To compare my elder brother to a courtesan should warrant being struck by lightning. I just never expected retribution to come so swiftly.

While I was still amid self-repentance, the woman beside Fu Chenzhi had already sensed my presence. My Heaven-Ascending technique wasn’t skillful to begin with, and the moment our eyes met, I was so startled I trembled and nearly dropped myself to the ground. However, she seemed to find this amusing, revealing a cunning smile as her eyes narrowed slightly.

After that, as if possessed by evil spirits, all the spiritual energy in my body was no longer under my control. The spell that should have carried me upward was instead pulled by another force, dragging me to fly above the crowd. Due to the commotion being too great, all the court ministers raised their heads in unison.

Instantly, hundreds of scorching gazes burned me into a sieve, and I lived up to everyone’s expectations by flying toward the area diagonally above Second Sister.

Finally, the force ceased, and I crashed in a face-plant before her.

The sound of hundreds of people gasping in unison rose, followed by complete silence, save for the echoing gasps reverberating through the Empty Valley. Lifting my head to glance at Second Sister, she covered her vermilion lips lightly, her flowery countenance losing all color. And catching sight of Father King from the corner of my eye, I flashed him a lively and adorable smile, yet his entire face remained a dark gray.

This time, I was truly and utterly dead.

That evening at dusk, I knelt in the back garden of Zichao Palace with a dejected expression, holding a chair high above my head with both hands.

Father King paced back and forth before me with his hands clasped behind his back, occasionally stopping to rage: “What exactly are you up to! A dignified Little Princess of the Suozhao Clan, secretly using the Water-Riding Heaven-Ascending technique, and in such a solemn place, making such a huge fool of yourself! Where is the royal family’s dignity? Where is your father’s king’s dignity!”

Mother Queen played her usual role as peacemaker, consoling Father King on one side while giving me a perfunctory scolding on the other. Today’s matter was serious, and Father King had long stopped buying into her act, only casting a cold glance at Fu Chenzhi.

Although my brother had spent these years wandering outside, Father King trusted him more and more, finding him increasingly pleasing to the eye. If not for him not being of the Suozhao bloodline, Father King would probably have immediately established him as heir apparent. Since leaving Zichao Palace, Fu Chenzhi had not spoken a word. He stood like a cold pine on a snowy mountain in the twelfth month, silent and upright.

Only when he met Father King’s gaze did he finally speak: “Luowei, today you were indeed too lacking in propriety.”

The severity of his gaze and the harshness of his tone truly matched his usual elder brother demeanor before our parents. This alone would have been bearable. But after two years apart, to meet with such an attitude and even address me by my full name… Though I had no evidence, my intuition told me that the person who caused me such humiliation was precisely that unknown black-haired wench who came with him! This could be tolerated, but what could not!

I shot him a murderous glare, then turned my head away to look elsewhere, no longer acknowledging him.

Father King lectured me for a while longer, then said to Fu Chenzhi: “Chenzhi, you watch over her. She’s not allowed to get up until she’s knelt for a full hour, and she’s not allowed to eat. Tomorrow, the Grand Priest will also return to Suozhao. After I meet with him and return, I want to see this wild girl having written a thousand-character repentance letter.”

“Yes.” Fu Chenzhi answered extremely quickly. “I’ll remember your instructions.”

Father King departed with Mother Queen in a huff, leaving me and Fu Chenzhi to stare at each other. My arms were sore from holding up the chair, but he coldly looked down at me, only dropping two succinct words: “Kneel properly.” Then he too left.

If I were truly willing to kneel properly, then gourds should grow on grape vines. The moment his figure disappeared around the corner, I “clanged” the chair down, flipped it over, and slammed it on the ground, then stood up and plopped down on it with my bottom. However, no matter how bold I was, I didn’t dare wander too far.

