《The Dragon Emperor's Pearl》 [B1] Chapter One: Rude Awakening ¡°Xiuying, wake up!¡± A hand struck me across the face, accompanied by the shrill, grating yells of a woman. ¡°I have been looking everywhere for you! How dare you stay behind in the Obsidian Terraces?! Your place is¡ª¡± I shied away from the next strike, huddling back against the wall. My pulse pounded in my throat as I wiped the sleep from my eyes and looked at the group of well-dressed women in front of me. With them, were a few men who looked worse for wear. Crude collars hung around their too-thin throats, their eyes dull and broken. Whoever these women were, I wanted nothing to do with them. I wished they had let me continue sleeping. ¡°My lady!¡± Another woman grabbed the first by her sleeve. ¡°This¡­this doesn¡¯t look like Xiuying.¡± The first, a fat woman, fell silent and scrutinized me as I cowered away from her. I quickly scanned my surroundings, trying to find something familiar or a route of escape. I didn¡¯t want to draw further attention to myself. If I could escape without a fight, I would. ¡°Her clothes match the description you gave us,¡± a bored man spoke. He wore the same kind of armor I saw others in the Terraces wearing¡ªblack with silver and purple accents. ¡°We let you back into the city so you could fetch your princess. Now you¡¯re saying this isn¡¯t her?¡± Princess? What are these people on about? I studied the group of women again. They looked to be human, unlike the people living in the Obsidian Terraces. The women must have been confused, or perhaps mad, to think I was related to them in some way. ¡°Silence, man!¡± The fat woman snapped, raising a hand. ¡°Learn your place and keep your mouth shut when women are talking. ¡°Xiuying, surely you remember your own mother? These disgusting men couldn¡¯t have traumatized you so badly in so few months!¡± I scrambled away from the woman, fleeing the little pile of blankets that had been my home since waking in the city a few days prior. The two women and their small party of servants frowned at me. ¡°I-I have no idea who you are, or what you want with me¡­¡± I stuttered, choosing to adopt a more innocent and unassuming facade. It was simpler than giving away my true position to them¡ªif they¡¯d even believe me. The woman stopped, her face twisting when she heard my voice. She squinted at me, remaining silent for a few moments. ¡°Xiuying, come back home. Your slaves miss you dearly and your younger sisters don¡¯t want them.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t force her to leave if she doesn¡¯t want to.¡± The guard shrugged. Within seconds, the fat woman attempted to slap him next. ¡°She is coming with us, and away from this city of slaves!¡± ¡°What is all this racket?¡± The annoyed voice came from somewhere behind me, sliding over my skin like the most luxurious silk and so deep I felt the rumble of his voice in my bones. My instincts told me this new person was dangerous. I immediately grew still, watching as the woman grew pale and the guard bowed deeply. ¡°I-I am trying to understand why my eldest doesn¡¯t recognize her own mother!¡± The woman wailed dramatically and without tears. ¡°Is this some cultivator witchcraft concocted by your sect? Are you trying to ruin me? I could have every man under your rule enslaved and chained at my feet by this time next month!¡± ¡°You were graciously permitted to return and fetch your daughter despite your poor standing in the Obsidian Terraces!¡± The guard exclaimed, baring his fangs at the woman. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t want to leave¡ª¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t Xiuying!¡± A female servant stomped her foot. ¡°Her skin, hair, and eye color are wrong! Xiuying isn¡¯t a cultivator! She doesn¡¯t have slit pupils!¡± ¡°Can you stand?¡± The deep, sensual voice was beside me this time. Startled, I looked up to find a man with elegant, chiseled features and long dark hair. Patches of glossy black scales were visible under his translucent robes. Draconic horns protruded from several parts of his skull. Tendrils of darkness danced around his wrists, ankles, and horns. ¡°A cultivator?¡± The fat woman snorted. ¡°If Xiuying had attempted such foolishness I would have killed her myself!¡± ¡°I can stand¡­¡± I answered quietly before rising to my feet. The dragon-man¡¯s mouth shifted into a subtle smirk before he looked back at the woman. ¡°You think this woman is your daughter?¡± He asked, causing the fat one to falter. ¡°How would she have become a cultivator in these past few months? The girl you brought here before was a powerless brat, and that is why I refused your offer of marriage. This one¡­¡± he glanced at me and then to one of his guards, ¡°I believe she matches the description of the woman who has been helping fight off the Blighted, does she not?¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± A man stepped forward and bowed. ¡°The civilians have been providing her with food and drink for her efforts. I hear the bathhouses have been allowing her to use their facilities for free.¡± ¡°Yet you¡¯ve been sleeping here like a stray?¡± The dragon looked toward me, then my sleeping spot. ¡°I demand compensation for forcing my daughter to live here like a peasant!¡± The fat woman declared. ¡°And further compensation for corrupting her with the ways of cultivation. I heard you hated women, but to think you¡¯d have a princess treated like this?!¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± I kept my voice low again, drawing the dragon¡¯s attention. He studied me with mild interest as I pulled a crumpled piece of paper from my robes. Something told me he would know the significance. ¡°I¡­I just woke up near here a few days ago, sir. I don¡¯t remember anything from before that. There was so much blood¡­and this.¡± One of his escorts took the paper from me and read it, his face soon growing white and twisting with horror. The man quickly turned to the dragon and spoke in hushed, hurried, tones. ¡°This stays between the three of us.¡± The dragon carefully folded the piece of paper and tucked it somewhere in his robes. ¡°Lady Xu, calm down and take a good look at this woman. Do you truly believe her to be Xiuying?¡± The fat woman waddled toward me and squinted again. She seemed to be measuring more than just my size as she peered at me. Finally, she frowned in confusion. ¡°Those are Xiuying¡¯s clothes. Did this whore steal them?¡± ¡°What a pitiful creature.¡± I sighed softly. ¡°Or perhaps you slew Xiuying as you threatened to do so many times during your stay here,¡± the dragon spoke coolly, a dark glint in his eyes. ¡°Your distaste for cultivators has been noted. This woman will be staying here, where I can teach her to harness her power¡ªunless you would prefer to take her home?¡± ¡°Power¡­¡± Lady Xu¡¯s expression lit up. ¡°In exchange for forgetting about whatever you people have done to Xiuying, you can marry this woman instead to seal a treaty with us. Then¡ª¡± ¡°I have no interest in a treaty with a pig who keeps slaves,¡± the man stated, making a dismissive motion. ¡°I will be keeping this woman and training her so she doesn¡¯t destroy half my kingdom. ¡°Guards, see to it that Lady Xu and her entourage are out of the Terraces by nightfall. They are no longer welcome here.¡± Several guards escorted Lady Xu away kicking and screaming. I breathed a small sigh of relief before turning to thank the strange dragon-man, only to find he was suddenly much too close. ¡°You have no idea who I am, do you?¡± The dragon inquired, intrigue written all over his face. ¡°What do you remember?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Language, how to read, some social etiquette,¡± I murmured, a small frown tugging at my lips. ¡°Aside from things like that¡­all I know is that I¡¯ve been living in the Obsidian Terraces, the people have been rewarding me for helping protect them from strange creatures, and the people are convinced their emperor hates women¡ªoh.¡± ¡°I hate women, do I?¡± The dragon let out a genuine laugh, revealing his long upper and lower fangs. ¡°Not at all true. I loathe distractions and disloyalty. The sort of women the other clans wish for me to marry are often both.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know proper etiquette¡­¡± I trailed off when the dragon shook his head. ¡°Show me this place you awoke in. I want a better understanding of how you came to my territory.¡± His casual demeanor caught me off-guard, leaving me with few options other than obedience. I steeled myself, then led him through the maze of gardens between the palace and the rest of the city. In a secluded corner, behind rows of blooming bushes, an immense array of dried blood stretched across the grass. I hugged myself, shivering as the stony-expressioned dragon strode past me to study the intricate array of intersecting lines, circles, and lettering. Beside me, his aide had gone pale again. ¡°This Xiuying girl must have practiced cultivation in secrecy.¡± The dragon¡¯s brow furrowed as he gracefully crossed his arms. He cast me a sideways glance, the corner of his mouth quirking upward. ¡°Yet she attempted something far beyond her capabilities. Perhaps, had she been trained better, you would not have lost your memories upon transfer.¡± ¡°Unless it was intentional for her to lose her memories¡­¡± The aide coughed pointedly. A sharp look from the emperor silenced him. ¡°Xiuying must have suffered terribly under Lady Xu. Or¡­¡± The emperor turned to face me fully, head tilted to the side, and stroked his chin. ¡°Mmm¡­ No, that would be incredibly foolish, even for their clan.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± I frowned. The emperor turned his attention to the nervous aide. ¡°Qiu, see to it that our newest novice is given suitable rooms. She will also need proper clothes, trinkets, and tools. I trust you can handle their acquisition?¡± ¡°O-of course.¡± Qiu gulped, wiping his sweaty palms on his robes. ¡°I-I will fetch some servants, then take miss¡­¡± ¡°I suppose we shouldn¡¯t call her Xiuying.¡± The dragon chuckled, turning to examine me, his eyes alight with mischief. ¡°Have you any objections to being named by me?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± I spoke softly, shaking my head. ¡°Very well¡­¡± The dragon reached out and ran his fingers through my hair, lifting a handful of my soft white locks. ¡°From now on, you will be known as Mingzhu. My palace will be your new home, and your new training grounds. Qiu and the others will make certain you are aware of the clan rules.¡± Without another word, the dragon emperor wrapped himself in shadows and disappeared. Taken aback, I turned to look at Qiu for an explanation. ¡°The¡­palace?¡± ¡°His Imperial Majesty is plotting trouble again.¡± Qiu sighed, his soldiers slumping. ¡°The other clans pester him with constant proposals. If I know my master, he thinks the presence of a woman in the palace will quell their interference.¡± The corner of my eye twitched. It made sense that he would only be so gracious to me if he was getting something out of it, but using me to avoid proposals? I refused to make that easy for him. Sighing, I crossed my arms and kept up a pleasant facade. ¡°I really don¡¯t require much. A few sets of clothes, and¡ª¡± ¡°It would not do for you to look like a peasant!¡± Qiu abruptly shook his head, causing me to narrow my eyes at him. I sensed something else was the cause of his outburst. ¡°T-that is, given that my master has decided to train you personally, you must look the part. I would not dare bring a scraggly kit before him! ¡°Come! We must make certain you have the finest silks!¡± Qiu stormed off in the direction of the main path, giving me little choice but to hurry after him. A prickling sensation down my back made me glance to the side, discovering an unnatural shadow in the underbrush. When my gaze landed on it, it quickly darted away. My new ¡®teacher¡¯ and he fails to hide himself properly? I shook my head to myself. No, it was more likely that man was testing me. There was something strange about how the people of the Obsidian Terraces had chosen to treat me, and I intended to find out what had caused it. [B1] Chapter Two: Adaptation Mingzhu. I twirled a lock of hair around my fingers, letting the name sink in. An elegant name to be sure, though perhaps a simple leap. Pale skin, white hair, silver eyes¡ªit wasn¡¯t hard to guess why he had named me as such. Pearls or sacred treasure. An argument could be made for either. ¡®He.¡¯ I pursed my lips in displeasure. It hadn¡¯t been until the latter half of my shopping excursion with Qiu that I had realized the emperor never introduced himself. I hadn¡¯t the faintest idea what his name was. The people of the Obsidian Terraces all seemed to revere him, only ever referring to him by title or honorifics. Then there was the issue of my new residence. Living in the palace made little sense if I was to become a cultivator¡ªor rather, relearn the arts. Whatever the pretense for my presence was. It would have made more sense for me to reside at the sect or school itself, both of which were just off palace grounds. ¡°Lady Mingzhu? I will see you to your rooms.¡± A man dressed in a black and violet uniform approached me, acknowledging me with a slight bow, cupping one hand with the other. ¡°Should you desire any changes to your rooms, Qiu will make the arrangements.¡± They are treating me with far too much courtesy. I acknowledged the man with a faint nod and followed him through the grand palace. ¡°I hope I¡¯m not being an inconvenience. I¡¯ve yet to learn why I am being treated so¡­so¡­favorably.¡± ¡°His Imperial Majesty is unshakable once he¡¯s made up his mind, my lady.¡± The man shook his head. ¡°Whatever his reason is, it isn¡¯t for a student such as me to know.¡± I frowned but remained silent. When we arrived at my rooms, the man dismissed himself. However, upon entering my rooms I found another there. Though a dragon like the rest, this one turned on his knees to kowtow with his head to the floor when he noticed my presence. His clothing revealed peeks of his muscular torso and arms, and a silver torque encircled his throat. His skin seemed to have a tinge of blue, similar to the azure hue of his scales. His hair was a deeper blue and was so long he could have knelt on it. ¡°Lady Mingzhu, my name is Shui,¡± the man spoke, his forehead still to the floor. ¡°I am one of the emperor¡¯s gifts to you, and am to serve your every need while you reside in the palace.¡± I raised an eyebrow. A personal servant for a student? The emperor had a great deal of information to divulge¡­if I couldn¡¯t get it from Shui. ¡°Please dispense with the formalities. I¡¯ve been living in the streets, not in the lap of luxury.¡± I shrugged off my over outer robe and put it aside. Shui tentatively raised his head, his expression making it obvious that he wasn¡¯t sure if I was serious. ¡°I have many questions I would like to ask you¡­but I wish to take a bath first. Which door¡­?¡± ¡°I thought you might wish to bathe after spending so long in the city,¡± Shui spoke in a proud tone, rising gracefully to his feet. The refined and confident way he carried himself didn¡¯t quite strike me as that of a mere servant. He swept across the room to an ornate pair of doors and pulled then open with a flourish. ¡°When I arrived, I drew a bath for you and laid out a change of clothes His Imperial Majesty provided. Will you require assistance?¡± ¡°No, I can bathe myself.¡± I shook my head, feeling heat rise to my face at the idea of male help. ¡°Thank you for going to the trouble.¡± Shui tilted his head slightly, a subtle expression of surprise on his face. ¡°I¡­ You are quite welcome, my lady. Shall I fetch dinner for you?¡± ¡°Only if it isn¡¯t too much trouble,¡± I stated, earning an outright dumbfounded stare from the grey-eyed man this time. ¡°Otherwise¡ª¡± ¡°Lady Mingzhu, forgive me, but perhaps you didn¡¯t understand,¡± Shui began cautiously, ¡°I am your servant, and it is my honor to do anything you command of me, be it drawing you a bath, bringing you food, protecting you from attackers, or slaying your enemies. My life is yours.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not accustomed to having a servant,¡± I pointed out, watching as the tension seemed to leave Shui¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much the emperor told you, but I have been sleeping on the streets. The people of the Terraces have been giving me small rewards such as food, drink, and a place to bathe in return for my efforts in guarding them from Blighted creatures. ¡°Beyond those actions of the past few days, I remember nothing of my life before waking up in the Obsidian Terraces. Whatever your emperor sees in me, I have no idea what it is.¡± ¡°I understand, my lady.¡± Shui nodded, a small smile coming to his lips. ¡°Please, enjoy your bath. I will bring dinner to your rooms for you to enjoy.¡± Shui bowed to me before gliding out of my rooms, a rather pleasant expression on his face. I didn¡¯t understand why he seemed so¡­proud to serve me. I had thought myself to be no one of consequence if someone was capable of swapping places with me so easily, especially after learning that Lady Xu¡¯s clan appeared to hate cultivators. Her daughter couldn¡¯t have been very powerful if she hadn¡¯t been permitted to train. I stripped off my rags and slid into the steaming bath, admiring the floral scent drifting upward from it, and the flower petals floating on top. Everything had been laid out meticulously. A gilded tray on the edge of the bath held colorful, ornate bottles of soaps and oils to use. Within reach were brushes and cloths to wash myself with. My change of clothes was laid out a safe distance from the tub, with various combs and hair ornaments nearby. The idea of having a personal servant didn¡¯t sit well with me, but I had no valid reason to refuse either. Especially not when he seemed so genuinely proud of that status. I resolved myself to at least give the new lifestyle a chance. At the very least, the emperor must have had a reason to give me a servant.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Once clean and feeling a little more relaxed, I got out of the bath and dried myself before pulling on the soft lavender sleepwear waiting for me. I combed through my damp hair before deciding to let it hang down my back to dry. ¡°Ah, did you enjoy your bath, my lady?¡± Shui shifted on his knees to look toward me. On the table before him was far more food than I could ever hope to eat in one sitting. ¡°Yes, thank you, it was a nice change of pace.¡± I padded over to the table and knelt across from Shui. ¡°I do hope that you will be dining as well? There is no way I can eat so much.¡± ¡°Ah¡­that¡­¡± Shui cleared his throat and shook his head, clearly taken aback. ¡°It isn¡¯t unheard of for a servant to dine with their master, my lady, but it is¡­unusual.¡± ¡°Humph. Food is always better when shared,¡± I stated, reaching for the nearest plate. ¡°If you¡¯re hungry, you¡¯re welcome to join me. I¡¯m tired of eating alone like some stray dog.¡± ¡°You have truly been living on the streets?¡± Shui frowned, hesitating a moment before reaching for a steamed bun. ¡°Forgive me, but my lady does not speak like a street urchin.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­I noticed that as well,¡± I murmured, selecting various things to put on my plate. ¡°What did the emperor tell you when he¡­¡®assigned¡¯ you to me?¡± ¡°That an esteemed female guest was in need of a loyal servant capable of protecting her while she grows,¡± Shui answered at once. Something about his answer sounded rehearsed, making me wonder if there was more to it. ¡°His Imperial Majesty, his clan, and the sect he founded have many enemies, as does the Obsidian Terraces. None of these enemies are above targeting a supposed weak link for leverage.¡± ¡°And they will think I¡¯m a weak link because His Imperial Majesty never keeps women around?¡± I raised an eyebrow when Shui turned a little pale. ¡°I did not mean to imply¡­¡± I tilted my head. ¡°Hmmm? But it makes sense that I would be seen as a weak link. Given his reputation, there¡¯s few leaps of logic for his enemies to make. A woman in the palace or his school is unusual, from what I understand. Enemies will think that I am a future concubine or wife, will they not? Such a woman would be an obvious target for most.¡± ¡°You are correct, my lady.¡± Shui sighed, nodding once. ¡°However, it is also custom that people of high status in the Terraces have at least one dedicated servant. Since His Imperial Majesty and Qiu both hold you in high regard, it would raise too many questions if you had no servants. Anticipating your unease, His Imperial Majesty decided one would be enough to fulfill your needs for now. ¡°Aside from my training as both a servant and as a combatant, I am well-versed in history, politics, and other states of affairs you may wish to learn of. It is my hope that you will use me to relearn our world.¡± ¡°Well! There¡¯s certainly a great deal to cover on that front!¡± I laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve plenty of questions for you too, but I suppose I will start with one at the forefront of my mind¡ªLady Xu¡¯s behavior. Couldn¡¯t any one of the cultivators here have crushed her? How could she speak so easily of enslaving the people here? How come she acted as if cultivation is both a sin and a farce? Why has no one dealt with her offensive existence?¡± ¡°Ah, Lady Xu and her clan believe that our abilities are trickery.¡± Shui shook his head slowly. ¡°Her clan was isolated for a long time, dealing only with occasional nomads and travelers who kept their abilities hidden. Once she learned of the wealth other clans possessed, she sent merchants and emissaries beyond her borders. It wasn¡¯t until she had forged a web of connections and filled her coffers that we learned of her true nature. Now, it would take each of the clans coming to an agreement to¡­deal with her. ¡°In her clan, men are merely used for labor and as pleasure slaves. They are barely considered people. With cultivation outlawed in their territories, there are few opportunities for the men to break free from oppression. Lady Xu would enslave the rest of the other clans as testament to her supposed might if she could, but for now she favors lining her coinpurse.