Chapter 6

I wanted to compare my brother to a singer, which should have earned me a lightning strike. But I never expected the punishment to come so swiftly.

I was still in the middle of my self-reflection when a woman next to Fu Chenzhi noticed my presence. My celestial flight technique was not yet smooth, and when our eyes met, I startled and almost fell to the ground. But she seemed to find it amusing, giving a mischievous smile and squinting her eyes.

Afterward, I felt as though I was under a spell, my spiritual energy no longer under my control. Originally rising, my magic was instead drawn by another force, pulling me upwards toward the crowd. The commotion was so great that the officials all looked up.

Instantly, hundreds of burning gazes turned me into a sieve, and, true to expectation, I flew in an arc toward my second sister, landing awkwardly.

A collective gasp echoed from the hundreds of people present. Then, all was silent, except for the lingering echoes of their gasps. I looked up at my second sister, who lightly covered her lips, her face pale. A glance at my father showed him staring at me, and I responded with a cheerful, innocent smile. His face, however, remained grim and dark.

This was it. I was truly doomed now.

That evening, I slumped, holding a chair high, kneeling in the back garden of the Zichao Palace.

My father paced back and forth before me, occasionally stopping to say angrily, “What on earth are you doing?! You, the young princess of Sùzhāo, secretly used the Water Ascension technique, and in such a solemn place, caused such a big fiasco! Where is the dignity of the royal family? Where is my face as your father?”

As usual, my mother played the peacemaker, advising my father while lightly scolding me. But the gravity of the situation was evident, and my father had grown immune to her pleas. He glanced at Fu Chenzhi.

Despite Fu Chenzhi spending most of his years outside, my father had started to trust him more and more. He now regarded him with increasing favor, and had he not been from a different family, my father would likely have made him the heir to the throne. From the moment we entered Zichao Palace, Fu Chenzhi had not spoken a word. He stood silent, like a pine tree on a snowy mountain, cold and still.

Finally, catching my father’s gaze, he spoke, his tone harsh: “Luowei, you really have no manners today.”

His look was stern, his tone unyielding, exactly the same as when he played the role of an elder brother in front of our parents. It was tolerable, except that after two years without seeing each other, he addressed me directly by name in this manner... Though there was no evidence, I felt sure that the person responsible for my humiliation was that unknown black-haired girl who came with him! This was intolerable!

I shot him a murderous glare before turning my head away, refusing to acknowledge him.

After my father lectured me some more, he turned to Fu Chenzhi and said, “Chenzhi, keep an eye on her. She kneels for an hour; don’t let her get up or eat. Tomorrow, the High Priest will return to Sùzhāo. After he meets with him, I expect to see this wild girl write a thousand-character repentance letter.”

“Yes.” Fu Chenzhi responded quickly, “I will remember your instructions.”

King Father and Queen Mother flicked their sleeves and left, leaving me and Fu Chenzhi standing in place, staring at each other. My arms were sore from holding the chair, but he coldly looked down at me and simply said, “Kneel properly.” Then, he left as well.

If I really wanted to kneel properly, I might as well be a pumpkin growing on a gourd vine. As soon as his figure disappeared around the corner, I gave a loud “clang” and flipped the chair onto the ground, then sat down on it. However, no matter how bold I was, I didn’t dare to run too far.

Gradually, the sky darkened. In the garden, the apricot blossoms were half-open, half-fallen, with a few scattered petals drifting down. Looking up at the moon, it filled half the sky, shining alone on the tall buildings.

Coincidentally, the garden was built at the edge of a mountain peak, providing a panoramic view of the city: below were red pavilions with green tiles, intricately carved and beautifully decorated; above were water scenes crafted by the people of Su Zhao, with cranes soaring alone. The moonlight stretched to the farthest corner of my view, and the people seemed to follow it, leaving only a city bathed in silver and water reflections.

Between Zichao Palace and the ground, there were many floating islands with pavilions and terraces built on them. Some grand houses were dark and dull, while others were brightly lit. Where the lights were brightest, the streets were bustling with activity, filled with the fragrance of flowers, and women leaned against the railings, their garments and hair flowing. Guests arrived in majestic carriages drawn by dark serpents, dressed in fine clothes and elegant crowns.

When I was little, I asked my parents why they never took me to play in those floating palaces. Father’s answer was always rather uninteresting: “Two ears deaf to the world, only focused on reading the sacred books.”

Thinking of this, I pulled out a book from my chest, History of the Hundred Ghosts, and leaned against an apricot tree to read. Since the time I was kidnapped by the coiled dragon as a child, I had never left Su Zhao. I could only satisfy my curiosity about the outside world through books. Therefore, among the books I had read in the past two years, this one definitely ranked in the top three.

