The weather in July and August is always so bothersome. Although a heavy rain had fallen just last night, the sky had already cleared up, leaving the air humid and stifling.
Yun Zi'an pushed open the window and took a deep, greedy breath of the fresh air. Her father's parting words echoed unbidden in her ears.
"Zi'an, you are already at the Foundation Establishment Stage now. Although the imperial realm's cultivators can continue to guide you, it is still not as good as going to a major sect to cultivate in person."
"I have already contacted the Sect Master of the Tandao Sect for you. The Tandao Sect is one of the premier sects in the world, and Sect Master Lu is one of the top powerhouses. He will certainly be able to guide you well."
"However, once you arrive at the Tandao Sect, you must put away your imperial princess airs. You can no longer be willful and wayward, and above all, you must not be disrespectful to Sect Master Lu. Get along well with your senior brothers and sisters..."
"Humph!" Yun Zi'an pouted in dissatisfaction. "Father is just too much, talking as if I'm willful and wayward just because I'm in the palace."
To play the part of a Tandao Sect disciple, Yun Zi'an had long since tossed her gorgeous court dress aside and changed into a set of practical attire. She had also removed all the exquisite hair ornaments from her head, tying her hair back into a simple, high ponytail.
Now, anyone would take her for a dashing and heroic swordswoman rather than a dignified and opulent princess.
At that moment, a deep male voice sounded from outside the door, "Zi'an, are you ready yet? Today, your master is going to take you to meet your senior brothers and senior sister."
"Master, I am ready," Yun Zi'an replied, then hurriedly pushed open the door.
Sect Master Lu Zhengyi glanced at Yun Zi'an, signaling her to follow, and then walked with steady strides, leading her toward the Martial Arts Arena of the Tandao Sect.
By the time Yun Zi'an hurried to the Martial Arts Arena, five or six people were already standing there.
Lu Zhengyi walked up to the group and said to Yun Zi'an with a solemn expression, "Zi'an, why don't you introduce yourself to your senior brothers and senior sister first?"
"Yes!" Yun Zi'an nodded, her gaze calm and confident. She had seen scenes like this far too many times. Whether at court banquets or in various social settings, she could always handle them with ease.
Yun Zi'an straightened her back, a proper smile blooming on her face. Then she gave a soft cough and spoke unhurriedly, "Greetings, senior brothers and senior sister. My name is Yun Zi'an, and I am the Fourth Princess of Canglan."
"Ever since I was young, I have been filled with a passion for the Dao of immortality. I often immersed myself in all kinds of immortal manuals and secret texts, searching far and wide for renowned masters to guide me."
"A few months ago, I just broke through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, deeply aware that this is merely a tiny step on the long road of cultivation. Therefore, driven by my pursuit of a higher realm, I have come to the Tandao Sect, hoping to spar with all of you and forge ahead hand in hand..."
As she introduced herself, Yun Zi'an swept her gaze across the senior brothers and senior sister.
Her gaze shifted from a tall, handsome senior brother to another delicate-looking senior brother, and finally rested on a cute senior sister.
When Yun Zi'an saw the fourth senior brother, her heart contracted violently, as if seized by an evil spirit, and her voice trembled uncontrollably.
How could it be him? Could it really be such a coincidence?
Yun Zi'an took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, but her fiercely pounding heart refused to obey her commands.
She couldn't help glancing at that figure once more: thin lips, sword-like brows, triple-pupiled eyes, and a cold expression.
There was absolutely no mistake... That expressionless senior brother was none other than her former master, Zhang Jingyun, and the person she least wanted to see in this world.
Although Yun Zi'an was the Fourth Princess of Canglan Kingdom, her destiny had been fraught with hardship. In her early childhood, because her mother was framed by Imperial Noble Consort Chen, the two of them were banished from the imperial palace.
Even so, Imperial Noble Consort Chen still refused to let them go, sending assassins to murder Yun Zi'an and her mother. To protect her, Yun Zi'an's mother died at the hands of the assassins, while she narrowly escaped with her life.
After her mother's death, records concerning Yun Zi'an were a complete blank. No one knew how she had survived on her own, nor how she had learned such exquisite swordsmanship.
When Yun Zi'an turned sixteen, the wheels of fate began to turn. Her father finally woke up to the realization that he had wronged the former empress, so he executed Imperial Noble Consort Chen and hurriedly sent people to search for the daughter lost among the common folk.
After a bitter search, the guards finally found Yun Zi'an.
When Yun Zi'an first returned to the imperial palace, her appearance could only be described as refined. After two years of living a life of luxury, however, her slightly haggard face grew full and rosy, making her look even more stunning than her mother, who had been hailed as the foremost beauty of Canglan.
It was said that a prince of the State of Zhao had caught a glimpse of Yun Zi'an by chance and was instantly captivated by her peerless beauty, swearing to marry no one else in this lifetime.
Then there was the young master of Shuijing Pavilion, a proud and unbridled man who crossed paths with Yun Zi'an by chance.
A single glance was all it took for him to be utterly conquered by her beauty and grace.
From then on, there was room for no one else in his heart. He was even willing to cast aside his noble status to become a personal guard by Yun Zi'an's side, silently protecting her for the rest of his life.
...
Yun Zi'an withdrew her gaze and nervously bit her lower lip. Back then, when she was so weak, how had she managed to survive on her own?
The answer was: she had been captured by a group of wicked cultivators!
These cultivators had no idea who she was. Seeing her covered in dirt and looking thoroughly mediocre, they casually sold her into a slave market.
And then, Zhang Jingyun had bought Yun Zi'an back as a maid for the price of five taels of silver.
That's right, she, a dignified princess of Canglan, was worth a mere five taels of silver.
Over the years, Yun Zi'an had lived in the luxurious imperial palace with countless servants surrounding her, tending to her every need with meticulous care.
Nobles and aristocrats alike, powerful cultivators included—no matter who saw her, they would bow respectfully.
She was the one who ordered others about; no one ever dared to command her again.
Having lived this high and mighty life for so long, Yun Zi'an had thought she had forgotten the dark past of serving as someone else's maid.
It was only upon seeing Zhang Jingyun once more that she realized she had never forgotten at all.
The fear and pain that had been suppressed deep in her heart were awakened in an instant, like a sleeping beast.
Yun Zi'an was like an animal that had long since been thoroughly broken; her fear of Zhang Jingyun was carved deep into her bones.
Even though she had already become a noble princess, she could not summon even a shred of defiance.
Though Zhang Jingyun hadn't even bothered to look at her twice, his cold, slightly mocking voice was already ringing in her ears.
That voice was saying: "What Fourth Princess of Great Xia? What prince of the State of Zhao who goes mad with longing after a single glance? What young master of Shuijing Pavilion who is willing to forsake everything to guard you?"
"Remember this well: you are nothing more than a lowly maid."
"A maid I bought for five taels of silver. No matter how your status changes, that will never change."