Chapter 1: Fighting for Food

The Great Chao Dynasty had always revered martial arts above all else. Those who did not understand martial cultivation were considered mere trash in the eyes of others, regardless of how noble their identity or how extraordinary their status.

In a prosperous area of the capital, two heroic and extraordinary stone lions stood before a gate on the main street. Within this residence, gilded characters were inscribed on the plaque: "Jing'an General's Mansion."

The front courtyard was grand and magnificent, faintly revealing the nobility and glory of the General's Mansion; the back courtyard was a small, dilapidated courtyard, from which the faint sound of coughing drifted from the side rooms where the masters used to reside.

A young girl in green, approximately thirteen or fourteen years old, wore a short top and a floor-length skirt of the same color. She entered carrying a tray, upon which sat a bowl of dark, bitter-smelling medicine. Her originally delicate, round face was marred by bruises, and there was a bright red, scabbed scar on her chin.

Following the girl, a limping figure staggered into the main room toward the bedside. Her slender eyebrows furrowed sharply as she hurriedly set down the tray and turned to cover her mouth, coughing lightly. Once her expression softened slightly, she looked toward the small figure lying on the bed under a cyan gauze curtain, whose face was pale and wrapped in bandages.

The girl on the bed appeared to be only about sixteen years old, but her tightly furrowed brows and pale, fragile expression gave the immediate, deceptive impression that she might pass away at any moment.

"Miss, it is all Chun'er's fault for letting you get such heavy injuries. Miss, you have been asleep for three whole days. There are less than two hours left before the deadline Doctor Liu mentioned. Miss, please do not leave Chun'er behind, Miss..."

Looking at the lifeless little figure on the bed, the green-clad girl could not help but lean over her, swaying slightly as she sobbed and cried out...

As if sensing the girl's cries, the little figure who had been lying lifelessly on the bed gave a slight tremor of her long, silken eyelashes, and then slowly opened her eyes.

"My head... I... this is..."

Mu Wanling, the top assassin of the Dark Night Organization known as "Soul Chaser," had followed her leader's mission and, more importantly, to prevent national cultural relics from falling into the hands of villains. She had tracked them all the way to their lair and, after finally evading the many traps and mechanisms set by those people, she was discovered just as she was escaping with the items in hand.

Although she had been speeding on a motorcycle while engaging in a fierce gunfight with them, after she dealt with the last criminal, she had been shot and fell down the cliff where the firefight had taken place...

Thinking that the abyss below was unfathomable and that falling would surely leave her without even bones, she hadn't expected that after an unknown amount of time, she would finally regain consciousness. Opening her eyes hazily, she first felt a tearing pain in her head, and then saw the strange, unfamiliar, yet ancient surroundings before her.

"Miss, you're awake! You're finally awake, Miss..." At the sight of the little figure waking up, Chun'er wiped her tears, her face filled with a joyful smile as she looked at the waking girl on the bed, speaking repeatedly.

"You... I..." Looking at the unfamiliar girl in ancient clothing who was overjoyed to see her awake yet bore facial injuries, Wanling asked in confusion. As she attempted to sit up, a sharp pain shot through her head, and the moment she collapsed back down in weakness, scenes began to flash through her mind...

She had actually undergone a cliché transmigration, inhabiting the body of this girl with the same name who was currently injured. This Mu Wanling was originally the legitimate eldest daughter of the General's Mansion, and her father was the famous Grand General of Jing'an of the current dynasty.

Her mother, Lady Xiao, was said to have died of a serious illness shortly after her birth, leaving only her and her elder brother, Mu Shaofan, who was only a few years old. Besides her mother, her father had taken two more wives: the Second Lady, Lady Liu, and the Third Lady, Lady Sun.

The Second Lady had a son and a daughter, both older than her; the Third Lady had two daughters, one older and one younger than her. Despite being the legitimate daughter of the General's Mansion, because she had been physically weak since childhood and could not practice martial arts, she received no respect or affection from her family.

