Chapter 1: The Funeral Procession

Qiao Niannian died.

Expending all her cultivation, she perished together with the entire evil cultivator organization, releasing tens of millions of imprisoned souls.

Yet her own soul was shattered by the backlash.

At the moment her divine soul dissipated, Qiao Niannian had only one thought.

*If I reincarnate like this, won't I be missing arms and legs?*

When she woke up again, Qiao Niannian's whole body ached, as if someone had taken a hammer and smashed every bone in her body.

Before she could think further, a voice tinged with obvious worry rang by her ear.

"Madam, if you keep crying your eyes will be ruined. The Young Miss will be fine."

Qiao Niannian couldn't figure out the situation and decided to listen a bit more.

This time, the speaker was a noblewoman.

"This girl has been burning with fever for two days. If anything happens to Niannian... I will never be done with Qiao Chushan..."

Thinking her daughter might come to harm, Lady Huo couldn't stop her tears from falling.

"Where is the Marquis? Our daughter was scolded by him into jumping into the river, so why hasn't he returned yet?"

Lady Huo was both angry and furious, slapping the table until it went *pa pa*.

The maid hesitated for a moment before answering softly: "The Marquis went straight to Concubine Xu's courtyard next door the moment he entered the residence."

"It is said the Eldest Young Miss was frightened by the Second Young Miss jumping into the river!"

Lady Huo trembled with rage: "He has time to go see the lively daughter born of a concubine, but Niannian has been critically ill and unconscious for two days, her life hanging by a thread, yet he refuses to come see her even once..."

She was angry to the extreme. Even though she had long since stopped expecting anything from this man, Niannian was still his daughter!

Why did he not care a whit about his daughter's life or death?

Back then, she had been blind and misjudged him.

Thinking of the man's betrayal and such cold-bloodedness toward their daughter.

Lady Huo's heart ached sharply; she suddenly clutched her chest, her face turning pale.

The maid was startled: "Madam, please don't be angry. The Young Miss still needs you. If the Master doesn't dote on her, you must. Otherwise, the Young Miss will be a child with no one to love her in the future."

Qiao Niannian was completely bewildered.

What Marquis?

What jumping into the river?

And Qiao Chushan?!

This name... the more she heard it, the more familiar it sounded!

Wasn't this a character from an ancient romance novel she had come across a few days ago?

The cannon fodder female supporting character in this novel shared her exact same name, also called Qiao Niannian. She was the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Mingyuan's household, with three full brothers above her.

Qiao Niannian's mother, Lady Huo, came from a military family. She had a straightforward personality since childhood, without so many twists and turns.

The concubine had honey on her lips and a dagger in her heart; she appeared weak on the surface but was ambitious in private, constantly sowing discord between her and the Marquis.

Because of the incident where Qiao Niannian jumped into the river and became an idiot,

Lady Huo held a deep grudge and absolutely refused to forgive Qiao Chushan.

This directly caused the relationship between the Marquis of Mingyuan and Lady Huo to deteriorate further and further.

Later, the concubine was found with a voodoo doll cursing the Emperor in Lady Huo's courtyard, and it was even witnessed by a guest.

The Marquis wanted to protect Lady Huo and questioned her about the witchcraft. Lady Huo, however, mistakenly believed her husband didn't trust her. Heartbroken, she refused to speak.

The Marquis of Mingyuan had no choice but to plead before the Emperor, kneeling outside the palace hall for a day and a night.

While the Marquis knelt before the Emperor to plead, the concubine took the opportunity to force Lady Huo to her death. By the time the Marquis returned, all that was left was Lady Huo, who had supposedly committed suicide out of guilt.

After Lady Huo's incident, the Marquis of Mingyuan became muddleheaded, drowning his sorrows in wine day after day, neither human nor ghost.

Qiao Niannian fell into the concubine's hands. The concubine set a fire in the dead of night, burning her alive. To the outside world, she claimed Qiao Niannian was a calamity star and the fire was heavenly punishment!

