sign is the last one for those unaware of them as it was at that point that they lost consciousness and fell flat on the floor or ground.
Following that familiar knowledge, black came into my mind, and I still went on as I was used to it. Loss of balance came into my mind so I tried my best to orient myself as I was used to but as I felt myself falling and vaguely seeing the ground coming into my face, all my hindsight at that moment of having a new body came too late.
" Miss... " The only thing that stuck with me aside from my inner hindsight of that moment was a foreign voice, speaking a foreign language.
***
At the same time, in the same mansion, but different place, in a room specially designated as the workplace of the current head of the Yu family and leader of the merchant company known as Heavenly Jade Association sat Yu Liwei.
He was currently sitting in a comfy wooden chair with lots of pads, as the paperwork was the bane of comfort.
Unlike what one would expect of a merchant of his stature, his desk was immaculately clean at the moment. His face expressed stone-cold willpower, and if an ordinary man stood in front of him, then he would have fainted within 5 seconds of getting there.
His father gave him the name Liwei which contained the characters for-profit and greatness, as his philosophy was that to achieve profit one must be great in nature. Yu Liwei carried on that philosophy and became the head of the Yu family by stomping everybody else in both cultivation and knowledge.
Not that there was much competition from his older brother, whose pursuits led him in other directions.
In front of him and his giant desk sat another man. He bore similar features to Yu Liwei. They both had a stoic appearance with black hair, but what was unique about the Yu bloodline was that all of them had bright green eye coloration, that was gleaned from polished jade due to their family's Mantra.
It is also from that Mantra that their Clan name Yu came.
This man was Yu Liwei's older brother from another mother, Yu Qiao.
Currently, the older brother had a concerned face as he stared at his younger brother. " Are you sure about this, Second? Once it's done, Xia Renshu will try his best to make us suffer. "
" My will is undeterred at this First, his son watched my Jiao Jiao drown before he tried to save her, and even then her heart had stopped. If not for that weird flame that appeared I may have already lost my daughter. " Replied Liwei in fury.
" But she is not lost, right? I was told that the flame receded and there were no aftereffects aside from that anomaly. "
" She has yet to wake up, yes, but aside from the anomaly, Elder He said she was fine. Maybe even better now that the roots didn't interfere with the body's functions. As for how such a thing is even possible in the first place I have no idea. " Yu Liwei explained. " Brother, my little girl almost died there. This is about principle. They could have just sent the rejection to me and I would have brought the news gently to JiaoJiao. "
Nodding at that Yu Qiao added on. " You know that they will deny any of this, and just say that it was an impulsive response of a boy. But what if it was true? There is no denying how JiaoJiao is looked upon outside the family and it is very easy to imagine how a boy of his age and stature would react. "
" Wait. " There Liwei stopped his older brother's conjectures. " I know what you're implying and the underlying tone of the event but it doesn't change the fact that the boy did not save her immediately. Xia family be damned before I let this go just like that and don't bother changing my mind, brother. "
"I am not. " Stated Yu Qiao. " I am just trying to see your resolve. "
"Good, since we are clear about the matter with the Xia family, I will deal with the politics, but initiate some preparations with the Mercenaries. I have not yet decided on the way but best be prepared. " The younger brother instructed the older. " As for Ai's part in all this, umm, all I can think of is that she dropped a hint somewhere in the past, to either Jiao or the Xia bastard. If I want to do anything I would need at least an excuse and that would depend on JiaoJiao. We will see when she wakes up. "
As if fate just waited for that sentence, a knock was heard on the door. " Come in. " Said, Liwei. Inside came an older man in servant clothes. " What is it, Xue, it must be important if you're interrupting us? Wait, has JiaoJiao opened her eyes? "
Duan Xue, head Steward of the Yu family, saw excitement bubble out of the stony face of his Lord and replied. " Yes, my Lord but before you get too excited I don't just bring good news. The young miss did indeed wake up and she even took a stroll through the mansion when I received word of it. As I prepared to report, another servant rushed to me and said that she collapsed again near the lake. Immediately I sent the servant in question to Elder He immediately after. "
Hearing the report the happy expression crashed back down. " Damn that lake, I shall have it removed. Since she woke up and was even walking fine, I can only infer that she collapsed again due to excitement or something. Thank you, Xue. " Said the Lord to his servant and turned to his brother in a hurry. " I will go and check out JiaoJiao. "
" I will come with you. " Added Yu Qiao. Seconds later they left together and the steward followed them.
Once they were outside and near the lake, they saw the servant congregating in one area, and in the middle of them, the familiar white clothing of the house healer could be seen. Seeing him Yu Liwei calmed down as she was in much better hands with him there.
Nearing them, the servants made room and he saw his baby girl laying on the ground. She looked no different from before aside from a slight bruise on her cheeks as she probably fell face first.
" Elder, how is she? " Asked the Lord.
" Ah, Lord, you're here. " He commented with an absent thought as he examined the young lady without having his gaze leaving her body. " This time I have good news. No new stuff appeared to mess with the young lady. Never thought I would be happy for an old illness to resurface again. Although I am not 100% sure, I am quite confident about it.. "
" Good, and why not? Is it because of that? " Inquired the Lord from him as he looked around at the servants and shooed them away.
"It is because of THAT, " Nodded the old man at the Lord's conclusion.
