C1 Xuanniang

The moon hung high in the silent sky, casting its light over the desolate landscape. Bodies lay scattered across the hillside, and beneath them, a woman in a simple dress stood out starkly.

Qingxuan awoke to the stench of decay. The metallic scent of blood and the putrid odor of rot made her stomach churn. With effort, she pushed aside the weight pressing down on her. Dazed, she glanced at her blood-stained hands, and memories flooded her mind.

This body belonged to Xuanniang, who married into the Zhao family three years ago. Her husband died shortly after their wedding. For three years, she dutifully served her mother-in-law and her husband's siblings, but the label of a "husband-killer" brought her constant scorn.

Last night, someone claimed her family had come to visit and lured her to a secluded spot. There, she was stabbed in the abdomen and left for dead on the hillside. By some twist of fate, Qingxuan had crossed over into this body.

"Damn it, who did this to her?" Qingxuan—now Xuanniang—stood up swiftly, surveying the bodies around her. Despite her past as a military doctor, accustomed to gruesome sights, this scene was unlike anything she had ever encountered.

The hillside was littered with headless bodies, their necks clotted with dried blood, and their skin marred by livor mortis.

Xuanniang forced herself to stay calm and quickly checked the bodies; all the victims were male. So why was she, the only woman, spared?

Unable to make sense of it, Xuanniang discarded her bloodstained outer garment and went to the river to wash the blood from her face and hands. The knife wound on her abdomen had stopped bleeding but still hurt intensely.

Why were the other men beheaded, while she was only wounded in the abdomen?

Full of questions, Xuanniang returned to the Zhao family home. Villagers heading to the market or out hunting avoided her on the road. She ignored them, and as soon as she entered the Zhao family gate, she saw her mother-in-law, Mrs. Sunn, and sister-in-law, Xu Fangfang, airing out blankets in the yard.

“Mom...” Xuanniang called out tentatively. She knew Mrs. Sunn had always been harsh with her, but she had nowhere else to go for now.

“You still know your way back? Which wild man did you run off with? Or did you almost get yourself killed out there?” Mrs. Sunn, not young anymore, had dark skin and a face full of wrinkles, but her sharp, shrewd eyes showed her keen and fierce nature.

Xu Fangfang stood silently nearby.

“I didn’t...” Xuanniang tried to explain.

After all, she was a woman of the 21st century, raised in the city. Even after joining the military, she was used to reasoning things out first.

But she hadn't expected Mrs. Sunn to be so unreasonable. She tossed the quilt to Fangfang, took a few steps forward, grabbed Xuanniang by the ear, and threw her out of the yard. Xuanniang didn't even have time to react before a slap landed on her face, leaving half of it numb and her ears ringing.

"You little tramp, you have no shame!" Mrs. Sunn kicked her, hitting Xuanniang right in her still-healing abdominal wound, causing it to tear open again, blood pouring out.

"Mrs. Sunn, I just saw her coming back from the hilltop. What was a widow doing up there all night?" a passing villager remarked. "Look, she's got blood on her. Was she with someone?"

Hearing this, Mrs. Sunn's face darkened.

"Yeah, I saw it too. Last night, I saw her with a man..."

Xuanniang struggled to open her eyes to see who was speaking. They were saying the most cutting things, yet seemed excited, their spit nearly hitting Xuanniang's face.

Suddenly, Xuanniang felt a sharp pain throughout her body. Mrs. Sunn grabbed a broom and started beating her with it.

The broom was made of bamboo, and the tightly bound bamboo strips stung Xuanniang so much that tears welled up in her eyes.

In an instant, Xuanniang reached out and grabbed the broom, pulling it toward her with all her strength. Mrs. Sunn toppled over, and Xuanniang quickly got up, yanked the broom away, and tossed it to the ground before heading back into the yard.

"You heartless wretch, cursed by the heavens! Laying hands on an old woman like me..." Mrs. Sunn sat on the ground, refusing to get up, her voice laced with tears, though her eyes remained dry.

Xuanniang entered the yard, only to find that Fangfang was nowhere to be seen.

The first time she came in, she had noticed the large machete in the yard, usually used for cutting weeds, and now Xuanniang needed it. She had just been beaten by Mrs. Sunn, and her whole body ached. Her mind was almost blank, but she persisted, grabbing the machete and heading out.

"Xuanniang, I've borrowed your body and life to carry on, and from now on, there's no distinction between us," she silently vowed to herself.

Years of living in the military had made Xuanniang exceptionally resilient.

She walked out of the yard with the machete, seeing Mrs. Sunn still sitting on the ground, cursing and crying. More and more villagers gathered around. Xuanniang felt irritated, and the expressions on the faces of the onlookers only added to her annoyance.

She abruptly grabbed Mrs. Sunn, who was sprawled on the ground, and with gritted teeth, dragged her back into the yard.

"Help! She's going to kill me!" Mrs. Sunn screamed in terror.