¡± I grimaced. ¡°In other words, it isn¡¯t convenient yet for anyone to deal with her. A greedy one, is she?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid so, my lady.¡± Shui nodded while pouring a cup of tea for us both. ¡°His Imperial Majesty informed me that, the moment he mentioned your power, Lady Xu sought to use you as if you were indeed her daughter. That woman will stop at nothing to increase her influence.¡± ¡°My power, hmmm?¡± I mused, watching Shui pause briefly before setting tea beside my plate. ¡°And can you tell me what this power is?¡± Shui shifted backward from the table and kowtowed. ¡°I have been ordered not to speak of it, for your own wellbeing, my lady.¡± ¡°Then, perhaps instead you can tell me what he is the emperor of?¡± I studied Shui as he lifted his head, a small frown on his face. ¡°The title of emperor implies he has an empire, does it not? All I know is the Obsidian Terraces.¡± ¡°The Terraces is the capital, my lady,¡± he stated, glancing toward a nearby bookcase, before fetching a rolled up map from it. ¡°His Imperial Majesty controls the Soaring Empire, my lady. It consists of many nations scattered across airborne landmasses. The Xu clan and the empire they belong to are surface dwellers. Our empires engage frequently in trade, as there are materials, foods, and techniques we have which they do not. The opposite is also true.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± I murmured, frowning. Nothing rang familiar to me. ¡°And this emperor of yours, why is he so revered?¡± ¡°His Imperial Majesty treats his subjects well and acts with our best interests in mind.¡± Shui¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°It¡¯s said he is favored by gods of darkness or chaos, yet his power is only ever used with good intent. He protects us from all that would do us harm.¡± Gods of chaos and darkness¡­? Why does that sound familiar? I took a sip of tea and then rested the cup in my lap. ¡°Thank you for the information, Shui. I think I will take some time to process it before asking for more.¡± ¡°It is my pleasure to serve you,¡± Shui spoke genuinely, bowing yet again. ¡°Please do not hesitate to ask if there is more I may do for you.¡± ¡°Ah, well there is something¡­¡± I murmured, falling silent to think. However, when Shui began to slip out of his clothes, I quickly spoke, ¡°What are you undressing for?¡± ¡°My lady implied the need for company in her bed.¡± Shui frowned at me, his nude torso exposed. ¡°I am to serve you in any way you desire.¡± ¡°T-that wasn¡¯t what I meant! And, I wouldn¡¯t dream of forcing someone to¡­to¡­do what you¡¯re thinking!¡± I flushed and shook my head. ¡°I was going to ask if there is somewhere I may meditate.¡± ¡°Meditate?¡± Shui raised an eyebrow, his frown deepening. ¡°Does this body¡¯s appearance not please you, my lady? Your tone was not at all that of someone who was considering meditation.¡± ¡°Ah! I didn¡¯t mean to imply that either!¡± I exclaimed, growing hotter. ¡°You are very nice to look at, but I wouldn¡¯t dare attempt to invite someone who doesn¡¯t know me to bed! Especially not someone who isn¡¯t serving me by choice. It wouldn¡¯t be right, and¡ª¡± ¡°Lady Mingzhu,¡± Shui spoke gently. ¡°You would struggle to find someone in the palace unwilling to pleasure you. It would be my honor, should you require as such from me. ¡°If you truly wish to meditate before bed, I will escort you. I have been instructed not to let you wander off alone.¡± ¡°I¡­okay.¡± I clenched my hands in my lap, still flushed. Shui chuckled and gave me a soft smile. ¡°Then, please, finish your dinner. I will escort you after.¡± [B1] Chapter Three: The Dance of Light and Shadow I inhaled the cool night air deeply, listening to the sounds of birds, insects, and water all around me. The scent of fresh, damp soil and blooming flowers filled my nose. A sound like jingling bells joined nature¡¯s song as I called forth the power I used to destroy Blighted creatures. At first, I thought nothing was amiss with my power. It wasn¡¯t until I delved deeper that I found something akin to a lock. Something restraining me, keeping me from what was rightfully mine. I bit back a scoff. At least my body was my own. If I had been shoved into Xiuying¡¯s body¡­ Well, it seemed unlikely to me that a mere human would have been compatible. Darkness slid gracefully down the pathway behind me, accompanied by the sound of a guqin. Tendrils of shadow circled around my place of meditation, dancing in and out of reach. When the dark presence grew closer, I opened my eyes to find the emperor¡¯s mismatched glowing red and violet eyes staring back at me. Shadows spread outward from him in every direction, coiling around my prisms of light as if to snuff them out. The tighter they coiled, the more melodious the hum of my power. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to attack me?¡± The emperor inquired, his voice a low rumble. ¡°No. I am going back to my meditation,¡± I stated, closing my eyes. ¡°Is it not light¡¯s duty to snuff out the darkness?¡± The emperor¡¯s question was accompanied by a blade pressing to the side of my throat. However, I found his tone to be sharper than the weapon. ¡°Light and darkness are part of an eternal dance,¡± I began, opening my eyes and flicking his dagger away from my throat. ¡°I care about intent, not what you are aligned with.¡± The emperor studied me. ¡°Intent¡­¡± ¡°Light has been used for just as many evil deeds as darkness has. Anyone who claims otherwise is a fool.¡± I closed my eyes again and released a small sigh when his darkness loosened its grip. Why does his power make mine sing? ¡°And you know this how?¡± The emperor¡¯s question made me pause. ¡°No memory, yet you speak so confidently of concepts most mortals fail to accept.¡± ¡°I know I¡¯m right,¡± I spoke slowly, opening my eyes to look at the amused emperor. ¡°Wherever I came from, that belief must have been pounded into my head.¡± ¡°I will join you in meditation.¡± The emperor abruptly turned and strode to the rim of the terrace to sit. He made a motion with one hand, summoning a guqin from somewhere behind me. The instrument flew to rest on his lap. He paused, his fingers hovering above the strings. ¡°That is, if my playing will not disturb you.¡± ¡°It will not.¡± I closed my eyes, choosing to put the strange man from my mind. There were more important things for me to consider. I needed to figure out just what that lock¡¯s specific purpose was, and how to get rid of it. Perhaps I could even figure out a way to destroy whoever was responsible for it. My thoughts shifted when the emperor began to play his guqin. I cracked an eye open, glancing in his direction. His eyes were closed, his fingers flitting expertly across the strings. Tendrils of darkness danced around his arms and hands, his long hair lifting into the air. Biting back a small sigh, I closed my eyes again. Curious as I was about his meditation method, I had my own problems to attend to. Some time later, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Shui smiled at me when I glanced up at him. ¡°My lady, we should return for the evening.¡± Shui bowed slightly. ¡°Very well.¡± I sighed and rose to my feet. A small frown came to my lips when I glanced around. The emperor was gone, yet I couldn¡¯t recall when he¡¯d stopped playing his guqin, or when his presence had faded.
The following day, with my studies concluded, I asked Shui to take me somewhere to meditate again. I couldn¡¯t get the lock off my mind. I wanted it gone so that I could properly focus. I followed Shui through the moons-lit gardens outside of the palace, past ponds, streams, and waterfalls. Birds and insects chirped, accompanied by the distant sound of a guqin. I glanced at Shui out of the corner of my eyes. The sound of the instrument made him hesitate ever-so-slightly before continuing to lead me down the path. When we exited the gardens and strolled out onto a wilder terrace overlooking a river, a small frown tugged at my lips. Robed in layers of ebony and violet, the emperor was perched on the far side of the terrace. Shui had wanted to take me somewhere I could be alone¡­but alas. He was the source of the beautiful music. Shui leapt back defensively the next time the emperor¡¯s fingers danced across the strings. I stayed put, narrowing my eyes as the blast of sound split to curve around me. The emperor¡¯s head shifted slightly, revealing nothing of his face but the smirk upon his lips. ¡°Have you a death wish, Mingzhu?¡± The emperor set the guqin aside and gracefully stood, turning to stride toward us. The shadows around us quivered and lengthened, curving toward me. ¡°I am indifferent,¡± I stated, crossing my arms within my sleeves. The emperor¡¯s glowing eyes narrowed at me. ¡°If we are disturbing you, I can meditate elsewhere.¡± ¡°Shui.¡± The emperor glanced toward the other man, who promptly bowed. ¡°Return to the lady¡¯s rooms. I will escort her there when her lesson is finished.¡± ¡°Lesson¡­? Y-yes, Your Imperial Majesty.¡± Shui dipped deeper before fleeing as told. ¡°A beauty pale like the moon,¡± the emperor mused, walking a slow circle around me. His fingers flitted from my cheek, to my shoulder, then my hair. ¡°You seem less timid than you were when we first met in the city. Good. What did you come here for?¡± ¡°To meditate,¡± I reiterated. ¡°You are forgetting something.¡± The emperor raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°As did you.¡± I shifted to give him a defiant glare. ¡°You gave me a name and I thank you for it. However, how can I be expected to address you with reverence or respect when I haven¡¯t heard your name?¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. He laughed, his lips curving into an entertained smile. However, his eyes remained cold. ¡°Emperor Xing Yahui, unifier of the G¨¡oy¨¢ng Continent and favored by the Gods of Chaos and Darkness. I am also the founder of the Xing Sect.¡± Chaos and Darkness? I kept my expression passive for the moment. That certainly explained how he had gotten away with practicing dark arts. Given his reaction to me upon our last meeting, I could only assume that most people didn¡¯t approve of his path When his eyes narrowed at me, I realized I was taking too long to speak. ¡°And you would have me refer to you by title?¡± I scoffed, shaking my head. ¡°We will determine that by how you perform, Mingzhu.¡± Yahui strolled away from me, his hands clasped behind his back. ¡°I will taste this power you have. You are clearly not helpless, else you would have failed to help the villagers against their Blighted attackers.¡± ¡°I came to meditate, not to fight¡­¡± I sighed heavily when a pulse of power rippled through the shadows around us. The dragon shifted to shoot me an amused smirk, his mismatched eyes glowing brighter in the dim light. ¡°Very well.¡± ¡°Use whatever techniques you wish to defeat me.¡± Yahui gracefully spun on the balls of his feet to face me from several yards away. ¡°I will not use any of my abilities unless you can force me to.¡± Without another word, I closed my eyes and made an upward motion with one finger. The air around me vibrated, a faint tinkling sound echoing through the air as my weapons took shape. Darkness roiled around us, nudging at my body and power alike. It was warm, unlike the emperor¡¯s seemingly cold demeanor. Is he so damaged he can¡¯t even mask himself properly? I cracked my eyes open to study the stoic man. He stood calmly, his expression holding no hint of emotion. What will crack first¡ªhim, or his mask? Glints of prismatic light scattered everywhere as my conjured weapons rushed toward Yahui. The dragon stepped aside, his gaze focusing briefly on the magic weapons as they whizzed by his face. I felt the darkness pulse and countered by stabbing daggers of light into it. ¡°You aren¡¯t afraid of darkness?¡± Yahui¡¯s voice from behind me sent a chill down my spine. Light of the Crescent Moon, sever my foes! I called a blade of moonlight, slashing through where I sensed the dragon. ¡°Close,¡± Yahui murmured from beside my ear. When I turned to run him through with a blade of light, he grabbed my wrist and stared down at me. ¡°You do have a death wish.¡± ¡°A body without memories is already a corpse.¡± I glared at the dragon when the corner of his mouth quirked. ¡°You are strange for a creature of light.¡± Yahui tightened his grip on my wrist, his darkness sliding up my legs to root me in place. ¡°Is it your aversion to darkness that drove you to try killing me? ¡®Righteous fury,¡¯ perhaps?¡± ¡°Light and dark are nothing without each other, and intent is the only thing that matters with either,¡± I stated flatly, the feeling of dealing with a stupid child welling up within me. ¡°As for a death wish¡­you told me to fight you.¡± ¡°That I did,¡± Yahui remarked in a mysterious tone, an unreadable glint in his eyes. ¡°You are weakened. I believe my initial assessment was correct¡ªyour power has been sealed away. Poorly, but still sealed. While pretty, there was little strength in your attacks. ¡°If meditation will not allow you to break through the barriers, we will have to seek out other options. Until then, I will not permit you to leave palace grounds unattended. You are lucky the Blighted haven¡¯t already killed you.¡± ¡°Let me go.¡± I gave him a defiant glare. ¡°I¡¯m not done with you.¡± Yahui closed his eyes and, in the next moment, my vision was filled with nothing but darkness. I could still feel his body near mine and his hand around my wrist, but my sight was useless to me. I attempted to call lances of light to pierce his darkness, but instead my head swam, and I felt my body wobble. Yahui¡¯s power tightened around me like the coils of a snake and pulled me downward toward something that felt like sleep. Mustering my willpower, I lashed out with my free hand and caught the emperor in the jaw with a ridge hand strike. ¡°Your muscles seem to have their memory, at least.¡± Yahui laughed and let go of me, folding his arms within his sleeves. ¡°You must have had a vicious Master to have retained so much. Perhaps training you won¡¯t be so difficult.¡± ¡°Humph. You would waste your time on a corpse?¡± I strode past him and sat down cross-legged. ¡°No matter. I came here to meditate, not fight. Leave me be.¡± ¡°Hahaha, and yet you still have the audacity to speak in such a manner to an emperor?¡± Yahui¡¯s mirthless laugh made me glance over my shoulder at him. ¡°Perhaps those teachings were forgotten¡­or do you see yourself as above even emperors?¡± ¡­I do feel that way¡­but why? I released a small sigh. ¡°Whoever I am, I know you didn¡¯t rescue me out of the goodness of your heart. You have some other aim, and it is not to protect the weak. I will not show respect to someone who attempts, poorly, to mask their true intentions.¡± ¡°So you will show me respect if I mask my intentions expertly?¡± The question made me twitch. This time, Yahui¡¯s laugh was genuine. ¡°You aren¡¯t ready to know why I chose to harbor you, Mingzhu. I won¡¯t reprimand you for your behavior¡­but you should keep your defiance private. I will not have my position as emperor weakened because of your tongue.¡± ¡°¡­that is fair.¡± I breathed a small sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to imply that I¡¯m ungrateful.¡± ¡°You have every reason to be suspicious.¡± He stopped beside me and glanced down with a small smirk. ¡°You may have entered a den of dragons, but you are safer than if I had let the humans take you.¡± ¡°That, we can agree on.¡± I closed my eyes, resting my wrists on my knees. ¡°Now, if you don¡¯t mind, this corpse wishes to meditate.¡± ¡°Shui. Keep watch.¡± The dragon¡¯s voice carried a tremble of power with it. I opened my eyes and glanced to the side. What had changed his mind about being the one to see me back? I watched in silence as the emperor began to walk away from me. ¡°Mingzhu, if you need a reason to keep living¡­then live for me. I am taking great risks to harbor you. Do not insult my efforts.¡± I shifted to ask Yahui what he meant, but his body burst into shadows and disappeared. A small frown came to my lips as his presence faded. He was¡­harboring me? Taking risks? Why? I released a heavy sigh. If that was how it was, then he should have banished me from the city instead. If he had no intention of helping me regain my memories, then I was doomed to remain a corpse. ¡°Lady Mingzhu.¡± Shui appeared beside me on one knee. ¡°Shui¡­what are these ¡®risks¡¯ the emperor is taking?¡± I murmured, shifting to face forward finally. ¡°My lady is powerful¡­¡± Shui hesitated, his gaze shifting away from me as he searched for words. ¡°My lady must belong to a powerful clan. Even if that isn¡¯t the case¡­a husband is likely at the very least. Given His Excellency¡¯s reputation, a clan or a husband will get the wrong idea when they learn you are here.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± I let my gaze fall to my lap. ¡°There is no way I have a husband. I wouldn¡¯t disgrace myself by marrying someone my soul doesn¡¯t resonate with.¡± ¡°Resonate¡­ My lady, such a thing is unlikely to find. How can you be so sure you did not waver?¡± Shui stared at me in disbelief. He attempted to hide it, but I caught the subtle shift of his eyes in the direction the emperor had gone. Still spying? No matter. I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m certain. An eternity of loneliness would be preferable to settling.¡± ¡°You speak with such conviction.¡± Shui sighed softly. ¡°Lady Mingzhu, you don¡¯t have long left before we should go back inside. I will keep watch while you meditate.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I closed my eyes and relaxed my shoulders, taking in a deep breath of the night air. Perhaps, with some luck, I would discover the way through the lock that was keeping me from myself. The faint tinkling of chimes filled my senses when I grasped my power and called it to the physical plane. My skin tingled as a cooling sensation slid over it. I eased through the now-foreign passages of my mind, tracing my way to the infuriating lock. When I found it, I reached out to touch it. A sharp jolt shot through my body and sent me careening backward. I should have hit the side of the cliff, but instead my back slammed into something soft and warm. Shui gasped by my ear, his breath leaving his lungs. We dropped to the ground, and I hurriedly turned to check the foolish dragon. ¡°Shui, are you alright? That was a dangerous¡ª!¡± I cut myself off when my vision swam. ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°Lady Mingzhu, I am fine,¡± Shui stated calmly, ¡°but you are not. Breathe as if you were still meditating, my lady. Whatever you were pursuing isn¡¯t done with you yet.¡± I attempted to do as he said but my strength was fading fast, as if being drained somewhere. Before I realized it, I was on my back staring at the night sky. I would have sworn I saw a black dragon coiling high above before my consciousness failed me. [B1] Chapter Four: Rats Within the Dragon’s Lair How foolish I was. I sighed, staring at the ceiling of my rooms. Whatever that lock was, clearly I couldn¡¯t destroy it yet. Whether it hid my power, my memories, or something else entirely I couldn¡¯t say. Whatever piece of me it was, I wanted it back. I had been bedridden for two days after the lock knocked me unconscious. Shui had diligently cared for me in that time, reteaching me the basics of cultivation and teaching me more about the G¨¡oy¨¢ng Continent. Aside from him, I hadn¡¯t seen or heard any other members of the palace. I sighed, shutting my eyes. Is this place to become an extravagant cage for me? ¡°Excellent, you¡¯re awake, Lady Mingzhu!¡± Shui exclaimed as he entered my rooms. ¡°His Imperial Majesty has called for you to join him once you¡¯ve had breakfast.¡± ¡°Must I¡­?¡± I sighed heavily before sitting up slowly in bed. ¡°Fine, fine, I will go take my bath.¡± ¡°Ah, I will help you into the proper attire once you are done, my lady.¡± Shui pressed one hand into the other and bowed. ¡°Help¡­? I don¡¯t need help. I am not that weak,¡± I scoffed. ¡°Ah¡­you misunderstand, my lady, the clothes you must wear to meet with His Imperial Majesty are much too complex to be put on by oneself. It is my duty as your servant to help you.¡± Shui bowed deeper as I strode past him. ¡°I see¡­¡± I let out a small sigh, then held out a hand. ¡°Then at least give me my undergarments so I can put those on myself. Even if it¡¯s nothing you haven¡¯t seen before¡­I¡¯m still a lady. I should maintain some of my dignity.¡± ¡°Of course, my lady.¡± Shui hurried over to the wardrobe and fetched a few items for me. ¡°These should suffice. I will lay out our breakfast while you bathe. Call on me when you are done.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± I took the black undergarments from him before retreating to the bathroom. This place is full of such troublesome men. The women in the city should be thankful they don¡¯t have to deal with¡­ I sighed to myself and shook my head. How very foolish of me. Frustrating or not, Yahui and Shui both deserved my gratitude. Even if I didn¡¯t fully trust their intentions in ¡®harboring me¡¯ yet. Yahui almost certainly wanted to use whatever power I had for something. He gave me the impression he didn¡¯t like my elemental alignment very much, as well. I sunk into the bath and hugged myself. The idea that Yahui disliked me for such a reason didn¡¯t sit well with me. It wasn¡¯t good enough. ¡°What strange markings,¡± Shui remarked with an audible frown, his fingers tracing down my lower back. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such patterns before, let alone tattoos which glowed.¡± ¡°Mmm?¡± I glanced over my shoulder at him. He promptly handed me a hand mirror so that I could check my reflection in the much larger mirror nearby. Sure enough, there were intricate markings on my lower back which glowed crimson. ¡°The women at the bathhouses never mentioned those¡­¡± ¡°They may not have been able to perceive them, my lady.