Chapter 4: Transmigration 4

“It matters not. Just be more careful in the future.”

Watching the two of them playing off one another, Liu Qingcheng realized they clearly viewed her as a lowly object to be trampled upon at will. She couldn't help but wonder: if her elder sister had not fled the marriage, would she be enduring such insults right now as well?

But on second thought, since she had married into the manor in her sister's stead, Ouyang Jing was her husband whether she liked it or not. And in the face of the bullying she suffered, her husband not only remained indifferent but spoke to the perpetrator in soft, gentle tones.

Such a cold attitude left her seeing no hope whatsoever.

Moreover, if her situation was already like this on her very first day in the manor, wouldn't the long days ahead mean living permanently under their torment?

If that were the case, she might as well just die!

Determined not to suffer any more humiliation, Liu Qingcheng steeled her heart, gritted her teeth, and sprinted toward the pillar in front of her. There was only a dull "thud," and then she collapsed limply.

In the blink of an eye, a pool of blood had formed beneath her.

Witnessing this tragic scene, everyone present fell silent as if struck by terror.

Lu Xin stared at Liu Qingcheng lying in the pool of blood in disbelief, her face pale as she froze on the spot. She had only wanted to give the other woman a warning not to compete for favor; she never expected to drive her to suicide.

Ouyang Jing let out a soft sigh, his dark eyes beneath the black gold mask remaining as calm as a deep pool. He ordered someone to take the startled Lu Xin back to her sleeping quarters to rest, then walked to Liu Qingcheng's side and knelt down, calculating in his mind how he would explain this to General Liu and the Emperor.

This was the first time he had examined her face from such a close distance. Her eyebrows were like dark ink, her lips like blood, and a single crystal tear flowed from the corner of her eye, adding a touch of melancholic beauty to her entire being.

What a waste of a beauty.

Ouyang Jing shook his head and turned to walk out of the hall to find someone to carry her body away. However, when he returned to the sleeping quarters, he suddenly discovered that the woman was sitting in the middle of the pool of blood, staring blankly, her clothes completely soaked in blood.

Such an eerie sight filled Ouyang Jing with immense surprise. To have lost so much blood and still not have died?

But he could not dwell on this now. He stepped forward quickly, scooped her up in his arms, and laid her gently flat on the couch. His warm hand grasped her icy fingers as he called out tentatively, "Liu Qinghua, are you alright?"

What? Liu Qinghua!

The woman on the couch snapped her eyes open, staring at the man before her before turning her head to look at the surrounding furnishings.

She found herself lying on a bed covered in red brocade, surrounded by sandalwood furniture, with a guqin and a bronze mirror resting on a desk. Looking down at herself, she saw she was wearing a bright red wedding dress. Only then did she realize that she had... transmigrated.

It was a long story. She—or rather, the soul of this body—was not named Liu Qinghua, but was an assassin codenamed "Red Moon." She clearly remembered being in the middle of an assassination mission; how could she have encountered something as inexplicable as transmigration?

Seeing her expression of shock, Ouyang Jing assumed she was merely startled by her failed suicide attempt. He instructed the maids to attend to her well, then turned to head to the front hall to accompany the guests in drinking and merriment.

Red Moon closed her eyes to rest, carefully organizing her experience: she and her partner had just connected via comms when they were forced into an alleyway by the full firepower of their opponents. In the heat of the moment, she had scrambled into a courtyard house. A dry well in the courtyard connected to the city's sprawling sewage system, making that well her only lifeline.

Taking advantage of the gap while the opponent was chambering a round, she sprinted toward the mouth of the well with all her might, leaping into it just as the gunshot rang out. However, her movements had been too rushed, and because she hadn't secured her footing, she had fallen onto a rock and knocked herself unconscious.

As a result, after tossing and turning, she woke up to find she had become an ancient bride.

For a long time, the unique nature of her profession had allowed Red Moon to cultivate the ability to remain calm in the face of change; in the flash of a moment, she already had a plan for how to respond.