New Life

The rain fell heavily.

Yun Zhiyu's last memory was of that out-of-control truck, its blinding high beams, and the agonizing pain of her bones shattering. She was twenty-two, a fourth-year student majoring in Chinese language and literature. Her graduation thesis had just passed its defense. Before her life had truly begun, it came to an abrupt end.

She thought she would die.

Or rather, she really had died.

Her consciousness drifted through darkness for a long time, so long that time itself lost all meaning. Then, at some point, a warm sensation wrapped around her. Blurred voices reached her ears, along with... a baby's cry?

Wait, that cry seemed to be coming from her own throat.

Yun Zhiyu tried to open her eyes, only to find her eyelids as heavy as if lead weights hung from them. Her body would not obey her; her limbs were limp, and she could not even manage something as simple as turning her head. She tried to speak, but all that came out was a string of babbling whimpers.

"It's a baby girl," a gentle female voice sounded above her. There was a trace of exhaustion in it, but it could not conceal the pity in her tone. "She was abandoned in the grass. Even her swaddling clothes were soaked through. In weather this cold, if we'd found her any later, I'm afraid..."

"Let's take her back first," another voice said, low and steady, resonant like a cello. "Your treatment cannot be interrupted, and this child's body needs to be cared for as well."

Yun Zhiyu felt herself being gently lifted by a pair of hands. They were warm and carried a reassuring strength. She tried desperately to see her surroundings clearly, but her vision remained blurred. She could only make out two hazy silhouettes—one dressed in white, seemingly surrounded by a faint halo; the other clad in black robes, standing tall and straight as a pine.

Where was this? How had she become a baby?

Countless questions swirled through her mind, but an infant's body could not withstand such exhaustion. Weariness surged over her like a tide, and Yun Zhiyu's consciousness sank into chaos once more.

When she woke again, she lay in an elegantly furnished room. Soft bedding lay beneath her, while a faint medicinal fragrance drifted through the air. At last, she could barely move her eyes and make out the bed curtains overhead—pale blue gauze embroidered with delicate cloud patterns.

"You're awake?" That gentle female voice sounded again.

Yun Zhiyu struggled to turn her head and saw a woman in her early thirties seated beside the bed. She wore a plain white dress, her features as beautiful as a painting, her bearing gentle and ethereal. Looking down at Yun Zhiyu, her eyes brimmed with motherly affection. That gaze was far too familiar, and for a moment, Yun Zhiyu thought of the director who had raised her—the woman who had died of illness when Yun Zhiyu was fifteen.

"Little one, you're lucky." The woman in white gently picked her up and skillfully checked her swaddling clothes. "Abandoned in the wilderness, yet I happened to find you while receiving treatment. Since fate brought us together, come home with me."

Yun Zhiyu wanted to answer, but could only let out weak cries. Only then did she realize an absurd fact—she had transmigrated, and she had become a newborn baby.

As a student of Chinese literature, she had read plenty of web novels and was no stranger to transmigration tropes. But when it truly happened to her, the absurdity and helplessness nearly drove her to collapse. Her twenty-two years of life, the books she had read, the roads she had walked, the people she had loved—everything had vanished. Now, she could not even control her own bodily functions, much less anything else.

"Why are you crying?" The woman in white gently patted her back and soothed her softly. "Don't be afraid. With me here from now on, no one will ever bully you."

That voice was so gentle that it reminded Yun Zhiyu of the director holding her hand before she died and saying her final words: "Little Zhiyu, live well."

Tears poured out uncontrollably. She did not know whether she was crying for the regrets of her past life, the confusion of this one, or simply out of an infant's instinct. But the woman in white's embrace was warm, and the rhythm of her hand on Yun Zhiyu's back was steady. Gradually, she truly calmed down.

"Yali, it's time to give her a name." The low male voice came from the doorway.

Yun Zhiyu moved her eyes and saw a man in black enter the room. He appeared to be around thirty-five, with a resolute face, sword-like brows, and bright eyes. Every movement carried the calm authority of someone long accustomed to power. Yet when he looked at the woman in white—Yali—his gaze softened unbelievably.

"We found her, so naturally she'll take your surname." Yali lowered her head to look at the infant in her arms, pondering for a moment. "Let's call her... Zhiyu. Zhiyu, as in being knowledgeable and understanding, and giving with restraint. I hope she grows into someone who understands reason and knows what to choose and what to let go."

Yun Zhiyu's entire body trembled.

Zhiyu—Yun Zhiyu.

It was her name, the name she had used for twenty-two years in her previous life. Was it coincidence, or was it fate? She stared blankly at Yali, a muddled whimper escaping her throat.

"Looks like the little one likes this name." Yali smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Then from now on, you'll be called Yun Zhiyu. I'm Mama—Yali. This is Papa—Yun Ming. From now on, we're a family."

Yun Ming. Yali.

Those two names struck Yun Zhiyu's muddled mind like a bolt of lightning. She had read Legend of the Dragon King, the third installment of Douluo Continent written by Tang Jia San Shao, and it was also her favorite. Yun Ming was the Master of Shrek Academy's Sea God's Pavilion, while Yali was the Holy Spirit Douluo, the strongest healing-type Soul Master of the age, and Yun Ming's wife.

And this couple before her was the ill-fated pair from the novel—Yali had been unable to bear children due to injuries sustained in her youth. Yun Ming loved her deeply, and the two remained childless all their lives. One had slept eternally in Shrek Academy to protect its remaining spark; the other had died in the Abyssal War for humanity's survival, giving up her chance at resurrection because her beloved was already gone, and sleeping eternally upon the continent.

