As the school bell rang, Xu Luoning stepped lightly out of the school gates. Sunlight bathed her slightly youthful face, reflecting a glimmer of anticipation. She wove through the bustling crowd and turned into an old-fashioned alley, a place she frequented often: the antique market.
The market was permeated with the dust of history and the fragrance of the ages. Xu Luoning navigated the familiar paths to a small shop with a wooden plaque hanging above that read "Feng Shui Consultations." In the display window, compasses and bronze swords lay stacked quietly, as if whispering ancient secrets. She remembered the old sorcerer from the Qintian Bureau in her past life who had taught her how to observe qi—a form of wisdom that transcended time and space. At this moment, she stared at the pale golden thread of destiny in her palm; it acted like a guiding string, leading her to stop before a broken gilded Buddha statue.
"Young lady, are you looking to commission a ritual instrument?" the shopkeeper asked, squinting through his reading glasses. He scrutinized her school uniform, seemingly trying to guess her intentions.
"Please, give me cinnabar and yellow paper," she said, pulling a few bills from her pocket and placing them gently under an inkstone. Her tone was polite yet firm. "And let me borrow your backyard."
Half a quarter of an hour later, a production assistant from a film crew rushed into the shop, sweat beading on his forehead from anxiety. "Is there an expert here who understands 'Ritual Vessels of the Great Yin Dynasty'? The bronze tripod we are using for filming is leaking electricity, and the director is about to lose his mind!"
Xu Luoning emerged from behind a screen, traces of cinnabar dust still clinging to her hair. Her eyes revealed an unquestionable sense of calm. "Lead the way."
In the film studio, a three-meter-tall bronze tripod stood in the center, sputtering and spitting sparks. Xu Luoning looked up at the exquisite taotie patterns on the belly of the vessel and suddenly said coldly, "Who told you to carve tomb-guardian patterns onto a ritual vessel for heaven worship? 'The Yin Rites: Vessel Regulations' clearly state that for heaven worship, the Son of Heaven must use cloud-and-thunder patterns paired with dragon-shaped handles. Instead, you've brought over burial goods meant for the Marquis of Xiling."
The prop master’s face flushed red as he stammered, "This is a replica from the Institute of Archaeology..."
"What you’ve replicated are funerary objects unearthed from a burial pit." She picked up a screwdriver discarded by an electrician and forcefully pried open a hidden compartment in one of the tripod’s legs. A ball of talisman paper wrapped in copper wire rolled onto the ground. "Someone stuffed a 'Yin-Summoning Talisman' in here while connecting the ground wire. This tripod is nothing more than a lightning rod now."
Director Lu Zhensheng grabbed the screenwriter, his voice filled with urgency. "Quick! Rewrite the lead actress’s part to be Jiang Wan, the legitimate daughter of the General's Estate in The Great Yin Dynasty—base it on this young lady’s temperament!" His words betrayed an urgent need, as if time were running out and there was no room for error. "It's so similar, truly so similar. You—go find the young lady and sign her for the role of the Divine Doctor of The Great Yin. Actually, never mind, I’ll go myself."
The director took the script for the lead role and walked toward Xu Luoning with a hint of expectation. His heart was filled with admiration for this young lady, convinced she was the perfect candidate for his ideal Divine Doctor of The Great Yin.
"Um... young lady, would you be interested in becoming an actress?"
Xu Luoning frowned as she looked at the man approaching her. It was the director of The Great Yin Dynasty project, and an inexplicable sense of familiarity welled up in her heart. She was curious about the proposal, yet also somewhat hesitant.
"It’s like this—our crew is currently casting for the lead actress and the third lead. I think you are a perfect fit for our lead..."
Before the director could finish his sentence, Xu Luoning interrupted him, a resolute light flickering in her eyes.
"I am willing to try." Her words were full of determination and courage, as if she were already prepared to embrace this new challenge.