Located in the heart of Phoenix City, the Si family manor stood in sharp, jagged contrast to the sleek, modern skyline surrounding it. Its gothic spires and obsidian walls radiated a gloom so heavy it felt like a physical weight on the chests of those who stared too long. Usually, the estate was a tomb of silence, but today, the menacing grounds were alive with frantic energy.
Servants scrambled through the courtyard, their breath hitching as they adjusted the macabre silk banners and silver lanterns according to their mistress's whims.
"Hurry it up! I swear by the Goddess, if a single thread is out of place, I will skin each of you alive!"
A roar echoed from the garden of rest behind the manor, vibrating the windowpanes. The workers flinched in unison, their faces pale with genuine terror.
"Mother, please. Calm yourself." A voice like cool silk drifted into the garden as a young girl stepped onto the stone path. "The effort is already more than enough. Perfection is a moving target."
"My sweet Lijun, how can you say that?" Madam Si's voice shifted instantly from a predatory growl to a doting coo. She turned away from the trembling servants to face her daughter. "Today is your coming-of-age ceremony! The day my precious daughter finally awakens as a cultivator! It must be flawless."
"It is hard for them to achieve perfection while they are busy shaking," Lijun reasoned. She offered a small, rare nod to the workers, who looked at her as if she were a descending deity.
"Fine..." Madam Si grumbled, dropping onto a nearby velvet lounger with the grace of a resting panther.
"By the way, Mother..." Lijun began, her expression remaining neutral. "Is the boy from the Fu family coming? Can we not rescind the invitation? I find the way he looks at me... distasteful."
Madam Si's expression softened into a look of helpless regret. "My love, I am as frustrated as you. It was your father's decision to include them this time. You have rejected every other suitor in the province, and your father is beginning to worry about your future. He wants you to have options."
With a tired sigh, Si Lijun nodded. She turned back toward the manor, hoping the day would end before it truly began. There was something oily about the Fu family—a hidden rot that made her skin crawl.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the guests began to arrive, all eager for a glimpse of the "Jade Doll" of the Si family. To marry into the Si line was to secure a fortune for ten generations—provided one survived the mother-in-law.
Madam Si stood at the front gate, welcoming guests with a cold, indifferent stare that felt like a blade against the throat. Most guests offered their flowery congratulations and expensive gifts, only to flee inside the moment Madam Si's lip curled in a sneer.
In Phoenix City, it was common knowledge: Madam Si was the shortest fuse in the cultivation world. Strangely, her daughter was the opposite—a pool of still, deep water that refused to ripple.
"
Mother-in-law!"
A boisterous voice cut through the air, instantly igniting the powder keg.
"Who dares?!" Madam Si hissed, her killing intent causing the nearby torches to flicker and die.
A group approached the gate, led by a young man who looked far too confident for his own good. His father, Master Fu, quickly stepped forward to clip the boy on the shoulder.
Huijin! Silence! Just because you admire the girl does not mean she belongs to you yet!" Master Fu turned to the raging Madam Si and offered a deep, practiced bow.
"Please, forgive my son's tongue. He is merely overexcited to see Sister Lijun."
"This once," Madam Si growled, her eyes narrowing into slits. "Only this once will I overlook such a slight. Do not let it happen again."
The Fu family—Master Fu, his wife, Huijin, and his younger sister—hurried past her into the grand dining hall.
Inside, the atmosphere was thick with the scent of incense and expensive wine. At the head of the table sat the Patriarch of the Si family—a grizzly figure with shoulders like a mountain range and eyes that missed nothing. Beside him sat Lijun.
Her silky black hair framed a face of porcelain perfection. Her ruby-red eyes carried a touch of childish innocence, yet they remained unnervingly still as she watched the guests fill the room.
"Lijun, darling, are you alright?" her mother asked, taking her seat.
"Yes, Mother. With Father here, what is there to fear?" Lijun asked, tilting her head slightly. Her voice was flat, lacking any inflection, making her look more like an enchanted doll than a living girl.
"Sister Lijun! It is a vision of beauty to see you again!" Fu Huijin appeared at the side of the table, wearing a wide, toothy smile.
Lijun looked at him. To her, he was like a persistent gnat—annoying, but not yet worth the effort of swatting. "Young Master Fu. It is... good to see your family is healthy."
With my Grandfather still watching over us, we are more than healthy!" Huijin boasted, leaning in closer than was polite. "I heard you were seeking a beast companion to begin your journey. I asked him to prepare a special gift... but I shall save the surprise for the ceremony."
He beamed, secretly congratulating himself on the lie. In reality, the "beast companion" was a common cave-spider egg his father had found in a damp cave and shoved into a decorative box.
Does he never tire of his own voice? Lijun wondered silently. Aloud, she simply said, "I see. I look forward to seeing what Ancestor Fu deems worthy."
Her monotone voice, meant to be dismissive, only seemed to embolden him. He bowed and retreated to his seat, looking like a man who had already won a prize.
Madam Si leaned toward her husband. "I truly don't know what is wrong with that boy's head."
The Patriarch glanced at his daughter. "I know you don't care for him, Lijun. But you must show some interest. You have rejected every noble, every scholar, and every warrior. He is the only one left with the courage—or the stupidity—to chase you."
Lijun stared at her reflection in the silver platter before her. "I have heard your words, Father."
The Patriarch's tone softened. "My daughter, I am not trying to chain you to a fool. I am trying to build you a bridge. Cultivation is a brutal road, and not everyone can walk it. I want you to have a backup... a worst-case scenario, should the awakening not go as we hope."
Lijun looked up, her ruby eyes meeting his. "Lijun understands, Father."