During the Republic of China era, I achieved unparalleled success by returning to the past.

Back in 507, Song Beiyou was too lazy to think about it anymore. When the time came, he simply possessed Su Xiaowan and searched for the answer.

He lay in bed for a while, dozing off, then glanced at his watch: 9:44. The Book of Impermanence flew out automatically, turning to the third page. The page was like a mirror, rippling with waves that drew his consciousness into it.

……

The light shattered, cascading like a river of stars.

Song Beiyou felt a sudden dizziness, and when he opened his eyes again, he saw a beautiful face in the mirror with fluffy long curly hair and a tired expression.

Reaching out to touch his smooth, delicate face, Song Beiyou realized he was wearing a loose white bathrobe. Pulling open the collar and glancing down, Song Beiyou felt a sudden pang of pain in his teeth.

She got up and walked around for a while, slowly adjusting to the strange feeling of two balls hanging on her chest. She pulled out a women's watch from a pile of cosmetics on the dressing table; it read 9:12.

Just then, lines of blood-stained writing appeared on the mirror:

Current time: 24th day of the 11th lunar month.

[The victim: Su Xiaowan, a singer.]

[Six hours remaining after the ordeal.]

[The person who survives the calamity can wear a mask: 0/1]

[Collection of Masks: Qianyuan Eight Awakenings - First Awakening, Butcher Ding Carving an Ox - Master, White Ape Eight Arms - Master]

This calamity will last for six hours, or 12 hours. The sunlight is streaming through the gaps in the curtains, casting long strips of light. It is daytime now, and the calamity will occur around 9 PM.

As Song Beiyou analyzed the situation, he put on the inherited mask. The instant he put it on, a surge of heat coursed through his spine and spread throughout his body.

On the dressing table mirror, familiar words in blood appeared again: "[Calamities are karma, unavoidable, accumulating heavier with time, ultimately leading to impermanence. All karmic trials are judged by merit, and rewards are given accordingly.]"

The blood-red lettering dissipated, and Song Beiyou's eyes were like a deep pool. "I understand the rules; there's no need for further reminders."

The memories of Su Xiaowan in his mind were unsealed, like a flood bursting its banks, rushing into his divine will.

He raised his hands, his fingers slender and nail-painted; the calluses from his sword practice had long since been treated with a special solution. Song Beiyou found a hidden compartment beside the bed and retrieved a short sword, about a foot long. He drew it and glanced at it; its blade was a cold, dark blue.

He secured the knife to his waist, focused his mind, and stared at the coat rack four or five steps away. Suddenly, his momentum shifted, and he lunged forward, simultaneously drawing his knife with lightning speed in his right hand!

Suddenly, a glint of light appeared at his waist, as thin as a willow branch, slicing upwards. With a dull thud, the blade spun around his wrist and clattered back into its sheath.

*Thud!* The top of the coat rack holding the lady's hat slipped to the ground, the cut smooth. The Iaijutsu of the Ryūshin-ryū school emphasizes controlling the blade with gentleness, flowing smoothly like water, drawing and sheathing the sword in one fluid motion.

Song Beiyou combined footwork with his short blade, slashing and thrusting with lightning speed. He had already mastered the sword technique after demonstrating it once.

He put down the dagger, then took out a small silver pistol from a hidden compartment, skillfully removed the magazine, and pulled back the slide to check the chamber.

Click! The slide returned to its original position, the magazine was re-inserted and locked in place, the thumb flicked the safety, the muzzle dipped slightly, and the gun was aimed at the doorway. The entire sequence of movements was swift and clean.

Then he switched masks and performed a set of White Ape Eight Arms. After all that, his robe was soaked with sweat and clung to his body, revealing his curves.

"Young lady, I had no choice but to do this to save your life. However, your identity is not simple either," Song Beiyou muttered, taking off his bathrobe, opening the dazzling wardrobe, and quickly changing his clothes.

Before long, he was dressed in a light-colored brocade cheongsam, with a dark-colored, fitted cashmere overcoat, leather shoes, and a clean, unadorned face, looking incredibly charming.