Gradually, the sky darkened. In the idle garden, apricot blossoms were half-blooming and half-falling, drifting down a few scattered petals. Looking up at the moon, the bright moon filled half the sky, shining alone on the tall towers.

The garden happened to be built at the edge of a mountain peak, allowing a view of the entire city below: below were vermilion towers and azure tiles, exhausting all carved splendor; above were Suo people playing with water, with solitary cranes soaring. Moonlight extended to the limits of vision, and those subjects seemed to be following in pursuit, leaving only a city full of silver-white and water light.

Between Zichao Palace and the ground, there were many floating, fragmented islands with pavilions and towers built upon them. Some grand residences were dim and lightless, while some buildings blazed with lights. Where the lights blazed bright, there were often crowds at the gates, a world of flowers and brocade, with women leaning on railings to gaze out, their clothing fragrant and hair ornaments casting shadows. The guests, too, rode high carriages drawn by black serpents, wearing splendid caps and beautiful garments.

When I was small, I had asked my parents why they didn’t take me to play in those aerial pavilions. Father King’s answer was always extraordinarily boring: “Ears hear nothing outside the window, heart reads only the books of sages.”

Thinking of this, I pulled out a copy of “General History of a Hundred Ghosts” from my bosom and read it while leaning against an apricot tree. Apart from that time in childhood when I was kidnapped by the Panlong, I had never left Suozhao, and could only satisfy my curiosity about the outside world through reading. Therefore, among the books I’d read in recent years, this one could rank in the top three.

Among them, the story that left the deepest impression on me was “Flower Child Xiao” from the Painted Skin scroll:

“Flower Child Xiao was the Painted Skin Ghost King. Originally an immortal lord, several hundred years old, titled Quan Xing Chang Jun, with the immortal name Child Xiao. He possessed pure talent, excelled at ink painting, and guarded the Eastern Moon Tower platform of the Xuanyuan seat, living in leisure and cultivating his nature. He mistakenly married the demon woman Qing Mei, and for the sake of bending laws for personal feelings, he suffered heavenly punishment, fell to the underworld, suffered endless torment, and could never be reborn. His flesh was roasted until only a withered skull remained, so he used painted skin to cover his ghost body. He lived in deep seclusion, and people of the time knew nothing of this. Only on the fifteenth day of the seventh month would he return to the mortal realm. His complexion was like peach blossoms, his hair like a crow’s, and whoever encountered him would often be caught in the delusion of longing and desire.”

Suffering endless torment, roasted until only a withered skull remained—didn’t this mean they threw him into the eighteen levels of hell, torturing a living immortal until his skin split and flesh tore, finally leaving only bones?

The books about immortals I’d read before were almost all written by the Suozhao Clan, without exception, describing the immortal realm as scenic and beautiful, perfect in every way. However, this book was one that the Grand Priest had bought from demons during his travels. After reading it, I learned that the immortal realm had such methods of punishment, showing that the immortal gates were like the sea, with heavenly laws strict and severe, seemingly not as wonderful as imagined…

At this moment, someone behind me said: “Reading such a book at night, aren’t you afraid?”

I hadn’t been afraid, but hearing this voice, I jumped in fright, and the book in my hands fell to the ground. Just as I bent down to pick it up, another hand retrieved it, patted it twice, and handed it back to me. Looking up, I discovered the person behind me was Fu Chenzhi.

I quickly hid the book in my bosom. Apricot blossoms bloomed luxuriantly, weighing down the branches heavily. Fu Chenzhi pushed aside those branches, his face full of questioning. Only then did I realize I was a whole head shorter than him, especially at this moment, with my guilty conscience making me hang my head, I only reached his chest. However, not admitting defeat had always been my instinct—a fault Father King had described as “not shedding tears even when seeing the coffin.”

I couldn’t plead with him, only saying: “You’re not allowed to tattle to Father King.”

“No,” he said categorically.

