“Th-this place is…”
Bai Zhiqiu gently clutched her head. A heavy dizziness clouded her senses, as if she had been struck by a powerful blow.
‘W-we’ve fallen for An’s trick…’
Before Bai Zhiqiu’s eyes stretched a winding path. Everything around her was desolate and vast, and the dim, oppressive space filled her with a sense of dread.
Once she saw the path, an urge, as if whispered by an unseen force, compelled her to walk forward.
“Forget it! Let’s go! Finding a way out is the priority!”
Bai Zhiqiu gritted her teeth and followed the path.
As she ventured further down the winding path, the desolate landscape gradually gave way. Not far ahead, a magnificent palace emerged into view.
The palace gates stood unguarded, its opulent, golden splendor starkly contrasting with the barren surroundings.
As Bai Zhiqiu drew closer, the grand doors of the palace swung open, unexpectedly.
Gazing at the invitingly open doors, Bai Zhiqiu hesitated for a few moments. Ultimately, she decided to step inside.
While danger might lurk within, it was also the only place where she might uncover clues to her escape.
‘If it comes to a fight, I might not necessarily lose to her!’
With that thought, Bai Zhiqiu cautiously entered the palace.
To her surprise, however, there were no traps or enemies as she had anticipated. In fact, there was no one at all.
Were it not for the long table in the great hall, laden with food, and the wisps of steam still rising from bowls of hot soup…
All signs indicated that someone was here, or at least had been here just moments ago.
“Ding-ding!”
The sudden chime of a bell shattered Bai Zhiqiu’s thoughts. In an instant, she swiftly ducked beneath the table, using the long tablecloth to conceal herself.
Footsteps soon echoed through the hall. Peering through the tablecloth, Bai Zhiqiu glimpsed pairs of legs moving back and forth, until their owners finally took their seats at the table. Only the seat directly in front of Bai Zhiqiu remained empty.
“Has Little Bubble not arrived yet? She should have been here ages ago! My dear, why don’t you go check her room?” A male voice resonated, its rich, magnetic tone suggesting a man of considerable elegance.
“Actually, Little Bubble is already here~ I can see her!”
Another female voice chimed in.
Listening to their conversation, Bai Zhiqiu internally analyzed the situation. This palace, she deduced, was likely home to a family of three, with ‘Little Bubble’ being their daughter.
‘But this information isn’t useful…’
Just as Bai Zhiqiu was lost in thought, a pair of hands suddenly wrapped around her from behind!
‘When did they get there? I didn’t feel a thing!’
In a panic, Bai Zhiqiu tried to summon Pangsang to retaliate, only to discover that her connection to it had been severed!
In her haste, Bai Zhiqiu was forced to strike back with her bare hands. Yet, her counterattack proved utterly ineffective; to her assailant, it seemed more like playful roughhousing.
“Alright, Yun Paopao! Stop messing around, especially in front of everyone! You need to behave, alright? Especially for tomorrow’s ceremony! You must be even more serious and not disappoint the esteemed Elder’s good intentions!”
With that, the woman gently pressed Bai Zhiqiu into a seat.
Only then did Bai Zhiqiu clearly see the faces of those before her. Regardless of gender, their appearances could only be described as strikingly beautiful; Bai Zhiqiu saw not a single ordinary face at the table.
Pale blue hair, violet eyes, and delicate, small horns adorning their foreheads…
They appeared anything but a normal race, resembling instead the mythical ‘Jiaoren’ from ancient legends.
“Little Princess, have you been diligently reviewing your studies lately? Have you finished all the assignments the esteemed Elder left for you?”
At this moment, a seemingly amiable elder, seated above Bai Zhiqiu, posed the question. His inquiry, however, was anything but truly amiable.
“Third Elder, Paopao was just about to start writing these past few days! But I doubt she’ll finish before the ceremony!”
“Is that so? Patriarch, you’ll have to discipline Little Bubble more strictly from now on! Even the esteemed Elder said Little Bubble is too mischievous!”
“Haha! Of course! Of course! Speaking of which, how are everyone’s preparations for the ceremony coming along?”
“Rest assured, Patriarch! Everything is being prepared according to the highest standards of our Cloud Whale clan… if the esteemed Elder is to come, that is… But will the esteemed Elder truly return? It has been so long, after all.”
“They should! The esteemed Elder personally promised to protect us Cloud Whales… and now the Shadow Cultists are relentlessly pressing in…”
Meanwhile, the young man seated at the head of the table smiled as he spoke, answering the question on Bai Zhiqiu’s behalf.
At this moment, Bai Zhiqiu felt utterly bewildered.
‘What just happened? How did I become Yun Paopao? And what’s this ceremony? And ‘princess’… Cloud Whale?’
In mere moments, Bai Zhiqiu frantically processed the information she had gathered. From these fragmented exchanges, she understood they seemed to have mistaken her for their clan’s princess.
And this clan was the Cloud Whale!
The instant she heard the name ‘Cloud Whale,’ Bai Zhiqiu’s pupils constricted.
She had already witnessed the terror of the Cloud Whales in Xuan Guan! They were formidable beings, capable of overpowering even Senior Motong!
Yet, such a powerful clan was being relentlessly pressured by Shadow Cultists… How incredibly strong, then, must those Shadow Cultists be? And what about the esteemed Elder who could save them, and the object of those cultists’ faith?
Involuntarily, Bai Zhiqiu’s limbs grew numb from her own terrifying conjectures.
If such terrifying entities truly existed, what was she to do? Trapped in this unknown place, she still needed to find a way to break free, and a way to stop An…
As the conversation deepened, the banquet’s atmosphere, though still lively, carried an undeniable undercurrent. Almost everyone present could feel the thick, ominous clouds of impending war gathering above them.
The remaining discussion primarily revolved around how to confront these challenges and what preparations were needed for tomorrow’s ceremony.
Bai Zhiqiu realized that staying here would yield no more useful information. It was far better to escape quickly and gather further clues.
Just as Bai Zhiqiu was pondering how to leave, the woman beside her seemed to discern her intentions.
Leaning close to Bai Zhiqiu’s ear, she whispered softly, “Little Bubble! Do you want to leave here?”
Startled by the woman’s words, Bai Zhiqiu first registered surprise, then nodded.
“Go back and rest early! You’ll need to wake up early for tomorrow’s ceremony. Don’t stay up late tonight reading the storybooks the esteemed Elder left for you!”
Having said this, the noblewoman personally led Bai Zhiqiu to the entrance of a room. As she delivered Bai Zhiqiu to the doorway, the noblewoman suddenly embraced her.
“Ah!”
Startled by the noblewoman’s embrace, Bai Zhiqiu involuntarily cried out.
****
It was only then that Bai Zhiqiu realized the woman before her was already silently weeping.
‘I…’
Bai Zhiqiu paused, wanting to offer words of comfort, yet finding herself at a loss for what to say.
“Paopao! My daughter! If the Divine One does not answer us in the end, your mother will surely find a way for you to escape! You must remember, no matter what happens, you must live well…”
With these words, the noblewoman wiped away her tears and descended the stairs.
Bai Zhiqiu reached out a hand, but the words remained lodged in her throat.