The Yao were led by the Eastern Emperor, Taiyi, but there were four other emperors directly beneath him.
They each held jurisdiction over a cardinal direction, and they hadn’t opposed or restricted each other in tens of thousands of years, instead mutually supporting the realm, helping it flourish and grow in comprehensive strength.
The Northern Kingdom.
This was a relatively unique kingdom even among the yao, as its citizens were born in human form, unable to take on a yao shape. However, their bodies contained pure yao energy and pure yao bloodlines.
Rumor had it that in the kingdom’s early years, its people liked making strategic marriage alliances with humanity, and as time passed, their bodies increasingly trended towards human form. By now, the place was practically a human colony. Even now, there were still quite a few among the god race that sought marriage alliances with the Northern Kingdom.
Jadewave City was just one of the cities under the Northern Kingdom’s jurisdiction. It wasn’t one of their strongest cities, but it was somewhere in the middle.
Yao both big and small had lived there for millions of years, and it contained countless clans and races.
It was in this very place that a certain family lived….
In a residence filled with fragrant purple grasses, a beautiful young woman in a long, alternating white and purple dress knelt amongst the greenery. Her dress perfectly complemented the purple grasses, and she seemed one with her surroundings, with no clear or jarring distinction whatsoever.
Her expression was pure, and her eyes contained no emotion as she reached out and touched the colorful grasses.
“How many times have you attempted to flee, only to get caught and dragged back?” A youth in blue and white armor leaned against the wooden pillar of the gazebo just outside the garden plot. His long white hair contained a single streak of black, which dr.a.p.ed over the corner of his left eye.
He watched the woman in silence, waiting for a response, but she ignored him completely. Finally, he said, “Little Sister, are you angry at me?”
“No.” Only then did the woman turn around, her gaze utterly indifferent. She shrugged. “I’m just thinking about how to be stealthier next time. You caught me this time, but every time, I make it farther than the last. Next time…. I definitely won’t let you find me.”
The youth sighed. “Just give up.”
“Why?” She c.o.c.ked her head in confusion.
“You’re my brother,” said the woman. “Can’t you help me?”
Despite knowing full well that this youth was the person who’d dragged her back, she was now asking for help. When he heard this, the youth’s brow knit into dark lines, and when he replied, his face was ashen. “What do you think?”
“You’ve always doted on me, ever since we were children. You know full well that I have no d.e.s.i.r.e to be with some ‘city lord’s son’, and you know that I’ve long since had someone in mind. As my brother, why can’t you help me?” She looked at him intently, her eyes bright.
At the sight of his most beloved little sister’s expectant gaze, the youth wilted. “I can’t, not even if I know this marriage alliance means sacrificing you. No matter how much I dote on you, for the sake of the clan as a whole, I have to support the elder’s decision.”
“Then forget it. If you want something done right, it’s better to do it yourself. I’ll just figure out a way to sneak out on my own.” She didn’t seem dejected in the slightest. She simply shrugged, laughed, and turned her attention back to the purple grasses.
“I already said you can’t run. For the next few days, I’ll be here watching you. Do you really think you can slip out from right under my nose?”
“The second your attention wavers, I’ll be on my way,” she said.
“But you ought to know that won’t happen,” said the youth.
“Then I’ll just wait until I’m married, then run away. The result will be the same,” said the woman with a shrug. Based on her tone, she wasn’t the least bit concerned.
There was a lengthy pause, silent save for the fragrant winds rustling through the grasses.
“I can’t help but regret bringing you down to the lower realms to play,” said the youth, his gaze sharp. “If I hadn’t brought you down there, you would never have met that monkey, and if you hadn’t met him, you wouldn’t be like this now.”
“Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as ‘if’. I met him, whether you like it or not,” she said flippantly, a joyful smile flashing across her face. “Ah…. Perhaps the heavens themselves arranged this. In this vast world, for me to have run into him, I’m truly blessed.”
As she spoke, she rested her head in her hands, her eyes glittering with infatuation. Watching this, the youth’s expression grew increasingly unsightly. All of this was the result of a single slip up he’d made thousands of years ago.
Back then, his sister had only just become a supreme. As her big brother, he knew how hard she’d worked for her breakthrough, so he brought her somewhere new to relax. Of all the countless lower planes he could have chosen, he had to choose that one, had to let her run into the one person she should have never met.
At first, he assumed it would be enough to take her home, and that as time passed, her feelings for him would fade.
To his surprise, after countless years apart, her feelings didn’t fade in the slightest. On the contrary, absence made the heart grow fonder. That certain someone had, in his sister’s heart, become idealized and perfect.
Then, just a few days ago, that monkey from a lower plane had showed up out of nowhere, and worse, his sister had found out about it.
It was too late to take it back. “Zixia, quit this nonsense.” The youth couldn’t help but bark her name. “You were born a citizen of the upper realms, and that wild monkey is at best the king of a single mountain of the lower realms. How could he possibly be worthy of you? Now, our clan is in trouble, and marrying you to the city lord’s son is best for all of us. It’s best for you too: how could a wild monkey possibly compare with the city lord’s heir?”
“But I already sent him packing. Thousands of years have passed, and he’s still pitifully weak. Besides, you’re to marry the city lord’s son in just a few days. This is a major event for the entire Northern Kingdom. What can some wild monkey do about it?” said the youth, his words rife with disdain.
“I’ll say it one more time: he’s not just some monkey. He’s Supreme Treasure!” The vicious glare on her face gradually faded, replaced by a hint of a smile. “I have faith in him. He’ll appear at my wedding. Heroes always appear right at the key moment, descending onto the situation like a heavenly savior.”
“You’re hoping he seizes you from your own wedding? You’re insane…. Is this some sort of mental illness?”
“This isn’t madness. That’s my ideal situation.” She laughed, then looked away and reached for the purple grasses. “The veil I wear now is the same one he gave to me all those years ago. I’ll wear it as I wait. I have faith in him. He’ll definitely come riding in on a magic cloud to take me away. He’ll definitely come for me!”
