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  “It is cursed,” The old lady finally said with a sigh. She noticed how obsessed this young man had become after holding the hairpin, even though he only had it for such a short time, “Death will descend upon the owner of this hairpin.”

  Hui Yue was about to snort in disbelief, but his upbringing, however, had taught him to never show arrogance in front of others, and he managed to restrain himself. He understood that people would be superstitious when there was a lack of knowledge; although in this day and age something like a curse could not scare him. Especially not since this beautiful hairpin felt as though it was a part of himself; he could already not bear to part with it.

  “Young man do not make fun of curses. They are more real than you might imagine,” The elderly lady warned as she stood up and walked towards Hui Yue and the Blue Phoenix hairpin. Although Hui Yue had tried to contain his contempt, the lady easily understood his thoughts; she wished for this man to survive. She did not wish for him to become another target for the Blue Phoenix.

  “It arrived in my shop three hundred years ago,” The lady started as she took the hairpin from Hui Yue’s hands and moved behind the counter. “We sold it almost immediately then the owner died three days later having been assaulted by thieves.” Hui Yue kept quiet as he did not believe that thieves could be blamed on the hairpin unless they specifically aimed to steal it.

  “The thieves were then killed by relatives of the buyer, and so the hairpin went to his oldest son; however, he died from a lightning strike.” Hui Yue crooked his brows slightly. It was very unlikely for anyone to die from a lightning strike unless they intentionally sought out a location where lightning would hit them. He chose not to believe the story so far as it was more than a hundred years ago, and the story had to have been exaggerated.

  “After that,” the old lady continued as she noticed that Hui Yue had doubt in his eyes. “It went from one person to another, and every one of those people died. Eventually, the last owner delivered it back here. We have sold it a few times since then, however, the results have always been the same.”

  The elderly lady sighed and hoped that Hui Yue would give up. She did not mind selling the cursed hairpin to wicked people, but after she saw the genuine excitement and admiration he had while looking at the treasures in her store, she wished for him to live a long and prosperous life.

  Hui Yue felt her hesitation, and he sent a genuine smile towards the elderly woman. He took the hairpin back into his hands at once while politely saying, “I wish to purchase this hairpin, and I will just have to hope that my luck is stronger than the curse.” His smile left no space for discussion causing the elderly lady to sigh once again as she accepted his money. After all, she had never personally experienced anyone being affected by the curse, so maybe this youth was right, perhaps the curse was just a superstition.

  Hui Yue’s mood did not have any trace of his previous jealousy; instead, he was ecstatic as he left the antique shop. He knew that no one would use such a hairpin in this day and age; however, it was incredibly beautiful, and he could think of only one person who could match its beauty. He could not wait to gift it to Li Fen and see her happy expression just thinking about it made him show a silly smile.

  “Hui Yue!” A brilliant voice called out to him the moment he stepped back onto the pavement. He noticed that Li Fen had finished her shopping, and she had been waiting for him outside of the lingerie store. As she saw Hui Yue leave the antique shop with something in his hand, Li Fen was overtaken by excitement. She wanted to show Hui Yue what she had purchased as well as see what he had found so without thinking she stepped onto the busy road.

  Hui Yue scratched his head slightly as he realized that he had most likely spent more time than expected within the shop, but coming out he felt as though it had been worth it. Li Fen’s happy smile was quickly replaced by an expression of shock when she heard a loud honking. When she instantly looked to the side, she saw a truck heading straight towards her. The driver was doing everything he could to avoid a collision, but Li Fen was like a deer in headlights, frozen by fear and disbelief. Her body refused to move.

  The silly smile and happiness which had been bubbling within Hui Yue instantly vanished. Seeing Li Fen frozen and the truck only a few meters away, Hui Yue’s body swiftly moved on its own.

  Hui Yue’s heart was filled with the fear that he might not make it in time. Images from their twenty-four years of friendship passed in front of him enhancing his feelings for her.

  Hui Yue jumped onto the road and arrived next to Li Fen within a second, and his horrified expression scared Li Fen, but as they were close to each other, the fear quickly subsided from Hui Yue’s face.

  All this happened within seconds, and it was only possible for Hui Yue to react swiftly and succeed in his rescue due to the truck having hit the brakes so hard that the entire area was filled with screeching sounds.

  He borrowed the power he had gained with his speed and quickly pushed the girl as far back as he could. Li Fen ended up flying two meters back and landed safely on the pavement before she realized what had happened.

  Although he pushed her quite hard and she was bound to get some bruises, she would be alive. A relieved smile appeared on Hui Yue’s face just before the truck hit him and sent him flying over ten meters causing him to bounce off the ground a few times.

  Hui Yue expected himself to be struck by fear and horror, but the moment he was hit, he felt no fear, only relief that Li Fen was safe. Hui Yue attempted to protect himself and raised his arms before the initial impact, but his eyes widened as he noticed that he was still tightly grasping the Blue Phoenix hairpin. Only now it was shining with an odd, almost mystical, blue light.

