The dove city was just any other city you would find in this world. It had somewhere around a thousand people. The city was held together by a city lord who commanded his own army.
This army was responsible for fending off any and all beasts that crossed over the mountains and made their way to the city.
The beasts that managed to reach were ferocious but exhausted as well, so it was relatively easier to kill them, and that is how dove city remained a peaceful city for its residents.
Although not completely secluded from the major hubs of the world, still there were not many people who would prefer to visit the backwaters the likes of dove city. But that didn't mean no one would, there were still few people who'd want to settle here, retirement being one such case.
Yifan was the sole son of a goods merchant who came to dove city to settle down after retiring from being a wandering merchant.
His father used all the money he had made over the years to raise a merchant house from scratch, though, not the best, his family was still considered well off.
The people mingled much with his father and were very amicable towards him as he brought many unseen goods to the dove city.
Contrary to his father, Yifan was known for his notorious nature. He was given everything from a young age and was truly a spoiled brat.
Messing with the other kids his age and ranting out vulgarities was a routine to him.
This all changed when he first met the daughter of the city lord though. The moment he saw her, Yifan had made the resolve to make her his wife no matter the cost.
He started harassing the guys near her whenever she came to the market. He would even send her expensive gifts thinking that she would notice him and show goodwill towards him. But, unknown to him. His pestering only worked to annoy her.
From a young age, she knew that she was desirable. Being the only daughter of the city lord along with beauty, she knew her status and took pride in it.
The amount of gifts she'd receive every month was enough to make an average family of the dove city curse their fate.
Between the shenanigans of their childhood, a few years had passed. They were already around twelve years of age and now they had to start planning for their future endeavors.
This was not something for the kids to decide but their parents and guardians.
Yifan's father had decided to pass down all the wealth he had made over the years along with the dove city merchant house to Yifan as his health kept deteriorating.
Yifan had never worried about stuff like this in the first place so when a year later his father passed away, he took the helm as the young lord of the merchant house.
He was supposed to spend all his life doing what his father did but that did not happen.
Around this time, the dove city residents heard one shocking piece of news straight from the city lord's manor.
The one and only daughter of the city lord had decided to challenge her fate by taking up the path to immortality.
The path to immortality or simply becoming an immortal. It sounded nothing much but to the mortals, it was enough to fall on their knees in shock.
What was an immortal? An immortal was someone who wielded mystical powers, they were able to move objects with just a thought, and they could easily destroy lands and break open skies.
They were the figures of legends who stayed away from mortal dust, controlling the fates of thousands if not millions.
What did it mean to try to become an immortal? It needed to be mentioned that a mortal could go their whole life not even seeing a footprint of one.
No one in the history of dove city had ever encountered one, hence the saying that the immortal resided in immortal palaces, away from the mortal world.
It was also known to the people that once in a while, a mortal would challenge their fate to become an immortal. But, nothing was that simple in this world.
There were trials you had to pass through in order to earn the qualification to even be looked at by those who were already on the path of becoming one.
It was very easy to wash your hands off your life if you made a single mistake pursuing immortality.
But if you thought that you had what it takes to pursue the arduous path to immortality, the immortal sects of this world were more than happy to accept you and guide you towards it.
And one such Immortal sect was the Azure Order Sect. This sect had a legacy worth eighty years, which was considered quite recent in the world of immortality but they were without a doubt, a genuine immortal force.
***
"Ling'er, Why do you even want to do this? Why now?"
Ling'er, Han Ling, stood in the courtroom of the city lord's mansion, in the presence of her father, Even though he was a terrifying and respectful person for many, to her she was still her father who had pampered her from a very young age.
"Father, I've already made my decision clear. I'm thirteen years old this year. According to what the legends say, My body and spirit have already consolidated. The earlier I start, the better it is for me."
Her father, the city lord, looked at her daughter with a stern expression, not showing any signs to give into her this time around like how he always did.
"I will not allow this! Do you even know how many people have died foolishly trying to pursue immortality, but how many have actually succeeded? You're a sensible person and smarter than most children your age, why don't you learn under a senior strategist and lead dove city in the future? Is that not glorious enough?"
