Return to the Sheath

After being reborn, the innocent boy I saved turned dark...

Princess Zhao Pingzhi of Jing'an had a life that was brief in its glory and heartbreaking in its end. She had seen too much deceit and scheming, yet as her life drew to a close, the one she thought of was the clear-eyed boy on Mount Mang.

The boy was named Ji Cheng. He was the “junior apprentice” she had found while cultivating on Mount Mang.

Unfortunately, Ji Cheng died three years ago.

*

After living her life over again, Zhao Pingzhi came face-to-face with Ji Cheng, who should have been dead.

He was innocent and gentle, just as he had been before.

That is, until one night, after the snow had stopped and the sky had cleared. Meltwater dripped from the eaves onto the steps.

The young man wore a red court robe, his black hair tied up and held in place by a silver crown. Handsome and noble by nature, he was like a snow-covered bamboo stalk, lofty and untouchable.

But then he lowered his head, his icy presence surrounding Zhao Pingzhi. “Senior Sister, it's been a while.”

The thin blade rested against Zhao Pingzhi's face. In this dangerous, intimate pose, the young man asked her younger brother, Zhao Heng, “Your Highness, the Crown Prince, which will you choose: the throne, or your dear elder sister?”

[Male lead's perspective]

Ji Xuan was a man who had crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of fire.

At fourteen, Ji Xuan was saved by a young girl.

He knew who she was.

The Great Zhou's Princess Jing'an, Zhao Pingzhi.

Ji Xuan kept his distance from her and stayed on his guard. After spending years together on Mount Mang, he still ended up falling for her. He even patiently waited on the mountain because she had told him, “Wait for me to come back.”

But Zhao Pingzhi never came. Instead, her longtime confidant arrived with countless elite soldiers and surrounded him.

Amid the blazing flames, the confidant looked at him, trapped at the edge of a cliff, as if he were a stray dog.

“The palace has already issued an edict arranging the Princess's marriage to the Yuwen family. The Princess is a noble lady of royal blood. Why would she care about a lowly nobody like you?”

*

Zhao Pingzhi had saved him from the flames, then cast him aside like trash. But had the people she insisted on protecting ever truly cared for her?

So when Ji Xuan lived his life over again and pressed his blade against Zhao Pingzhi's face, he finally got the answer he wanted.

Hearing Zhao Heng's answer, Ji Xuan laughed with unrestrained delight. He neither called Zhao Pingzhi “Princess” nor addressed her as “Your Highness.” “Senior Sister, look. Even with another chance, he still chooses his Great Zhou...”

*

When he was sixteen, someone carved a flower into his sword.

The young woman wore a cool, indifferent expression, but her words were gentle. “Ji Cheng, I've carved this flower into your sword. From now on, whenever you draw your blade, think of falling flowers, and your murderous aura won't be so strong.”

She called him by another person's name, but Ji Xuan was still willing to fall for her for the rest of his life.

I'll brave the wind and snow for you, in exchange for your peace of mind.

From then on, he sheathed his blade and bowed in submission.

Reading guide:

1. Both leads are reborn, and both have only ever been with each other.

2. The second male lead will dream and gradually remember his past life.

3. Light political intrigue in an alternate history setting. Please don't nitpick the historical details.

5. Updates every other day at 6 or 9 p.m.

Theme: Understand that the past cannot be changed, and know that the future can still be pursued