Jiang Chen set down his teacup, studying the young woman standing before him.
She was striking—not in an overwhelming way, but in the quiet grace of someone who had been raised with refinement. Her robe, though dusted with dirt from travel, was of fine silk embroidered with delicate lotus patterns. Her features were sharp yet elegant, her gaze piercing with determination.
More telling than her attire, however, was the way she carried herself. She was used to command.
Jiang Chen already had his suspicions.
"I am told you seek the 'Hidden Sage'," he said, voice calm.
The young woman exhaled slowly, as if steadying herself. "Yes," she said. "I have traveled far to find you."
Jiang Chen gestured to the stone stool across from him. "Then sit, and tell me why."
The young woman hesitated, then lowered herself onto the stool. Her maid, a nervous girl in green robes, remained standing behind her, eyes darting around the village.
For a moment, there was only the sound of rustling leaves.
Then, the young woman spoke.
"My name is Xiao Yue," she said.
A slight reaction rippled through the villagers who were still watching from afar. They knew the name. The exiled princess of the Xiao Dynasty.
Jiang Chen did not react, merely nodding for her to continue.
"My father, the previous emperor, was betrayed and assassinated. The court was overtaken by a tyrant, a man who now sits on the throne with the backing of powerful cultivators. I was meant to be eliminated as well."
Her voice was steady, but there was a quiet steel beneath it.
"I escaped. I have been on the run ever since. And now… I need wisdom."
Jiang Chen observed her carefully. There was no plea in her voice, no desperation.
She was not here for sympathy. She was here for answers.
Jiang Chen could already see where this was going.
"You seek advice on reclaiming your dynasty," he said.
Xiao Yue nodded. "I was told that you—" She hesitated. "That you are a man whose words shape the fates of those who hear them."
Jiang Chen nearly rolled his eyes. Here we go again.
He had no desire to be drawn into politics, let alone the feuds of a fallen empire. But before he could voice his refusal, Xiao Yue leaned forward slightly.
"I am not here to demand miracles," she said. "I simply want to know—should I fight to reclaim what was taken? Or should I let the past die?"
That… was a different question than he had expected.
Jiang Chen frowned slightly. "And why do you ask me?"
Xiao Yue exhaled. "Because those who have sought you out always leave changed. Even the smallest of your words send ripples across the world. I need to know if I am chasing a dream that should remain dead."
Jiang Chen rubbed his temple.
Why did everything he said get taken so seriously?
Still, he considered her words carefully. Should she fight? Should she move on?
In truth, he had no real stake in the answer. But the young woman before him was clearly intelligent, strong-willed, and willing to challenge fate itself.
So, he gave her the simplest answer.
"If the past was stolen from you," Jiang Chen said, "then the choice of whether to reclaim it is yours alone. No one—not fate, not prophecy—can decide that for you."
Xiao Yue's eyes widened slightly.
Then, slowly, she smiled.
"I see," she murmured.
Jiang Chen could tell she had already made her decision.
It wasn't his advice that had determined it—it was simply the final nudge she needed to confirm what she already knew in her heart.
But before anything else could be said, the sound of hoofbeats echoed from the village entrance.
Jiang Chen sighed.
More visitors?
But as the villagers turned toward the approaching figures, tension filled the air.
Because these were not travelers.
They were cultivators.
Five men in dark robes, their presence radiating danger. The leader, a man with a scar across his jaw, reined in his horse and scanned the village.
His gaze settled on Xiao Yue.
"There you are," he said, lips curling. "The little stray princess."
Xiao Yue tensed, her hand inching toward the dagger hidden in her robes.
Jiang Chen exhaled, setting down his teacup.
So much for a peaceful evening.