One of the most impressive stories in it was from the Painted Skin volume, titled “The Flute of Huazi”:

“Huazi, the King of Painted Skins. In the world, he was an immortal lord, hundreds of years old, known as the Lord of the Power Star, immortal name Zixiao. He was a man of great talent, skilled in ink painting, and he guarded the Eastern Moon Tower and Xuanyuan Seat, living in seclusion to nurture his nature. He mistakenly married the demoness Qingmi, and in his pursuit of love, he twisted the law. As a result, he was punished by Heaven, fell into the Underworld, suffered endless torment, and was never to be reborn. He was burnt to a withered skull and then hid his demon body with a painted skin. He secluded himself, and no one knew his true identity. Only on the fifteenth day of the seventh month would he return to the human world. His appearance was like peach blossoms, and his hair was like a crow’s. Anyone who encountered him was often filled with desire and confusion.”

Endless suffering, burning into a withered skull—wasn’t this referring to how they threw him into the eighteenth level of Hell, torturing him from a living immortal into a state where his skin was shredded and only his bones remained?

Previously, I had read many books about immortals, almost all written by the Su Zhao people, which described the immortal realm as a place of beauty and perfection. However, this book had been bought by the High Priest when he traveled to collect scriptures from demons. After reading it, I learned that there were such cruel punishments in the immortal realm, showing that the heavenly rules were as harsh as the sea and not as beautiful as I had imagined.

At this moment, I heard a voice behind me: “Aren’t you afraid reading such a book at night?”

I wasn’t afraid, but the voice startled me. My book slipped from my hand. As I bent down to pick it up, another hand reached out and picked it up, lightly brushing it off before handing it back to me. When I looked up, I found that the person behind me was Fu Chenzhi.

I quickly hid the book in my chest. The apricot blossoms were in full bloom, weighing down the branches. Fu Chenzhi brushed aside the branch with a questioning expression on his face. I suddenly realized that there was quite a height difference between us, especially now when I was feeling guilty and looking down, only reaching up to his chest. But not giving up was in my nature—this flaw had often been criticized by Father, who once said it was like “not shedding tears until you see the coffin.”

I couldn’t beg him, so I simply said, “You can’t tell Father about this.”

“No,” he said firmly.

I didn’t expect him to be so unyielding. I stood there in a daze for a while, then muttered indignantly, “You’re meeting with that girl outside and even brought her back, but I never said a word to Father. How can you repay kindness with resentment? Does that seem fair to you, brother?”

Fu Chenzhi snorted coldly. “I didn’t mention anything because you didn’t find the chance and were punished by Father before you could.”

“That’s not it, you have to trust me. Brother, you’re almost an adult now, you should bring a sister-in-law back for me, right?” I smiled widely, “I’ll be absolutely delighted for your century-long happiness.”

“Is that so?”

“Absolutely true. It must be true.”

He still looked at me with distrust, gazing at me for a long time before suddenly pinching my cheek hard. I cried out in pain. He said, “That girl is my junior sister. I asked my master for leave to return home, and she insisted on coming with me. What nonsense are you thinking?”

“Oh, I see.”

“You’re disappointed? What do you mean by that?”

I pouted. “No meaning. I thought I could be an aunt by now.”

Fu Chenzhi’s expression darkened. “This matter doesn’t concern you.”

Although my brother always hid his emotions, we grew up together, so I could clearly feel he wasn’t in a good mood. I had to cheer him up, or else my end would usually be very miserable. I tugged at his sleeve and blinked at him. “That’s fine, brother won’t be taken away by anyone, and I can keep you by my side for a few more years.”

Fu Chenzhi glanced at my hand, then looked at me and froze for a moment. “Actually, I’m leaving tomorrow.”

“Ah? Only back for one day?”

“I came back today to attend the second sister’s coming-of-age ceremony. My master has an unfinished task, and I must hurry back tonight.”

I wasn’t happy about that. “So when will I see you next? At my coming-of-age ceremony?”

Fu Chenzhi furrowed his brows. “I don’t know. I can only say it’ll be as soon as possible.”

“Alright then.” I sighed deeply. I was about to say something more when I noticed something moving at his wrist. Looking closer, I saw it was a small ice pendant. I was surprised and grabbed his hand. “Isn’t this the one I gave you? You actually still keep it?”

The ice carvings from Su Zhao had long become a unique cultural symbol for us. Only we could gather spiritual energy to make small ice sculptures that would not melt before the practitioner’s lifespan ended. The deer-shaped ice pendant on his wrist must have been my masterpiece from ice carving lessons when I was a child. I lifted the similar wooden carving pendant from my waist and waved it in front of him. “Look, I’ve kept the one you gave me too.”

