The Celestial Palace stood tall, carved in marble that shimmered like moonlight, guarded by flames that only bent to divine command. Its air smelled of sandalwood, incense... and secrets.
Inside the War God's private quarters, no one spoke above a whisper.
He was back.
Jin Xuan Yue – Crown Prince of the Heavens. General of Ten Thousand Stars. The one they called the God of War.
But none dared meet his gaze. Those eyes—silver and stormy—were said to pierce through lies, hearts, and destinies alike.
And today, those eyes fell on her.
A new servant, kneeling, head bowed, black hair tied in a simple ribbon. Nothing remarkable… except the silence around her felt like it held its breath.
"Name," he said coldly.
The girl didn't flinch. "Li Hua," she answered. Her voice was calm, too calm. As if she didn't care that one wrong word could mean death.
He narrowed his eyes.
She looked... familiar.
But that was impossible.
She was a servant—a nobody chosen by the palace steward to replace the old handmaid who had mysteriously vanished.
Still, something in the way she held herself, chin up even as she knelt, bothered him.
"You'll serve in my personal quarters," he said. "Speak only when spoken to. Disobey once, and you'll wish you hadn't been born."
"Understood," she replied. "Although... for someone so divine, you're rather dramatic."
A choking sound came from the steward behind her.
Jin Xuan Yue raised a brow. "Excuse me?"
Li Hua blinked innocently. "Did I say that out loud? Oops."
For the first time in a hundred years, someone talked back to the God of War.
And lived.
He stared at her for a moment longer... then turned away.
"Keep her. I'm curious how long she'll survive."
He left, robes trailing behind him like waves of shadow.
Li Hua allowed herself a small smile.
He didn't recognize her. Not yet.
But he would.
Soon.