Completely not expecting him to be so merciless, I stared blankly for a long moment, then said indignantly: “You meet privately with girls and even bring her back, yet I’ve never said a word of criticism to Father King. To repay kindness with enmity like this, does the elder brother think it appropriate?”

Fu Chenzhi snorted coldly: “You didn’t speak criticism because you hadn’t yet found the opportunity before being punished here by Father King.”

“No, you must trust me. Brother is almost of age too, you should bring me back a sister-in-law, shouldn’t you?” I smiled until my eyes disappeared. “For brother’s hundred years of good fortune, little sister will be overjoyed.”

“Are these words true?”

“Absolutely true. Must be true.”

He still looked distrustful, gazing at me for a long time, then suddenly pinched my cheek hard. I cried out in pain. He said: “That woman is my junior martial sister. I asked the master for leave to return home, and she insisted on following to have a look, no matter what. What are you wildly imagining?”

“Oh, so that’s how it is.”

“You seem so disappointed. What do you mean by that?”

I pouted: “Nothing. I thought I could become an aunt.”

Fu Chenzhi’s eyes darkened as he said: “You don’t need to worry about such matters.”

Although my brother had always been inscrutable, we had grown up together after all, and I could sense his bad mood at this moment. I had to cheer him up, otherwise my fate would usually be extremely, extremely miserable. I tugged at his sleeve and blinked: “This is good too, brother won’t be stolen away by others and can stay by my side for a few more years.”

Fu Chenzhi glanced at my hand, and after hearing my words, he was stunned for a moment, then said: “Actually, I have to leave again tomorrow.”

“Ah? Only back for one day?”

“I came back today to attend Second Sister’s coming-of-age ceremony. Master still has unfinished tasks there, so I must rush back overnight.”

I was somewhat displeased: “Then when will I see you next? At my coming-of-age ceremony?”

Fu Chenzhi frowned: “I don’t know either. I can only say as soon as possible.”

“Fine.” I let out a long sigh. I wanted to continue saying something, but then I saw something swaying at his wrist. Taking a closer look, it was a small ice pendant. I delightedly grabbed his hand: “Isn’t this what I gave you? You still kept it?”

Suozhao’s ice carving had already become our unique culture. Only we could condense spiritual energy to make small-scale ice blocks that wouldn’t melt until the caster’s lifespan ended. The deer-shaped ice pendant on his wrist should be my masterpiece from ice carving class when I was small. I held up the wooden carved pendant of the same shape from my waist and shook it in front of him: “Look, this one you gave me, I kept it too.”

Fu Chenzhi pondered for a while, then touched my head: “Weiwei.”

“Mm?”

“I will return very soon.” He gazed at me tenderly, as earnest as if making a vow of eternal love. “…After I finish handling the last matter, I will return to Suozhao, stay by your side, and never go anywhere else again.”

Brother had always been strict and critical, so this sudden attitude was quite unaccustomed. With my head still under his palm, I twisted my neck toward the direction outside the palace: “Brother, actually I’ve always had a wish…”

“Tell me. As long as I can do it, I’ll agree.”

“Those places.” I pointed at the brightly lit aerial pavilions in the city, where voices buzzed and orioles sang and swallows chirped. “I want to go play in those places.”

Fu Chenzhi looked in that direction, expressionless: “No.”

“Why?”

“That’s not a place for young ladies to go.”

“You’re talking nonsense! There are many young ladies there!”

“That’s not a place for children to go.”

“I’m not a child anymore!” I stepped forward and took Fu Chenzhi’s arm, trying to melt him with my persistent, hopeful gaze. “Brother, let me go, let me go. I’ve always been curious about what’s there. So many people can go, why can’t I?”

Fu Chenzhi stared at me motionlessly for a moment, then pulled his arm free and coughed twice with the back of his hand covering his mouth: “You can go anywhere else, just not there.”

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

“No!” he scolded.

“Then you take me!” I showed no weakness. “You take me, I’ll just wander around the entrance and come back. If you don’t take me, I’ll bring a folding bed and sit there all night!”

