Yingyue rubbed her neck with a weary sigh, wondering what could have possibly inspired her mother to give her this new hairstyle, pinning every single strand of hair away from her face with golden pins into something grand and eye-catching. But she could not deny that it made her look like a proper lady. She twisted this way and that before her full-length bronze mirror, loving the new outfit even more. Lanfen had had it specially made for the party held at new year.
It comprised of a floor sweeping vermilion dress that hugged her curves, with golden peonies embroidered on its silk collar and long fitting sleeves, over which she wore a flowing white apparel so fine it was almost sheer, with small white flowers blooming on its voluminous gossamer sleeves. The elegant V-neck of this outer robe was lined in gold, dipping down until it met the matching white sash, which sported the most intricate embroideries in lovely golden thread and made her small waist look even smaller. Her feet sat in a pair of dainty shoes that matched the gold earrings dangling almost down to her shoulders. Needless to say, her face had been made up, this time in a way that made her look regal.
Yup, Meng Yingyue was definitely ready to turn heads at the party.
*
An array had been set up beforehand to keep the location of the party pleasantly warm despite the freezing weather. The creme de la creme of the cultivation world were in attendance, and it was no secret that most of them were there solely to witness the famed sword dance by the Saintess of the Silver Blade herself.
The party had not begun yet, but the place was already packed, and well dressed servants wove in and out of the crowds with trays laden with all sorts of refreshments. Suddenly,gasps rang out, followed by murmurs that threatened to pull the sky down. Heads turned, almost everyone straining to get a glimpse of the person who had just arrived, surrounded by four powerful bodyguards.
GuangZhiShou-jun, otherwise known as Hands of Light. She was the number one disciple of the Medicine Valley, and a healer second only to the Lord of the Medicine Valley himself.
The Medicine Valley was a sect of its own, one that trained the very best healers the cultivation world had ever seen.
The Lord of the Medicine Valley was rumored to be as old as time, and there was no way to either confirm or disprove this rumor since no one alive outside of the Medicine Valley had ever seen him. This was because the most exceptional healers never left the valley,due their irreplaceable nature. Little wonder then that the people were so shocked to see GuangZhiShou-jun at the Peony Halls.
She was younger than anyone could have possibly imagined; no older than twenty two, with a willowy body and slender arms. She was all dressed in pure white, giving her an immaculate look, and a long white veil obscured her face from view. Her movements were graceful and her posture queenly as she strode to an isolated seat and settled into it, disregarding all the attention. One of the bodyguards handed her a silk-bound book, and she proceeded to flip through the pages, ignoring everything and everyone around her. However, the murmurs she heard from the girls nearest to her minutes later made her lift her head.
"It's the Jade Dragon, Pan Yuchen".
"Yes, it really is him".
"Wow".
"Why is he here? He never attends events". She looked around until she spotted Yuchen, walking right beside his uncle. Her nutshell eyes trailed him till he was seated, and underneath the soft veil, her rosy lips curled into a small smile.
*
*
*
Xinyue felt overdressed. Even as she stood by the door, knowing that she would be stepping out before the crowd any moment, she still could not help wondering if she should don a different outfit. But Zhipeng had gotten her this one despite the fact that he could not make it to the party, and it would not be polite of her to perform without wearing it. Although she found herself wishing for something much simpler, like her Mist Oasis uniform for example, she would not pretend not to notice the sheer beauty of the dress.
Yet, this did not stop her from feeling self-conscious as she emerged before the guests. All eyes turned to her at the same time, and her hands clenched around the layers and layers of delicate fabric that made up the skirt. Each one was dyed a different color- yellows,reds and golds- but piled together it was like the sun, the tiny beads stitched into each layer glowed like stars in a morning sky, and the long sleeves accentuated the length of her arms.
Her hair had been left untied, and it cascaded down her back like a waterfall the darkest sooty shade of black, with golden beans and red corals woven into a long thin braid, complimenting her feathered earrings and the jeweled flowers topping the front,as well as the round ruby gleaming on her forehead.
She was glowing.
The cheers started, and not a single person could have been able to guess that the Saintess' palms were sweaty with the way she straightened her spine and held her head high. But the girl's heart was currently slamming against her ribcage as if it intended to burst out of her chest. She did not want to be here at all.
"Jiejie!".
At the sound of that voice, Xinyue's gaze snapped up to where her sister was seated, looking so like a doll. Yingyue cupped her hands around her mouth, even though she did not need to,as the whole place had fallen silent the moment she called out to the Saintess.
"Jiejie! I love you!!".
Xinyue blinked,a flush of red washing over her cheeks. Then she smiled. Instantly, it felt like all her worries had been washed away, and she felt a few tons lighter. Without further delay, she drew her silver blade and began. Later, the people would say that she had been graceful and balletic, majestic and magnificent. More incandescent than the sun and more graceful than a swan, she had held them all enchanted.