Even her three brothers all met miserable ends, dying terrible deaths.

Qiao Niannian:...

So, she had transmigrated into Qiao Niannian, who became an idiot after jumping into the river and was then burned to death!

Thinking of the tragic fate of Qiao Niannian's family, she couldn't help but complain.

"Such an awesome family, yet they couldn't overcome the Female Lead's halo. That's really something."

She remembered that after Qiao Niannian died in the book, the concubine and her children seized all the assets of the main branch.

Thinking of this, Qiao Niannian felt a lump in her throat.

She had a quirk: she loved money like her life. The concubine and her two illegitimate children wanting her money was equivalent to wanting her life.

How could that be allowed!

As the saying goes, fate must be grasped in one's own hands.

Especially in the novel, the concubine's family used the main branch's money to recruit soldiers and buy horses for the Male Lead, helping him ascend the throne. A concubine's daughter ultimately became the Empress of a nation, pampered by the Male Lead for a lifetime.

Stepping on so many lives of the main branch to rise, using the main branch's reputation to win over court officials, and using the main branch's money to buy people's hearts—the Female Lead's family ended up arrogant and domineering for a lifetime. It was simply absurd.

Qiao Niannian was now a person of the main branch. She absolutely would not allow the wicked to receive blessings. She had to expose the concubine's schemes.

Qiao Niannian tried to sit up with a kip-up, but failed to rise and instead fell off the bed, knocking over a stool and a medicine bowl beside her.

*Bang, crash.* The two sounds were exceptionally loud in the quiet room.

Lady Huo, who had been wiping her tears in the outer room, was startled by the sudden noise. Tears spilled from the corners of her eyes, and she forgot to wipe them.

"Madam, the Young Miss has fallen." Shiliu cried out in alarm. Lady Huo hurriedly stood up and rushed toward the inner room.

Qiao Niannian covered her buttocks, tears welling up.

This was unscientific.

Where was her spiritual power?

Where was her martial arts?

Lady Huo rounded the screen and entered the inner room, meeting a pair of pitiful, red-rimmed eyes.

In that instant, her heart softened completely.

"Niannian, how did you roll onto the floor? Did the fall hurt?"

Qiao Niannian didn't answer. Her brain short-circuited instantly under the impact of this beauty.

Lady Huo possessed a magnificent, noble beauty. Her face shape was dignified and grand. She wore luxurious cloud brocade robes, and several gold hairpins with swaying ornaments were inserted in her hair bun. One look told you the Marquis's residence was truly wealthy.

Qiao Niannian stared at the ornaments on Lady Huo's head, mesmerized.

Seeing Qiao Niannian stay silent, Lady Huo asked again with concern.

Qiao Niannian only subconsciously shook her head then.

By the time she came to her senses, she moved to cover her buttocks.

*[It hurts.]*

*[It hurts like hell.]*

*[My butt is smashed to pieces.]*

Lady Huo froze. She seemed to have heard her daughter's voice, but the little girl hadn't spoken.

A flash of shock crossed her eyes, which she forcibly suppressed. She reached out, picked up her daughter, and placed her on the bed.

The ten-year-old girl didn't weigh much.

This was the first time Qiao Niannian had been held by someone; she felt a bit embarrassed.

Qiao Niannian felt this was already embarrassing enough.

She never expected that the next moment, Lady Huo would flip up Qiao Niannian's pants. Qiao Niannian only felt a draft on her bottom; it was chilly.

Seeing a red mark printed on her daughter's fair, tender buttocks, Lady Huo felt a pang of heartache.

"No wonder it hurts. It's all red."

Qiao Niannian's whole person went dumb. Reacting belatedly, she hurriedly covered her bottom.

*[It's over. My reputation as the Ferocious Patriarch is utterly ruined.]*

Back in the day, she punched scumbags and bitches, kicked hooligans and thugs.

She captured lonely souls and wild ghosts, kicked countless evil cultivators to death.

People gave her the nickname "Ferocious Patriarch."

