Year 20XX, DRPI, South of Nanjing
The bus groaned as it climbed, its engine struggling against the long, winding mountain road that cut through the hills like a faded scar. Outside the windows, Southern China unfolded in layers—terraced fields stepped neatly into the slopes, pine trees standing thin and upright, and mist clinging stubbornly to the valleys below. The road was narrow, barely wide enough for two vehicles to pass without hesitation, and every curve felt sharper than the last.
Inside the bus, chaos reigned.
"Did you bring snacks?"
"I heard the town we're stopping at has the best rice noodles."
"Hey, don't hog the window seat—take pictures later!"
"By the way, where are we going?"
". . . What is wrong with you?"
Lin Yuan sat by the window, unmoving, emotionally unavailable, and already regretting every life decision that had led him here.
He was not part of the noise. He existed adjacent to it.
While everyone else was bouncing in their seats, leaning across aisles, trading snacks like black-market dealers, Lin Yuan stared out the window as if the mountains owed him money. His backpack rested on his lap, hugged close like an emotional support object.
"Hey."
He ignored it.
"HEY."
He continued ignoring it.
A finger poked the back of his seat.
Lin Yuan sighed internally. Externally, he did nothing.
Zhao Ming leaned forward, grinning like a villain who had just found the side character he was contractually obligated to bully.
"Are you meditating?" Zhao Ming asked loudly. "Trying to sense spiritual energy from the mountains?"
Laughter ensued. Lin Yuan is known for his obsession with reading Web novels. Zhao Ming likes to bully him on that. Zhao Ming himself wasn't evil, just annoying. Most of the time, he volunteers to help around the school using his parent's money. Lin Yuan himself borrowed money from him multiple times. Hence, Usually, the teachers turn a blind eye, blaming it on teenage hormones.
Lin Yuan blinked once. Slowly. Calmly.
If he reacted, they won. If he spoke, they escalated. If he breathed too aggressively, someone would accuse him of plotting revenge.
So he did the only reasonable thing.
He looked out the window harder. He wasn't in the mood to humor him.
The mountains were very cooperative. They remained silent, dignified.
"Wow," Zhao Ming continued, undeterred. "That stare. That mysterious aura. Lin Yuan, when you become an immortal, remember us, okay?"
Lin Yuan did not respond.
Someone clapped sarcastically.
Eventually, Zhao Ming lost interest. He has the attention span of a goldfish. He is the type of guy that gets bored and falls asleep the moment the teacher turns around to start the class. He moved on to harassing someone else, likely someone who reacted more satisfyingly.
Silence returned.
For approximately five seconds.
"I'm sorry," Chen Hao whispered, leaning across the aisle.
Chen Hao is the typical fat friend of a protagonist. Both of them even dreamt about Lin Yuan being a protagonist, and that the world will soon usher in spiritual resurgence. But they knew it was just a silly daydream.
"No problem. He always does that."
Peace restored . . . For about an hour before Zhou Ming remembers about Lin Yuan again.
Lin Yuan and Chen Hao sat together and started talking about their interests. Lin Yuan himself has trouble speaking with others, because of his upbringing. The only friend he made, Chen Hao, got to know of him through their common interest in anime and manga.
After chatting for a while, Chen Hao walked back to his seat. Alone again, Lin yuan stared out towards the green hills. This was going to be their last excursion. Then they would start preparation for the college exams.
He took in the views, immersing in them, mesmerized by the trees swaying gently by the wind, the birds flying past tweeting, the dragon beside the window winking at him, . . . This tranquility is something that cannot be felt in a city . . .
Hmm . . . Something above doesn't feel right.
Lin Yuan instantly focused on the dragon, but it wasn't there. He looked left and right only to find it's tail flicking around the edge. He started breathing rapidly. There were others looking towards this direction but no one mentioned anything. He might be the only person who saw it.
Lin Yuan thought, There are two possible scenarios. Either I am delusional which is highly likely, or I possess a special physique and spiritual energy always existed else is about to revive.
Although everything he has ever learned for his life tells him that he first reason is true, but where is the fun in that. Then, for the rest of the trip, Lin Yuan devised a cunning strategy to improve himself before searching for clues. For now though, he would enjoy the moment.