Fu Chenzhi thought for a moment, then gently patted my head. “Weiwei.”

“Hmm?”

“I will come back very soon.” He gazed at me tenderly, speaking with the seriousness of an oath, “Once I’ve finished handling the final matters, I will return to Su Zhao and stay by your side, never leaving again.”

I was not used to this sudden shift in his attitude, as he had always been strict and demanding. With his hand still resting on my head, I twisted my neck and looked towards the palace. “Brother, actually, I’ve always had a wish…”

“Speak. As long as I can do it, I’ll promise you.”

“Those places.” I pointed towards the brightly lit sky palaces within the city, bustling with activity, “I want to go to those places and play.”

Fu Chenzhi followed my gaze, his expression unchanged. “No.”

“Why not?”

“Those are not places a young lady should visit.”

“You’re talking nonsense! There are clearly many women there!”

“Those are not places for children.”

“I’m not a child anymore!” I took a step forward and linked my arm with Fu Chenzhi’s, trying to melt his resistance with eager, expectant eyes. “Brother, let me go, please. I’ve always been so curious about what’s in those places. If so many people can go, why can’t I?”

Fu Chenzhi stared at me for a brief moment, then pulled his arm away and coughed twice with his hand over his mouth. “You can go wherever you like, but not there.”

“If you don’t let me go, I’ll wait until you leave and go by myself!”

“No!” He scolded.

“Then take me there!” I refused to back down, “Take me there, and I’ll just wander around outside the gate, then come back. If you don’t take me, I’ll sit there with a small bench all night!”

Fu Chenzhi and I stood off for a long time, before he finally sighed. “You said it yourself, just wander around outside the gate.”

So, in order to keep a low profile and not be discovered by our parents, we rode the smallest of the black serpents to the most lively of the sky towns. I had never been to a market before, and my first visit was to the night market—it was so exciting just to look around.

As we walked down the bustling avenue, I immediately spotted the place I had wanted to go: a tall red door with a plaque reading “Fengyue Pavilion.” Many women were standing at the entrance, smiling coquettishly, their hair like clouds and faces like flowers, and their smiles were captivating. The most interesting part was that whenever a man approached, they would step forward and chat with him. The men would often smile, a bit indulgent, handing over a few pieces of amber, and then follow the women into the pavilion.

“Are they playing a game?” I tugged at Fu Chenzhi’s sleeve, lost in thought. “An amber game?”

Fu Chenzhi thought for a moment and said, “Yes. It’s a boring game, let’s leave.”

The women’s clothes were bold and colorful, quite different from the simple, delicate attire of women from Su Zhao. Under the cold moonlight, they looked like bright red flowers swaying on autumn branches. I had never seen such beautiful women, and their laughter was so alluring that I couldn’t tear my gaze away. One of the women had a cicada-wing flower sticker on her forehead and a delicate step that caused her to sway slightly. As our eyes met, I shyly took a step back, but she smiled seductively at me.

I was truly entranced and pulled on Fu Chenzhi’s sleeve again. “Look, that woman is so beautiful.”

Fu Chenzhi looked in the direction I was staring, his face indifferent. “Just ordinary.”

Hmph, really sour grapes—of course, he’d say that since he couldn’t have any. I was silently muttering to myself when I saw that the woman’s gaze met Fu Chenzhi’s. Her eyelashes fluttered, and she blushed, quickly hiding her face behind her fan. Fu Chenzhi didn’t react, turning to leave.

I stopped him. “Brother, wait. The beauty has taken an interest in you.”

“I’m not interested.”

“Don’t decide so quickly, or you’ll regret it. Come on, why don’t you go play the game with her?”

Fu Chenzhi ignored me entirely. Having such a wooden older brother is so boring. Fortunately, I was always bold. I stretched out my arm and blocked his path, grabbing his hand and trying to pull him towards the Fengyue Pavilion. He shook off my hand and said, “Nonsense.”

Indeed, no one could tolerate his stone-faced demeanor except for me. The woman, seeing his lack of response, pouted and rolled her eyes. Just then, a young man dressed in fine clothes walked by, handing her two pieces of amber. She immediately smiled sweetly, linked arms with him, and entered the pavilion. Before going inside, she turned to glance at Fu Chenzhi with a regretful look.

I couldn’t help but shake my head. “Sigh, you see? You ignored her, and now she’s gone. Now look, who’s going to play the game with you?”

Fu Chenzhi didn’t care. “I don’t want to play.”

“Then I’ll play with you.”

He froze for a moment, clearly surprised. I asked, “Did you bring any amber? How does the game work?”

