Chapter 1

The sky is bright, within the bamboo forest, there is a melodious song. Walking towards the end of the trail, a faint orchid scent seemed to permeate through the mist, one could vaguely see a figure of a young woman dressed in a snowy white dress, wearing a white belt embroidered with orchid tied around her waist playing the guzheng. Her long black hair flows smoothly down to the waist, shining faintly like satin. There are no ornaments in her hair, there was only a white silver headband fluttering in the wind. After the completion of one song, the sun has risen and the fog has gradually dispersed. The sun shines through the mist and onto the woman, her chest glows with a blue light.

She was scrutinizing what she was wearing on her chest, it was an orchid brooch, made of rare blue crystals. Looking closely, there was a faint orchid imprint on the young woman’s forehead, her phoenix eyes were narrow and deep, with a pale purple light. She had eyelashes that were long and thick, and a small upright nose that was accompanied by small cherry-like lips, her snow like cheeks showed a natural reddish appearance. Her exposed collar revealed a part of her jade-like neck, she had an expression of calmness. As beautiful as a goddess who could not be touched by a speck of dust.

Looking into the depths of the bamboo forest, she lightly said: “Master, was your disciple’s piece of 《Autumn Water》pleasing to the ears?”

• 《秋水》Qiūshuǐ: Autumn water, a song played on the guzheng, an instrument, it is a real song

After a burst of laughter, a middle-aged man with the aura of an immortal came out, “Not bad, Xin’er’s qin skills have gone a step further, even the music from the owner of the world’s number one qin, Huangfu Changtian, is not as good as you.”

Yue Xin’er’s lips slightly curled at the corners, there is an aura pressing down, causing people to be unable to open their eyes. “Master, you did not come to this bamboo forest to only listen to your disciple play the qin, right?”

Yun Zhong Zi sighed, “You little girl, you will soon be fifteen, during this time you should get ready to return to the palace to take a look. Your master really doesn’t understand you.”

She lowered her head, her eyes were red, the breeze blew bamboo leaves toward her body, making her look even more ethereal.

“Xin’er, master does not worry about your safety, you established the Crescent Moon Palace when you were ten years old, there are the seven gate keepers protecting you, even your master does not dare underestimate you. You also have medical skills, the title of ‘Goddess Medical Doctor’, you are full of talent. This time when you leave the mountains to travel the four seas, you must take care of yourself. Your master doesn’t have anything to gift to you other than this ‘mysterious book of heaven’, it is a gift from master to you. Remember ‘Do not be happy with objects, do not be sad.’ Then Yun Zhong Zi took out a yellow book from his sleeves and gave it to her.

• 新月宮 Xīn yuègōng: Crescent Moon Palace, or New Moon Palace; a sect of some sorts
• 玄妙天書 Mysterious/mystical book of heaven; most likely a martial arts manual

“Thank you, master.” Yue Xin’er showed her gratitude, she was curious about the contents of this mysterious book.

Yun Zhong Zi couldn’t help but laugh when he saw her whole heartily immersed in the mystical book of heaven. This little girl, she obviously still has a child’s nature, for the sake of the world, he made her the way she was, he did not know whether it was by luck or unfortunate.

Since thirteen years ago, when they had ascended the mountains Yun Zhong Zi had her go through self-cultivation. For a two-year-old doll-like girl, it is natural for her to be active. It was cruel for her to calm down and learn how to cultivate her body. He often saw the small figure of Yue Xin’er, she was a child, but stubbornly refused to bow to him. Sometimes he saw her longing eyes looking toward the path that led down the mountain, he secretly thought to himself that if she had begged him, perhaps he would take her down the mountains for the lantern festival. But she never asked for anything, only wishing to go pick herbs, she silently carried the medicine and went to the Qiqiu Valley, the place that makes the people of the jianghu eager to go. After returning, she had gained a little white tiger. When she was nine years old, she was very alluring, just one gaze of her’s could take away a man’s heart and mind. She was renowned with Zheng Sulan who was sixteen at the time they were known as “The duo of medicine gods”.

