Chapter 1: Born to Die Young

To transmigrate into a cultivation world, gain the ability to cultivate for immortality, shed the mortal body of flesh, and possess an immortal’s bones unbothered by heat or cold that should have been a wonderful thing.

But if one happened to transmigrate into a sickly child born with congenital weakness, that wonderful thing would be somewhat diminished.

Still, all things considered, to live a second life at all was something one hardly dared hope for. About this, Su Yanwei was deeply grateful and had little complaint.

Although there were times when the pain and illness became so unbearable that she regretted not being born a healthy child, most of the time she felt content. After all, life could never be perfect; one couldn’t expect to have everything good all at once.

In this life, Su Yanwei was born into the Su family of Yingchuan, a renowned sword immortal clan in the cultivation world. Their ancestors had produced a sword immortal who ascended successfully, and after ascending, left behind the profound Xuan Ying Sword Technique for his descendants. With it, the Su family rose to become a first-rate sword sect in the cultivation world.

Through generations of effort and accumulation over a thousand years, the Yingchuan Su family became known as a prestigious sword immortal clan, filled entirely with sword cultivators.

Su Yanwei was the only daughter of the current family head, Su Jingting. Her mother, Ye Qingmeng, was a Nascent Soul Dao Lord from the Taibai Sect. Her parents were both among the most renowned cultivators of their generation.

In her youth, her mother was even known as the Fairy Qingmeng, so beautiful that she seemed less like someone of this world and more like an immortal descended from the heavens, the goddess in the dreams of countless male cultivators.

Naturally, a father who could win the love of such a celestial beauty was no ordinary man either, handsome and heroic, strikingly elegant, the very picture of charm and vigor.

As their daughter, Su Yanwei inherited the best of both her parents’ features. She was delicate and exquisitely beautiful, radiant like carved jade. It was said that when she was first born, she was so adorable and lovely that even her usually stern and unsmiling grandfather couldn’t help but show a gentle smile when he saw her in swaddling clothes.

About this, Su Yanwei herself had her doubts weren’t newborn babies usually described as quite ugly, wrinkled like little monkeys? Her grandfather must have smiled simply because of the special fondness elders often had for their grandchildren. From the start, her grandfather had always been especially fond of her.

In this life, Su Yanwei was truly born into an excellent family: a distinguished background, loving parents, doting elders, and blessed genetics.

The only flaw, just a tiny one, was that during her mother’s pregnancy, Ye Qingmeng was ambushed and poisoned, resulting in an early birth.

Born with congenital weakness and lingering poison from the womb, Su Yanwei had been a pale, frail, and sickly child since birth, as if a gust of wind could topple her.

For this, her mother blamed herself deeply, believing it entirely her fault.

Her father comforted her mother, saying, “It’s my fault for not protecting you both well. If there’s blame, it should be on me.”

Taking half the burden onto himself.

Ye Qingmeng leaned into his embrace and said, “Jingting, it’s because of our mistakes that Wei’er must suffer all this. From now on, let’s have no more children, let’s love only her, all right?”

Su Jingting answered without hesitation, “Having Wei’er alone is enough.”

When Su Yanwei was very young, her mother would often gently stroke her hair and tell her, “Wei’er, you are our only treasure. Father and mother love you.”

At first, Su Yanwei didn’t understand what that meant, but later she realized just how much her parents had done to uphold those words.

In her memory, her father was always coming and going in haste, gone from home for most of the year. Her mother would explain, “Your father loves you. He’s busy traveling everywhere to search for rare spiritual treasures that can heal you.”

Ever since Su Yanwei’s birth, Su Jingting had poured most of his time and energy into seeking out rare spiritual herbs and treasures to nourish and heal her congenital frailty. He ventured into secret realms and dangerous lands across the cultivation world.

From childhood, Su Yanwei constantly drank medicinal decoctions, and all sorts of precious and priceless spiritual treasures were consumed to nourish her small body. Yet her health was like a bottomless pit.

All they could do was barely keep the gap from widening any further.

“If I’d been born into an ordinary family, I’d probably be dead already, right?”

Sometimes, when Ye Qingmeng wept quietly in guilt over her daughter’s condition, the little Su Yanwei would act as sensible as an adult and comfort her, saying:

“Without Mother and Father, I surely wouldn’t have lived until now. So Mother, don’t be sad anymore. Wei’er is fine and very happy every day.”

At times like this, Ye Qingmeng would hug her tightly, holding her close with all her strength,
as if afraid someone might take her away.

Thanks to the tireless care and devotion of Ye Qingmeng and Su Jingting, Su Yanwei grew up happily. Although she remained pale and delicate, she was a lively and energetic child. Yet because of her congenital weakness, she looked several years younger than her peers.

At ten years old, Su Yanwei looked only about eight or nine, exquisitely beautiful and lovely as carved jade. Her black eyes were like glistening grapes, her snow-white skin smooth as jade itself, and her spirit seemed to radiate a gentle aura.

When still, she looked exactly like a priceless porcelain doll; when she moved, she revealed her lively spirit and vitality a bright, cheerful child whom everyone liked.

---

One day.

After finishing her morning sword practice, Su Yanwei sheathed her sword and turned to head for Ye Qingmeng’s courtyard, planning to share breakfast with her mother.

Just as she reached the courtyard gate, she nearly ran straight into Elder Mingfeng, who was leaving. Elder Mingfeng’s expression did not look pleasant. Upon seeing Su Yanwei, he called out,

“Young Miss.”

“Elder Mingfeng,” Su Yanwei greeted politely, then asked curiously,
“Did you come to see my mother? Is something wrong?”

Elder Mingfeng’s expression remained sour, but his tone toward her was still polite:

“Nothing serious, Young Miss. No need to concern yourself.”