To my surprise, he snapped, “Luo Wei, you’re being ridiculous!”

I flinched at his sharp tone. “W-what? What’s so wrong... it’s just a game, is it really necessary to make such a big fuss?”

“Those women in the pavilion aren’t good girls. Why would you learn from them? Just because they’re pretty doesn’t mean they’re good people. You’ve always been so shallow, judging people by their looks since you were young!”

“Brother, how can you say that? I hate when you act like this! You’re just like Father! You two are always lecturing me. I can’t stand it! You don’t care about me at all! I’m never talking to you again!” With tears welling up in my eyes, I shouted all this, then covered my face and ran away in grievance.

“Wait, Luo Wei…” Fu Chenzhi called after me, a bit anxious.

I covered my face, then sneered behind my hand and ran down the street. At least I managed to find a little peace. I knew my older brother couldn’t stand it when I cried, so I gave him a pitiful back and let him feel guilty for a while. At this thought, I almost wanted to set up a monument to my own cleverness.

Walking down the bustling street, I realized just how vast the world was, and how many treasures it held.

Here, the songs echoed from afar, the lights on the towers lit the night, and golden bridges connected two lively parts of the city. On one side, there was the “Fengyue Pavilion,” “Chunxiang City,” “Yan Jiaolou,” taverns, and gambling houses. On the other side, there were street vendors, theaters, cloth shops, Huasheng stores, and tea houses. But no matter where I went, I could always smell the fragrance of Xuanqiu’s old wine—it was a scent I didn’t understand, but I was very familiar with.

This is the wine that Father always drinks when he meets with Hanmo’s father. It’s said to not be as noble or ethereal as Liuxia wine, but it is brewed by the old winemakers from “Jiu Xiang” Xuanchou. In Father’s words, its beauty can be described as: true men drink it without stopping.

Aside from that, I discovered many interesting things. In the theater, the back rows were crowded with onlookers, while the front rows had wealthy merchants and noblemen bidding on the performances, selecting tunes and dancing along. At that moment, they were performing “The Wild Goose Advises King He Yue.”

In the market, there were chopsticks made from the bones of the Luan beast from the northern mountains, which emitted a subtle pig-like sound when clinked together; prayer beads sold by the “Tian Du Ren” from the northern seas, with red moths nestled inside; Confucian classics from Jiuzhou, such as the “Gongyang Zhuan”; and specialties from our own Suxiao, such as roasted Wen Cang shrimp skewers and silkworm moon wine...

But what attracted me the most was the pet street with a shop selling tiger cubs.

To be precise, I was drawn to the one red among the sea of white.

Those fluffy white balls of fur were the common white tiger cubs seen in the mountains, but among them was a crimson-colored furball. It was also a tiger, with small wings growing on its back. Its eyes were bigger and fiercer than the other tiger cubs, and it was a bit sturdier too.

But no matter how fierce it acted, it couldn’t change the fact that it was just a round little cub. Its wings were tied behind its back like a butchered chicken, and it was continuously uncomfortable, rolling around. It couldn’t even stand still, and kept biting at the other cubs. A group of small beasts were frolicking and crying, causing the whole shop to be in chaos.

I decided to take it home.

“I want this one.” I grabbed the cub by its wings and lifted it up. “Can I?”

“Of course, of course, this one is two hundred Gu.” The shopkeeper nodded and bowed to me.

“Good, I’ll take it.” Seeing it swipe its claws at me and the shopkeeper, I swatted its claws away, pinched its face like I was picking out vegetables, and happily turned to leave.

“Wait, little girl, you haven’t paid yet.” The shopkeeper called after me.

“Money? What is that?”

“You don’t know what money is?” The shopkeeper pulled out several pieces of amber from his waist. “You need money to buy things, you can’t expect me to give it to you for free, can you?”

“I am the little princess of Suxiao, if you want money, go ask the people at Zichao Palace.”

Upon hearing my words, the shopkeeper’s face froze for a while, then he spread his hands. “If you’re the little princess, I’ll have to kill you with a stick, huh? Taking a tiger cub!”

“How dare you directly call my father’s name! You should address him as ‘Your Majesty!’”

“Without money, you can’t buy anything! Go, go, go!” The shopkeeper ignored my anger and tried to snatch the cub from my arms.

I dodged, but this only enraged him further. He really picked up a beast-taming stick and started coming toward me. I quickly stepped back, protecting the cub in my arms. Just as he raised the stick to strike, a folding fan appeared and lightly knocked the stick aside.

A black-haired man stood in front of me, his back to me, his voice soft: “Don’t worry, boss, let me have a word with this girl.”