¡± Shui traced one with a finger, seeming oblivious to the shiver that ran through me. ¡°I believe these marks were made with qi or similar. We will have to make certain they aren¡¯t something meant to harm you. ¡°Are you alright, Lady Mingzhu? You look feverish.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I set the mirror aside and strode toward the waiting clothes. ¡°I should get dressed if we¡¯re going to eat before seeing what His Imperial Majesty wants.¡± ¡°Ah, of course.¡± Shui joined me and lifted the first layer of clothing. ¡°If you will allow me, my lady.¡± A while later, Shui led me through the palace and in the direction of the audience chamber. We exchanged a look when the sound of men arguing drifted down the hallway to us. When we arrived, Shui bowed and opened the doors to me, murmuring that we were meant to join the emperor at the back of the room.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Humph, this is the woman?¡± An unfamiliar voice muttered as I strode down the center of the room. Which of the many men was the owner of the voice, I couldn¡¯t say. Representatives of nearly every race I could imagine of was present, along with their wives and children. Even Lady Xu was present, with what I could only assume were her many daughters. ¡°You decided to join us after all?¡± Yahui remarked. ¡°I had to tend to a few things first¡­but yes, Your Imperial Majesty.¡± Once all the guests were to my back, I gave Yahui a glare to indicate that I knew I had no choice in the matter. After plastering a faint smile on my face, I took a seat where he indicated near the long, very comfortable-looking throne he had stretched out lengthwise on. ¡°My lady, tea?¡± Shui bowed to me. ¡°Please.¡± I nodded. I quickly studied the several dozen guests in the audience chamber. Above their heads, coils of shadow dragons lurked, their eyes glowing with colors to match Yahui¡¯s. Many guards in formal armor were scattered throughout the room, with Xing cultivators joining them disguised as palace servants. Despite Yahui¡¯s relaxed outward appearance, his power held a suffocating malice. Either none of our guests were cultivators¡­or perhaps they were too weak to detect the emperor¡¯s presence. ¡°Your Imperial Majesty, do you truly intent to keep this woman¡­Mingzhu? Here?¡± A man with long, pointed ears stepped forward and bowed deeply. ¡°By your description I thought she might be one of my people, but I do not recognize her.¡± ¡°Bah, who cares about the stray?¡± Lady Xu scoffed. ¡°We all came here to offer our daughters to His Imperial Majesty, did we not? Why don¡¯t we drop the pretense.¡± Yahui sighed heavily and shook his head. ¡°I have no resonance with any of your spawn. I will not be marrying any of them. We have been over this before. Do not waste my time with such trivialities.¡± ¡°Then what of our collective trade with the continent to the west of Lady Xu¡¯s home?¡± A woman with wolf ears spoke up. ¡°Lady Xu brought samples of their wares from the surface with her. The gemstones are unlike anything I have ever seen.¡± ¡°Show me.¡± Yahui made a lazy motion with one hand, then glanced down at me with a small smirk. ¡°You could join me if you prefer.¡± ¡°I will stay here.¡± ¡°You dare deny His Imperial Majesty¡¯s request?!¡± A man growled. ¡°My lord, it sounded like an offer. Not a request and certainly not an order,¡± I answered boredly, examining my nails. ¡°Or do you mean to say that His Imperial Majesty¡¯s ¡®requests¡¯ and ¡®offers¡¯ are dangerous to decline?¡± ¡°T-that isn¡¯t what I meant at all!¡± The man quickly bowed and pressed his forehead to the floor as Yahui let out a low laugh. ¡°His Imperial Majesty is a benevolent ruler, Lady Mingzhu, and an expert at eradicating the Blighted.¡± ¡°Boring¡­¡± I sighed, shaking my head. ¡°Your Imperial Majesty, are you sure you don¡¯t want one of my daughters?¡± Lady Xu pressed. I glanced toward her, a little surprised by her persistence. ¡°Any one of them would make a fine¡ª¡± ¡°You wish for my death, Lady Xu?¡± Yahui drawled, trailing his fingertips down the armrest. ¡°Human lives are so short, so powerless¡­especially in a country such as yours where cultivation is a myth.¡± ¡°And this Mingzhu creature isn¡¯t human?¡± Lady Xu demanded. ¡°Mmm? Me?¡± I frowned as Shui knelt beside me to pour my tea. ¡°Pay her no heed, my lady,¡± Shui whispered by my ear. ¡°Lady Xu¡¯s family are geniuses in only one area. All else¡­suffers.¡± ¡°The woman is clearly not human!¡± A noble close to Lady Xu stared at her in disbelief. ¡°Mingzhu.¡± Yahui¡¯s tone made me pause, tea in hand, to glance at him. ¡°Show my guests just how real cultivation is¡ªwithout hurting them, of course.¡± I took a sip of my tea, then let out a small sigh. ¡°Very well, Your Imperial Majesty.¡± After a few deep, collected breaths, I summoned spears of prismatic light upward from the floor around Lady Xu¡¯s party, making certain to pierce several people¡¯s clothes. If the fools thought such displays were illusions, I would teach them otherwise. ¡°Light¡­ Yahui, shouldn¡¯t your powers be at odds?¡± A tall, bulky man with only one horn rose to his feet and stepped forward. ¡°Mingzhu is my guest while she recovers from her trauma, nothing more.¡± Yahui made a dismissive motion. ¡°Unlike those who share her abilities¡­I will not look down on her for being my power¡¯s opposite. She has already made it clear she is unlike those barbarians.¡± Barbarians? I glanced between Yahui and the nervous demon. ¡°I just worry about you, Brother Yahui.¡± The demon¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°You trust her?¡± Hmmm? Did they train under the same master? I examined the bulky man. He seemed to be the only person present who could get away with calling Yahui by name. At least, of those I¡¯d heard speak. ¡°I can manage her.¡± Yahui took a sip of his drink, then glanced at me out of the corner of his eyes. ¡°Mingzhu believes intent matters more than alignment, as do I. Thus, I will speak no more on the matter¡ªnor will we pursue this ridiculous notion of my marrying any of your daughters. ¡°Mingzhu, you may free them.¡± I would much rather kill them¡­ I willed the spears of light away. ¡°Is there aught else you needed, Your Imperial Majesty? I was meant to begin my training today.¡± ¡°You will remain here and observe instead.¡± Yahui made a dismissive motion. ¡°Learning the affairs of the G¨¡oy¨¢ng Continent is just as important as your training.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± I bit back a frustrated sigh. Shui knelt beside me and placed a tray of bite-sized food in front of me, a pleasant smile on his face. It seemed that I was indeed stuck there for the day. [B1] Chapter Five: Life and Death I snuck through the palace grounds, a hood over my bright hair, and a mask over the bottom half of my face. The palace was so incredibly boring, and the Blighted never drew near to it. Yet, there was so much dark power radiating from just outside of the city. I had no intention of staying trapped in the palace and training against inanimate opponents. After all, I had already killed plenty of Blighted before Yahui had me brought to the palace. When the sound of a guqin drifted to my ears, I slowed down and crouched in the shadows, tensing. The entrancing melody came from the same direction I felt immense dark power radiating from. A knot formed in my stomach as I crept closer to the suffocating waves of power. From a distance, I couldn¡¯t determine if the guqin was responsible for slaying the Blighted I sensed¡­or if it was summoning them. I crept closer until so that I could see what was taking place. Beyond the gates, hordes of deformed undead people and creatures ran toward the Obsidian Terraces without regard for their surrounding allies. The creatures climbed over each other, pushed others out of their way, and yet others even stopped to eat their fallen allies. The guqin played, sending wave after wave of dark energy flying into the horde, cutting the creatures cleanly in two. Between the creatures and the gates stood dozens of intimidating constructs. The constructs were made of darkness, which flowed inside of intricate silver and crystal cages. It seemed that the purpose of the cages was to help them maintain their corporeal forms. Directly in front of the gates, Yahui floated in a simple, dark hanfu. He sat in the lotus position with his guqin in the air above his lap. With every graceful motion of his hands, another wave of Blighted fell. Any that managed to escape were cut down by the shadowy creatures that seemed to belong to him. He¡­isn¡¯t being corrupted by his dark arts? Does that mean he¡¯s already been corrupted? I clenched a fist to my chest while I observed. Furthermore, where is his escort? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen him without an escort outside the meditation garden¡­ ¡°Are you just going to stand there?¡± Yahui¡¯s breath against my ear made me freeze in place. He released a low laugh that made me feel like the next target of his lethal techniques. ¡°If you have time to stare, you have time to help.¡± Did I lapse on my control of my stealth ability? Or¡­ I let out a small sigh and shifted to peer at Yahui over mask. ¡°With two of us, they should die quickly.¡± ¡°And after, you will explain yourself.¡± Yahui drifted past me and slid his fingers along the edge of his guqin before shooting me a dangerous look. I let out a long sigh. ¡°Very well¡­¡± After a moment of brief concentration and a motion from both my hands, daggers of prismatic light formed in the air around me. The Blighted immediately changed direction and made their way toward me instead. Yahui slew the first several waves with quick notes from his guqin, and the shadow beasts killed many more. Even so, more of the foul things made it through to me. ¡°Mingzhu, get ba¡ª¡± The emperor started to give me an order, yet fell silent when I dashed into the throngs of creatures. My blades of light tore the monstrous things to shreds, leaving coagulated blood in their wake. I flipped my grip on one of the conjured daggers so I could strike one of the larger ones under the chin with my fist. With that one dead, I turned and kicked another, sending it staggering into Yahui¡¯s line of attack. Several bells later, the remaining monsters were slain, and I was attempting to catch my breath. Yahui lurked a ways from me, investigating the worrying number of corpses nearby. I need to work on my endurance¡­ I breathed deeply, shutting my eyes for a moment. If I had grown exhausted at any point during that, we may not have survived¡­ Why was Yahui put here alone? A startled noise escaped me when a hand wrapped around my throat, hefted me off the ground, and slammed me back-first into the city¡¯s outer wall hard enough to crack the stones. Yahui glared at me with unrelenting ferocity as I gripped his arm and attempted to struggle. ¡°What were you thinking?!¡± Yahui demanded. ¡°Were you so eager to seek out a true death that you chose to disobey my orders? Or was the prospect of destroying darkness too much temptation for you to resist? Did you think that I was summoning the monsters?¡± ¡°N-no! I just¡­training in the palace is dull! I know I can kill the Blighted with ease, so¡ª¡± I clawed his hand harder when his grip twitched tighter, cutting off my ability to speak.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. After a moment, Yahui¡¯s grip loosened and he set me on the ground, but he didn¡¯t let go. He leaned over me, his gaze fierce. ¡°A corpse doesn¡¯t struggle for life like that,¡± he stated quietly. He gingerly released my throat and wandered toward the nearby gate, leaving me at a loss. When I didn¡¯t move to follow, he shifted to look over his shoulder at me. ¡°We are going back to the palace. Come.¡± I hesitated before moving to join him in silence. ¡°What would you have done had I not been here?¡± Yahui inquired after we had already made it halfway through the city. ¡°Taken out as many as I could,¡± I stated blandly. ¡°With no regard for the people who may miss you?¡± Yahui shot me a chastising look. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder your abilities are a strange color, for you are a strange creature.¡± I frowned. ¡°A¡­strange color?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve only ever seen light techniques with a golden hue.¡± Yahui shook his head. I fell silent until we were back at the palace. ¡°And here¡¯s where we part ways. Good¡ª¡± ¡°I am not going anywhere until I¡¯ve seen you to your rooms myself,¡± Yahui cut me off. He stalked in the direction of my rooms without another word, leaving me to hurry after him. ¡°Your Imperial Majesty, Lady Mingzhu is¡ª¡± Shui trailed off when he spotted me behind the emperor. He immediately dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead to the floor. ¡°I have failed you, Your Imperial Majesty. I will endeavor not to let Mingzhu trick me again.¡± ¡°See to it that she doesn¡¯t¡­and that any wounds she sustained are taken care of.¡± Yahui let out a tired sigh and turned away, making a lazy motion with one hand. ¡°Mingzhu, I will deal with you later.¡± Shui promptly ushered me into my rooms. He closed and locked the doors before turning to me with a frustrated, albeit worried, expression on his face. ¡°My lady, I know the palace bores you¡­¡± Shui paused to search for the right words. ¡°His Imperial Majesty is allowing you to stay here to keep you safe, especially from the other clans. If you continue to insult him with disobedience¡­¡± ¡°Can a corpse insult an emperor?¡± I shook my head and strode past Shui, heading for the bathroom. ¡°Please¡­do not say such things, my lady,¡± Shui murmured in a soft, pained voice almost too low for me to hear. I glanced over my shoulder at the sulking man, but a moment later he stiffened and glanced toward the door. ¡°I will return shortly, my lady. Please do not leave your rooms unattended again.¡± The dragon hurried out of the room and closed the doors softly behind him. I raised an eyebrow in the direction he had fled. His reaction gave me the impression his precious emperor had called him¡­but how? I put the thought from my mind with a small shake of my head and quickly bathed. Once dressed for bed, I returned to it with a sigh. This luscious lifestyle¡­am I deserving of it? For a while, I simply stared at the ceiling and thought on the things that had happened since coming to the palace. For the most part, I wasn¡¯t sure what to think of Yahui and his men. Shui was pleasant, even if I didn¡¯t understand his subservience or apparent loyalty to me. However, for all I knew, I could have been a peasant from a kingdom or clan that was their worst enemy. Yahui, in particular, clearly had strong feelings about people who used light abilities. Then there was the issue of my arrogance. I sighed. There was no reason for me to act in such a way. It conflicted with my feeling of being a corpse. Where did that behavior come from? Someone with no memories, no training, and no status had no right to the arrogance I often displayed. ¡°My lady, I have retur¡ª¡± Shui cut himself off and gently closed the bedroom door. ¡°I¡¯m still awake,¡± I spoke quietly. ¡°Might I get you anything, my lady?¡± Shui offered, and I found myself thankful he couldn¡¯t see my expression from where he was. I doubted he realized his subservience made me feel even more isolated. Asking him to come keep me warm was out of the question too. He would just misinterpret my desire for someone to hold as something¡­else. ¡°No thank you,¡± I murmured, keeping my gaze on the ceiling. ¡°We should both get some rest.¡± ¡°My lady¡­you are uninjured?¡± Shui knelt beside my bed, his gaze downcast. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Shui. There were many Blighted, but it seems His Imperial Majesty¡¯s powers and mine work well against them.¡± I shifted so I was laying on my side and looked at the uncomfortable dragon. ¡°That said, I was surprised to find I wasn¡¯t the only one to sneak out of the palace to hunt. In all the time I spent killing Blighted in the weeks before coming to the palace, I never once saw someone other than the guards or occasional student fighting the creatures.¡± ¡°Complementary powers¡­?¡± Shui muttered before shaking his head slightly. He sat up, a small frown on his face. ¡°His Imperial Majesty was alone?¡± ¡°Alone with those shadowy beasts of his.¡± I made a dismissive motion. ¡°His Imperial Majesty is in no place to chastise you for sneaking out then.¡± Shui sighed heavily. ¡°You are both equally guilty.¡± ¡°Shui, how well do you know His Imperial Majesty?¡± I asked, settling my gaze on him. ¡°Fairly well, my lady,¡± Shui answered neutrally. ¡°Was he born a dragon¡­or did that dark power of his corrupt him and turn him into a dragon of darkness?¡± I watched as Shui gave me a baffled look. ¡°When I was still hiding tonight, I noticed his arts didn¡¯t seem to be causing him harm.¡± ¡°His Imperial Majesty was born a dragon, my lady.¡± Shui slowly shook his head. ¡°Beyond that¡­I am afraid you would never get to sleep if we spoke of it now. You need to rest. His Imperial Majesty told me how much power you spent.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± I started to protest. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what,¡± Shui smiled and reached out to tuck my hair behind my ear, ¡°in the morning, I will tell you His Imperial Majesty¡¯s story and answer your questions over breakfast. If you sleep now, you should still gain a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± ¡°¡­promise?¡± I asked begrudgingly. ¡°Of course.¡± Shui¡¯s smile broadened. ¡°My first concern is your safety, my second is your health, and third is helping you relearn this world. Knowing the world¡¯s players is a necessary step.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± I sunk back on the bed and let out a long, contented sigh. Shui promptly pulled the sheets up to my shoulders before rising to his feet and moving to retreat to his own part of the room. ¡°Good night, Shui.¡± ¡°Good night, Lady Mingzhu.¡± [B1] Chapter Six: Provenance Shui placed a steaming cup of tea in front of me while I stared blankly at the table. It felt too early to be awake, yet it was precisely the time I was meant to be having breakfast. My body ached from the exertion against the Blighted from the previous night. ¡°What are our plans for today?¡± I inquired, glancing toward Shui when he sat across from me. He looked much more awake than I felt. ¡°We should see to your training, then perhaps review what you recall of how the world works for talents such as us,¡± Shui offered with a smile. ¡°You must have some knowledge, even if perhaps latent, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t be able to control your abilities. You seem quite lucky in this regard, my lady.¡± ¡°Ah, and you were going to tell me more about Yahui.¡± I tilted my head in consideration. ¡°Yes¡­you wanted to know more of his arts and their effect on his well-being, yes?¡± Shui frowned, his gaze dropping slightly while he thought. When he met my eyes again, he looked determined. ¡°My lady, I must ask that you do not attempt to pull him away from the darkness. There is no need to ¡®rescue¡¯ him.¡± ¡°You misunderstand,¡± I began, shaking my head, ¡°I have no interest in ¡®rescuing¡¯ him. I¡¯m curious as to how he became such a pure son of darkness. Furthermore, it seems prudent to learn more about the man who seems intent on keeping me confined to the palace.¡± ¡°His Imperial Majesty was not born into nobility, nor to darkness.¡± Shui swirled his tea cup in one hand. ¡°Quite the contrary. His parents were peasants, and they were all light dragons. When Yahui was a child, a war broke out and the kingdom ruling this territory slew everyone in his village to make an example, and under the pretense of being ¡®guided by the gods of light¡¯ to commit this massacre. ¡°His Imperial Majesty barely survived. He swore vengeance and gave in to darkness that day. He felt that if light would commit such crimes against innocents, he wanted no affiliation with it. Thankfully for him, he had talent for dark arts. Far greater talent than he had for light.¡± ¡°A massacre¡­¡± I shook my head slowly. ¡°In the name of light? When do people¡¯s massacres or conquests ever come at the order of someone of the light? They¡¯re just looking for false justification for their greed.¡± ¡°His Imperial Majesty never got his revenge against the ones who killed his village, as the culprits were humans,¡± Shui continued with a small sigh. ¡°However, once he had grown enough and made allies while studying with his teacher, he wiped out the human kingdom and sent every remaining citizen to the surface. He claimed the emptied kingdom as his own and razed it to rebuild. As time passed and tensions throughout the continent grew, he took it upon himself to unite the nations. ¡°In a way, His Imperial Majesty is ¡®holier¡¯ than most disciples of light we have encountered. However, the same would be true if comparing him to disciples of darkness. His aptitude is unique. The sect he founded was with the hopes of nurturing and guiding those who share his affinity, so they are not harmed or corrupted by the arts they wield.¡± ¡°The darkness didn¡¯t have to corrupt or twist him to gain him as an ally,¡± I murmured, resting back in my seat. ¡°Instead, it found a kindred spirit¡ªone formerly of light. I¡¯m sure it was delighted to find company.¡± Shui shot me an odd frown, but any inquiry was interrupted by the doors to my rooms slamming open. An unreadable Yahui stalked in and strode directly over to me. ¡°Mingzhu, finish your breakfast and get dressed. You are coming hunting with me.¡± Yahui turned to look at the bowing Shui next. ¡°I want you to stay here and guard her rooms. Do not let anyone in.¡± ¡°Your Imperial Majesty¡­¡± Shui sighed but bowed deeper. ¡°As you wish. I will make certain no one intrudes.¡± ¡°Hunting?¡± I asked, baffled. ¡°I haven¡¯t the faintest idea what sort of attire¡ª¡± ¡°I will see to it, my lady.¡± Shui bowed to me next, then rose to his feet. ¡°Did you rest?¡± Yahui questioned. ¡°I did.