  As soon as the truck hit him, the impact against his arms caused the hairpin to penetrate his skin going between his ribs to pierce his heart.

  Hui Yue felt as if time stood still; then shock filled his eyes as he had a sudden whimsical thought. Would he die because of the truck or was it because of the hairpin? Suddenly, while looking at the hairpin, he noticed that it disappeared and turned into blue flames that gathered just outside of his chest.

  Hui Yue was shocked when he noticed he could sense everything that was happening to him, and it all appeared to happen in slow motion. Fortunately, either the impact from the truck or the stabbing hairpin must have killed him instantly because he felt no pain from his injuries that he was observing.

  Hui Yue diverted his attention from his wounds to the unusual fireball which was currently hovering above his heart, and a shocking sight met him. Not only was the fireball hovering above his heart, but it had also begun to absorb his blood. Hui Yue was completely unable to comprehend what was happening to him. A chill ran through his already dead body while his mind filled with fear from this unknown phenomenon which was occurring to him.

  Shortly after, he felt his consciousness move from his beaten body into the ball of blue fire that was rapidly growing. This caused panic to spread throughout Hui Yue’s mind. A futile struggle began, and in spite of how hard Hui Yue tried, it was impossible for him to resist the suction force coming from the fireball.

  As Hui Yue entered the fireball he was able to look down at his old body and notice how people were rushing towards him; however, due to the powerful impact, there wasn’t any sign of life. Hui Yue was completely broken, and anyone would have a hard time recognizing his body.

  Hui Yue himself was fully aware that his soul had departed his body, but he still felt an urge to linger around longer. He did not feel as if he was ready to depart yet. Hui Yue had a deep lingering regret whenever he thought about how he would never see Li Fen again. To know that her smile would be lost to him forever. At least she was with him during his dying moments.

  Profound sadness appeared in his heart as the image of his parents flashed before him. He could not help but be saddened when he thought of his parents who had given him everything he could ever wish for; however, now, as he was dead, he wouldn’t even hav
e the chance to say goodbye.

  Hui Yue looked at Li Fen, who was crying while touching his bloody corpse trying to convince herself that he was still alive, that there was still a possibility of saving him. This caused a wave of sadness to flood Hui Yue’s heart.

  He had never wanted to make Li Fen feel this pain, and he knew that his parents were going to be as heartbroken as she was, but, even so, he was certain he made the right choice.

  Hui Yue was not selfless, nor was he a charitable person, however, there were three people in this world that Hui Yue would give his life to save. Li Fen happened to be one of those people, so Hui Yue had no regrets.

  To save the woman he loved by sacrificing his own life was the right choice, but death was still a frightening thing.

  “Live well,” Hui Yue whispered towards the crying Li Fen before he attempted to mentally brace himself for his soul to perish as he knew it should. However, instead of death, Hui Yue heard a mocking voice from within the blue fire which said, “what a sappy love story.”

  Chapter 1 - Rebirth

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  Chapter 1: Rebirth

  Hui Yue had been floating in a sea of blue flames for what seemed like an eternity. At first, he was panic-stricken, but the endless sea of blue flames swayed his mind quickly washing away the depressing thoughts that still lingered within Hui Yue.

  Currently, Hui Yue found himself engulfed in a comfortable way he had never been before. His body was light, and it floated around in the sea. He was completely without worries as he casually moved around observing the flickering blue embers which the sea was made of.

  He was well aware that he had died. Though the blue sea was doing everything it could to wash away his sorrows, there was still a feeling of loss which could not be filled. Whenever Hui Yue thought about this, he remembered the face of Li Fen. He remembered their childhood together, and the first time he realized he loved her. He then remembered the smiles she would give him and the happiness they brought him.

  Although Hui Yue kept thinking about his life with Li Fen, he also knew that there was no way he could ever return to his previous life. Death, however, did not seem as terrible as he expected. There was no darkness. No monsters nor a long path of light leading towards stairs. There was nothing apart from this endless warm blue sea.

  These blue flames were so calming that he soon stopped thinking about his memories of leaving behind Li Fen and his parents. His worries subsided into an unexplainable feeling that everything would be okay.

  Suddenly, Hui Yue was startled as he heard a faint mumbling. A mumble that came from far away. His soul became alert, and he strained his ears trying to pick up what was being said. Unfortunately, everything he heard was muffled, and no matter how hard he tried, he was still unable to understand what the voice was saying.

  For a long time, Hui Yue was as tense as a bowstring; fear and panic threatened to overtake him; however, even if he wished to move away, it was currently impossible. His consciousness was completely trapped within the blue sea of flames.

  Hui Yue focused his attention towards the sounds, but it took some time before he noticed how the previously still blue flames started to flare up towards the blue sky. The change in the sea caused the already alert Hui Yue to finally force himself to calm down and observe everything happening around him.