The bus arrived at their location before noon. All the students went to have their lunch while exploring. Lin Yuan and Chen Hao went together, going to the market to buy souvenirs for their families. While walking past an old stall, an Old Lady, the stall keeper, called for Lin Yuan, telling him she saw something in him.
Usually Lin Yuan would have ignored it and moved on, but the Old Lady spoke something that shook him.
"You saw it, didn't you?"
Lin Yuan froze in his tracks and rushed towards the Lady and asked her about what she meant.
The Old woman still maintained her smile telling him she knew what it was, and that she could see it in his eyes.
"You were marked by it. And it chose you."
Lin Yuan went on to ask many questions, crazy ones resulting in him getting many side eyes which made Chen Hao feel very uncomfortable. Chen Hao tried multiple times to stop him but to no avail. In the end, he just moved away and stared at the sky, indifferent to the world.
The Old Woman gave many answers but all of them were vague, she even dodged most of the questions, stating she wasn't supposed to answer them. But it was enough for Lin Yuan. His imagination started to work in overdrive, conjuring up a plot about how he would ride a dragon to reach the skies.
At the end the Old lady told a story. It was about when she was young. Her family were devout believers of Buddhism but she never cared for it. During her coming of age ceremony, her grandfather showed her a ring.
"It was rusty, but I always felt that wiping it with a cloth would remove the rust."
Her grandfather introduced to her their family's ancestral treasure. It was passed down for generations, and it's origin was lost to time. It was said that the ring waited for someone, to be claimed by destiny.
"I didn't believe it. I don't think anyone would."
A few years passed by, and her grandfather retired as the clan head. Her Uncle took over the position, and he, like you, was also skeptical of its rumors. Still, it was his duty and he had to abide by it. He placed it in a secured location, and the ring was worshipped every Lunar New Year.
The family faced a financial crisis after their grandfather's passing. They were tight on money, and had no assets they could sell, except for one.
"My Uncle couldn't do it. It was against his duties. Of course, the better reason was that he didn't think a rusted ring would be worth much. Someone had to do it."
The woman snuck into the storage place at night and attempted to steal the ring. But all of a sudden, the ring jumped by itself and struck her. She was terrified and ran away. It didn't hurt, but it left a mark. And it wasn't ordinary.
"Look!"
The woman lifted her frontal hair and showed them a mark. It didn't look as if she was struck by a ring at all. It was a dragon.
Lin Yuan was shocked. Sure enough, it wasn't a coincidence, he thought.
Chen Hao behind him thought Is that a tattoo?!
He pulled Lin Yuan's T-shirt and was about to remind him but was glared back by Lin Yuan before he could.
Never mind. Chen Hao no longer cared.
The Old Woman slowly reached out inside her sleeve and removed a wooden box made out of Mahogany. Amid Lin Yuan's rapid breathing, she opened it to reveal a rusty ring embedded inside.
"I received a revelation in my dream that today I would find the one destined for it. Would you like to try it?"
Lin Yuan slowly moved his hand towards the ring and held it for a few seconds, before slowly pulling it out of the box. Then a second passed, then 2, 3 and so on. The ring made no movement, but the Old Lady did.
"To think I would fulfill my clan's mission. My ancestors can rest in peace." While clapping, the old woman cried.
"Take it, young man, for it is your destiny." The Old woman said. Lin Yuan was excited. He was very happy since it also proves that the dragon from earlier was also true. He put it carefully in a kerchief and placed it in his pocket and was about to leave when he noticed the woman's sadness.
Lin Yuan then realized that he was essentially taking a hereditary item from her.
"How much is it?" He calmly asked.
The Old lady shook her head and calmly replied, "It's not about money. It's my duty, and I cannot ask for money."
Lin Yuan slowly shook his head and asked for a price. The Old woman hesitated for a moment, and it looked like she was also in need of money. She exhaled slowly and weakly stated "$500".
Lin Yuan was shocked by the exaggerated price. That was all the money he saved for a year, and this was considering his parent's generosity. But he gritted his teeth, and amid Chen Hao's facepalming, he paid the money.