The city lord's voice kept rising and now he was literally shouting and reprimanding her decision, something that he did very, very rarely.
Han Ling stood there, unwavering under her father's outburst.
'Not enough. It's not good enough for me. Only the status of an immortal can do justice to someone like me.'
"The challenges, I'm ready to face them. Something like being a city lord is not enough for me!"
Han Ling revolted as she turned back and dashed out of the courtroom, leaving behind her reverberating voice and a distressed city lord.
Whether it was blind confidence, a fool's ambition or an impeccable revolting spirit to challenge all odds remained yet to be seen.
***
Fast forward to the time when she was lying in front of the wolf beast, thinking if this was her end.
'I can't possibly die here. I still have so much to do. It should be someone else…yes– it should be that stupid bastard dying instead of me. Where is he now that he finally has some use.'
To her, she was the princess of this world, destined to become an Immortal phoenix she had seen so much about in the old texts.
Even someone as insignificant as Yifan was only a mere admirer of her. After all, He had sold most of what his father had left to him to buy a slot in the raven traveling troupe as a traveler.
Everyone cursed at him for being a foolish bastard and the people who had goodwill towards his late father could only lament him for having such a foolish son.
But lamenting is all they could do, after all, the fortune now belonged to Yifan and he could decide what he wanted to do with it.
'I will not die here—'
Her resolve finally rewarded her, as a prince had come to her rescue.
'That is…Mo Chen…'
A stunned Han Ling could be seen standing there, a seed of wild ambition had finally sprouted within her.
***
It had been just yesterday when she had a close encounter with the dead, but how could she die in this unknown wilderness when she had the destiny of an immortal phoenix, even young master Chen, whom she suspected to be a descendant of a hidden martial clan had shown her goodwill and saved her.
Even then, Even then, someone who was just an insignificant speck to her, one of her many foolish admirers, dreaming to eat swans meat, someone who she didn't need to even care about, was now looking at her in the face directly with an indifference so acute as if she was simply an ant not even worth considering.
Yifan stood in front of her with a relaxed stance and looked at her as if she was an insignificant spectacle.
'Me! Someone who is bound to lord over millions, you dare look at me like that!'
It looked like she had already lost some reason and awareness of space as her foundationless ego took over her mind.
"Y-You…!"
"A bastard like you! You dare look at me like that!!"
Not controlling her anger any longer, she burst out like a broken dam, shocking not just her group but even the people that were in the vicinity.
The only two people who didn't show any reaction on their faces were Yifan and Mo Chen, the latter amused as if expecting a good spectacle, faintly carrying a visible hint of displeasure in his eyes.
Yifan, who didn't react even after Han Ling started her outburst, was another shocking factor for the dove city's group and an even stranger one at that.
If it were the usual Yifan, he'd already be rolling on the floor akin to a dog. That is what both the Mu twins were expecting, but what was this?
Not only did Yifan not do that, but he was also looking at Han Ling as if she was some creature of wonder.
'Is this really the Yifan? Did he hurt his head or something?'
This was the thought that came up to both the Mu twins and the ever silent Miao.
Mo Chen also had a slight change in his expression, The grin on his face lessening. It seemed like things weren't going as he expected.
Only Han Ling was in complete disbelief.
'Wh–what is happening? Why is he looking at me like that, he should already be on his knees by now…what's with that look!'
Crack!
It looked like she had finally lost it. How could someone like her possibly tolerate this type of attitude from someone as lowly as a mere merchant's son? She was not going to take it!
"You!!"
And, like a broken dam, she burst forth.
"YOU INSIGNIFICANT SCUM DARES TO STAND BEFORE ME AND LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT!!!"
This was probably the greatest outburst of her life, after all she was a goddess, gracing other people with her presence in her mind.
The commotion was now big enough to be ignored any further, people already started making remarks and pointing at the group as well as Yifan.
Yifan, who was the center of it all, the indifference on his face was finally replaced by genuine confusion and…slight annoyance…that's right.
He looked left and then right at the people who had gathered and then at the queue he was standing in.
Then the boy who was everyone's attention at the moment turned back, picked up the bag that was being handed to him, shot back a glance at the lady as if she was a spectacle, and left…
He left!
There was absolute silence in the area for a while.