¡± I began piling food onto my plate. ¡°What are we hunting, and how will my presence not be a burden?¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°If you are a poor huntress there are other ways you can make yourself useful to me.¡± Yahui made a dismissive gesture. ¡°Meet me in the courtyard when you are finished.¡± With that, the emperor was gone as suddenly as he had arrived. I shifted to shoot Shui a baffled look. ¡°What was all of that about?¡± ¡°Perhaps His Imperial Majesty means to test you¡­¡± Shui sighed and shook his head. ¡°I do not know. His Imperial Majesty prefers to hunt alone. He must have some other reason for demanding your presence. ¡°Where he hunts is dangerous. Either he wishes to see how much training you need¡­or perhaps your experience last night made him curious. If your powers work well together, then he will wish to gauge your usefulness. His Imperial Majesty rarely finds people whom he can fight with in tandem. Those he can are already serving important roles in the empire and its territories.¡± ¡°Useful?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Finding someone useful is as close to liking someone as you will see His Imperial Majesty display,¡± Shui remarked dryly as he returned to the table with a jeweled armlet in hand. ¡°I¡¯ve stored things for your trip inside here. When you¡¯re done with breakfast, I will help you dress. ¡°Do you have additional orders for me while you¡¯re away, my lady?¡± ¡°Try to enjoy yourself. You¡¯ve been trying to read those books over there, right?¡± I glanced in the direction of his bed and then back at him. ¡°I¡¯m confident you can protect my rooms while also seeing to your own interests. You can¡¯t do the latter as well when I¡¯m here.¡± With that, I put my plate down and rose to my feet. Shui quickly recovered and hurried after me as I slid my night clothes off my shoulders. ¡°My lady is too generous with her praise.¡± Shui bowed slightly before helping me dress in the surprisingly plain clothes. He noticed my confusion. ¡°Your hunting party will be disguised so that no one knows the emperor is among you. Simpler clothes are both easier to put on and draw less attention.¡± ¡°What are we even going to hunt?¡± I murmured. ¡°People as powerful as us wouldn¡¯t require a party to hunt mere animals¡­¡± ¡°Monsters, Blighted, people, or divine beasts¡ªit¡¯s hard to say what His Imperial Majesty has set his sights on this time.¡± Shui stepped away from me and bowed. ¡°The guards will escort you to the courtyard, my lady. I am to remain here and await your return. Please be safe, Lady Mingzhu.¡± ¡°You as well.¡± I shot him a sideways glance as I passed him. ¡°I don¡¯t trust these visitors in the palace¡­and given your demeanor and Yahui¡¯s orders I have to assume you don¡¯t either.¡± ¡°My lady is perceptive.¡± Shui bowed lower. ¡°I will take care as well.¡± ¡°Good.¡± I nodded before stepping out of.my rooms and closing the doors behind me. The guards outside promptly bowed then fell into formation around me. ¡°Let¡¯s not keep His Imperial Majesty waiting any longer.¡± When I arrived in the courtyard, I surveyed the mostly empty area with a small frown. A large, scaled qilin with antler-like horns stood near the central pond. Beside it, a man with almost floor-length hair stroked the creature¡¯s scales. It took me a moment to realize the man was Yahui. He wore a simple, yet elegant, hanfu in black. His usual trinkets were missing, including the various pieces I had always seen in his hair. ¡°No guards?¡± I murmured, mostly to myself, when the men who had escorted me retreated into the palace. Yahui turned, seeming surprised by my presence, but his expression soon became unreadable again. ¡°We will not be needing them. My disciples and their masters have gone on ahead to secure the road and make camp. ¡°I will be too easily recognized if I ride out with an escort¡­ What?¡± ¡°How are you not already too easy to recognize?¡± I strode over to him, flabbergasted. ¡°I¡¯ve not seen anyone in the Obsidian Terraces who resembles you¡ªespecially your eyes!¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t been a problem yet.¡± Yahui made a dismissive motion before pulling himself onto the qilin. It was then that I realized there was something very wrong with the situation. ¡°Am I walking?¡± ¡°Hardly.¡± Yahui offered me his hand. When I just stared at him, he chuckled and gave the qilin a command to sidestep closer to me. ¡°Mingzhu, do you know how to ride a qilin? Even if you do, I don¡¯t yet trust you enough to give you such a valuable creature. You will ride with me.¡± ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know if I know how to ride a qilin. Let¡¯s assume I don¡¯t,¡± I relented and took Yahui¡¯s hand. ¡°Am I riding in the front or the back?¡± ¡°Front. I would prefer you did not ride on my tail.¡± Yahui shifted his foot out of the stirrup and helped pull me into the saddle. Once I was comfortably seated in front of him, he picked up the reins and nudged the qilin into a casual walk. ¡°You¡¯re not going to play coy?¡± ¡°Hmmm?¡± I glanced back at him. ¡°Coy about what?¡± ¡°Most women would be in a fit of giggles because they would find this romantic.¡± Yahui arched an eyebrow at me. ¡°I assumed you would either be one of those, or you would react violently due to my¡­affinities.¡± ¡°No, your darkness is pleasant.¡± I shook my head slightly and focused my gaze forward again. In truth, his dark power felt as if it should have reminded me something. Whatever it was evaded my grasp. All I knew was that it wasn¡¯t something for me to be scared of or to sear from existence. ¡°As for romantic¡­we don¡¯t trust each other, you¡¯ve been rather violent with me, and you demanded I come hunt with you without giving me any information. In what realm would that be considered romantic?¡± ¡°Good. You are more level-headed than most.¡± Yahui laughed, resting a forearm across my left thigh, his hand gripping the saddle. ¡°We received reports of disturbances in one of the provinces. There is good hunting there, and we will also be investigating. I will fill you in once we are beyond the city.¡± ¡°Very well. I can accept that.¡± I sighed, starting to relax back against his chest, but I stopped myself. Getting cozy didn¡¯t seem like a good idea. [B1] Chapter Seven: Misdirection I plopped down in the grass with a small sigh and glanced toward where Yahui was tending his qilin. After several hours on the qilin my legs felt wobbly. We had stopped for lunch, and so that he could send a message to his disciples somehow. Most of the countryside we had traveled through was beautiful, forested mountains crowned with blue, blue-green, and violet foliage. Many of the roads bordered rivers and creeks that wound through the bountiful region. However, not too far off in the distance, everything was a dull, lifeless gray. I frowned slightly, looking for any clear cause. The color reminded me of ash but I saw no charring. There didn¡¯t appear to be any volcanoes in the area that could have affected it, either. ¡°The people who once ruled these lands, and the Terraces, ruined the land with their practices. It has taken centuries for us to recover what you¡¯ve seen.¡± Yahui came to a stop in front of me and dangled a folded cloth in front of my face. ¡°In their hunger for power, they stole from nature and made much of the soil inert. Restoring balance and coaxing energy back into this domain has been¡­trying.¡± I frowned deeper, feeling our surroundings with my other senses. ¡°The damage¡­what caused it, precisely?¡± ¡°They called upon light arts far beyond their reach. To sustain themselves and their arts, they called upon natural energy¡ªat the cost you see.¡± Yahui glanced off in the direction of the gray wasteland. ¡°If a deity truly ordered them to commit such heinous acts¡­¡± Yahui clenched one fist, but his posture and demeanor relaxed again after he took a deep breath. When his gaze flicked toward me, I found his expression unreadable once more. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t reaching too far with any art cause damage?¡± I stared back at him, befuddled. ¡°For most, the damage would be done to their bodies and not their surroundings.¡± Yahui shook his head. ¡°Their arts weren¡¯t meant for mortals, perhaps not even for immortals. Where they learned such techniques remains a mystery.¡± A mystery deities should be investigating, by the sound of it¡­ I unwrapped the cloth from around my box of food and opened the lid. ¡°Will we be hunting in the wasteland?¡± ¡°Close to it.¡± Yahui studied me. ¡°You can¡¯t sense the scars left by light arts?¡± ¡°I can sense the scars. If it¡¯s from light arts, it feels unfamiliar. Nothing like the arts I use.¡± I shook my head. In the next moment, I felt the flat of a blade pressing into my throat and Yahui¡¯s chest against my back. Darkness like vines snaked around us, coiling around my ankles and waist. His breath was hot against my ear when he finally spoke, ¡°You are certain of that?¡± ¡°Quite certain. Does it feel the same to you?¡± I called an orb of prismatic light to my palm and then shifted so I could see Yahui, offering him the orb. ¡°Here, feel for yourself.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Yahui swiftly moved his blade from my throat and snatched a cloth from nearby to press against my neck instead. ¡°What possessed you to turn with a weapon to your throat?! Do you fancy yourself immortal?¡± ¡°Mn?¡± I gave him a blank look. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel anything.¡± Yahui let out an agitated sigh and fastened the cloth around my throat. Once that was finished, he took the orb of light from me and shut his eyes briefly. The dark vines around us shuddered and trembled before darting forward and coiling around the orb. I couldn¡¯t tell if Yahui was attempting to crush my power or not, so I turned my attention to my food instead. After a few bites, I glanced toward Yahui again to find him studying me intently. ¡°Is there anything to drink?¡± I asked, uninterested in asking his opinion of my power. ¡°Water will have to suffice. We won¡¯t be staying long enough for anything else.¡± He offered me a waterskin and waited for me to take it. Once I had, he sat back in the grass with his own food nestled in his lap, his gaze now contemplative. ¡°You don¡¯t find dark arts disturbing?¡± ¡°Yours don¡¯t disturb me.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Whatever spawned the Blighted does. Upon closer observation, your arts feel much different from whatever has been causing that issue.¡± When Yahui said nothing, I eyed him. His gaze was focused somewhere past me, his eyes narrowed. When he finally looked back to me, he spoke in a quiet voice, ¡°You will have to pretend that I am your slave. Merchants from Lady Xu¡¯s country will not converse with men.¡± ¡°What?¡± I sighed heavily and glanced in the direction he had been staring. A small party of humans were growing closer, a qilin-drawn cart in their midst. Most of the humans were women, aside from a few men in collars who appeared to be carrying heavy packs on their back. ¡°They likely will not recognize me, but that won¡¯t stop them from attempting to ¡®buy¡¯ me from you¡ªregardless of if you play along,¡± Yahui stated, shrugging. He placed his waterskin aside. ¡°They could be good for information. Question them. I will busy myself preparing more food so they do not grow suspicious.¡± I considered arguing but decided to let it go. There was merit to his statement, given what I had seen of Lady Xu¡¯s behavior. If the rest of her countrymen acted in such a vile manner, there was every possibility that the group was approaching us because they had spotted Yahui. Even I wasn¡¯t oblivious to the fact he was an attractive-looking man. However, his personality could certainly have used work. ¡°Greetings!¡± The fanciest-dressed woman called to me, not shooting so much as a glance in Yahui¡¯s direction. ¡°Might we join you?¡± ¡°Certainly, though we will not be here for long,¡± I spoke in a level tone, then took a swig from my waterskin. ¡°A good plan, that.¡± The woman nodded to me. ¡°With the rumors of all the Blighted in the area, and the divine beasts, it¡¯s best not to linger anywhere too long.¡± ¡°Blighted and¡­divine beasts?¡± I shot her a sideways glance. ¡°I was aware of the former, but not the latter.¡± ¡°I hear the divine beasts are huntin¡¯ the Blighted.¡± The woman nodded again before plopping down on the back of one of her male slaves. I did my best not to shoot a disapproving look in her direction. ¡°Under normal circumstances, I¡¯d offer you a pretty sum for that boy you¡¯ve got there. Takin¡¯ away your protection would be like killin¡¯ ya meself though. I suggest goin¡¯ straight to the nearest city you can once you¡¯re done restin¡¯. Not much two people can do against the Blighted once night falls, and the divine beasts don¡¯t care who gets in their way.¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern,¡± I murmured, deciding to play polite for the moment. Yahui shot me an amused smirk as he approached. He offered me a cloth with two more steamed buns, which I took, and promptly began to munch on. The palace had such good food. I wasn¡¯t sure what I¡¯d do with myself while we were on our hunting trip. Campfires didn¡¯t seem like the best way to create delicious meals, though I wasn¡¯t certain that was true. ¡°Your family must have excellent connections to have caught a slave as fine as him!¡± The woman nudged me with her elbow and winked. ¡°Not every day I see someone with a dragon for a slave! Hard to tell how old he is by lookin¡¯ at him¡­ He been with you long?¡± ¡°For as long as I can remember,¡± I stated. It wasn¡¯t entirely dishonest, after all. The dragon¡¯s mouth quirked again, but he was at an angle where the woman and her slaves couldn¡¯t spot it. When an idea of how to flee finally came to me, I called out to him, ¡°B¨£ob¨¨i, tell me when we should leave. I don¡¯t want to be traveling when night falls.¡± ¡°You call him that?¡± The woman spluttered at me. ¡°Is that a pet name?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what my family has always called him,¡± I answered sweetly before going back to nibbling my food. Besides, calling him a ¡®treasured object¡¯ didn¡¯t seem too far off if he was pretending to be a dragon slave, and especially when the woman seemed to think I was human. Such a powerful slave would have been precisely that to a human. ¡°Have you come across anything strange in your travels?¡± I turned to look at the woman. ¡°I want to avoid as much trouble as I can¡­¡± ¡°Steer clear of the Obsidian Terraces then!¡± The woman snorted. ¡°Lady Xu went and made a bunch of the people there angry while looking for her missing daughter. I hear the emperor almost did her in himself. Couldn¡¯t say I blame him after all I heard, either. I may not agree with men being in charge, but Lady Xu is losing her touch the older she gets. Needs to pass the kingdom to the next in line, I reckon, before we all end up in trouble.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Young Mistress, if we leave now we should arrive just before nightfall,¡± Yahui called to me, a faint glint in his eyes. The look disappeared when the others looked toward him. ¡°Very well.¡± I rose to my feet and then glanced down at the woman and her slaves. It was a pity there wasn¡¯t anything I could do for the poor bastards. Yahui helped me onto the qilin and then swung up behind me, subtly making it look as if I had spurred the creature into movement instead of him. Once we were out of sight of the woman, I let out a heavy sigh. ¡°B¨£ob¨¨i? Honestly!¡± Yahui scoffed. ¡°Well, calling you by your real name could¡¯ve made them suspicious,¡± I pointed out. ¡°We¡¯re lucky they didn¡¯t know what you look like.¡± ¡°You discovered some interesting information, at least. I hadn¡¯t heard that divine beasts had made an appearance,¡± Yahui remarked as if he hadn¡¯t heard me. ¡°We will have to factor that in as well during our hunts. One or both of us could become targets depending which gods sent the creatures. They could target my disciples as well, and that won¡¯t do.¡± I gripped the front of the saddle and gritted my teeth. Killing that woman would have been far more satisfying than allowing her to continue onward with her slaves. ¡°Why not kill that woman?¡± ¡°And leave her slaves to fend for themselves? We can¡¯t bring them with us,¡± Yahui pointed out. ¡°They are safer with her than they are on their own.¡± ¡°Death is better than being a slave. We could just kill them too,¡± I scoffed, crossing my arms in my sleeves. Yahui¡¯s grip on the reins tightened, causing the leather and his joints alike to creak. Darkness rose around us, curving toward me in a threatening manner. ¡°Those slaves are still my subjects and will return home soon enough.¡± Yahui¡¯s eerily calm voice made my throat constrict. ¡°I will not allow you to harm them, Mingzhu, even if it means harm must come to you instead.¡± ¡°You could have just said, ¡®Mingzhu, I have other plans for how to deal with them,¡¯¡± I glanced over my shoulder at him and smirked when I caught the murderous glint in his eyes. ¡°B¨£ob¨¨i.¡± ¡°We will have to find other names to call each other.¡± Yahui sighed, allowing his darkness to recede. ¡°Call me Jun while we are among others. You will be¡­Lan.¡± ¡°Fine, fine.¡± I pouted, focusing forwards again. ¡°I assume this is merely until we reach our destination?¡± ¡°Indeed. We will be traveling through a town later this afternoon, as I wish to question the locals.¡± Yahui finally loosened his grip on the reins. We both fell silent. I listened absentmindedly to the sound of hooves hitting the earth, and the eclectic sounds of nature. If I shut my eyes and concentrated, I could even hear Yahui¡¯s steady heartbeat behind me. Only small creatures such as birds and insects were anywhere close to us. The next hour or two was spent in that same silence. While Yahui guided our steed to the village he had in mind, I sunk into meditation and searched for a solution to my ¡®lock¡¯ problem. When Yahui finally made a spoke, I wasn¡¯t certain I heard him correctly. ¡°What manner of trinkets do you like, Mingzhu?¡± ¡°What?¡± I shifted to look back at him. He gave me a barely perceptible smile. ¡°I intended to reward you for your help against the Blighted, and make amends for threatening you. Now I¡¯ve threatened you again when I¡¯m meant to be keeping you safe.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care for rewards or the like. If you want to apologize, verbally will suffice.¡± I shook my head. ¡°There is no need for trinkets.¡± ¡°In that case¡­¡± Yahui leaned down by my right ear. ¡°I am sorry for threatening you, Mingzhu. A beautiful woman like you should be treated gently¡­¡± When did he¡­? My lips parted in surprised when I felt his fingertips against my chin and jaw. A faint press indicated he was attempting to shift my face toward his. Is he trying to seduce me? No. That wasn¡¯t it. I reached up and pried his hand easily from my chin, eliciting a quiet, almost villainous chuckle from him. ¡°Apology accepted,¡± I stated, shooting him a brief glance. ¡°Ah, travelers!¡± A voice called from ahead. I shifted my attention to find a rugged man waving to us. That certainly explained the sudden intimate gesture. ¡°Best keep an eye on your wife, brother. The ¡®merchants¡¯ would kill over a treasure like her.¡± ¡­wife? I twitched. ¡°Thank you for your concern, but she is in good hands,¡± Yahui drawled, sliding his fingers down one of my arms. ¡°Speaking of ¡®merchants,¡¯ we passed one of the humans who has been capturing men. You should be careful as well.¡± Yahui nudged our qilin and sped past the man. When we crested the hill, I got my first glimpse of our midway destination. The village looked much poorer than the Terraces, yet larger, and appeared to sit on some manner of crossroads. ¡°Be careful,¡± Yahui murmured. ¡°We will have to make this a brief visit.¡± A short while later, we wove through throngs of people. Merchants along the streets clamored for attention, soldiers patrolled, children played, and women attempted to lure men. Thick, scented smoke hung in a haze over the entire street. ¡°Have you heard about the pearl hanging in the darkness?¡± ¡°I have! The poor thing.¡± ¡°They¡¯re talking about you even here, already?¡± Yahui¡¯s voice by my ear made me stiffen. ¡°How terrible it must be to be pampered and kept safe by an emperor.¡± ¡°Oh? Is that what he¡¯s doing? Pampering?¡± I retorted, glancing back at him. ¡°I heard he rapes her twenty times a day when someone angers him!¡± ¡°That¡¯s all? With the things I¡¯ve heard about her, I thought it¡¯d be more!¡± ¡°The war between him and whatever clan she¡¯s from should be very profitable for us indeed! Bahahaha!¡± Yahui clenched his fists around the reins before letting out a small sigh and nudging the qilin. Where do rumors such as that come from? I suppressed a frown and resisted the urge to glance back at Yahui¡¯s expression. The tension in his body made it clear enough that the rumor displeased him. I wonder, is this one of the ¡®risks¡¯ with harboring me that he mentioned? False information and foul rumors which could enrage those who know me? ¡°Young master, perhaps a gift for your wife?¡± A merchant approached us, a long black box in his hands. Inside laid a hairpin made of carved jade. To my surprise, Yahui slowed the qilin to a stop. ¡°I don¡¯t need trinkets,¡± I muttered, looking away from the merchant. ¡°Says the beauty who looks as if she wishes to turn her husband into a eunuch!¡± The merchant let out a hearty laugh. ¡°How about it, young master? What quarrel can¡¯t be solved with pretty things?¡± ¡°Do I look like that shallow of a woman to you?¡± I scoffed, turning to glare at the merchant. He now had a second box open in his hands, revealing shining red earrings. ¡°My forgiveness will not be bought¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take them both,¡± Yahui stated, pulling out a small bag of coins. ¡°Tell me, what have you heard of divine beasts in the area?