THE LORD OF VALIN

Snowstorm. That was the first thing Shen Yue remembered before death. Cold snow. Cold hands. Cold hearts. The Fourth Miss of the General’s Manor lay curled beneath a stone staircase while heavy winter winds swallowed the sound of her weak breathing. Not far away, bright lanterns illuminated the manor like a palace of gold. Music echoed through the estate. Laughter rang endlessly. Inside the grand hall, her elder sister celebrated her engagement banquet. To Shen Yue’s former fiancé. No one came looking for her. Not her father. Not the servants. Not even the maids who once followed her around pretending loyalty. Because everyone knew one truth within the General’s Manor— The Fourth Miss was worthless. A disgrace. A weak girl born from a dead mother nobody remembered anymore. Snow gathered slowly over her thin shoulders. Her lips were pale blue from the cold. There were bruises around her wrist where Second Miss had grabbed her earlier. “Know your place.” The words still echoed in her ears. “You truly thought someone like you deserved Young Master Lu?” Shen Yue laughed weakly. A dry, broken sound. Deserved? She had never fought for anything. Not once. Her fiancé had been stolen from her so easily because she was powerless. Even the engagement itself had only existed because her mother once saved the Lu family matriarch years ago. Now that her mother was dead… the Lu family immediately abandoned her. And her elder sister happily took her place. Simple. Cruel. Normal. That was how the noble world worked. Tears burned her frozen eyes. Not because of the broken engagement. But because she finally understood something. Nobody would ever protect her. Not in this life. Not ever. A servant suddenly appeared nearby holding a lantern. Hope flickered briefly inside Shen Yue’s chest. But the servant only glanced at her coldly before pouring a basin of icy water onto the ground beside her. Splash. “Disgusting.” The maid sneered. “You’re ruining the scenery outside the banquet hall.” Then she walked away laughing. Shen Yue lowered her gaze silently. Her body was growing numb now. Maybe… this was better. At least dying would end everything. Slowly— her eyes closed. Snow buried her quietly beneath the winter night. And Shen Yue died. --- Far away from the capital… Beyond mountains and endless black rivers… stood Valin. The most feared military territory within the empire. Land of iron blood. Land of monsters. Land ruled by one man. Inside a dark palace lit only by crimson flames, a tall figure stood before a battlefield map. Black robes embroidered with golden dragons flowed heavily around him. Cold eyes studied the northern borders. Sharp. Calculating. Merciless. This was Chu Wenzhe. The Lord of Valin. The empire’s strongest military commander. The man the Emperor feared most. A sudden wind swept through the chamber. Wenzhe’s fingers paused slightly over the map. For some reason… his chest tightened faintly. A strange feeling. As though something had disappeared from this world. Behind him, military advisors immediately lowered their heads. None dared speak carelessly in his presence. Everyone knew— the Lord of Valin was not a kind man. He was calm. Resilient. Unpredictable. Even after years of war, nobody could truly read his thoughts. Not even the Emperor. Especially not the Emperor. “My Lord,” one advisor spoke cautiously, “the imperial decree has arrived.” A servant stepped forward trembling before presenting a golden scroll. Wenzhe opened it slowly. Silence filled the chamber. Then— he laughed softly. The sound made every person present feel cold. The Emperor had finally made his move. The northern battlefield. An impossible war. Three enemy kingdoms united together. Even experienced generals called it certain death. The Emperor was sending him there intentionally. Not to win. But to die. How amusing. How desperate. Wenzhe’s eyes darkened dangerously. “So…” “He can no longer tolerate me.” No one answered. No one dared. The Lord of Valin slowly folded the decree before tossing it into the flames beside him. The fire swallowed the Emperor’s command instantly. Then he spoke calmly. “Prepare the Black Banner Army.” His voice was low. Steady. Terrifying. “If His Majesty wishes to see whether I can survive…” A cold smile slowly appeared on his lips. “Then let him watch carefully.” --- Meanwhile— inside a completely different world— a woman screamed awake. Her eyes flew open violently. Pain exploded inside her skull. Memories crashed into her mind like a flood. Snow. Bullying. Cruel laughter. Broken engagement. Death. The woman gasped heavily. “What—?!” Her breathing became uneven as she stared at unfamiliar hands. Small. Bruised. Delicate. Not hers. Panic rose briefly before another flood of memories entered her mind. Ancient empire. General’s Manor. Fourth Miss. Shen Yue. The woman froze. Then slowly— understanding appeared in her eyes. She had transmigrated. Into the body of a tragic noble girl who had just frozen to death. For a long moment, silence filled the abandoned courtyard. Then suddenly— the woman laughed softly. Disbelieving. Sharp. Dangerous. Her name had once been Lin Xinyi. A criminal psychologist. A woman who spent years studying manipulation, deception, and human behavior. And now— she had become Shen Yue. Interesting. Very interesting. Xinyi slowly stood despite the freezing cold. The memories of the original owner flooded her mind completely now. Bullied servants. Vicious sisters. A cowardly father. A stolen fiancé. Schemes everywhere. And worst of all— the original Shen Yue had been too gentle to survive. But Lin Xinyi was not gentle. At all. Her eyes drifted toward the brightly lit banquet hall. Laughter still echoed from inside. They were celebrating while believing she was dead outside. Good. That meant nobody would expect her return. A slow smile curved across her lips. Cold. Controlled. Beautiful. “You killed the wrong girl tonight.” --- Inside the banquet hall— music suddenly stopped. The doors creaked open slowly. Freezing wind swept into the room. Everyone turned. And their expressions froze instantly. Because standing beneath the lantern lights— wearing bloodstained white robes— was Shen Yue. Alive.