  While the flames grew larger, the sea grew smaller, and a suction force started pulling Hui Yue towards a dark blue abyss. As this suction force appeared, Hui Yue noticed that the murmur he had heard previously originated within this abyss, and he was heading straight for it.

  Hui Yue felt his consciousness flicker slightly. His consciousness rushed down a dark blue tunnel falling towards an unknown location. His initial fear had long since passed because these events felt as if they took years to complete. Every stage, every meter traveled was clearly visible to the alert Hui Yue.

  When Hui Yue noticed that he was rushing through a dark tunnel, falling towards an unknown location, his speed suddenly picked up. It changed from a few meters each year, to a few meters each day, and eventually, he could feel himself falling at a high speed near the end.

  A hint of fear snuck back into his heart as he was unaware of what his future would bring. He had no idea how this blue sea and the black tunnel were capable of controlling time or at least his sense of time. However, he forcefully calmed himself down with the thought that he had already died and with no body, he should no longer be able to feel pain.

  Hui Yue focused on suppressing his fears so that it would not cloud his mind. He attentively observed everything which was happening around him. Soon he had stopped moving, but it was not an abrupt stop rather his speed slowed down before it almost unknowingly disappeared.

  Hui Yue noticed subtle changes in his surroundings, but currently, he was still unable to understand what was going on. His senses were alert, just as before, however, nothing seemed to be happening.

  A moment of complete silence followed Hui Yue’s arrival, at wherever he was. Nevertheless, after that moment, he heard the previous voices which were mumbling. The voices now were no longer low mumbles, but hurried voices seemingly yelling right next to him.

  The darkness changed from a black tunnel into a lighter shade, a shade Hui Yue was all too familiar with.

  Hui Yue needed a moment to understand what was happening around him. Once he relatively understood his situation he noticed that he was no longer just a consciousness but once again contained within a body. Shock filled his heart and increased its beat. The darkness which surrounded him he finally noticed was from having his eyes closed, and opening them was not an easy task.

  Hui Yue was rigid with fear and curiosity. He had been dead, of that he was sure, but now he suddenly found himself in another body. It was impossible for him to move in this body though, and even opening his eyes seemed to be a cumbersome task; however, even if he had to live his life as a vegetable, it would be worth it, as long as he could see Li Fen and his parents once more.

  His fear melted away as he thought about Li Fen and the terrified expression on her face. His gratitude for the heavens spread within him as he knew that they might be reunited. Maybe he could even get this body to move.

  Hui Yue decided to try moving his limbs, testing whether they were still attached to him, and relief flooded him as he noticed that they somewhat followed his orders. However, although they followed his orders, he could not help but feel that something was amiss.

  Hui Yue’s entire body felt very different from what he was used to before the crash, but he decided that details like this could be focused on later. The most important issue for Hui Yue was to once again see Li Fen’s beautiful smile. The fact that he could control a body left him feeling relieved, and he focused all his energy to force his tired, sealed eyes open.

  As soon as his eyes opened, he instantly screamed. His heart felt as if it had tried to escape his chest and fear shone in his eyes.

  The next thing he knew the face of a giant was in front of him. It was a rough looking man with a bearded face so close that Hui Yue was certain that he would reach it if he stretched out his arm.

  After containing the scream, Hui Yue dared not make another sound let alone move a muscle. The fear in his eyes was apparent to this giant as well, but he seemed not to care. Hui Yue was shocked deeply by these events.

  Hui Yue’s first thought was to escape instantly and find a safe place where he could focus on understanding this changed reality he seemed to be in. However, right now, there was no way to escape with this giant staring at him.

  At least this giant did not seem hostile in any way; however, it still seemed to be a dangerous situation to be caught in right after waking up in a new body, being completely unguarded.

  Hui Yue was scared. He had expected to see Li Fen and his complete mindset had been positive, but everything was now thrown into chaos, and he feared for his future. He feared for his new questionable life.

  “Don’t be so close,
you’re scaring him, dear,” An exhausted but gentle voice sounded from the side, and Hui Yue slowly turned his head to look in the direction of the voice.

  It was hard to move his head or even keep his eyes open, but he forced them to do so as he currently had no choice but stay alert. To stay on guard and to understand what was happening around him.

  As Hui Yue moved his head, he noticed that he was currently located in a worn out bedroom in a rundown shack. Looking at the shack, Hui Yue furrowed his brows and wondered if he had traveled back in time. The interior resembled a wooden shack that commoners would have owned back in ancient China.

  Something about the air here was much richer than what he was used to, but most importantly, giants definitely did not exist, and Hui Yue suddenly understood that he was in another world.

  The bed in the bedroom was currently occupied by a woman who was clearly beautiful, but right now her beautiful features were filled with exhaustion and pain. The lower part of the bed was covered with blood, and a young girl was washing the injured woman.