In the cover of the night sky's darkness, a shadow cloaked in dark clothes quietly sneaked around the city lord's estate. Quieted steps and not a single disruption within the winds— the one who advanced amidst the shadows was surely a well-trained individual.

 

However, even then, there were things they couldn't control...

 

"Uh..." In front of the entrance to a certain building, two bulky guards stood rather lazily. "This job is so tiresome..."

 

"Shh...!" To the first guard's comment, the second, with a scarred forehead, warned him hurriedly. "If the 'lord' heard you, we'd both be punished!"

 

"I don't think 'lord' would be so harsh..." The first guard grumbled quietly, but his coworker heard him loud and clear.

 

"Even then yo-" The second guard began... However, both of them halted as they looked toward a certain place.

 

*Ghashak...*

 

"Who goes there?!" The first one questioned, while the second moved towards the bushes from where the sound came, as the one with the scar held firmly onto his spear, ready to assist his companion if needed.

 

"There's nothing here..." He found nothing and decided to return to his original position. However, even then, he remained cautious, as this was a trap often used by assassins. Yet, he was able to return safely without any troubles.

 

"Nothing, huh?" The scarred guard inquired, looking at his sworn brother and coworker.

 

To which the other shook his head. "Nothing there. Must've been the winds."

 

However, unbeknownst to either of them, a certain shadow had climbed atop the palace's wall and entered it through a window on the second floor.

 

...

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...

 

'Well, that was easy.' The "shadow," Li Feng, had entered the palace rather easily without many issues other than the two guards, and even they were not much trouble.

 

'Well, I guess that's to be expected from such a "primitive" bunch.'

 

Well, in a way, she was correct to think so. After all, this world's cultural and technological advancements were definitely bland and most surely paled in comparison to her homeland.

 

'Now then...' She quietly ventured into the palace, with her every step measured. '...Where's that bitch?'

 

She searched the first floor, not finding much except for a bedroom with somewhat disheveled sheets, with no signs of what she sought, and decided to descend to the lower floor.

 

Li Feng was correct in assuming that this land's technology was lackluster... However...

 

"Which mutt has wandered into my home this late?"

 

...She had yet to understand how deep this world's darkness went.

 

A being clouded in shadows, a voice deep and powerful, and a presence unlike any human. Facing such a being, Li Feng froze for a moment, but she wasn't a former world-renowned professional for nothing and soon sprung into action, throwing a small bag of chili powder mixed with some easily available poisons and herbs onto her opponent in an attempt to escape.

 

"Stop right there!"

 

In response to those words, Li Feng's trusty companion, the shadows themselves, shifted to hold her as a prisoner.

 

As the being of darkness approached her, Li Feng's heart began to drum loudly... She was certain that this was the end, and that made her almost laugh self-deprecatingly.

 

'First by that bastard and now by the dark itself... Am I destined to die by betrayal?'

 

...

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...

 

That night's air was alive with the thrill of escape as Li Feng, the renowned assassin, wove effortlessly through the twisting alleys of the city. Her laughter rang out, carefree and wild, as she danced on the edge of danger.

 

"They're gaining on us!" her subordinate panted, his voice tinged with panic as they raced through the shadows.

 

Li Feng glanced back at him, her grin unwavering even as a flicker of concern danced in her eyes. "Let them try," she called back, her voice laced with a hint of defiance. "We'll lose them soon enough!"

 

But fate had other plans. In the blink of an eye, everything changed. Her subordinate's footsteps faltered, his face contorting with a mixture of fear and desperation. Without warning, he lunged forward, a glint of metalic nature flashing in the moonlight.

 

Li Feng's heart plummeted as she turned to look towards her subordinate only to receive a knife to her heart. Pain exploded in her chest as the blade found its mark, stealing her breath and sending her crashing to the ground. Even her body modifications and nano machines didn't help...

 

As darkness threatened to claim her, her trusted subordinate loomed over her, his eyes haunted yet mocking.

 "Forgive me," he murmured, his voice strangely light and free. "You made too many enemies not putting others in your eyes... I couldn't help."

 

"You..." Li Feng spoke with much struggle. "Damn... Dog." A grin plastered onto her face.

 

"YOU!!" Annoyed by that face that still grinned even now, not putting anyone into her eyes, he stomped onto Li Feng's head!

 

That night, the feared queen of darkness was swallowed within the night.

 

...

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...

"Urg...! This?!" Li Feng gasped, her voice choked with disbelief as she found herself gasping for air, the pain from her previous wound still fresh in her memory. But as she struggled to make sense of her surroundings, she realized that this was no afterlife she had expected. Not that she believed in any God or religion.

 

Instead of the darkness of death, she found her body being weighed down by her own weight, her limbs weak from malnourishment and her eyes heavy from weariness. Li Feng blinked, trying to make sense of her situation with the memories of her past life as a fearless assassin.

 

"This... this can't be happening," she muttered to herself, her mind racing with confusion and disbelief.

 

But as she scanned her surroundings, a small puddle of water came into her vision amidst the land filled with mud.

 

She dragged her weak body to the puddle, what reflected in the puddle wasn't "her" appearance which had warped due to her "thousand face arts" instead it was a young girl of seemingly 15 years of age, perhaps older but her malnourished body could have stunted her growth and her dirt-covered body made it hard to see her face clearly.

 

"It's... it's me?" she whispered, her voice barely audible in the silence of the muddied alleyway.

 

And as if waiting for those words, a searing pain spread throughout her head as if stemming from her very soul.

 

She opened her mouth to scream, yet her parched throat couldn't even do that... And all faded to black.

