The sky was tinged with orange as evening approached, casting a golden glow on the city skyline. Li Yun stepped out of the skyscraper where the Business Success Under 25 interview had just wrapped. She walked with confidence toward her sleek black Porsche, nodding briefly to the few paparazzi lingering near the lobby.
Though dressed casually in tight jeans, a plain white blouse, and sunglasses perched on her head, she looked classy and dominant. Her long, silky hair flowed freely, swaying in the evening breeze. Her face was beautiful— porcelain skin, red lips, and sharp eyes that glinted like a fox's. With her striking face and tall figure, it was easy for people to be captivated by her.
Just as she reached her car, a notification buzzed on her phone.
Assistant He: Sorry, Yun. I have to tell you—just now, I saw your girlfriend, Qian Qian, with Tony at the Margo Hotel lobby. They were checking in.
Li Yun froze mid-step.
Tony.
Her arch-nemesis in the AI industry. A man who would do anything to defeat her.
After getting the message, Li Yun jumped into her car, started the engine, and sped off. The hotel's location was burned into her mind—she was going to catch them in the act. While driving, she sent a message to her assistant, instructing them to invite paparazzi to the hotel. This would definitely become a trending topic. Li Yun smirked, already imagining the headlines.
At an intersection, an SUV suddenly shot out from a narrow alley. "Fuck!" Li Yun cursed, eyes widening in panic.
Driving at high speed, Li Yun had no time to brake. Her hand was still holding her smartphone when she lost control of the steering wheel.
"Aahh—!" she screamed, yanking the wheel, but it was too late.
Metal smashed into metal with a deafening roar. Her Porsche lifted off the ground, flipped twice, then rolled violently to the side of the road.
Smoke rose from the crumpled hood. The windshield was shattered. The alarm screamed into the glowing dusk.
Inside the wreck, a bloodied hand twitched. Li Yun's slender fingers stirred weakly as she struggled to stay conscious. Blood trickled from her temple, her long hair sticking to her bruised, pale face.
With the last of her strength, she pried open her eyes. Her vision blurred, but through the cracks of the shattered glass, she saw two figures approaching. Two men dressed in strange clothing. They didn't look like they were from this world.
"Damn… this is a mess," muttered the man in black, flipping through the pages. "Wait... was her name Lin Yun or Li Yun? I left my death records behind because we rushed out too fast!"
He pouted in frustration, glancing at his companion.
The man beside him, dressed in plain white robes, sighed. "It's Li Yun. Young CEO, 24 years old. Car crash. Time of death, 5:49 PM. Black Porsche. A sports car, not an SUV."
"Oh, right? That's too bad… she just got an award, didn't she?" murmured Impermanent Black, lifting a slender finger.
With a gentle flick, Li Yun's body began to glow faintly. From her chest, a warm orb of light emerged, her soul, pulsing softly like a living pearl. It floated upward, and the man in white caught it with both hands, careful and reverent.
"Your time in the mortal world has come to an end," whispered Impermanent White.
And then, everything went dark.
Li Yun felt herself sinking, as if falling into a deep ocean of sleep. There was no pain, no sound.
Then a voice called out, deep and commanding: "Wake up."
Her eyes opened slowly.
She was lying on a grand, ancient bed carved from dark stone, inlaid with dragons and swirling cloud motifs. The fabric beneath her was soft, but the air was heavy with mist. A vast, shadowed hall stretched around her. Gray skies loomed beyond the windows. The buildings outside were made of dark jade and cold stone, half-veiled by a thin, ghostly fog.
Two tall men stood at her side.
One wore a long black robe, a mischievous smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. The other was dressed in white, his expression calm and wise.
"Who… who are you? Where am I?" Li Yun's voice was hoarse.
"I am Impermanent White," said the man in white.
"And I'm Impermanent Black!" the other chimed in. "We're soul escorts from the underworld. You know, grim reaper types but with style."
Li Yun stared at them in disbelief. "What are you talking about? I'm still alive!"
"Li Yun," White interrupted gently, "you died in a car accident two days ago. Your soul has already left your body. King Yama is waiting to decide where your soul will go next."
The words struck her like a blow to the chest.
"No… No, this can't be happening…" she whispered, stumbling off the bed. "Wuwuwuwu… I.. I still have so much to do."
Her voice cracked. She covered her face with her hands as the hot tears came. The CEO who ruled boardrooms and commanded headlines now wept like a lost child.
"We understand," White said softly. "But the laws of the underworld cannot be undone."
Li Yun collapsed to her knees. Her sobs echoed across the vast stone hall.
Then, the voice boomed like thunder, shaking the ground beneath her.
"Who's making all that noise?!"
Li Yun looked up, eyes wide. King Yama's voice echoed like a gong. She quickly scrambled to her feet, hastily smoothing her messy hair before bowing deeply.
"Your Majesty! I demand an appeal! I died under completely unfair circumstances! I didn't even get the chance to drag my cheating girlfriend out in front of the press yet!"
King Yama stroked his long beard, eyeing her for a moment before replying,
"You know… Lin Yun… There are rules and procedures in this realm. Your time has come. The mortal world must now be left behind."
Li Yun frowned, puzzled.
"…Lin Yun? Who's Lin Yun?"
"You, of course. Lin Yun."
Her eyes narrowed.
"EXCUSE ME—my name is LI Yun. L-I! Not Lin!"
The room fell silent.
Impermanent White and Black froze, exchanging wide-eyed glances. Black dropped his fan. White stood stiff as a statue.
"…Wait! are you serious?" muttered King Yama, flipping open a massive book titled "SOUL DEPARTURES: TODAY'S LIST." He squinted, running one long finger down the pages.
"Well, this is... awkward. The one scheduled to die at 5:49 PM was Lin Yun, 25 years old, occupation: seafood restaurant chef. Cause of death: accident involving a black SUV, license plate 1111BB."