"Look, I am inevitable"
"Yes"
"I think I need to change my plans"
"Yes"
"As a destined one, maybe I could find some coins in the antique market, where I'll meet one of my future wives."
"Yes Yes Yes"
The Old woman looked at the receding backs of the two young men and thought to herself that this was the best . . . No, the second best rip-off of her life.
She then smirks at fate. She worked hard for over 50 years but earned next to nothing, but in just a year, she earned more money than those 50 years, and two of her best deals happened when she heard students visiting the small town.
Lin Yuan and Chen Hao walked back to the gathering point where they saw Zhao Ming surrounded by his entourage. He also spotted them and walked towards them with a wide smile. Here we go again. Lin Yuan sighed internally and lamented. Seriously, none of them think mature.
Zhao Ming stood in front of them and told them he was the chosen one. He recounted about how he met an old lady with a dragon mark on her forehead who told him she was meant to meet Destiny today and it was him. He recounted the woman's story which sounded awfully familiar to the two of them. And he also recounted his generosity of donating $1000 for her clan's duty.
". . ."
Lin Yuan felt torn between feeling angry because he was cheated and gloating because Zhao Ming got cheated.
In the end, they boarded the bus, returning back to the city. They were supposed to reach before it darkens, but they were delayed on the road, and were stuck on it for a few hours.
The mountains welcomed them again.
This time, the sky darkened ominously, as if foreshadowing was legally required.
The bus slowed.
Stopped.
Did not move again.
At first, no one cared.
Ten minutes later, someone complained.
Thirty minutes later, everyone complained.
An hour later, the driver snapped.
"QUIET!" he yelled. "The engine's acting up! Do you think yelling helps?"
"Yes!" several students shouted back.
The argument escalated.
The bus shook.
Then it tilted.
Lin Yuan had just enough time to think:
This would make a terrible opening chapter.
The bus slid.
Fell.
And the mountains finally acknowledged them.
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Lin Yuan woke up in a strange space. He stood up and looked around.
Flowers. Beautiful Red Flowers. A Sea of them.
He felt his body and found nothing wrong with it. But when he looked at it, he found himself to be transparent.
Is this the afterlife? He thought.
"Welcome to my Domain."
He heard a voice, a woman's voice to be precise. He turned around and found that a woman suddenly appeared in front of him. She wore a red and black dress that somehow levitated slightly giving a godly feeling. Her expression contained a smile, and could feel her kindness, but her majesty oozing from her stopped him from walking close to her. Her black hair cascaded down to her knees, and her wine red eyes speak a million stories per second.
A Goddess? He thought.
"I am the Goddess of Death and Reincarnation. What would you call yourself, young one?"
Did she read my mind? That's awesome. And a goddess, huh? Of reincarnation even. It seems it is true that the bus fell off the side of the hill. I wonder how the others are.
While he was thinking, he heard the goddess say, "Was he mentally handicapped? But I know he isn't. Did he lose his mind due to the fall? But his soul should be fine. Maybe his soul was injured too, but that's impossible."
Then he saw her walk towards him, and lifting her hand which glowed blinding white.
Stunned, he asked her what she meant, and she replied, "Oh, you were just staring at me without a word, so I was wondering if there was something wrong with you."
"I thought you were listening to my thoughts."
"Well, that's just an invasion of personal privacy. I wouldn't do that, of course. What made you think that way?"
"I just- Never mind. Can you tell me what happened? I think my last few thoughts before coming here were quite muddled."
"Well, you were supposed to die. Even the bus wasn't supposed to fall. It was just a condemnable action of an overgrown snake, making me work more than necessary."
Lin Yuan could feel her anger when she said the word 'snake'. But he wasn't focused on that. He knows where this is going. He thought he would be the protagonist of spiritual recovery, or discovery, But it seems he is the protagonist of transmigration flow.
Although it pains him to leave his family behind, there is nothing he can do about it now.
So he eagerly asked, "So what happens next?"
"You go back"
". . . Huh?"