Seeing that he wasn’t willing to say more, Su Yanwei didn’t ask further.

After Elder Mingfeng walked away, Su Yanwei pursed her lips. Even if he didn’t say it, she already knew why he’d come. What else could it be except urging her mother to have another child?

Ever since she turned ten, the Su family elders had often whispered to her mother and father:

“The eldest child is no good; hurry and try again for a younger one! Our Su family has a legacy to pass on, after all!”

In the elders’ eyes, Su Yanwei born with congenital weakness and constantly sick was a “ruined main account,” good for nothing. The Su family’s ancestral Xuan Ying Sword Technique could only be fully comprehended by direct blood descendants, enabling them to reach the pinnacle of sword cultivation and become true immortals. Among the next generation of direct descendants, there was only Su Yanwei. But seeing that she was frail and seemingly useless, the elders had grown anxious.

When Su Yanwei was younger, constantly sick and bedridden with a face that seemed destined for an early grave, Su Jingting and Ye Qingmeng had poured all their hearts into their only daughter. At that time, the elders dared not speak up, fearing to anger these deeply devoted parents.

Now that Su Yanwei was ten years old and her health had visibly improved still pale and weak, but no longer deathly ill like before and as she had safely grown up, Ye Qingmeng and Su Jingting’s moods had also lightened in recent years.

Seeing this, the elders’ thoughts became active again, and they began urging the couple to have another child.

“Cultivation is arduous, especially the sword path. The Young Miss was born frail and pampered; she can’t endure such hardship. Madam, why not have a younger son who can practice the Su family’s sword arts, sparing the Young Miss from suffering?”

“If the Young Miss has a younger brother, she’ll have someone to rely on in the future.”

“The Young Miss has been so doted upon all her life; wouldn’t it be good to have brothers who can look after her too?”

Ye Qingmeng flew into a rage when she heard this:

“And what do you mean by that? My Wei’er may be frail in body, but her spirit is anything but weak! The children of the Su family begin sword training at five; since Wei’er turned five, she has trained every day without missing a single one, rain or shine. She has excellent talent in sword cultivation and extraordinary perception, truly worthy of being called a genius!”

“She’s only ten years old, yet she’s already made impressive progress in the sword arts stronger, even, than her father at the same age. And you’d dismiss all her effort and persistence with just a few careless words?”

The elders, seeing Ye Qingmeng’s anger, quickly replied:

“That’s not what we meant! It’s just… the Young Miss’s body really isn’t strong. Though she looks better now, who can say what might happen in the future?”

“It’s better to be prepared.”

“Prepared, you say? So you’re cursing my Wei’er!” Ye Qingmeng slammed the table in fury:
“Then let me say this plainly today: in this life, I will have only Wei’er, and no other children!”

“There will never be a second one.”

“You don’t need to say anything more!”

Seeing that she was truly angered, the Su family elders dared not continue. They could only retreat awkwardly, deciding to try again another day.

---

Later on, Ye Qingmeng told Su Yanwei,

“The clan elders are old and stubborn. You don’t have to listen to them. Mother promises you this: no one will ever threaten you. What belongs to you will always be yours, no one will ever take it away from you!”

Su Yanwei tilted her little face up to look at her, her expression serious.

“Mother, if you really do want to have a little brother or sister, it’s okay with me. I don’t mind at all.”

“Look at you, so generous.” Ye Qingmeng reached out and tapped her little nose, smiling.
“Having just you is already enough for me to worry about.”

Truth be told, when Ye Qingmeng said that, Su Yanwei felt truly happy inside.

“Mother, you’re the best!” Su Yanwei threw her arms around her and snuggled into her embrace, her voice soft and sweet:
“I love you, Mother.”

Ye Qingmeng kissed her on the forehead.

“Mother loves you too.”

Yet the Su family elders still didn’t give up on the idea of Ye Qingmeng having another child. Every so often, they would come again, gently persuading her, urging her to give birth to another, hoping for a younger heir. Sometimes, when Ye Qingmeng grew annoyed, she would simply drive them away.

“It’s only because these past two years I’ve been cultivating blessings for Wei’er that I’ve had a better temper,” she privately complained to Su Jingting.
“If this were before, do you think they’d dare speak so boldly in front of me?”

Su Jingting rubbed his nose with a helpless smile. The Su family elders had watched him grow up; there were things Ye Qingmeng could say that he could not.

“Be firm with them. Refuse directly. After a while, they’ll give up,” Su Jingting advised.

“Let’s hope so,” Ye Qingmeng sighed.

They didn’t hide these conversations from Su Yanwei. Sitting to the side, she played with her puzzle rings while listening, and silently thought to herself:

Maybe the reason the elders didn’t urge them to have another child in the earlier years wasn’t just because Mother’s temper was bad…

More likely, it was because they didn’t think I’d live long enough.

So they chose not to be the villains back then.

But who could have guessed that she would turn out to be so stubbornly lucky and survive?

No one could have expected that Ye Qingmeng and Su Jingting would pour so much time, effort, and love into a sickly daughter who looked destined to die young risking everything, traveling across the world, entering dangerous secret realms to find rare treasures that might strengthen her body.

Day after day, year after year.

Only then did the world have the Su Yanwei of today.

She had been born lacking, but her loving parents had worked tirelessly to fill the emptiness within her with all the warmth and devotion they could muster, shielding her from the winds and rains of the world.

It was precisely this selfless love that forced a child who should have died young to stay in this world.

To be their child in this life… it truly is wonderful.

Thinking this, Su Yanwei tossed aside the unpleasant encounter she’d had with Elder Mingfeng earlier, and skipped happily into the courtyard.

“Mother!”