The moon hung pale and cold over the Jade Lotus Pavilion, casting silver light over the carved wooden beams, the blossoms swaying gently in the spring breeze. Petals drifted like whispered secrets, settling on the stone tiles of the courtyard, painting it in white and pink. Everything looked serene… a mask over the chaos that had already begun.
Liuying knelt gracefully, her silk robes flowing like liquid ink, her long black hair cascading over her shoulders. Her hands glowed faintly as she manipulated the Qi within her, drawing the energy of the wind, the earth, and the blossoms themselves. The centuries of cultivation in her blood flared to life—but tonight, nothing could save her.
A voice, soft and familiar, broke the stillness.
"Liuying…"
She looked up, heart tightening as her eyes met Yuanhao's—her lover, her friend, the one she had trusted with everything. His expression was gentle, almost tender… but the cold edge underneath cut sharper than any blade.
"Yuanhao… what are you doing?" she asked, voice trembling yet filled with authority. Her Qi flared instinctively, sensing danger.
He smiled, slow and deliberate. "I promised many things, Liuying… but promises are fragile, easily broken when power calls."
A chill ran down her spine. "You… you would betray me?"
"Not betrayal," he said, stepping closer. Each movement deliberate, like a master calligrapher drawing the final stroke. "Sacrifice. You understand, don't you? The sect, the empire… they demanded it."
Before she could react, a blade of pure Qi sliced through the air. Liuying's body moved instinctively, flowing with centuries of training—but even her perfected movements could not block the strike completely. Pain lanced through her side. She staggered back, petals clinging to her trembling fingers.
"You…" she gasped, fury igniting her Qi. The blossoms around the pavilion swirled violently, stirred by the energy spilling from her wounds. "You'll pay… in every life I return!"
He knelt, whispering softly, almost regretfully. "Forgive me, my immortal lotus… but your death is necessary."
Her vision blurred. The world seemed to slow as her Qi flared one last time. Petals of white and crimson swirled around her like a cyclone, carrying her last vow into the heavens:
"I will return. And I will make you pay."
Her body crumpled, her silk robes stained with blood. The blossoms drifted higher, glowing faintly, as her soul—burning with unfulfilled vengeance and untapped power—detached and ascended.
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Thirty years later…
Mist rolled over the Valley of Whispering Pines, carrying the faint scent of blossoms. In a humble stone courtyard surrounded by bamboo and cherry trees, a newborn cried. Her tiny hands grasped at the air, and the elders around her whispered in awe:
"Such Qi… such potential… she is different."
The girl, Liuying reborn, had no memory of the life she had once lived. Yet the ancient blood of the Lotus Clan pulsed in her veins, her spirit quietly whispering secrets of vengeance, waiting for the day they would awaken.
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