Chapter 1

　　Evelyn Harris realized that something was very wrong with her current situation.

　　She was in a quaint, ancient-looking room filled with an immortal aura, dressed in a blue skirt, sitting on a meditation cushion, her hands forming a lotus seal, as if she were cultivating.

　　...But didn’t she just work overtime last night until midnight revising design drafts, then go home and fall asleep on her bed without even showering? And these hands were way too fair and delicate, not at all like hers. As she was studying the slender jade hand resting on her knee, a sudden knock sounded at the door.

　　"Knock knock knock"

　　Evelyn Harris's heart skipped a beat. She hesitated, took three deep breaths to prepare herself mentally, and opened the door.

　　Standing outside was a man who looked to be in his thirties, dressed in a gray-green Daoist robe, refined and otherworldly, smiling at her. "Junior Sister Foster, Master is calling you to the Bamboo Melody Secluded Garden."

　　Evelyn Harris: Junior Sister Foster? Master? Bamboo Melody Secluded Garden? What is all this? If this is transmigration, why don’t I have any inherited memories, why isn’t there a newbie guide? Ah! I’m doomed!

　　"Um... Senior Brother?" Evelyn Harris probed.

　　The man was very amiable and said, "Are you nervous, Junior Sister? It’s alright, Master just wants to give you a few reminders. Go on." After he finished, he made to leave, but Evelyn Harris quickly called out to him again.

　　The man looked puzzled. Evelyn Harris braced herself and asked, "Senior Brother, could you take me there?" She didn’t even have a map—how was she supposed to find the place on her own?!

　　Surprisingly, the man didn’t suspect anything and very agreeably led her there.

　　"Junior Sister Foster, you don’t need to worry too much. Our Qinggu Heaven isn’t like other places; we don’t care about those things."

　　Evelyn Harris followed behind, pretending to listen and occasionally nodding as if enlightened, but her mind was full of questions. What the heck is all this? She couldn’t understand a single word!

　　Along the way, there were other disciples in blue robes. When they saw them, they would often smile and nod. Occasionally, someone would greet them, calling out to Junior Sister Foster and Senior Brother Clark. There were also some shorter children in simpler robes, who called her Senior Sister Foster. As Evelyn Harris walked along, observing all these unfamiliar people and the flowers and plants, her mind quickly latched onto a few keywords—soul transmigration, cultivation, major sect.

　　I’m doomed, I’m doomed. Her major was painting, not acting! What was she supposed to do now? What if she got exposed—would something terrible happen to her?

　　She didn’t have long to think. Senior Brother Clark led her to the edge of a bamboo sea, gestured for her to go in by herself, then gracefully swished his robe and left.

　　Evelyn Harris had no choice but to brace herself and continue forward, entering a small path through the bamboo sea. Every so often, there was a bamboo archway like a paifang. After passing through nine of them in a row, she finally saw a small bamboo hall inside.

　　No plaque hung above the door. Wait, how could there be no plaque? Was this really the Bamboo Melody Secluded Garden? She lingered outside for a while, when someone inside said, "Evelyn Clark, my disciple, why do you not come in?"

　　Oh, so this was the place. And now she could draw a conclusion: this body’s surname was Liao, given name Tingyan. Evelyn Harris walked in and saw a young man in his twenties turn around, looking at her with a kind and loving expression.

　　Evelyn Harris: "...Master." So young? Seriously?

　　The young man said, "You’ve been under my tutelage for three months now. Why are you still so reserved? Didn’t I tell you before, you are like my own daughter—just treat me as your father, there’s no need to be so formal."

　　Evelyn Harris: "..." Are you serious? You look younger than me, and you want me to treat you as my father?

　　The more you say, the more mistakes you make. Evelyn Harris resorted to her tried-and-true trick for dealing with relatives during New Year’s—smile. As long as it wasn’t a question she had to answer, a shy smile would do.

　　Sure enough, the young master didn’t find anything amiss. He invited her to sit and have tea, then, in the tone of a homeroom teacher counseling a student, said, "The reason I called you here today is mainly because of the selection in three days. Don’t worry, just go with the flow. You joined late, your cultivation is low, and your seniority is the lowest. All eight palaces will be selecting outstanding disciples to go, but our Qinggu Heaven is just making up the numbers."

　　Evelyn Harris felt dazed, as if a homeroom teacher was comforting her about poor exam results. She listened in a fog, and finally, the young master said, "In three days, I’ll see you off. Be prepared."

　　Evelyn Harris subconsciously glanced at his head, thinking there should be a scroll or an exclamation mark there. This master really seemed like an NPC giving out quests.

　　When she followed her memory back to the room where she first woke up, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. She scratched her head in frustration. No, pretending to be someone else was way too stressful. She really wanted to die and go back!