Metaphysical Rebirth: The Phoenix Rises Against the World

At the very last moment of the plane crash, Su Jinxuan instinctively clutched the ancient jade pendant around her neck. Amidst the violent turbulence, she heard the terrified screams of the passengers as oxygen masks dropped from above. As a top master in the modern world of metaphysics, she had already calculated that she would face a life-or-death calamity this year, but she never expected it to happen on this seemingly ordinary flight. "Am I going to die?" The thought had just flashed through her mind when a blinding white light engulfed her consciousness. "Miss! Miss, wake up!" Anxious calls filled her ears. Su Jinxuan struggled to open her eyes, and what greeted her were lotus-pink gauze curtains and a carved wooden bed—this was definitely not a hospital. "Thank goodness! Miss, you're finally awake!" A young maid of about fifteen or sixteen rushed to the bedside, her eyes red and swollen. "You've been unconscious for three days. I thought... I thought..." A flood of unfamiliar memories suddenly surged into her mind. Su Jinxuan pressed her temples in pain. She had actually transmigrated! The original owner of this body was also named Su Jinxuan, the legitimate daughter of Su Mingyuan, the Minister of Rites in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Her mother had passed away early, and her stepmother, Lady An, appeared virtuous on the surface but was in fact ruthless and cunning. Three days ago, the original owner had suddenly fallen ill, but in reality, she had been poisoned by Lady An. "Baizhi..." She instinctively called out the maid's name, her voice hoarse and alarming. "I'm here, Miss! Would you like some water?" Baizhi hurriedly brought a teacup. As Su Jinxuan took the teacup, she inadvertently touched Baizhi's wrist. In an instant, a series of images flashed through her mind—Baizhi secretly pouring away the medicinal dregs, Lady An's trusted nanny Li peering around the corner, someone throwing medicine into the well at night... This was her previous life ability, "Touching Objects to Know Events"! She never expected it to still be with her after transmigrating. "During these three days... who has come to my room?" Su Jinxuan asked tentatively. Baizhi hesitated for a moment before whispering, "Only the master came to see you once. Lady An sent wet nurse Li with medicine several times... Miss, that medicine..." She hesitated to speak further. Su Jinxuan understood. In the original owner's memories, Baizhi was a loyal servant left behind by her mother and could be trusted. "There's something wrong with the medicine, isn't there?" Baizhi's eyes widened in terror. "How does Miss know? I... I noticed that every time after taking the medicine, Miss would fall into a deep sleep. So I secretly poured half of it away..." Su Jinxuan held Baizhi's hand. "Good girl, you saved my life." She turned her gaze towards the incense burner by the bed. "Take that outside. From now on, no incense will be burned in my room." The incense was laced with a mind-numbing powder that worked in tandem with the toxins in the medicine, gradually draining the original owner's vitality. Just as Baizhi picked up the incense burner, footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door. "Oh, so the young mistress has finally woken up?" A middle-aged woman in a crimson-purple dress walked in with two old women, her face plastered with a fake smile. "It has worried your mother so much." Su Jinxuan's pupils contracted slightly—this was the stepmother who had killed the original owner, Lady An! Through the art of divination, she clearly saw the dark aura between Lady An's eyebrows and the dark patterns indicating a looming bloodbath. "Thank you for your concern, Mother." She responded weakly, secretly observing Lady An's facial features. One glance was enough to reveal that Lady An's marriage palace was sunken, and there was a broken line between her eyebrows—this was a sign of being a widow-maker! Moreover... Su Jinxuan's heart skipped a beat. Lady An's children's palace indicated that she had once had a son, but in the original owner's memories, Lady An had never given birth. Where was this hidden son? "Since you're awake, take the medicine." Lady An took the medicine bowl from the old woman's hand and personally brought it to the bedside. "This is a prescription I specially requested from the imperial physician." The medicinal smell wafted over, and Su Jinxuan's metaphysical senses immediately detected the presence of a chronic poison called "Crimson Complexion Powder." Long-term consumption would gradually weaken a person to death, leaving no traceable cause. What a vicious method! "Thank you, Mother." Su Jinxuan pretended to reach out for the medicine but deliberately trembled, spilling the entire bowl onto the quilt. "Oh, my hand is so weak..." Lady An's face darkened, but she forcibly suppressed her anger. "It doesn't matter. I'll have someone prepare another bowl." "There's no need." Su Jinxuan looked straight into Lady An's eyes. "The imperial physician said that I need to rest and avoid excessive medication. If Mother truly cares about me, why not give me that hundred-year-old ginseng to nourish my body? I heard that Father recently acquired one." Lady An's expression stiffened. That ginseng was a valuable gift that Su Mingyuan intended to present to his father-in-law for his birthday, worth a thousand gold pieces. "What, is Mother reluctant?" Su Jinxuan pretended to be aggrieved. "Of course, I'm not your biological daughter after all..." "Nonsense!" Lady An, who valued her reputation above all else, immediately said, "I'll have someone fetch