Xiuying looked into Yanxiao's eyes and pulled the blade from his gut, eliciting a grunt of pain from him. Fresh blood drenched the front of his robe. Xiuying made sure the wound wasn't too deep but still painful enough to evoke a genuine reaction.

She gave him another quick, apologetic glance before slamming a foot into his chest. Yanxiao fell backwards from the impact, his widened eyes indicating that he had not expected the subsequent attack. He pushed himself up to his feet, groaning in pain as he clutched his wounded stomach. His eyes met hers for a brief moment, allowing for some unspoken conversation between them, and then he scampered away through the forest.

Xiuying watched his receding figure until the lush trees completely swallowed him. The sound of heavy footsteps was replaced by the quiet little sobs coming from the young lady kneeling by the corpse of her bodyguard. Xiuying looked at Yunxi, her face impassive behind a mysterious mask. If it weren't for Xiuying's selfish motives, Yunxi's corpse would be lying beside her bodyguard by now.

"Po Jun... I'm sorry," Yunxi sobbed.

Xiuying approached the spot where Yanxiao had recently been and picked up the necklace on the ground. Xiuying walked back towards Yunxi, stopping right before her bodyguard's corpse.

"Are you hurt?"

Yunxi shivered at the sound of her voice. Looking up, she let out a gasp and instinctively recoiled.

"The assassin is gone," Xiuying said. She could still see fear and wariness on Yunxi's face, so she added in a gentle voice, "I'm not going to hurt you."

When Yunxi remained silent and still, Xiuying held out a hand.

"I believe this is yours?"

Yunxi lowered her gaze to her outstretched hand, and her eyes went wide upon seeing the necklace in her palm. She shifted her gaze back to Xiuying's face and stared, as if waiting. She didn't seem like moving from where she was, so Xiuying sauntered over to her. If Yunxi refused to let down her guard, Xiuying would take the initiative to cross the bridge and smash the walls down.

Xiuying gave the young lady a gentle smile, holding out her hand to give her the precious jewelry she had risked her and her bodyguard's lives for.

It took Yunxi a moment to respond to her, taking the jade necklace with hesitant, quivering hands. To Xiuying's surprise, Yunxi grabbed her wrist with both hands and spoke in an almost inaudible voice.

"W-who are you? Why did you save me?"

Xiuying tried not to mind the lady's grip on her. "I'm just a lowly hunter who came to hunt in this forest. It pricks my conscience to let a young lady perish before my eyes."

Yunxi lowered her eyes to look at where her bodyguard was lying motionless. "How about him? Is he really—" Her voice caught in her throat, and tears sparkled in her eyes. The grip on Xiuying's wrist relaxed as Yunxi let her go. She held the necklace to her chest as if scared of losing it again.

Following her gaze, Xiuying stared at the corpse for a few seconds before speaking in a quiet, remorseful voice. "I'm sorry about him, Young Lady."

The words fell on a long moment of silence. Yunxi dropped her gaze and clenched her trembling hands into tight fists.

"Why would someone wish to kill you, Young Lady?" Xiuying asked quietly, genuinely curious.

Yunxi let out a quiet sob and said, "I don't know. I don't remember offending anyone. I just want my necklace back."

Xiuying's eyes settled on the jade necklace as she fell into deep thought. She didn't have enough information to judge Yunxi yet, and it might be too early for her to do that, but she didn't doubt what she said. Yunxi reminded her of a white lotus from the moment she glimpsed her face on the painting scroll, pure and innocent, with the petals around her as clean and open as they were delicate. She didn't look like someone who would offend anyone enough to encourage an assassination.

But Xiuying's time at the Plum Blossom Pavilion taught her not to take anything at face value. And even if Yunxi was telling the truth, that didn't mean she'd be safe from predators out there, particularly being a young lady from a noble family. In most cases, innocent and harmless people unintentionally awaken the weakness and animosity in others.

"Whether you have enemies or not, it's clear that someone wants you dead, young lady," Xiuying said. "It wouldn't be safe for you to walk alone, especially now that..." she trailed off, glancing at the bodyguard's corpse. "Would you like me to escort you home, Young Lady?"

She smiled as she offered her hand to Yunxi, who timidly accepted it. Once the young lady got up, Xiuying leaned forward and whispered in her ears.

"To go to such lengths as to hire an assassin, someone must be desperate to get rid of you, Young Lady. You're no longer safe."

Yunxi stiffened.

"I may be a mere hunter, but I am as capable as any warrior," Xiuying said, putting gentle emphasis on the last words. "Don't worry, I'm confident enough to keep you protected."

Xiuying and Yunxi arrived at Hongling, the capital of the Great Yu Empire. A soaring gate tower stood before them, and the enormous city walls coiled around the town like a massive dragon. Crouched on either side of the gate were stone dragons. The one on the left had distinctive features compared to other dragons, and it was what they called the Celestial Dragon. Both statues had stood there for countless years, dating back to the reign of the First Emperor.

The Celestial Dragon was a rare dragon breed whose strength and power surpassed other dragons and almost matched that of the first rank dragons. White fur ran along its serpentine body, setting it apart from other dragons. The origins of the Celestial Dragon remained unknown, but historians believed that they were created rather than born.

