Up in the Heavens, the Jade Emperor is lording over the Universe. Surrounded by powerful Deities and Immortals, he ensures that there is harmony in the Cosmos. One of his obligations is to make sure that his successor will be up to that mighty task. In order to ensure this, he personally oversaw Third Prince Yang Jing’s training as he was the Heavenly Prince that showed the most promise. Alas, Yang Jing broke the rules of Heavenly Palace by falling in love with an Immortal and thus he was banished to Earth…

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“Beautiful…” the man remarked. “Absolutely breathtaking!”

The man was lying upon a giant rock near the top of Yi Mountain and gazing at the seemingly endless horizon. Before him were lush green mountains. Yi Mountain was just the tallest and most forested of them.

The man looked as if he was in his mid-twenties. In fact, being a Deity, he had already lived thousands of years. He was tall, with long black hair and a delicate and most beautiful face. He was wearing a blue gown made from the finest silk and was holding a hand fan made of crane feathers.

On his other hand, though, he was holding a jar of wine. He sipped some of it. “Good wine, breathtaking scenery, birds playfully chirping… if everything here is so beautiful, then why do I still feel so terrible?”

He tried to sip some more wine but realized that he had already drunk all of it. In a fit of rage, he threw away the jar.

A loud crack! sound was heard as the jar broke to pieces, scaring away the singing birds.

“Yang Jing! Third Heavenly Prince, Heir Apparent to the Jade Emperor. All of that is gone… Now, I am just a lonely guy wandering aimlessly the earth in search of a purpose. Look at me! I am talking to myself like some kind of madman.”

He sighed.                                                                                     

“Things could be worse though. At least, I still have my powers.”

Yang Jing was wearing as necklace of sorts; a medallion that was made out of pure gold. There was a gleaming red stone set in the center. That was the Dragon Medallion. The Jade Emperor had locked all of Yang Jing’s Qi on that stone. Before he was banished on Earth, Yang Jing had managed to steal the medallion. Although he did not know how to unlock it, as long as he wore it he could still use his powers.

Yang Jing got off the rock he was lying on and continued strolling around the mountain.

“I wish we could see each other more often,” a male voice was heard saying. Yang Jing looked around, but he couldn’t see anybody. “There is no greater torment than being without you,” the voice continued. Yang Jing was sure now that this voice was coming from behind one of the large rocks.

Slowly and silently, almost stepping on his toes, he approached the rock. Behind it he saw a young man, no older than twenty, and a young woman of about the same age. The man was tall and handsome, with long black hair and refined looks. He was wearing a silk yellow gown. The woman was also tall and beautiful, having a pale complexion that was complimented by her fiery red lips and her gem like eyes. She was wearing a long red gown. Both of them had the finesse and looks of noblepersons.

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Yang Jing was about to leave when the woman noticed him. “Who are you?!” she shouted.

The man at once unsheathed his long sword and pointed it at Yang Jing. “I am the Second Young Master of Snake Sword Clan. My swordsmanship is renowned around Jianghu. So think twice before making a move and tell me who you are.”

Yang Jing smiled. “Relax… I am just a guy wandering around. Why are you so tense?”

“Because you sneaked around! Did my father hire you?”

“What? I have no idea what you are talking about.”

Before the man could reply, the woman, who had also unsheathed her sword, attacked Yang Jing. Her blade came inches away from Yang Jing’s face but he leapt backward and evaded the sword. The woman slashed again at Yang Jing but he skipped nimbly around behind her, evading once more her blade. While Yang Jing could have easily overwhelmed the woman with his Qi, he held back.

“Look, I am just a passerby,” Yang Jing said. “I don’t care about you. There is no reason to fight.”

As the woman was about to attack, the man stopped her. Slightly bowing before Yang Jing, he said “I am sorry for mistakenly attacking. It’s just…”

“No need to tell him!” the woman barked. “It’s none of his business.”

“You are right.”

“Oh come on!” Yang Jing protested. “After nearly killing me, is it too much to ask what is going on? Maybe I can be of help.”

“Why would you help us?” the woman asked.

Yang Jing hesitated for a brief moment. “Eh… because I’m bored, to be honest. I am wandering alone those mountains, doing nothing but drinking and gazing at the scenery. I know it may sound like a good way to pass time but trust me, there is just so much wine you can drink and so many sceneries you can admire before you get bored out of your freaking mind.”

“You seem like an honest fellow, so… I might well trust you,” the man said. “I am Xiang Xuefeng and she is Zhuan Wen. As I’ve already told you, I am the Second Young Master of the Snake Sword Clan and Wen is the Fourth Mistress of the Iron Spear Clan.”

“Alright… so what exactly is your problem?” Yang Jing wondered.

“You martial arts may be good but your knowledge of the happenings in Jianghu is awful,” Zhuan Wen complained. “Our clans are mortal enemies. My great-grandfather killed Xuefeng’s grandfather in a duel almost forty years ago. Since then our two clans have been fighting over; my third uncle was killed by Xuefeng’s father. That’s why we travel so far away and have to go up the mountains in order to have a chance to meet up.”

“Interesting…” Yang Jing remarked. “So, how did you two meet up in the first place?”

“I was out to… kill Xuefeng. I had just completed my training with my grandfather and wanted to showcase my martial prowess. I sneaked out of the house and went out to kill a member of the Snake Sword Clan to prove myself and take revenge for my family. I stumbled upon Xuefeng and attacked him when I learned who he was. He beat me and I expected him to kill me; instead, he spared my life and treated my wounds.”

Zhuan Wen was smiling and her face seemed brightened as she recalled those events. “Since then we fell in love but we do not know how to tell our parents about this.”

“How exactly do you propose to help us?” Xiang Xuefeng asked.

For a brief moment, Yang Jing was silent. He wasn’t listening nor seeing anything. He remembered. Her. Her smile. Her warm lips. Her melodic voice. Her enchanting scent. For a brief moment, he embraced her in his arms. Then, he came back to his senses.

“I can talk to your parents,” Yang Jing replied. “I shall persuade them to accept your relationship.

“I doubt you will be able to do that,” Xiang Xuefeng said. “If they learn about our relationship, they will kill both of us.”

“You don’t have anything to lose, do you? Besides, I can make sure that they will not be able to harm you.”

“It sounds crazy to trust a man we just met with such an important task,” Zhuan Wen stated, “but I will trust you.”

“Me too,” Xiang Xuefeng added.