Three days ago, this Mu Wanling, who had been bedridden for many days, wanted to go out for a walk. Her attendant, Chun'er, accidentally stepped on the flowers planted by the third sister, Mu Wanfen. Due to a sudden disagreement, Mu Wanfen had struck Chun'er using the servants. When Wanling tried to intervene, that willful girl not only refused to show respect but also pushed her, causing her to fall and hit her head. She had been asleep for three days ever since, and now, she had occupied this body.

Thinking that it was all because of her poor health and her desire to walk, she had lost her footing and leaned to one side; Chun'er had only accidentally stepped on the third sister's flowers while trying to steady her. Looking at the girl before her, whose face was covered in bruises and whose mouth bore traces of blood, Wanling felt a sense of annoyance at people crying, yet she found herself unable to scold the girl's weeping and joy.

"Stop crying. I, your Miss, am not dead yet, so why cry? Chun'er, does your injury still hurt?" Thinking of how she had cared for her these past few days, Wanling sat up with Chun'er's assistance and asked, looking at the injuries on the girl's face.

"Miss, these minor injuries are nothing; as long as you are awake, it is fine. Miss, you must be hungry, right? I will go get you something to eat..."

In the past, the old Mu Wanling was not only timid and weak but also lacked the ability to comfort others. Seeing a master who, despite a hint of displeasure in her brow, showed obvious concern, Chun'er froze in astonishment before saying joyfully as she limped toward the exit.

"Sigh, Mu Wanling, what kind of 'legitimate daughter of a General' are you..." As Chun'er left, Wanling thought that her leg might have been injured during that previous dispute, and it had remained like this for days. Looking at the furniture and objects before her, which were complete but clearly worn out, she realized that their meals were prepared separately in a small kitchen next to their room. Every month, the Second Lady's courtyard would send some rice and flour.

That rice and flour were only enough for them to barely survive; even eating a full meal every day was a problem. Just as she was slowly adapting to all the memories of this body, Chun'er returned carrying a bowl of thin porridge so watery that one could see a reflection in it.

"Miss, there is nothing good in the kitchen. This is the porridge I cooked for you. Here, let me feed you..." Chun'er sniffled as she looked at her, sitting on a relatively intact wooden stool by the bed and gently blowing on the spoon to feed her.

"Has the kitchen run out of rice recently?" Seeing the porridge that was thin enough to show a reflection, Wanling asked, knowing they usually relied on supplies sent from the front courtyard.

"Yes, I went to the front courtyard the day before yesterday to find the manager of the Second Lady's courtyard, and the manager said that since the Eldest Miss had instructed that no rice be brought while you were unconscious... Miss... if the Madam and the Eldest Young Master were still here, you would never be like this..." At Wanling's inquiry, Chun'er paused for a moment before nodding through tears. Regarding the fact that her Miss cared so little for such matters, she could only sigh helplessly and lower her head.

"Don't cry, Chun'er. It is all because I was too weak in the past. From now on, I will never let you suffer like this again. I will make sure you have a good house to live in, good clothes to wear, and good food and drink... just wait. I won't drink it; you drink it. I'm going out for a walk..."

At Chun'er's words, Wanling thought of her elder brother, Mu Shaofan, who had died without reason when she was very young, and sighed gloomily. Thinking of the weakness and predicament of the original owner of this body, she felt contempt, yet she looked at the little person before her who was grieving for her and spoke seriously. After drinking the last sip of water, she struggled to get off the bed...

"Miss, slow down! You just woke up, please be careful..."

Seeing her attempting to get off the bed, Chun'er hurriedly set down the empty bowl and supported her with worry.

"The old Mu Wanling is dead. Now, your Miss is quite healthy... Pour out the medicine the front courtyard gave me today; give the dregs to me..." Wanling spoke with a sense of self-awareness regarding the girl's concern. As her feet hit the floor, Wanling's body swayed. Seeing the medicine bowl on the bedside table, she instinctively checked her own pulse, only to discover that this body had been given a chronic medicine—a type of medicine that caused physical weakness and shortness of breath.

They weren't even allowed to eat their fill, yet the medicine was administered without interruption every day; it was enough to make one think deeply. At that moment, she gave Chun'er a stern command.