Back in the safety of my room, I bolted the door and leaned against it, the gold-trimmed invitation heavy in my hand. I could still hear the muffled, frantic wheezing of Rose downstairs as she tried to explain her sudden "muteness" to our father. The Spirit-Numbing Grass was effective, but it was a temporary fix. I needed something permanent—a way to ensure that when I walked into that banquet, I wasn't just another noble daughter. I needed to be an enigma.
I closed my eyes and entered the Divine Space.
Bai was waiting for me, sitting atop a stack of ancient scrolls. "You're getting a taste for it, aren't you? The silence of your enemies?"
"It's a start," I said, walking toward the marble library. "But a banquet isn't just about voices. It's about presence. I need to look like someone who belongs on a throne, not someone who just crawled out of a sickbed. And I need a way to protect myself from more than just words. Prince Yan will be there, and his eyes are sharper than Rose's."
Bai hopped down, his golden eyes glowing. "Then you've come to the right place. The 'Hidden Treasure' of this library isn't just books, Xia. It's the Treasury of the Star-Fall Empress."
He led me to a section of the library where the shelves were made of obsidian. He pulled a small, dusty box from a hidden compartment. Inside lay a roll of fabric that seemed to be woven from moonlight and liquid silver.
"This is Celestial Silk," Bai whispered. "It's woven from the cocoons of Spirit Silkworms that fed on starlight. It has two properties. First, it is impenetrable by ordinary blades. Second, it shifts color based on the wearer's internal energy. If you are calm, it is soft silver. If you are dangerous, it turns as dark as a midnight storm."
I touched the fabric. It was cool, almost humming beneath my fingertips.
"But you can't just wear it as a lump of cloth," Bai said, handing me another manual. "This is the Weaving of the Nine Heavens. It allows you to use your spiritual energy to shape the silk into whatever garment you desire. It will fit you like a second skin."
I spent the next "two days" inside the Space—which were only a few hours in the real world—practicing my energy control. It was delicate work. I had to thread my own Qi into the Celestial Silk, guiding it to form a high-collared gown with flowing sleeves and a skirt that trailed like a waterfall.
As I finished, the dress shimmered. It wasn't just beautiful; it felt like armor.
"Now for the finishing touch," Bai said, pointing to a small, unassuming black jade ring on a nearby pedestal. "The Void Ring. It has a small storage space inside. You can't put mountains in it yet, but it can hold your Spirit-Numbing leaves, your daggers, and any poisons you might 'acquire'."
I slipped the ring onto my finger. It shrunk to fit me perfectly, turning nearly invisible against my skin.
"You're ready," Bai said, his voice unusually serious. "But remember, Xia: the Duke's Banquet is where the high-level players gather. There is a man who will be there—the Duke's younger brother, the 'Ghost General' Long Wei. He is the only person in this kingdom whose thoughts are... different. If you encounter him, do not try to read his mind too deeply. His soul is a desert of ice."
I nodded, committing the name to memory. Long Wei. When I returned to the real world, the sun was setting on the eve of the banquet. My maid, Chun—who was now terrified of me and serving me with trembling hands—brought in a tray of food.
"M-Miss," she stuttered, her eyes fixed on the floor. "The Master has requested your presence in the main hall. He wants to discuss the... incident with Second Miss Rose."
[Please don't kill me, please don't kill me. If she finds out I told Rose about the invitation, I'm dead.]
I looked at her, my Heart-Mirror picking up her panicked pulse. "Tell my father I will be down shortly. And Chun? Don't bother telling Rose what I'm wearing. Even if you told her, she wouldn't believe it."
I stood before my mirror, the Celestial Silk gown hidden in my Void Ring. Tomorrow, the capital would see the rise of the "Sickly" Lin daughter. And by the time the moon set, the names of Lin Rose and Prince Yan would be dragged through the mud of their own making.