Rebirth

Before the three checkpoints that resembled toll booths in an apocalyptic era, imposing guard huts dominated the path of the convoy, with long queues forming at each barrier.

As far as the eye could see, there stood a magnificent and towering gate accompanied by thick, lofty city walls. In front of the walls lay a man-made moat, beyond which were numerous large, carefully arranged traps.

It had been a year since entering the apocalypse. Rong Xianxian had endured countless hardships to reach this place. She glanced at her young son cradled in her arms, then looked back at her daughter on her back. After so much wandering and hardship, her daughter’s once lively and beautiful face had grown gaunt and dull.

Along the way, they had encountered all manner of dangers. Though time and again she had narrowly escaped peril, she still felt utterly exhausted.

The Safe Zone of Chongshui Town appeared orderly and well-equipped, likely with good security. Perhaps this time they could rest here for several days before moving on to the next safe zone.

According to the intelligence she had gathered, after passing two more safe zones lay the largest one in the entire country, located where the capital city had stood before the apocalypse. It was the only safe zone with a population reaching ten million. Under the post-apocalyptic safe zone management regulations, only populations exceeding five million could be designated as cities.

After much deliberation, the capital’s safe zone was named Golden City.

It had largely preserved the pre-apocalypse power structure and swiftly restored order during the initial chaos. This was why it managed to retain such a large population and survive the most difficult early days of the apocalypse.

It was also from the Golden City safe zone that various mercenary teams had escorted numerous civilians to the nearest safe zones.

Rong Xianxian had mingled with one of these teams, journeying all the way toward Golden City.

Perhaps it was the anxiety of nearing home, but her heart grew increasingly restless, as if something momentous were about to happen.

Though the lines for survivor resettlement were long, efficiency was surprisingly good. While Rong Xianxian’s thoughts wandered, her turn finally came.

She had stayed in many safe zones—large and small, chaotic and orderly—and was quite familiar with the process of filling out paperwork. Yet here, something was different. Among the details for Chongshui Town was a line asking about the presence of spirit beasts, cultivation methods, the level of cultivation, and personal training status.

She touched the thin sheet of paper hidden in her sleeve. This accidental find was her trump card for survival. Without much deliberation, she lightly wrote “none” beside the questions about cultivation methods and spirit beasts.

With her meager savings, she could only settle in the free tent area provided by the safe zone.

On a vast open ground, countless low tents were densely packed. The place was filthy and cramped, filled with vacant, numbed eyes.

Looking at the neat red brick and blue stone houses in the distance, Rong Xianxian was briefly lost in thought.

Should she hand over her cultivation method to secure a stable place to stay in the base?

“Mom,” the tender voice of her daughter interrupted her thoughts. She glanced at her two young children and silently rejected the idea. After all they had been through, she knew how rare and precious cultivation methods were. Being weak and vulnerable, they would hardly receive fair compensation.

If they could just hold on for another month, they would reach Golden City, where such things might prove more valuable.

Though crude and simple, the tent area had a few people in black uniforms maintaining order, patrolling back and forth. They helped set up the modest tents on the open ground. The cramped space was enough for the three of them.

Rong Xianxian opened her backpack and took out the bright red fruits she had gathered along the way, as well as a few eggs from some unknown creature.

With these limited provisions, the three of them made do with a simple supper.

She instructed her daughter to watch over her brother while she took advantage of this brief respite to cultivate. Although the place seemed safe, she could not afford to relax her vigilance. She had faced too many dangers—wild beasts in the wilderness, hostile humans even within safe zones.

The flimsy tent could not block prying eyes. Tonight would inevitably be sleepless again.

Though she had learned to draw spiritual energy into her body six months ago, her progress had been slow. Her senses were sharper, limbs more agile and strong, but the flow of spiritual energy was minimal.

Her days of exhaustion, fleeing and surviving, left her no time to properly cultivate. With no steady food or shelter, survival was a constant struggle.

