The next morning, a cluster of young maids surrounded the newest among them, Yù Xuān, who had barely escaped the sharp eyes of the Royal General Yán Lǐng. Others had already claimed her bedding, leaving her standing alone.
"Yù Xuān..." one maid said softly, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "At least he didn't punish you. He knows you're new."
Then, without warning, the other maids scattered.
"Yù Xuān..."
A soft but firm voice called out.
She raised her head slowly and met the sharp, composed gaze of the chief maid.
"You are all dismissed," the woman said to the others. Then she turned back to Yù Xuān. "There's a forum you must join. It starts tomorrow."
Yù Xuān's eyes widen.
In the southern part of Huǒyuán, Mò Lián and her aunt journeyed to the Sì Tiān Temple in the west. They had begun at dawn, walking the winding roads that only locals knew well.
There were many ways to reach the temple:
Recognized citizens used the sea, though it required booking a private canoe.
As all Huǒyuán soldiers were trained in spiritual magic and forbidden from mingling with regular citizens, soldiers journeyed through the enchanted forest, a space ordinary people dared not tread.
The common folk, like Mò Lián and her aunt, walked the well-trodden road, the shortest but most crowded path to the temple.
Mò Lián couldn't afford a horse, not that there were many available. Horsemen in the south were expensive and rare.
"Don't worry," her aunt said, smiling. "We'll be there soon. I know this road better than I know my name."
As the path grew quiet and dull, her aunt began recounting stories from the past.
"Mò Lián," she said suddenly, glancing sideways. "Do you recognize this road pattern?"
"It feels familiar..." Mò Lián replied, furrowing her brows.
"Your father never tells you much. He's always afraid of the past. But I'm not." Her tone was calm but firm.
"A lot happened when you were born. Your father lost everything: his wife, his business, and his peace of mind. He was never the same."
Mò Lián listened in silence.
"My brother and I were poor. Orphans. After our parents died, we only had each other. That's why I know these roads... they've carried our pain before."
By the time they approached the temple gates, the sun had already begun to lean westward.
Mò Lián turned to her aunt just as she finished her story with something that didn't sit right.
"Yes! I had to keep animals close because this part of Huǒyuán was once home to demons. Be careful. It's almost autumn, and strange things happen."
Mò Lián hugged her. "Thanks. Aunt," she said with a teasing smile.
They passed through the capital's temple gate, presenting their citizenship cards.
Back at the palace of Huǒyuán, it was now late afternoon. The halls stood quiet. Royals remained in their quarters, leaving the courtyard deserted.
In the servant quarters, the maid chief gathered her new maidens. She stood tall, explaining the sacred time they had entered.
"Winter is when the royal family releases its eternal energy," she began. "It warms; it brings festivals, joy, and spiritual awakening."
"The autumn is well known...."
A maid raised her hand.
"Yes, speak."
"Thank you, my lord," the girl said, bowing. "I heard the energy our royals release can be dangerous... is that true?"
The room fell silent.
"Good question," the maid chef said. She stepped into the open space before them.
"His Holiness, King Tiān, formed Huǒyuán. He used his divine powers to bind our land away from the rest of the world. We do not know war, nor famine, nor plague. People now pay fortunes to become citizens." She studied the surroundings.
"The ethereal energy flows through the royal bloodline and the three immortal high priests. A woman can only bear royal heirs if her blood type aligns with the king's. The queen is symbolic; power flows through intimacy, through blood."
She paused, watching the room.
"The royal servants cultivate magic at the southern temples before serving in the palace. If a royal releases their ethereal energy at the wrong time, ordinary people could go unconscious... or worse —"
A sudden knock interrupted the silence. A messenger entered, whispering urgently to the maid chef.
She straightened.
"Yù Xuān!" she said, pointing to the girl. "Follow him. Be respectful."
The messenger took her hand. In the blink, they dissolved into thin air.
Yù Xuān was left inside a luxurious room, empty. The messenger was gone.
Her breath caught. The scent of incense, the hush of falling snow through an open balcony, and the glistening of hot water nearby. It's snowing only in this quarter.
She realized it was special official quarters.
And he was in the bathing pool, his body surrounded by swirling steam, dark hair now turned snow-white as he meditated, energy pulsing faintly around him.
Yù Xuān panicked.
I have no cultivation. What am I doing here?
Drawn toward the open balcony, she wandered closer, smiling at the gentle snow.
"Wow... It's winter, but I'm not cold."
One more step, and she would have fallen into the pool. She spotted movement in the water. Peering down, trying to make sense of it, she leaned in—
Yán Lǐng's eyes snapped open.
She turned to run, but stepped on her gown and slipped into the water.
He watched, expression unreadable.
Her limbs flailed.
Is this how I die? I should've learned to swim... why didn't I listen to Mò Lián?
Her heavy robes pulled her deeper. Panic set in.
Why is the water so deep...?
Yán Lǐng frowned. No movement. She wasn't swimming.
He extended his hand, magic rippled, and she rose from the water. Her soaked garments barely clung to her skin. He caught her, holding her to his chest as she gasped for air.
Then she cried.
"Please... I don't belong here. I can't use magic. I don't have any cultivations. Please, I want to go home..."
He said nothing. Just stared, unmoving.
Then recognition struck her.
That face — it's him! The General... again?!
He let go, but she immediately began sinking. With a sigh, he pulled her back and wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Why are you weak? What did you do during your cultivation time?" he asked, voice low.
Suddenly, a curtain shimmered around the pool, shielding them from view.
The doors opened. Two maids entered, walking straight to the pool and bowing low.
"My lord. You summoned us. I brought the material."
Yán Lǐng carried Yù Xuān out of the water and laid her gently on the bed. The two maids bowed deeper. He disappeared into his dressing room.
"Dress her," he said from inside.
One maid stepped forward, the maid chef.
"My lady, what type of dress would you like?" she asked kindly.
Yù Xuān sat frozen, heart pounding.
What is happening? The maid chef works for him?!
"I?... nothing heavy," she muttered.
Yán Lǐng stepped out, now in full royal attire. His hair had turned dark again. His presence filled the room.
"Give her what she wants," he said before vanishing once more.
Yù Xuān stared after him, stunned.
His hair... it changed again. This palace is even stranger than the rumors...
The two maids stood waiting.
Back in western Huǒyuán, Mò Lián was enjoying festival snacks, unaware of her friend's troubles.
As the sky darkened, she remembered Yù Xuān and hurried to her friend's family home, only to find sorrow.
"She chose to go to the capital," Yù Xuān's mother said, eyes red. "She has no magic... she's too stubborn... I'm worried she won't survive there."
Mò Lián hugged her gently.
"Don't worry, Mama. Your daughter is smart... and beautiful. She'll be fine," she whispered, though her chest felt heavy with worry.
As she made her way home, the temple bells rang. Her aunt and grandparents were already inside, preparing for a sacred ritual.