 

...

 

"Urgh..." Weakly opening her eyes, Li Feng was met with the same muddied alleyways albeit in the dimmed lights of the evening.

 

If there was a difference from before then it was that a surge of recognition washed over her like a tidal wave as she looked at the reflection within the puddle.

 

The one within the puddle was Li Feng, an orphan who was once the treasured daughter of a merchant, now a bottom feeder.

 

For reasons unknown to her, she, the world renowned assassin had been reborn into a world that bore a striking resemblance to the medieval world of ancient tales.

 

Going through her memories another strange familiarity caught her eye.

 

In the girl's possession used to exist a jade pendant hanging around her neck, a keepsake from her dead mother... A pendant all too similar to the target of her last heist...

 

Somehow, she had taken on the identity of a girl who shared her name and possessed an relic eerily similar to one she had once coveted.

 

However, that in itself was a great clue as to what had happened to her. 'That relic...'

 

Surely, that relic must be related to her current situation or perhaps this was all an illusory simulation. However, the nanomachines in her body would have ended her if that was the case...

 

Moreover, it was simply too "real" to be a simulation.

 

Then there was only one thing that could've happened. 'Possession?'

 

However, even with that fictitious presumption, there was one problem... The world she was in was simply too primitive, unlike her own where towering skyscrapers and medical miracles existed.

 

But, it was not like she was completely clueless! There was still the relic.

 

As for where the relic in question was?

 

Well... She didn't have it. Moreover, to add insult to injury, the one who stole the relic was also the one who caused her body to be in such a haggard condition. Her body was filled with bruises because of that person!

 

"I... have... to get it..." With her throat still parched, she couldn't even speak properly.

 

She needed water... For anyone else, it might have been a difficult task. However, for someone like her who had been an orphan living on the streets herself, she didn't hesitate at all as she drank the somewhat muddy water of the puddle on the ground nearby.

 

She knew full well of when to let go of her pride. Even those who had pridefully declined to drink dirty water would lick the moist ground greedily once their body demanded it of them.

 

'Now, I just need to rest for a bit...'

 

She decided to gather her strength for a while and rest as she had to prepare to "scavenge" for food later.

 

From her memories, she could tell that the shops and houses would throw their wasted food out at the time just after the sun had set.

 

Which made sense as this primitive place lacked electricity and an easily available source of light at night.

 

As for detrimental effects to her health from such food and the water.

 

She could easily use her "arts" to take care of that. To begin with, she wouldn't have been able to move at all if she hadn't used it at all.

 

And from her memories, she could tell that there were some similar things like arts in this world as well.

 

'They were called martial artists, I believe?'

 

As for how they compared to the arts users from her world... Well, considering that arts were developed through ancient times and refined via technology, the answer was as clear as it could get.

 

With this, she finally closed her eyes and circulated her healing arts to fix herself...

 

...

 

About 15 minutes after she had begun her "rest," Li Feng grew wary as a set of steps approached her.

 

Even as they got closer, she didn't open her eyes as she would have to attempt a surprise attack to aim for the person's vitals if they threatened her...

 

However, the steps halted just a bit away from her.

 

'Damn it, was I found out?'

 

But, thankfully not the case as a voice responded within the alley.

 

"A-are you alright?"

 

A worried and troubled voice.

 

The person then hurriedly approached her and, finding that there was no hidden killing intent, Li Feng slowly raised her head to look at that person.

 

However, due to the dimmed lighting and the fact that the person was wearing a hood, she couldn't see his face.

 

And as she examined him, he reached for the inner section of his clothing to take out something. In response, she prepared herself just in case, even though the chances were less than likely.

 

Then the person took out something wrapped in leaves of some kind and a small vial of some sort.

 

He carefully opened the leaves to reveal two moderately sized dumplings.

 

"Um..." With shaky hands, the person spoke hesitatingly, as if not sure about what to say. "I only have this on me, so please eat this and then use the medicine on your bruises."

 

The person was strangely timid in his demeanor, seemingly as if he truly was worried about her. Of course, she knew that this world, just like her past life's, was not such a sweet place.

 

'Trying to feel good about themselves through such actions...'

 

This thought of hers wasn't baseless, as both her and the girl she had possessed knew full well of how cold people's hearts  truly were.

 

Even when helping others, people would desire something from them. Be it gratitude or a desire to fulfill their pride.

 

However, even as she thought all this, she ravenously devoured the steamed buns, and it was only after this that she looked towards the man.

 

"Than-" she began, however, the person before her cut her off.

 

"Urgh!" He clutched onto his chest in pain. "I-I will be leaving now!"

 

He hurriedly got up and turned to leave. "Make sure to use the medicine!" Before he left completely he turned to tell her this.

 

This left Li Feng befuddled, but she is a professional assassin... at least she was one, so she recovered from her bewildered state quite quickly, and her eyes looked towards the small vial.

 

'Maybe, I should sell it...'

 

A reasonable idea, as her healing arts could bring her to a somewhat workable state. But...

 

'I guess it's better to use it...'

 

This was, in a way, the first act of kindness directed towards her and the girl she had possessed. So, even though she didn't wish to admit it... She couldn't help but cherish it...

 

 

 ...

Day 2 of Li Feng's new life+

...

 

"It was worth it!"

 

She spoke as she stretched her body, the difference between her body's condition now and yesterday was like heaven and earth.

 

She could freely move around, albeit limited by her body's weak state. But even then...

 

"This is more than enough."

 

With this, she can now start her plans, but before that...

 

*Grumble...*

 

'Let's do something about food first...'