Ordinary people couldn't get near her. Except for infancy, after age three, this was the first time someone had seen her bare bottom.

It was mortifying!

Lady Huo was amused by Qiao Niannian.

The little girl was actually shy.

She stroked Qiao Niannian's head: "Mother was just checking if you were hurt from the fall."

Qiao Niannian was pampered like this for the first time; she fell for it in a second.

*[Mother is so gentle, so beautiful. I'm in love, I'm in love.]*

Lady Huo's smile grew even gentler.

Qiao Niannian remembered she still had business to attend to. After stuffing her bottom under the covers and confirming she was safe, she pointed at her throat and made "ah ah" sounds twice.

She had jumped into the river, right? How did she become a little mute?

Lady Huo understood her daughter's meaning and explained gently: "The physician said the fever damaged your throat. You temporarily cannot speak. It will be fine in a couple of days."

This was the first time Lady Huo had seen such a case. Others' fevers damaged their brains, but her daughter's damaged her throat. Fortunately, the physician guaranteed there would be no lasting issues; as long as she took her medicine on time, she would recover on her own in a few days. Only then did Lady Huo set her mind at ease.

Qiao Niannian hadn't expected this either, but since she had barely snatched back a life, she could only accept it.

Qiao Niannian wanted to know how far the plot had progressed, so she "ah ah"ed twice more, her large, bright eyes staring at Lady Huo, full of anticipation.

Lady Huo guessed.

"You want to ask how many days you've been unconscious?"

Qiao Niannian nodded vigorously.

*[Worthy of being mother and daughter; hearts connected.]*

Lady Huo rubbed her daughter's head, her face full of relief: "You were unconscious for two whole days. Mother was worried to death. Next time, don't be so impulsive. If you're wronged, you can tell Mother; Mother will get justice for you."

Fortunately, the daughter woke up and the fever broke. If anything had happened to her daughter, she would have fought Qiao Chushan to the death.

Qiao Niannian patted the back of Lady Huo's hand and began calculating the time.

In the novel, the third day after Qiao Niannian jumped into the river was the day Lady Huo was discovered hiding voodoo dolls cursing the Emperor.

Qiao Niannian counted on her fingers. *Damn, isn't that today?*

Qiao Niannian hurriedly "ah ah"ed twice again, but this time Lady Huo didn't understand.

Qiao Niannian gestured again.

Lady Huo tentatively asked.

"You want paper and brush?"

Qiao Niannian nodded fiercely.

Birth mother, definitely her birth mother. She understood her so well.

Seeing Qiao Niannian seemed anxious, Lady Huo immediately had the maid bring paper and brush. Qiao Niannian prepared to write down the concubine's plot to frame Lady Huo, hoping to change the plot.

But just as she picked up the brush to write, her arm seemed to be locked by a force; she couldn't move a single finger.

Qiao Niannian raised an eyebrow. This little Heavenly Dao restriction was nothing in her eyes. She formed a hand seal, intending to shatter the Heavenly Dao's seal, but before the spiritual energy at her fingertips could condense, it dissipated.

Qiao Niannian was dumbfounded. Her spiritual power was gone.

*[This is bad. I can't warn Mother. Mother is doomed, and so am I.]*

Qiao Niannian was numb. She lay on the bed with dull eyes.

Lady Huo saw her daughter looked like she was about to cry from frustration and hurriedly comforted her softly.

"Niannian, don't be anxious. In a couple of days, you'll be able to speak!"

Qiao Niannian continued staring with dull eyes.

*[My dear Mother, in two days I'll be arranging your funeral.]*

Lady Huo:...

*This daughter... isn't exactly indispensable!*

Qiao Niannian didn't know her mother was already thinking of tossing her aside. She was still pondering internally.

*[I wonder if I can recover my spiritual power in time to hide the evidence of the plot to curse the Emperor, which is on the beam in Mother's room.]*

*Beep beep beep. The knight-errant of the new book has set off. The new journey sets sail now.*

(End of Chapter)