¡± To my dismay, Yahui used the merchant¡¯s approach as a way to uncover more information about the area. The man was all too eager to share with such a good customer. We learned that the Blighted and divine beasts had warred nightly for the past few weeks, and that anyone beyond the village walls was sure to meet a swift end. However, no one seemed to know what deity had sent the beasts. ¡°Master Jun, I¡¯m afraid our conversation may have further angered your wife¡­ Are two gifts not enough to earn your forgiveness?¡± The merchant shot me an apologetic look. ¡°Most women would be dragging their husband home for a ¡®reward¡¯ if he bought them such expensive gifts.¡± ¡°Reward and punishment don¡¯t have to be mutually exclusive,¡± I purred suggestively, drawing my nails along Yahui¡¯s forearm. His skin pricked into goosebumps, his hand twitching. I smirked. ¡°If we don¡¯t leave soon, we may become the next casualty of the divine beasts.¡± ¡°A-ah¡­ahem.¡± The merchant turned red to his ears. ¡°I suppose it is always the quiet ones you have to look out for¡­¡± ¡°Lan,¡± Yahui spoke in a reprimanding tone, ¡°must you be so shameless?¡± ¡°Mmm¡­there is nothing to be ashamed of.¡± I glanced back at him with a smirk. ¡°You should be more worried about me than the divine beasts.¡± Yahui took the hint and said his goodbyes to the merchant before steering the qilin in the direction that would take us out of the village. Once we were in the wilderness, he gently placed the boxes on my lap. ¡°Keep your presents safe while we ride.¡± ¡°I said I don¡¯t need¡ª¡± ¡°If you will not accept them, I can find someone else who will appreciate them.¡± Yahui paused to let the statement sink in, then added, ¡°I felt your reaction when you saw the pin, and the earrings. Accept them or don¡¯t.¡± I opened my mouth, then shut it. Yes, I adored how the pieces looked. But Yahui was already harboring me, had paid for far too many clothes, given me a lavish room, and even given me a servant. Why he felt the need to apologize to me with more gifts was beyond me. If it was his violence and threats he wished to apologize for, merely amending his behavior would have been sufficient. ¡°Thank you.¡± I sighed quietly. ¡°I should be thanking you for not running away after all the foul whispers about me you heard,¡± Yahui muttered bitterly. Foul was an understatement. His people seemed to believe he was a rapist, a tyrant, xenophobic, and bloodthirsty. They blamed him for every little thing that was going wrong in the empire. Whenever someone spoke up to point out Yahui was behind healing the land, they were laughed out of the conversation. I had a feeling that buying me gifts was more to make himself feel better than it was to apologize to me, but that was fine. I relaxed back against Yahui¡¯s chest with a small sigh, feeling him tense behind me. ¡°None of them have knowingly set eyes on you. How could they be judged of your character or intent?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Yahui whispered. He fell silent but I felt his body relax. ¡°Perhaps you are right, but I can¡¯t go anywhere as myself. Not without an army for an escort, and I need them to protect the Terraces.¡± ¡°Then take solace in the knowledge that the foul rumors are spread by your enemies,¡± I offered with an amused smile. ¡°Rumors can¡¯t be stopped with a sword¡­but enemies can be.¡± ¡°I suppose I owe you another apology,¡± Yahui remarked, the sudden change of subject catching me off-guard. ¡°This time, for having you play along with this wife and husband facade.¡± ¡°It was the logical approach. Pretending to be siblings would have been impossible since I don¡¯t look like a dragon,¡± I answered dismissively. ¡°I am glad you are so understanding.¡± Yahui sighed in relief. ¡°Hopefully we will have no further need of such ploys.¡± ¡°Mn.¡± I nodded, but I was frowning. That comment stung a bit. Was I not suitable or desirable? Clearly not to an emperor, and especially not while my status was unknown, but what about to other people? I bit back a sigh, my gaze dropping to the boxes in my lap. Maybe I wouldn¡¯t wear them after all. ¡°Have you remembered anything?¡± Yahui inquired, clearly unaware of my mild frustrations. ¡°No. I have strong feelings or convictions when presented with various topics, often as if I am recalling rigorous teachings. Anything beyond that is just¡­deafening silence.¡± I paused, shaking my head. ¡°It is difficult to describe.¡± ¡°Strong convictions? Such as your assertion that intent is what matters?¡± Yahui murmured. ¡°What else?¡± Perhaps deafening silence is precisely why he began talking again? I wondered. ¡°The worst culprit is when someone suggests that I am already married. There is one thing I am certain of in this world, and that is that I wouldn¡¯t lower myself to marrying someone my power doesn¡¯t resonate with. It makes me unreasonably angry just considering the idea.¡± ¡°You could have found him already, or been forced to wed for political reasons,¡± Yahui countered, though his tone belied his intrigue. ¡°So, you remember enough to know that resonance is powerful. I wonder who your teacher was, for their knowledge to transcend what the array did to your memory?¡± ¡°Yahui, speaking of the array¡­¡± ¡°Shhhh.¡± Yahui gripped my chin lightly and pressed a finger over my lips. The sound of qilins and horses caught my ears. ¡°Save your questions for later when you can entertain me.¡± [B1] Chapter Eight: Circling Beasts ¡°Everyone, the patriarch is here!¡± A young male voice called from high in the trees above us. I glanced upward and narrowed my eyes, finding a boy in familiar black and purple attire. He let out a squeak when I spotted him and went running through the branches. ¡°Patriarch?¡± I asked, shooting Yahui a doubtful look. ¡°I am the founder of my own sect,¡± Yahui stated dismissively. ¡°They all see me as a father figure. In a manner of speaking, they are my adopted sons¡­unofficially. Some are orphans, others are from various families within the empire. The one thing they all share in common is an affinity for true dark arts.¡± True dark arts? I mused to myself. He must mean they¡¯re like him in some way, unable to be harmed by the powers they¡¯re wielding. Or is there some unique facet to his teachings? ¡°Master, you really brought Lady Mingzhu?¡± A uniformed man appeared beside our qilin, his glowing yellow eyes checking us and our steed over before looking up to his emperor. ¡°I smell humans on you.¡± ¡°It was an eventful journey,¡± Yahui remarked dryly. ¡°We will have to be more careful than I anticipated. Gather everyone and instruct them to begin preparing dinner. I will brief everyone over our meal.¡± Their camp was just about as lackluster as I had imagined it would be. There were a few dozen bedrolls spread out around a large fire pit that had been constructed of stones. Their qilins and carts were nearby and under the cover of an erected canopy. It appeared that all of their supplies were in those carts, including spare weaponry and bedrolls. Most of the disciples milling about the camp were young, with only a few elder brothers to supervise them. ¡°My lady.¡± Yahui offered me a hand after dismounting his qilin. I accepted his help, and my legs almost buckled the moment my feet hit the ground. He chuckled and braced me. ¡°You will get used to it with time. If it weren¡¯t for the busy roads on our way here, I would have let you take more rests.¡± ¡°Busy roads?¡± A man I recognized from the palace grounds approached us as Yahui released me. ¡°All was quiet during our journey, Father.¡± ¡°Fang, assign men to shifting patrols throughout the night,¡± Yahui ordered, earning a deep bow in reply. ¡°If they come across anything, they are not to engage. I want them to return to camp to fetch Mingzhu and I. We will handle any threats that appear.¡± Fang mouthed in surprise for a moment, looking between Yahui and me, before bowing deeper. Finally, he ran off to carry out his orders. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted a sister!¡± One of the youngest boys barreled into my legs and hugged me around the hips. ¡°Lady Mingzhu is our new sister, right?! She¡¯s older than me, but she¡¯s new to the school. So, is she Sister or Elder Sister? Can she play with us?¡± ¡°Gang, Mingzhu can hunt with me. If you must, Elder Sister is appropriate.¡± Yahui let out a tired sigh and gave the boy a small smile. ¡°However, our school is watching over her, not training her. Mingzhu¡¯s affinity is not for the dark arts¡­though what an interesting turn that would be.¡± ¡°Kindly refrain from causing opposing forces to wage war within my body,¡± I adopted the most icy, threatening tone I could muster while a cute child was clinging to me. ¡°Of course, that is a death I wouldn¡¯t wish on even my worst enemy.¡± Yahui stared back at me with a confident smirk on his face. I continued to glare at him, refusing to back down. Enemy? Only if he made me into one. ¡°Father,¡± a boy in his teens cleared his throat, ¡°you¡¯re both grimy from traveling. Shouldn¡¯t you bathe before dinner?¡± ¡°You are right. See to it no one disturbs us.¡± Yahui grasped me by the wrist and pulled me off into the woods somewhere. When we were a good distance from camp, I opened my mouth to tell him off but he spoke first, ¡°Don¡¯t get the wrong impression. We will take turns bathing¡ªthe other will keep watch. It is late enough for Blighted to appear, and the beasts who hunt them. Furthermore, you won¡¯t know you way back to camp from the springs.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be more worried about the children?¡± I asked pointedly. The fierce but brief glare he shot me gave me the feeling I¡¯d hit a nerve. ¡°You would have left them under the care of the disciples who stayed in the Obsidian Terraces if you¡¯d known about the divine beasts, I¡¯m sure. I¡¯m not questioning your loyalty to them or your protectiveness. I¡¯m saying you and I are likely the least of your worries.¡± ¡°As far as I am concerned, you are a potential threat to them as well.¡± Yahui pulled me forward sharply, then gave me a surprisingly gentle nudge forward. ¡°Your affinity for light could terrify some of them if it is similar to the arts they have experienced before. I have never seen light such as yours, but I will not risk the assumption that it is the same for my students. ¡°You will bathe first. I will keep watch.¡± ¡°We could just bathe at the same time.¡± I rolled my eyes and strode toward the clearing, summoning some of the things Shui had thankfully stored for me. ¡°The longer we¡¯re in the wilderness away from camp, the more likely we are to draw out the very things you¡¯re worried about encountering.¡± ¡°You really are shameless,¡± Yahui remarked. I glanced over my shoulder at him questioningly. ¡°Most women refuse to be nude unless it is around other women, or near their lover.¡± ¡°Perhaps ¡®shame¡¯ is another thing I forgot,¡± I suggested sarcastically, reaching down to unfasten my sash. ¡°Or perhaps having a male servant to assist me in the palace has made me care less about the concept. ¡®Agree or don¡¯t.¡¯ It was a suggestion.¡± To my surprise, Yahui strode past me while shrugging off his layers of hanfu. I paused to stare at his muscular back for a moment before letting out a low ¡®humph¡¯ and tossing my clothes aside. After picking up my cleansers and cloth, I entered the water after the emperor. ¡°Now what?¡± Yahui glanced over his shoulder at me. ¡°Now that we don¡¯t have to worry about travelers overhearing us, I have questions to ask you about the array that Xiuying girl used to summon me or swap places.¡± I set my bottles on a large boulder protruding from the water. ¡°First, do you think it succeeded?¡± ¡°I believe she evoked it whilst it was only partially finished,¡± Yahui stated, continuing to keep his back to me. ¡°The girl was powerless in comparison to you. The amount of blood needed for the ritual is proportionate to the amount of power the caster is trying to trade with, and whether they wish to keep the memories and bodies of both persons in tact. Each of these traits are ¡®optional.¡¯Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°She required blood from dozens of bodies to complete the array, yet the symbol for your memory was incomplete. There were several other sections left blank, such as the ones which would let the two of you truly trade identities to those you met. ¡°I believe some parts she intentionally left incomplete, but the memory symbol was partially filled. Something caused her to rush.¡± ¡°Such as word that her mother was coming to look for her?¡± I suggested, bringing a finger to my lips while I thought. ¡°So, she wanted to trade places with me but not take my place?¡± Yahui snorted bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s more accurate to say she couldn¡¯t take your place. If I am right, she would have had to sacrifice all of the people within the Terraces to achieve that goal. She most likely ¡®settled¡¯ for less.¡± That was a worrisome comment. Was it because the girl was mostly powerless, or was it related to whatever Yahui was hiding from me? I closed my eyes briefly and stilled my thoughts. The only certainty was that Yahui didn¡¯t trust me. He seemed even more suspicious of me than I was of him, which seemed odd given the situation. Regardless, he was helpful at times. ¡°What is it?¡± Yahui¡¯s voice was closer this time, causing me to glance toward him. He had finally shifted to face me. Thankfully, I found it easy to keep myself from glancing down. ¡°Where do you think Xiuying would have found such a complex array, and the information on how to use it? I doubt she acquired it in her homeland.¡± I turned away from him slightly to grab one of my bottles. ¡°She was Lady Xu¡¯s most precious daughter. As such, she had a large allowance to spend as she pleased. It is also possible that one of her slaves could have been involved.¡± Yahui waded closer and picked up one of my bottles, turning it over between his fingers. ¡°Why are you using such cheap things?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need expensive things. That money is best used elsewhere.¡± I uncorked the bottle in my hands, but Yahui promptly snatched it and turned away from me to sniff it. ¡°Give that back.¡± ¡°I will have to give Shui and Qiu instructions to ignore your modesty in favor of purchasing higher quality goods,¡± Yahui remarked, tossing the bottle well out of reach. In its place, he summoned a collection of much larger, prettier ones. ¡°Until we return to the Obsidian Terraces, I will share with you.¡± Yahui lifted a green bottle by the neck and offered it to me with an amused smile. Declining would have been unforgivably rude given his status, but I was also annoyed by his treatment of my things. I sighed in frustration and took the bottle from him. ¡®My things¡¯ were bought with his money anyway. ¡°Back to the topic of the array,¡± I began, mostly to keep myself from saying anything I shouldn¡¯t, ¡°I¡¯ve noticed a lock in part of my mind when I¡¯m meditating. It gave me the impression that my memories had been sealed intentionally.¡± ¡°It may be unrelated. After all, you have no distinguishing features to indicate which race you belong to.¡± Yahui took the bottle from me once I had poured some of the cleanser into my hand. ¡°Whatever you are, neither Shui or myself are capable of determining it. That leads me to believe something must be blocking our senses. A ¡®lock¡¯ could be related.¡± ¡°Mn¡­¡± I murmured absentmindedly, working the musky cleanser through my hair. He had a point, but I wasn¡¯t sure what to do with the information. Instead of continuing the conversation, I submerged myself to rinse my hair. When I resurfaced, Yahui was in front of me again and dangling the next bottle just out of reach. He smiled when I gave him a frustrated look. ¡°Are you regretting your suggestion, yet?¡± ¡°I will be if your antics result in us running into Blighted after all.¡± I snatched the bottle from him and waded into the shallows. After pouring some conditioner into my hands, I set the bottle down on the shore and worked it through my hair. Finally, I waded out of the water completely and fetched a towel. I felt Yahui¡¯s eyes on my back the entire time. ¡°I answered your question. Now I want you to answer mine.¡± Yahui¡¯s tone took on a commanding, dangerous edge. I shifted to look back at him, discovering him stalking through the water like a panther. His mismatched eyes shone bright with power as shadows twisted around his limbs. ¡°When you snuck out of the palace, what was your intention? Did you truly think I was the one controlling the Blighted?¡± ¡°I snuck out to kill them,¡± I answered simply, toweling my hair dry as I could. ¡°As for you controlling the Blighted¡­yes, the thought occurred to me. Imagine what I must have felt on my way to the city outskirts. The Blighted¡­and your power outshining theirs. With such a cacophony of mingling powers, there was no clear indication as to what your power was doing until I ventured closer.¡± ¡°Yet you didn¡¯t attack me the moment you arrived.¡± Yahui stopped beside me to fetch a towel as well. ¡°I was determining your intent.¡± I reached over and slid my hand through his shadows. The power slid along my arm, filled with a warmth he otherwise kept hidden. ¡°You seem to care about your subjects greatly, even if they seem to all have the wrong idea about you. As such, I needed to see what you were using your power for. You could have been using the Blighted to kill other Blighted for all I knew.¡± ¡°You are very calculated,¡± Yahui murmured, glancing to the side at me as I began to dress. ¡°Have you nothing warmer?¡± ¡°No.¡± I shook my head before attempting to fasten my sash neatly. ¡°I will be fine, especially once we return to the fire. Though, I must admit that I was surprised you instructed your student to have you and I both awoken in the event of an issue.¡± ¡°I brought you along because we fight well together,¡± Yahui reminded me while rummaging around with something. When he turned to face me again, it was with one of the boxes from town in his hands¡ªand I was in the middle of pulling my hair up. ¡°Wear it.¡± His tone was soft, but there was an edge that indicated it wasn¡¯t a request. I hesitated briefly before picking up the ornament and sliding it into my hair. Yahui smiled, finally appearing to relax. ¡°Can you tell me more about what we will be hunting, at least?¡± I asked while we gathered our things. ¡°Then it wouldn¡¯t be a test.¡± Yahui laughed and placed his hand against the small of my back. ¡°I meant it when I said a woman such as you should be treated gently¡­but you must also know how to deal with the things that won¡¯t.¡± ¡°I thought we already established that I¡¯m capable?¡± I frowned at him, feeling a little miffed. Was he saying I was weak? ¡°You have raw power, but how far does your control go when so much of your memory is missing?¡± Yahui motioned with one hand while he talked. ¡°Testing that is best done here, away from where civilians can be harmed. I don¡¯t believe you would intentionally hurt my people as you are now¡­but accidents happen, especially around those with unrefined power, and those who claim dark or light arts for their affinity.¡± ¡°Humph. Unrefined?¡± I grumbled, looking away from him. ¡°Uncontrolled. Does that suit you better?¡± Yahui laughed, shooting me a mischievous smirk. ¡°A duel is out of the question. We will attract too many nasty thing if either of us reveals ourselves.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be sure if I¡¯m unrefined or uncontrolled until I¡¯ve gone through your little test. I understand.¡± I shook my head slightly. ¡°That may be the only thing I understand when it comes to you.¡± ¡°The feeling is mutual.¡± He shrugged and offered me his arm. ¡°Kindly keep up friendly appearances around my disciples.¡± Friendly appearances¡­ Ah. Is this a case of ¡®keep your friends close and your enemies closer?¡¯ I wondered, taking his arm. There was a confident glint in his eyes even though the rest of his face had returned to the more familiar stoic mask. I see. Does this mean he already sees me as an enemy¡­or is he still deciding? Should I care? ¡°Fang, did you relay my orders?¡± Yahui questioned when we strode into camp. I promptly reclaimed my arm and looked around for somewhere secluded to sit so I could be alone with my thoughts. ¡°Yes, Father.¡± Fang bowed. ¡°Should I help with dinner?¡± I asked upon seeing the disciples milling around. ¡°Hardly. How many times must I state you should be treated gently?¡± Yahui scoffed and strode over to me. He placed his hands on my shoulders and steered me over to a plush lounge that was unlike the other seats. ¡°Rest. I can see you are exhausted after a day of travel¡ªand after the manner of people we had to deal with.¡± ¡°But I should¡ª¡± ¡°Obey a direct order from the emperor?¡± Gang giggled from nearby, peering at me over a large jar. The little brat had me there. ¡°Very well.¡± I sighed heavily, sinking into the seat. ¡°Now then, I should tell you all what Mingzhu and I learned on our way here¡­¡± Yahui strode away from me and over to the fire pit, clamping a hand down on the shoulder of a boy who was attempting to cook something large in the flames. ¡°But first, I should help you finish dinner preparations. You¡¯re going to hurt yourself at this rate!