In the instant her body was sent flying through the air, Lin Yi felt not pain but a strange sense of weightlessness. She even had the presence of mind to think that the car was so fast she was like a perfect parabola—well, at least her brain wouldn't have time to process the pain. Ending like this didn't seem too bad. Just before her last bit of consciousness faded, she seemed to glimpse her unfinished lab report, and then she sank into utter darkness.
When she opened her eyes again, Lin Yi's first thought was that she had been saved. But the next second, that notion was completely overturned.
Before her stretched an endless, pure white void, with no impurities. She found herself standing directly in this emptiness, as light as if only her consciousness remained.
Lin Yi stared at the nothingness and muttered to herself: Could this be the legendary underworld? It's nothing like I imagined—not even a ghostly attendant in sight.
“This is not the underworld. This is my consciousness space,” a voice suddenly rang out in the emptiness.
Startled by the unexpected voice, Lin Yi forced herself to remain calm and asked, “Who's speaking?”
“I am the Earth Consciousness,” the voice replied calmly. “You are dead. According to the laws of heaven and earth, you should have entered the underworld to await reincarnation. But in recent years, birth rates have been declining and aging has become increasingly severe. Now the underworld is packed with wandering souls waiting to be reborn. Because the queue is too long, some souls can't bear it, and there have been several riots.”
Hearing the word “riots,” Lin Yi raised an eyebrow. How long was the queue that even ghosts couldn't take it?
“So,” the Earth Consciousness continued, “the underworld has reformed. It has signed immigration agreements with some small worlds that are short on population. Souls who don't want to wait in line can choose to be reborn in those small worlds. Now, you can choose to queue or go to a small world.”
“How long would I have to wait?” Lin Yi asked directly, cutting to the chase.
“537 years.”
537 years?! Lin Yi was so shocked she almost jumped. Even Sun Wukong only spent 500 years under the Five Elements Mountain! No wonder there were riots—who could wait that long?
Perhaps sensing her resistance, the Earth Consciousness added at the right moment, “Alternatively, you could choose to be reborn in a region with a shorter queue time.”
“That's an option?” Lin Yi was taken aback. “Isn't it uniform worldwide?”
“Reincarnation has always been assigned by region. Now, with special circumstances, some regions have high birth rates and high death rates, so the turnover is fast. Usually, you can be reborn within two years.”
Lin Yi quickly caught the key information: “So you can read my thoughts.” She thought for a moment and rapidly recalled the familiar world birth rate rankings in her mind—Niger, Congo, Mali, Afghanistan, Yemen…
“That's right, the places you're thinking of,” the Earth Consciousness confirmed her guess.
Lin Yi's mouth twitched. Well, compared to those places, a small world did sound like a better choice. “So, what benefits and job restrictions are there for going to a small world?”
The Earth Consciousness answered calmly: “The benefits are as follows: First, you will retain all your current memories and automatically receive a new identity with a decent background. Second, I will match you with the small world that has the highest soul compatibility. Data shows that the happiness index and life peak achievement rate for such matches exceed 90%. Third, before departure, you will receive a background introduction to that world. Fourth, you have the right to painlessly exit at any time. Fifth, using the time flow difference between worlds, perhaps after you finish experiencing a life in another world, your place in the queue here on Earth will have already come up. There is only one restriction: you must not cause large-scale loss of life in the small world. They are cooperating with us because of population shortages, and we need to respect and maintain their stability.”
Lin Yi lowered her eyes, quickly grasping the core: “So essentially, this is like a deep dive into a different world, and if I'm not satisfied, I can get a refund and return?”
“Understanding is correct,” the Earth Consciousness replied.
“Very reasonable.” She nodded. “Then what's the specific process for returning? For example, if I want to come back midway, how exactly do I do that?”
“After you naturally live out your life in the small world, you will automatically return here for your next choice. If you want to end early, just call out three times in your heart, 'Earth Consciousness, I want to go home,' and your current body will painlessly cease to exist, and your consciousness will return.”
The conditions were favorable, the escape route clear. Lin Yi quickly weighed the pros and cons in her mind, then no longer hesitated. She raised her head and said firmly, “Alright! I choose to go to the small world!”
The moment Lin Yi finished speaking, a stream of information mysteriously flooded into her mind.
“Great Qian Under Heaven”—it was actually that million-word power-struggle web novel she had read until the end of time! The story of the protagonist Ying Baichuan, who rose from a bullied prince to the throne, sweeping through nations, and eventually becoming a legendary emperor. The author's writing was strong, the plot thrilling, keeping her and countless readers waiting eagerly in the comments.
…So, could someone tell her why the world introduction was the novel she was reading before she got killed?! Lin Yi was speechless for a moment.
