On the palace road, vast beneath the snowy night, lay a girl of fifteen or sixteen, clinging to life. She was about to die.
Just a year ago, Yin Xuan had been the most cherished little princess in the palace, getting whatever she wanted.
But all it took was a single remark from a diviner. Yin Xuan's mother was beaten to death before her eyes, while Yin Xuan herself was banished to the Cold Palace. She became the daughter of a demon woman, a name that made everyone tremble, and her imperial father, brothers, and sisters treated her like something beneath their feet.
Her life was as insignificant as dust. Nobody cared about her.
Yet amid the swirling snow, someone approached her beneath an umbrella. Tall and graceful, with a face as fine as jade, he gazed at her for a long while. His white robe swept the ground, and each step rang out like jade crushed beneath his feet.
It was none other than Xie Ling, the Imperial Celestial Master.
She knew of him. Though barely past twenty, he was already renowned throughout Great Wei. His exquisite, otherworldly looks had earned him the title of Young Master Lingyu. He was someone she had always admired from afar, never imagining she could reach him.
Xie Ling was neither subject nor sovereign, yet even Emperor Wei held him in awe.
Almost entirely on instinct, she begged him for help.
