-

  Ancient Fragment #1

  The opening words of Heavenly History write: Legends say that Xincheng Village was where their fates intertwined, a humble beginning for the beings that touched divinity.

  -

  Long Tianyu realized something was wrong when the city drums sounded.

  They did not beat in common celebration, nor as a warning. Instead, the rhythm was slow and heavy, reverberating throughout the entire city and loud enough for everyone to hear. From the stone-paved streets to the tiled rooftops and tall pagodas. Except for the drums, everyone in Moondragon City went silent.

  Long Tianyu paused mid-step as the people around him also stopped what they were doing. Vendors stopped shouting to attract customers and sell their goods, children stopped playing, and it seemed like everyone was entranced by the drums, which were so loud that they made Long Tianyu’s entire chest vibrate. City officers hurried toward the central square to welcome the arrival of someone important.

  All of a sudden, the drums stopped, and a loud voice amplified with qi echoed throughout the entire city.

  A herald from the Imperial City had arrived with an imperial decree.

  Long Tianyu knew that the Imperial Clan was the strongest force in Eastern Azure Dragon Kingdom, they overlooked everything and they were brutal in their ways, he had more than once heard of the cruelty, sects destroyed or clans vanishing over night.

  Long Tianyu scrunched his eyebrows. What did Moondragon City have to do with the Imperial Clan? Yet he did not move toward the central square to look at the important figure. It was enough to hear the herald’s grandiose voice. Even before a single word was read from the decree, he knew that whatever followed should have nothing to do with him, a nobody in the grand scheme of the vast world.

  And yet, his heart sank.

  A golden-robed herald with a long white beard unfurled a scroll in the city square. The city folk looked on in admiration at the herald and his impressive entourage, all of them wearing golden robes, carrying tall banners, and accompanied by large beasts.

  “By the decree of His Majesty of the Eastern Azure Dragon Kingdom…”

  The words rang clearly.

  “…to strengthen the alliance of power in the kingdom and ensure peace across the eastern territories, His Highness the Third Prince, Zhao Mingyuan, shall take as his consort Hua Qingqing of the Hua Clan.”

  For a brief moment, Long Tianyu’s chest tightened as he stopped breathing, forcing himself to truly hear what the herald had said. To his horror, the herald repeated the name.

  Hua Qingqing.

  The name echoed in his ears, louder than the herald’s voice and louder than the murmurs rippling through the crowd.

  He stood frozen as the decree continued. Dates, honors, and rewards were bestowed upon the Hua Clan, but none of the details mattered to him.

  Hua Qingqing… is marrying a prince?

  The scroll was rolled up, and the herald departed from the city square. Slowly, the city returned to life, buzzing with excitement, envy, and awe.

  Only Long Tianyu remained still as an old memory surfaced.

  A long time ago, when they were together in Xincheng Village, there had been a small courtyard behind the Hua residence, shaded by an old plum tree.

  Hua Qingqing had been fearless even then.

  “Tianyu, hurry up!” she had called, already halfway up the tree. “If you don’t climb faster, I’ll eat all the plums myself!”

  He had been slower and clumsier, always careful not to fall. She had laughed at him for it, she was bright and unrestrained.

  “You’re way too cautious,” she’d said. “If you keep standing still, you’ll miss out on everything one day.”

  He remembered those words now.

  Standing in the street, surrounded by people and noise, a fire burned deep within his chest as he made his way home.

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  -

  The Hua Clan estate was brightly lit that night.

  Red lanterns hung from every archway, their glow warm and celebratory. Servants hurried back and forth, their voices filled with barely concealed excitement.

  A marriage into royalty was an honor few clans could even dream of, and today that royalty had even visited their estate. A large and impressive imperial coach stood in front of the gates.

  Inside the main hall, the elders of the Hua Clan sat in a semicircle, their expressions solemn yet satisfied. Below them, at the center, stood Hua Qingqing, alone.

  She was dressed in white. Not bridal red. Not ceremonial gold. Plain white robes. Her back was straight, her silky black hair tied with a white ribbon, and her hands clenched tightly at her sides. Her body trembled slightly, today it felt cold, colder than ever before as her aunts and uncles looked to sell her off to the imperial clan.

  Hua Qingqing took a deep breath and said,

  “I refuse.”

  Her voice was calm and strong, though those closest to her could hear the tremor beneath it.

  Her third uncle, Hua Shi, frowned and slammed his fist on the table, making the wood crack. He glared at Qingqing, ''This marriage is not yours to refuse. You are of age. The third prince is your future. There is no other choice, or do you think that village boy could ever compare?''

