Fortune Across the World

Chapter 2: New Encounters in a Different World

The man in white sighed, crouching down to meet Ding Qiyu's gaze as she sat on the ground. "I'm Xie Bian, responsible for collecting souls in the underworld. Earlier, when I was retrieving another soul..." He hesitated, "Something went wrong with my Soul Lamp, causing a spill of spiritual energy that inadvertently pulled both your soul and the soul of your current body out." Xie Bian admitted sheepishly. The truth was, his late-night cramming for the "Advanced Underworld Administration Qualification Exam" had left him fatigued, causing a lapse in concentration that led to the accidental removal of Ding Qiyu's and the young vagrant's souls.

Upon hearing this, Ding Qiyu realized she wasn't supposed to be dead; she was caught in an accident. Her anger flared, "How could you mix up my soul with someone else's? This isn't even my body; it's theirs! Fix this and put us back where we belong!"

Xie Bian gently restrained her from standing up, urging her to stay calm. "Please, let me explain... The world is made up of many parallel universes. In another universe, another version of you passed away, and you and the original owner of this body are essentially the same person. Under specific conditions, the souls of the same person across different universes can resonate, which is why my Soul Lamp pulled both of you out." He offered an apologetic smile, indicating it was a genuine mistake.

"Okay, but can't you just switch us back? I won't hold it against you if you fix it," Ding Qiyu said, trying to process the bizarre explanation. Regardless of how incredible it sounded, her priority was to return to her original body. She knew nothing of this body's life, making it impossible to truly call it her own.

Xie Bian coughed awkwardly and hesitated, "Well... when the Soul Lamp malfunctioned, I managed to stop your soul from being absorbed, but the original soul of this body was already drawn in and has now moved on to reincarnation. Your original body, having fallen from such a height and with the sharp blades of the drone, is... beyond repair and can’t house a soul anymore. The best I could do was guide your soul into this body. I'm sorry, but you can't go back..."

"What are you saying?!" Xie Bian's words thundered in Ding Qiyu's mind, her pupils dilating. The misalignment between her soul and body drained her strength, and she collapsed, muttering, "I can't go back... I can't go back..." Suddenly, she lunged at Xie Bian, clutching his collar with tear-filled eyes. "There must be a way! You're a celestial being, aren't you? There has to be another solution!"

Xie Bian shook his head, "This is the best solution I could think of... unless you wish to reincarnate immediately..."

Despair overwhelmed her, tears streaming down her face. "No... no! This is your fault! You ruined everything! What about my family? My parents? My sister? What am I supposed to do now?" Her frail body gave way, and she sat on the ground, weeping uncontrollably.

Seeing the devastated youth before him, Xie Bian felt immense guilt. He summoned the Soul Transfer Umbrella and cast a calming spell to stabilize her turbulent emotions and soul. "I'm truly sorry. If you remain in this state, your family will be heartbroken too..." His words seemed insufficient, so he added, "If you want, I can erase all trace of you from the original world, so your family will believe they only have your sister and won’t endure the pain of losing you. And for you, I can grant one wish to help you live well in this new world."

Forgetting herself... her parents, her sister, her grandparents, all those she loved and who loved her... The thought was heart-wrenching. Yet, how could she bear to let them suffer the pain of her loss? Her father was aging, her mother's health was fragile, and her sister was still in high school... How could she let them endure such grief?

So, she decided to bear all the pain herself...

Xie Bian, seeing no response, assumed his proposal was unsatisfactory and hesitated before speaking, "Or, I could erase your memories of them, so you won't suffer..."

"No! You can't!" Ding Qiyu's voice was hoarse. Without her memories, she'd have no ties, no purpose. Alone in this unfamiliar world, where would she go? After cutting him off, she thought deeply for a long time, wiping away her tears with trembling hands. Her eyes, though sad, showed a glimmer of determination. She said to Xie Bian, "Do as you said... let them forget me..." Her voice was unsteady with emotion.

"Are you sure?" Xie Bian asked softly.

Ding Qiyu nodded silently.

"Alright then..." Xie Bian turned, murmuring an incantation. The Soul Transfer Umbrella opened, its surface glowing with an eerie blue-purple light, gradually revealing images.

Ding Qiyu watched the images unfold before her—the sight of her own body, lying in a pool of blood, slowly disintegrating like dust. The surrounding crowd dispersed; her junior, Chen Linlin, who had been paralyzed with shock, picked up the now bloodless drone and walked dejectedly back into the lab building. Her father, who had just received the news of her accident and was speeding to the airport, rubbed his teary eyes and, after glancing at his tear-streaked wife in the passenger seat, inexplicably forgot his destination and had to stop the car. Her sister, A Yin, was showing off the limited edition album Ding Qiyu had bought her, only now to say it was a birthday gift from their parents. The family photo on the coffee table no longer featured the radiant youth smiling on the far right, and the awards on the wall dissipated into thin air...

A sharp pain twisted in Ding Qiyu's heart; she bit her lower lip until it bled. She painfully moved closer to the Soul Transfer Umbrella, reaching out to tenderly touch the images of her family. Bitter tears fell onto the umbrella's surface.

"Hmm? Is it raining?" Her father, standing by the car, wiped a drop off his cheek with his finger. Looking up at the sky, he leaned against the car door. "Let's go home. It's raining."

"Yes, let's go home," her mother replied softly.

...

Xie Bian watched Ding Qiyu's heart-wrenching grief, his regret over his mistake deepening. His already pale face turned even more ashen. All he could do was silently wait for the youth to exhaust her tears, while continuing to cast calming spells to stabilize the bond between Ding Qiyu's soul and her new body.

As memories of her past life and experiences flowed through her mind, washed over by unending tears, Ding Qiyu gradually forced herself to bury them deep within her heart. After what felt like an eternity, her sobs subsided. She wiped her swollen eyes with her sleeve and stood up, speaking to Xie Bian with a voice that, though raspy, was noticeably calmer, "Tell me about this world and this body." Despite her effort to suppress her emotions, the steadiness in her voice was evident.

Impressed by her resilience, Xie Bian put away the Soul Transfer Umbrella and began to explain, "This world’s cultural level is similar to the ancient times of your original world, though it doesn't correspond to any specific dynasty, as each world has its own historical development. You are in the northern part of Qian Country, a powerful nation surrounded by smaller states and overseas lands. Fortunately, the language here is the same as yours, though the writing is mostly in traditional characters, with some slight variations."

As Xie Bian continued, he recited an incantation, his eyes glowing with a blue light as he assessed Ding Qiyu. "Your current body is about thirteen years old and belongs to a young vagrant. This child has survived by begging and wandering, which is quite remarkable given the circumstances."