Chapter 8: Hello, Miss Hua

Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Hello, Miss Hua

Hua Buwan gave a few awkward, dry laughs and slightly raised her eyebrows. "You’ve misunderstood. I’m not a Demon, I’m a human. I’m someone from Dongxuan Country, a thousand years in the future."

As she spoke, she pushed her phone screen directly in front of Ling Qianjun and tapped to play a video.

The video discussed the official and unofficial histories of Dongxuan Country from a millennium ago. However, due to the scarcity of surviving records and artifacts, the clip ended after just a short while. Still, it briefly mentioned Ling Qianjun’s family—how they were all framed, exiled, and ultimately met tragic ends.

Ling Qianjun was initially stunned that such a little box could contain so many people and voices. As he became engrossed in the video, however, his face grew increasingly pale and his gaze turned icy.

His entire family had met horrific deaths! His mother, humiliated, had bitten off her tongue to end her own life. His younger brother’s limbs were shattered, leaving him to bleed to death. His younger sister was abducted by bandits and dragged off to their mountain stronghold... And he himself was thrown to a pack of jackals...

At that moment, it felt as though something was lodged in Ling Qianjun’s throat, leaving him gasping heavily for air. His heart felt as if it were being pierced by hundreds of needles at once, the pain absolutely agonizing.

Seeing Ling Qianjun’s ashen, defeated expression, Hua Buwan couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy. Anyone would go mad if they learned their entire family was doomed to such a miserable end. Yet, after thinking it over, she knew she still had to tell him.

After all, the system had opened this Any Door and bound Ling Qianjun as her guest to give them an opportunity for long-term cooperation and mutual benefit. Therefore, this was her opportunity—and his as well.

Hua Buwan reached out and took back her phone. Ling Qianjun’s gaze followed the device up to her face.

"I’m not showing you this to make you accept your fate," Hua Buwan said calmly. "I’m going to help you. This is the world a thousand years later, where supplies are abundant."

Before she could even elaborate, Ling Qianjun understood. His eyes sparkled like stars, the earlier despair vanishing into thin air as if the storm clouds had parted to reveal a rainbow.

Yes! If he could obtain supplies, everything that was fated to happen on the road to exile could be reversed! It was just that...

Ling Qianjun sighed. "I’m afraid this might be my last time here. Tomorrow morning, our exile group must set off for Lingnan."

Lingnan.

Hua Buwan felt a sudden jolt of realization. Wasn’t she in Lingnan right now? Perhaps fate really did have a hand in this.

"No, no, no, this is an Any Door," she explained, recalling the information she had received from the system. "As long as you think about going to relieve yourself during your exile, you’ll be able to see my door. No matter where you travel, you will always be able to find it."

"Really?" With a WHOOSH, Ling Qianjun shot to his feet, his overwhelming excitement completely unrestrained and undisguised.

Hua Buwan nodded solemnly. "Truer than true. You can rest assured."

For some unknown reason, Ling Qianjun believed Hua Buwan the moment she said it. Looking into her clear eyes, he felt certain she wouldn’t lie to him. He slowly sat back down, trying his best to calm his racing heart.

So she was a person from a thousand years in the future. Didn’t that make her his junior? But judging by her appearance, there wasn’t much of an age gap between them at all.

Ling Qianjun finally spoke up, asking, "I am Ling Qianjun, twenty-three years of age. May I ask for your esteemed name, miss?"

Hua Buwan smiled faintly and waved her hand. "No need for formalities. My surname is Hua, Hua Buwan. Twenty-two years old."

Ling Qianjun’s eyes lit up. She was one year younger than him. He bowed respectfully and offered a polite greeting. "Greetings, Miss Hua."

Hua Buwan froze for a moment.

"Don’t call me Miss Hua."