Chapter 1: Reborn Through Fire

It was rare to see a party like this. The groom was stunningly handsome. His bride stood beside him, elegant and slender in her long, red veil. Everyone was smiling, blinded by the festive colors. The air was filled with sounds of laughter and firecrackers. Nobody could resist the infectious joy and happiness in the air. Except for her. She was alone in the joyful crowd. Mo Xuetong stood at the corner of the room near the drapes. Her simple clothing could not hide the bloodthirsty hatred in her eyes. She watched Mo Xuemin and Sima Lingyun walk towards her, hand in hand. Her smile was coy, his gentle and warm. Mo Xuetong clutched the piece of flint tighter in her hand, trying not to shake. The relationship between the three of them was absurd! One was her elder sister, the other her husband, yet they still wanted to kill her with poisoned wine. They had killed Mo Yu and Mother Xu. They had even killed Yu’er. Yu’er who she’d held in her arms and given a name only known by herself. Yu’er who had still been a baby, swaddled in blankets. “Mo Xuetong, do you really think he could love you? Look at yourself, you ugly creature. Why don’t you go to die? You’re only embarrassing yourself. Don’t worry. I’ll take your place once you’re gone. I’ll guard your mother’ dowry for you. Best to die now!” The rage, the grief and hopelessness it brought, felt like they would tear her apart. She watched them, face deadly calm. How could she not despise them? She wanted to eat their flesh and drink their blood. No black pupils showed in the furious red of her eyes. She swear to put them to the 18th layer of hell even if she had to go with them! When she struck the flint, the tent caught fire easily. As the flames spread, the guests ran in all directions, the wedding hall descending into chaos. The groom, Sima Lingyun moved quickly among them. He tried to pull Mo Xuemin, who hadn’t figured out what was happening, out of the tent to safety. Mo Xuemin started to follow him but found she couldn’t move forward. She looked down, realized a corner of her trailing veil was caught, and ripped it off, running to safety. She hadn’t noticed Sima Lingyun was no longer with her. The fire roared and debris started to rain from above. A beam swayed precariously above. At any moment, the entire hall could collapse. Sima Lingyun struggled to escape, but Mo Xuetong had grabbed his gown and held him inside the burning tent. He kicked viciously at her, trying to pull free. The beam above them finally gave out, crashing onto Mo Xuetong and smashing her head against the ground. Blood flowed from her head and down her face, blinding her. Her head swam with pain, but she stared at Sima Lingyun through the blood. Her red-stained smile was sharp and hopeless. If she saw them again, they would pay their debts in blood. She would keep them trapped in hell for eternity. Even if she had to become a ghost, she would give up her own soul to drag them to hell with her. “Mo Xuemin, Sima Lingyun, I swear on my child and my soul, I will make you two experience a hundred thousand times the pain you’ve set on me.” Her voice carried through the fiery scene and reverberated long after she stopped speaking… Qingwei Gardens Mo Xuetong woke with her whole-body rigid, fists clenched tight. She remained laying like that, still feeling the fire against her skin and the searing pain in her heart. It hurt almost too badly to breath. The hatred tangled with the pain, blurring her thoughts. She couldn’t make out if she was awake or dreaming. She stared dazedly at the familiar decorative snowflakes the hung from the drapes. It took her a moment to recognize them as the beloved drapes from her childhood. They fluttered beautifully in the breeze. She recognized the elegant green and red coral flower accessories that hung around her too. She pushed the blankets away in a daze, but as she moved, she realized her arms no longer looked like her own. They were small and slender, still not done growing. When she pushed herself upright, a childlike face looked back at her, reflected in the table mirror. It was a young girl… She examined the face with wide eyes, heart starting to race. She lifted her arms incredulously, staring at her dazed features in the mirror. This had been how she’d looked, when she was young. The jade and gold hairpin she wore had been given to her by Cousin Xuan when she’d turned thirteen. Had she been spared from death and given another chance? Her hands shook in her sleeves and she clenched her fingers into a fist. The sharp pain was undeniably real. She had been reborn, gone back before the tragedy. Even if it was not the start, it wasn’t the end either. There was still time… She bit her lip, forcing down the urge to jump and laugh, but her eyes still welled with happy tears. Looking at the young, pale face in the mirror, she realized exactly when this was. When she was thirteen, she had fallen into the river near here. She had been comatose for two days. Both indescribable joy and deep sadness filled her. She