Dust motes danced lazily in the dim light filterng through the cracked window panes, casting eerie shadows across the modest room.
Li Rong groaned as consciousness slowly returned to him, a sharp pain coursing through his body like a relentless tide. His eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the dim light of the room.
Disoriented and bewildered, he pushed himself up from the floor, only to be greeted by the searing agony that seemed to emanate from every pore of his being.
What happened? Li Rong's mind raced, his thoughts muddled as he tried to piece together the fragments of his memory. He remembered the photo, the inexplicable pull it had exerted on him, and then... darkness. And now, this unfamiliar body wracked with pain, protesting at any movement.
He scanned the room, seeking any clue as to where he was. His gaze fell upon a nearby bronze mirror, its surface tarnished with age. With trembling hands, he reached out and grasped it, bringing it closer to inspect his reflection revealing a ace that was not his own. What he saw sent a shock coursing through him.
Gone was the sturdy rugged visage of Li Rong, replaced by delicate features that seemed almost ethereal. Long lashes framed eyes as beautiful as a swan, and strands of flowing hair cascaded around him like a silken veil. He looked... feminine.
The realization hit him like a thunderbolt. He had transmigrated into the body of another, a weak and feeble young man who had been poisoned. And now, it seemed, he was tasked with navigating this unfamiliar world with a body that bore no traces of his previous cultivation.
As the pain gradually subsided, Li Rong forced himself to focus, pushing aside the confusion and panic that threatened to overwhelm him. He needed to assess his situation, to understand the world into which he had been thrust.
But before he could dwell further on his predicament, the sound of footsteps drew his attention to the door. A woman with a tight-lipped expression entered, her disdain palpable as she regarded him with narrowed eyes.
"Ah, so the young master Rong is finally awake," she sneered, her voice dripping with contempt. "Are you finally ready to be seen off? It's disgraceful how you haven't even bothered to clean yourself up."
Without warning, she hurled a bucket of foul water in his direction, the liquid splashing against his already aching body. Li Rong recoiled, the cold liquid soaking through his clothes and chilling him to the bone, gritting his teeth against the discomfort, his jaw clenched in frustration.
"Clean yourself thoroughly," the woman continued, her tone imperious as she thrust a set of red garments towards him. "And put on these clothes."
Li Rong's eyes widened in disbelief as he took in the bridal attire before him. He could scarcely comprehend the words that fell from the woman's lips, his mind reeling with disbelief.
"Bridal clothing?" he echoed, his voice tinged with incredulity. "But... why?"
The woman's lip curled in a disdainful smirk, her contemptuous gaze never leaving him. "Of course," she replied haughtily. "You are to be married off to the young master Liang. Make haste and dress yourself, you wouldnt want to keep the Liang family waiting would you?"
"The bridal caravan will be here in half an incense stick's time to fetch you, and it would be best not to keep them waiting." with that, she turned on her heel and swept out of the room.
With a frustrated sigh, Li Rong watched as she disappeared from view, leaving him alone with his tumultuous thoughts. As he stared down at the crimson garments in his hands, a sense of unease settled over him like a shroud.