Yun Zhiyu's heart began to pound wildly. If this was the world of Legend of the Dragon King, then her current point in time was...

She tried hard to recall the novel's timeline—Yun Ming and Yali had already been married before the main story began, while the protagonist, Tang Wulin, was born in the new era of the Douluo Calendar. Judging from her current physical condition, the main story should still be at least a decade away.

This meant that she had a chance to change some things.

For example, Yali's fate, Yun Ming's ending, and the regret of that couple remaining childless throughout their lives.

The moment that thought arose, a cold mechanical voice suddenly sounded in her mind:

[Host consciousness detected as awake. God-Tier Sign-In System officially activated.]

[Distributing novice gift pack...]

[Congratulations, Host, for obtaining: Innate Full Soul Power, Level 20 (sealed state; will be unsealed upon awakening your martial soul at age six)]

[Congratulations, Host, for obtaining: Complete Forging Knowledge (includes Divine Craftsman-Level Forging Arts; will gradually unseal as soul power increases)]

[Congratulations, Host, for obtaining: one drop of Life Water (can revive the dead and regrow flesh from bones, improve constitution, and restore vitality)]

Yun Zhiyu froze.

A system. Sure enough, standard equipment for a transmigrator. But the rewards from this system... She quickly reviewed their descriptions in her mind, and her heart beat even faster.

Innate Full Soul Power, Level 20 meant that when she awakened her martial soul at six, she would begin as a Level 20 Soul Master, far surpassing ordinary geniuses. Complete Forging Knowledge was even more precious. In this era of advanced soul devices, the status of a Divine Craftsman-Level forger was comparable to that of a Titled Douluo.

But what concerned her most was that drop of Life Water.

"Improve constitution, restore vitality"—those eight words immediately made her think of Yali. The novel had clearly mentioned that Yali had overexerted herself during a healing session in her youth, damaging her foundation and leaving her unable to bear children for the rest of her life. It was also the greatest regret between her and Yun Ming.

And now, she possessed a drop of Life Water capable of restoring vitality.

Yun Zhiyu looked toward Yali, who was speaking quietly with Yun Ming. The woman in white smiled as she discussed what clothes they should prepare for Yun Zhiyu. Yun Ming nodded beside her, occasionally offering an opinion, his gaze never leaving his wife. It was so gentle that he seemed nothing like the Master of the Sea God's Pavilion who commanded fear across the continent.

She remembered the director from her past life, the woman who had died young from illness after a lifetime of toil. If she had possessed this drop of Life Water back then, if someone could have saved her...

"Yah—" Yun Zhiyu made a sound, drawing Yali's attention.

"What is it, little Zhiyu?" Yali bent down and brought her ear close to Yun Zhiyu's lips. "Are you hungry?"

Yun Zhiyu looked at Yali so close before her, at those gentle eyes, and made a decision.

She would save this woman, not only because Yali had saved her, given her a name, and given her a new life; but also because Yun Zhiyu saw the shadow of a mother in Yali, saw the warmth she yearned for yet had lost forever.

A system panel unfolded in her mind. That drop of Life Water floated quietly within it, giving off a faint emerald glow. Yun Zhiyu tried touching it with her thoughts, and a system prompt immediately appeared: [Life Water may be actively released by the Host or passively triggered under specific conditions. The Host is currently in infant form. It is recommended that usage be postponed until the appropriate time.]

She calmed down. Indeed, she was only a baby now. Bringing out such a divine object rashly would only invite unnecessary trouble. But she had time. She could wait—for a suitable opportunity, for a method that would not arouse suspicion.

The rain outside gradually faded, and sunlight broke through the clouds into the room. Yali carried her to the window and pointed at the faint rainbow on the horizon. "Zhiyu, look. The rain has passed, and the sky has cleared."

Yun Zhiyu followed her finger. The rainbow stretched across the heavens, its seven colors so brilliant they seemed almost unreal. She remembered a sentence she had read in her past life: every rebirth came after the rain had passed and the sky had cleared.

She had a new name, new family, a new life, and tragedies that had yet to happen—regrets she might have a chance to change.

"Yali." Yun Ming walked up behind them and placed an arm around his wife's shoulders. "Let's hold a formal adoption ceremony for the child. Let everyone know that she is the daughter of Yun Ming and Yali."

Yali turned to look at him, tears glimmering in her eyes. "Yun Ming, I..."

"I know what you're thinking." Yun Ming interrupted her, his voice low and resolute. "Not being able to have children isn't your fault. Besides, you only... became this way because you were saving people. This should not be the reason for our regret. This child is fated to be with us. She is our daughter. From now on, Shrek Academy and the Sea God's Pavilion will be her home."

Yun Zhiyu felt Yali's arms tighten around her. Warm droplets fell onto her face—Yali's tears. Yet those tears carried a smile, relief, and a complex emotion Yun Zhiyu could not yet fully understand.

"Alright." Yali spoke softly, lowering her head to kiss Yun Zhiyu's forehead. "Little Zhiyu, from now on, you are our daughter. Mama will teach you to read and write, and Papa will teach you to cultivate and grow strong. We'll make you the happiest child in the world."

The sunlight was just right, and the rainbow shone brilliantly. In Yali's warm embrace, Yun Zhiyu slowly closed her eyes.

She silently vowed in her heart: In this life, I will protect you both. I will protect this family.

The system panel quietly faded away, but that promise had already been etched into her newborn soul.