  Hua Qingqing's heart tightened at the mention of Long Tianyu. She took a deep breath before continuing.

  “This is my life. Shouldn’t I be the one to decide what happens to it?” she said quietly.

  Whispers went around the clan members, some calling Hua Qingqing ungrateful and selfish.

  “This marriage is for the clan’s future,” her second aunt insisted. “The Third Prince is strong too, he’ll protect you. He’s handsome, and together you’ll give the kingdom little princes.”

  Her aunt wondered aloud how Hua Qingqing could be so ungrateful, after all they’d done for her. Without the family, how would she have reached her current level of cultivation?

  Hua Qingqing lifted her head, anger sharpening her voice. “I don’t need protection, and I’m not something you can just sell off whenever you want!”

  Silence fell.

  Her father, Hua Shen, did not look at her. His shoulders slumped. His gaze remained fixed on the floor and his fingers dug into his knees. The lines on his face deepened as if the day’s announcement had carved years onto him.

  He knew there was no way out. On one side stood the interests of the clan and the imperial family. On the other stood his only daughter and he was powerless. His right hand hesitated, he closed his eyes for a moment, then let his hand fall limply to his side.

  “The decree’s been issued,” the Clan Master, Hua Dazhi finally said, his voice booming through the hall. “There’s no room to refuse, unless you want to doom us all. You know what refusing means. Our clan could be wiped out. The Imperial Clan isn’t someone you, or any of us can afford to offend!”

  Eventually, one by one the clan members left, leaving Hua Qingqing standing alone in the main hall.

  Hua Qingqing closed her eyes, and in that darkness, she saw only one face.

  -

  Long Tianyu returned to his small residence on the city’s outskirts long after nightfall.

  The room was modest. Bare wooden furniture. A narrow bed. An oil lamp flickering beside a stack of worn cultivation manuals. He sat down heavily.

  A prince.

  What was he compared to that?

  No powerful clan. He was no longer a dazzling talent. Years ago his cultivation had been lost before the sect selections. His cultivation was now unremarkable, barely reaching the third stage of Body Refinement, Bone Refinement. Even the worst talent of a ten-year-old in the city would have reached that level by now. He had only come this far because Hua Qingqing had insisted on giving him treasures meant for her own cultivation.

  Qingqing...

  She would not even leave the house until I ate and refined them…

  His future felt more uncertain than ever. He did not know what to do, nor how to continue living like this.

  If he went to the Hua Clan now, what would he say?

  Don’t marry him?

  On what grounds?

  Love? In this world, strength was everything. They said love was lighter than dust. If so, why did it crush his chest until he could barely breathe?

  No! They are wrong!

  His chest tightened with fire. An emperor could issue decrees and a clan could bow in fear, but none of that mattered, not to her and not to him.

  We belong together, and no decree can change that.

  He clenched his fists, knuckles turning white in the flickering lamp light.

  If strength is the measure of worth in this world, then I will carve my own worth. I will rise. I will stand by her.

  The thought ignited inside him, a spark that refused to die.

  Long Tianyu steadied his breathing, the fire deep within him slowly calmed down. Rage and despair were useless right now.

  Qingqing… this world is truly unfair to you… I know this is not what you want, to be married into royalty for your clan's sake...

  Moonlight spilled through the window. Long Tianyu neither cultivated nor slept. He simply sat in dark silence as memories surfaced.

  Her laughter. Her stubbornness. Her love.

  Tap.

  Long Tianyu frowned and held his breath to listen carefully if he had imagined it.

  Tap. Tap.

  His heart lurched as he quickly stood up.

  The sound came from the window.

  He crossed the room and opened it. Moonlight poured in.

  Outside stood Hua Qingqing, dressed in dark traveling clothes, a small storage pouch was attached to her waist sash. She didn't wear any beautiful silk or ornaments.

  Their eyes met in the moonlight.

  Hua Qingqing’s gaze was clear and determined and Long Tianyu’s eyes widened in shock.

  What is she doing here?!

  “Tianyu,” she said softly.

  She gave him a small, familiar smile. “They want me to marry a prince, but I don’t want to be chained up in the imperial city.”

  She stepped closer to the window, lowering her voice. “I want to leave.”

  Her eyes held his, steady and unwavering.

  “I want to be with you, Tianyu.”

  Long Tianyu met her eyes, shining in the moonlight, and took a deep breath. He understood the risks, but in that moment, he made his choice.

  -

  End of chapter 1 - The Marriage Decree