Chapter 1: The Boy Riding a Pig

Early March, at the cusp of spring—when the air is only just beginning to warm, yet the chill still lingers. Along the riverbank, the willows have already sprouted their tender, emerald buds.

At the foot of the imperial city in the Crimson Feather Kingdom, no place is more renowned for springtime outings and chance romantic encounters than these ten miles along the Brocade River. Both banks are awash with vibrant blossoms and swaying grasses, the orioles darting among them, while the young women are more radiant than the flowers themselves.

Amidst the bustling crowd stood several youths in splendid attire, surrounded by onlookers eager for entertainment.

"Ji Yin, you promised! If you fail to win a kiss from Lady Cuiyan, you’ll have to kiss a pig’s behind in public! Lady Cuiyan is in Young Lord Chu’s arms right now. You’re destined to kiss that pig!"

"The pig’s here, the pig’s here! Just brought from Butcher Sun’s, a sow weighing over two hundred catties!"

A disheveled youth, his clothing askew and hair in disarray, was pushed toward the enormous sow.

"Kiss it! The backside, mind you!"

"Hurry, hurry up!"

The youth hesitated, his face twisted in disgust, and just as he was about to back out, someone gave him a shove from behind, sending him sprawling onto the pig.

Startled, the pig charged straight at the boy! Unable to dodge, he toppled to the ground as the massive sow, running too fast, lost her footing and crashed down onto him!

The pig scrambled off his slight frame and bolted away, but the youth lay motionless on the ground.

The surrounding crowd was struck dumb with fear. Ji Yin was notorious as a weakling, unable to so much as truss a chicken—had he been crushed to death by the pig? Over two hundred catties! If he really had been squashed, how would they ever explain it to the Ji family?

Suddenly, the youth on the ground coughed violently.

Damn it! That hurt like hell!

Ji Yin twitched a finger, then opened her eyes.

The unfamiliar surroundings startled her; she flipped up in alarm!

She had been asleep, only to have her hideout attacked by a band of so-called righteous sects. Someone must have leaked news of her injury. Surrounded by so many powerful foes and gravely wounded, she had died a spectacular death.

Ji Yin could still recall the agony of her spirit core bursting!

So just what the hell was going on?!

Why was she still alive? Where was this place?

Suddenly, images flashed through her mind—not her own memories, but someone else’s. Only then did Ji Yin realize she was no longer the infamous demon lord Ji Yin, but had become another, useless Ji Yin.

This place was not the planet Liusha; beyond that, she couldn’t say exactly where she was.

Judging from the muddled spiritual energy in the air, and the fact that few around her exhibited any soul force fluctuations, it was likely some place of exile.

“You’re awake? Since you’re fine, better keep your word,” someone nearby jeered.

“Young Master Ji, we’ve brought your pig back.”

Ji Yin, looking at the hefty sow, snapped back to her senses.

She clapped the dust from her hands and stood up, just as the pig charged at her once more! Ji Yin braced herself to leap over it—

But she’d forgotten the state of her current body.

Her short legs managed only to clear the pig’s back, landing her squarely astride it.

And so, along the Brocade River, a youth rode a pig in grand, chaotic fashion—knocking over stalls, sending pedestrians flying, plunging the riverbank into utter pandemonium!

A carriage approached from the opposite direction. The man inside, reclining against the cushions, saw the wild boar rampage toward them and his face froze.

“My lord!”

The man’s brows knit in mild annoyance. “What is it?”

“A—a youth riding a pig is charging straight at us!”