it right away." As she turned around, a glint of malice flashed in her eyes, and she walked away quickly. Baizhi closed the door, her legs trembling. "Miss, how could you dare..." "What's there to be afraid of?" Su Jinxuan threw off the quilt and got out of bed. Although still weak, her eyes were clear. "From today onwards, I'm no longer the Su eldest young mistress who can be bullied at will." She walked to the bronze mirror, and in it, she saw a face that was both familiar and strange—a girl of sixteen or seventeen, with a pale oval face and a pair of clear, almond-shaped eyes. Despite her sickly appearance, she couldn't hide her innate spiritual charm. "Baizhi, prepare hot water for a bath." She said softly. "Then go to the storeroom and fetch that set of lake-blue dress. I'm going out tomorrow." "But Miss, you're still sick..." "Lying in bed any longer will truly be fatal." Su Jinxuan sneered. "Lady An won't give up. We must take the initiative." She touched the ancient jade pendant around her neck—it was identical to the one she had worn in her previous life. It seemed that it was this pendant that had brought her soul to this world. The spiritual energy contained within the jade was the foundation of her survival in this new world. The next morning, after carefully grooming herself, Su Jinxuan went to pay her respects to her father. When Su Mingyuan saw his long-ill daughter appearing in his study with a much-improved complexion, he was clearly taken aback. "Father." She curtsied gracefully. "During my illness, I often thought about my mother's last words. She told me to study diligently and not neglect my education. Today, I've come to pay my respects and also to borrow a few books to study." Su Mingyuan's expression softened. His late wife, Lady Lin, was the daughter of a scholar-official and had a reputation for talent. She was a constant source of pain in his heart. Seeing his daughter's demeanor and temperament bearing a seven-point resemblance to his late wife, he said gently, "You've just recovered from your illness. Don't overexert yourself. Take whatever books you want." Su Jinxuan chose a copy of "The Book of Changes" and deliberately displayed some of her insights in front of her father. Su Mingyuan listened with increasing astonishment, never expecting his daughter to possess such knowledge. After leaving the study, instead of returning to her room, Su Jinxuan took Baizhi and went to the most prosperous Zhuque Street in the capital. "Miss, where are we going?" Baizhi asked nervously. "The Celestial Mechanism Pavilion." Su Jinxuan's gaze was far-reaching. "There, I'll find the answers I need." As they turned the corner, a group of horsemen suddenly charged from the side. Baizhi screamed and was knocked down. Su Jinxuan helped the maid up and noticed the abrasions on her arm. She glared angrily at the group. "Galloping through the busy marketplace! Is there no law here?" The leading man in brocade clothes reined in his horse and turned around, his face full of contempt. "Where did this little lady come from, daring to block my way?" His gaze swept over Su Jinxuan's face and suddenly lit up. "Hey, not bad-looking. How about coming back to my mansion with me?" Su Jinxuan saw at a glance that the man had dark circles under his eyes and a sinister aura between his eyebrows, indicating an impending bloodbath in the next few days. She coldly said, "This gentleman, you'll definitely face a knife-related disaster within three days. You'd better stay at home." The man flew into a rage. "Looking for death!" He raised his whip to strike. "Stop." A clear, cold voice sounded. On the second floor of a teahouse by the street, a young man in a dark blue brocade robe put down his teacup. "Bullying a woman in broad daylight, Mr. Chen, you sure have a lot of nerve." The man named Chen turned pale. "X... Xiao Seventh Lord?" He hurriedly dismounted and bowed. "I... I didn't recognize Your Lordship..." "Get lost." With just one word, Mr. Chen immediately led his men away in a hurry. Su Jinxuan looked up. The man by the window was about twenty years old, with an extraordinarily handsome face and a pair of phoenix eyes that were intimidating without even a hint of anger. What surprised her the most was that this person's facial features indicated an extremely noble destiny, yet they were also shrouded in a layer of black aura—a sign of being poisoned to the core! "Thank you, Lord, for your assistance." She curtsied. The man nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment before suddenly asking, "Miss, you just said he would face a bloodbath. Do you know the art of physiognomy?" Su Jinxuan's heart skipped a beat. She never expected this person's hearing to be so sharp. She cautiously replied, "I know a little." A hint of interest flashed in the man's eyes. "I'm Xiao Jingnian. May I ask Miss's name?" "Su Jinxuan." She answered frankly while secretly observing his facial features. Upon closer inspection, she was horrified—this person was actually a member of the royal family! Xiao was the imperial surname, and the faint dragon-patterned aura above his eyebrows indicated that he was at least a prince. But strangely, his destiny was shrouded in a layer of mist, making it impossible for her to see through clearly. Only the poison wrapping around his meridians was clearly visible. "Is Miss Su going to the Celestial Mechanism Pavilion?" Xiao Jingnian asked. "It just so happens that I'm also heading there. How about we go together?" Su Jinxuan thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. She had a premonition that this mysterious Xiao Jingnian would be the most important encounter in her new world.