pushed both down, hands woven together tightly, though she could not keep them from trembling slightly. God was indeed fair. She had been reborn. God must have seen her tragic fate and given her the chance to seek revenge. She did not have to wait for the next life, she could have her revenge in this one. She went through the names. Auntie Fang, Mo Xuemin, Sima Lingyun. This time, she would not give her blind faith to those traitors. It was her turn to show them hell. A middle-aged woman in a grey robe lifted the door curtains. She paused for a moment when she saw Mo Xuetong sitting up in bed looking disoriented. "Miss, do you want some water? Does your head still hurt? You mustn't scare your nursemaid again. How am I to live if something happens to you?! How are you feeling now? Are you hurting anywhere...?" She hurried forward and began to tuck the blankets in, checking Xuetong’s forehead out of habit. Once she had confirmed there was no fever, she relaxed and began to scold her. The nagging felt kind and warm, and Xuetong couldn’t help but enjoy it. This was Mother Xu, her nursemaid. Mother Xu, who had stuck by her though thick and thin. When she saw the familiar, worn face, the tears she’d been holding back finally came, blurring her vision. She took in the familiar scent, the warmth of her hands, and began to cry harder as she remembered what had just happened. In this world, the day before yesterday had been the anniversary of her mother’s death. She had gone to pray beside the water after dinner when there wouldn’t be many people since she was staying in somebody else’s home. She had brought two maids, Mo Yu and Mo Zhu, with her. She’d hoped the river would carry her prayers and yearning for her mother back home. When she realized she’d left her mother’s fan behind, she’d sent Mo Yu back to get it. After preparing the incense table, Mo Zhu had stepped back respectfully. Moe Xuetong had knelt to pray, not knowing trouble was about to come crashing down on her. A rock had come loose from the rock sculpture beside her and crashed into her. She’d gotten up to run, but her skirts had become snagged by something and she’d fallen into the river. She’d almost died back then! It had taken two days to regain consciousness. She remembered it clearly now. She was sure there hadn’t been anything nearby to trip on. The ground around her had been empty. There hadn’t been a single blade of grass, yet she’d tripped and fallen into the water. She could feel something inside her throat, choking her. It still felt so real, so she buried herself into Mother Xu’s arms, sobbing so hard she couldn’t catch her breath "Miss, Miss. What's wrong? Are you hurt? Let Mother Xu see!" Mother Xu assumed she was crying out of shock. Her heart ached as she held Mo Xuetong, patting her back lightly. "It's alright, Miss. Miss, it's fine now. Mother Xu is here!" she said gently. She held Mother Xu tightly and cried even harder. She cried as if her lungs were tearing themselves apart. She wanted to cry it all out. All the hatred, all the anger, all the fear. After this, she promised herself, she wouldn’t cry again. She would give the people who’d hurt her something to cry about. "Tong'er, what's wrong? Who bullied my Tong'er?!" somebody said from the door. Even before they entered, the sound of the woman’s laugh was clear and familiar. Madam Yu lifted the curtains high and walked in with a smile. She was about thirty, and stunningly beautiful. She still looked young, wearing a light coral pleated skirt. When she saw Mo Xuetong struggling to sit up in her bed, she sat down next to her, taking her hand affectionately. "Aunt!" Mo Xuetong hid the coldness in her eyes and looked up tearily. Through the haze of tears, she could still see the coldness in Madam Yu’s shrewd eyes. She didn’t look sad or worried in the slightest. “You look so pitiful. You’re so skinny! Your body is too weak. You need to keep resting.” Madam Yu’s smile was kind as an elder doting on a young family member. She began to issue orders to Mo Zhu, who had walked in behind her. “Miss, lie down and rest,” said Mo Zhu, trying to lay her back down. “You were already so weak you tripped into a river. Madam was so worried about you that she couldn’t sleep! You’re lucky you have an aunt like Madam to dote on you.” Mo Zhu wore a floral cotton dress. She was about fifteen or sixteen, but looked quite weak, as if a gust of wind would blow her away. At a glance, she sounded like a good servant, worried about a sickly girl, but her words were calculated. Rather than showing sympathy for Mo Xuetong, she praised Madam Yu. She implied Mo Xuetong was weak and she had made her elder worry. Mo Xuetong glanced up, suppressing a cold laugh. How could she forget Mo Zhu? Rather than caring for an ill child, Mo Zhu was trying to court Madam Yu’s affections. She was blaming Mo Xuetong for causing trouble in somebody else’s home and not knowing her place. Thinking about it, it was obvious somebody had tripped her into the river. And Mo Zhu had been the only other person there.