¡± [B1] Chapter Nine: The Pearl Hanging in the Darkness I laid on my back, staring up at the canopy of trees above me. Soft breathing and a few snores filled the air, but that wasn¡¯t the reason for my unrest. Monstrous sounds echoed in the distance, hinting at a battle between Blighted and divine. To add to the strange feeling of the night, there was static in the air and the light filtering through the trees was scarlet. Yet, the patrols hadn¡¯t come to fetch us. Quietly, I pulled myself out of my bed roll so I wouldn¡¯t wake anyone. I glanced down at Yahui while pinning my hair up, and considered waking him, but he looked to be at peace in his sleep. His expression was far softer than any face he made while awake¡ªespecially if compared to his cold, guarded demeanor with me. I let out a small sigh before slipping out of camp and heading in the direction that pulled me. To be safe, I left small orbs of light in my way so that I¡¯d be able to find my way back. At first glance, they would look like dew on leaves to anyone else. A while later, I left the trees behind and found myself on a cliff overlooking an expansive, lush valley. Much of it was forested, but in the open fields were hundreds of Blighted facing off against perhaps a dozen divine beasts. The large, golden creatures crushed dozens of their enemies in a single step, their footfalls causing the very air to vibrate. Above, a full moon shone bright in a dark red sky. At first I thought it to be the product of dark arts, yet I sensed no such thing. When I managed to tear my gaze away from the moon, I scanned my surroundings for anyone¡ªor anything¡ªthat could have been involved in the battle below. Alas, mine was the worst of the available vantage points. If there was anyone else observing the battle below, they were likely on the far side if the valley. I breathed a small sigh and sat cross-legged on the cliff, resting my wrists on my knees. A myriad of powerful energies filled the air, compelling me to meditate upon the battle being waged below. Perhaps those energies could be harnessed to break my lock¡ªor at least to grow. An immeasurable amount of time later, I sensed pure rage speeding toward me. Before I could open my eyes, darkness pierced through my back and chest, knocking the wind from my lungs. The force of the attack lifted me off the ground and sent me tumbling. I managed to stop my fall, landing on my hands and knees, coughing, as I attempted to regain my breath. At the same time, the darkness permeated my mind and rushed through every open pathway. When it slammed full-force into the lock, an earsplitting gong rang through my head and the darkness retreated. ¡°Did you...have to...¡± I began coughing again, glaring at Yahui¡¯s feet as he stalked toward me. His tail snapped violently behind him, and an unsheathed longsword rested in his hand. ¡°Were you not attempting to flee?¡± Yahui brought the blade to the side of my neck. ¡°I was meditating,¡± I snapped, clutching one hand over the left side of my chest. With my breath returned, I now felt the aching pain in my chest and the tendrils of darkness the dragon had woven around my heart. ¡°And admiring the sky, admittedly. I couldn¡¯t sleep with that battle raging on¡ª¡± Yahui¡¯s darkness lifted me off the ground by my throat, cutting off my words. His power swirled lazily around him, his expression a cold mask. I got the distinct impression he was considering killing me¡ªat least, until his gaze fell upon the ornament in my hair. ¡°You should have woken someone to escort you. My order for no one to leave camp on their own was not merely for my disciples.¡± Yahui hesitated before gently setting me on my feet. ¡°Says the other person who wandered away on their own,¡± I scoffed, turning away from him. After sitting once more, I took a deep breath and prepared to return to my meditation, but darkness pierced my torso again as Yahui¡¯s hand wrapped around my throat. My vision went blank as I felt the murderous man¡¯s breath by my ear. ¡°My disciples would never permit me to kill you, even if you were running away,¡± Yahui spoke calmly, his claws tracing down my throat. Darkness coiled around us in an alluring dance, as if trying to tempt me. ¡°If you held ill will, I don¡¯t believe you would be foolish enough to turn your back to me. However...¡± he paused to shove his darkness further through my chest, ¡°...you need to understand that wandering off on your own puts more than yourself at risk.¡± ¡°But I really couldn¡¯t slee¡ª¡± I winced as his claws bit into my skin. ¡°If you put my disciples at risk, you will no longer have to worry, as you will never wake up again,¡± Yahui informed me, his completely calm tone causing my skin to prickle into goosebumps. ¡°Can...can you stop that?¡± I managed to growl at him. ¡°Then stop giving me reasons to threaten you.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t what I¡¯m talking about. Your darkness...¡± I stopped to take a deep breath and forced my eyes to close. His power seemed to be snaking into every available crevice of my mind, and my light was beginning to feel threatened. ¡°Then what?¡± Yahui¡¯s tone indicated he had the wrong impression, which was made clear when he slid his fingers down my throat. ¡°I¡¯m losing my grasp on my light,¡± I informed him bluntly. ¡°It wants to lash out and does not appreciate the intrus¡ª¡± Yahui abruptly released me, dumping me unceremoniously on the ground. As my vision and senses returned to how they should be, I shook my head and then glanced up at the emperor. He stared at his hands as if they were foreign objects. ¡°I did not instruct my darkness to go searching,¡± Yahui answered my unspoken question. He finally looked down at me, frowning, ¡°What did it try to do?¡± ¡°It tried to pierce the lock. When that failed, it spread everywhere.¡± I returned to a sitting a position and shot him a wary look.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°I...gained no knowledge from its attempt.¡± Yahui¡¯s frown deepened as he summoned a large sphere of darkness in one hand. I shut my eyes briefly and turned away from him. Why did I want to be enveloped in darkness again? Clearly my light disapproved. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to return to camp?¡± Yahui questioned. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to apologize for leaping to conclusions?¡± I retorted. ¡°No. I have little reason to believe you wouldn¡¯t attempt to flee.¡± Yahui gracefully perched nearby and summoned his guqin. ¡°Perhaps I should have made my light trail larger.¡± I sighed heavily, earning a frown. ¡°You said your disciples might be scared of my arts, but I also needed a way to find my way back to our camp. Look.¡± When he turned his head to look back the way he had come, I made my orbs flare brightly. ¡°You truly intended to return...¡± Yahui murmured thoughtfully, running his fingers along the length of his guqin. ¡°That becomes less and less likely the more you attack or threaten me.¡± I closed my eyes, wishing for the conversation to end so that I could return to my meditation. ¡°I am sorry¡­¡± The whisper was so faint that I wasn¡¯t certain I¡¯d heard it. I cracked an eye open, but Yahui was facing away from me, his attention on the valley below. I am probably imagining it. I took a deep breath and relaxed into the pattern for my meditation. His darkness doesn¡¯t seem threatening...yet it is clearly threatening to me in some manner. I will have to be more cautious going forward. Yahui began to play his guqin, causing darkness to lazily fill the area we sat in. My light shivered in response, before joining the lyrical sway of power unbidden. I thought to stop it for a moment, before fatigue struck me full force. Before I could open my eyes or mouth and tell Yahui off, I felt myself collapse backward in place. However, I wasn¡¯t finished fighting. ¡°Put me down!¡± I grumbled halfheartedly, glaring at the dragon. A pool of darkness beneath me had caught my fall, and was now drifting in the direction of camp. Yahui floated alongside, his fingers continuing to expertly coax notes from the guqin in his lap. ¡°Rest. Tomorrow, we hunt, and I will not have you become a liability due to exhaustion.¡± Yahui made a dismissive motion. ¡°I...¡± Before I could fully formulate a refusal, it was as if hands reached out and dragged my consciousness into the depths of darkness. * * * When I awoke, it was to the feeling of dizzying displacement and the sound of birds chirping. The night¡¯s events came rushing back to me, causing me to abruptly sit upright. All around me, everyone else was still asleep. It took me a moment to realize someone was gripping my left hand. What in the hells? I stared down at the sleeping Yahui in disbelief. When I attempted to reclaim my hand, his grip tightened and his peaceful expression twisted. It wasn¡¯t until I nudged him awake that he finally let go. ¡°Let me sleep...¡± He murmured, rolling onto his back. Judging by the way he froze, his tail didn¡¯t appreciate the motion. ¡°What happened to rising with the birds?¡± I shoved my blankets off and attempted to rise to my feet, but instead dropped down in place. ¡°Nggghhh... Never use that art on me again.¡± ¡°There should be no ill effects.¡± Yahui¡¯s tone held a hint of concern. He was soon beside me, a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Are you well enough to join us for morning training?¡± ¡°You and I are going to have a discussion first,¡± I stated. When my sideways glance settled on him, he released my shoulder abruptly and stepped back, reaching for his non-existent sword. I managed to pull myself to my feet, then crossed my arms. ¡°Where can we converse privately?¡± ¡°This way.¡± Yahui slipped his feet into a pair of shoes and began to walk away from camp. I silently followed, soon discovering that he was leading me to the same cliff we had left the prior night. How fitting. In the valley below, the war between divine and Blighted raged onward despite the creeping dawn. It would be a while yet before the sun shone on the battlefield below. ¡°Well?¡± Yahui asked when I came to a stop beside him. ¡°We need to discuss this habit you have of threatening me,¡± I informed him calmly, my gaze still on the battle. ¡°You speak of treating me gently, yet channel murderous intent at me instead. Harbor me and buy me gifts, whilst also reacting violently to the simplest of things. It isn¡¯t behavior I¡¯m inclined to tolerate.¡± Yahui released a soft sigh. ¡°Were I to follow my late master¡¯s teachings, you would have died the moment I met you. My instincts, and my desire to diverge from his path, are why you did not.¡± ¡°¡®Late¡¯ master?¡± I murmured. ¡°I wondered why you founded your own sect...¡± ¡°He would have had me become the blade to wipe out all light,¡± Yahui stated, darkness drawing tighter around his body. ¡°When he discovered I had no intention of mindlessly killing users of light arts, we fought. You could say that the student surpassed the master in both skill and conviction.¡± ¡°And this relates to your behavior how?¡± I studied Yahui, though he kept his gaze lowered. Yahui crossed his arms, his tone slightly defensive. ¡°Much of my training was to protect myself and others from the dangers and trickery of light arts. Lashing out at light comes as easily to me as sensing and blocking a punch or a kick. ¡°I am also protective over my subjects, and even moreso my disciples. Any manner of threat is something I would send away¡ªor end.¡± By his standards, then, I should be dead several times over. I tilted my head slightly, tapping my fingers against my hip. ¡°Your instincts are what keeps you from killing me?¡± ¡°Yours is a different manner of light, as I¡¯ve mentioned.¡± Yahui slowly shook his head before turning to look at me. ¡°I also believe that harming you in any way could be the end of my sect, clan, and empire. It...is difficult to put my training aside, but I truly believe intent matters more than what manner of arts a cultivator uses. You have yet to try ¡®cleansing¡¯ me as well.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to cleanse you when you work so well with darkness and it isn¡¯t causing you harm.¡± I shook my head, earning an odd look from him. ¡°Attempting to cleanse you would be as foolish as trying to drain a lake to save a fish from drowning.¡± ¡°Are you comparing me to a fish?¡± Yahui raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m saying darkness is to you as water is to a fish.¡± I shot him a bemused look. ¡°But we have wandered from the matter at hand. I want a solution that will keep your threats and violence to a minimum, because if this behavior continues it won¡¯t be long before our disputes are no longer minor.¡± ¡°I need to grow more accustomed to the feel of your arts, and to your personality. That is part of why I brought you on this trip, yet...¡± He trailed off into a frustrated sigh, his expression pensive. ¡°We fought well together and our arts don¡¯t repel each other. I am...trying to surpass that bastard¡¯s teachings and treat you in a manner befitting a lady of your status.¡± ¡°I suppose that is all I can ask for.¡± I glanced toward him, but he averted his gaze. Well, that explains the whispered apologies and sudden shifts in demeanor, perhaps. But it leaves me wondering who he truly is. ¡°You are not going to demand an apology or gifts?¡± Yahui frowned at me, genuine confusion on his face. ¡°Gifts aren¡¯t an apology. If I didn¡¯t know better, I would think gifts were a bribe so that you could continue with your behavior.¡± I shifted to face him fully as he stared at me, visibly taken aback. ¡°And a verbal apology is no longer sufficient. I will not forgive you until you¡¯ve truly surpassed your late master¡¯s teachings.¡± ¡°Mingzhu...¡± Yahui growled, but then his shoulders slumped. ¡°You will only consider actions to be a true apology? But...¡± The emperor appeared to be at a loss, and mildly distraught. I felt bad for him, truly, but my pity wasn¡¯t going to help him grow past his hurdles. Pivoting, I began walking back the way we had come. ¡°If I am going to remain in your care, I want to know who the real Yahui is, and why his subjects in the Terraces love him so dearly.¡± [B1] Chapter Ten: Connections to the Past The sounds of running water, birds, and distant animals filled the air around me. A canopy of blue leaves swayed far above, sending rays of sunlight dancing across the forest floor and the shallow creek I was standing in. I closed my eyes, taking in the sounds of nature. Almost every speck of darkness I sensed was one of Yahui¡¯s disciples. Almost. Small flecks of light danced around me as I opened my eyes. Though I didn¡¯t sense any Blighted, nor any dangerous animals, there was something else amiss in the forest. Whatever it was, I could tell it was unrelated to the emperor, his clan, and his sect. It seemed likely it was involved with the strange war I had witnessed the previous night. I continued down the creek, hiking my hanfu up as the water rose past my knees. Glimmers of crystal in the creek bed tempted me to stop, but I was there to hunt¡ªnot gather. I pulled out my map and marked the creek with a speck of light. Fully ignoring the presence of crystal felt as if it would be equally as foolish as stopping for it. After a while, I came to an abrupt stop. Two human boys in, perhaps, their teens stood several yards ahead of me. They appeared to be setting up equipment to fish, but both froze when they spotted me. ¡°See, I told you if we waited long enough we would find a higher tier spirit beast!¡± One whispered to the other, pointing in my direction. I glanced over my shoulder to see what they were talking about, but there was nothing there. ¡°Do you really think we can kill an ancient?¡± The other whispered. ¡°I...I know we can¡¯t grow strong without finding spirit cores for ourselves, but...¡± Are...they talking about me? I took a step back, growing my flecks of light into dagger-like shards. Although I didn¡¯t want to kill children... ¡°How else can we protect our village against those things?!¡± The other boy argued, picking up a bow and notching an arrow. ¡°We¡¯re just human! We have to get our power from somewhe¡ª¡± The ground and trees trembled as if affected by an earthquake. An enraged roar made the boys¡¯ faces drain of color. When the three of us looked up, my eyes widened. Above us, a black dragon with very familiar eyes was poised above the children, pushing the trees back with his forearms. Shadows spilled from his maw as he observed the shaking human boys. ¡°T-t-the guardian of the mountains?! Why is he here?¡± The more cowardly of the two boys fell on his rump and swiftly scooted backward, only to have his back meet a boulder. Panicking, he began searching for somewhere to run. ¡°The other one is light, right?! We have to get out of here before they go to war!¡± The dragon imploded into a stream of shadows and sped toward me, reforming into an incredibly angry-looking Yahui. His hand rested on the scabbard of a longsword, his thumb pressed against the hilt, clearly prepared to draw it against the boys. ¡°Why do they think I¡¯m a spirit beast?¡± I asked quietly, keeping my eyes on the two boys. ¡°They lack perception...interesting.¡± Yahui slowly walked forward. By the way the boys were watching, I could tell they still saw a massive dragon, not a man, stalking toward them. ¡°For wishing to kill you and slay you for your power, I should kill them.¡± ¡°Why not give them the ability to perceive instead?¡± I remarked, my lips twisting into a smile. ¡°They¡¯re afraid for their village. A small pocket of humans in your territory who can hardly fend for themselves... Wouldn¡¯t they be inclined to devote themselves to you, were you to gift them perception and show them mercy?¡± Yahui fell still, the faint turn of his head the only indication he had heard me. Though I couldn¡¯t see most of his face, I saw his lips curve into a smirk. ¡°You would have me show them their folly, that they might devote themselves to me as penance? Perhaps you do have a twisted side after all.¡± I crossed my arms with a small ¡®humph.¡¯ ¡°A twisted streak? Hardly. I doubt either of us wants to kill children, even if they are human. Leaving them alive and shifting the situation so we can converse with them only makes sense. After all, how has a pocket of humans survived and gone undetected for so long? In your territory? If this goes unaddressed, your disciples could become the hunted next.¡± Yahui released a soft sigh, exhaling shadows from his mouth. With a motion of both hands, he sent the power piercing into both boys. He pivoted and stalked back toward me, narrowing his eyes. I half-expected a reprimand or for him to lash out, but he placed a hand on my shoulder and leaned down to speak by my ear instead. ¡°Put away your weapons, Mingzhu. We can¡¯t afford for anyone to spot such unique blades.¡± Yahui¡¯s silken voice made me grow still. ¡°If someone sees, my guards, disciples, and I will not be enough to protect you.¡± I pursed my lips and did as he said, leaving only shards of light floating around us. Yahui traced his fingers along my shoulder, leaving trails of darkness, before releasing me and turning to look toward the two stunned boys. ¡°Shall I go back to my hunt, or...¡± I trailed off, unable to read the look he shot me. ¡°You will stay with me.¡± He returned his attention to the boys, who were now looking around in confusion. ¡°Why were the two of you intending to slay my companion?¡± ¡°Huh? Slay your....¡± The first boy stopped in place, his eyes flicking between Yahui¡¯s draconic traits, then finally to me. ¡°Wha-what trick is this?¡± ¡°You mistook us for spirit beasts.¡± Yahui casually strode toward the boys. ¡°I am Xing Yahui, Emperor of the G¨¡oy¨¢ng Continent. These are my lands you are hunting in, and it is one of my treasures you were preparing to attack. Explain yourselves.¡± I watched in silence as the boys hurried to prostrate themselves before the emperor. They hadn¡¯t the faintest inkling of what they had gotten themselves into, but Yahui¡¯s formality seemed to at least make them realize they were in trouble. ¡°We are from the Ash Edge Village, sir!¡± The braver one offered, his forehead still in the dirt. ¡°A small group of us have been surviving on the border of the forest and the wastelands for a few generations. Our elders believed we were the last remnants of civilization in this world!¡± ¡°Creatures started appearing recently and killed a lot of villagers!¡± The other boy added desperately. ¡°Legends say that we can learn arts to defend our village if we defeat a spirit beast and take its power! M-most of our hunters are dead now, so my brother and I came here hoping to find a way to save our village...¡± ¡°The Blighted, perhaps?¡± I offered when Yahui remained silent. When I pulled up my hanfu and strode out of the creek, the boys both turned red to their ears, their eyes on my legs. Yahui cleared his throat pointedly, causing the boys to snap their attention back to him. ¡°The creatures, are they like corpses?¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± they answered. ¡°Then the divine beasts are also an issue.¡± I strode over to Yahui and stopped beside him. His eyes flicked to me briefly, then back to the boys. An amused smile spread across my lips. ¡°I predict their village won¡¯t survive the night.¡± ¡°B-but...¡± The boys¡¯ shoulders dropped, and Yahui sighed. ¡°If your village agrees to become my subjects, I will bring you all back to the safety of the city.¡± Yahui pivoted and turned his back to the boys, shooting me an icy look. ¡°Should your village disagree, all Mingzhu and I can do is give you all a swift death.¡± ¡°N-none of them will be able to see you in this form!¡± The first boy stuttered.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°A simple matter to remedy.¡± Yahui shook his head slowly. ¡°Take us to your village.¡± The boys scrambled to their feet and collected their things before motioning for us to follow. I glanced to my left, spotting Fang and several other disciples in the shadows of nearby trees. Fang acknowledged me with a nod, and they all began to move as our shadow. ¡°M-Miss Mingzhu, if we had known you weren¡¯t a spirit beast, we wouldn¡¯t have...¡± The scaredy-cat stuttered, glancing back at me. ¡°I know,¡± I stated simply. ¡°What manner of creature did I look like to you?¡± ¡°The most prettiest creature of light I¡¯ve ever seen!¡± He responded excitedly. ¡°You were really pretty and white! You had really pretty markings in pale colors, like the light from a prism! I don¡¯t know what you were though. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡± ¡°You also had a really out of place mark in red that looked painful.¡± The other boy frowned, glancing at me as well. ¡°Are you okay? You don¡¯t look hurt, but you also don¡¯t look as similar to your spirit beast form as he does.¡± ¡°Mingzhu is a complicated woman, but she is fine,¡± Yahui spoke dismissively. ¡°Um, and what¡¯s an emp... emyroar...emproyar...¡± ¡°An emperor is a person who rules a many lands and protects them all, and the people within them,¡± Fang answered, appearing beside us. ¡°His Imperial Majesty united many troubled peoples under one banner, preventing chaos and bloodshed.