My name is Song Brahman Mirror.
I come from the Northwest Earth, Baoping State, a 'true' direct descendant of Yunluan Mountain.
In this hidden grotto heaven era, where Dao lineages dwell among the human world.
The true lineage is already a top tier inheritance in the Northwest Land, and I am born of Yunluan Sword Palace, the biological daughter of the Palace Master within the palace.
From the day I was born, I seemed destined to be the next generation 'true successor'.
Martial arts secret techniques, Sword and Fist Scripture, and even some remaining magical techniques and divine techniques left behind by the 'Immortal God Era'...
Were merely all things that I could obtain systematically on my journey of growth.
When I was thirteen years old, during the aptitude test at Yunluan Mountain's discipleship, the day my 'innate sword bone' was detected,
I then realized.
In the eyes of others.
As long as I grasped that 'sword', in the vast Baoping State, I would surely have a place among the young generation's swordsmanship leader within the next fifty years.
In the eyes of those unaware...
I always seemed detached from worldly matters, forever lofty and elevated.
But actually, that's not true.
My cultivation to this point, every step I took, was like walking on thin ice.
The world believes that Song Brahman Mirror's father, that grandmaster standing perennial upon the winter snow, lived a glorious life, deeply attached to only one person 'passion deep life short'.
But they do not know, the one he adored, was a Six-tailed Snow Fox.
Thus saying...
She, Song Brahman Mirror, with her noble sword bone and true blood lineage, a Celestial Pride, is actually a Half-Demon.
Demons cloaked in human form enter the world to cultivate, often bloodthirsty and cruel.
However, affairs in the world are always unpredictable.
People fear demons, loathe Half-Demons, but Half-Demons are born with destinies foretold, their moral nature unformed, how can one judgement determine the trajectory of one's life thereafter?
Ironically, even she finds it absurd.
That Yunluan Sword Master, who holds Yunluan Sword Palace like a colossus, upon seeing the Six-tailed Snow Fox nurturing offspring for him, her energy greatly depleted and inadvertently letting her demon aura slip...
Then altered his demeanor from what it used to be, suppressing her, turning heartless, watching coldly as that snow fox, capable of competing with him, met her demise!
These matters, Song Brahman Mirror originally did not know.
She only thought her prestigious father, who eternally remained indifferent towards her, was merely due to his nature, thus neglected her, allowing Yunluan Sword Palace's elders to teach her while he stayed oblivious.
But when she awakened her sword bone, by coincidence, obtained a Celestial Book Golden Page that could record 'fate trajectory'...
On a snowy night of her thirteenth year.
A young girl's life was utterly overturned.
...
[In your eighth year inheriting Yunluan Mountain's Young Palace Master,]
[You will complete the first step of cultivation, Martial Gate Foundation Establishment, which involves the four steps 'Golden Flesh and Jade Veins, Mercury Blood Silver Marrow, Water and Fire Immortal Robe, Circulation Qi Collection'.]
[Afterwards, using the 'Yunluan Sword Qi' accumulated over a century in the Sword Viewing Forest of Yunluan Sword Palace as a foundation, you successfully joined the second step of cultivation 'Great Innate'.]
[After breakthrough, you chose to travel down the mountain, passing through Wutong Prefecture and Xuanqing City, near the three hundred miles of Xuanqing Lake.]
[Upon hearing rumors of demons causing havoc, you investigated and found them true, thus joined forces with Wutong Xie Clan's eldest son Xie An, Xuanqing City's Guardian Duan Jiang, and Zither Sword Pavilion's new Elder Tantai Yao to exterminate the demons!]
[For in your eyes, regardless of whether one is human or demon, right or wrong, good or evil, mistakes must be paid for.]
[Xie An and the others had grudges with the 'evil flood dragon' Gua Hua, ending in a fierce battle. You entered Xuanqing Lake alone wielding your sword, slaying dozens of demons single-handedly, your white attire soaked in blood, expression void of joy or sorrow.]
[This was not your first time slaying demons.]
[As soon as you awakened your sword bone, alerting the Yunluan Sword Master, he started paying attention to you.]
[Thereafter, every month, he would take you into the 'Demon-locking Forest', compelling a thirteen-year-old girl to drink sword with demon blood, under the guise of instilling a 'Demon Slayer' spirit, to uphold 'True Swordsmanship'.]
[But whether the true reason was as he claimed, is up to the wise and perceptive to discern.]
