Despite the heavy and somber atmosphere that had settled over the Blazing Dawn Sect due to recent events, preparations for Young Mistress Lin’s birthday were still underway. The sect was a flurry of activity, as servants and disciples hurriedly decorated the grounds with banners, lanterns, and vibrant flowers. However, this year, the decorations were far more subdued than in previous years. At Sect Leader Liang Feng’s request, the celebration was to be toned down. He had insisted that, given the circumstances, it would be inappropriate to host a grand festival when his grandson remained unconscious, his fate uncertain, and with so many hearts in the sect weighed down by grief and worry.
The usual lively air of excitement that accompanied Lin’s birthday celebrations was missing. In past years, her birthday had been one of the most anticipated events in the sect—an elaborate affair with guests from distant sects and provinces, filled with performances, feasts, and competitions that drew admiration for weeks afterward. But this year, everything was different. The brightly colored banners, though cheerful in appearance, could not erase the underlying tension that gripped the sect.
Lin, for her part, didn’t mind the scaled-back festivities. In fact, she had asked for it. Like her grandfather, she couldn’t bring herself to celebrate when her beloved elder cousin, Lu Shun, lay in a coma, his qi depleted and his body struggling to recover. The mere thought of festivities felt wrong, almost disrespectful, in the face of his suffering. And it wasn’t just Lu Shun who weighed heavily on her mind. Her own brother, Wei, had only recently been freed from the grasp of the demonic parasite that had infested him. Though his recovery was progressing, it was still slow, and the memory of seeing him in such a vulnerable state haunted her.
Everywhere she looked, the contrast between the cheerful preparations and the undercurrent of anxiety was painfully clear. The servants smiled and moved with purpose, hanging decorations and preparing the banquet halls, but their movements lacked the usual enthusiasm. Their eyes darted nervously, and their voices were hushed as though they too felt the gravity of the situation.
For Lin, this birthday was shaping up to be unlike any other. There would be no grand banquets or performances to enjoy, no elaborate gifts to unwrap. Instead, the celebration would be marked by quiet reflection and, for her, an ever-growing worry for her family’s future. Though she had always looked forward to her birthdays, this time, Lin found herself wishing it would pass quickly, that perhaps the next day would bring news of Lu Shun’s recovery, or that her brother Wei would regain his full strength.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
As she walked through the sect, observing the modest decorations being put up, Lin couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was on the verge of change. The festive flowers and lanterns seemed almost like a facade, hiding the real tension simmering beneath the surface.
In Jinwei Mansion, the atmosphere was no different. The air was thick with a quiet unease, and the usual hustle and bustle of the household felt muted. Junior Edina, meanwhile, was preparing for her first lesson with the Leonese teacher, a figure the Leon Empire had sent to instruct her. This teacher traveled alongside Lu Shun’s party on their way back from Mount Hua.
As Lian Hua, her personal maid, helped her dress, Junior Edina’s thoughts wandered, her mind heavy with guilt. She couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that Lu Shun’s current condition was, in some way, her fault. It wasn’t just the attack that had left him comatose; it was the fact that his very presence in the sect seemed wrong—he wasn’t supposed to be here. According to everything Senior Edina had told her, Lu Shun should have been away, earning the title of the "Blazing Blade" at the Dragon and Phoenix Tournament. He was supposed to return triumphantly a year later, on her fourteenth birthday, with that prestigious title in hand.
But here he was, just three months later, unconscious and fighting for his life. Junior Edina wasn’t as experienced or cunning as her older counterpart, but she wasn’t ignorant either. She knew that this abrupt shift in the timeline—this drastic change—was somehow connected to the choices she had made. Every event Senior Edina had predicted up to this point had come to pass exactly as described, except for this one. Something had altered the course of fate, and Junior Edina was almost certain it was because of her actions.
The weight of that realization pressed down on her chest. If she hadn’t interfered, Lu Shun wouldn’t have returned so early, and he wouldn’t be lying on his deathbed now. The uncertainty of his survival gnawed at her, and she wondered if she had doomed him by trying to prevent other calamities.
There were only two explanations for this unexpected turn of events: either Senior Edina had lied, or the future itself had changed. Given how accurate Senior Edina had been about everything else, Junior Edina found it difficult to believe that her older self would lie. No, the future must have shifted. And it was terrifying to think that her actions had such far-reaching consequences.
As these troubling thoughts swirled in her mind, Lian Hua finished dressing her in elegant robes befitting her status. The fabric felt heavier than usual, weighed down by her guilt and anxiety. Lian Hua then handed her the cane, the polished wood cool to the touch. Junior Edina accepted it silently, then grasped Lian Hua’s hand for support as they began the slow walk toward the classroom. Each step felt laborious, her mind still preoccupied with thoughts of what her interference might have set in motion.
The corridors of Jinwei Mansion were quiet, save for the soft echo of their footsteps. Junior Edina’s eyes drifted over the familiar surroundings, yet nothing felt the same. The future she had tried so hard to manipulate was now unraveling in ways she hadn’t anticipated, and the cost was beginning to reveal itself.