"I'm not a chef. This is clearly a major afterlife system error." Li Yun shouted.
Impermanent White buried his face in his hands. Impermanent Black tried to quietly slip behind a jade pillar.
King Yama began to sweat. "Ahem. It seems… there has been a slight clerical error."
Li Yun glared at each of them in turn, then let out a sharp huff.
"Alright, listen up. I don't care whose fault this is. But if you people don't send me back to the mortal world right now, I swear I'll file a report to the Jade Emperor. To the Buddha. To Bodhisattva Guanyin. To every single one of my ancestors—sixteen generations deep!"
King Yama, who was usually calm and wise, was now sweating nervously as Li Yun stood before him with clenched fists and a burning aura. Then he snapped, voice thundering through the underworld.
"White Impermanence! Black Impermanence! Get back to the mortal world and check her body! Now!"
The two soul escorts, who had been whispering nervously in the corner, jumped in fright and vanished in a blur.
Two minutes later, they reappeared in a puff of ghostly smoke... and immediately began shoving each other like guilty children.
"You tell her!"
"No, you! I'm scared!"
Finally, White raised his hand in surrender.
"Li Yun… your body's already been cremated. Your ashes were scattered in the river. There's no way to go back…"
"WHAT?!!!" Li Yun screamed. Her hair almost turned into blue flames from pure rage.
"This is outrageous! I don't accept this! Someone has to take responsibility! Wuwuwuwuuu!!"
King Yama's eye twitched. He slowly turned toward them, veins bulging on his forehead.
"White… Black… how could you mess up so badly and collect the wrong soul…"
They all sat down for an emergency meeting, drinking ginger tea and some offering cakes that accidentally sent from mortal world.
After three rounds of arguments and one group cry session, King Yama finally spoke.
"Alright, Li Yun. Since this is clearly a system error, we'll give you two options."
He raised his hand calmly, though his face showed a hint of guilt.
"First: reincarnation. You'll be born again as a baby and start life from scratch. But you won't remember anything from your current life."
Li Yun, still sniffling, eyed him suspiciously.
King Yama cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Second: soul transmigration," King Yama continued. "This world is a parallel universe. I'll send you into another one. I've checked your existence there, you were an Empress who ruled a kingdom called Great Qi. Your name was Li Jun."
Li Yun stopped crying. The tears on her cheeks began to dry.
"…Great Qi? Never heard of it."
King Yama smiled to himself. Of course she hadn't. According to his calculations, the kingdom would collapse not long after her reign. But there was no need to mention that.
"Yes, yes. It was a small kingdom," he said casually. "Besides, human knowledge is limited—so it's only natural you didn't know."
Li Yun clenched her fists, frowning. "Hmm... how old is this Li Jun?"
King Yama's smile twitched, but before he could answer, White Impermanence jumped in:
"Li Jun only 18! Still so young—and died poisoned!"
"POISONED?!" Li Yun recoiled.
"Yeah… but don't worry, you'll recover after soul transmigration." Black added in a panic.
Li Yun narrowed her eyes but seemed to be considering it. Her expression brightened with determination.
"I choose soul transmigration. Send me to the another universe! Better to be an empress than a baby again."
King Yama nodded, satisfied. "Good. Since you've been cooperative, I'll give you a bonus."
From inside his long black robe, he pulled out a shiny black pill, round and gleaming like obsidian.
"This is the Anti-Poison Pill. It will protect your body from poisons and strengthen your immune system."
Li Yun took it, gave it a suspicious look… then gulped it down.
"Tastes like old incense from leftover offerings."
"Sorry… it expired in the year 899 AD," White whispered.
Li Yun was about to yell, but a sudden thought flashed through her mind.
Wait… wait… she muttered to herself. Great Qi… that sounds like an ancient-era setting, right?
What if she encountered assassins or bandits out there? Panic creeping in, she turned to King Yama with wide eyes.
"I need something! A pill… , a pill that will let me learn martial arts, qinggong, all those amazing abilities of a great master!" she pleaded, her voice rising with urgency.
When King Yama ignored her, she kept nagging and begging endlessly until he finally sighed in defeat.
"Tch… fine, fine…" King Yama grumbled, rubbing his temple. With a reluctant gesture, he searched through his divine inventory and pulled out a glowing pill that radiated powerful aura.
"This is a magical pill from the Wolf God. Don't waste it. You'll gain strength beyond human limits." Li Yun's eyes sparkled with excitement as she snatched the pill, already imagining herself leaping over rooftops like a legendary heroine.
Li Yun quickly popped the magical pill into her mouth. At once, a burning heat spread from her throat through every vein in her body, making her tremble. It felt like lightning was running under her skin.
Her breath caught as the strange power spun wildly inside her dantian, forcing her meridians to open with sharp pain. Her blood rushed faster, and she could feel a new strength, inner energy filling her muscles and bones.
"Now your soul has gained strength and immunity to poison. You can leave in peace," King Yama said quickly, afraid Li Yun would start asking for more ridiculous things. From inside his robe, he pulled out a small silver wheel and tossed it high into the air.
FWUUUSH!
The small wheel grew larger, transforming into the Reincarnation Wheel. It spun faster and faster until it created a glowing vortex.
The sky of the underworld cracked open like torn silk, and golden light poured down on Li Yun, making her hair whip wildly in the air. "Li Yun… or should I say, Li Jun…" King Yama's voice rumbled like thunder. "Go now, and begin your new life as Li Jun."
"AAARGHHH!!" Li Yun screamed as her body was lifted into the air, spinning as if she were trapped inside a cosmic washing machine. She was pulled into the swirling golden light, her vision flashing white...
And slowly, everything dissolved into endless black.