"Ling Zhu, you're here." Zhou Lin patted the junior's shoulder before turning to the emperor. "Your Majesty, are you injured?" Concern filled his tone. "It's always bad news when Prince Li shows up..."
"I'm fine. But it seems Li Chen has some kind of plan involving Princess Yin," Li Wan crossed his arms. "Bad news indeed."
"Shall we strengthen the guards around Princess Yin's chamber, Your Majesty?" one of the attendants asked.
Luqi interjected, "Please don't. My chamber will be fine. I have the Gē from Qi Tian with me. I'll be alright."
"...Wait." Ling Zhu paused, his eyes narrowing as he turned to Luqi. "Princess Yin... as in..."
"Wei Ling Zhu." A soft, nostalgic smile curved her lips.
The swordmaster immediately dropped to one knee, swords crossed against his chest, head bowed low."Princess Yin." His voice was filled with reverence. "I can't believe I'm seeing you again. You were really here... in the imperial palace..."
"Oh my god, don't do that here, Ling Zhu." She rushed to lift him. "I'm just a concubine now."
"You'll always be the Yinguandao's ruler in my—" Luqi quickly covered his mouth. "Shhh! Don't say that, it's embarrassing."
"Luqi." A familiar arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her gently away."Don't touch another man like that."
"Your Majesty, please don't misunderstand. I would never dare," Ling Zhu replied at once. "Princess Yin was like a sister to me. A mentor, back in Yinguandao."
Luqi's face softened. "That's true."
"Princess, I couldn't find you anywhere..." Ling Zhu's voice sounded disheartened.
"Of course. I made sure of that," she chuckled. "I picked a secluded chamber for my stay. No one would've found me."
"I knew you were from Yinguandao, Ling Zhu," Zhou Lin said, visibly surprised. "But I didn't expect you to be acquainted with Princess Yin."
"He was my junior," Luqi smiled, "back in the Yinguandao Divination Sanctuary."
"Junior..." Li Wan hummed quietly.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Ling Zhu affirmed. "I trained under Princess Yin's guidance for a long time."
.
.
.
Ling Zhu was the son of the Xiang Tian Sect's head, Wei Ming An. Like every citizen of Yinguandao, he was sent to the Yinguandao Divination Sanctuary to study, research, and practice QiLin from a young age.
Due to his position, he and his brothers were placed to stand alongside the Second Prince, Yin Haoyu, and the Fourth Princess, Yin Luqi, who eventually rose to the top as two of the most respected warriors, the star students among the kingdom's new generation.
They were the strongest among the children of Master Yin Ming Dao, aside from their eldest brother Zhen Yu, who was a traveller and was rarely present.
Ling Zhu followed them everywhere, though he spent more time with Princess Yin since she was always in and around the sanctuary.
Luqi was an ambitious girl who swore to outdo everyone in the sect. Perhaps it was after Madam Zhu's passing that so much determination festered in her.
. . .
A freezing winter day. Luqi, who had been driving her divination to the brink of depletion, was floating midair with her legs crossed and eyes closed.
She was resonating with the snow, unveiling its nature and source through exposure.
It was a technique she relied upon most, for it allowed her to delve into the core through all her senses.
She did the same with other elements, spending months soaking in waterfalls or camping in rooms engulfed in flames.
"Is Princess Yin even human?" one student whispered.
"No way. She's still there," another gasped.
A girl shivered. "Even from this distance, it's freezing."
As everyone walked by, Ling Zhu quietly stood by the corridor and watched his senior from afar.
coughHer body dropped harshly to the ground, blood spewing from her mouth. Luqi opened her eyes, struggling to breathe. "Ugh—"
"Princess!" Ling Zhu rushed forward, catching her weakened body.
"I am fine…" Her cracked pale lips parted with a croaky voice.
Ling Zhu tried to lift her up, but she resisted. "I said I'm fine… I can still—"
"Princess, you will die. Please rest for today."
"It's not that easy to die, unfortunately." She exhaled slowly, releasing QiLin. "Did you see that?"
"That's… the QiLin of snow… Princess, you derived the core of snow…" His eyes widened. "This early on…"
"Not yet… but a bit more."
. . .
The first day of the new semester arrived, and Luqi stepped into the training ground as the master substitute, with Ling Zhu following closely behind.
This was a position granted to the most distinguished upperclassmen in the Yinguandao Divination Sanctuary, those chosen to guide the next generation in their practice of QiLin.
As the two entered the field, the students began to chatter.
"Oh, oh, that brother must be our new master!" whispered one, pointing at Ling Zhu.
"No, it's the sister, I think," another replied. "Look, she's got the senior guide tag."