“One flower, one world; one leaf, one Bodhi.” The ethereal voice of the Earth Consciousness rang out at the right time. “The condensation of thoughts can also give birth to real stars. No one says a book cannot be a world. They are called small worlds because they have just been born, with too few intelligent beings. When the population of intelligent beings grows, they can ascend to medium worlds and then large worlds.”
Lin Yi nodded in understanding, her mind already racing: “I see. Ancient worlds have poor medical and sanitary conditions, high mortality rates, so they really need external help. If I can effectively reduce mortality there, does that count as performance? Is there a reward?”
The Earth Consciousness seemed to appreciate her initiative and replied calmly, “You can make a request, and I will evaluate its feasibility.”
A request? Lin Yi barely needed to think. She, a promising graduate student in materials science at a top 985 university, had gone out for a walk because she was pulling her hair out over data, only to be ended by a scumbag taking revenge on society! The resentment at this moment was more than enough for her to stage a vengeful ghost revenge drama on the spot.
“I want the scumbag who ran me over,” Lin Yi said, her voice not loud but clear, “to live in agony and die in despair.”
“Agreed,” the Earth Consciousness replied without hesitation.
The promise of revenge was like a shot of adrenaline, and Lin Yi was instantly full of motivation: “Great! So what role will I become? Ying Baichuan's sister or his lover?”
“Neither,” the Earth Consciousness shattered Lin Yi's fantasy. “The main storyline of the world is absolute. For stability, you will not become any named character in the book.”
Lin Yi was stunned—so she was just an extra? But she quickly shrugged it off. An extra is fine, as long as her status isn't low. But another concern arose: “Can the plot not be changed at all? For example, if a villain dies early, it could save many people. Can I not eliminate him in advance?”
“The main trunk of the world cannot be shaken,” the Earth Consciousness explained, “but if you change some minor branches, the world consciousness there won't stop you; in fact, it might welcome it.”
“Then how do I know whether what I'm doing is pruning branches or shaking the trunk?” Lin Yi asked rigorously.
The Earth Consciousness replied, “If you are about to cross the line, the small world's consciousness will warn you with a headache.”
Headache warning? Pretty smart. Lin Yi's eyelashes fluttered as she thought of another question: “Since the queue is over five hundred years, quite a few people must be opting for labor dispatch like me, right? Will there be fellow countrymen in that small world? Are they friends or foes?”
“Yes,” the Earth Consciousness confirmed. “But most of them have no extra tasks. You are the one who requested a mission to reduce mortality. All immigrants are bound by the basic rule of not causing large numbers of indigenous deaths. In theory, they won't hinder you. However, each person lands at a different time, so not many contemporaries will be around.”
Having understood the external environment, Lin Yi asked one last question: “When I travel over, what happens to the original soul of the body I inhabit?”
“Don't worry,” the Earth Consciousness spoke with solemn gentleness. “We are not plunderers. After matching the most suitable body, we first seek the original owner's consent. If she willingly gives up her body, she will receive a chance at a better reincarnation. Everything is voluntary. If she refuses, we continue searching for the next compatible candidate.”
Hearing this, the last moral burden in Lin Yi's heart was lifted. She raised her head firmly and said, “Good, I understand. Let's set off!”
As soon as she said that, the white space in front of her began to warp and spin, like calm water disturbed by a stone, ripples spreading. In moments, a portal emitting a soft halo stabilized before her eyes.
“Step into it,” the Earth Consciousness said.
Lin Yi took a deep breath and stepped without hesitation into the luminous gate leading to the unknown world.
---
Minister's Mansion.
Lin Yi sat by the carved window of her boudoir, gazing at the exquisite pavilions outside, and sighed with melancholy.
The Earth Consciousness had arranged for her to be the legitimate eldest daughter of Lin Qianyao, the Minister of Rites. As luck would have it, this young lady was also named Lin Yi, and her appearance was eighty percent similar to Lin Yi's original face. Perhaps this was what they called the best soul match.
The status was certainly noble enough—compared to her modern family, which she had to work desperately to escape, it was like heaven and earth.
But the problem was, this identity was really awkward!
This original Miss was the legitimate eldest daughter, born of Lin Qianyao's first wife. However, as in all stories, if nothing unexpected happens, then the unexpected happens.
When the original owner was born, her mother died in childbirth. Lin Qianyao held a grudge against this daughter, and while he didn't abuse her, he was very cold.
When the original owner was three, her maternal family was implicated in a rebellion case, their property confiscated and family exiled. Although she wasn't involved, her position in the mansion plummeted.
When the original owner was five, her father remarried. The stepmother didn't deliberately make things difficult for her, but completely ignored her, leaving her to fend for herself.
In short, she was a standard marginalized character—no father's love, no mother's love.
If it were just that, Lin Yi wouldn't mind; weak family ties suited her fine. She had long gotten used to fighting alone in her previous life.
But!
Why did she have to face a marriage hell startup the moment she transmigrated?!