My name is Han Zi. I'm just an ordinary scion of a family that owns a small restaurant in the center of our city, called the City of the Silver Lotus — one of the largest cities in the Silver Waterfall District.
Every day, all sorts of people come to our restaurant — from the rich to the poor, and, naturally, from the strong to the weak.
On one such day, I was doing my usual work — more precisely, just delivering food to our valued customers.
While I was carrying a bowl of noodles, I overheard that the strongest sects of the South — namely, the Heavenly Whirlpool Sect and the Divine Fist Sect — had launched a full-scale war over an ancient artifact, which, according to legend, could help one attain absolute power.
But in the middle of the battle, the artifact disappeared for unknown reasons — and to this day, it hasn't been found.
After delivering the order, I decided to ask my father about it.
"Dad, I heard that the great sects in the South started a war over the artifact. Do you know anything more?" I asked.
"Son, ordinary mortals like us shouldn't concern ourselves with the affairs of the immortal. Even if we talk about it, it won't change anything. Our job is to cook and deliver food to customers. We have no power to interfere.
And now, stop hitting the eggplants and get back to work — food won't serve itself," he replied, returning to the kitchen.
I thought about it a little more and continued with my work. After all, as my father said, we were far too weak to intervene.
By the end of the day, when the last customer had finished eating and left the restaurant, he left money on the table — and something else I couldn't identify. It looked like either a keychain or a necklace.
I thought he'd forgotten it and ran after him, but when I stepped outside the restaurant, there was no one on the streets. Not a soul. Birds didn't sing, dogs didn't bark, and cats didn't chase the rats. Even people were absent — which for such a large city was unusual. This only happened on special holidays or when the emperor himself visited.
I didn't pay much attention at the time, but little did I know that my life would change forever that night.
Returning to the restaurant, I went up to the third floor where my family lives.
There aren't many of us — just me, Han Zi, my father Han Renfeng, and my mother Han Linyue. There could have been more, but due to difficult childbirths, my mother can no longer have children.
Because of this, her health deteriorates day by day. The doctors say it's a miracle she's even lived this long.
But I believe that one day she will recover.
After we ate and went to bed, I was awakened in the middle of the night by a loud crash.
Opening my eyes, I saw that everything in my room had lifted into the air, and in the corner lay the very necklace that the strange man had forgotten.
In an instant, it flew toward me and collided with my head. But it didn't just hit me — it merged with it. Out of fear and stress, I lost consciousness.
By that time, my father had run into my room, and seeing me asleep, he went back, thinking the noise was just fireworks or thunder.
The next morning, upon waking, I saw a mark on my arm, shaped like a sword. I hid it under a bandage and went to work — but first, of course, I ate.
What was strange, besides the mark, was that I felt surprisingly rested and full of energy. Usually, I could barely get out of bed.
After that, I took my first order of the day, and my workday began.
It passed as usual, but this time the streets were full of people. Trade was booming, smiles and laughter everywhere, with fireworks and dancers.
I looked around and decided that after so many days of work, it wouldn't hurt to take a little break.
Taking some money from my father, I went for a walk.
After half an hour, I saw it — delicate like a lotus, red like a rose, a pastry with white cream inside and red raspberry glaze.
My favorite combination of taste, aroma, and decoration.
Or did you think it would be a girl?
Even though I'm unlucky in the looks department, I'm not chasing skirts.