"Can she even use a sword?" someone questioned. "She looks fragile. I think even Zhang Ge can beat her."
"Come on, if she's a senior guide, there's no way she could be weak," another argued.
Luqi sighed. "First rule of divination in practice, never judge a book by its cover." Her voice was calm but laced with authority. The students turned toward her in silence.
"Eek, she heard us!"
"Yes, I heard you. I hear everything. You don't need to whisper, it's pointless."
The students went quiet, sweating nervously.
"Since you were doubting my strength, shall I show off a little?" A touch of arrogance curled on her lips. "Ling Zhu, what do you think?"
Ling Zhu stared. He was used to this. "I think you'll scare them, Princess."
"Ah! He said you guys will be scared." She widened her eyes dramatically. "Are you all a bunch of cowards?"
"No way!"
"Of course not!"
"How could we be scared?"
. . .
Class ended that day with bruised egos and battered bodies. The students were traumatised, but they had learned firsthand the first rule of divination in practice.
. . .
Luqi was more passionate than anyone about divination. A scholar whom every student looked up to.
Even after she lost the ability to draw QiLin from any source, she remained respected because she was always step ahead in every other field.
Many believed she would become the next ruler of Yinguandao, perhaps even the first female king of Qi Tian.
When Ling Zhu first heard she had become a concubine of the empire, he couldn't believe it. She hadn't said goodbye to anyone. She left without a word.
Rumours spread. Some said she was ashamed after her loss and ran away.
But Ling Zhu knew better.
.
.
.
"I wouldn't say I was ashamed, but it's true, I did run off," Luqi commented casually. She sat in his highness's embrace, her focus still on eating the melon in front.
The grand hall was being cleaned and organized by Zhou Lin, so the three of them sat by the imperial garden with a table filled with delicious lunch dishes.
Ling Zhu lowered his head. "…" The princess he knew wasn't someone who would do something like that.
Li Wan's tone was detached as he listened to Ling Zhu. "So you came to the empire to find Luqi."
"I did, but that was in the past. I'm now a royal servant. My duty is to protect Your Majesty and the empire."
Luqi smiled. "That's a refreshing line. You've grown up now, Ling Zhu."
Ling Zhu nodded. "It's been years, Princess. You've changed too."
Luqi chuckled. "Haha, I'm the same."
"I'm not myself without my swords. It's strange to see Princess Yin without divination, Your Highness."
That was the version of her everyone used to know.
"…" Her eating slowed. "I'm not just divination, you know. There's more to a person than what they did or do."
The old her would have never said that.
"I understand. I apologise." Ling Zhu paused, thinking. "Princess," he said quietly.
"Hm?"
"About Bai Yi..." He hesitated. "Is she doing well?"
A smug smile curved her lips. "Would you like to see her, Ling Zhu?"
"May I?"
"You can come to my chamber—"
"That's not happening." The emperor cut in, voice flat.
"???"
"…"
Luqi didn't even want to ask. "Bai Yi's mentioned you now and then, Ling Zhu. I'm sure she misses you too. Let me know when you're free, I'll tell Bai Yi. Maybe you two can roam the empire's street market together. She'd love it."
"I apologise for troubling you, Princess. I appreciate your help."
"Don't be so formal. You might serve the emperor, but we're family. I get goosebumps when you talk like that."
Ling Zhu smiled warmly and stood. "Your Majesty, Princess, please enjoy your meal. I'll take my leave now."
There were still things he had to finish. Seeing her again was enough.
"It was good to see you again, Ling Zhu."
The moment he left, Luqi suddenly felt her hanfu being tugged from behind. The wind blew, and the teeth grazing her back gave her a shiver.
"Ah—" She flinched. "What was that for?"
"The Princess of Qi Tian..." Li Wan murmured, still processing everything. "Your days of glory were something."
"How much of that did you already know..."
"Not much. Just that Princess Yin was a good warrior who lost the throne to her brother." He played with her hair, his voice quiet. "So she gave up the crown and came to me."
The selection of Qi Tian's next ruler had been a major event across the nation. Of course Li Wan would have known. Maybe not about her personally, but definitely about her loss.
She let out a heavy breath. Her mind fell quiet again.
"Ah, that's right, Your Majesty," she remembered. "Your brother, Li Chen."
"...Him. He's trouble. Don't go near him. I'll assign guards to your chamber. Either accept that or chain yourself to me."
"??? Neither of that is happening."
"It is." He caressed her gently. "Li Chen is dangerous."
Luqi hummed softly, thoughtful. "He doesn't seem like he'll harm me, Your Majesty."
"You're actually considering his offer."
"…"
"Luqi, I said don't even consider it. You don't know that man."