As clouds blanketed the sky, covering the crimson sun, bidding farewell to dusk and welcoming the myriad stars, a solemn sigh echoed through the busy streets of the imperial city. Bustling night markets, pavilions glittering with lanterns and occasional cultivators flying with their swords, boats, fans, and whatnot, a man with a luxurious robe and a graceful figure sat on top of a seven-tiered pagoda.
He poured himself a cup of wine from the jade bottle. The wind woke from its slumber, catching its breath, and carried with it the peach blossom petals from the nearby trees, falling into his jade cup as the wind blew his silky hair tied by his guan*. He looked at the pink wine as its aroma flushed out, reaching his nose with a certain calming effect. He savoured this cup of wine after the lingering taste of this wine captured his heart.
He took out the guqin* that lay beside him as he started playing a melancholous tone, starting with a deep resonant open string, drawing the attention of the nearby maids inside and the passerby outside. Starting slowly and softly, it felt grand, ethereal, distant, yet with the desire to grasp its strings.
One of the maids whispered to a nearby maid, slightly blushing, "Which concubine's son is this handsome prince?"
She replied, snorting, "Keep your voice down, do you wish to die? You have newly arrived, so you might not know he's the most amiable, dignified, talented prince born to the Noble Consort Ping Fei*"
The maid gasped, closing her damned mouth with her hands, sweat dripping on her back, her thoughts roiling, 'Isn't she the one said to be the evil most high torturing concubines, deeply scheming and cunning, killing her unborn children, her status rivalling her highness the empress i have just entered the court and i already made a mistake costing my heard. Fortunately, nobody heard me'
Just then, from the corner of the palace, entered the noble consort, Huang Ping. This humble maid fainted upon seeing this figure with her attendant.
"Tsk, what bad luck, throw her away", spoke the attendant
The nearby maids carried her away, scrambling their way through the meridian gates*, escaping this big villain sweating beads.
The noble consort asked amusingly, "Yunu*, does this seat look that scary?"
"Not at all, your highness, she is just a green bird not knowing the height of the heavens, hmph", spoke Yunu with arrogance-tinted words with implicit flattery.
"Hahah, well said, well said", praised the consort, not at all disagreeing with her flattery, rather accepting it.
The guqin tone long since turned from soft and calm to explosive bursts of string to listeners- it felt like the strings would break at any moment, due to the frequency at which they are pricked.
But to everyone's surprise, the tone soon reached tranquillity with ending notes, the heavenly music blessing everyone's ears reached an end. Someone clapped from the crowd, followed by most who gathered just outside the wall, listening to the music.
"Young Prince Li's music refinement reached one more step", someone said. Soon, the crowd dispersed, discussing about this prince li chen.
"Chen'er, come down, your mother has come to visit you", spoke the consort. Li chen stepped down carefully. As he came down, he greeted "Li chen greets the imperial mother".
He is li chen he lived forty years on the planet Earth before his fateful transmigration. It's been 9 years since his birth. In this world of cultivation, one can fly as one can slash the mountains, carry the seas on their shoulders. A world of myriad wonders where everything is possible. Tomorrow is the day he will officially start his cultivation, which is why he felt a bit off and came here to calm his mood through music and wine.
His grandmother taught the 8 imperial arts when he was young, and his mind was troubled at the age of 20. He practised these arts until 35 for 15 years to calm his soul, rest his restless heart and distract his troubled mind on planet earth. These 8 arts being art of music, strategy, calligraphy, painting, poetry, enjoying wine, flowers and tea.
He vaguely remembered his grandmother saying that their family is rooted in the imperial palace of the Forbidden City. Who knows if their ancestor is a concubine in the palace or the emperor himself, maybe just a maid.
"Chen'er, you are one of the most composed I have ever seen. Why are you so restless today? Are you worried about entering the threshold of cultivation?" she asked with a little frown on her face, veiled by a worrying expression.
li chen felt his hair rise, goosebumps appearing all over 'Eghh, my god, why are you so flattering today? also, don't think I didn't notice that frown on your face-, he thought calmly, replying, "I lost my composure, I ask for forgiveness, your highness".
"Tch, get a good night's sleep", she said with no facial expression as she signed her maid to deliver a bamboo slip.
He came to his residence, looking at the plaque decorated with golden dragons coiling around the name "The Second Western Residence"- he sighed. The rooms decorated with jade vases and falling colored stone curtains screamed imperial favour. The main hall is 5-bay wide, with east and west halls, along with the three courtyard complex. It's truly too ostentatious, a cause for envy in others. He didn't know what his mother thought- by giving him this mansion a few days ago, does she want him to fight with the other princes, who knows what she's scheming?