[In Xuanqing Lake, you sensed the 'Flood Dragon Blood Ritual' aura, thus without hesitation, raised your sword and went forward.]
[Flood dragon blood is volatile; without activating with Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, it requires fresh blood to fuel, and a single 'Flood Dragon Blood Ritual' alone requires hundreds to bleed, brutally violent.]
[Compared to your father's teachings, you believe more in your own 'moral integrity', hence wish to end such evil acts.]
[But... here, you discovered a unique youth.]
[Perhaps it's due to the absence of 'Blood Evil Qi' on him, you rescued him, uncovering his origins, out of sympathy... or perhaps empathy? You pointed out the path ahead for him.]
[But...]
[He, however, made a choice that you never anticipated.]
[Clearly, at this moment, your face is like frost, draped in a blood-stained robe, appearing so 'tainted.']
[Why... is he not afraid?]
In the hall stained with demon blood, corpses littered the ground.
Song Brahman Mirror held the sword.
She carefully scrutinized the pale-faced young man before her, who stood tall despite being struck, even taller than her... a youth.
The 'One Page Golden Book' she held was slightly warm, with numerous characters flowing across it.
It was an opportunity she came upon by chance, seemingly a 'fragmented page' of something, capable of portraying her past, but otherwise useless, more like a record.
Yet, using this 'Golden Page,' after seeing through the true nature of her 'father,' Yunluan Sword Master,
Song Brahman Mirror instinctively felt that this page was far from ordinary, thus kept it close, safeguarding it at all times.
As long as the writing on it appeared, Song Brahman Mirror, who was spiritually connected to the Golden Page, could know what was written on it even without seeing the words.
Looking at the young man in front of her, she seemed to see through his shadow, recalling herself at thirteen, ten years ago.
Apart from her appearance being somewhat more glamorous then.
But everything else... really seemed cut from the same mold.
"Fairy."
"I, born lowly, am a Half-Demon standing in Xuanqing Lake, having no place to settle, let alone outside world?"
"Though I know not what Wutong Prefecture Xie Family, Xuanqing Government Office, Zither Sword Pavilion are, but..."
"My mother was captured, if she is still alive and knows of my existence, she may not accept me, let alone her relatives?"
"Even... my own name comes from the Flood Dragon surname, such background, how can I escape this inevitable doom?"
Covered in dirt and chaos, the youth flashed a mocking curve in Song Brahman Mirror's eyes, as a desolate and cold aura seemed to envelop him entirely.
Song Brahman Mirror blanked out momentarily.
Out of fellow feeling.
She suddenly, as if compelled, lightly parted her lips:
"You... what is your name?"
The youth answered stiffly:
"Ancient Moon."
Then...
Among Song Brahman Mirror's shocked expression,
This youth suddenly performed an act she had never foreseen.
Before Song Brahman Mirror's eyes, the youth taller than her knelt on one knee, lowered his head, and suddenly grasped the blood-stained hem of her skirt.
Bold yet measured, with a hoarse and calm voice he spoke:
"Fairy, though I am of lowly birth, unaccepted by the world, I still have one life."
"If you do not abandon me, I am willing to serve you as my master, from this day forth, Ancient Moon..."
"In the rest of my days, life and death will not separate us."
"The people outside..."
"I cannot trust them; my only trust is in you."
Grasping a glimmer of light in the abyss, to live, no matter the cost, never willing to give up.
Considering this notion.
Song Brahman Mirror's mind buzzed.
Thinking that she had tread carefully for ten years, but the youth's tumultuous origins and hardships exceeded hers, a single 'serve you as master, life and death unchanged' deeply stirred Song Brahman Mirror.
For so many years, due to the big secret within her, she kept a distance from others, never had anyone spoken such unguarded words to her.
Causing Song Brahman Mirror to impulsively nearly agree.
But...
Even she lives cautiously, harboring a 'demon' within, perhaps one day, she might rebel, unacceptable to the world.
Or maybe, one day, the Half-Demon identity is exposed, unable to await her query to that 'Sword Master,' facing a disastrous fate.
Despite her harboring some pity for the youth, feeling their shared plight, however...
Taking him away would only curse him to endless suffering.
Thinking of this, Song Brahman Mirror turned her glazed eye to one side, the spark that ignited within her pupils rapidly dimming, yet just as she was about to refuse, at that moment...