2 A Fujioshi's Transmigration

Copyrights by JaehaJack

This is my original work. All rights reserved. No parts of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems - except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews - without permission in writing from its author.

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

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Somewhere in the midst of a burning hot desert laid thousands of bodies of dead soldiers. The ground has been dyed red and no longer had its original, golden color. The fast decaying bodies released putrid stench that even the vilest of beast refused to get any closer.

The aftermath of a battle field was just waiting for the corpses to rot faster and join the earth once more.

However, one cadaver seemed to be pulsating with light as if the battle was not going to be the end of its journey. At a closer look, it was already a half rotten body with a missing head, that began to glow. A strange golden light, coming from inside the remaining flesh, surrounded it and started to restore the corpse from dried skeletons. Slowly, the broken bones realigned and pieced together as if the skull and the ribs had never been crushed. The organs followed suit and soon, the muscle sinews began to build-up, thicken and then wrapped around the body. And then a wheat-coloured skin regenerated over. As the skin covered the body, the coppery red hair grew as well. Little by little, a familiar woman's physique was forming.

Who knew how many hours and days passed but the sun rose up and down for a few times before the body was completely restored.

Under a starry night sky looking over the bloody, rotten graveyard, a woman woke up with a stretch of her limbs. She yawned and stretched her stiff neck without opening her eyes, afraid that the sun would blind her sensitive eyes.

"Did I sleep too long? Ack! What the heck is wrong with neck, gosh my body feels so heavy. Did I catch the flu?"

However, a pungent wind made a brisk blow making her nose wrinkle and her brows furrow.

"Just where am I? Did I fall asleep in the morgue again? No effin way, wait a minute, no."

Her eyes shot open with a sense of alertness in her expression. A pair of eyes with heterochromia scanned the surrounding that had her breath caught in her throat. 'So life-like, no, this is real. Who came and kidnapped me then threw me in this corpse land?' She worried.

Fortunately for Wei Xia Ri, a current medical personnel (JaehaJack) who transitioned from surgery to pharmacy, seeing this many corpses did not feel too frightening. As far as she could remember, she had been dissecting cadavers for research purposes and performing assisted surgeries in hospitals and few places when she volunteered for Doctors Without Borders. Actually, it was as bloody and brutal back in those lands too. It was not a good memory to think about. 'This looks like a transmigration situation.'

Therefore, the fearless woman curled her lower lip into her mouth and bit it out of habit as she tried to analyze her situation.

'It seems like everybody here died. The previous owner did not survive. She died. I took over. I wonder if her name is also Wei Xia Ri?'

She began to check her remaining articles of clothing that were left untouched by after-war thieves. Worse comes to worse, who knew if the original was not only robbed but also raped?

In truth, Wei Xia Ri was close to the truth when it came to her fears. Little did she know how much trouble her arrival would bring.

'Most importantly, how do I get 'home' to Wei Xia Ri's?'

It would be great if a magic carpet was here. Not that the chances are high but neither was it low. After all, this world may be magical? Who knew? As a Disney child, Wei Xia Ri wished for a discovery like how it happened in Aladdin.

She shrugged.

So far, she realized that she has to stay fed and sheltered in order to actually reach her home first. Aside from the matter of surviving all the way home, a head splitting headache made her wince. Her breath hitched as Wei Xia Ri massaged her scalp while slowly recovering. The body's memories were beginning to penetrate into her soul to complete the so-called transmigration process.

Indeed, the original's name was also Wei Xia Ri, a general of the empire located west of the southern region. Three thousand men and herself of the Sun Dao Division had recently been defeated single-handedly after falling into a trap made by the enemy empire's strategist, Han Ryu.

'What a nice name, but... Just who is that man? How can he be so successful with an ambush against 3000 men? Was their no defensive tactic placed in anticipation from this geographic location at all?' That name, the transmigrator carved it into her head and swore to find him if chance ever let her so. There was no trace of anger in her eyes rather, it was excitement. The only thing Wei Xia Ri wanted to know is if this mysterious man could be as interesting as his cunning brain.

