From Zhuge Yui Lan's Perspective
The wind of the plains carried with it the smell of new wool, dried fruit, and freshly polished metal. Not the usual scent of Gray Sky City—where, most of the year, the air held only snow.
Outside the eastern wall, the Winter Moon Merchant Guild had stretched its stalls in orderly rows, like successive waves of a sea of colors. Blue-and-silver banners swayed lazily in the wind, each bearing the sigil of a crescent moon cut through with snowflakes. Normally, caravans of such scale would pass through a city's gates, settling into central squares or trade halls… but Gray Sky was not a city for such customs.
Not because of restrictive decrees.Not because of fear of invaders.Simply because the city could not contain it.
The narrow streets and meager inner space could never house the vastness of wagons, pack beasts, and ornate tents the Guild brought. And so, by logic—or perhaps convenience—the entire spectacle of commerce unfolded right there, at the base of the wall, a temporary fair surrounded by the frozen emptiness of the north.
The townsfolk had long adapted, treating it like an annual festival. Men in thick coats, women in colorful shawls, children with makeshift boots—all moved between the stalls with brightened faces. The monotonous white of snow gave way to the vibrant embroidery of imported fabrics, the moist gleam of spices, the constant chime of coins exchanging hands.
For a moment, it was almost possible to forget this was just a small, forgotten city.
The murmur of trade spread like warmth on a winter day. Old men haggled with quick-tongued merchants, maidens tried on polished copper bracelets, youths marveled at foreign blades gleaming in the weak light of the sun. With every step came a new scent—southern petal tea, dried meat from the western lands, resin from the archipelago ports.
Yui Lan walked slowly among the rows, her light-blue hanfu absorbing the cold as though it were part of her. Her eyes didn't linger on colors or sounds—she had seen markets a hundred times larger, a thousand times richer. Yet there was something in this scene… something almost pure.
Perhaps it was the simple joy of the people.Or the way, for one brief instant, all seemed to forget the weight of snow falling outside the circle of tents.
Each stall, each vendor's voice calling out, each aroma of spice or warm metal—they all passed before her as part of a natural flow.
Her information was simple: the item had been sold here.But the specific stall had never been mentioned in the rumors of her past life.There were no shortcuts.
And for someone who had cultivated for millennia, searching was no burden.Hasty results always bore fragile roots.
Stall by stall, she observed.A bladesmith, a silk trader, a smiling tea seller… and then her eyes stopped.
On a small table of pale wood, almost forgotten among bamboo combs and glass necklaces, lay the object she sought.A simple hair ornament, pale jade, discreet, polished just enough to hold a serene glow.An item no noble lady would glance at twice.
But Yui Lan knew.She remembered the stir it had caused.
In her past life, it had been bought by an ordinary girl who wore it without thought—until, two months later, disciples of the Celestial Ice Veil Sect sought her out. The ornament had once belonged to the middle daughter of the Yan family, one of the capital's most influential houses.
Nothing ill had come to the girl. She had returned the ornament and was even rewarded.But the story had become local legend.
This time, however, the opportunity would not belong to another.
The vendor, a middle-aged woman with a warm face and calloused hands, noticed her interest."Miss, you like this one?" she asked, lifting the ornament so the light passed through. "It's simple, but the jade is pure. Came with a caravan from the south."
"How much?" Yui Lan's voice was soft, almost neutral.
"Three silver coins." The woman smiled, perhaps wondering if this elegant customer might think the price too low.
Yui Lan handed over the coins without hesitation, inclining her head slightly."I'll take it."
The vendor wrapped the ornament in a modest but clean cloth and handed it over."May it bring you luck."
Yui Lan accepted the package and tucked it into her sleeve without another glance.
Luck?No.
She knew exactly what she carried: a natural item, spiritual grade, perfect tier. Capable of calming the heart and amplifying the spirit. A rare treasure even among great sects, for its user's spiritual potential would be slightly elevated—not enough to leap an entire realm, nowhere near that, but enough to polish the edges of talent and hasten one's steps.
She had no illusions. The jade wouldn't let her catch her brothers. That was impossible. But every improvement, no matter how small, was welcome. Accumulated over time, they could weave something grand—fragile threads becoming indestructible cloth.
Still, this jade would not see the sun again.
Not out of fear of the Celestial Ice Veil Sect—they would never act irrationally without inquiry.Not out of fear of the Yan family—powerful though they were, they were only a clan of cultivators and ministers.
But simply because this was the wiser path.
In her past life, the Yan cultivator—the ornament's original owner—had never been found. Only the artifact remained, last trace of her existence. It had sparked hope for a time… only to extinguish it when no investigation bore fruit.
The world was always cold. Beauty was often lost, and rarely recovered. This was reality.
Yui Lan knew it well.
She exhaled softly.She did not have the power to change the world.
And as her task for the day was done, she prepared to return to her clan.
But then the murmur around her shifted—not the bustle of trade, but a sharper note, laced with tension.
It wasn't gossip that drew her attention.It was the voice.
As familiar to her as her own.
Yu Jin.
She moved closer, her eyes searching the crowd until she found him.
Her twin stood before Han Zhi, his posture straight, his gaze burning like embers about to ignite.
Behind him, two girls. One, about Yui Lan's age, with torn clothes and a body covered in dirt. The other, barely more than a baby, clutched to her arms, pale with cold and fear.
Fugitives, most likely. From a northern village destroyed by spiritual beasts, Yui Lan deduced.
Han Zhi wore that same insolent smile she knew well."Well, well… the Zhuge clan's prodigy playing street hero. Going to take care of these strays, is that it?"
Yu Jin stepped forward, shielding the three."Move aside, Han Zhi."
Two thugs shifted behind the Han youth, squaring their shoulders in challenge."And if I don't?" Han Zhi tilted his head, his smile more irritating than ever. "You'll force me? Here? In front of the whole city?"
"No." Yu Jin clenched his fist. "I'll teach you how to respect people."
The first thug lunged without warning. Yu Jin slipped aside, his movement so fast it seemed to vanish. A sharp strike to the stomach folded the man before he could react.
The second came right after, swinging a short club. Yu Jin caught the weapon mid-swing, twisted hard enough to wrench it free, and in the same motion struck his attacker's shoulder. The impact rang loud enough to make the crowd recoil.
Han Zhi scowled and attacked—a low kick followed by a straight punch. Yu Jin blocked with his forearm and answered with a clean hook to the jaw. The Han youth staggered back two steps before pride forced him to flee with his men.
The crowd parted. Whispers spread, but none stepped forward.
Yu Jin turned to the girls, his breathing steady, his gaze firm."Come. This place isn't safe."
From where she stood, Yui Lan had seen everything.
She let out a slow breath.
Her brother hadn't changed.In this life or the last, he was still a magnet for trouble.
For now, it was only Han Zhi and a few weak thugs at the early stages of Body Refinement.Nothing that could shake the Zhuge clan.Not yet.
But she knew how sparks behaved.Given the right conditions… they became wildfires.
And that was exactly what she needed to prepare for.