「In a flash, five years had passed.」
The innocent little girl from back then had grown up. Though still young, she was now a budding beauty, destined to one day become a woman of devastating grace.
One day, she went alone to a bookstore to buy some Xuan paper.
The bookstore was ancient, with several hundred years of history. The Xuan paper it produced was the finest in the Imperial Capital, so despite its remote location in the city's slums, business was excellent.
But as luck would have it, it was pouring rain that day. The streets were nearly deserted, and the young girl had no choice but to walk through the downpour, holding an umbrella and carrying a thick stack of Xuan paper on her back.
A few local thugs saw her walking alone in the rain and decided to have some fun. They started whistling and catcalling her.
But the girl was no ordinary person. After the incident five years ago, she had started practicing martial arts and had also learned how to swim.
