Chapter Text
(Universe 2)
Jin Guangyao’s day gone horribly wrong from the moment he wakes up.
No. That sounds horrible. Let’s start again.
Jin Guangyao went to sleep at late night after making the final preparation plan for upcoming Hunt at Phoenix Mountain and the Banquet thereafter, never mind that it should be his father’s duty or at least Jin Zixuan; but he does it nonetheless, from counting all the Spirits and Yao that were imported all over Jianghu, to what kind of incense used for the Banquet. After all, since he was tasked to do it, it means they trusted him, right? It means they found him reliable and can be depended upon. It means he has some worth in the clan because this is a delicate matter only the Sect Leader or Sect Heir should take.
Maybe if the hunt was success they would really, really, really recognize him as member of the Jin Clan.
And wouldn’t that be nice?
When he wakes up, he’s preparing himself for a day of a hard work, preparing to steeling his heart and nerve for when some people like Jin Zixun look down at him (and most likely spat at him when he was not looking), for Madam Jin’s look of disgust and barely concealed hatred as she thinks he would try to usurp Jin Zixuan’s place as heir (…she’s not exactly wrong though).
Prepared to hear his father demanding things at him while he was doing other tasks, the chief of the demands was how to persuade Wei Wuxian into surrendering his Stygian Tiger Amulet or at least allowing several Jin Disciple learn Demonic Cultivation.
(It’s not like Jin Guangyao didn’t understand. The Amulet was a very powerful and highly dangerous weapon who grant its wielder enormous power. One has to be always on the lookout)
Prepared to meet Er-Ge and Da-Ge. Maybe this time he can make Da-Ge stop scowling at him for longer than an incense stick, or not calling him “Snake” for entire day. If lucky he won’t use this heavy I-don’t-trust-you-but-I’ll-play-along-for-Xichen’s-sake harsh tone he had adopted ever since the Final Battle at Nightless City.
(He tried! Jin Guangyao tried to find a way to saved Nie Mingjue’s life back then! It was not his fault he had to kill the other Nie Disciples! If he didn’t, Wen Ruohan won’t believe him! That man suspects him still has lingering attachment to Nie Mingjue—and he does! He was and still is respects Nie Mingjue! Hell, more than respect! That’s why he had to sacrificed those men so Nie Mingjue can live!)
With a sigh, Jin Guangyao gets up from the soft bed with his eyes still closed—
Wait.
Soft bed?
His eyes snapped open and his jaw quickly become unhinged.
This… this was not his room!
His room was smaller than this one! It has vanity cabinet and a secret mirror room where he stored his most precious treasure. It has shelves filled with books and paper depicting his journals and plans. It has a closet where he stored his clothes.
This room is bigger. Or maybe it was the same size but the way the furniture placed give impression it was bigger. The walls are not made from wood. It was… from brick? Or brick covered in something and then painted over with creamy color that was not quite white but still nice enough to see. The furniture is strange by design. There’s a small table with two drawers placed right next to bed. A small square-shaped device no bigger than his palm was placed there, connected to the wall with white cable. The wardrobe has strange but elegant design with glistening luster on its body that made Jin Guangyao afraid to touch it in fear of dirtying it. The floor was not made of stone nor wood but solid and very nice to steps on. There’s a carpet that feel oh so nice to touch, like well treated animal skin. And the bed, ye gawd. It was so soft. Sinfully soft. And bouncy. Jin Guangyao could stay there for hours. Don’t get him started with how heavenly the Pillows and the blanket felt.
The light dimmed and he looked up. There’s a strange circle around something on the weird flat roof. Is that… lamp? A lamp that would turn off by itself when the sun is high enough? What an advanced system!
That reminds him.
Where is he?
How did he get here?
Who brought him here?
Getting off from the bed (he mourned the softness) and walk around. There’s a giant strangely square-shaped hole on the wall with rails on it and when he went there, his palm meets with smooth, hard, invisible surface akin to porcelain but not.
“What—”
His confusion on the strange invisible wall was beaten by more dire situation.
One, the thing faintly reflected his reflection, and it shows that he was wearing strange garb. A simple, thin, strange one-layer white top with white buttons on the center, and matching pants. Something he definitely did NOT wear when he goes to the bed.
Two, the invisible wall shows him the scenery beyond the wall. A very, very, very strange scenery.
Strange building towering up to the sky with smaller, just as strangely shaped buildings, placed between them. Big, broad, black road swirling around like river and strangely shaped horseless carriage racing back and forth in such a speed only flying sword could match.
Gulping, Jin Guangyao took a step back, and another, and another. Goosebumps running down his spine like flood.
He was… he was not in Lanling. That, he is certain. He’s not even sure he’s in Jianghu anymore.
Where is he…?
.
(Universe 1)
It’s official. Meng Yao’s day had gone to hell in a handbasket.
Working as an actor can be tiresome. He had just finished a long shooting procedure for the latest film, with the setting locations is scattered all over China for “natural background setting location” or something like that. And that’s not even counting the fact some of those shooting location was infested with ghost or yao or worse, a high-level Demon. Ye gads, the last one, he had to call for help and his makeup artist have to make sure the scar won’t be seen. At least until it’s healed.
So yes, Meng Yao is one tired Actor and Cultivator and all he wanted was to sleep and wake up to a lazy day where he can be couch potato all he likes. No job, no film shooting, no reviewing script, no hang out. Just watching tv and generally being lazy ass.
He deserves some good rest, okay?!
But nooooo! The universe is conspire against him.
Because when he wakes up, he was no longer in his bed.
No~pe. He was in strange room. A traditional room straight out of old dynasties. He knows. He had been starred in several Wuxia and Xianxia movies. Except this one is more… authentic? Yeah. Authentic. Kinda full, but he used to live in dorm so this was nothing.
He did not approve some choice of decoration, though. Too much golden color it come across as gaudy. Also, what with all those peony motives? The golden peony embroidery and carvings were too much and it only made the room seem fuller than it actually was.
The question was, where is he? Did he hallucinate and never actually leaving the film setting? Nah. His last film is James Bond-esque spy theme. If it suddenly switched to Xianxia/Wuxia midway, he will scream and tore the entire crew a new one for agreeing to such outlandish idiot, stupid, brainless ideas.
Also, he didn’t see any mics or camera, so no. Not film setting.
Did he got kidnapped?
Grumbling, Meng Yao get up and then frowned.
Did he… did he wearing period accurate clothes?! Who the fuck undressed him?!
The door swung open and Meng Yao was startled enough he almost summon his sword. A young lady enters the room. Who—
“Lianfang-zun, Sect Leader would like to meet you after the breakfast.”
“…en.”
There was an awkward tension in the room as the girl—a maid? Her clothes should denote her as a maid, maybe—stares at him weirdly. As if she was waiting for something. Uh,
“Thank you for informing me.” Meng Yao flashed his kindest smile while closing his eyes. “You’re dismissed.”
There’s rustle of clothes and when he opens his eyes, the girl was gone.
Meng Yao waited for a moment before poking his head out from the room. A busy hall with people—servants—went back and forth doing their task. He returns back to his room before anyone could saw him. Noticing the window, he walks there and look outside.
A city bustling with life. But not modern City he knows. No.
This was not Shanghai.
In fact, this was not modern China anymore.
Not with old style building that looks brand new, all people who wore Hanfu, the horse and donkey and ox drawn carriage. The lacks of city light and electricity and air pollution.
It was not that hard to draw the conclusion. Not when this trope is VERY popular in Fiction.
“Great, I’m Transmigrated.” He grumbles. “Or body swapped. Where’s Wei Wuxian when you need him?”