¡± The god of chaos¡¯ favorite preventing chaos? I doubt that, I mused to myself. ¡°Boys, what are your names?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Lei.¡± The braver one nodded. ¡°I¡¯m Jingyi!¡± The one who was excited about my appearance beamed up at me. ¡°Fang, is there anyone available to do more searching?¡± I asked, turning to look at the man. ¡°If His Imperial Majesty commands it...¡± Fang¡¯s gaze flicked past me. ¡°It depends on what Mingzhu is scheming now,¡± Yahui answered, shooting me a sideways look. Even if his expression was a blank mask, it wasn¡¯t difficult to understand he was suspicious. ¡°I marked my map to show where I found something in the creek bed that should be looking into¡ªcrystals.¡± I summoned my map and opened it for the two men to see. ¡°While in the same area, I sensed darkness that doesn¡¯t belong to anyone of the Xing Sect. However, I couldn¡¯t identify the sources. I believe it must be related to last night¡¯s battle in some way.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Yahui frowned at me. ¡°Instinct. Besides, the Xing Sect should be the only people here with a link to dark arts.¡± I offered my map to Fang, who took it. ¡°The other darkness could be people, or it could be objects...or arrays. Given the proximity to our camp, it would be best if we didn¡¯t ignore it.¡± ¡°Assign some of the senior students to carefully look into both matters,¡± Yahui instructed Fang with a reluctant sigh. ¡°Lei, how much further?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a ways to the border, sir.¡± Lei frowned, shaking his head. ¡°Maybe um...half a bell?¡± A bell? I wondered. Whatever manner of measurement that was, Yahui seemed to grasp it. He simply nodded at the boy, then slid an. arm behind my back and lured me closer. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You were shivering,¡± Yahui stated, his eyes remaining focused forward. ¡°We have no fire arts users among us today, so this will have to suffice.¡± ¡°Mn.¡± I refrained from rolling my eyes. Certainly, I was cold, but I had a feeling that he was looking for an excuse. His demeanor since our morning talk remained mostly frigid, but he seemed to be trying to improve his actions. Teasing him for it seemed like a poor idea. While our small party walked, Yahui spoke to the boys in an attempt to learn more about them and their village. The closer we got to our destination, the rockier the terrain became, and I began spotting what appeared to be ruins of some manner. The boys didn¡¯t seem to know what they were from. ¡°Look, there it is!¡± The boys pointed proudly at their village in a secluded valley below. ¡°Wait here a moment.¡± Yahui closed his eyes and summoned shadows from all around us, aweing the human children. When satisfied, Yahui sent the power careening into the village. ¡°They will be able to perceive us properly now.¡± I watched Yahui silently, noting the faint wobble which he swiftly corrected. When he grasped me again, it was more like he sought support. ¡°Yay! Let¡¯s go!¡± Jingyi cheered. ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it, Your Imperial Majesty,¡± I purred under my breath, earning a sharp glare. ¡°I can¡¯t carry you.¡± ¡°This was your idea,¡± Yahui hissed back. ¡°And your decision to go along with it.¡± I smiled sweetly at him. Yahui bared his fangs at me briefly before shutting his eyes and taking a deep, calming breath. When he reopened them, his icy mask had returned. ¡°We need to be cautious due to our proximity to the wastes. These humans have avoided disaster, but our arts could attract starved creatures seeking to regain their life force.¡± ¡°Starved creatures?¡± I murmured. ¡°The land isn¡¯t all that was drained.¡± Yahui shifted to look in the direction of the ashy expanse. ¡°Agriculture is one of the reasons we have worked so hard to restore life to the wastes. Reducing the threat of beasts is the other. Dealing with qi-starved beasts and the Blighted would be a disaster.¡± ¡°Mn.¡± I nodded, sinking into thought briefly. Alas, no solution came to mind. The threads all led to the unbreakable lock. ¡°Mingzhu?¡± Yahui nudged me when I was silent for too long. He narrowed his eyes and looked me over. ¡°We can worry about your ¡®lock¡¯ later. Now is not the time.¡± ¡°Jingyi, Lei, w-what have you done?¡± A man in perhaps his fifties approached us from the village. By his clothes, he appeared to be a blacksmith. ¡°Uncle Su!¡± Jingyi waved excitedly. ¡°These people can help us!¡± ¡°The dragons and...and that other creature, where did they go?¡± Su looked around nervously. ¡°We are right here.¡± Yahui¡¯s smile seemed to scare the man more than make him relax. ¡°It is so very unusual to find humans lacking perception these days. Your village must have been isolated for a long time.¡± ¡°Uncle Su, Yahui is an emperor!¡± Jingyi tugged on the large man¡¯s arm excitedly. Su shoved the boys behind him and adopted a defensive stance, though his knees were shaking. ¡°Are you the new Zhang emperor?!¡± ¡°Did you say Zhang?¡± Yahui frowned, narrowing his eyes. ¡°The Zhang were destroyed many moons ago. It sounds as if you and I may have more in common than I first thought. Could we perhaps discuss this inside?¡± Zhang? I wondered, studying Yahui. There had been a nearly imperceptible shift in his demeanor upon hearing that name. Something told me teasing or joking would be far too dangerous of a game, and it was best saved for another day. ¡°Boys, go help your mother.¡± Su shooed the brothers off, then glanced uncomfortably toward me. ¡°Will the woman be coming too? I¡¯m afraid discussing the Zhang¡­¡± ¡°¡®The woman¡¯ is Lady Mingzhu, and she will be joining us.¡± Yahui gave Su a chilling look. ¡°Of my companions, she is the closest in power to me.¡± ¡°Is she...the empress, then?¡± Su frowned. ¡°Hardly.¡± Yahui and I answered in unison. The emperor continued as if nothing had happened, ¡°Mingzhu is with us to hunt the Blighted, but it would do her well to hear of Zhang.¡± ¡°You said...they are destroyed?¡± Su sat at a large wooden table in his home and motioned for us to sit as well. ¡°I crushed the Zhang in retribution for their slaughter of my village and family,¡± Yahui stated calmly, causing the human¡¯s eyes to widen. ¡°If you were loyal to the Zhang Empire...¡± ¡°Thank the divines!¡± Su scrambled out of his seat and kowtowed on the floor. ¡°I thought perhaps the Zhang had come to send us back into the mines!¡± Yahui released a small sigh, his expression sympathetic. ¡°You are former slaves?¡± ¡°Y-yes, Your Imperial Majesty.¡± Su peeked up nervously. When Yahui made a motion, the blacksmith stood. ¡°The mines are in the wastes now, but the Zhang had us mining for jade, void crystal, blood of the gods, and lunar steel.¡± ¡°Your Imperial Majesty...¡± Fang trailed off when an amused smile rose to Yahui¡¯s face. ¡°I am not here to send you back into the mines, but any knowledge you have of them would be greatly appreciated.¡± Yahui shifted in his seat, his expression becoming contemplative. ¡°My intention is to evacuate you to the Obsidian Terraces where you will not have to concern yourselves with the Blighted. How you and yours work is for each of you to decide. The young can learn trades at any number of schools within my city.¡± ¡°What¡¯s in it for you?¡± Su narrowed his eyes. ¡°We are both victims of the Zhang. I need no other reason.¡± Yahui shook his head. ¡°If you and yours do not wish to relocate somewhere safe, a swift and painless death is all we can offer. Your village will likely not survive the night.¡± Su grew pale and swallowed hard. ¡°The night...¡± ¡°We discovered where the Blighted are hiding while they wait for nightfall,¡± Fang stated. ¡°Given their proximity, they will smell you and come here first. If they themselves don¡¯t kill you, the divine beasts will crush you underfoot.¡± ¡°I am prepared to devote the remainder of the afternoon to getting you all far from this place.¡± Yahui motioned loosely with one hand. ¡°Saving lives takes priority over our hunting trip.¡± ¡°I-I will speak with the other elders.¡± Su darted out the door. I glanced over at Yahui when he released a heavy sigh. His pensive expression seemed as if it wasn¡¯t seeing the humble cabin at all. Perhaps he was seeing whatever home of his the Zhang had crushed. I decided the silence was too much for me. ¡°You¡¯re interested in the mines?¡± ¡°The Zhang destroyed the records of their mining operations when they learned of my incoming attack on their capital.¡± He glanced toward me. ¡°Void crystals, blood of the gods, and lunar steel are rare materials. Void crystals and lunar steel are useful in weaponry and armor. Blood of the gods is an exquisite gem prized for its pure color, clarity, and arts-enhancing properties. Due to its rarity, only rulers and deities are ever seen wearing them.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s better for you to seize it, so it doesn¡¯t fall into Lady Xu¡¯s hands.¡± I frowned, crossing my legs. ¡°If it¡¯s in the wastes, it must be teeming with Blighted and qi-starved creatures.¡± ¡°Agreed. It will require careful planning, including returning life to the area.¡± Yahui nodded. ¡°For now, we should focus on evacuations. Mingzhu, Fang, I want the two of you to return to our camp and make preparations to return home.¡± He paused to shoot me a pointed look when I shifted to argue. ¡°Protect the children.¡± That, I couldn¡¯t argue with. Especially not when he had seemed so concerned I would harm them, before. ¡°Very well. Will we be leaving tonight, or in the morning?¡± ¡°Tonight, but we will feed everyone first.¡± Yahui stroked his chin, the corners of his lips curving upward. ¡°Leave the cooking to Fang and the children. You are to keep watch.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I am sure it¡¯s hilarious that I can¡¯t cook.¡± I stood and flapped my hand dismissively. ¡°Try not to linger too long.¡± [B1] Chapter Eleven: Coiled to Strike I scanned the trees, looking for anything unusual. Birds chirped in the canopy, while various animal calls echoed through the forest. They appeared to be fleeing from something but resumed calmer behavior well before reaching our camp. I could only assume they were fleeing from the Blighted, as there were no signs of Divine Beasts yet. A few hours had passed since I returned to camp with Fang. The emperor, his disciples, and the humans had yet to make an appearance. Dusk was falling, eliminating the likelihood of us leaving until morning. Motioning with one hand, I sent small orbs of light drifting through the trees to illuminate the area. If nothing else, I could scare off the wild animals and buy us time. In an array around me, I summoned sharp shards of light. Were anything threatening to appear, I would impale it. There was little we could do if the divine beasts drew near, but at least I could destroy Blighted or other smaller enemies if necessary. With the Blighted alert and making moves, I could no longer detect the dark presences from earlier in the day. A small sigh escaped me, and I rested back against the tree. With our change of plans, it seemed unlikely we would get to investigate any of the things I had noticed. I hadn¡¯t gotten to hunt anything, either. An alluringly sweet smell drifted past me, pulling me from my thoughts. Moments later, darkness engulfed each of my light orbs. My focus, however, was on the branch I sat on. Shadows pooled together to form a figure, which solidified into Yahui. ¡°You are missing dinner.¡± Yahui tilted his head, examining me. ¡°Someone needs to keep watch,¡± I replied dismissively, glancing away from him. Though he had engulfed my light, this time he wasn¡¯t trying to crush it. Perhaps he was learning. ¡°Are we waiting until morning to leave?¡± ¡°No. We leave once everyone has eaten¡ªincluding you.¡± Yahui¡¯s pointed look made me grimace and pull myself to my feet. ¡°You and I will ride in the carriage that was brought along. Everyone else shall be on foot, aside from the few pregnant humans we will allow to ride on our horses.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they do better in the carriage?¡± I asked, frowning at him. Yahui shrugged and crossed his arms. ¡°They would, but now that we must travel as a group it will be easier for others to determine who I am¡ªand it is likely I will need to act in an official capacity.¡± ¡°So, dinner, then we leave?¡± I pivoted on the branch, but stopped to look at him again. ¡°And do you intend to dampen my light the entire time?¡± ¡°It is pleasant.¡± Yahui¡¯s eyes drifted closed, his grip on the orbs unwavering. A long, soft sigh escaped him. Just as I was beginning to think he intended to stay that way, his eyes opened slightly, and he turned away. ¡°We should return to camp so you can eat. You may leave your lights as they are.¡± I watched him leap gracefully from the tree, hesitating to follow. Yahui, however, strode confidently in the direction of camp the moment his feet touched the ground. Is he so confident I¡¯ll obey? Despite my misgivings, I soon followed him. My rumbling stomach didn''t have to do much to overthrow my pride. ¡°What of the darkness you sensed earlier?¡± Yahui rested a hand behind his back as he slowed to a stop to wait for me. ¡°There are too many other presences contaminating my perception. I can no longer pick out anything beyond the Blighted and divine.¡± I shook my head. As we fell into step, I continued, ¡°I¡¯m certain that what I sensed earlier wasn¡¯t one of your disciples, and it felt different from the Blighted.¡± ¡°Either tools of dark arts left behind, or dark arts users themselves¡­¡± Yahui murmured. His knit brow and the turn of his lips were a rare display of genuine emotion, revealing just how troubled he was. ¡°Practitioners of the dark arts should have attacked you. That they didn¡¯t is more worrying than if they had. It is possible they think to use you somehow¡­or they were able to see how far above them you are.¡± ¡°Use me? As you intend to do?¡± I scoffed, waving dismissively. He turned to shoot me a sharp glare. ¡°Please. You think I don¡¯t realize you must have some ulterior motive in helping me? At minimum, I would guess you hope to earn the favor of whichever clan steps forward to claim me as theirs. Having light arts users as allies would help you immensely. ¡°Were your intentions more nefarious, you wouldn¡¯t be biding your time. You would have already acted, and one of us would be broken for it.¡± ¡°There are other reasons to aid you.¡± Yahui¡¯s expression smoothed over and he looked away from me. ¡°You will not lure information from me by acting in such a manner, Mingzhu. Sometimes protecting someone from themselves is more important than being honest with them or answering their questions.¡± I crossed my arms and sighed in agitation. ¡°At the very least, help me figure out this accursed lock while you¡¯re feeling so generous.¡± When I felt fingertips against my cheek, I looked over at Yahui in surprise. Shadows swirled lazily around his hand, and his eyes were shut. His tail swayed back and forth to some unknown rhythm, while around us the wind picked up, lifting leaves into the air.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Ah. Interesting¡­¡± Yahui murmured, slowly opening his eyes to search mine. ¡°I believe I understand the ¡®lock¡¯ you found, but it will require time and seclusion for me to break. That will have to wait until after we¡¯ve escorted our new friends to the Obsidian Terraces.¡± With that, Yahui¡¯s hand fell to his side and he began walking again. I reached up to my cheek hesitantly, feeling the lingering warmth left by his power. My fingers came away from my cheek with a few stray shadows clinging to them. They seemed to vibrate against my skin before drifting into the air and back to their master. ¡°Father, the rest of my brothers have arrived.¡± Fang bowed to Yahui when we arrived, then glanced at me. ¡°Sister Mingzhu, Gang took your food to your bedroll for you. Once you¡¯ve finished, everyone should be ready to leave.¡± ¡°Good. Where are the men you sent to investigate the crystals Mingzhu spotted? I would speak with them while we wait.¡± Yahui started to follow Fang, then stopped to glance back at me. ¡°You should change into more luxurious clothing once you eat. Shui will have packed some for you, no doubt.¡± With that, the emperor and his disciples left me to my own devices for dinner. I didn¡¯t mind the relative quiet. It let me focus my attention on the distant rumblings of battle instead of conversation. The footfalls of far-off divine beasts were like drums in the distance. After devouring my meal, I found somewhere to change and then rejoined the camp. When Yahui spotted me, I could have sworn I saw delight in his eyes before his mask slid firmly into place. ¡°You warmed up to my gifts?¡± Yahui asked, his gaze flicking from my hair ornament, to my earrings, and then finally to my face. ¡°They suit you.¡± ¡°I find it difficult to accept kindness or generosity¡­but I am trying,¡± I offered after a moment of thought. ¡°You were right to think that I wanted them, even if accepting them doesn¡¯t quite feel right.¡± ¡°You needn¡¯t be modest.¡± Yahui smiled slightly. I¡­don¡¯t think modesty has anything to do with it. Seeing as several disciples were approaching us, I opted to keep the thought to myself. ¡°The carriage is ready for you and Mingzhu, Father,¡± Fang declared, puffing his chest out with pride. ¡°We are ready to move when you give the command. The refugees have been instructed to stay at the center of our formation.¡± ¡°Then we should go.¡± Yahui nodded to Fang, and we followed him toward the carriage. ¡°We will take a brisk pace to return to the plains. The divine beasts sound as though they are getting closer, which means they will venture into the wastes. If we are swift, we will avoid them.¡± Yahui waited for me to get into the carriage first, then followed soon after. When the door shut, he released a small sigh before summoning his guqin and resting it on his lap. I glanced around at the plush interior briefly, then back at the emperor. ¡°Remove your illumination from the forest.¡± Yahui shot me a brief look before returning his attention to his instrument. ¡°You may sleep once we reach the plains, if you wish. I believe you have enough room on that side.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I remain awake in case we are attacked?¡± I frowned at the emperor, watching as his fingers paused against the strings. ¡°I will wake you if anything of importance happens.¡± Yahui looked up from the instrument to study me. ¡°Traveling by carriage such as this will be much slower than how we arrived. You may remain awake until we stop to let everyone rest, if you wish. However, that will remove your ability to contribute to our patrols.¡± ¡°¡­wake me if the divine beasts or Blighted come close.¡± I relented with a soft sigh. Yahui said nothing, and instead began playing a calming melody on his guqin. I recalled all my orbs of light to me, then cast my senses throughout surroundings. Without windows, I had only so many ways to determine when we entered the plains. The emperor¡¯s darkness reached out and coiled around one of my tendrils of light, pulling it back toward our carriage. I nearly missed his quiet murmur of, ¡°You will draw the Blighted to us.¡± ¡°How am I to know when we have entered the plains, then?¡± I glared at him. ¡°When the convoy increases its speed,¡± Yahui stated. Sighing, I slumped back in my seat and resigned myself to waiting. There wasn¡¯t a single part of me that didn¡¯t wish to leap out of the carriage and track down the local Blighted. Handling them before they could reach us seemed like a safer alternative to waiting. The only thing keeping me from disobeying Yahui was the way I knew he would react. He would think I was putting his disciples and the refugees in danger¡ªand I doubted telling him it was his fault for waiting for me to return that would truly endanger them. We spent several minutes in uncomfortable silence before Yahui broke it. ¡°If divine beasts are being sent to hunt the Blighted, I must find a way to lure the Blighted away from the Obsidian Terraces. I won¡¯t have my people crushed underfoot by those dispassionate dogs¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯ll really destroy anything, so long as they achieve their goal?¡± I asked, earning a brisk nod in reply. ¡°Then, we would need to force the Blighted far, far from the Terraces for it to matter, wouldn¡¯t we? Otherwise, we¡¯d still run the risk of them being summoned close by.¡± ¡°We?¡± Yahui shot me an unconvinced look. ¡°Well, unless you intend to keep me trapped in the palace forever.¡± I crossed one leg over the other and stared back in defiance. ¡°Also, you claimed that I¡¯m one of the few who can fight well with you against the Blighted, and without getting in your way. There¡¯s no need to make matters more difficult by acting on your own. I do have a vested interest in keeping the Terraces safe, after all.¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± Yahui rested his fingers against the strings of his guqin and breathed a small sigh. ¡°Well, we can discuss that matter when the time comes. I will have my disciples who studied necrotic arts search for a way to attract the Blighted to another location¡ªassuming such arts will work on them. There is a small possibility we could re-purpose the Blighted into undead minions, perhaps¡­¡± ¡°Minions?¡± I scoffed. ¡°I doubt they are truly compatible. More is wrong with them than their undead nature, and I doubt purifying them¡ªif possible to begin with¡ªwould leave you with usable corpses.¡± ¡°¡­you are not going to throw a fit over necrotic arts?¡± Yahui tilted his head, a small frown on his lips. ¡°Well, if you wished to use them to subjugate your own people, I would,¡± I replied with a dismissive shrug. ¡°Or if you went out of your way to kill people to create an undead army. Utilizing existing corpses who may never have had a proper burial, however? I see no issue unless you intend to do something evil with them.