June in Jin City.
No moon tonight, barely any stars either.
A dim flicker of light moved through the forest at the base of Lumen Mountain. Two men were hauling a black body bag, one behind the other.
Out of nowhere, the guy in front stumbled over something. He looked down, cursed, and kicked a stone aside. “Damn it, seriously—this kinda crap just reeks of bad luck. No wonder they say messing with dead people’s not a good idea.”
“For real. That old lady from the Lawrences? Ruthless.” The second man replied bitterly. “Not only did she kill her own granddaughter, she didn’t even want her buried properly.”
“Dragged us all the way out here, deep in the woods, just to burn her up and scatter the ashes like nothing ever happened.”
“That grudge must’ve run deep, man.”
The second guy let out a long sigh. “Ugh. That's the rich for ya. Word is Miss Grace got beat to death for seducing someone in her own family. Who knows if it’s true or not? We’re just hired hands—no point gossiping. Do the job, get paid, go home.”
“Wait, hold up.” The first man gave him a look. “You’re seriously gonna torch her? Dude, come on. She already died young—that’s tragic enough. Why add insult to injury?”
“How about we just drop her somewhere quiet and leave? Come on, the Lawrences aren’t gonna dig into it—this whole place is deserted. At least we’re giving her a little dignity before cashing in.”
The guy in back stood there for a bit, considering. Then finally said, “...Alright.”
That settled it. They picked up the pace.
Soon enough, they found the right spot. Deep in the woods, a gentle stream murmured, the whole ground covered in blooming toomi flowers.
But neither man was in the mood to appreciate the scenery.
“Let’s do it here,” one of them muttered.
They dropped the body bag to the ground and unzipped it, pulling out what was inside. The stench of blood hit them hard, sharp and overwhelming. Both struggled to keep their lunch down, avoiding eye contact with the body.
With concerted effort, they hefted the corpse and tossed it into the middle of the flower field. Then they pressed their palms together and gave a couple of stiff, awkward bows.
“Miss Grace... this spot’s got good vibes—flowers, mountains, water—all that feng shui jazz. This is all we can do. Rest in peace, yeah?”
“If you’ve got beef, take it up with Old Lady Lawrence. Don’t come after us.”
Just as those words faded, a soft, eerie rustle rose from the forest floor.
Both men jerked their heads up, chills running down their spines.
The toomi flowers, which had been perfectly still a moment ago, now swayed gently, without a breeze in sight.The flowers bobbed gently, almost like they were nodding at the two men—or maybe even waving.
The air suddenly turned weirdly creepy.
The two brothers gulped and, legs shaking, freaked out and bolted from the forest like their lives depended on it.
…
On the ground, the body had flattened some flower stems, and blood oozed beneath her, soaking into the green branches and pale blossoms.
A breeze passed through, carrying the heavy scent of flowers.
In the dim light, the woman on the ground slowly opened her eyes.
Staring up at the moonless, starless sky, Grace Lawrence blinked a few times, stunned.
Wait, she didn’t actually die?
That damn sorcerer really talked big—claimed she'd be wiped out for good after dying seven times. This time made eight, and yet here she was, alive and kicking!
Great. Looks like she had to go through it all over again.
Grace curled her lips, totally fed up. She was so done playing the role of the infamous female villain everyone wanted dead. She was so done with constantly sparring with that walking rulebook, Lou Cang.
If dying could get her out of this mess, she was more than ready to be a cheeky ghost in the afterlife.
Deciding she’d rather not stick around, she raised her hand to deliver a clean hit to end things fast.
But the moment her fingers twitched, she realized something was off—no sign of inner strength.
Wait a sec!
Grace touched her face, then quickly stood up, brushing her hand from her forehead all the way down to her ankles, checking everything.
Conclusion?
This wasn’t her body.
And these clothes definitely weren’t from Canglan continent either.
So she died… but somehow didn’t stay dead?
Frowning, Grace tried to piece it together, and eventually, figured her best bet was to stay alive for now. This place didn’t seem packed with enemies, no Lou Cang lurking around, and who knew, maybe it’d even be fun. If it wasn’t? Then she’d just kick the bucket again like it was nothing.
But—
How did the original owner of this body die? No wounds or blood to be seen… Could it have been poison?
Just as that thought hit, a sharp jolt of pain stabbed at her brain.
“Guess I was right,” she muttered, rubbing her temple. She fought through the ache and followed the sound of trickling water to a nearby stream.
Crouching down, she reached for the water to soothe her throat—but paused when something in the reflection caught her eye.
A woman’s face stared back: silky black hair falling to one side, delicate brows, soft lips, sparkling eyes. Her skin was pale like jade, with a small red mark between her brows—like a red plum on snow, cold yet oddly seductive.
Grace touched her cheek, almost dazed.
That face was exactly the same as her old one.
Seriously? How could that even happen?
**
With her throat finally not feeling like sandpaper, Grace didn’t stick around much longer. She was running on empty, her head was a mess, and all she really wanted was a soft spot to crash and sleep off this weirdness.Finding a comfortable place was seriously a mission.
Grace had been stumbling her way out of the forest for what felt like forever—couldn't even spot a doghouse, let alone somewhere to crash. The forest ended at this wide highway, and across it was a bald, empty mountain.
She was totally wiped out.
Right when she was about to just lie down and sleep on the spot, bam—she caught a sudden beam of light in the distance.
It was moving crazy fast.
Her eyes lit up, and she walked right into the middle of the road.
As the light came closer, she finally got a clear look at what it was.
A speeding black box on wheels—way faster than her little wolf ever ran.
Meanwhile...
Inside the car.
Ethan Brooks had been driving as usual, focused and calm, when suddenly—whoosh—a woman with long hair appeared outta nowhere right in front of the car.
He nearly jumped out of his skin, slamming on the brakes in panic.
"Screech—"
Before the vehicle even fully stopped, he turned formally toward the man in the back. "Sir, apologies—there’s someone in the road. A woman, out of nowhere."
Silence filled the car.
Then...
The man’s voice, low and magnetic, broke it: “Go check.”
“Yes, sir.” Ethan let out a breath, visibly relaxing as he quickly got out and strode toward the odd woman who hadn’t budged.
Meanwhile...
Grace tilted her head slightly, her pretty eyes full of curiosity as she stared at the "black box."
Huh.
Not bad-looking at all. Bet it’d be super cozy inside.
With that thought, she casually shoved the man blocking her path out of the way and walked to the now-open driver's side door.
She leaned down and crawled into the vehicle. First thing she noticed was a subtle and pleasant woody scent lingering inside.
That annoying headache dulled a bit.
Following the source of the calming scent, she smoothly slid between the front seats and into the back.
In the dim lighting, she could just make out a figure sitting back there on the right.
Her night vision? Top-notch. One glance, and she spotted the emerald prayer beads wrapped around the man’s long fingers.
“Oh?”
“So it’s a little monk. No wonder he smells like trees,” she said with a soft chuckle.
She moved closer, leaning in until her nose brushed the man’s neck, taking a sniff.
Her voice, sweet and lazy, echoed suddenly in the car. The man didn’t respond, but reached up and flicked a switch.
Warm amber light filled the space.
Unbothered, Grace leaned a hand on the seat back, the other resting lightly on his shoulder. Her eyes stayed fixed on the side of his face—unbelievably handsome.
She blinked, a bit stunned.
Then...
Her lips curved into a playful smile. She let go and flopped right onto the man’s lap.
Lying on her side, she snuggled in closer, voice soft and sleepy. “Little monk, you’re really good-looking. I like it. Let me nap here a bit, won’t waste your kindness.”