Fu Chenzhi and I faced off for a long time, finally sighing: “This is what you said, just wandering around the entrance.”

So, to keep a low profile and avoid being discovered by our parents, we rode the smallest black serpent and wandered to the liveliest aerial small town. I had never been to a market before, and my first time was at a night market—just looking was quite exciting.

Looking along the bustling main road, I immediately spotted the place I’d wanted to visit: a vermilion door with a high-hanging plaque reading “Wind Moon Pavilion.” Many women stood coquettishly laughing at the entrance, each with cloud-like hair and flower-like faces, their smiles enchanting. Most interestingly, whenever a man approached, they would step forward to speak with him. The men would often smile lecherously, stuff some amber into their hands, then follow them into Wind Moon Pavilion.

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

Fu Chenzhi thought for a moment, then said: “Yes. This game is very boring, let’s go.”

Those ladies’ robes were boldly colored, very different from ordinary Suozhao women’s light tones. Standing under the cold moon, they were like red brilliance swaying on autumn tree branches. Never having seen such beautiful ladies, their laughter was also so alluring that I couldn’t look away for a moment. One of the ladies had a cicada-wing flower ornament pasted on her forehead, her step-shaker swaying lightly. She happened to meet my eyes, and I shyly retreated a bit, but she gave me a charming smile.

I was truly enchanted, tugging at Fu Chenzhi’s sleeve again: “Look quickly, that lady is so beautiful.”

Fu Chenzhi looked in the direction I was watching, his face bland: “Ordinary beauty.”

Hmph, truly sour grapes because he can’t reach them, his teeth are about to fall out. I was grumbling in my heart when I saw that lady also meet Fu Chenzhi’s eyes. Her eyelashes fluttered, and she blushed, using her fan to half-cover her pretty face. Fu Chenzhi did not react and turned to go elsewhere.

I blocked him: “Brother, go slowly. The beauty has feelings for you.”

“I have no interest.”

“Don’t decide so quickly, lest you regret it. Quick, you go play games with her too, how about it?”

Fu Chenzhi completely ignored me. Having such a wooden brother was extremely boring. Fortunately, I had always been valiant, and right in the street, I stretched out an arm to stop him, grabbing his hand and trying to drag him toward Wind Moon Pavilion. But he shook off my hand, saying: “Nonsense.”

Indeed, no one but me could tolerate his coffin-face. That lady, seeing his reaction, pouted and rolled her eyes. Just then, a brocade-clad young master passed by and handed her two pieces of amber, so she immediately smiled apologetically, took the young master’s arm, and gently waved her small fan as they entered the pavilion. Before entering, she even turned back to glance at Fu Chenzhi with regret.

This was indeed rather regrettable. I shook my head: “Sigh, look, you gave her the cold shoulder and she immediately left with someone else. Now see who will play games with you.”

Fu Chenzhi said indifferently: “I don’t want to play either.”

“Then shall I play with you?”

He was stunned for a moment, looking somewhat taken aback. I said: “Did you bring amber? What exactly is the gameplay?”

Who knew he would rage: “Luowei, you’re too outrageous!”

Being scolded like this, I couldn’t help but tremble: “Why… why are you angry… it’s just… just playing a game, is there need to make such a big fuss…”

“Those in that pavilion are not good ladies, and you can learn from anyone but them! You think they’re good people just because they look beautiful? You’ve been judging people by appearance since childhood, how shallow!”

“Brother, how can you say that about me? I hate you most when you’re like this, no different from Father King. All you do day and night is lecture me, hateful! Bastard! You don’t care for me at all, I’ll never acknowledge you again!” After tearfully roaring these words, I covered my face and turned to run away in grief.

“Wait, Luowei…” Fu Chenzhi became somewhat anxious.