" Elder, please indulge me, all I was told was that her roots are gone. " From the side, Yu Qian insisted on knowing.
" Oh, Qian, you are here too? " Taking his gaze away from the young miss, he looked at Qian a bit surprised and replied. " Have you come to dissuade your brother's plan? "
" I did, but it was useless, my younger brother is still as stubborn as usual. Now, tell me about JiaoJiao, how is she doing? "
" Indeed. " Agreed the old man while stroking his long beard, and went back to observing the girl in question. " Since you have been told that her Heavenly Roots are gone, here is the rest. Ever since that weird flame burned down the roots, her body has been less receptive to my medical Qi. I suspect it should be to others as well, but this stems not from an inherent bias of some new transformation that occurred. My theory is that without the channels inherent in one's body, the Qi transfer from place to place is much less efficient. I can still do it but anyone without a Divine Sense would be hard-pressed to interpret what the Qi is sensing. "
" Oh. " Came out of both brothers.
" Indeed. " Still not done with his speech, the old healer continued. " But now that I am observing the miss, I must say that my eyes have been opened up to a brand new world. "
" Why is that? " Asked the Lord.
" Yes, tell us. Why is that so?. " Added the Lord's older brother.
Stopping everything he was doing, the old man with his long white beard stood up and faced the brothers. " Well, first of all, I should mention that, without the roots interfering, the young miss can start cultivating. But I have no idea how that would work out without them. An interesting paradigm if you ask me. Makes me think of that impossible riddle of "Which came first, the chicken or the egg. " ."
Snickering a bit at that thought he went on. " The second would be about the roots themselves. Remember the idiom that says, The Heavens Bestows upon Us. In this case, I think it may be more literal and not just talk about one's fortune. " As he laid out his thoughts he looked at the sky. When the brothers looked at him, to them it felt as if a few more wrinkles appeared on his face.
"Wait, you are saying that our roots were given to us by The Heavens? " Stated the younger brother in revelation. " And if they can be given, they can be taken away. If so, I wonder if that is what happened to JiaoJiao. "
" Maybe, but my Lord, please take this old man's warning seriously right now. " Insisted the old man, as he looked at the Lord and his daughter. " However and whatever the reason, when the Heavens are involved, I fear that many changes are upon us and what I fear the most is that the flames enact greater changes upon her mind. "
" What? "
" What? "
" I am sorry my Lord, but without the root's interference, my examinations painted a different picture of the young miss's mind. " The old man said with a grave voice. " I don't know what the changes entail but as I have never seen a mind like this before, please be prepared for anything when she wakes again. "
Shocked by the revelation, both brothers stayed silent and it was only after they processed it that the Lord asked for more details. " You don't know what the results are but can you at least give me a guess? "
Shaking his head, the healer replied. " No, my Lord, that is why I said be prepared for anything. And if I might suggest something? " Seeing the needed confirmation he went on. " I think it's best that we get this behind us or it might spawn an Inner Devil. So I suggest we wake the young miss here and now. "
Hearing the proposal, the brothers looked at each other rather than at the daughter/niece still lying on the ground in blue pajamas.
Taking a deep breath the Lord spoke. " Ok, do it now. I feel like it would only get worse if I continue brooding upon the possibilities. "
With permission, the old man kneeled and sent a pulse of Qi in the young miss's head. Once he was done he removed his hand and just observed alongside the Lord and his older brother.
It took a few moments for all the processes in the young miss's brain to finish their purpose, when her eyelids twitched. They fluttered open with confusion inside them alongside another surprise to everybody present.
Her eyes had changed. Whereas before they had been brown, due to inheriting them from the mother and the influence of the Heavenly Roots that she had possessed, now they were bright green and gleaned like polished Jade in the sunshine.
" Even without cultivating our family's Mantra, bright green jade eyes appeared. I unquestionably don't like this. " Murmured the Lord quietly, but being close to others, it was bound to be overheard, much less if those others were Cultivators.
Placing their attention back on the young girl, they saw her observing them in return. Immediately a gut-wrenching feeling came upon the Lord. In those eyes, he failed to see the recognition when they looked upon him. Her eyes stayed the longest on the old doctor as he was the closest to her, but when the Lord looked closer he noticed that they didn't stay on the old man's face.
No, they stayed on his long white beard.
The next second her left hand went up and grabbed that beard and pulled at it as hard as a 13 years old weak little girl could. If it was supposed to be a prank or if she was expecting it to be a fake one, the Lord didn't know but a cry gave her the much-needed confirmation.
" Aaa, miss can you please leave my beard alone. " Shocked at having his beard pulled, the old man cried out.
A sigh came out of her mouth but it was what came out next that broke the Lord's heart. Unfamiliar words graced his ears and they came from his daughter's mouth.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and released it the next second. Opening her eyes again, the confusion was gone and intelligence could be seen in them. After that, she slowly stood up.
Right after her, after getting his bearings right, the old man stood up too, and alongside the two other men, he observed the young girl in front of them.
They said no word and just observed as did the girl in return. It took a few moments but the young girl was the first one to break. She started to speak, but the frustration in her voice was carried in an unknown language.
Once she stopped, again she closed her eyes for some time. When she opened them this time she spoke again, only this time they understood her, if only barely.
" Hi, can You… understand … me now? "
THUD… was all the response she got as she unknowingly broke the heart of a man and watched his consequent fall onto the ground face first.