• 七絕穀 Qiqiu Valley: Very dangerous, but people still go there for a chance to gain power
• 江湖 Jiānghú: Rivers and lakes; the pugilistic world in the Wuxia/martial arts genre
• 鄭素蘭 Zheng Sulan: a name, Zheng being the surname, Su meaning plain, and Lan mean orchid

As he expected, her temper was cold as jade but not as cold as ice, she just treated everything with indifference. This is the realm he wanted her to be in —— the body as water, the heart as water. When she was ten, she descended the mountain with the seven boys and girls that she had carefully cultivated with and established the largest sect in the jianghu, the crescent moon palace. But no matter what, he never saw her with any expressions. Looking at those eyes that haven’t had any ripples in them for a long time other than due to the mysterious book of heaven, he did not know if he was in the right or in the wrong. This girl that only feels sadness and pity, he is afraid that everything will be out of control when she leaves the mountains!

If Yun Zhong Zi did not feel the fluctuations of the heart and sit quietly to look through the mysterious book of heaven. She didn’t know that her master’s heart was turning with such thoughts, she couldn’t blame him, as she didn’t have a choice, she also knew that master did it for her own good. She never asked him to take her down the mountains to play because she knew she had an extremely important identity, although she was a child, her mind had already surpassed mortal bounds. She knew that master had pity her and wanted to spoil her, but she could not let herself go and let herself relaxed, because she was responsible for the rise and fall of the country, and imperial father had already passed down her edict to seal her up as a goddess.

She is afraid that she will have to govern the country together with her imperial brother. But she does not wish to! If she was an ordinary woman, she does not have to bear so much responsibility! At the age of six, Master let her go to Qiqiu Valley, perhaps she was hesitant in her heart, after all, it was pernicious all year round, it was poisonous everywhere, even the birds did not dare to fly in. Many of the elixirs that people of jianghu dreamed of had all come out of this place. For centuries, the people who entered and were able to come out have been few in number. But she still agreed without wrinkling her eyebrows, at that time, she felt that master’s heart had been hit by a storm, he merely wanted her to beg for mercy, in his heart he already had a place for her.

After returning, she was followed by a white tiger that she saved in Qiqiu Valley, the little guy had strayed into the valley and gotten poisoned. Luckily, Yue Xin’er was there and he had survived. She also didn’t know why she was able to come back safely, maybe there was a mysterious force protecting her! Before she was ten years old, her master was always urging her to go down the mountains, to treat people’s illnesses. Due to her age, the people did not dare to let her diagnose them, but soon, when she cured the village chief’s persistent illness, one after another, the villagers began to seek medical advice from her.

After a small experiment with the knife, she did not want to cure a few minor illnesses, she then singled out incurable diseases and later learned to make poison and detoxification. During this time, she saved seven orphans that were older than her, healed them and took them to the mountains after curing their poisons. The seven people had their gratitude for her life-saving grace, and are determined to repay her. After hearing their sincerity she gave them a secret martial arts manual and also taught them different techniques when she was ten years old she let them leave the mountain and tasked them with establishing the Crescent Moon palace. The imperial palace was too far away, and she was often unable to handle its affairs, but the matters of jianghu, she allowed her older brothers to manage it.

Originally, she did not have much expectations for the seven people, who knows it was unintentional. Today’s Crescent moon palace is held in regard as the world’s number one sect for both the black and white sides of the jianghu, its forces have been extended to officials and businessmen, and casually rubbing a foot can cause the entire Jingyue Dynasty to tremble. She does not like politics but she was dragged into this circle because of her brother’s words, today more than half of the military power is in their hands, if she had the ambition to become the emperor, even her imperial elder brother will not wrinkle his brow, and give the throne to her! In addition, the founding emperor of the Jingyue Dynasty, Goddess of the Moon was a woman, there was no worry about women interfering with politics.

