Li Yanshu lay on the ground, feeling raindrops strike her body mercilessly. Her entire body was soaked through. Thankfully, her backpack was waterproof—otherwise, everything inside would have been ruined in no time. Her wet clothes clung to her skin, sticky and uncomfortable. A faint earthy scent of rain filled her nostrils.
Her body felt numb. Her head spun with dizziness—it seemed like a side effect of the teleportation.
She could feel dense mana flowing through the air. It looks like she landed in the right place. But right now, her body was completely exhausted. She didn't even have the strength to lift a finger. At this rate, she would definitely catch a cold and fever. She wondered if her Dad packed the medicine box…
Suddenly, she heard the sound of footsteps. She focused carefully—it seemed like the sound was coming closer.
Then she heard a girl's voice. A moment later, the girl placed her hand near Li Yanshu's nose, checking her breathing.
Feeling her breath, the girl let out a sigh of relief.
"She's just unconscious… It'll be night soon. If I leave her here, magic beasts will eat her. I have to take her back to the temple."
Li Yanshu heard a rustling sound and felt the girl lifting her onto her back. Her instincts told her the girl was kind. Slowly, her consciousness began to fade again.
The next morning, Li Yanshu slowly opened her eyes. An old ceiling came into view. She observed her surroundings—it seemed she was in a decent room with an ancient Chinese setting.
Someone had changed her wet clothes and dressed her in a pure white traditional hanfu. Her clothes and backpack were neatly placed on a nearby table, now completely dry.
There was a window beside the bed.
She slowly got up and opened it.
What she saw stunned her— the houses that looked exactly like something from ancient China. The roads were still wet from last night's rain, and people bustled about in the distance.
It seemed the place she was staying was on a mountain, and the town lay at its foot. The fact that she could see so clearly from such a distance… must be because she's an awakener.
Just then, the door behind her opened.
A girl, about her age, entered the room carrying a basket of fruits. Seeing Li Yanshu awake, she looked surprised and quickly placed the basket aside.
"Were you the one who saved me from the rain yesterday?" Li Yanshu asked.
"Yes."
Her voice sounded youthful—almost softer than her age—and she seemed nervous.
"What is your name?"
She needs to know where she is before she starts searching for her Grandfather.
"My name is Bai Qingran. And you are currently at Tianlong Temple."
"I know this might sound strange, but can you tell me the name of this place?"
She noticed the confusion in Li Yanshu's question, but answered anyway.
"This is Yuelin Town, in the Yue Kingdom."
The same town… the same kingdom where her mother had opened the portal.
Is this coincidence… or fate?
"Who are you? And what were you doing in the wilderness last night?"
It was her turn to answer.
She told her story—part truth, part lie.
"My name is Li Yanshu. I was traveling with my parents, but due to certain circumstances, we got separated. We are searching for my grandfather. My mother was separated from him when she was very young. This town is where it happened, so I came here to look for clues."
"I thought I might find something in the beast forest… but due to exhaustion, I lost consciousness."
"If you don't mind, we can ask the High Priest. She has been here for a long time—maybe she can help."
"Thank you. I don't know what I would have done without your help."
"No worries."
At that moment, her stomach growled.
"It seems you're hungry. I brought some
fruits—you should eat and rest. When the High Priest is free this evening, I'll take you to her."
"Okay."
The girl left the room.
Her father's words echoed in her mind—Trust no one here.
But her instincts told her Bai Qingran was naive and kind. Even so, she kept her guard up.
That evening, Bai Qingran brought Li Yanshu to meet the High Priest.
So far, she had only seen women in this place—no men at all.
They entered a room larger than the one she was staying in.
An elderly woman in white robes sat at the center, with two other women standing beside her. Her expression was completely neutral.
For the first time in her life, Li Yanshu couldn't read someone's emotions.
They greeted her.
"High Priest, this is Li Yanshu—the one I told you about yesterday," Bai Qingran said softly, as if she were afraid.
"Bai Qingran, you truly are troublesome. We clearly told you not to go outside after sunset, yet you never listen."
The High Priest sighed in frustration.
"I just went to pick white flowers for the morning rituals. I didn't realize how quickly time passed…"
"Don't do it again. We are only a group of women here. If a magic beast attacks you, how will I protect you? No matter how much you try to deny it, you are still a noble girl. Think twice next time—or I will have to scold your seniors."
"I'm sorry, High Priest. Please don't tell my seniors. I won't do it again."
"As punishment, you will copy the temple rules. I hope you have no objection."
"B-but…"
"Do you have something to say?"
"No… I will write them."