According to the historians' archives, only one Celestial Dragon ever existed, and that Celestial Dragon single handedly defeated the Phoenix, powerful beasts that once ruled over rukki and were capable of rivaling the dragons.

Xiuying raised her head, gazing at the words "Hongling" written on the plaque above the gate. It had been a while. The last time Xiuying had been here was three years ago.

Bracing herself, Xiuying nodded at Yunxi before they squeezed between the flow of people entering and exiting the gate. The guards wearing silver armor standing at the entrance stopped them before they could go through, demanding to see their Pass. Yunxi presented her identity token and cast a glance at Xiuying, who dug inside her sleeves and showed Po Jun's identity token to the gate guards.

Yunxi was the one who proposed the idea. Before they left the forest, Yunxi took her bodyguard's token and gave it to Xiuying. However, Xiuying already expected her to do that. That was her intention all along. No one was permitted to enter the capital without a Pass, something that Xiuying—or, rather, Feiyu—didn't have. And now she did, albeit temporarily. But she would have her own very soon.

The familiar bustle and noise of the city greeted Xiuying. It had been three years, but nothing seemed to have changed. The capital was still as lively and magnificent as ever, as if that day had never occurred, as if the empire had not lost its ruler. For three years, the Kingdom of Yu had been without an actual emperor.

While the enemies who marched on the Imperial Palace and Ya'an Mountain were all defeated and failed to lay claim to the throne, they were able to eliminate all members of the Imperial Family, leaving the court in turmoil.

Court officials were unable to appoint an immediate ruler because no other members of the Yuan Clan were alive except the Crown Prince, whose whereabouts remained unknown. Shortly after the rukki attack, a mysterious individual appeared at the court, claiming to have been sent by the gods to be the Acting Emperor, who would rule until the Crown Prince was found—or until a new emperor was selected.

With the catastrophe dealing a severe blow to the court, the Acting Emperor established the Imperial Selection, which would span five years, granting more time for the Crown Prince's possible return. Unless the Crown Prince's death was proven, no one could sit on the throne until the next monarch was chosen. In the fourth year of the Imperial Selection, candidates would be selected—young masters from the remaining Twelve Great Families—under the supervision of the Acting Emperor, and they would be given one year to prove their worth for the throne. And in the fifth year, the new emperor would be crowned.

Meanwhile, the search for the missing Crown Prince continued, with the Acting Emperor currently overseeing court affairs. In the absence of a rightful heir, the Acting Emperor assumed power over the imperial court. His mysterious appearance and rise to power was what caught Xiuying's attention.

Xiuying and Yunxi strolled forward under the bright sun. Various stalls were set up on either side of the street. As Xiuying looked around the busy street, a wave of nostalgia swept over her. Eight years ago during a lantern festival, Xiuying met Jin Ge and Ruwen in this very place. The memory of that day was still fresh in her mind. Her innocent, younger self was trying to float a lantern when it bumped against Jin Ge's.

Two people from that memory were no longer the same, and the other's whereabouts remained unknown, most probably dead. But such a lovely memory would be cherished for eternity, even if the people from it were now stained by hatred and vengeance.

Xiuying felt a pang in her chest.

If we meet again, it will never be the same.

It was nearing dusk when the two arrived at the Manor of the Marquis of Jing. The two men guarding the main gate were about to greet Yunxi when they noticed her disheveled state; strands of hair had left her braid and were now framing her face, and there was a spatter of blood on her once-beautiful silk robe. Their eyes dilated with fear and panic as they questioned whether Yunxi was hurt anywhere.

After confirming that their lady was not harmed, they hurriedly drew their blades from their sheaths and aimed them at Xiuying, demanding to know who she was and what had happened.

Yunxi immediately explained the situation to them with great agitation, but not the whole story. She even left out about what happened to her bodyguard.

Xiuying was soon brought to the inner courtyard, flanked by two guards. She was told to wait for the Marquis of Jing whilst Yunxi reported to him in the main hall. She could hear Yunxi's trembling voice and sobbing from the room in front of her.

As she stood calmly with armed men on either side of her, she heard brisk footsteps approaching the courtyard. A servant was hurrying down the corridor. But as she got closer, Xiuying suddenly stiffened. The servant was the same woman who went into the Plum Blossom Pavilion the other day.

So she serves in the Ye Residence?

She hadn't expected the predator to live in the same nest as the prey, but it wasn't really that surprising. It seemed that acting as Yunxi's savior wouldn't stop in the forest.

The servant spoke to the two men guarding the door before entering the main hall.

About five minutes later, the door of the main hall slid open. A man stood at the entrance, looking at Xiuying with a grim expression. He couldn't have been older than thirty-five. He scrutinized her for a moment before he shifted his gaze to the guards at her side.

"The Old Marquis Jing wants to meet the guest. Bring him inside!"

The guards immediately obeyed and escorted Xiuying towards the main hall. When she entered the spacious room, everyone's eyes were already on her, except for the victim. There were only five people, not counting the man who spoke just a few seconds ago. Yunxi was standing with two people whom Xiuying believed to be her parents. Her head was bowed as she clutched in her hands the necklace that triggered the incident.

A few feet from her was the perpetrator who set up the whole thing.