Gu Xingyu never imagined that her life as a psychology major would be irrevocably altered by a single pocket watch.
It was a mundane Friday. Having just finished a grueling lecture on "Personality Psychology," she was trekking back to her dorm, laptop cradled in her arms, when she stumbled upon an old man at the flea market near the campus back gate. He had a flowing white beard and tattered clothes, sitting behind a rickety wooden table that held only one item—an antique bronze pocket watch.
Five totems were etched onto its cover, each symbolizing a different elemental attribute. Intricate patterns swirled around the edges, surrounding a nearly invisible circular mechanism at its center.
"...It's beautiful. How much?" she asked, mostly out of polite curiosity.
The old man offered a cryptic smile. His voice was like dry parchment: "When one's destiny is entwined with the Yao, the watch shall choose its master."
Before she could process his words, the watch snapped open. The hands spun in a violent blur, and the five icons erupted in a blinding radiance. Xingyu gasped as the world began to tilt, twist, and dissolve into a kaleidoscope of colors.
When she finally opened her eyes, she was lying on grass that felt strangely coarse.
The sky above was a shade of cerulean she had never seen, and the air hummed with a static-like energy. In the distance, rolling hills met the silhouette of a desolate, ancient castle. It was alien, yet undeniably real. She was still wearing her jeans and hoodie, but the pocket watch was now glowing against her palm as if it were an extension of her own skin.
She sat up, chest heaving. Her psychological training kicked in: This isn't a dream. This isn't a hallucination. Was this the "Transmigration" trend she had read so much about?
Suddenly, a holographic projection shimmered above the watch face:
[Seeker Initiative Activated: The Five Yao are scattered; the realms shall burn in chaos. Locate the Bearers of Yao; assemble the Power of the Seal.]
[Warning: Should the Seeker deviate from the path, the Seal shall consume the host.]
Five streaks of light rose from the watch, splitting and streaking toward different horizons like silent prophecies. Xingyu clutched her chest—her heart was racing.
"Where... where am I? Ancient times? An alternate dimension? A cultivation world?" she muttered, then yelled at the empty sky, "Fine! Whatever realm this is, someone just tell me how to get back!"
"Hey, you! Move! Out of the way!" a voice barked, cutting through her frustration.
Xingyu spun around to see a young man barreling toward her. He wore a heavy rucksack and a flight helmet, standing atop a floating metallic board that looked like a high-tech skateboard.
Before she could react, he slammed into her, sending them both sprawling.
"Ugh... I told you to move! Why didn't you budge?"
The man didn't offer a hand or an apology. Instead, he scrambled to inspect his floating board. Xingyu, sitting in the dirt, stared at him in disbelief. "Are you serious? You just ran me over! Where are your manners?"
Suddenly, the watch in her hand vibrated violently. No way... already? she thought.
The man finally seemed to realize his mistake. He rushed over to help her up. "My apologies, lady. I was just terrified that my latest invention got trashed."
Xingyu gave a cynical laugh. So a piece of metal is more important than a human being? Great.
"Are you alright? Anything broken?" he asked, scanning her for injuries.
"I'm fine," she said, brushing herself off. But as she took a step, a sharp pain shot through her left ankle. She hissed, causing the man to crouch down immediately.
"Looks like a sprain. Don't worry, I'll take you to a Yao-Doctor." He slung her arm over his shoulder to support her. "Can you walk? If not, I can carry you on my back."
"I can walk!" Xingyu snapped. She hadn't been carried by anyone since she was a toddler, and she certainly wasn't about to start with a rude stranger.
They limped toward a nearby town. As they entered, the sheer "otherworldliness" of the place hit her. Children played with floating "Bubble-Stones" that refracted the sunlight into rainbows. Vendors sold self-heating dumplings, and someone was leading a four-legged creature with a bird's beak through the crowd.
"Where exactly are we?" she asked, her eyes darting between the strange contraptions.
"Fire-Canal Town. It's the Inventors' District of the Yao Realm. You're lucky you ran into me."
"Excuse me, you ran into me."
"Is there a difference?" he chuckled. "The name's Lin Lie. And you?"
"Gu Xingyu."
Suddenly, a golden light pulsed from her watch. She glanced down. The icon representing 'Gold Yao' was glowing softly, as if confirming her suspicion.
The Bearer of Gold... has appeared.
At the town's "Yao-Clinic," a young doctor in a messy white robe tended to her ankle while his tongue wagged incessantly.
"Tsk tsk, you shouldn't move a sprain like this. Lin Lie hit you, didn't he? Nine out of ten of his inventions explode, and he never admits fault... Ah, does that hurt? Good, pain is normal—your Qi is weak, your meridians are blocked..."
This guy talks more than my grandmother, Xingyu thought, gritting her teeth against the pain. She didn't mention her watch or the fact that she was a transmigrator. She didn't know if they were friends or foes.
Even though the watch was now glowing a vibrant green—the symbol of 'Wood Yao'—was this chattering doctor the one?
"Don't go wandering off," the doctor concluded, handing her some bandages. "If you need anything, find the idiot next door—he's responsible for your leg now. And hey, kid! Take care of her! Don't go sending the neighbor's cat to test wind speeds again!"
Lin Lie leaned against the doorframe, rolling his eyes. "You don't have a place to stay, do you? You can stay at my workshop for now."
"Your place?" Xingyu frowned.
"It's a workshop. Quiet. No one else there."
"You'd let a stranger stay at your place just like that? Aren't you afraid I'm a criminal?"
Lin Lie glanced at her, his gaze as cold and steady as ice. "If you were a criminal, I would have left you in the dirt to fend for yourself."
"...What kind of logic is that?"
Despite her protests, she followed him. He was her only lead. She stole a look at her watch; the Gold Yao icon throbbed faintly as Lin Lie drew closer. It wasn't just a glow; it felt like a heartbeat.
That Night, Lin Lie's Workshop
The space was a chaotic blend of an armory and a mad scientist's lab. Blueprints covered the walls, and metallic modules transformed and rotated on the tables.
"Is this how you make a living? Building these... things?" she asked.
"Something like that," he replied curtly.
Xingyu nodded. She was certain now: he wasn't ordinary. He was likely the first "Yao Person" she needed to find. But she remained silent. She needed to know if he was trustworthy. In this world, a wrong alliance could mean a quick "Game Over."
"So, you're my first..." she whispered to herself.
Lin Lie didn't hear her. He was hunched over a metallic gauntlet, unaware that the girl behind him was already using her psychology background to dissect his every motive.
Eventually, the sound of soft breathing caught his attention. He turned to find Xingyu asleep in her chair. He approached her quietly, observing her for the first time without the heat of an argument.
She wasn't the type to take your breath away at first glance, but she had a clean, gentle aura. Her almond-shaped eyes, now closed, held a depth that suggested she could see through any lie.
"Funny girl," Lin Lie muttered. "Asking if I'm afraid she's a criminal... then falling asleep like a baby."
He picked up a blanket and draped it gently over her shoulders. "Aren't you afraid I'm the bad guy who'll eat you alive?"
He shook his head with a faint smirk and returned to his workbench, the gears of fate turning silently in the night.