At the southernmost tip of the Central Plains Empire, bordering the untamed southern grasslands ruled by the barbarian tribes, lay a lush valley nestled between two towering mountains. This valley, rich with greenery and life, housed the grand Verdant Valley City. Although its scale rivaled that of the empire’s bustling capital, the atmosphere in Verdant Valley City was far more tranquil, despite the constant hum of activity. At the heart of this thriving city stood the prestigious Verdant Valley Sect, a cornerstone of medicine and healing arts throughout the eastern continent.

The sect was always alive with motion. Every building buzzed with workers engaged in producing vast quantities of medicinal potions, elixirs, qi-enhancing pills, and intricate medical equipment. Verdant Valley Sect, widely recognized as the "Medical Capital" of the eastern world, prided itself on its unparalleled contribution to healing arts.

On this particular Night, a merchant carriage from the renowned Thousand Pavilion arrived at the sect’s arrival platform, joining the constant stream of carriages entering and leaving the sect. Among the many merchants and traders, a young messenger, dressed modestly in the Pavilion's merchant attire, hesitantly stepped out. His heart pounded as this was his first time delivering a message to one of the Nine Great Sects—a daunting task for any messenger, let alone a novice like him.

The grandeur of the Verdant Valley Sect only intensified his nerves. He couldn’t help but feel dwarfed by the sprawling architecture, the medicinal gardens, and the towering figures of cultivators who passed by him. The weight of the letter in his hand felt heavier than it should have, especially given how strange the letter was in the first place. Typically, the Thousand Pavilion’s delivery network was known for its strict confidentiality, with coded addresses ensuring privacy and security. However, the letter he carried had no such air of importance.

Instead, it bore an address that seemed utterly ridiculous. It read: "From The Stupid Woman to The Idiotic Monkey." The young messenger felt his stomach turn at the absurdity. It was the kind of thing one might expect to see in the seedy underbelly of a lawless district, perhaps in correspondence between low-class thugs or loan sharks, not in a formal delivery to one of the most prestigious sects in the empire.

Making matters worse, the letter bore a crude seal, supposedly denoting a "Junior Assistant" from the Verdant Valley Sect. But the craftsmanship was so shoddy that the messenger couldn't believe it truly belonged to such a refined and respected sect. He even began to suspect that the Pavilion might have been duped, or worse, involved in some kind of elaborate scam.

Despite his suspicions, the messenger knew better than to open the letter. The rules of the Thousand Pavilion were clear and ironclad—no matter how strange or suspicious the contents appeared, messengers were never to break the seal or tamper with a delivery. To do so would result in severe punishment, often as harsh as death. With this sobering thought in mind, he swallowed his apprehension and forced himself to proceed.

His palms were clammy as he approached the grand Merchant Hall, where official business was conducted. The towering gates loomed over him, and the sight of sect members moving with such purpose only made his anxiety worse. The grandeur of the place, combined with the oddity of his delivery, created a knot of tension in his chest that refused to go away. Still, he knew there was no turning back. The letter had to be delivered, no matter how strange it seemed.

The young messenger made his way to the designated counter where letters and deliveries for Junior-ranked disciples and lower-level workers of the sect were received. The line was long, stretching with other couriers and visitors, and he found himself waiting for several hours before it was finally his turn. When he approached the counter, he handed over the letter to a lovely young woman dressed in the Verdant Valley Sect’s signature martial arts uniform—a simple yet elegant hanfu, designed for both combat and formality.

The woman, with sharp eyes and a calm demeanor, took the letter from him, her expression shifting slightly as she examined the crude seal. Just like the messenger, she was immediately skeptical. The seal was poorly made, lacking the finesse and craftsmanship one would expect from a sect as prestigious as Verdant Valley. At first glance, she was ready to dismiss the letter as some kind of prank, intending to send the messenger away. However, knowing the reputation of the Thousand Pavilion as a well-established and trustworthy intelligence network, she decided to take an extra moment to cross-check the seal’s identity in the sect’s ledger, just in case.

To her surprise, after flipping through the records, she found a specific protocol for handling letters bearing this exact crude seal. The instructions were clear: any letter with this seal was to be immediately transferred to the Senior Rank Disciples' counter. Without hesitation, she followed the protocol and passed the letter along.