"You go back, as in, you go back into your body. Nobody noticed your death, so it wouldn't be an issue. And I believe The Council of Gods would agree with my decision, since we aren't breaking any rules, just bending them a bit."
". . Oh . . ."
". . ."
"What happened to my friends? How are they?"
"Hm? Oh, they are fine. Only you died."
" . . . Beg your pardon?"
"Well, you all weren't supposed to die. And in the world you were from, nobody could change that. That was the rule made when creating your world. So, when the bus was falling, it coincidentally fell on a very tall and sturdy tree, which caught it. Some of your friends were injured heavily but they will fully recover. So should you."
" Then, why am I here?"
"Well you were shocked by the events and had a heart attack."
"Ah?"
"Yes"
"A Joke?"
"I don't need to."
". . ."
I'm Scumzuma?! Lin Yuan was shocked beyond doubt. But the goddess didn't laugh. She smiled at him, offering her comfort silently. Eventually, he recovered.
". . . Can I go now?"
Lin Yuan didn't have the mind to face himself.
"Yes" "NO!!!"
Lin Yuan heard another voice behind him. A portal opened, the size of which he cannot comprehend. A massive dragon head emerged from the portal, which gave Lin Yuan a familiar feeling. The dragon slowly flew out of the portal. He didn't know how strong the dragon was, but he could feel that it could destroy everything he knows in an instant.
"Down."
Lin Yuan heard the goddess say something and the dragon shrunk in an instant to about 6 ft long and fell down hard, creating quite a contrast.
It struggled for a while before changing into a human form. He looked quite similar to a handsome human, but he had antlers poking out of his head, and a scaly armor around him.
He didn't even look at Lin Yuan, and started speaking with the goddess. He demanded Lin Yuan be sent with him upon his Master's request.
"No" He got a cold rejection.
". . . Please?"
"Ask him."
The dragon then asked him if he wanted to go with him to a bigger world of cultivation, and honestly, Lin Yuan does want to, but he has responsibilities in his world. So he rejected him. The dragon was instantly enraged and wanted to take action but a cough from his behind dissipated his momentum. Lin Yuan could also feel sweat dripping from his forehead.
Reluctantly, he tried to convince Lin Yuan. Not willing to lose this chance, Lin Yuan asked him to wait for a while. The dragon's face contorted again, but he suppressed it and asked, "How long?"
Lin Yuan knew he would enrage the dragon if he said a wrong answer, some he looked at the Goddess, who was still smiling. The Goddess nodded slightly. Assured, he said, "80 years."
"That's it?"
Seeing the dragon's surprise, Lin Yuan realized that the perception of time is different for dragon and him. 80 years are a long time for you, but for the dragon, it was but a moment in time.
After the agreement was done, Lin Yuan returned back to his body. As he slowly got hold of himself, the pain from the fall began to set in.
"AHHHHH!"
His scream woke up the others, who also screamed.
"AHHHHH!!!"*N
Coincidentally, a car happened to pass by at the exact moment and happened to hear it. Then Lin Yuan and the others were rescued.
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Lin Yuan prepared very hard for his next life. He cleared the entrance exam, but also started practicing martial arts. In his free time, he read many novels, fanfictions and manhuas to prepare himself.
He even got qualified for a national competition for martial arts. Then . . . He got beaten so hard he became depressed. One fine morning, it occurred to him that he only needed to learn martial arts, and so he did. But he read too many, and started to forget most of them nearing his old age.
He never got married in his life, but he adopted someone to take care of him in his elder years. His adopted son and his family stood by his side at his deathbed. After he passed away, the world slowly forgot about him.
Back at the field of flowers, everything felt like a dream to him. It had been more than 70 years, and he often wondered if he had gone insane. But, seeing the woman in front of him smiling softly, the smile he often dreamed of, the picturesque beauty was something that washed away his exhaustion.
The only fly in the ointment is a dragon in human form sitting at a desk furiously writing something, muttering apologies. It seems the Goddess punished him.
The dragon looked at Lin Yuan with tears in his eyes. For the first time in its entire life, it felt 70 years could be so long.
After bidding farewell to the Goddess, Lin Yuan walked into a portal right behind the dragon, his story just begun.