Thinking about his encounter with the empress, he inevitably remembered his parents on earth. Their net worth exceeding billion yuan. One is a researcher and the other owner of a tech giant. But their relationship is terrible, he remembered seeing flying pans, broken vases and dishes scattered all over. They separated when he was six, but did not divorce each other. He put these unpleasant memories aside as he looked at the bamboo slip in his hand, wondering what made his cold mother make a trip to where he was to deliver this item.
He saw vague words that were written in the language of this world that he learned during the process of his growth from birth.
It said "Stages of the Body Forging Realm: acupoint opening, spiritual sensing, blood refining, bone forging, marrow cleansing, tendon nourishment, viscera tempering, meridian unclogging, eight inner gates, spiritual cognition-. of these stages, it showcased the acupoints - first stage of probably the first realm of cultivation. He would have never thought that this was how he would acquire a manual that describes cultivation. His meetings with his mother are very few, and every time would ask for a manual on cultivation, she doesn't even reply.
He thought maybe a manual would fall into his courtyard by a flying cultivator or that he would enter a secret realm therby obtaining numerous treasures like those protagonists. But alas, he is not a protagonist, looking at himself; he feels more like a villain, a stepping stone for those protagonists.
Another long sigh echoed through the three courtyards. To lose his composure two times a day, this is his first time after entering this world. "Why are there so many stages in this realm, and how long will it take to reach completion?"- he spoke to the air around.
"Indeed, without a cheat, how can one even progress every step. Having reached a bottleneck, unable to break through further, dying alone, god knows where. Without a heaven-defying cheat like abilitity it is impossible to reach the peak of the cultivation path. Where is my cheat? When will it arrive?" he spoke with a worn-out voice as if asking the heavens.
That's what troubled him before with his aspirations and ambitions, far-reaching. How troubled and terrifying would his path be?. He read many novels. Which one of those characters didn't have a heaven-defying ability- a pearl, a jade vial, a cultivation technique, immortal artifacts, a grandpa, a supreme bloodline?. Some are even more terrifying reincarnation, rebirth and whatnot.
His cause for transmigration- it's a jade. He just reached 20 years of age, his last year of university. Who told him to choose 'Human psychology and philosophical development'? he almost went mad studying it. As the ancients said, ' the only problem with seeing too much is that it makes you insane'. He is the one to love knowledge, always researching some theories on the development from mythological philosophy to more grounded ones.
Seeing his mental degredation his grandmother taught him these 8 arts to help himself, and also gave him their ancestral possession- a jade token with the character 'peace' written on it, and also after their parents sepearated he lived with his grandmother, who took care of him with great care.
She said this jade has soul-calming effects, and it did have such effects. He gave up his university studies and started writing his own theories, researching almost every philosophy in all degrees, also touching upon cultivation theories and the term 'Dao', which is how he touched on some novels.
Now, coming back, this jade was with him for 20 years. He was calm till certain period, but upon reaching 35 years, the world war three took place. His powerlessness to protect himself, living in the constant fear of death and impalements. He could no longer be calm and went berserk, having already grown tired of that simple mortal world with at most 70 years of lifespan, threw the plain jade without any ornaments but a single character 'peace', it shattered into many pieces before bringing him here.
Yes, he grew tired of it; he, like every child, had the dream of travelling the world and tasting many delicacies, and he did so. He travelled 7 continents and 5 oceans before he was even 20 yrs old and experienced riches and experiences alike.
He himself was baffled. How could the jade shatter? It was an heirloom passed down for generations. Not everyone was careful; some might have dropped it, and some might have thrown it. He himself dropped it, and once he threw it in anger, but it did not shatter. Now it truly shattered, probably resonating his intentions, bringing him into this world where everything can happen, albeit low in chance.
Thinking of his initiation tomorrow, he was unable to sleep. His only hope is that the jade travelled with him and it's powerful. Thinking this remembered his mother saying the emperor himself would be present. Although he can accept it and understand it, as a modern person, he doesn't like this harem building. He heard some maids discussing that his mother was just a maid climbing her way to a attendent, noble lasy concubine, imperial concubine, consort and now noble consort.
He has to bow to her schemes, and he does quite admire her journey, but he doesn't know anything at all about how she achieved this. According to them, she ascended to the noble consort rank after he was born. To avoid the rift between her and the empress. The emperor did not promote her to imperial noble consort rank, second only to the empress and her standing number one in the harem and the emperor's heart.
Anyways, enough said, as busy streets now desolate, li chen fell asleep on his jade quilt, dreaming about his initiation.
*guan* - it's a headwear under which one can tie their hair
*Guqin* - stringed musical instrument
*meridian gates* - Large entrances at the outer perimeter or near palace walls.
*fei* - consort
*yunu* - jade maid(palace maids)