And, for that one moment, they could have believed that the martial god Ming Yao had descended from the heavens.
*
*
*
Nuying paused before the stone sculpture, and looked up into that frozen face, which looked so much like the real thing that for a split second she imagined that it would speak. It was beautiful, which was no surprise. She would never forgive anyone who dared to carve something in the likeness of that man that was not beautiful. For he had been... the very specimen of all that beauty stood for. She stretched her hand towards the sculpture, but paused just before her slim fingers could make contact with its cool surface, all the while staring adoringly into the face.
"Lady Nuying, the king is waiting".
She blinked.
She had actually forgotten about the two courtiers sent by Zi Baoli to escort her to the throne room. Still, no one had the right to interrupt her at times like this, so she turned and stared stonily down at the one who had spoken over her shoulder.
"Forgive me, Lady Nuying"he bowed immediately.
Not deigning to acknowledge them any further, she turned and began to walk to the throne room. Her terrified escorts followed at a respectable distance.
The guards at the entrance bowed as she made her way into the room, where Zi Baoli sat, perched on a throne that she would have loved to pull him down from. The whole place made her skin crawl, knowing whom it had all belonged to, and could never again belong to. That throne had suited him better, and so had the throne room's aesthetic, unlike this one who,in her opinion, looked more like a child playing king rather than true royalty.
"Well, well,"the demon king said"if it isn't the Lily of Death".
Nuying dug midnight nails into her palms as she fixed cool eyes on him.
"Your majesty".
This man knew how much she hated that name, and that was exactly why he insisted on using it.
"It's been quite a while since I sent for you, hasn't it?".
"Has it?"she retorted,then bit the inside of her cheek.
Once again she had violated the first rule of the demon realm. You did not talk back at the king.
Zi Baoli had been idly playing chess against himself, but now he turned from the board, fixing her with stormy grey eyes that somehow always managed to look bloodthirsty. Nuying felt the shadows writhing around her feet before she was pulled... no, hauled forward, like a common object. She found herself right in front of the obsidian throne, face to face with that nasty grin.
His annoyingly-handsome face was uncomfortably close to hers, so much so that his breath kissed her face when he spoke.
"It wasn't nice to be kept waiting, but it absolutely pisses me off to know that you didn't arrive immediately because you were so busy venerating the statue of some failure". Nuying's eyes flashed.
How dare he speak of Huang Yichen like that?!
"Still, I cannot help but pity you".
"I don't need your pity!"Nuying all but spat in his face.
"Look at you,"he continued as if she had not spoken, running a rough finger down the ugly scar on the left side of her neck"you could be anything you want. Yet you tie yourself down with unnecessary memories of the past". Nuying clenched her teeth.
He had made it a favorite hobby to make fun of her silver white dresses and dislike for bloodshed, precisely because he knew the reason behind them.
"Did you summon me because you were bored,"she met his eyes"your majesty?".
Zi Baoli cracked a grin, and the shadows let go, tossing her to the hardwood floors in a most undignifying manner.
Unfazed, the Lily of Death rose to her feet, her face a blank mask.
"I need you to do something for me"he said, sounding so haughty and entitled she wanted to stone a dagger at him.
He was always like this, had always been like this. Unfortunately, it was law in the demon realm that the most powerful would become king, and so after Huang Yichen's death, Zi Baoli had declared himself king and slaughtered in brutal ways all those who tried to oppose him.
In fact, he had not even waited until his predecessor died. As soon as Huang Yichen had charged into the heavens, Zi Baoli had crowned himself and led the demons in a battle to conquer the mortal realm, saying that Huang Yichen would not come back alive anyway. Nuying hated that he had turned out to be right. She hated that so many of their people had died needless deaths thanks to his ambitious obsession with conquering the mortal realm. And she hated, most of all, the way he had literally dragged her to the palace as a child and forbidden her from leaving the moment he discovered the powers she possessed.
Now, fifty years later, she was no more than a prisoner with the euphemism "Lady" attached to her name.
"What will you have me do, your majesty?". "Open as many portals as you can".
"Where to?".
She watched him spread a big map,a very detailed map of the mortal realm which he had gotten from the mortal woman who,in Nuying's opinion, was really stupid for bargaining with him.
"Here".
When he tapped a spot on the map, Nuying frowned.
"Does she know about this?".
"Who?".
"Who else? Your mortal ally".
"Why does she need to know?".
"She would not forgive this. You know where she draws the line".
"She is a fool for bargaining with me. You think so too, don't you, Nuying?".
Nuying clenched her fists, turning away.
"Be fast about it"Zi Baoli said.
A vein pulsed in her cheek, but she did not object any further. She lifted her hands, and the air crackled, hundreds of portals appearing as she tore through space. Without having to ask, she knew what the portals were for. Demons had tried, and failed, to leave their realm through her portals, but that didn't mean that other creatures could not leave. With a sigh, she stepped away. "It is done".