She lowered her head.
"Now, who are you?" the High Priest asked, turning to Li Yanshu. "Bai Qingran said she found you in the Beast Forest."
"Yes. I'm Li Yanshu. I was searching for my grandfather there, but I got lost and fainted."
"You were searching in the Beast Forest?"
"Yes. My mother was separated from my grandfather there. I thought I might find clues."
"And your parents?"
"I… we got separated due to some circumstances. So I thought I should find my grandfather first."
It seemed like the High Priest sensed her hesitation—but she didn't press further.
"You may stay here. Bai Qingran brought you, so you are her responsibility. While you are here, follow the temple rules."
"Bai Qingran."
"Yes?"
"You can explain the rules. I'm sure you remember them well—you've written them often enough as punishment."
"High Priest…"
The high priest smiled faintly.
"You may leave now. I need to rest. And Li Yanshu—"
"Yes, High Priest."
"You will stay in Bai Qingran's room for now. We have no extra rooms available."
"That's fine."
"I'm fine with it too," Bai Qingran added.
"Don't stay up late talking. Sleep early and wake early."
"Yes," they both replied together.
They left the room.
"High Priest…" one of the women beside her spoke cautiously, "that girl…"
"She has a Void element," the High Priest said calmly. "It's faint—but I can sense it."
"Renxue, always remember this," she continued, her voice steady.
"Elements are not dangerous. People who wield them mindlessly are."
That evening, Bai Qingran gave her a full tour of the temple. She seemed quite excited while showing everything.
At night, the two of them lay squeezed together on one bed.
"I want to ask you something… but I'm not sure if you'll feel uncomfortable answering it."
Li Yanshu's curiosity got the better of her.
"Ask me whatever you want. I'll answer it. Don't worry—I'm not someone who gets upset easily."
"That time in the main hall… the High Priest referred to you as a noble. What was that about?"
"O-oh, that… umm… how should I say this…"
She hesitated for a moment.
"I come from the Bai family of Yuejing, the capital of the Yue Kingdom—one of the top five most influential families. My mother died giving birth to me, and my father has resented me ever since."
Bai Qingran looked sad.
Li Yanshu didn't know how to console her, so she simply placed her hand on her, offering silent comfort.
"You don't have to tell me if you're uncomfortable."
"No, it's okay. This is the first time I'm talking about my past. The seniors here are kind to me, but I don't know why… I feel more comfortable around you."
Bai Qingran seemed as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her chest.
"When I was little, children my age would always mock me… saying I was a monster who killed my own mother. My mother was an orphan, but she was a rare high-affinity Light Awakener. She was an amazing healer. She was an amazing student at imperial academy. I never got to see her, but people always talked about her."
"When I was five years old, my father remarried. When my stepmother, Madam Xu Ronghua got pregnant, she told my father she didn't want my bad presence to affect her child."
"So my father sent me here… to this town, under the excuse that my health was weak and that I needed to stay in the temple for recovery."
"But they underestimated me."
"My stepmother thought she had exiled me here forever… so I wouldn't overshadow her daughter."
Bai Qingran's fingers tightened slightly over the blanket as she spoke.
"But she didn't know…" she continued, her eyes lowering for a moment, "that I awakened a high-affinity Light element—just like my mother."
"In this world," Bai Qingran said quietly, "affinity determines everything. Most awakeners struggle just to control a single element… but high-affinity users…"
She paused, a trace of pride and pain mixing in her expression.
"…are born rare."
Li Yanshu's eyes narrowed slightly.
Just like my Void…
She turned her head slightly, looking toward the small wooden chest placed beside the bed.
"An imperial school badge."
Li Yanshu followed her gaze.
"The badge… was personally given to my mother by the Queen Dowager," Bai Qingran said, her voice lowering with reverence. "After my mother healed her from a fatal illness."
There was a brief silence.
"That badge…" she added softly, "is a symbol of absolute recognition."
"Anyone who holds it… is granted direct entry into the Imperial Academy—no matter their background, no matter the competition."
"Imperial Academy?" she finally asked, her voice calm—but her eyes sharp.
Bai Qingran nodded.
"It's not just an academy," she said. "It's where the strongest awakeners of the Yue Kingdom are trained. Nobles, prodigies, chosen ones… they all gather there."
Her tone shifted slightly.
"Only those who survive its trials… truly belong."
Li Yanshu leaned back slightly, her mind already racing.
Bai Qingran turned toward her, a small smile forming on her lips—hopeful, almost excited.
"Admissions open in exactly one month," she said.
Then, after a brief pause, she added—
"Will you come with me?"