The original was at a pure disadvantage. Surveying the canyon area and the trails of the bodies, it seemed like they came from a labyrinth maze made from steep plateaus and hoodoos. It was just strange on how those structures collapsed like a house of cards interrupted by a somersault. Being at the low ground after getting out of the maze was already another trap. The maze may even be the first one while the final blow was the attack from a higher ground! Many of the dead were pierced with arrows, some who were not injured at critical spots had at least two arrows in. Surprisingly, hers was different because her high collar was cut off and the armors'upper torso was covered in blood. The general may have been beheaded. She also noticed her torn sleeves and bootless feet. A cold realization sunk into her, just by imagining the original's death.

'Revenge for the previous owner? Not so but no matter what, a fellow human should not be so inhumane.' The thoughts that dawned into her lead the woman into conveying a prayer, both for herself and the departed souls. 'Not a chance of useless vengeance! Safety first.' Wei Xia Ri was not the vengeful type. The old was dead, she was the new life and she would definitely live it to the fullest without suffering these.

If the memory served her right, the original Wei Xia Ri was an infamous tyrant and used her power to pressure the empire for her desires from a reverse harem, a mansion that is as grand and big as a prince's palace and maintaining her own private army. As if the emperor could move against her. The previous Wei Xia Ri was a powerful general, not a marvelling idiot. she had used her advantages to its maximum capacity. So when the new one returned, many reforms were going to have to happen. 'Maybe some apologies too.'

Wei Xia Ri decided to scavenge around first. Though she was used to many corpses, the woman still felt petrified whenever her eyes accidentally met the soulless eyes around her. It made her more comfortable to come across corpses without eyeballs. The guilt and disappointment she felt lessened as she looked through their bodies for redeemable items. Luckily, her armor did not get damaged, much to her relief.

Wei Xia Ri watched enough movies and did enough camping to know what she at least needed. A pair of boots, coins, well kept water, some dried edible food hidden in metal box bags, a map and the least stenchful cape. Later...

'I should be ready.'

It seemed like she was at the outer western region near the southern borders. According to the map and the insignia on her armor, she belonged to the North Eastern empire with a golden sun insignia that had a phoenix with its wings spread apart. The empire was located close to where she was.

On her back were three jugs of clean water and the edible food was tied around her waist. 'If only internet and my lovely truck was here,' she wished. In three days, speed-walking should take her to the empire.

Three starry skies, three sunrise and three water jugs happened. At the last drip, Wei Xia Ri reached the gate of the empire with a familiar sun drawing!

A grin spread her mouth wide. "I can live longer!"

The current gate guards on the other hand felt alarmed at the nearing figure. It was an armed soldier. Judging from her armor, she should be part of a cavalry. There hands tightened around their Ji.

"Don't move!" They yelled.

In return, her grin was wiped off. Wei Xia Ri sighed. "Wei Xia Ri, Sun Dao division general reporting," she announced with a steady and calm voice.

Instantly, there faces paled. A look of confusion also crossed there faces.

"The general has passed away! Wh-"

Upon hearing 'general', the transmigrator's happiness leaped over to the sky. The memories were not fabricated! She even enjoyed the role now, as if she really felt wronged.

But the transmigrator shook her head. "You dare curse to death a living person? Moreover, I, Wei Xia Ri?"

"N-n-no!" One shook his head.

"We dare not general. Please proceed!" The other said.

With a small sigh, Wei Xia Ri entered yet only to feel surprised this time. 'Too fast, it feels too fast. How did they know of my arrival? Did they have security cameras?'

A group of fancily dressed soldiers have waited for her behind the gate. News travelled fast. It would be strange if it was the two gate keepers. According to ancient movies, it should be one among the archers hidden at the top.

A sun with a dragon in front was carved on their breast plates. 'Are they the imperial guards?' To Wei Xia Ri's discomfort, they all looked disturbingly stern and stiff, as if a rod was stuck down below.

'A small hello would be nice too,' Wei Xia Ri wanted to say. Nevertheless, she remained silent and exchanged some 45 degree bows with the leader of the squad.

The soldiers who just witnessed a well-mannered tyrant, widened there eyes. The proud, domineering, arrogant and short-tempered general just gave her respects to her fellow soldiers? In what world?

It was like a dream come true.

