Chapter 1: Rebirth Amidst the Uncanny

“As soon as the agreed three million arrives, I’ll arrange her discharge immediately!”

“This sum is nothing for you—it’s an easy problem to solve!”

“Don’t worry! She may be a vegetative patient now, but there’s no chance she’ll ever wake up. The doctor said, without the machines keeping her alive, that girl’s brain would be dead within three days.”

“Good, it’s settled then. I’ll send my account details to your secretary right away.” The call ended, and once again, only the faint hum of medical equipment filled the quiet hospital room.

The silence had barely settled when suddenly the door was flung open, footsteps hurried and loud—someone entered.

“Mom, is the money sorted out? I’m waiting to pay the down payment!” The man’s voice was young, tinged with the impatience typical of youth.

“It’s fine, your business won’t be delayed. Your sister’s compensation will come through this afternoon, and I’ll transfer it to you once I receive it.”

“Then I won’t stay here. The smell of disinfectant is making me dizzy. I’ve got lunch plans with my friends, so I’m in a hurry.” Speaking, the man strode out, opening the door without hesitation.

Click, click, click, click, click—the sound of high heels striking the floor was harsh, echoing from the room out into the hallway.

“Ah, why are you so impatient? Do you have enough money on you? Take this—your sister won’t be needing it lying there, better you spend it.”

“This is Dad’s money for the hospital, isn’t it? If I use it, won’t he beat me?”

“Of course not! It’s the sympathy money your sister’s coworker just gave her, Dad doesn’t know about it. Anyway, once we get the compensation, we’ll discharge that girl, and this money will be saved.”

“Fine, give it to me, just don’t let Dad find out! I’m off!”

How amusing—pathetic, perhaps? But the sadness had long faded, hadn’t it? Such family isn’t worth keeping...

No one outside noticed the slight twitch of the eyelids on the unmoving figure in the hospital bed. After a few moments, all was still once more...

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A burning pain seared through her chest, as if struck by a heavy hammer. She struggled to breathe, unable to ignore the sensation.

She’d only suffered a brain injury in a car accident, so why did her chest hurt? No, that wasn’t the point.

It hurts—she could feel again!

Her nerves, dulled after so long, responded slowly. Ji Yao now realized her numb body was flooded with weakness and soreness.

She tried several times, finally managing to lift her heavy eyelids. The light was dim, but thankfully so—her eyes quickly adjusted to the gloom.

What she saw left her bewildered. She could sense a slight dampness beneath her, mingling with the earthy scent of decayed leaves and grass. Lying flat, she glimpsed above her a hole partly covered by dry branches and weeds, with patchy sunlight filtering through the gaps.

Was she abandoned here by her stepmother and half-brother? Recalling their last words, Ji Yao’s head throbbed with fury.

Don’t think about it, don’t think about it! If she didn’t, she wouldn’t be angry. Ji Yao consoled herself.

Better to focus on what to do now.

Enough time had passed for clarity to return, and Ji Yao felt her body slowly recover. She struggled to raise her arms, hoping to sit up, but after several attempts, she had to give up, sprawled flat again, staring at the hole above her in a daze. Her strength was still lacking.

Eventually, the light streaming through the hole grew harsh, and Ji Yao instinctively raised her hand to shield her eyes.

Wait—her hand...

Shocked, Ji Yao felt a sudden surge of energy and sat up abruptly. The movement tugged at the wound on her chest, sending blood rushing; a mouthful of dark, crimson blood burst from her throat, soaking into the earth below. A faint glow from the soil seeped into Ji Yao’s body.

But all of that happened in an instant. Ji Yao didn’t notice. Catching her breath, she spat out the clotted blood stuck in her throat and hurriedly examined her hands in the shaft of light.

They were the size of a child’s—about seven or eight years old—but disturbingly, the skin was as dry as aged tree bark, resembling that of an elderly woman.

In disbelief, Ji Yao drew her hands back and touched her face. It was small, still a child’s, but the skin was riddled with deep wrinkles, like rotting orange peel. At the corner of her right eye was a scar, its scab already fallen away, stretching from the tip of her right eyebrow down her cheek, barely missing her eye.

Taking advantage of her ability to sit, Ji Yao quickly moved to a brighter spot and thoroughly inspected her body.

No, this couldn’t be!

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It was clear this wasn’t her original body. It belonged to an undeveloped girl, seven or eight years old, yet the skin was grotesquely aged, as if all moisture had been drained away.

The pain in her chest stemmed from a dark mark between her lungs; elsewhere, only minor scrapes, nothing serious.

Ji Yao looked at the dusty, robe-like clothing she wore, uncertain what to feel, momentarily dazed.

Had she inherited the body of some mythical child crone? Had she been reborn into a world of martial arts?

Countless thoughts flashed through Ji Yao’s mind, but trapped in this cave, she had no way to know what lay outside. Anxiety crept in.

Even if she escaped, with her current appearance, she’d likely be taken for a monster. Ji Yao smiled bitterly.

At least her mind was clear. Though this body seemed on the verge of collapse, she couldn’t just sit and wait for death. She braced herself against the stone wall and slowly stood up, beginning to examine the underground cave in detail.

The cave was only five or six meters wide; with enough light, she’d see it all at a glance. The hole above was about three meters high, the size of a manhole cover—enough for one person to pass through.

In the shadowed corner, a thick-stemmed green vine crawled up half the stone wall, not reaching the hole above. Otherwise, nothing—just bare stone.

She’d considered calling for help. After standing up, Ji Yao had shouted toward the hole above, but her voice was hoarse and aged, no doubt repulsive even to birds. Overhead, only the wind rustled the leaves, and sometimes the chirping of insects could be heard.

Was she really going to wait for death here?

That wasn’t her style! Back then, her stepmother had schemed against her for her useless son, but Ji Yao had fought back every step, never afraid. Otherwise, she’d have been buried long ago.

Thinking of this, Ji Yao pursed her lips and began searching for places to climb on the cave wall. After much effort, her painstakingly restored strength was depleted, and her chest wound seemed to worsen; breathing felt like a leaky sieve, as though she might die any second.

“If you keep struggling, you might as well prepare to become fertilizer for the Shadow Vine.”

A cold voice seemed to sigh by Ji Yao’s ear, or perhaps it was imprinted directly in her mind.