Chapter 2: Rebirth and Preparation
Ling Huai sat cross-legged on the worn-out wooden bed in her dimly lit room. The air was cold, the scent of damp wood and stale herbs filling the space. Her frail hands rested lightly on her lap as she took a deep breath, closing her eyes.
She had been reborn. That fact alone sent a mixture of emotions rushing through her. Fury. Grief. Determination. The memories of her past life—the destruction of her clan, the betrayal, the pain—were still vivid in her mind. But now, she had another chance. And she would not waste it.
She calmed her breathing, directing her focus inward. This body… Ling Huai's body, was weak. Her meridians were blocked, her bones brittle, and her organs fragile. A rare illness had plagued her since birth, making it impossible for her to absorb even a thread of Qi. It was why she had been deemed useless. A disappointment.
But she was no ordinary girl. She was Feng Mian, a prodigy in both martial arts and medicine in her past life. If anyone could change fate, it was her.
Slowly, she pressed her fingers against her wrist, feeling the faint pulse beneath her skin. Her internal energy was almost nonexistent, but her soul was strong. That alone gave her an advantage.
Then, another realization struck her—this body would turn thirteen in just a week.
The thought made her heart race.
The Celestial Beast Sovereign Scroll required a practitioner to be thirteen and untainted by other cultivation techniques. That meant, in just one week, she would have the perfect chance to start cultivating a power that defied the heavens.
But her body was too weak. If she didn't prepare now, the energy from the scroll could destroy her instead of strengthening her.
She needed to act fast.
Ling Huai spent the next few days carefully planning her recovery. When no one was around, she secretly treated herself using her knowledge of medicine and acupuncture.
Late at night, when the manor was silent, she would slip out of bed, light a single candle, and use thin silver needles to stimulate her blocked meridians. Pain shot through her each time, but she gritted her teeth and endured.
In the mornings, she forced herself to move, stretching her limbs and strengthening her muscles, even when her body screamed in protest.
She stole medicinal herbs from the family storehouse, grinding them into powder and mixing them into her food and tea. Slowly, she felt herself growing stronger.
Her once lifeless skin regained a faint glow, and the constant weakness in her limbs started to fade.
But even as she made progress, the household continued to treat her as nothing more than a shadow. The servants barely acknowledged her, and her parents had long since shifted all their attention to her elder sister, Ling Xue, the family's pride and joy.
One evening, as she returned to her room, exhausted from her secret training, she found her personal maid, Lian, lounging in her chair, eating sweets meant for her.
"You're back," Lian said lazily, not even bothering to stand.
Ling Huai narrowed her eyes. "That was mine."
Lian scoffed. "And? You should be grateful I even bother staying to serve you. A useless miss like you should know her place."
Ling Huai clenched her fists but forced herself to remain calm. Before, she might have accepted such treatment, but she was no longer the same weak girl.
She walked past Lian, ignoring her as she sat on her bed.
Lian sneered. "Tch. Acting all high and mighty now? You're just a sickly disgrace."
Ling Huai didn't respond. She simply closed her eyes, suppressing the cold smirk threatening to curl on her lips.
Let them look down on her.
Let them think she was weak.
Because in just a few days, everything would change.
She would awaken. And when she did, the world would have no choice but to acknowledge her.