The girl in the mirror had a hint of sadness in her eyes, a sadness that should have been Su Xiaowan's true nature. She couldn't help but sigh.

"I never imagined your background was so complicated. You've also had a tragic life."

"Jiangzuo girl, that year, foreign iron ships bombarded the harbor, and in the chaos of war, you were separated from your family. After many twists and turns, you were adopted by your current godmother. This godmother used extremely harsh methods to force you to learn various skills, and even sent you to Japan to learn swordsmanship."

"Lightness skill, stealth and disguise, marksmanship... Even now, you are still firmly controlled by this old woman, but you don't even know what kind of power she has behind her, you only know that she is a palace maid from the previous dynasty."

"You want to escape your cage, you want to find your family, you want freedom..."

Huh! "Sister Su."

The sound interrupted his thoughts, and Song Beiyou turned his head to ask, "What's wrong?"

"Young Master Jay is here again, and he brought a huge bouquet of roses."

Song Beiyou raised an eyebrow, opened the door, and said calmly, "Leave the flowers, send the people away."

The girl with braided pigtails outside the door looked up, smiled, and said, "I understand."

A short while later, Juan came in carrying a large bouquet of roses and placed it on the table. "Sister, I'll go prepare breakfast first. We're leaving at ten o'clock."

Song Beiyou nodded: "Get me more."

"Huh? Oh." Juan blinked, nodded, and left.

Song Beiyou closed the door tightly again, untied the ribbon from the bouquet, and spread the roses one by one on the table. He ran his fingers over each rose stem. When he reached the thirteenth stem, he sensed something amiss. He twisted it in the opposite direction, pulled a small roll of paper from the empty stem, and unfolded it to see—

"Afternoon, Dafugui Hotel."

The words "Great Wealth and Prosperity" caught his eye. Song Beiyou's expression changed slightly. He took out an exquisite Lanzi lipstick lighter and burned the note to ashes.

A moment later, Juan brought over breakfast. Song Beiyou pulled out a chair, sat down with an air of nonchalance, and began to wolf down his food without any regard for appearances.

Juan stared in disbelief. What's wrong with Sister Su today? She's been acting strangely ever since she opened the door!

Song Beiyou swallowed a milk bun in one gulp and mumbled, "What are you standing there for? Have you eaten?"

Ah Juan nodded like a wooden statue.

"Then go pack your things and get ready. We'll move out this afternoon."

Ah Juan's expression turned serious, and she nodded before leaving. She was an assistant sent by her godmother. Song Beiyou's mind raced. He remembered reading a report about Su Xiaowan and her best friend dying together… Could it be her?

While A-Juan went to prepare, Song Beiyou had already put on his gear: a pistol tucked into his right thigh and a short knife strapped to his left. The only drawback was that he had to lift the hem of his cheongsam when he was about to attack.

He very ungracefully lifted his skirt and drew his sword, tried it several times, adjusted the position, thought for a moment, and then added a short sword, becoming a dual-wielder, before finally leaving satisfied.

Ah-Juan was waiting outside with her performance bag. When she saw her come out, she reminded her, "Sister, why don't you put on some light makeup? What popular singer goes on stage without makeup?"

Song Beiyou thought for a moment, then decided to stick to the usual practice and not let anyone notice anything unusual. His face was handsome, but what face is perfect? ​​There was a small scar, slightly larger than a sesame seed, at the corner of his eye, and two raised pimples on his chin.

After their makeup was done, the two walked out of the suite that Columbia Nightclub had prepared for her.

"Sister Su." "Hello, Sister Su." Other singers along the way greeted him. Song Beiyou nodded slightly in response and glanced at his wrist: 10:02.

A Ford was already parked in the backyard, its body black with silver door handles. The driver was standing by the door waiting, and seeing her and A-Juan approach, he quickly opened the door: "Ms. Su."

Song Beiyou nodded slightly and bent down to sit in the back seat. A-Juan then sat in the front passenger seat and instructed, "Go to the Fugui Hotel on Donghua Road. Someone has invited a young lady to sing there; they've spoken to the boss."