I covered my face with my hands, disdainfully pulling at the corner of my mouth behind my hands, then buried my head and ran wildly for half a street, finally gaining some peace. Knowing that Big Brother couldn’t stand seeing me cry, I left him a heartbroken back view to make him feel guilty for a while. Thinking of this, I wanted to erect a memorial arch to my cleverness.

Walking on the bustling street, I discovered that the world was vast, truly containing countless treasures.

Here, songs echoed as if close at hand, tower lights blazed through the night, and golden bridges connected two prosperous cities. This end had “Wind Moon Pavilion,” “Spring Fragrance City,” “Swallow Beauty Tower,” taverns, and gambling houses, while that end had snacks, opera houses, cloth shops, ornament stores, and tea houses. But no matter where I walked, the entire street was filled with the fragrance of Xuanqiu aged wine—I didn’t understand wine, but was very familiar with the scent of Xuanqiu aged wine.

This was the wine Father King would drink every time he met with Hanmo’s father. It was said to be not as noble and ethereal as Flowing Cloud wine, but was brewed by the old wine-makers of “wine village” Xuanqiu. To use Father King’s words to describe its beauty: true men drink it without stopping.

Besides this, I also discovered many interesting things. In the opera house, there were passersby watching from the back rows, while wealthy merchants and nobles in the front rows used ink to select plays, choosing songs to be danced. Right now they were performing “Wild Geese Advising River Moon King.”

In the market, there were chopsticks made from Huo beast bones from Bei Mountain—when they collided, they didn’t make ordinary clear sounds but subtle pig-like notes; there were prayer beads sold by Heavenly Poison people from the northern sea’s edge, with vermillion moths coiled within; there were Confucian classics from Jiuzhou called “Gongyang Commentary”; there were our Suozhao specialties like grilled Wencang shrimp skewers and Silkworm Moon wine…

However, what attracted me most was the tiger cub shop on Pet Street.

More precisely, I was attracted by that single red dot among thousands of white ones.

I recognized that pile of snow-white fluffy fur balls—they were the most common white tiger cubs from the mountains. But among these white fur balls, there was also a crimson fur ball. That was also a tiger, but it had grown small wings, with eyes larger and more fierce than other tiger cubs, and a sturdier build.

But no matter how fierce it tried to be, it couldn’t change the fact that it was a spherical cub. Its wings were tied behind its back like a trussed chicken, making it constantly roll around uncomfortably. It couldn’t even stand steady, yet kept biting other tiger cubs. A group of small beasts tumbled about, roaring, making the entire shop chaotic.

I decided to go subdue it.

“I want this one.” I picked up that tiger cub by its wings and lifted it. “Is that okay?”

“Okay, okay, of course. This one costs two hundred drums.” The shop owner nodded and bowed to me.

“Good, then I’ll take it.” Seeing it wildly clawing at me and the owner, I swatted away those claws and squeezed its cheeks like picking cabbage, then turned to leave with satisfaction.

“Wait, little miss, you haven’t paid yet.” The owner called from behind.

“Money? What is that thing?”

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

“I am the Little Princess of Suozhao. If you want money, go ask the people in Zichao Palace for it.”

After hearing my words, the owner’s face stiffened for a long time, then he spread his hands toward me: “If you’re the Little Princess, then I’m the Emperor of the Moon! Give back the tiger cub!”

“How dare you address my father, king, by name directly? You should respectfully call him ‘Your Majesty’!”

“If you have no money, don’t buy anything, go go go, hurry up and go!” The owner ignored my anger and tried to directly snatch the tiger cub.

I dodged far away, but this angered him. He picked up a nearby beast-training stick and walked toward me. I was so scared, I retreated another step, protecting the tiger cub in my arms. Just as the owner swung his stick to strike down, a folding fan reached out and deflected that stick with a gentle force.

A black-haired man stood in front, with his back to me, his voice gentle: “Owner, please don’t panic, let me have a good talk with this girl.”