At the Senior Rank Disciples' counter, the process repeated itself. The senior disciple who received the letter also raised an eyebrow at the unusual seal, but following sect guidelines, they transferred it up the chain. The letter moved from the Senior Rank Disciples' quarters to the Elders' Quarters, making its way through various hands until it finally arrived at its ultimate destination—Heavenly Valley Mansion, the private residence of the sect leader, known throughout the continent as the legendary "Heavenly Doctor."

The letter was handed to a striking woman named Yang Ling, a personal aide to the sect leader. She was dressed in a refined, flowing gown made of deep emerald silk that shimmered in the light. The delicate embroidery along the sleeves depicted lush forests and medicinal plants, a tribute to the sect’s healing expertise. Her slight tan complexion suggested that she often spent time outdoors, likely in the gardens where many of the sect's rare herbs were cultivated. Her long black hair was intricately braided, with small jade pins accentuating her elegant appearance.

Yang Ling took the letter, raising an eyebrow as she examined the crude seal. With a graceful yet purposeful stride, she made her way through the grand halls of the mansion, finally arriving at a large, secluded office deep within the building. She knocked softly on the door, her voice clear and steady as she announced, "Sect Leader, it's Yang Ling."

Upon entering, she was greeted by a chaotic scene. The room was in complete disarray. Shelves that should have been neatly organized with scrolls, herbs, and potions were overturned, their contents scattered across the floor. Jars of rare medicinal herbs lay shattered, while piles of alchemical ingredients and papers created an almost impenetrable mess. It looked more like the aftermath of a battle than the workspace of the famed Heavenly Doctor. Yang Ling couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh at the sight—she had grown used to the eccentric habits of the sect leader.

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In the middle of this chaos sat the sect leader himself, a man in his late thirties with a sharp, handsome face framed by long, flowing black hair. Despite his disheveled surroundings, his aura remained regal and commanding. He sat on the floor, his back against the wall, scribbling furiously on a scroll, completely engrossed in his work.

Yang Ling stepped forward, holding out the letter. "Sect Leader, a letter has arrived for you," she said, though there was no immediate response. The man continued writing, lost in his thoughts. Undeterred, she added, "It's quite an unusual one—addressed 'From The Stupid Woman to The Idiotic Monkey.'"

At the mention of the strange title, the sect leader froze mid-sentence, his hand pausing over the scroll. His voice, usually calm and measured, came out in a stutter. "D-Did you say… 'To the Idiotic Monkey'? Does it… does it have a seal with it?"

Yang Ling couldn’t help but feel amused by his sudden change in demeanor. The calm, composed Heavenly Doctor, revered across the continent, was rattled by something so simple. Her lips curved into a subtle smile as she answered, "Yes, the seal is rather crudely made. Honestly, I thought it was some sort of joke when I first received it. It’s definitely not what one would expect from the Verdant Valley Sect."

She handed him the letter, her curiosity piqued by the strange reaction. The sect leader took it from her, his eyes widening in recognition as he examined the seal.

“So, she actually used it…” he muttered under his breath, more to himself than to her.

"Who, Sect Leader?" Yang Ling asked, her eyebrows arching in intrigue.

The Heavenly Doctor coughed lightly to clear his throat, attempting to compose himself. “Don’t you recognize the handwriting on the seal?” His voice, though calm, betrayed a hint of embarrassment as he tried to hide the blush creeping across his cheeks.

Yang Ling smirked, thoroughly amused. "Of course I do. I could recognize your awful handwriting anywhere," she replied dryly. "After all, I spend half my time deciphering and rewriting your scrolls every day." Her casual tone only deepened his embarrassment.

The Heavenly Doctor shifted uncomfortably. "But the seal itself—do you understand what it means?" he asked, hoping to steer the conversation away from his scribbling habits.

Yang Ling frowned for a moment, thinking, before her eyes widened in realization. “Wait, it's one of the original seals, isn’t it? The ones you made when you were kidnapped along with that young mistress and the foreign princess years ago?”

The sect leader sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yes. There were only two of those seals ever made. The first one was used a long time ago, so this… this can only be hers.”

"Now I remember," Yang Ling said, her eyes lighting up with recollection. "That’s the story you told me once, right? Where the foreign princess abandoned both you and the young mistress to save herself? What was her name again? Princess… Elara, wasn’t it?”

Heavenly Doctor nodded grimly. “Yes, that’s the one. Princess Elara. She left us to die, and the young mistress and I barely made it out of there alive. But the young mistress—” He paused for a moment, a haunted look passing over his face. “She had a way with words. Changing the topic he said, she told me, ‘Remember, you Idiotic Monkey! I’m not helping you out of kindness. You owe me. Even if I have to come down to the depths of hell, I’ll collect that debt one day.’”

