Kaen inclined his head slightly, a polite smile softening his features. "Madam Hua… thank you for letting us stay here. It's more than we could have asked for."
Madam Hua simply gave a measured nod, her expression unreadable.
Astra tilted her head, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. "Oh… so we're going to stay here, then? Kaen, do you know her already?"
Kaen opened his mouth, about to answer, when Madam Hua's sharp gaze settled on Astra.
"Yes," she said smoothly, her voice carrying weight. "We've known each other… for a very long time, and closely."
Kaen blinked, slightly taken aback. "Madam Hua…" he began, but she interrupted softly, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
"Though… how we know each other isn't important right now," she said, her tone final. "What matters is that you're all safe, and you all can stay in this place for the time being."
Kaen exhaled quietly, a subtle relief crossing his features, while Astra glanced between them, intrigued but choosing to stay silent—for now.
Madam Hua's gaze shifted from Kaen to Astra as she began walking toward her. Astra instinctively took a step back, uncertainty flickering across her features.
Turning slightly toward Kaen, Madam Hua's voice carried calm authority. "Kaen, since you have said the reason for your journey to the capital is to free this girl from the curse, I would suggest you visit the Temple of Zhaoyan, located in the east of the city. There, a ritual can be performed to help lift the curse."
Kaen's mind stirred at the words 'The Temple of Zhaoyan', he glanced at Astra, who observed the exchange with wide, curious eyes.
Astra blinked, frowning slightly. "Huh… isn't that the same temple where we stayed the night after that demon attack?"
The morning sun spilled across the cobbled streets as Kaen, Astra, and Seirou made their way toward the temple. The closer they came, the more the city's noise dimmed, as though reverence itself weighed on the air.
When they reached the towering gates, Astra froze in her tracks. Her eyes widened, lips parting as she took in the sight before her—the temple rose like a mountain carved of jade and gold, its sweeping roofs glimmering under sunlight, each beam etched with celestial motifs. Incense smoke drifted lazily through the air, carrying the faint sound of chanting.
"No way…" Astra whispered, almost breathless. She turned to Kaen and Seirou, astonishment written plain on her face. "This… this is what temples in the capital look like? The last one we visited doesn't even compare! I mean—look at this! It would've been good if the others had joined us too."
Kaen chuckled softly at her wide-eyed wonder, his arms folding loosely. "Maybe. But…" His gaze flickered over the imposing structure, something unreadable shadowing his expression. "It's better this way. Not every place is safe—for us or for them."
Astra tilted her head at him, puzzled, but before she could pry further, Kaen started forward, motioning for her to follow.
Inside, the temple unfolded into vast halls lined with lanterns, each flame burning with steady, golden light. Massive murals stretched across the walls.
Astra's steps slowed to a halt. Her gaze lingered on the towering mural before her—a woman with flowing robes like fire incarnate, her eyes blazing with both fury and allure. The painted figure seemed alive, as if watching them in return. Astra tilted her head, her curiosity spilling into every glance.
Kaen, noticing, began to explain in a low, thoughtful tone. "This temple of Zhaoyan is dedicated to Princess Yunmei, one of the ancestors of the royal line. She wasn't like the others. Stubborn to the bone, fierce beyond reason. The heavens cast her down countless times, and every time, she clawed her way back. Nothing—no divine decree, no heavenly punishment—could keep her from ascending again."
Seirou stepped forward, his eyes tracing the mural's strokes, his voice carrying both awe and caution.
"In the old records, she was called the Flame Princess. A name etched in both reverence and fear. The heavenly gods themselves trembled at her existence, and it's written that they cast her down not once or twice… but forty-three times. Some claimed it was fear that drove them, others whispered it was jealousy."
Astra's eyes widened. "Forty-three?"
Kaen gave a small, almost grim smile. "And yet, she never stopped. Each time she rose, she came back more dangerous, more unshakable—becoming everything mortals and demons alike could bow to, worship, or fear."
Astra's breath caught, her heart pounding at the thought of a goddess so relentless—so hated, and yet utterly unstoppable.
"The Heavenly Court, unable to shatter her will, finally relented," Kaen went on, his tone edged with irony. "They gave her the title Goddess of Beauty and Vengeance." Seirou's gaze sharpened, his voice steady and deliberate.
"But unlike the others, she was the only god openly favored by the Supreme God of Destruction. He admired the princess not for her wrath, but for her defiance—for a will no chain of heaven could bind. Princess Yunmei herself was a devoted worshiper. It is said the Supreme whispered power into her veins each time she fell, daring the heavens to strike her down once more."He paused, the weight of the words settling.
"And it is also written that Princess Yunmei was among the only three disciples chosen directly by the Supreme—each of them bearing the potential to become his successor, should his Lotus of Life ever come to an end."
Astra blinked.
"…Lotus of Life coming to an end?" she repeated, staring at him. "What is a Lotus of Life anyway? I've never even heard of it."
Seirou shrugged, "I don't know."
Astra's eyes narrowed. "Liar."
She shoved him without warning. Seirou stumbled a step sideways, barely catching himself on a pillar as he laughed it off.
Kaen, entirely unaware of the chaos behind him, continued calmly,
"Some call princess Yunmei a curse upon the royal line. Others… its greatest pride. But either way—Princess Yunmei became the woman heaven could never break."
The mural's golden light shimmered across Astra's face. Her lips parted as she whispered, almost to herself, "…The Flame Princess."
Seirou's eyes lingered on the mural, his expression unreadable. Then he bent slightly closer, his voice dropping to a near-whisper as he leaned toward her ear,
"The Flame Princess wasn't only a thorn in heaven's side. She played a great role in the three relame Great War. When gods, demons, and mortals clashed, it was her fire that carved paths through armies said to be endless. But some records claim she went further—that when mortals and demons were abandoned alike, she led them both into battle."
Astra's eyes widened, disbelief flickering across her face. "She did what?"
Seirou gave a faint nod. "Yes. Not out of mercy—but because she despised the arrogance of the heavens. They say her flames kept the battlefield lit for seven nights, holding back both demon hordes and heaven's wrath. And when the tides turned against her…" He paused, his gaze sharpening, "…she offered a sacrifice no one expected."
Kaen finally noticed the absence behind him. His steps slowed, brows drawing together as he turned slightly.
"…Seirou?"
Seirou inclined his head, his voice steady but weighty. "She burned away her own divinity—centuries of cultivation—to forge the Scarlet Seal. A barrier strong enough to halt the slaughter and lock away a calamity the records refuse to name. No one knows what she sealed… only that her sacrifice bought an uneasy peace. When she returned, it was not as a goddess, but as something far more terrifying to the heavens: a mortal who refused to die."
The temple's air seemed to grow heavier, as though Yunmei's legend clung to the very stone.
Astra's throat tightened, a strange chill threading down her spine. Her voice slipped out in a whisper, almost to herself. "She sacrificed her divinity? Then… she wasn't a goddess anymore?"
Seirou's expression was unreadable, his eyes half-shadowed. "Maybe. But that was a thousand years ago. And still… she ascended again—with the very same title. Because…. She liked that one."
Astra choked softly, her chest tightening with awe. "…She's truly… amazing."