Xiao shook his head. Since childhood, he had this bad habit of overthinking and considering many possibilities in every situation. While most of the time it had proven beneficial, as it allowed him to see things from different points of view, Xiao knew that no matter how advantageous this habit was, it did not change the fact that it was a very bad one. Sometimes he simply could not control his mind and would overthink or become paranoid about even the smallest things.
'Empress Hong and my girlfriend Xi Hong. Both of them have the same name. While this is simply normal, as there can be many coincidences in this world and Hong is a common name, but...'
He squinted his eyes.
'...the way the Red Dao Pavilion operates is eerily similar to the banks of Earth. Not to mention that before the Red Dao Pavilion, there was no chamber of commerce in this world that worked in the same way.
It is as though someone who was well versed in how banks worked laid out the foundation for the Pavilion. And that's not all. From what I know, before the Pavilion existed, there wasn't a single chamber of commerce that operated like it does. The way the Pavilion functions is eerily similar to how my girlfriend managed her banks and companies.'
Before transmigrating, around a year earlier, his girlfriend had suddenly gone missing.
At that time, Xiao had been outraged, angry, and confused. He used every connection he had and all of his influence to find her. But even after a year, he failed to discover any news about her.
Let alone news, he did not even find a single clue regarding her. The same was true for her family. They used all of their power, influence, and wealth. They sought help from the government, involved the CIA and military intelligence, and even hired some of the world's most reputable private detectives to find her.
But every lead ended with the same conclusion. They couldn't find a single clue about Hong. It was as though she had simply vanished into thin air. And even on the night when he was transmigrated...
He had been working on the case of his missing girlfriend.
'But Empress Hong proved the Dao many eras ago. So even if she is the Empress Hong, the timelines don't add up. Besides, I don't even know what Empress Hong looks like.'
Then Xiao shook his head.
He had never seen a portrait of Empress Hong.
Even though Empress Hong was the founder of the Red Dao Pavilion, a Supreme Emperor, and one of the most powerful and influential figures in the history of the Nine Emperor World, for some unknown reason, unlike the other Emperors, she did not allow the world to keep any portraits or paintings of her.
All she left behind were descriptions of the clothes she wore, along with her achievements and contributions to the world.
Because of this, even though Xiao wanted to confirm the truth, there was simply no way to do so right now.
For a moment, he wondered if Empress Hong was actually his missing girlfriend.
There was a possibility that she had experienced transmigration just like him and, more importantly, had also been affected by time dilation, which might explain why nobody had been able to find her.
Xiao did not rule out the possibility that time dilation could exist. If transmigration existed and he himself was living proof of it Then why couldn't time dilation exist as well? There was a high possibility that it did.
But then Xiao let out a sigh.
Unlike all the other Emperors of the past, Empress Hong, after reaching the pinnacle of this world and the Great Emperor Realm, had ascended into the Upper Dimensions. The higher realms beyond the Endless Haven.
Xiao simply shook his head.
'I have too little information. I don't know whether Empress Hong was my missing yandere girlfriend or not. Baby steps, Xiao... baby steps. I just woke up in this world, and there are many mysteries surrounding my transmigration.
There are many things I don't know and must uncover myself. Let's take it slowly. I can't reach the heavens in a single step. I can only ascend into the sky one step at a time.'
Then his eyes widened slightly before he burst into laughter.
"Dammit... why do I sound like an average xianxia protagonist who suddenly had an enlightenment and crap? This is so cringe and corny, goddammit!"
After that, he thought about his life on Earth once again.
From then on, everything had gone smoothly for him. He lived peacefully with his grandmother while attending school.
But unfortunately, when he was sixteen years old, he unexpectedly fell ill.
He was infected with a mysterious disease that even the doctors could neither identify nor cure. At first, everyone thought he had cancer.
But after numerous examinations, the doctors told him that he was suffering from a rare and mysterious disease that they simply couldn't cure.
At that time, he truly felt that life was cruel and unfair.
Why did he have to suffer from such a terrible disease when it was uncertain whether he would even survive the next day? The doctors had already given up hope for his survival.
His grandmother, however, never did. She visited him every single day, despite her constant anxiety.
'Dammit... why does it always have to be me? Back on Earth, I was sick for nearly two years, and now the Xiao of this world is the same. Goddammit... just what the hell is wrong with my luck?'
'Is it our luck... or is some bastard scheming behind our backs to make our lives more miserable? Damn them all.'
After cursing for some time and complaining about his luck, Xiao let out a tired sigh. Maybe it wasn't that his luck was bad.
Maybe it was that illusory thing called Fate that was often mentioned in countless stories.
'Ah, yes... maybe that's it. No... it has to be! It was definitely that bastard Fate intentionally making my life harder. Damn you.'