• Black and white sides; Black being the dark/evil side of jianghu, and white being the light/good side of jianghu
• 靜月王朝 Jìng yuè wángcháo: Jingyue Imperial Dynasty; Jing means quiet/calm/tranquil, and Yue means moon

Some time ago, older sister Yue Ling left the palace, she left after taking care of the matter with brother-in-law in the cold northern dessert. I had already guessed that my older brother would not promise Yue Ling to him, so he left a letter to sister Yi, Zheng Sulan’s sister-in-law, threatening the Emperor that if he does not agree, he would hide the armory in the mountains. When the emperor heard, he dared not disregard his beautiful and intelligent younger sister who held a lot of power, he then arranged the marriage, and his young sister was relieved.

• 月翎 Yuè líng: Moonlight; Name of Yue Xin’er’s older sister

This month, Yue Xin’er is about to come of age, as the goddess of a country, her status is equal to that of an Emperor, how can it not be held in high regard? Therefore, when she returned to the palace, she was dragged for measuring her dress size, and she was asked what jewelry she preferred, when she shook her head and refused, she terrified a group of people, thinking that she was dissatisfied, they kneeled and begged for their lives.

When Zheng Sulan came, she saw that the Heart Moon Palace was in disarray, and the culprit is standing aside with a slight frown. Everyone saw the Empress and bowed, calling: “Greetings to the Empress, may your majesty live for thousands and thousands of years.” She waved her hand and allowed them to get up, but no one dared to stand up, this couldn’t help but make her feel weird. “Xin’er, what is going on?”

“I am also unsure, you should ask them!?”

When the Empress could not get a word from the girl’s mouth, she knew that this girl was never concerned about anything, so she turned around and asked those in the room.

Among them, there was a pretty maiden, whose status was not low replied: “Replying to Empress, these slaves were preparing for the princess’s grand ceremony, we presented a lot of jewelry, but the princess is not satisfied. This slave thought princess wanted to punish these slaves, we do not dare…”

One could see that Yue Xin’er’s eyebrows wrinkled even more, but there was no expression that could be seen beneath that veiled face. The Empress saw that Yue Xin’er refuse to speak, she had to explain, “You all misunderstood. The little princess did not want to punish you. She is dissatisfied because she never wears any jewelry besides ‘Fragrant Orchid of the Secluded Valley’ You guys think it over if that is the case?”

Those people listened, and they were bold enough to look at her. There was nothing other than the brochette worn on her chest, even her hair was just as soft as silver silk satin.

“Good, now that you have seen enough, get up! If this spreads, people will say that the Princess place blame on the servants.” Zheng Sulan pretended to be angry, and those people got up. Then said to Yue Xin’er: “Xin’er, the grand ceremony is different from other festivals, it only happens once in a lifetime, can you stand before the officials, or pick some jewelry that you like!”

Yue Xin’er thought for a moment, and nodded “When the time comes, I’ll make my own decisions, take these items away! At the time of the ceremony, the family’s dignity will not be lost.”

Seeing that she had promised, the Empress no longer forced her, knowing that she had the innate knowledge and that these common items could not enter her eyes.

When it comes to this righteous sister, she has never seen her true face, every time she sees her, she would either be wearing a veil or a human skin mask. The reason she can be with the Emperor is because of her, it can be said that she was their matchmaker. Because Yue Xin’er often cultivates in mount Jinyun, they rarely see each other, it was due to an accident that they became sisters, later, because of this relationship that she successfully climbed to this relation, the relationship between the two people became more intimate. She could never see through her, even her brother, sister, and master couldn’t understand what she was thinking. She could be considered fortunate, generally the children of the imperial are to be married, however, because of her status, no one even dares to mention engagements before her, could such a goddess be someone that a mortal would be able to match?

“Huang Sao, why don’t you return first, otherwise imperial brother will come here for you.”

• 皇嫂 Huáng sǎo: Huang means imperial, sao means elder brother’s wife; Imperial sister in law

She got an answer that was laced with blame, “You little girl, you still have the mind to ridicule me, next time I will bring Yu’er to see you, you should make preparations!”

• 煜 Yù: a name, it means brilliant/glorious

Yu’er? Yue Xin’er thought it had been a long time since she saw him, she really wants to see him sooner.