A Yu is an obscure young maid in Tiandu City, raised from childhood to serve the young masters and ladies of the top clans.
When they get into trouble, she is punished. When they get hurt, she is punished. When they are unhappy, she is still punished.
Her parents said, "This is how we were born. We must know our place."
A Yu nodded and glanced at the wooden sword hidden in the corner.
She was so ordinary, so mediocre.
Yet in the royal city of Tiandu, where swordsmen were everywhere, she was never allowed to wield a sword.
-
A Yu had someone hidden in her heart: Xie Xuning, the eldest son of the Xie family of Tiandu.
He was one of the few comforts in her bleak life.
Later, however, she unexpectedly learned that she was going to be sent to the slave fighting arena.
For someone like her, going in meant certain death.
She heard the youngest daughter of the Xie family laugh lightly. "Big Brother, you're not going to miss her, are you?"
She heard Xie Xuning reply casually, "She's just a maid. What is there to miss?"
A Yu returned to her room and saw the coarse rope her parents had hidden under the pillow.
That night, she fled without looking back.
-
Her escape was beset by hardship. A Yu risked her life to save someone, and the other person pressed a jade token into her hand with a bloodied, trembling hand.
He said, "Don't forget your name."
With tears clouding her eyes, A Yu was confused. She had never known her surname. She had no family name.
He shook his head. "You do. Your surname is Zhu."
A Yu asked, "Who am I, really?"
He said, "That's an answer you have to find for yourself."
The night was silent.
A Yu ran her fingers over the uneven surface of the jade, where four large characters were carved:
Phoenix Academy
-
When chaos first emerged, arcane arts flourished. After thousands upon thousands of years, they were divided into six major disciplines.
To the north stood Tiandu Academy, and to the south, Phoenix Academy. The two academies faced each other as equals, while the great clans and noble families fought for supremacy.
Glory and status were eternal, ultimate pursuits. The undercurrents in the world of arcane arts never once ceased to surge.
Clutching the jade token, Zhu Yu crossed through a golden bronze gate on a rainy day.
A new life began on the day she entered Phoenix Academy.
[Bonus Scene]
Years later, at the customary joint arcane arts tournament between the northern and southern continents...
The two finalists in the swordsmanship division were one of the brightest jewels of the Xie family, the top swordsmanship clan in Tiandu, and an unknown new disciple from Phoenix Academy with no known background.
Amid countless eyes, one person emerged first from the Battle Mirror.
Cheers for the winner erupted in an instant. Xie Xuning, on the viewing platform, turned livid and strode forward. "Where's my little sister?"
The once meek and submissive young maid held a sword dripping with blood and smiled. "I don't know."
She returned her sword to its sheath and leaped down from the high platform without looking back. Her companions were waiting for her nearby.
#Clear-headed, resilient girl x scheming, ambitious hawk-type
[Reading Guide]
- An everyday, passionate progression story. I'm trying my hand at a long novel.
- Roughly, it's a story about the heroine entering an academy and gradually leveling up. It features a diverse ensemble cast, each with their own storylines. The heroine isn't an overpowered, invincible type. There is a romance, with roughly half the story devoted to it. Neither the heroine nor the main story is grim and tragic. The aim is to keep things light while still being serious... maybe?
- Xie is a male supporting character and a cannon fodder. I have another male lead in mind. See the end of the blurb for the main couple's character types.
- The six schools are Sword, Arts, Defense, Talismans, Medicine, and Zen. Lots of original worldbuilding, my own take on fantasy. All the settings are being activated, activated, activated, activated!
- I'll add anything else that comes to mind.
Blurb dated 8.12
Theme: I decide everything