Thinking of this, Rong Xianxian once more doubted her past choices. Had she not naively trusted Ning Qingyun to rescue them, or been so cowardly and passive in waiting, would their lives have been different now?

“Miss, the scouts have returned with news,” reported a capable woman with short hair in a lavish room to a tall woman dressed in an exquisite qipao.

The woman seated by the black-and-white marble bar near the window toyed with a glass of red wine, her brows like painted strokes, lips vividly red.

She turned slightly upon hearing the report.

“Oh? Where are they now?” she asked casually.

“They are currently at Chongshui Town Safe Zone.”

“What about the Azure Dragon Squad?”

“They will arrive at Chongshui Town soon, but Ye Bai has been exposed and captured. Fortunately, you had Ye Bai contact Ning Qingning before; he should be unaware of our presence here. When the Azure Dragon Squad returns and betrays Ning Qingning, I wonder how Chairman Ning will react,” the short-haired woman said with a smirk.

“Did we keep the evidence from back then?”

“It’s still with Ye Bai. Ning Qingning can’t deny it.”

“Good. How is that woman’s current situation?”

“She’s quite skilled and cautious. Our people tried several times to get her, but she evaded every attempt. She even managed to escape safely into an official convoy. Since it’s an official team, it’s hard to make a move. But there are many of our people in Chongshui Town. This time, she’s walking into a tiger’s den.”

“Is there anyone from the Ning family with her?”

“There was one, but he’s dead now. No one else remains.”

“This time, we must succeed. To avoid complications, I’ll go myself.”

“Miss, I advise against it. Your status is important; it’s dangerous to get involved directly. Our strength is decent, but the wild is unpredictable. Please reconsider,” the short-haired woman objected.

“What to reconsider? I mainly need to go to Tanshi to collect some supplies that only I can get. Passing through there, I’ll satisfy my curiosity and see what’s so special about that woman,” the woman called “Miss” said with a playful smile.

Rong Xianxian awoke amid a sea of flames. She quietly glanced outside; dusk had just fallen, and it seemed they were fearless.

In front of her stood a man and a woman. The man was Yun Shan, Ning Qingyun’s former assistant who had been at his side every day. The woman’s face was somewhat familiar.

Yun Shan expressionlessly looked at Rong Xianxian but spoke to the woman beside him, “Miss Gong, why wait for her to wake up? The boss said to let them quietly depart.”

“After all, Qingyun and she were married. Even as ghosts, she should know the truth,” the woman smiled slightly.

Yun Shan silently watched Rong Xianxian. “Madam, the portrait locked in the boss’s office is Miss Gong. You should have seen it before. She and Qingyun were childhood sweethearts. Due to Miss Gong going abroad, a misunderstanding arose between them. The boss, heartbroken and trying to escape family arrangements, married you instead. Now the Ning and Gong families are to be united by marriage, and you are in the way.”

Yun Shan looked at the walls engulfed in flames and the two children slowly losing consciousness. He took out a spray bottle. “This will let you die painlessly.”

After the spray covered her body, Rong Xianxian’s eyelids grew heavy, drowsiness washing over her. Filled with hatred, she struggled to crawl toward her children.

The last words she heard were, “You’re so kind as to drug them. Their mouths are gagged and they can’t scream anyway, so why bother?”

“This way is safer. We can’t wait here forever. Our previous attempts to cause accidents were all evaded by her. This might be our last chance.”

It felt as though she had slept a century. When Rong Xianxian finally forced her eyes open, she stared blankly at the ceiling. Though the room was pitch dark, the outline of a crystal chandelier was visible. Suddenly, she sprang up and looked at the small bed on the left side of the large bed—her son was sound asleep. On the right side, her daughter lay sleeping in a child’s bed. Could it have all been a dream?

A sudden loud bang echoed. Rong Xianxian rushed to the window and pulled back the curtains. The sky was filled with stars, as if meteors were raining down—magnificent and spectacular.

On this night of falling stars, spiritual energy was awakening. This was the beginning of the celestial transformation. She had returned to the dawn of the apocalypse.