Yang Ling raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by the nickname. “She really called you ‘Idiotic Monkey’?”

He nodded, sighing as he recalled the fiery temper of the young mistress. “That’s why the letter’s addressed this way. Only she would use such an absurd title for me.”

He gulped, staring at the sealed letter in his hands as if it held some impending doom. Taking a deep breath, he carefully opened the letter, his mind replaying memories from years ago.

At the same time, hall room of the Blazing Sun Mansion, Blazing Dawn Sect,

Sect Leader Liang Feng stepped onto the stage. His presence commanded respect as the room quieted, the air heavy with anticipation. A gentle smile crossed his face as he cast a brief glance toward Li Mei, acknowledging her earlier announcement. “It seems I wasn’t the only one with an important announcement today,” he said, a twinkle of humor in his eyes, before turning to address the gathered crowd.

“Today,” he began, “I’d like to take a moment to reflect—not just on my own time as Sect Leader, but on the incredible legacy of the Blazing Dawn Sect.”

His voice resonated throughout the hall, carrying the weight of history as he recounted the stories passed down through his family. “My grandfather, a man of great courage, survived the Black Dragon Plague that ravaged the empire. It was he who, alongside the leaders of other great sects, defended the Imperial City against chaos and disease. He gave his life in battle, fighting the demonic sect that sought to tear apart our world.”

The crowd listened intently, hanging on to every word as Liang Feng continued. “Then there was my father, who reinvented the glory of our sect. He was the one who developed an original technique, the ‘Phoenix of Blue Flames.’ A technique so powerful, it is still our pride today. He fought valiantly against the barbarian invasion, leading the charge alongside the other great sects to defend our empire.”

Sect Leader Liang Feng paused, letting the weight of these memories sink into the hearts of those listening. “As for me,” he said with a sigh, “I cannot claim such illustrious accomplishments. I haven’t led us through a plague or a war. I haven’t stood on the front lines of a great battle that will be sung of for generations. And perhaps, in the eyes of some, that might make my time as sect leader seem... lesser.”

There was a ripple of murmurs in the crowd, but Sect Leader Liang Feng raised his hand, silencing them gently. “But I ask you—what is truly the mark of a successful leader? Is it always war, bloodshed, and conquest? Or is it the ability to maintain peace, to uphold stability, and to preserve the lives of those we care about? I have not fought in a great war, and yet, I have maintained the peace that allows us to be here today—celebrating, thriving, living without fear. That,” he said, his voice growing stronger, “is something I can live with. I do not need to be remembered as a man of battle. I am content to be forgotten as the leader who protected this era of peace.”

The room filled with murmurs of agreement, some nodding their heads in respect as they absorbed his words.

Sect Leader Liang Feng then took a deep breath, and the gravity of his next words was palpable. “And now, after many years at the helm of the Blazing Dawn Sect, I believe the time has come for new leadership, new ideas, and new strength to carry us into the future. You may have already guessed from my words today…” He paused, his eyes sweeping the room before finally saying with a firm but serene tone, “Yes, I am retiring as the Sect Leader of the Blazing Dawn Sect.”

Gasps echoed through the hall as the crowd exchanged stunned glances. Sect Leader Liang Feng smiled warmly, fully aware of the impact his words had. It was clear that the time had come to pass the torch. "I trust that the future of this sect will shine just as brightly, if not brighter, than the era I have guided. Let this mark the beginning of a new chapter."

In the midst of the shock, Chuang Chi nearly spat out her drink, her eyes wide with disbelief. Beside her, Richard stood frozen, his mouth agape. Chuang Chi's gaze shifted to Edina, and in that moment, she understood why Edina had been so insistent on her becoming the figurehead of Edina’s faction. She must have known about this all along.

Sect Leader Liang Feng continued, his voice calm and authoritative. "As per the sect's laws, I will serve as the interim leader for the next two years. During this time, the first five in line of succession will have the opportunity to form their factions and gather support for the leadership vote, which will take place in one year's time."

His eyes scanned the room, ensuring everyone grasped the weight of his next words. "The formation of factions by anyone outside of the first five in succession will be considered an act of treason against the sect and will be dealt with accordingly. I urge all to follow the law and respect the process."

With that final declaration, he ended his speech, leaving the crowd in a mixture of awe and apprehension. Change the course of Events for Central Plains and the world completely.

End Of Volume One : Days at Blazing Dawn