¡± ¡°Evil in what way?¡± Yahui gave me a doubtful look. ¡°Harming your own people or allies,¡± I stated flatly. ¡°Using them to protect or save people is fine, as would sending them to fight against your enemies. An enemy would struggle to break through a front line comprised of undead soldiers. By the time they did, your men would be capable of dominating the remainder of the battlefield.¡± ¡°I hope you remain so amiable once your memories are returned to you.¡± Yahui shook his head slowly before beginning to play a new song on his guqin. After a moment, he shot me a brief glance. ¡°We¡¯ve entered the plains. Rest.¡± ¡°For now, I suppose.¡± I sighed, taking out my earrings and hair ornament. After storing them away, I stretched out on the seat, listening to Yahui play. I doubted our return trip to the Terraces would be uneventful. As such, even if I didn¡¯t feel tired, resting to save my strength seemed prudent. [B1] Chapter Twelve: The Pearls Mandate Something that sounded like an explosion rocked the carriage, sending my slumbering self out of the seat and onto the floor. Or at least, it would have had Yahui not caught me. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and glanced around. Moments later, I sensed it. The overwhelming powers of both Blighted and divine pressing in from both sides. Yahui and I left the carriage in unison, him to face off against the Blighted and me to stare down the divine beast. The large creature made of light energies loomed over us, it¡¯s feet still hundreds of feet away. It lumbered slowly across the plains, clearly unaware of what it crushed under its golden hooves. Markings in brilliant prismatic light covered the bestial creature¡¯s hide. Golden adornments hung over various parts of its body, studded with vibrant jewels. The slight familiarity gave me a moment of pause, but when its next footfall shook the earth I snapped to my senses. ¡°Stop!¡± I commanded, summoning blades of light around me. ¡°Do you intend to crush innocents during your hunt?!¡± To my surprise, the divine beast halted and lowered its head. Its breath caused blades of grass, leaves, and dust to fly into the air around us. ¡°Inno¡­cents?¡± The beast¡¯s voice vibrated through the air, much quieter than I expected from such a large creature. Its golden eyes blinked at me, then shifted to our convoy. ¡°I must hunt.¡± ¡°Hunt elsewhere! We can destroy these Blighted!¡± I narrowed my eyes at the beast. It hesitated, tilting its head. ¡°Elsewhere?¡± ¡°There are more Blighted, far too many, in the wastelands beyond here.¡± I kept my voice level, attempting to not come off as threatening. ¡°Let us slay these. Go back to hunting the ones in the wastelands, or you will kill these people as well as the Blighted.¡± ¡°I will¡­wait. If you cannot kill yours¡­¡± The beast trailed off, sitting on its haunches. I bit back my irritation and hastened to join Yahui on the far side of the carriage. Every thrum of his guqin sent more Blighted collapsing to the ground. His disciples were quite far from us, aside from our driver who was keeping the horses calm. When I landed in a crouch near Yahui, he shot me a wary glance but said nothing. ¡°If we don¡¯t handle the Blighted ourselves, the beast intends to do it for us.¡± I sent blades of light careening into the front row of Blighted. ¡°We need to slay them, all of them, and quickly.¡± ¡°Very well. We will discuss this later.¡± Yahui shot me a dangerous glare before settling his glowing crimson and violet gaze on the Blighted. ¡°Take care not to hit my pets with your attacks.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I scoffed, summoning more light weapons around myself. As I prepared, Yahui reached into one of his sleeves and pulled out what looked like small silver orbs. He tossed the orbs, sending them skittering across the ground. Once touched by his darkness, they cracked open to form the elegant cage-like contraptions I had seen him use to create familiars before. While they took shape, he continued attacking the Blighted with his guqin. The Blighted lunged toward the contraptions as if aware they were a threat. I cut them off with spikes of light, impaling the undead that attempted to halt Yahui¡¯s summoning. Next, I dashed in with a blade of light in one hand and began to hack through the waves of Blighted. Yahui¡¯s creatures soon joined me. Shockwaves of power frequently flew over my head from his guqin, plunging into the further away enemies.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. While his familiars and I tore through the closest Blighted, Yahui took care of the ones in the back. Slowly, we whittled down the waves of creatures, but I had a feeling it wasn¡¯t quickly enough to appease the divine beast. Gritting my teeth, I fell back to Yahui¡¯s side. ¡°There is more than when we fought together outside the Terraces,¡± Yahui commented. I glanced to the side at him when I heard the faint raggedness to his voice. ¡°We need to end this quickly. You still insist I should keep my other weapons hidden?¡± I gave him a pointed look when he glanced at me. ¡°That is¡­¡± Yahui took a deep breath, swaying in the air. For a moment, I thought his levitation skill might break. ¡°I give you permission to unleash against the Blighted. We can¡¯t afford to have our divine¡­overseer grow impatient.¡± I concentrated briefly, calling forth weapons made of bright white metal. They floated around me, casting prismatic glints of light off every nearby surface. After taking a longsword in one hand, I dashed into the throngs of Blighted again¡ªthis time with a maelstrom of light shards surrounding me. Yahui called his familiars back to him, giving me free rein to swing my weapons in wide arcs around me. More creatures rose from the soil nearby, causing me to narrow my eyes. Something was actively summoning them. Taking a deep breath, I called upon my power and concentrated it into a long, flexible rope. I conjured a handle and gripped the newly-created whip, allowing my sword to join the dance of floating weapons. With a sharp flick of my wrist, I sent the whip of light slashing through the Blighted, cutting them in half. Their bodies crumpled to the ground, their wounds glowing white-hot. Next, I lashed out at where I saw the creatures appearing from. My whip dug several feet into the ground. Moments later there was a sound like breaking glass. New Blighted ceased appearing, allowing us to finish off the several dozen that remained. ¡°Now then, how¡­¡± Yahui fell silent and caught me with one arm when my knees gave out. He opened his mouth and closed it a few times, clearly uncertain of something. Finally, he sighed and asked, ¡°Was it necessary for you to use so much power? You could have caused yourself permanent damage.¡± ¡°My instincts¡­told me¡­we were taking too long,¡± I panted, attempting to right myself and stand on my own. My weapons disappeared whence they came as the divine beast lowered its head to peer at us. ¡°Blighted¡­gone. I shall hunt elsewhere. Wastelands?¡± The divine beast¡¯s gaze flicked to Yahui. ¡°Dark arts user¡­ Xing Yahui. Favored by gods. Will not hunt you.¡± Yahui stiffened, his gaze trained on the beast, but he didn¡¯t let go of me. ¡°Yes, hunt in the wastelands. Try not to kill people who aren¡¯t Blighted,¡± I stated, giving the beast a firm look. ¡°If people die, you won¡¯t have anything left to protect.¡± The beast tilted its head in silence for a moment, then nodded. It turned and paced back in the direction of the wastelands, causing the ground to tremor with each step. Between the beast¡¯s footfalls and my exhaustion, my legs gave out again. Yahui pulled my arm over his shoulders and gripped my wrist, using his other arm to brace my waist. ¡°Stop your struggling. You clearly can¡¯t walk on your own.¡± Yahui¡¯s grip on my wrist tightened. ¡°I wasn¡¯t struggling,¡± I grumbled, earning a doubtful look. ¡°I was trying...to...¡± My vision swam, my head pounding. ¡°Mingzhu?¡± ¡°Dizzy¡­¡± I whined. ¡°Let me help.¡± One of the nearby disciples pulled my other arm over his shoulders. The two men managed to get me back to the carriage, in which I promptly sprawled out on one of the seats and covered my eyes with one arm. When Yahui cleared his throat as if to get my attention, I shook my head. ¡°We will have to discuss this at some point.¡± Yahui sighed. ¡°Everything is spinning, and I can¡¯t tell up from down!¡± I huffed in reply. ¡°Talk all you want, but I¡¯m keeping my arm here or I might fall on the floor.¡± When Yahui spoke again, it was in an unreadable, quiet tone. ¡°What possessed you to directly confront a divine beast?¡± ¡°It seemed like the right thing to do. Otherwise it would have kept walking without regard for what was in its path, even if we killed the Blighted quickly enough.¡± ¡°Perhaps I should just be thankful it listened,¡± Yahui muttered. A soft thud and the rustling of fabric gave me the impression he had sunk back in his seat. ¡°We will begin moving again once my disciples have collected the fragments of the artifact you broke.¡± ¡°¡­we aren¡¯t already moving?¡± I grimaced, peeking at Yahui around my arm. ¡°I would offer to send you into slumber, but I believe I know your answer.¡± Yahui shook his head before shifting to look away from me. ¡°Rest. My disciples and I will handle any further trouble that might arise.¡± [B1] Chapter Thirteen: Clouded Perception Blue energy rippled through the dark clouds hanging above me, accompanied by an unending stream of rumbling thunder. At first, I thought the dragons might have left me somewhere to fend for myself, but as I became more awake, I realized I was on a plush bed and there appeared to be a ceiling of glass of crystal between me and the sky. This isn¡¯t the palace¡­ I started to drift off again, until the large shape of a black dragon coiled through the sky. I would have recognized those red and violet eyes anywhere. What is that fool doing?! Flying through such a storm should be a death sentence! I pulled myself from bed but only made it a few steps before I lost my balance and dropped to the floor. My vision swam as I clutched my head. Wherever we were, it couldn¡¯t have been too far from where we had fought the Blighted. Not if it was still night, and I still felt so weakened. ¡°Mingzh¡­ What are you doing out of bed?¡± Yahui demanded icily. When I glanced his way, his face was a frigid mask aside from his eyes. Those shone with anger. ¡°I wanted to figure out where I am, but¡­nggghh.¡± I winced, clutching my head again. ¡°It¡¯s as if someone were using my head as a gong¡­¡± Yahui released an agitated sigh. Before I knew what was going on, darkness engulfed me, lifted me off the floor, and dropped me squarely in bed. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be taking so long to recover.¡± Yahui crossed his arms. ¡°As for where we are, we¡¯re at one of my villas in the mountains southwest of the wastelands. The refugees were too frightened of our encounter to continue onward.¡± ¡°And why were you flying around in that storm?¡± I pointed up. Yahui raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°I¡¯m a user of the dark arts. Umbral storms pose no threat to me.¡± I just stared at him for a moment. ¡°A¡­what storm?¡± ¡°Umbral.¡± Yahui shrugged. ¡°Another thing you have forgotten? Or perhaps an indication that you are indeed from elsewhere¡­ No matter. You need to rest. If the thunder is interfering with your sleep, I will aid you.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t.¡± I let out a long sigh and looked away from him. There was an intake of air as if he intended to respond, but instead there was silence aside from the faint rustling of fabric. I peeked in his direction, only to see his tail disappear through a doorway. That suited me just fine. I closed my eyes and attempted to still my thoughts. * * * When I next awoke, it was still dark and storming. This time, however, there was the sound of a guqin. I glanced across the room, finding Yahui floating with his eyes closed. The soothing melody carried a tinge of melancholy with it. Shadows languidly coiled around the dragon and his intricate instrument. I shifted to stare at the ceiling, my eyelids growing heavy again. Sleep lured me closer¡­until murderous intent flooded my senses. I scrambled out of bed and called light to me, searching for my attacker. ¡°Mingzhu?¡± Yahui questioned quietly. ¡°You didn¡¯t sense¡­nggh¡­¡± I dropped to one knee, my head spinning. Something was wrong. Much more so than I first thought. If Yahui couldn¡¯t sense such vile intent¡­ ¡°Sense what?¡± Yahui strode over and knelt on one knee, placing a hand on my shoulder. The presence faded briefly, circling around to my left. When the murderous intent flooded my senses yet again, I shoved Yahui out of my way and met the attacker with a longsword of light. The air rippled, to reveal our attacker¡ªand their crazed eyes. Scowling, I shoved back against their blade and made a motion with my free hand, drifting out of their reach. Chains made of prismatic light erupted from the floor, trapping the assassin¡¯s limbs and pulling them taut. I considered quartering him¡­then took a deep breath and turned to look at the nearby emperor. My expectation was that he would look enraged about the attack. Instead, he looked¡­concerned. ¡°What did I say about resting?¡± Yahui sighed at me, shaking his head. He turned to look at the captured man next, a small frown tugging his lips. ¡°An intruder here¡­ I suppose I should thank you for capturing him, Mingzhu. Rest. I will deal with matters from here.¡± When I hesitated, Yahui shot me a firm look over his shoulder before disappearing through a doorway with the prisoner in tow. With him gone, I wandered over to a low table nearby and sniffed a pitcher of clear liquid to confirm it was water. I downed its entire contents before moving back to the bed I had awoken in. My head was still fuzzy, my balance leaving much to be desired. If I must¡­ Stretching out on the bed, I covered my eyes with one arm and took a few deep breaths. Sweet incense filled my senses, luring me toward sleep. A crack of thunder made me shift my arm slightly to stare out the clear ceiling. An ¡®umbral storm,¡¯ he had called it. Safe for him¡­and likely quite dangerous for me. A small sigh escaped me as I watched the roiling clouds and rippling energies. It was mesmerizing to watch, even as the continuing rolls of thunder shook our shelter. A deadly sort of beauty.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Lady Mingzhu?¡± A voice called called. My eyes snapped open, though I couldnt recall going to sleep. ¡°You must be hungry by now.¡± ¡°My head hurts¡­¡± I slowly rose to a sitting position. Glancing to the side, I found Shui bowing to me with his hands cupped. ¡°Shui¡­?¡± ¡°His Imperial Majesty sent for me, that I might tend to you.¡± Shui straightened, a small frown coming to his face while he examined me. ¡°He is teaching his students how best to prize information from your captive.¡± ¡°How long have I been asleep?¡± I shrugged on a robe in hope of staying warm. ¡°Two days, my lady.¡± Shui caught me by the arm when I wobbled, his eyes narrowing. ¡°The umbral storm must be keeping you from recovering fully. Once you have eaten, I will advise His Imperial Majesty that we should leave this place.¡± ¡°And what of the humans we found?¡± I permitted Shui to guide me over to a nearby table, at which I carefully took a seat. ¡°How are they faring in this strange weather?¡± ¡°Strange¡­?¡± Shui¡¯s mouth tugged into a frown, before he tilted his head back to look out the glass ceiling. ¡°My lady is unfamiliar with such storms?¡± He paused, letting out a small sigh when I nodded once for confirmation. ¡°It is a tale that can wait until we have left this place, and one that is perhaps best left to His Imperial Majesty to explain.¡± The was the brief tingle of a presence behind me somewhere before a low voice spoke, ¡°Perhaps so.¡± I stilled myself, refraining from drawing a sword, then glanced over my shoulder at Yahui. His expression was passive, at first, until he saw the look I was giving him. ¡°Kindly do not lurk behind me.¡± I returned my attention forward when the emperor said nothing. Shui covered an amused smile with his sleeve before shifting to pour three cups of tea. ¡°Lady Mingzhu should be relocated at once, Your Imperial Majesty.¡± Shui turned on his knees to bow his head to Yahui, his hands cupped. ¡°I believe the umbral storm and other lingering energies are preventing her from recovering.¡± ¡°Is this true?¡± Yahui glided past Shui, casting me a sideways glance before taking a seat across from me at the table. ¡°Shui had to assist me in walking this far.¡± I looked in the direction of the bed, then at the table and sighed. ¡°Something is preventing me from recovering, be in the storm, dark energies, or something else entirely. Though I am intrigued by this place and find it peaceful, it may be best to relocate if your intention was to let me recover.¡± ¡°Are you implying that I intended otherwise?¡± Yahui narrowed his eyes at me, causing Shui to stiffen. ¡°Your Imperial Majesty¡­¡± Shui fell silent when the emperor motioned at him. ¡°Mingzhu saved us from a divine beast,¡± Yahui informed the blue-haired dragon, causing the man to frown. ¡°Had she not been with us, my disciples, the humans, and I would have been crushed underfoot by the divine beast while being overrun by Blighted. However, we must consider why the divine beast was willing to listen to Mingzhu.¡± ¡°They have never been willing to communicate before¡­¡± Shui sat back, his expression pensive. I remained silent and took a sip of my tea, well aware of Yahui¡¯s piercing gaze upon me. If he was hoping I had answers, he was sorely mistaken. ¡°Well?¡± Yahui prompted, reminding me I hadn¡¯t answered his question. ¡°It was a matter of phrasing.¡± I gave him an unamused look. ¡°The world doesn¡¯t revolve around me. If something else brought us here¡ªsuch as you giving our weary mortals a place to rest¡ªthen there could be reasons to remain here despite my ¡®condition.¡¯¡° ¡°At the very least, permit me to escort Lady Mingzhu to the Terraces,¡± Shui prompted, bowing deeper to Yahui. ¡°I am not letting her out of my sight. The moment she strays too far from me, the storm will seek to consume her.¡± Yahui shook his head slowly, then narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°We will leave tomorrow morning. The refugees are still frightened, but now it is due to the storm, not the beasts. Shui, see to it that the refugees are prepared.¡± ¡°Your Imperial Majesty¡­?¡± Shui hesitated, glancing toward me. ¡°My duty¡­¡± ¡°I will look after her for now.¡± Yahui gave the other dragon a dangerous glare and left it at that, leaving no room for debate. Defeated, Shui bowed and took his leave. I studied the grouchy emperor while picking at my breakfast. He¡¯d managed to grow testier while I slept, though I couldn¡¯t quite suss out the cause. He swirled his tea in cup in silence, his expression stormier than the skies above. ¡°I have a confession,¡± Yahui spoke slowly, finally raising his gaze to meet mine. ¡°You were right to believe I took you in, protected you, and provided for you because I believe it will be beneficial to me¡ªor, more accurately, because doing otherwise could be detrimental to me and my people.¡± ¡°Am I meant to be surprised?¡± I raised an eyebrow, but he shook his head. ¡°Mingzhu, you are powerful enough to make a divine beast take notice of your presence. Whoever your family or teachers are, I can¡¯t imagine they would take kindly to someone who chose to let you remain on the street, living in squalor.¡± Yahui released a pensive sigh, his gaze dropping to his cup. ¡°I am telling you this because you have proven again and again that you mean my people no harm. You deserve¡­a modicum of honesty and respect in return.¡± ¡°A modicum?¡± I laughed. ¡°Neither of us can say for certain if your view of darkness and its children will remain as it is now.¡± Yahui narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°When your memories return, you may be an entirely different person. As such, I choose to exercise caution.¡± ¡°Understandable.¡± I nodded once. ¡°Seeing as you mean no ill will, and aren¡¯t trying to ¡®profit¡¯ off ¡®harboring¡¯ me, I see no reason to be upset with you. Thank you for your honesty. Now then, what of the Blighted we fought? I seem to remember some manner of artifact¡­¡± ¡°Artifact?¡± Yahui frowned. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re referring to.¡± ¡°There was something buried in the ground where we fought the Blighted. They stopped appearing when I broke it.¡± I shook my head faintly. As experienced as he seemed, I¡¯d assumed Yahui had noticed. Some spiteful part of me considered calling him on his incompetence, but my better judgment won out. ¡°I was hoping to examine it, but I suppose it is too late for us to go back for it.¡± ¡°You¡­are certain.¡± Yahui folded his arms within his sleeves and sat back, shutting his eyes. ¡°Even in the chaos I should have noticed something so strange. Clearly my training is not as near complete as I believed.¡± ¡°One¡¯s training is never ¡®complete.¡¯ Not unless you wish to be overcome by your enemies, that is.¡± I scoffed at him, feeling mildly annoyed. ¡°So long as you have something to live for, you should have reason to train.¡± ¡°Are¡­you lecturing me?¡± Yahui stared at me in disbelief. Just as I began to second-guess myself, he burst into genuine laughter. ¡°I appreciate your candor! Though I¡¯m concerned about this ¡®artifact¡¯ you discovered, you are right that we shouldn¡¯t return to investigate. It is in our best interests to make a swift return to the Terraces. You can fill me in regarding the object during our return trip, as I will be taking the carriage with you. For now, it is best you continue to rest. If the umbral storm is truly the cause of your slow recovery, then you should not exert yourself.¡± I let out a small sigh. ¡°You¡¯re right. May I have something to read, at least?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Yahui nodded, rising gracefully to his feet, a small smile playing on his lips. ¡°I will find something to occupy you.¡±