Or was this the general's regretful soul paying them a visit? At such thought, many felt goosebumps travelling down their skin. It was really unbelievable.

Even Wei Xia Ri herself noticed their bewildered faces when she greeted back politely. Alarm bells rang in her head. 'Ancient people can be superstitious! It would be dangerous if they come to grave conclusions from evil-spirit possession and some other fabricated imaginations!'

In no more than a second, she threw herself back to stand straight, nose to the sky and a scoff leaving her mouth.

"How long are you people going to waste this exhausted general's time?"

She sounded so arrogant like usual. And it seemed to work, judging from the faces of the men around her as if it was a sigh of relief to get a tyrant back instead of a humble, nice and kind person in exchange. Wei Xia Ri sighed in misery for them.

Suddenly, the leader of the squad who carried around an indifferent, hardened expression answered.

"General Wei, you are summoned by his majesty to receive am imperial decree. Please come with us."

Wei Xia Ri nodded without a word.

The transmigrator thought it would be exciting but all these ancient people acted like stiff people. Where were the cute children or bustling streets? All she saw after the gate was an inner wall once more.

She sighed. From the original's memories, the empire had three walls due to its melancholic history of constant wars. The wars were not for the protection of the enemy empire's citizens but because of her own empire's wealth with valuable stones such as marble and the prized imperial jade. The inner the wall, the thicker it became, she observed.

The first wall was of regular clay walls built as high as possible but the second layer was of iron? If Wei Xia Ri could remember, iron was deeply coveted especially in ancient times because of its many purposes. And now, it was built to be encased between layers of hard bricks. And surprisingly, the inner wall was made of vast lands of thick bamboos. When they came closer to which seemed like the familiar path towards the palace, marble walls lined both sides of the road.

'How pretty suffocating,' Wei Xia Ri couldn't help but think.

Initially, they were walking through an endless maze of high marble walls and seemed to reach no stop. For the exhausted Wei Xia Ri, it was already torture to even keep on walking. 'These soldiers did not even bother to ask for a fellow soldier's well being? !'

She wore an armor that weighed her down, three heavy weapons, leather boots that made her want to start dragging her foot unless Wei Xia Ri wanted to lose face as a powerful general, and a helmet with many gold ornaments on the helmet.

'Bastards. There is not even a single pretty face to rest the eyes on.' Her body was so heavy, she might as well wobble and rest on the ground if possible.

Fortunately, they came to a stop, the squad leader who Wei Xia Ri initially suspected to have a tumor in his voice box spoke. "General Wei, please surrender your weapon before your entry to the Jade Court," the leader's voice suddenly said.

When she blinked, she saw that they had already reached the said Jade Court. An ascending set of cemented stairs laid before her as if to mock the traveller. Wei Xia Ri sneered inwardly.

"I see."

So as they have instructed, the woman dropped the battle axe, the Ji and the sword from her back.

"Done," Wei Xia Ri said. Things were getting uninteresting and she could not wait to get this matter to be dealt with. Her body ached for the comfort of a bed and a full-body massage.

At that thought, Wei Xia Ri wanted to test something out. It was a muscle memory that she tried to practice during the desert travel. Her qigong.

Initially, a cavalry member was at the bottom of the stairs and yet, she disappeared alarming the stiff imperial soldiers. Fortunately, in a matter of few seconds, Wei Xia Ri has reappeared at the top of the stairs.

A tower laid at the top, boasting a double door that was built to be taller than a normal man by at least ten times. It was excessively high and well decorated with a dragon curling around a phoenix. On either side, at least six fully-equipped guards stood on either side. Compared to the imperial guards, they only looked at her with courtesy provided to officials.

There solemn gazes looked over Wei Xia Ri. A look of confusion on their faces. She felt even more astounded. Same reactions also happened to the old emperor sitting on the dragon throne once she entered.

"Your majesty," Wei Xia Ri greeted with a bow.

"General Wei Xia Ri, Zhen has indeed not misheard such great news."

Wei Xia Ri with her head bowed could not see the old man's face. But thought, 'Shouldn't they feel oppressed or threatened by the tyrant? Why do they look and sound like that? Coocoo-ness. It's coocooness!'